The new news 24 thread

[wesacosa]

23 minutes ago, Conrad D. Conelrad said:

I needed a new car, and my list of requirements were: automatic, not silver. So I bought this:

I love it to bits. The collection was uneventful except for an agonising 2½ hour wait for the bank transfer to come through (it was flagged as fraudulent but the bank didn't think it was worth telling me this). It's only a 1.8, but it doesn't feel nearly as sluggish as I'd anticipated. It also has some fancy-ass optional extras, including metallic paint, cruise control, ABS and leather upholstery with armrest and ruffled map pockets. I dread to think how much that lot added to the cost in 1991! Anyone got a price list?

A few jobs are required. I was happy to see it came with a Bluetooth radio, but it turns out to be a vintage one which can only do phone calls over Bluetooth, not music. So that was replaced as a priority. There's a little oil leak from the rocker cover (advised on the last MOT) which shouldn't be difficult to rectify. The boot is damp which really needs sorting ASAP because I hate a boot you can't leave a coat in. It runs beautifully except when first started (hot or cold) it runs rough until the throttle is blipped. If you start it with the throttle pressed slightly it doesn't do it. I don't know much about these engines or the injection system, so I have a bit of learning to do. 

It's delightful. 

that's absolutely wonderful. I wish I hadn't missed the boat on these 

[wuvvum]

And home.

It's not without its faults obvs - as HMC mentioned in the ad the front suspension is pretty tired, and it also developed the dreaded sticky steering around the time I got to the M25.  It managed 340 miles without FTPing though, which is more than some Land Rovers 100x the price can manage.  And that straight 6 does sound lovely.

[brownnova]

Great day out at the NEC yesterday for the classic motor show. Some absolute belting cars on display.

And my two stars of the show. Having read about them in “worst car ever made” books it was great to see a Zagato Zele in the flesh! 

But my absolute favourite was this beautiful Borgward Isabella Combi. 

Great fun, but my hips don’t lie and they are saying after walking 20,000 steps round it yesterday that I should walk less today 😂

[brownnova]

In fleet related news, I was reminded that I really ought to check the tyre ages on new purchases rather than just looking at them to see if they look in good condition. 

Ready to go to the NEC in the highlander I put £96 worth of dinosaur juice in and put some air in the tyres when the DOT mark caught my eye… 1800… that’s a 23 year old tyre! One other was also old at 2003. So I didn’t fancy blezzing down the M6 on them! New tyres on this after pay day! Thank goodness I have enough other cars to use. 

Anyway, have a picture of happier and more oblivious times! 

[andy18s]

2 hours ago, brownnova said:

Great day out at the NEC yesterday for the classic motor show. Some absolute belting cars on display.

And my two stars of the show. Having read about them in “worst car ever made” books it was great to see a Zagato Zele in the flesh! 

But my absolute favourite was this beautiful Borgward Isabella Combi. 

Great fun, but my hips don’t lie and they are saying after walking 20,000 steps round it yesterday that I should walk less today 😂

That Strada brings back a few memories and is the pick of the bunch for me.

[wesacosa]

5 hours ago, brownnova said:

 

 

Nice example of a car I wished I'd bought when I had the chance (33) and one I wished I had not sold (155)

That Estelle limo is cool too. I know the guy who owns it but haven't actually seen it in the metal

really must go to the show one of these years

[richardmorris]

@Six-cylinder is not alone!

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

15 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

@Six-cylinder is not alone!

 

 

A bit posh for me.

[richardmorris]

5 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

A bit posh for me.

There’s a 2cv and volvo, plus the etype and other jags. Not counting the metro.  You’re just missing the large posh barns to show them off.

[Six-cylinder]

3 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

There’s a 2cv and volvo, plus the etype and other jags. Not counting the metro.  You’re just missing the large posh barns to show them off.

Mine are packed in so tight you can't walk between some of them.

[DVee8]

10 hours ago, brownnova said:

Great day out at the NEC yesterday for the classic motor show. Some absolute belting cars on display.

And my two stars of the show. Having read about them in “worst car ever made” books it was great to see a Zagato Zele in the flesh! 

But my absolute favourite was this beautiful Borgward Isabella Combi. 

Great fun, but my hips don’t lie and they are saying after walking 20,000 steps round it yesterday that I should walk less today 😂

Hahah myself and @gm must have walked passed you as you have N01 son in one of the photos.

[wesacosa]

6 weeks in from the Mayor's and TFL's beacon of numskullery by making a main stretch of the South Circular 20mph (yet keeping the following narrower section of road with parades of shops 30) I wonder how it's going

Aaah 

[chaseracer]

On 09/11/2023 at 18:35, RetroShite said:

If you're after a red single cab rear wheel drive pickup you've come to the right place!

Right, please.

😎

[chaseracer]

21 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

...a main stretch of the South Circular 20mph (yet keeping the following narrower section of road with parades of shops 30)...

Catford, perchance...?

[wesacosa]

2 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

Catford, perchance...?

Woolwich/Eltham

[wuvvum]

11 hours ago, brownnova said:

the DOT mark caught my eye… 1800… that’s a 23 year old tyre!

Amateur.

[andy18s]

Ooof...

[JJ0063]

After deciding against buying a tumble dryer, we decided to give one of these a go today as a bit of a trial as we end up with wet washing everywhere in the winter. 
 

Washed everything at home, bedding, towels, bath mat the lot. Threw it all in the back of the T5, drove to BP which is next to a McDonald’s, stuck it in the tumble dryer and went and had lunch in McDonald’s. 

30 mins later at a cost of £7 the whole lot was bone dry.

Wouldn’t use it for day to day but drying a big wash every few weeks over winter when you hang it out to dry is worth £7 just for the convenience. 

[Jazoli]

3 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

After deciding against buying a tumble dryer, we decided to give one of these a go today as a bit of a trial as we end up with wet washing everywhere in the winter. 
 

Washed everything at home, bedding, towels, bath mat the lot. Threw it all in the back of the T5, drove to BP which is next to a McDonald’s, stuck it in the tumble dryer and went and had lunch in McDonald’s. 

30 mins later at a cost of £7 the whole lot was bone dry.

Wouldn’t use it for day to day but drying a big wash every few weeks over winter when you hang it out to dry is worth £7 just for the convenience. 

Why not just buy a tumble dryer? I don't know anyone who doesn't have one.

[RetroShite]

Some glorious shite coming up soon!

[JJ0063]

Just now, Jazoli said:

Why not just buy a tumble dryer? I don't know anyone who doesn't have one.

I made a thread (deleted it as changed our mind) and virtually everyone said they either didn’t have one or they’re shit / expensive

[DeanH]

2 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

I made a thread (deleted it as changed our mind) and virtually everyone said they either didn’t have one or they’re shit / expensive

£7 isn't cheap either! Surely over 1 winter it'll pay for itself

[Jazoli]

1 minute ago, JJ0063 said:

I made a thread (deleted it as changed our mind) and virtually everyone said they either didn’t have one or they’re shit / expensive

Weird, ours costs us around a pound a washload to run, and was only 200 quid to buy, but I guess the hive mind has spoken.

[RetroShite]

2 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

I made a thread (deleted it as changed our mind) and virtually everyone said they either didn’t have one or they’re shit / expensive

Tumble dryers are ace, fuck using the peasant version out in public.

[JJ0063]

1 minute ago, Jazoli said:

Weird, ours costs us around a pound a washload to run, and was only 200 quid to buy, but I guess the hive mind has spoken.

May reevaluate, I like the idea of it as I fucking hate having damp washing hanging round the house for days on end in the winter trying to get it all dry.

[Talbot]

13 hours ago, brownnova said:

the DOT mark caught my eye… 1800… that’s a 23 year old tyre! One other was also old at 2003. So I didn’t fancy blezzing down the M6 on them!

As long as they are not cracked or rock hard, they'll be fine!

[RoverFolkUs]

6 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

May reevaluate, I like the idea of it as I fucking hate having damp washing hanging round the house for days on end in the winter trying to get it all dry.

If it's considered peasantry to be using a public tumble drier then you might as well just not bother doing any washing 😂

[RoverFolkUs]

If only tyres were made to last 23 years nowadays! 

5 year old continentals on a Citroen C1, failed it's MOT the other day on perish cracking down to the cords and a "pimple" type bulge 😐

[High Jetter]

34 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

30 mins later at a cost of £7 the whole lot was bone dry.

HFM? Nearly twice the price (if not more) of a traditional launderette. 

[brownnova]

Our tumble dryer broke last weekend… we’re not sure how we ever coped without one! We went to the laundrette and all the dryers were in use! Every radiator has washing on… 

37 minutes ago, Talbot said:

As long as they are not cracked or rock hard, they'll be fine!

They’re neither, and that’s why I never checked the date codes…. But implicitly I now do not trust them after having an old tyre blow at 65 on the M5 (in a Talbot Express) which showed no signs of being fallible in any way beforehand.

In tyres as in condoms old rubber just isn’t worth the risk…