The new news 24 thread

[High Jetter]

Civic Duty!

[beko1987]

Civic Amenity 🤔

[SiC]

Civic Centre

[RoverFolkUs]

Now which one of you is it?! 

[Bear]

Not that easy to park in town...

[Ghosty]

6 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Now which one of you is it?! 

'Citreon'. FFS.

[wuvvum]

You took the words out of my mouth.

[RoverFolkUs]

2 hours ago, Ghosty said:

'Citreon'. FFS.

 

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

You took the words out of my mouth.

I completely missed that!

Not surprised though given which rag it was that published it but still amusing none-the-less

At least they didn't even try to spell Xantia

Oh and "metal coloured motor" - just what!? 

[doobietoo]

On 3/5/2022 at 6:16 PM, wuvvum said:

Status update: the pinch bolt has now rounded off as well.  I do at least have a bolt remover in that size, which I have hammered on and which is so far gripping very well - I still can't shift the bolt though, even heaving on a 2' breaker bar (it's a shame it's not the offside, I could jump up and down on the bar then).  

I went to Wilco to see if they had any bolt removers in stock, but the only set they had was nearly 30 quid and I was fucked if I was paying that when I only need one size - that's nearly a gallon of diesel at current prices.  The other alternative was a 1/2" socket, to be hammered over the bolt in traditional Autoshite fashion, but they didn't have any of those either.  So I'm no further towards getting the ball joint bolt undone.  I have however managed to find my 12 volt ugga dugga gun which a mate gave me years ago - I've never actually used it so I don't know if it works or not, but I'm going to give it a go tomorrow on the pinch bolt - although I don't actually have any impact sockets big enough to go over the bolt remover so I'm going to have to hope that a normal socket is up to the job.

I've put the spare wheel on for now - it' a 15" wheel with a smaller tyre as well so it just about went on OK with a bit of levering.

The alternative to jumping up and down on the bar on the nearside is to jack the car up, attach the bar and slowly lower the car. 

[brownnova]

One out!

After all the buggering about with issues caused by the fan belt snap, the Elgrand of many (well a few at least) Shiters has finally departed northwards to another shiter tonight! 

Only 6 weeks later than planned! 

Thats me back down to single figures car wise…

[chaseracer]

On 07/03/2022 at 09:52, richardmorris said:

I've no idea what this is, it's just come off a transporter full or nigel mansell F1 cars.

 

On 07/03/2022 at 09:58, Liggle said:

Its a Modulo 'reverse trike' 

Based on a BMW bike, can't remember if they are built by BMW or just based on a BMW

 

That's... er, visually challenging.  No Grinnall Scorpion, is it?

[Spottedlaurel]

Last drive of the LS400 today for a little while. MoT is due tomorrow and if nothing else I know the exhaust will need some TLC. It can sit quietly in the corner waiting for a time when spending on the new house and general 1:1 life slows down a bit.

Can hopefully start using the Laurel again soon once they ease off on the salt, it's spent the winter under a pile of boxes. Free tax and no MoT to worry about on that one.....

[Minimad5]

18 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Thats me back down to single figures car wise…

Just the Volvo Estate 🤞😉

*With welcoming arms awaits Ovlov love 😅

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, Minimad5 said:

Just the Volvo Estate 🤞😉

*With welcoming arms awaits Ovlov love 😅

It’s blotted it’s copybook this week.. one of the front brakes is binding slightly… 

Not enough to want to sell it though. 

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, doobietoo said:

The alternative to jumping up and down on the bar on the nearside is to jack the car up, attach the bar and slowly lower the car. 

Problem is it's a flexible head bar, so it'd take up all of the trolley jack's travel before it actually started to do anything.  My old breaker bar was rigid, but I broke that trying to get a wheel nut off a Fiat Punto.

[RoverFolkUs]

7 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Problem is it's a flexible head bar, so it'd take up all of the trolley jack's travel before it actually started to do anything.  My old breaker bar was rigid, but I broke that trying to get a wheel nut off a Fiat Punto.

The 75 still putting up a fight then!? Induction heater and one of those Irwin bolt grippers? 

Granted an induction heater isn't something you can magic out of thin air but maybe you know someone with one you could borrow? Failing the heat solution a bolt gripper might do on its own. 

(I think) you say you've tried various lengths of scaffold pole, have you been able to grab onto the bolt to no avail or does it slip/round off?

[RoverFolkUs]

How to save fuel? 

Well, according to the experts* at Vanarama you should be driving with a bowl of water on the passenger seat. If you spill the water, you're wasting fuel by driving with lead feet!

So, when you do an emergency stop you need to clean up that spilled water somehow. Maybe drive to the local valet centre or leave it running for an hour with the heaters on. Yes that's going to save fuel isn't it 🤦

Yes, this is a real "article" and no, I don't think it's a windup..... 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/how-bowl-water-can-help-23323342

[wuvvum]

9 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

The 75 still putting up a fight then!? Induction heater and one of those Irwin bolt grippers? 

Granted an induction heater isn't something you can magic out of thin air but maybe you know someone with one you could borrow? Failing the heat solution a bolt gripper might do on its own. 

(I think) you say you've tried various lengths of scaffold pole, have you been able to grab onto the bolt to no avail or does it slip/round off?

It rounded off with the original 15mm socket.  With the Irwin knock-off bolt gripper on there it'll stay on for longer - it withstood several seconds of me heaving on what was effectively a 4'6" bar before pinging off, during which time it'd cut some impressive grooves into the bolt head.

I don't think the bolt is going to go anywhere without the application of a more brutal set of tools than I have access to.

[RoverFolkUs]

1 minute ago, RoverFolkUs said:

How to save fuel? 

Well, according to the experts* at Vanarama you should be driving with a bowl of water on the passenger seat. If you spill the water, you're wasting fuel by driving with lead feet!

So, when you do an emergency stop you need to clean up that spilled water somehow. Maybe drive to the local valet centre or leave it running for an hour with the heaters on. Yes that's going to save fuel isn't it 🤦

Yes, this is a real "article" and no, I don't think it's a windup..... 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/how-bowl-water-can-help-23323342

I am a complete fool who only read the first half of it. 

"Drive AS IF you have a bowl of water" 🤦

Nevermind!

[wuvvum]

1 minute ago, RoverFolkUs said:

How to save fuel? 

Well, according to the experts* at Vanarama you should be driving with a bowl of water on the passenger seat. If you spill the water, you're wasting fuel by driving with lead feet!

So, when you do an emergency stop you need to clean up that spilled water somehow. Maybe drive to the local valet centre or leave it running for an hour with the heaters on. Yes that's going to save fuel isn't it 🤦

Yes, this is a real "article" and no, I don't think it's a windup..... 

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/how-bowl-water-can-help-23323342

Apparently the newest version of the Bini has a virtual goldfish bowl in the trip computer - you can turn it on and then try to drive without slopping the virtual water out of it.  If you manage to reach your destination without spilling all the water the virtual goldfish will do a backflip of gratitude.

I really wish I were making this up.

[RoverFolkUs]

19 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

It rounded off with the original 15mm socket.  With the Irwin knock-off bolt gripper on there it'll stay on for longer - it withstood several seconds of me heaving on what was effectively a 4'6" bar before pinging off, during which time it'd cut some impressive grooves into the bolt head.

I don't think the bolt is going to go anywhere without the application of a more brutal set of tools than I have access to.

Right. That sounds like a complete bastard, especially on the roadside

Forgive my ignorance if there's a reason you've already mentioned that prevents you from undoing the track rod end, lower ball joint and driveshaft (well, and the brake caliper) and liberating it as a knuckle + strut assembly then swapping the spring that way? Therefore not needing to touch the pinch bolt?

Edit to add - 

I went with a similar method on a BMW 330 once, I didn't fancy touching the dog bone type control arms they have on the front at the knuckle end as they didn't look too interested in moving, so I took the entire corner of suspension out (bloody heavy with it all attached though mind!) And swapped the spring out that way. 

Not relevant here but just adding it in anyway to complete the "story" - If I remember correctly one of the bushes had a non threaded sleeved section and the unhappy looking side had a threaded inner sleeve so that's why I opted not to touch it incase it wrecked the bushes. 

[RoverFolkUs]

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Apparently the newest version of the Bini has a virtual goldfish bowl in the trip computer - you can turn it on and then try to drive without slopping the virtual water out of it.  If you manage to reach your destination without spilling all the water the virtual goldfish will do a backflip of gratitude.

I really wish I were making this up.

I trust you're not taking the wee wee and will look this up 😂

Assuming that's some sort of emmissions control effort by means of encouraging fuel conservation

[wuvvum]

24 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Forgive my ignorance if there's a reason you've already mentioned that prevents you from undoing the track rod end, lower ball joint and driveshaft (well, and the brake caliper) and liberating it as a knuckle + strut assembly then swapping the spring that way? Therefore not needing to touch the pinch bolt?

The ball joint bolt has rounded off as well.

The only way to do it would be to take the entire assembly off including the wishbone.  That is of course assuming that I can get the wishbone off.  And the caliper bolts undone.  And the trackrod and driveshaft out.

[RoverFolkUs]

20 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

The ball joint bolt has rounded off as well.

The only way to do it would be to take the entire assembly off including the wishbone.  That is of course assuming that I can get the wishbone off.  And the caliper bolts undone.  And the trackrod and driveshaft out.

Argh, what a nightmare...!

I wish you the best of luck whichever method you end up doing to get it done

I'd fear even if the pinch bolt came out after all, how hard would it be to get the shocker out of the knuckle given how fucked everything else is :(  

[catsinthewelder]

5 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Apparently the newest version of the Bini has a virtual goldfish bowl in the trip computer - you can turn it on and then try to drive without slopping the virtual water out of it.  If you manage to reach your destination without spilling all the water the virtual goldfish will do a backflip of gratitude.

I really wish I were making this up.

A few years back I was doing a house removal nearby.  The customer had a side job of trading in LPG powered Merc Sprinters so we had a couple of them to use alongside our Luton.  On one run the fishtank needed transporting and he suggested putting it on the passenger seat of one of his vans.  The lad I was working with got a very wet arse on that run.

[captain_70s]

6 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Apparently the newest version of the Bini has a virtual goldfish bowl in the trip computer - you can turn it on and then try to drive without slopping the virtual water out of it.  If you manage to reach your destination without spilling all the water the virtual goldfish will do a backflip of gratitude.

I really wish I were making this up.

[stuboy]

School run done....

Been to lidl for lunch..

Finally the loooooooxoooor is outside and chained to the Villiers generator..

 

Battery on charge.. aldi special wouldn't do anything..

[DVee8]

11 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Apparently the newest version of the Bini has a virtual goldfish bowl in the trip computer - you can turn it on and then try to drive without slopping the virtual water out of it.  If you manage to reach your destination without spilling all the water the virtual goldfish will do a backflip of gratitude.

I really wish I were making this up.

What year is this on ,? I haven't seen it on MrsV8'S Bini.

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, DVee8 said:

What year is this on ,? I haven't seen it on MrsV8'S Bini.

Latest model year I presume.  It might be an option, or it might be buried somewhere deep in a menu.

[wuvvum]

I bought this last night.

It's done a lot of miles, but it's the relatively bulletproof 8-valve 1.9 JTD and it runs and drives fine.  It's massive in the back too, and it has a towbar, plus it should be fairly good on fuel if the similarly-engined Stilo I once owned is anything to go by.  I don't have any particular need for it, but a mate's brother in law was selling it at a price I couldn't refuse, and I've wanted to try one ever since I had a dream one night years ago that I'd bought a brand new one (although that was a boggo non-turbo 1.9D panel van in appliance white with keep fit windows).  Yes, I do know I'm odd.