The new news 24 thread

[barefoot]

 A bloke up the road has a small fluffy dog called Teddy. When his daughter left home she bought a very similar dog and also called it Teddy. All was well until circumstances changed a couple of years later and she was forced to move back in with her parents.

Bloke now walks two almost identical dogs, both called Teddy!

[Bren]

1 hour ago, RichardK said:

I've only just got it and I'm already dreading the day it goes back

Looks a honey.

[RoverFolkUs]

Roll up, roll up: 

"Part worn" (!) brake pads, free with a set of dubious new brake pads. Most likely an ebay special ...

Any takers? 

😂😂

[sierraman]

37 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Roll up, roll up: 

"Part worn" (!) brake pads, free with a set of dubious new brake pads. Most likely an ebay special ...

Any takers? 

😂😂

eBay Mintex fake pads 🤣

[RoverFolkUs]

8 minutes ago, sierraman said:

eBay Mintex fake pads 🤣

Yep, when I saw the red box I thought it was going to be Eicher at first 😅

[stuboy]

3 hours ago, RichardK said:

I've only just got it and I'm already dreading the day it goes back

hows it go?

[Bren]

On talking pictures. Vanishing point.

[Bear]

16 minutes ago, stuboy said:

hows it go?

Fast, fun, and off sale in June like all Feistys

[somewhatfoolish]

On 1/16/2023 at 6:09 PM, reb said:

Building analogue guitar effects and synthesizer bollocks. I have my own designs I'm working on but initially I'll be doing clones. It's theoretically viable with the right marketing. As long as it pays for itself I'm not too arsed.

The important* question that everyone* needs to know the answer to; will Rebtone be your trademark?

[JJ0063]

Any builder types on here?

Our garage window needs replacing, I found a UPVC one on marketplace which is exactly the right size for £20, and can get it fitted by a proper window fitter for £80. Seems fair to pay £100 all in for it to look presentable again.

However I’m now wondering whether it’d be silly money for a builder to come in and create a doorway in place of the window? At the moment there’s no personnel door so it’d be useful to have access from the garden. Plenty of used doors on marketplace, I just don’t know what sort of money it’d be to have it knocked out and partly bricked up to create a doorway?

 

 

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

Any builder types on here?

Our garage window needs replacing, I found a UPVC one on marketplace which is exactly the right size for £20, and can get it fitted by a proper window fitter for £80. Seems fair to pay £100 all in for it to look presentable again.

However I’m now wondering whether it’d be silly money for a builder to come in and create a doorway in place of the window? At the moment there’s no personnel door so it’d be useful to have access from the garden. Plenty of used doors on marketplace, I just don’t know what sort of money it’d be to have it knocked out and partly bricked up to create a doorway?

 

 

Just get out the old sledge hammer! I mean, how hard can it be?

[DeanH]

Provided there's a lintel in there already the easy DIY way would be to buy a door and sidelight to suit your opening. The hardest thing that will leave you to do it tidy the brick reveals to the lower half of the door (snap some bricks in half, bed them in the gaps you made). 

If you're going to pay someone I suspect you're in for around £1k. And they'll likely have it done in a day.

[DanGleables]

I did a similar job, I paid the guy who was laying a patio next door £20 to run the saw down the walls which took him about 2 minutes!

I then used a drill to stitch drill around all the half bricks to 'sawtooth' the wall. A cold chisel and wire brush to clean up the 'good end' of each half brick before mortaring them back in.

The mortar wasn't a perfect match with the existing, but otherwise it looked pretty good and I had it done in a day.

Id definitely rather spend the money getting a door to fit the hole rather than adjusting the hole!

Fitting the door was a doddle, about 8 frame fixings to drill in, a few plastic shims and then a mastic seal.

Have a go!

[Tenmil Socket]

On 1/10/2023 at 1:29 PM, cobblers said:

The 360BHP AWD Skoda I won from Darkside Developments had drop links like that.

It looks fucking shit but I suppose it's perfectly safe.

What did you end up doing with that car I can’t remember?

[cobblers]

2 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

What did you end up doing with that car I can’t remember?

I drove it about ten miles on the road, accidentally ended up very very deep into 3 figure speeds, drove it back home and then very quickly sold it before I broke it and or lost my licence. It was a total bitsa, every part of every bit of it was custom and the more I looked at it, the more I just saw "headache" rather than "fun". The wiring on it especially was horrible.

I got about seven grand for an "easy sale" to an acquaintance of mine. The lads at darkside said I'd undersold it and it was worth 20k, but when he came to sell it on a 2nd time, again all he could get was 7k. I spent the money building my camper van.

[Tenmil Socket]

On 1/14/2023 at 1:19 PM, captain_70s said:

Whenever I go to a Halfords it's deserted, and Amazon will ship most of the stuff they sell to your door for less money...

I visited Halfords a couple of years ago and quickly found what I wanted and walked to the till. There was no one there and I stood there looking around for a member of staff. It’s then I noticed through the glass of the shop front about 4 of them trying to change a bulb on a customer’s car! 

[Supernaut]

14 minutes ago, cobblers said:

I drove it about ten miles on the road, accidentally ended up very very deep into 3 figure speeds, drove it back home and then very quickly sold it before I broke it and or lost my licence. It was a total bitsa, every part of every bit of it was custom and the more I looked at it, the more I just saw "headache" rather than "fun". The wiring on it especially was horrible.

I got about seven grand for an "easy sale" to an acquaintance of mine. The lads at darkside said I'd undersold it and it was worth 20k, but when he came to sell it on a 2nd time, again all he could get was 7k. I spent the money building my camper van.

I remember you winning that.

I also remember thinking the guy who got the second prize was the real winner, as he ended up with a heavily tuned - but still entirely usable (as in all the interior was still present) - Ibiza instead.

[juular]

I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

[dozeydustman]

I defected a van I had the pleasure* of driving this morning for poor brakes and a handbrake lever so high it looked like a donkey was laying on its back while it had a stiffy.

 

That’ll be why.

[cobblers]

15 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I remember you winning that.

I also remember thinking the guy who got the second prize was the real winner, as he ended up with a heavily tuned - but still entirely usable (as in all the interior was still present) - Ibiza instead.

They gave me the choice of either and I definitely chose wrong!

[Bren]

25 minutes ago, juular said:

I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

I was hoping home servcing would make a comeback given most people's finances and the difficulty of findjng competent workshops that don't charge the earth.

Maybe it will?

[chodweaver]

I was hoping home servcing would make a comeback given most people's finances and the difficulty of findjng competent workshops that don't charge the earth.
Maybe it will?

I was too, but I'm a hopeless optimist.

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, juular said:

I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

I've never really had an issue with Halfords. I quite like the fact I can go in and have a wander about, if anything. But I don't get called a doughnut for having the wrong brake discs sent to me by them if I shop in Halfords too, that was an ECP only thing.

[New POD]

12 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

Any builder types on here?

Our garage window needs replacing, I found a UPVC one on marketplace which is exactly the right size for £20, and can get it fitted by a proper window fitter for £80. Seems fair to pay £100 all in for it to look presentable again.

However I’m now wondering whether it’d be silly money for a builder to come in and create a doorway in place of the window? At the moment there’s no personnel door so it’d be useful to have access from the garden. Plenty of used doors on marketplace, I just don’t know what sort of money it’d be to have it knocked out and partly bricked up to create a doorway?

 

 

Why not get a full width lintle, and put in an up and over door (or roller shutter, so that you can drive through into the garden. 

[New POD]

Talking of Brake discs. 

Anyone help me find a set of front discs and pads for a 2015 Astra J GTC 1.4 T auto.  Fucking prices on line seem to me to be fucking mental. I'd quite like a set which will last too. And work

[JJ0063]

38 minutes ago, New POD said:

Why not get a full width lintle, and put in an up and over door (or roller shutter, so that you can drive through into the garden. 

Mrs JJ would hate that, the garden is also only probably the length of a car wide / it wouldn’t be the most practical use however much I’d love it (the left hand side of that wall is the garage for next door)

[dozeydustman]

3 hours ago, juular said:

I'm going to do the unconscionable and say good things about Halfords.

I know they're overpriced, badly stocked and often frustrating. But I'm glad they exist. 

If I need a specific size of hose clamp, or a fuse holder, MIG wire, or random electrical bit on a Sunday afternoon when everything else is shut, they often provide the difference between having the car working on Monday morning, or it sitting on the drive for another week.

Euro Car Parts really have lowered the bar for the customer experience to the point Halfords feels friendly. Brain dead perhaps, but still friendly.

I don't mind overpaying for something when something helpful is provided in return. In this case it's the ability to drive 10 minutes down the road and lift the right thing off the shelf to keep me going.

I really wouldn't like to see them go under.

I have found my local ECP and GSF to be pretty much spot on - no incorrect parts and they guys behind the counters are pleasant and friendly.

Halford has its place as in it’s convenient for a bottle of oil or some wiper blades but they train their staff to sell or sign up to e-mails etc which when your car has thrown a wiper blade off on a rainy Sunday is the last thing on your mind.

[Rust Collector]

49 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Mrs JJ would hate that, the garden is also only probably the length of a car wide / it wouldn’t be the most practical use however much I’d love it (the left hand side of that wall is the garage for next door)

The back garden is there to be driven on, partners definitely disapprove but don't let that stop you!

[ruffgeezer]

1 hour ago, dozeydustman said:

I have found my local ECP and GSF to be pretty much spot on - no incorrect parts and they guys behind the counters are pleasant and friendly.

Halford has its place as in it’s convenient for a bottle of oil or some wiper blades but they train their staff to sell or sign up to e-mails etc which when your car has thrown a wiper blade off on a rainy Sunday is the last thing on your mind.

To be fair, I've been buying parts through halfords trade card this week - which are supplied by ECP - and they work out cheaper than on my ECP trade account.

ECP in return deactivated my Omnipart account as I wasn't spending enough.  Cunts. 

I asked for a mid spec 019 battery today;  ECP 4yr model £120+vat trade,  Halfords 5yr model £96 Inc vat.  Its not even a small difference. 

[puddlethumper]

2 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

Mrs JJ would hate that, the garden is also only probably the length of a car wide / it wouldn’t be the most practical use however much I’d love it (the left hand side of that wall is the garage for next door)

Have you got a big angry grinder ? If so, get a diamond disc and cut a line as deep as you can and then chisel off the cut bricks. I've done this a few times.