The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

Got pretty much bugger all done this weekend, due to a combination of being busy and the weather being shite.  Literally the only thing I got done on the fleet was to fit a cover to the front passenger seat of the Visa, whilst trying not to go arse over tit on the icy car park.  I had been hoping to give the 107's headlights a polish - it'd be nice to be able to see where I'm going in the dark, given that it's dark most of the time at the moment - but I'm not sure polishing products work very well when it's -5 outside.

I've ordered some Osram Nightbreaker bulbs as well, which should help a bit.  I've also ordered a carb rebuild kit for the Visa - it comes with a new float and a new needle valve and for the sake of £22 I thought it was worth a go.  Probably won't be here until after Christmas though so will have to wait for the first dry and mild weekend of 2023.  Once the carb is sorted and the ignition is fitted properly the old girl should be fully mobile.

I got a new phone this weekend - I did what I often do, went into the shop knowing what I wanted and came out with something different.  I'd decided on a Galaxy A53, but the salesman talked me into a deal where I get a Galaxy A13 and a Samsung tablet for less per month than the A53 on its own, and with a much higher data allowance.  We went through the comparative specs and I decided that the areas where the A13 is lower spec are areas that I can put up with.  The tablet is quite nice - I've not used it much yet but it'll be good for Internet browsing when on collection missions etc.  It came with its own sim card with a separate 2GB of data per month, which should be enough for what I'm likely to use it for.

[Ghosty]

1 hour ago, ruffgeezer said:

I believe I have an aerial extension lead in the garage if you'd like?

That'd be great - radio does have its uses sometimes, especially if I don't know what I want to listen to! Let me know if you want any beer tokens/postage etc.

[bunglebus]

Some frosty pics from this morning

 

[Ghosty]

54 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Osram Nightbreaker

I've just put a pair of the 150% brightness Nightbreaker Lasers in my mum's car, they make a big difference.

[artdjones]

7 hours ago, Ghosty said:

I've just put a pair of the 150% brightness Nightbreaker Lasers in my mum's car, they make a big difference.

I'm tempted by this sort of thing, but also worried by how much difference they make to the people driving towards me. There's not much point in seeing better if I'm also increasing the risk of someone driving into me because they're dazzled.

[Asimo]

Dazzle has more to do with headlamp cleanliness, pattern and aim than with brightness of bulb.

[Pat Earrings]

Bluebird has been booked into my new found trusty garage to investigate the lack of heat issues. I could do it myself but it’s painfully cold and I’ve no time at the minute. Hopefully I’ll be toasty warm after Thursday.

I’ll investigate the dead stereo but after 32 years it’s probably given up the ghost. Can’t seem to find anything remotely period correct, so I may just fit a second hand Bluetooth one instead. Sacrilege I know.

[N19]

19 minutes ago, Pat Earrings said:

Bluebird has been booked into my new found trusty garage to investigate the lack of heat issues. I could do it myself but it’s painfully cold and I’ve no time at the minute. Hopefully I’ll be toasty warm after Thursday.

I’ll investigate the dead stereo but after 32 years it’s probably given up the ghost. Can’t seem to find anything remotely period correct, so I may just fit a second hand Bluetooth one instead. Sacrilege I know.

Which one is it? Blaupunkt or Clarion?

[grogee]

38 minutes ago, Pat Earrings said:

Bluebird has been booked into my new found trusty garage to investigate the lack of heat issues. I could do it myself but it’s painfully cold and I’ve no time at the minute. Hopefully I’ll be toasty warm after Thursday.

I’ll investigate the dead stereo but after 32 years it’s probably given up the ghost. Can’t seem to find anything remotely period correct, so I may just fit a second hand Bluetooth one instead. Sacrilege I know.

No shame in farming it out if you don't have somewhere indoors to work. I imagine they'll change the stat and reverse flush the rad and matrix, hopefully that'll clear it. 

I bought a Bluetooth cassette receiver for my Maestro, which means I can run a period correct cassette player but zap my tunes from phone into it wirelessly. It charges via the usual micro usb port.

For the Bluebird I'd say yes drop in any stereo you like but keep the original for eighties addicts like us... That era car usually has decent labelling on the stereo telling you which wire does what which will help with install.

[MJK 24]

How do they get away with it?!

 

[Pat Earrings]

9 minutes ago, grogee said:

No shame in farming it out if you don't have somewhere indoors to work. I imagine they'll change the stat and reverse flush the rad and matrix, hopefully that'll clear it. 

I bought a Bluetooth cassette receiver for my Maestro, which means I can run a period correct cassette player but zap my tunes from phone into it wirelessly. It charges via the usual micro usb port.

For the Bluebird I'd say yes drop in any stereo you like but keep the original for eighties addicts like us... That era car usually has decent labelling on the stereo telling you which wire does what which will help with install.

Yeah that’s my guess too, seeing as it runs perfectly and no overheating etc. I’m on the lookout for something so won’t rush it, enjoying the sounds of the car itself tbh. Yeah happy to let them tinker with it, it’s unbearably cold. Almost froze my hands doing the EGR delete on my TDi polo the other week.

33 minutes ago, N19 said:

Which one is it? Blaupunkt or Clarion?

Blaupunkt

[Rust Collector]

13 minutes ago, MJK 24 said:

How do they get away with it?!

 

I think it's one of those things where they get away with it right up until the point that they don't - luck only goes so far!

[Bren]

I have booked the BMW in for a recall.

I was advised the car would have a complimentary health check as well as a wash and hoover.

What the techs will make of an almost 20 year old e60 I have no idea.

[horriblemercedes]

3 minutes ago, Bren said:

I have booked the BMW in for a recall.

I was advised the car would have a complimentary health check as well as a wash and hoover.

What the techs will make of an almost 20 year old e60 I have no idea.

My E91 has an outstanding recall. This makes me tempted to send it in to see what the verdict is after 17 years and near 240k miles

[AndyIggs]

47 minutes ago, Bren said:

I have booked the BMW in for a recall.

I was advised the car would have a complimentary health check as well as a wash and hoover.

What the techs will make of an almost 20 year old e60 I have no idea.

They will "recommend" certain items. My 12 year old (at the time) 5 series total came up to over £1000! I politely turned them down

[wesacosa]

3 hours ago, Pat Earrings said:

Yeah that’s my guess too, seeing as it runs perfectly and no overheating etc. I’m on the lookout for something so won’t rush it, enjoying the sounds of the car itself tbh. Yeah happy to let them tinker with it, it’s unbearably cold. Almost froze my hands doing the EGR delete on my TDi polo the other week.

Blaupunkt

some of those modern version of classic Blaupunkts are good, but can get pricey for the high end ones.  I am pleased with the Madrid 200 BT I have in the XM

[wesacosa]

Found an old pic of me briefly living the dream in 2003.  Showing of my new purchase (mint 2.8 Injection Special, ~70k, FSH, £825) alongside what had been my daily driver for the last few years (1.6 Laser, ~65k, £350).   Sadly the 2.8 was stolen after 4 weeks of ownership. Was eventually found a few months later without wheels and seats but after the insurance had paid out.  I went to the Salvage auction to buy it back but the brain dead morons at the yard had dragged it around with no wheels.  I did see it for sale a few months later in Classic Ford magazine but with one number missing off the printed phone number.  It never appeared for sale again and disappeared off the DVLA website not long after.   Wonder what it would be worth now.     The Laser got tatty by about 2009 and I was going through a break up/house move etc so sold it on.  Still seems to be on SORN so hope its still out there somewhere

 

EDIT

Listening to some random play music on Youtube whilst I posted this and the next song to come up after I clicked post was Dennis Waterman, I could be so good for you

[richardmorris]

ObdII reader at aldi, cheap but may not be very capable.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/auto-xs-vehicle-fault-code-reader/p/719310670198100?utm_source=Aldi&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=auto-xs-vehicle-fault-code-reader&utm_campaign=TWAA121222&utm_cid=DM195247&utm_hid=%40qdCo4jPTUsKg5NO3CjVlMgeQxeA1w3Xdvf%2Fz5Yt8%2B44%3D&cid=DM195247&bid=-981956416

 

[N19]

8 hours ago, Pat Earrings said:

Yeah that’s my guess too, seeing as it runs perfectly and no overheating etc. I’m on the lookout for something so won’t rush it, enjoying the sounds of the car itself tbh. Yeah happy to let them tinker with it, it’s unbearably cold. Almost froze my hands doing the EGR delete on my TDi polo the other week.

Blaupunkt

Ah - I've got two half dismantled Blaupunkt units on my dining table - started making one good out of two duff ones. Bluebird to ISO cables are available as an adaptor on eBay. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

42 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

ObdII reader at aldi, cheap but may not be very capable.

https://www.aldi.co.uk/auto-xs-vehicle-fault-code-reader/p/719310670198100?utm_source=Aldi&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=auto-xs-vehicle-fault-code-reader&utm_campaign=TWAA121222&utm_cid=DM195247&utm_hid=%40qdCo4jPTUsKg5NO3CjVlMgeQxeA1w3Xdvf%2Fz5Yt8%2B44%3D&cid=DM195247&bid=-981956416

 

These are alright. Just like any of the other basic OBD ones you see kicking about.

[Ged]

Opened my door and had it fall off towards me couldnt even put it back into place due to the way the top hinge roll pin sheared, door removed remains hammered out and suitable torx key fitted.

[stuboy]

37 minutes ago, Ged said:

Opened my door and had it fall off towards me couldnt even put it back into place due to the way the top hinge roll pin sheared, door removed remains hammered out and suitable torx key fitted.

permanent repair

[stuboy]

4 hours ago, wesacosa said:

Found an old pic of me briefly living the dream in 2003.  Showing of my new purchase (mint 2.8 Injection Special, ~70k, FSH, £825) alongside what had been my daily driver for the last few years (1.6 Laser, ~65k, £350).   Sadly the 2.8 was stolen after 4 weeks of ownership. Was eventually found a few months later without wheels and seats but after the insurance had paid out.  I went to the Salvage auction to buy it back but the brain dead morons at the yard had dragged it around with no wheels.  I did see it for sale a few months later in Classic Ford magazine but with one number missing off the printed phone number.  It never appeared for sale again and disappeared off the DVLA website not long after.   Wonder what it would be worth now.     The Laser got tatty by about 2009 and I was going through a break up/house move etc so sold it on.  Still seems to be on SORN so hope its still out there somewhere

 

EDIT

Listening to some random play music on Youtube whilst I posted this and the next song to come up after I clicked post was Dennis Waterman, I could be so good for you

did u keep the 1.6?

[wesacosa]

7 minutes ago, stuboy said:

did u keep the 1.6

had it from 2000 to 2010 

[RobT]

The Skizzer Espace performing daily duties.  Doesn't seem to mind -2 degrees, even if the supply of electricity is a bit questionable.  Despite that it's still superb, and my only functioning car at the moment.

[richykitchy]

On 11/16/2022 at 8:04 PM, richardmorris said:

Surely having a c6 for spares and a c5 for when it fails to proceed is good sense? They are so temptingly cheap, but I think @richykitchy s vids are finally putting me off. £650 road vel and hundreds of brittle plastic pipes that are now 15 years old.

Fair, though all cars of that era are the same regards the plastic pipework. Granted other cars may be easier to get spares for, but if I couldn't have found the pipe I needed, I could have made something to fit. Life's too short not to 🙂

[Kiltox]

23 hours ago, Bren said:

I have booked the BMW in for a recall.

I was advised the car would have a complimentary health check as well as a wash and hoover.

What the techs will make of an almost 20 year old e60 I have no idea.

You absolutely must post the citnow video on here for us to laugh at 

[egg]

Graph wot I saw on the internetz 2day, as you'd expect really.

[Schaefft]

More competitors in the segment plus EVs don't help. The ugly last gen probably didn't either.

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

More competitors in the segment plus EVs don't help. The ugly last gen probably didn't either.

yes and the US obsession with suv's too I guess instead of 'cars'