The new news 24 thread

[JJ0063]

31 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Get a used one off FM marketplace or gumtree, people are often selling part used and if you give it a shake you can tell approximate contents; the smaller ones are always in short supply and often you get knocked back if you want to buy a bottle plus many retail outlets gouge you on the price.

Thanks!

Im sure when I looked at BP, it was £41.99 for a 4.5kg without having one to exchange, I’ll have to have another look. Maybe that was on an exchange.

[MJK 24]

Many many classics going under the hammer at Hampson Auctions, this coming Sunday.

 

[calebaaront]

Early start for me this morning, as it is once again new car day but this time it was a swap with @Marm Toastsmith

So here is my new daily. A 2001 Audi A4 Avant V6. The drive home was very nice and hardly any wind noise. Sat happily at 60mph and really only used a 1/4 of a tank which for 85 miles wasn’t too bad.

 

[MJK 24]

9,000 mile bog standard but perfect Fiesta has to be getting close to peak Autoshite?!

 

[MJK 24]

I’m in love with this Mini City!

[MJK 24]

But is this the pick of the bunch, @sutty2006 ?!

 

[sutty2006]

1 minute ago, MJK 24 said:

But is this the pick of the bunch, @sutty2006 ?!

 

Nice. Number plates spoil it but looks epically brown! 

[MJK 24]

Its very very brown!

[Floatylight]

2 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Get a used one off FM marketplace or gumtree, people are often selling part used and if you give it a shake you can tell approximate contents; the smaller ones are always in short supply and often you get knocked back if you want to buy a bottle plus many retail outlets gouge you on the price.

This, but have a look at other brands (like flogas), calor discontinued the 3.9 & 4.5 a couple of years ago but after uproar agreed to continue but supply has been very patchy.

[SiC]

9 hours ago, Lankytim said:

Even now the pedal feels spongy although it feels much improved on before. The brakes are now dragging slightly so they might need bleeding again. I think air in the system can upset the remote servo

Can't remember if I said on here or on @jonathan_dyane P4 thread but the Girling servos have a habit of dragging and locking up even when bled correctly.

[Lankytim]

4 hours ago, SiC said:

Can't remember if I said on here or on @jonathan_dyane P4 thread but the Girling servos have a habit of dragging and locking up even when bled correctly.

I’ve heard something along those lines. It would make sense, they seem fine in use but are clearly a little stiff when you jack a wheel up and try to turn it by hand. Incidentally the brakes are excellent for a big heavy old car. 

[Sunny Jim]

Heard a huge bang when I was out with the dog yesterday afternoon, gave me a start and freaked him out. Turns out it was the Bomb Disposal Squad detonating some unexploded ordinance which had been found by the A4086 near to where we held Shitefests '22 and '23 - I don't think its related!

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llanberis-incident-bomb-squad-detonate-29977651

[beko1987]

48 minutes ago, Sunny Jim said:

Heard a huge bang when I was out with the dog yesterday afternoon, gave me a start and freaked him out. Turns out it was the Bomb Disposal Squad detonating some unexploded ordinance which had been found by the A4086 near to where we held Shitefests '22 and '23 - I don't think its related!

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llanberis-incident-bomb-squad-detonate-29977651

Wow! I blame @twosmoke300, they went out for walks every day... 

[twosmoke300]

1 hour ago, Sunny Jim said:

Heard a huge bang when I was out with the dog yesterday afternoon, gave me a start and freaked him out. Turns out it was the Bomb Disposal Squad detonating some unexploded ordinance which had been found by the A4086 near to where we held Shitefests '22 and '23 - I don't think its related!

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/llanberis-incident-bomb-squad-detonate-29977651

Little bit of history repeated 😂

[Split_Pin]

I'm not paying £15 or so for convertible hood cleaner. Apparently Johnsons Baby shampoo is mild enough not to damage the material but lifts the dirt. For £1.50 it was worth a go.

Took a stab in the dark and went with 50/50 water. It worked really well. No before photos but it cleaned up the red A4s hood really well, very pleased.

My new product* is all ready to be marketed now:

(Bottle thoroughly cleaned out with soap and water beforehand)

[lesapandre]

Motoring Saarf London style...today.

[richardmorris]

Went for a walk this morning after huge thunderstorms last night ( apparently aldershot had a tornado!). Go back and it was sunny and quite warm this afternoon so finished lanoguarding the 2cv for winter and sprayed a bit round the new TIPO. Lots of plastic panelling underneath but did the front and rear spring areas, wishbones and sills etc. plus all the exposed screw and bolts I could see. 

[stuboy]

Installed to take my fat arse weight

[stuboy]

4 minutes ago, stuboy said:

Installed to take my fat arse weight

Are these too small ..

[New POD]

Rather than work on the MX5 today, I went for a cycle ride, down the coastal path. Unfortunately at Crosby I had to head inland to get to my coffee stop at Waterloo marine lake. Because this is the promenade 

 

On the way I went over the River Alt. There's been a new railway bridge put in place. 

[stuboy]

1 hour ago, stuboy said:

Installed to take my fat arse weight

 

[SiC]

4 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I'm not paying £15 or so for convertible hood cleaner. Apparently Johnsons Baby shampoo is mild enough not to damage the material but lifts the dirt. For £1.50 it was worth a go.

Took a stab in the dark and went with 50/50 water. It worked really well. No before photos but it cleaned up the red A4s hood really well, very pleased.

My new product* is all ready to be marketed now:

(Bottle thoroughly cleaned out with soap and water beforehand)

Useful to know. My Z4 roof is in desperate need of a proper clean. I was thinking of using the Vax spot cleaner but not sure if it was too vigorous. 

[Popsicle]

Serviced the van today, piss easy as usual. Managed to get it done before OMG thunderstorms, batten down the hatches and draw the curtains biblical rain 🙄.

New family bus also acquired.

Nice small eco engine model.

To be honest I thought the days of needing a large family bus had gone, we've four kids, 15-25 years old, the eldest two have their own cars, but just lately they've all wanted to come with us on days out and as the Shogun is falling to bits and cramped in the back, the HS only seats five and all the kids are big buggers something larger was needed.

Looked at quite a few and most are pretty fucked/tired or silly pricing, ended up stumbling across this locally from the guy that imported it and a deal was done. First impressions are pretty good but its going to drink some petrol!

 

[High Jetter]

Good for express deliveries too? 😀

[wuvvum]

Well the Merc now has a full complement of wheel bolts.

The broken bolt actually turned out to be a piece of piss to get out after I gave it a good squirt of Plusgas and left it overnight - there was a little ridge where the top half of the bolt had snapped off and I was able to get a small flat blade screwdriver on there and tap it round with a hammer until there was enough of the bolt sticking out to grab hold and wind it out normally.

I also got the front wheels re-balanced.  Annoyingly this hasn't cured the vibration at illegal-in-the-UK-but-legal-in-Germany speeds.  So either no fecker can balance wheels properly anymore, or the vibration is coming from something else (although I'm not sure what - I did wonder if the propshaft might have some play in it but I gave that a waggle and it seems fine).

So I'm now in a quandary again.  For 90% of my upcoming road trip it won't be an issue as I'll be below the speed where the vibration kicks in, but the whole point of taking the Merc was to wind it up on the Autobahn and I'm not sure that's feasible now - the vibrations aren't too bad at the speeds I've been able to attain on the local private roads, but that doesn't mean that at 155 the car won't be shaking like a shitting dog, which at those speeds is potentially dodgy.

So I'm now back to wondering whether I should take the Rover.  That doesn't have any vibration issues, at least not at speeds I've done in it.  It feels gutless as feck after driving around in the Merc, but it's actually not that slow.  It's more comfortable than the Merc and I have more confidence in it reliability-wise.  It uses a bit more fuel, but not excessively so, and European breakdown cover is the same price.  The tyres aren't as good but they're OK, and it has a full-size spare (unlike the Merc which only has a space saver, which can only go on the back as it won't clear the front calipers).  I'm just a bit gutted after all the time, effort and expense getting the Merc ready for the trip...

On a more positive note, it was a beautiful warm sunny day here in Norfolk, so I took the Z4 for what may well be its last top-down drive in my ownership (unless it still hasn't sold by next spring, which is perfectly possible of course...).

Loads of convertibles and bikes out today, and all the coastal villages were rammed as you'd expect.  I even spotted my neighbour snoozing in his XF on the sea front at Walcott (I assume his Mrs had gone to get fish & chips).

[Popsicle]

16 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Good for express deliveries too? 😀

It would lead to a quick/fun bankruptcy!

[SiC]

8 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Z4 for what may well be its last top-down drive in my ownership

My Zed is stable at speeds and the 2.5i should have a pretty high top speed. Just sayin' 😉

[Lord Sterling]

So I was browsing Facebook when I came across this post about the saving of the Keele Services M6 motorway sign:

Apparently it is to be preserved at Aldridge Transport Museum near Walsall, now, I did not know there was a Transport Museum in Aldridge. If that's the case then a visit is on the cards.

[auntiemaryscanary]

17 minutes ago, Lord Sterling said:

So I was browsing Facebook when I came across this post about the saving of the Keele Services M6 motorway sign:

Apparently it is to be preserved at Aldridge Transport Museum near Walsall, now, I did not know there was a Transport Museum in Aldridge. If that's the case then a visit is on the cards.

Group outing being discussed here if interested:

 

[wuvvum]

8 hours ago, SiC said:

My Zed is stable at speeds and the 2.5i should have a pretty high top speed. Just sayin' 😉

I did briefly contemplate it, but for the amount of driving I'm going to be doing over the next week I really need cruise control.