The new news 24 thread

[bub2006]

3 hours ago, chaseracer said:

This reminds me of the time @bub2006launched his Vectra over a wall into a Peak District field and we towed it back to Belper behind the Blingo.  

Very steep, some of those Derbyshire roads, especially when some bellend uses the exact one he was warned specifically to avoid... 🙄

I specifically said ignore your sat nav and turn onto the a610. Your sat navigation will try and push you up a steep hill. When you didn't turn my mind just thought oh bollocks,mr racer is in for a great* surprise now. And to top it all off it was dark,I had no lights and my windscreen was fogged up. Up that tight lane was interesting!

[wuvvum]

32 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

My birthday present has arrived a day late!

'Kinell, I bet that's a few quid's worth...

Were Bugatti the first manufacturer to fit alloys as standard?

[Sunny Jim]

@brownnova@Tim_E I'd be up for that Cars & Coffee event if you fancy meeting up there one week.

[richardmorris]

37 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

'Kinell, I bet that's a few quid's worth...

Were Bugatti the first manufacturer to fit alloys as standard?

No idea about that, I’ve just found this site, http://www.bugattibuilder.com/photo/thumbnails.php?album=2458

 

And at bonhams a couple of years ago.

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25101/lot/84/

[17-Coffees]

Today is 3 years since I bough my Morris Minor it turns out! Sadly It's not gotten the attention it deserves over the last year. I had a day off and and a slight upbeat mood this week with the urge to get mine back on the road for a few days this summer. I was missing that feel of a classic thanks to all the classics I saw around Aberdeen on Saturday!

@Supernaut also popped round  for a chat and generally fettle with the car. So I give it a quick look over, still looks fine enough body & structure wise. Then I set about finally doing a service, just oil, plugs and filter as well as re-assembling bit's I'd taken off. Sadly never got to starting it as the battery was flat, as expected. So hopefully get round to that on Saturday after it's been given a charge. Once done, next will be to try and sort the issue with the indicators, hoping it's something simple such as a relay. As well as that a proper check under as well as play & lube up the nipples (hur hur) and hopefully get some use! But I really should get round to painting it all one colour finally! 

[Jerzy Woking]

https://metro.co.uk/2021/05/19/resident-left-note-on-skoda-saying-it-made-the-area-look-like-beirut-14605652/

Anyone near Shanklin on the Isle of Wight? This maybe a great place to park your old shiter for a few days/weeks.

[richardmorris]

14 hours ago, brownnova said:

It’s a place a called Mavericks Wales in Llanerch-y-Môr (Between Holywell and Prestatyn) https://motorcyclemavericks.co.uk and they hosting weekly car nights at their venue. This was the first post lockdown. I think it will grow and grow. 

25 years ago I worked next door at Palmer research laboratories.

 

edit, checking google earth, that site IS where I used to work. The whole site was the chemical company’s ( part of associated octel then). The new(ish) building on the west of the site was in planning when I was there and all our labs were in portacabins. I think the venue may be where the main production facility was.

 

there was a scrapyard down the road towards Holywell where I got some 2cv parts .

[brownnova]

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

@brownnova@Tim_E I'd be up for that Cars & Coffee event if you fancy meeting up there one week.

Definitely an arrangement shall be made! 

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

25 years ago I worked next door at Palmer research laboratories.

 

edit, checking google earth, that site IS where I used to work. The whole site was the chemical company’s ( part of associated octel then). The new(ish) building on the west of the site was in planning when I was there and all our labs were in portacabins. I think the venue may be where the main production facility was.

 

there was a scrapyard down the road towards Holywell where I got some 2cv parts .

Yeah it’s on the old Palmers site! 

Couple of scrappies down the road... sadly I doubt they’ve got any 2CV parts any more... you should pop along if you find yourself in North Wales on a Tuesday night at some point! 

[richardmorris]

2 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Yeah it’s on the old Palmers site! 

Couple of scrappies down the road... sadly I doubt they’ve got any 2CV parts any more... you should pop along if you find yourself in North Wales on a Tuesday night at some point! 

I was there for 10 months covering maternity leave . I fondly remember the health and safety guy having burns, three fingers and lucky trousers! The husband of the woman I was covering for was restoring an escort Mexico at the time.

[brownnova]

I came home today and said to @Mrsbrownnova

”I have a confession to make”

She raised an eyebrow...

”I might have bought a Volvo today...”

”What? You haven’t even mentioned a Volvo” her voice hinted at some concern....

”I just couldn’t resist!” I replied

Before pulling this from my pocket...

 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

4 hours ago, richardmorris said:

My birthday present has arrived a day late!

Are you turning into Cruella de Vil?

[SiC]

3 hours ago, 17-Coffees said:

Sadly never got to starting it as the battery was flat, as expected.

Isn't that what the starting handle is for? 😉

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, Jerzy Woking said:

https://metro.co.uk/2021/05/19/resident-left-note-on-skoda-saying-it-made-the-area-look-like-beirut-14605652/

Anyone near Shanklin on the Isle of Wight? This maybe a great place to park your old shiter for a few days/weeks.

Ironic, considering the name of the newspaper.

[wuvvum]

Haven't got much done on the fleet recently, partly due to shite weather and partly due to an ongoing case of CBA.  I did make an attempt to fix the rear fog light on the Ypsilon at the weekend - reconnecting the wires that had got broken when it was punted up the arse - but to no avail.  I think there must be another break further up the loom as there's no power getting through.  I might have a go at tracing the fault but I might not bother - I rarely use rear fog lights and they're not generally needed at this time of year anyway.  I don't really have to worry about it until the MOT is due next February, and I doubt I'll still have the car by then.

The Skoda is sat in the corner in disgrace at the moment with a severe case of HGF.  I've ordered a new gasket - provided it arrives intact I might have a crack at doing it one fine weekend, it shouldn't be too bad as head gaskets go as it's a pushrod engine so no timing issues to worry about.  The gasket was 12 quid so it's hardly breaking the bank.

The Swift is back in use after I swapped the rear hub nuts from side to side (following a suggestion from the MOT tester) so they now tighten in a different spot where there's still enough metal left to tap them into the locking slot.  I've also fitted the battery from the Innocenti as the battery on the Swift wouldn't hold charge for more than a day or so.  The original stereo appears to have packed up (it'll still switch on but doesn't make any sound) so I've fitted a spare Sony CD player, but I'm now waiting for an aerial adaptor so I can get Classic FM again.

I still haven't managed to bleed the brakes on the Toyota, but I have bought it a new set of bleed nipples as the rears are pretty knackered - they're not seized but they're so worn they can't be turned with a spanner.  The nipples I've bought are for a first gen Avensis but that was a pretty similar car to the Carina E so I'm assuming they'll fit.

I had the driver's door card off the Trafic to investigate the non-functioning window winder and the lack of sound coming from the speaker.  The window issue is unfortunately due to a knackered mechanism (the handle turns but isn't engaging with the lifting gear) so that's going to stay wedged up with a bit of wood for the time being.  The speaker wiring looked OK as far as I could see so I think it might be the speaker itself that's had it - I've ordered a new pair as the one on the passenger side sounds pretty shite anyway.

I swapped the Iveco last week for a Fiat Ducato - that has fewer rust issues, a longer MOT and a lot more power but it does have a knackered clutch and issues with the gear linkage.  It came with a clutch but it's not something I'd contemplate changing myself - I don't fancy lying on my back with a 2.8 JTD suspended above my head - so I'm going to have to farm that out to a garage.  Hopefully I'll be able to get it sorted soon as when they're running right those big-engined Ducatos are a bloody good van.

I'm contemplating putting the Volvo up for sale again.  It's been sat in the garage since I extracted the Innocenti a couple of months back, and it's very much been out of sight, out of mind - at the moment I'm not sure I'd even miss it much if it went, it'd alleviate my storage issues (Renault 6 can then over-winter in the garage and the Innocenti can go in the back of the Ducato) and allow me to concentrate on getting those two cars sorted.  It's in a marginally more saleable condition than it was last year, having had the second front brake caliper replaced such that it now has vaguely functioning brakes, and being a 1970s car I doubt the value will have dropped in the last year.  I might bung it up on C&C and see what happens.  I'll probably regret selling it - I will have owned it 17 years in September - but it really deserves better than the neglect it has had from me, and I could put the money to getting the rest of the fleet sorted.  Or buying more chod.  Or a deposit on a new Sandero.  The possibilities are endless...

[Fumbler]

An box with carburettor has arrived at home. Excellent.

[Fumbler]

Two possible issues with the BX's starter apparently. The first is that the ignition switch is tired, because it was designed to switch the starter motor directly without a relay. Quite the failure point. The second is that the connections at the starter motor/ the motor's internals are knackered and need some TLC. I can diagnose that pretty easy tomorrow. They also recommending fitting the diesel version's battery which they found cheap on Amazon. Progress.

[Low Horatio gearbox]

Finally, finally completing and exchanging  on my house, despite the best efforts of the myopic sellers and their solicitors (leave the keys with the agents.. no.. with the sellers solicitors... oh and they are closed for lunch.. what do you mean you want the keys to your house now not in an hour?)

 

Garage space and off street parking.. theres a kitchen, livingroom , bedroom and "indoorstuff" (and a hot tub) but.. priorities...

 

Sure they left the garage half filled with tut but also a new new Kenwood fridge  and a nice* dining table and chairs (which I dont want, looks* expensive)

[3VOM]

On 5/19/2021 at 7:28 PM, Jerzy Woking said:

https://metro.co.uk/2021/05/19/resident-left-note-on-skoda-saying-it-made-the-area-look-like-beirut-14605652/

Anyone near Shanklin on the Isle of Wight? This maybe a great place to park your old shiter for a few days/weeks.

Needs a drive by of Toyota pick ups. Plus fireworks.

[Mrcento]

Had a non starting Honda today, i know, the shock!

Just battery though, which is weird, it had a new one less than a year ago. I guess all the sitting with lockdowns etc then sitting on a mates drive for a fair few weeks followed by me hardly using it the bare a couple of short runs past week was enough to tip it into just losing enough juice to spin the starter over. Either that or i have a drain somewhere. Will monitor.

At least i finally got the chance to test my little jump pack. Still baffles me these little things can turn over even a 2.2 litre diesel without sweat. It did. Impressed.

[MarvinsMom]

been for a job interview today, for a job i don't really want.

get home and there is an email in the inbox, they have offered me the job.

monies not as much as i would like, but hey, its a job.

now i had another interview last Wednesday for a job i am more interested it,

they want me to go for a second interview on Tuesday next week.

well i have to go and see them again, just because there might be something more for me there.

and if i don't get any joy there, well i guess i have something to fallback on.

so it looks like my time sat at home with the cat is coming to an end.

which actually kinda makes me sad.

if nothing else,its taught me to really look forward to retiring, i'm going to be 'GREAT at it!

 

 

[FakeConcern]

30 minutes ago, MarvinsMom said:

been for a job interview today, for a job i don't really want.

get home and there is an email in the inbox, they have offered me the job.

monies not as much as i would like, but hey, its a job.

now i had another interview last Wednesday for a job i am more interested it,

they want me to go for a second interview on Tuesday next week.

well i have to go and see them again, just because there might be something more for me there.

and if i don't get any joy there, well i guess i have something to fallback on.

so it looks like my time sat at home with the cat is coming to an end.

which actually kinda makes me sad.

if nothing else,its taught me to really look forward to retiring, i'm going to be 'GREAT at it!

 

 

I sympathise over the job dilemma as I’ve been there too. As for retiring, my dad retired at age 57 and died age 70, so just shows you don’t know how much time you have left...

I resolved to retire at 57 as well and I did and haven’t looked back. Before this when older relatives told me “I don’t know how I used to have time to work, I’m so busy now” I always thought “cunt” haha, but now I know just what they meant!

 

On a different subject, do you have a thread on your orange Sport Pack Mini? I’ve had a look and can’t see one but probably me being thick...

 

Anyway good luck with whatever job you end up with and fingers crossed for early retirement haha

[MarvinsMom]

2 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

On a different subject, do you have a thread on your orange Sport Pack Mini? I’ve had a look and can’t see one but probably me being thick...

no, there isn't a thread for the orange mini, or for that matter ANY of the cars we have, just odd updates as and when we break something/do something/go somewhere, all of which have been in short supply in recent times!

[FakeConcern]

3 minutes ago, MarvinsMom said:

no, there isn't a thread for the orange mini, or for that matter ANY of the cars we have, just odd updates as and when we break something/do something/go somewhere, all of which have been in short supply in recent times!

Well you should do something about that before you start work again!

[Split_Pin]

Buying new brake hoses was a Good Decision. 

I'm not sure what's keeping the rubber hose inside the metal end here.

Thankfully the bracket is good and the lines were all changed out long ago and are also still good.

 

[captain_70s]

[chancer]

4 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

Oh fuck! Thats @GingerNuttzin hiding now 😂

[Dick Cheeseburger]

21 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Buying new brake hoses was a Good Decision. 

I'm not sure what's keeping the rubber hose inside the metal end here.

Thankfully the bracket is good and the lines were all changed out long ago and are also still good.

 

That's pretty impressive. I've had the odd advisory over the years of rust on the brake ferrules, but that's another level of tinworm munching. 

[Ged]

Purchased myself an automobile of sheer quality.. A 2.0 non turbo GM900 with no MOT and a few *minor* issues to resolve. First of which is the door which had all the linkages taken out by the previous owner due to a failed exterior handle, ive managed to break my hand in 3 different places to get them back in successfully returning the door to its normal function. The power steering pump has a *minor* leak leaving the resovoir empty along with the distributor seals being presumably non existant covering the engine with oil. I believe the light check module needs resoldered as there is currently a issue with the high beams, but atleast there is a significant lack of rust.

[stuboy]

Thought I'd found the holy grail ... a 10mm socket whilst changing headlight bulb on an ambulance.....

 

 

 

 

Turn out 'just' a snap on 13mm socket..