The new news 24 thread

[ashmicro]

ABS lamp might be the brake pedal switch for the brake lights Billy, a known issue on these.

[Cavcraft]

Chhers, will have a look at that, nice one!

[Craig the Princess]

Does anyone have a "dirt cheap car" in the Peterborough/Wisbech area for sale? A friend of mine has just killed his diesel Polo and he needs replacement. I think his definition of "dirt cheap car" differs to mine and is around £500.

[Timewaster]

A work mate is having a clear out.

How about a ibiza tdi or a 316 compact? Both S reg and both within budget.

Based in Sutton near Ely.

[Craig the Princess]

A work mate is having a clear out.

How about a ibiza tdi or a 316 compact? Both S reg and both within budget.

Based in Sutton near Ely.

 

Oooh, sounds good, I'll let him know. Do you have any more details?

[Timewaster]

I'll pm you his number

[Craig the Princess]

Thanks.

 

Today's news: Red Ambassador passed it's Mot but they did say I need to change the brake pads before driving the car again ideally. Still could be a lot worse.

[Cavcraft]

Partial result with the Shitroen: removed boot trim (nice easy job) and got a couple of hammers. Used the rubber end of one to put against the dented bit from the inside then a bigger one to gently clack it on. There's still a dent and a ripple but it is shit loads better now.

Tomorrow I'll whang the door trim off (looks a bit fiddly but I'll Google it) then have a go at the nasty dent in the n/s/r door. The rubbing strip bit is missing so if I can get the worst of the dent out and score a bit of trim from the scrappy it'll improve it no end.

 

Noise from the front hadn't gone away as I thought, so we topped up the (manual) gearbox oil and it's improved a bit. My lad thinks it may be a drive shaft that's causing the noise so when we get the chance we'll take them off and examine them thoroughly. It's showing 40.4mpg round town on the fuel computer which is pretty impressive for a lardy 1.6 petrol engined car. Nice driving position and the seats are more comfortable than the Zaf, but out of the two I'd still keep the Vauxhall.

[Shep Shepherd]

After almost a year of searching, I've just found a good used driver's side headlamp for The Volvo from eBay for £17.00 all-in. I only need the lens, due to the one on the car having a nasty stone hole in it, but at this time of year, it will be easier to swap the whole lamp over, providing that it's in good condition

[myglaren]

I was a bit dismissive of someone's (Dollywobbler, if I am not mistaken) attempts to replace the headlamp bulb on a Rover 75.

Time for me to eat 'umble pie.

 

I did my daughter's some months ago and once I discovered the trapdoor in the wheel arch it was done in a matter of moments.

 

She asked me to do the driver's side today.

 

Took two and a half hours, including buying the bulb once we got the old one out, it itself not easy, then buying another when after half an hour of fiddling around managed to drop the bulb down the gap between the lamp unit and the bumper, gone forever no doubt.

 

Need tentacles with eyes on the end

 

I've seen engines changed quicker than that.

[Lord Sterling]

Today I took my car down to my mates garage to see what was going on with my coolant tank. The tank itself now has a pinsize hole in it so now will have to be changed. Great. My coolant light keep flashing and beeping on the trip computer, I thought maybe I'd put too much coolant in. Flushed some coolant out but its still flashing/beeping at me so I put it down to a faulty coolant sensor.

 

Something that did make me happy was this:

 

 

(Please excuse the quality of the pictures, I suspect the camera on my phone is deciding it no longer wants to take quality pictures anymore)

 

A 1986 1.2 Nova Saloon, owned by an old lady, this car was in for its MOT. As its known I like old cars my mate asked me to drop it back to its owners house which was about a 5-minute walking distance but still enough for me to have a good little drive of the car.

 

Despite the short drive I really enoyed it, its the kind of car that reminds you to actually be involved in the driving process, non of this power/steering, ABS, electric-everything malarky, its small and simple. I'd love to have one of these as a winter hack, skinny tyres and just enough engine power to keep me going would be enough for me. I enjoyed as much as the early A-reg Metro City I also delivered to an elderly customers house a couple of years ago. This car even had its original 2-band radio (I have a pic of this but its so shit its just not worth uploading)

 

This particular Nova has only covered around 30k, always garaged though has a few bits of rust here and there. It was registered on the 12/12/1986 and (possibly) originally supplied by T.Wall garage in Dudley (Dont know if they are still around).

[Cavcraft]

Tailgate massively improved though still dented....

 

Door slightly better but still a way to go. I haven't actually got the interior trim fully off yet so I'm quite happy with the slight improvement for little effort...

 

*Special welcome back to my old camera as the new one has thrown it's hand in and gone back to the shop.

[tonedepear]

Good work! + extra points for date in corner nostalgia.

[dollywobbler]

I was a bit dismissive of someone's (Dollywobbler, if I am not mistaken) attempts to replace the headlamp bulb on a Rover 75.

Time for me to eat 'umble pie.

 

I did my daughter's some months ago and once I discovered the trapdoor in the wheel arch it was done in a matter of moments.

 

She asked me to do the driver's side today.

 

Took two and a half hours, including buying the bulb once we got the old one out, it itself not easy, then buying another when after half an hour of fiddling around managed to drop the bulb down the gap between the lamp unit and the bumper, gone forever no doubt.

 

Need tentacles with eyes on the end

 

I've seen engines changed quicker than that.

 

Ironically, I sorted this out on mine. The most difficult thing, apart from having to grub around blind trying to work out how the various things come out, was stomaching the £10 price Halfrauds charged me for a new bulb. I can see that dropping a bulb down there would be all too easy to do! I also sorted out the Mini after getting a pair of headlamps on Ebay for £16 delivered. Got a refund for 50% of the value as one of them didn't actually work but I still reckon it was quicker to change the entire Mini headlamp than just the bulb on the Rover, and a lot easier because you can actually see what you are doing! Three screws and the lamp is out. Beautiful.

 

Got the clutch bled on the Rover - black crap came out so I reckon a seal is breaking up somewhere. Immediately afterwards, the pedal sank and needed pulling back up but it was then fine for the rest of the journey. Couldn't be doing with a dodgy clutch for a trip to Birmingham though, so the 2CV got the gig. Ears still ringing but excellent fun as usual. Steering is now making some interesting creaking noises though, so I need to investigate that before the 2CVGB winter road trips start occurring...

[retrogeezer]

How do you find all these cheap motors Billy??? Have you still got the Zaf too?

 

I must be the only person that liked their picasso but mine is still going great guns in my brothers hands with over 100k on the clock and no major issues.

[Cavcraft]

Trawling the interwebz, word of mouth etc Si. Zafira still here, strange noise coming from engine transpired to be the cam belt so it's not being used until I get the kit and have it fitted.

To be fair to the Citroen it's not as bad as I expected and I'm sort of growing to like it a bit now. It'll be out of the door soon as though, as will the Zafira.

[outlaw118]

Gave the Moose a blast with the jetwasher today, and discovered, that at some point, she's had a replacement rear bumper.

 

You can probably guess how i found that one out....it's red underneath.

[dollywobbler]

In other news, for some reason, I've decided that I'd quite like a Ford Focus Mk1 estate. Pre-facelift thanks. Either that or a Vauxhall Frontera. I must be mad.

[Pete-M]

In other news, for some reason, I've decided that I'd quite like a Ford Focus Mk1 estate. Pre-facelift thanks. Either that or a Vauxhall Frontera. I must be mad.

 

If you get one, get a 1.8 Ghia with abs and traction. Pick of the estate bunch. Diesels are rough and the balance is all wrong on diesel estates making them feel really weird when pushing on. 2.0 is torquey but can drink a bit when not cruising. 1.6 revs well they're just that bit too slow to be fun and use as much fuel as a gently driven (at the same speeds)1.8. 1.4 hopelessly slow and no better on fuel than a 1.6.

[R9UKE]

In other news, for some reason, I've decided that I'd quite like a Ford Focus Mk1 estate. Pre-facelift thanks.

 

I'd love a 3-door Mark 1 Focus. SUCH a good looking car, with a brilliant interior, the Focus has just gone downhill since in my opinion.

 

A 2.0 Petrol Zetec 3 door please with the optional black leather.

[wackywacerwill]

Gave the Moose a blast with the jetwasher today, and discovered, that at some point, she's had a replacement rear bumper.

 

You can probably guess how i found that one out....it's red underneath.

 

Bumhats, that's not good. Jet washes can be more trouble than their worth, blasting water in electrics and stripping out once nicely greased crevice's and the like. I've got one of those hose shower head things which is more than adequate most of the time. However, today I could of done with more power cleaning the gunk of me crossmember.

 

Spent most of the day dropping it out and cleaning it up. Needs paint, re bushing and a bit of chassis mig action before it goes back together. Roll on next car day.

 

[dieselnutjob]

607 failed MOT last week. Only on number plate bulbs. Changed them outside the testers place and got him to retest on the spot.

Surprisingly few advisories but a set of rear pads has been ebayed.

Fixed a broken vacuum activator that selects between 8V and 16V mode. Actually I only changed the plastic clip on the end which seems a waste of a whole piston assembly but you have to buy the whole thing to get the clip.

The timing belt has now done over 60,000 miles so will probably explode during the winter, but I think I'll have to risk it until next summer.

Might change the alternator belt though as sometimes those breaking up is what causes the timing belt to fail (debris gets inside the cover somehow).

 

Ground some rust and loose paint of the 604 and got some small (tiny) holes. It's where the rear arch joins the sill so sort of structural. Now covered up with Kurust and "Hammerite Underbody Seal" which seems nice stuff. Another job for next year.

Wife has declared it more comfortable than the 607 and the smell has pretty much gone. She liked playing Bon Jovi on the CD player as well. The 607 has a boot changer so not so easy to put her music on.

So far failure to adjust the kick down cable which I suspect has seized.

Blew the horn fuse today when some tw@t changed lanes on the A40 whilst I was just passing his rear quarter. Upgraded to 30A. 604 main beam is quite bright.....

[dieselnutjob]

oh

and can anyone recommend a place that could make me some custom rear springs?

with three kids in the back and not much luggage the 604 is dragging it's mudflaps on the ground

604s always seem to go soft at the back

and I would like to tow with it

so some springs that are say 30% harder would be good

[Negative Creep]

I can't help but feel it's time I bought another car. Could some shiters please move to the South West so I don't have to travel far when the bargains do come up?

[Cavcraft]

I can't help but feel it's time I bought another car. Could some shiters please move to the South West so I don't have to travel far when the bargains do come up?

 

Chester railway station is but a mere 1.5 miles from Cavette Towers HQ Quarters if you're desperate for a Picasso.

[Negative Creep]

I'm afraid the Picasso is high on my "I'd rather walk than own" list.

 

 

If I ever do get to be FATHA CREEP then I shall ensure my kids remain healthy by driving shite that they will be embarrassed to be seen in

[Lankytim]

oh

and can anyone recommend a place that could make me some custom rear springs?

with three kids in the back and not much luggage the 604 is dragging it's mudflaps on the ground

604s always seem to go soft at the back

and I would like to tow with it

so some springs that are say 30% harder would be good

 

Funny you should post this as I fitted a pair of M.A.D overload springs to the back of my Volvo today. They are weird looking mini-springs which fit inside the original road springs. They've raised the rear up an inch or so and the arse end feels much firmer.

[Pete-M]

oh

and can anyone recommend a place that could make me some custom rear springs?

with three kids in the back and not much luggage the 604 is dragging it's mudflaps on the ground

604s always seem to go soft at the back

and I would like to tow with it

so some springs that are say 30% harder would be good

 

Get Aussie spec rear springs?

[wuvvum]

Took the DS for a spin today - the longest drive I've done in it so far. I even got it into fifth gear. It does drive a lot better with equal amounts of air in the front tyres (instead of 40psi one side and 17 the other...). Also spent a happy half hour clearing enough chod out of the garage so I could shoehorn the Ligier in next to the Renner Six, so that's out of the way for a while.

 

Then I took the fuel pump off the Skoda to see if Wilcos can match it (the one their book said was the right one isn't even close) - that will have to wait till tomorrow lunchtime though as the Sunday staff are all Saxo-driving 19-year-olds and completely clueless about older cars.

 

Then I tried to buy an extension lead for my trailer light board so it will reach to the back of cars when they're on the towing dolly, but I couldn't find one so I bought two reels of wire and a couple of plugs and made my own.

 

Then I took advantage of the fact that the weekend's gales have dried the roads off and tried a 0-60 run in the Rover of Doom. I did it in 8.8 seconds, which given that I wasn't exactly being road-tester brutal with it (because it's got to get me to work and back all winter) wasn't bad going I thought, for a 13-year-old diesel hatchback. A professional road tester would probably knock a half second off that quite easily. Like most turbo diesels, though, its main strength is mid-range overtaking ability rather than off-the-line shenanigans.

 

Then I came home and bid on some shite on eBay.

[maxpower]

In other news, for some reason, I've decided that I'd quite like a Ford Focus Mk1 estate. Pre-facelift thanks. Either that or a Vauxhall Frontera. I must be mad.

 

talking about cars you like.... i am finding myself being drawn to trying out a nissan elgrand

 

i know they look like a pimp's shaggin wagon,but it's an itch that won't go away

 

does anyone know any pitfalls about these buses or the pros and cons of running one?