The new news 24 thread

[High Jetter]

Yugo?

[wuvvum]

6 minutes ago, IronStar said:

@Yoss

Nothing like subtle regional differences on cars that effectively had a single engine option and trim levels designate such extravagant extras such as having factory stereo or rear seat headrest fitted. 🤦‍♂️

All the Favorits had rear headrests as standard here, although the ones in the base models looked like you'd crack your head open on them in a rear end shunt.  But at least you wouldn't get whiplash.

[stripped fred]

22 hours ago, stripped fred said:

Over at my parents trying to get the MR2 started, or at least closer to starting. It has a Cobra A8510 from 20 years ago which no longer has a working fob so we're trying to remove it. I have help from my two sons who are desperate to get this running again. Last time was about a year ago but it's been off road for 6 years now. It also smoked a bit when it did run which I suspect might be the valve stem oil seals. We've putting new ignition leads on it and it had an oil change and we cleaned up the spark plugs too.

My 17 year old wants to be an electrician and is studying his level 2 at college. I let him loose with his multimeter and he managed to identify the correct wires to bridge and remove the immobiliser and get it cranking but there's no fuel coming through. We found the EFI fuse blown but that didn't fix it. I suspect we may need to drop the fuel tank and change the fuel pump. Further investigation may include a separate fuel can and an electric pump, tracing the wiring and checking out the relays. Pleased that it tried to start though!

[wuvvum]

I remember the fun* I had bypassing the dealer fit immobiliser on my old Subaru Justy after I lost the fob.  Not an experience I'm anxious to repeat...

[stripped fred]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

I remember the fun* I had bypassing the dealer fit immobiliser on my old Subaru Justy after I lost the fob.  Not an experience I'm anxious to repeat...

There's also an old alarm that needs removing so plenty of wires to keep him busy!

[grogee]

22 hours ago, barefoot said:

very pleasant woman taught me how to erect my sunshade

 

[Yoss]

14 hours ago, wuvvum said:

All the Favorits had rear headrests as standard here, although the ones in the base models looked like you'd crack your head open on them in a rear end shunt.  But at least you wouldn't get whiplash.

I know the ones you mean. I'm lucky enough to have the high* spec cars so I have these in green Favorit. 

Still have a hole in the middle as was all the rage in the 1980s (I don't deny they were dated from new) but plenty of padding there. I think they look quite stylish but I am biased. 

Blue Favorit has these solid ones in a fetching beige tweedish. 

Except they are not as solid as they might at first appear. If you poke them they still have the hole in the middle, they've just stretched the fabric over it

But the early base cars just had the plain plastic frame with no fabric at all. But then I seem to remember Volvo 240s had something similar though perhaps more foam rubbery than plastic. 

[richardmorris]

Not shiny or silver birch.

[Stinkwheel]

3 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Not shiny or silver birch.

amazing, dont think ive ever seen one that wasnt silver, i like the 'well used' look

[richardmorris]

1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III Drophead Coupé by Tickford | London 2024 | RM Sotheby's

• Delivered new to David Brown, English industrialist and then owner of Aston Martin; later owned and driven by Lady Brown, the company owner’s wife

[grogee]

On the topic of shite air con @Yoss and @IronStar I noticed some scrap Maestro and Montego in Spain with air con. I wonder if any of the brochure nerds can tell me if it was a UK option? @Marina door handles? 

I do wonder if it was a proper factory-fit thing or something cobbled together by the dealers? 

I remember seeing a Japanese spec [original] Mini in the works car park that had AC, that's an impressive packaging feat. 

[richardmorris]

1963 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible | London 2024 | RM Sotheby's

[wuvvum]

18 minutes ago, grogee said:

On the topic of shite air con @Yoss and @IronStar I noticed some scrap Maestro and Montego in Spain with air con. I wonder if any of the brochure nerds can tell me if it was a UK option? @Marina door handles? 

I do wonder if it was a proper factory-fit thing or something cobbled together by the dealers? 

I remember seeing a Japanese spec [original] Mini in the works car park that had AC, that's an impressive packaging feat. 

I don't recall seeing aircon as an option in any of the UK brochures.  The diesel Countryman my Dad had as a company car when we first moved to France in 1993 had aircon, but that was a dealer fit option.

[richardmorris]

48 minutes ago, Stinkwheel said:

amazing, dont think ive ever seen one that wasnt silver, i like the 'well used' look

estimate £100-150K

1968 Aston Martin DB6 | London 2024 | RM Sotheby's

 

[IronStar]

50 minutes ago, grogee said:

I remember seeing a Japanese spec [original] Mini in the works car park that had AC, that's an impressive packaging feat. 

Oz also got an Og Mini with an aircon. As you can guess, I'm hunting for either to shove into mine so it can be driven for more than two months a year. 

Have you considered repatriating Airconed Montego/Maestro, or is it too much effort for something not really necessary over there?

[Yoss]

14 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

estimate £100-150K

1968 Aston Martin DB6 | London 2024 | RM Sotheby's

 

Looks like we're having a bit of an Aston Martin weekend coming up then. 

[Marina door handles]

58 minutes ago, grogee said:

On the topic of shite air con @Yoss and @IronStar I noticed some scrap Maestro and Montego in Spain with air con. I wonder if any of the brochure nerds can tell me if it was a UK option? @Marina door handles? 

I do wonder if it was a proper factory-fit thing or something cobbled together by the dealers? 

I remember seeing a Japanese spec [original] Mini in the works car park that had AC, that's an impressive packaging feat. 

Pretty sure the Japanese spec mini air con was factory.

Don't know about the Maestro or Montego. I suspect for hot climates Austin Rover would have spec'ed vinyl seats, windows that only wind down about  an inch and no air con for maximum misery to absolutely guarantee sale success!  

[IronStar]

23 minutes ago, Marina door handles said:

Pretty sure the Japanese spec mini air con was factory.

Don't know about the Maestro or Montego. I suspect for hot climates Austin Rover would have spec'ed vinyl seats, windows that only wind down about  an inch and no air con for maximum misery to absolutely guarantee sale success!  

Fun* and interesting* fact - I never heard anyone talking shit about BL products before I started visiting / reading British forums. They were always regarded as a nice but oddball choice, always nice place to be in and well specced. People that bought them usually bought another one, or sung praises about how amazing their Rover was and how their new car couldn’t come anywhere close. 

[grogee]

48 minutes ago, IronStar said:

Oz also got an Og Mini with an aircon. As you can guess, I'm hunting for either to shove into mine so it can be driven for more than two months a year. 

Have you considered repatriating Airconed Montego/Maestro, or is it too much effort for something not really necessary over there?

Power steering is my first priority, not really for the steering effort - more for the quicker rack. 

I think AC would have to wait for the lottery win...

Here in UK we had opposite problem with our summer: there wasn't one. This was the sky on the 12th July 2024.

[artdjones]

42 minutes ago, Marina door handles said:

Pretty sure the Japanese spec mini air con was factory.

Don't know about the Maestro or Montego. I suspect for hot climates Austin Rover would have spec'ed vinyl seats, windows that only wind down about  an inch and no air con for maximum misery to absolutely guarantee sale success!  

I know that a lot of US spec Morris Minors still had the door lock on the right hand side. So you had to open the wrong side door and slide across.

[wuvvum]

47 minutes ago, Marina door handles said:

Pretty sure the Japanese spec mini air con was factory.

Yup - for one thing it involved the radiator being put back on the nearside (even on later cars) so the condenser etc. could fit in front of the engine - a bit much to expect a dealer to carry out!

[stuboy]

Popped up local car themed pub... many civics..some nice mustang, a flash datsun sunny and a lotus I can't name.

 

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

Looks like we're having a bit of an Aston Martin weekend coming up then. 

Yes, could have more to see tomorrow. And Oscar India v8 and x pack.

[andyberg]

Jazz news🙁 the bearing noise that only affected 1st to 3rd is now evident in all gears and at idle  with the clutch up. I think it’s terminal. Gearchange is still smooth and clean, but the noise is definitely much worse. To the point where I’m thinking it’s going to go pop at any moment. I knew all about the noise before I bought it so it no reflection on @Sigmund Fraud at all, it’s just one of those things. It could have gone on for years more. I don’t have the funds to get it repaired. Scrappy price is about £160 so I’ll sleep on it and make a decision in the morning. It’s a shame because it’s really a fab little thing, comfy, roomy and sips fuel. 
Looks like the Safrane will be moved to daily duties. 

[IronStar]

9 minutes ago, andyberg said:

Jazz news🙁 the bearing noise that only affected 1st to 3rd is now evident in all gears and at idle  with the clutch up. I think it’s terminal. Gearchange is still smooth and clean, but the noise is definitely much worse. To the point where I’m thinking it’s going to go pop at any moment. I knew all about the noise before I bought it so it no reflection on @Sigmund Fraud at all, it’s just one of those things. It could have gone on for years more. I don’t have the funds to get it repaired. Scrappy price is about £160 so I’ll sleep on it and make a decision in the morning. It’s a shame because it’s really a fab little thing, comfy, roomy and sips fuel. 
Looks like the Safrane will be moved to daily duties. 

If everything else is good, surely it’s cheaper / more cost effective to replace the gearbox with 2nd hand one then take a gamble on a bargain basement car? 

[andyberg]

4 minutes ago, IronStar said:

If everything else is good, surely it’s cheaper / more cost effective to replace the gearbox with 2nd hand one then take a gamble on a bargain basement car? 

A recon box is about £200 but I can’t fit it. I can get the job done in that London for about £450 all in but as it stands 1. I don’t have £450 and 2. I’m not sure it would got to London , I mean it may go on as it is for ages but I have lost a bit of faith I think. My Safrane will do the commute but I don’t really want to use that, that’s why I got the Jazz. 

[IronStar]

1 minute ago, andyberg said:

A recon box is about £200 but I can’t fit it. I can get the job done in that London for about £450 all in but as it stands 1. I don’t have £450 and 2. I’m not sure it would got to London , I mean it may go on as it is for ages but I have lost a bit of faith I think. My Safrane will do the commute but I don’t really want to use that, that’s why I got the Jazz. 

Park it, save £450, get it repaired when you can afford it, drive Safrane in the meantime? If £450 is unaffordable, car to replace it will be a liability with distinct possibility of grenading itself as soon as you get it. Better the devil you know and all that? 

[andyberg]

20 minutes ago, IronStar said:

Park it, save £450, get it repaired when you can afford it, drive Safrane in the meantime? If £450 is unaffordable, car to replace it will be a liability with distinct possibility of grenading itself as soon as you get it. Better the devil you know and all that? 

Yeah I get where you are coming from. And it is a bloody good car apart from this. 
Thank you. A view from the outside helps. 

[IronStar]

On 27/10/2024 at 13:26, Yoss said:

There was a chap on Briskoda (a Škoda forum) in the Dominican Republic who had a Felicia with a carb and after asking around found out they sold them like that in a lot of places, Egypt springs to mind. I guess anywhere with more relaxed emissions laws. 

I was thinking about this, as we usually were prime dumping ground for that kind of shit, and sure enough 

This tanks my hopes of actually finding a fuel injected Favorit over here. If we got Felicia on carb, would they even bother bringing a fuel injected Favorit? Especially as Yugoslav wars were raging, as all the ones available seem to be just-as-war-started ‘91 ones. Keeping the eye on the classifieds in hopes of running into one. Alternatively, find a non-rusty Favorit and terminally rusty Felicia and do the magic of a swap? It’s the same car so should bolt right up? This would defeat the point of cheap + not a project though…. Swings and roundabouts.

[Wibble]

A mate has just, after much deliberation, pulled the trigger and bought this ST170:

Hopefully I’ll get a proper look at the weekend but it’s had a lot of work done and looks pretty decent.