The new news 24 thread

[Yoss]

24 minutes ago, CGSB said:

Where is the photographic evidence of said chunky dog on a parcel shelf please? 🔍

Yes, plus one on that. Picture of dog or it didn't happen! 

[lesapandre]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

Yes, plus one on that. Picture of dog or it didn't happen! 

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound? 😂

[Lord Sterling]

Not much to report here. 

Now, I'm unsure if anyone has been messing with the Vectra or whether it's just coincidence that a numberplate screw on the front was missing and that the passenger-side front tyre was low (less than 10psi), this town has a lot of nimbys whi don'tlike you parking on "their" road or whatever.

However, on the other hand, there are a lot of potholes and I do try to avoid them where I can but certainly along where I work, the service road is very bad so I can imagine the tyre has probably taken a bit of a battering along there.

I refitted a number plate screw with surround and fitted a battery jacket as the original one off mine seems to have gone awol. It's winter so some sort of protection for it is a bit better. 

I haven't used the Vectra for about 10 days now, I've been wanting to get the tracking done but every time I see an opportunity, a bill/something I need to buy happens. Every time.

I've been using the Jag more this week and last, we've had a short week at work due to Christmas. Everything seemed fine until yesterday when I heard a grinding/dragging noise from the rear passenger side of the car. Couldn't see anything underneath the car, the noise comes and goes. It disappeared for while yesterday only to return today as I entered into my town. I suspect it's possibly a brake disc shield or something as it doesn't affect the running or driving of the car.

I need to invest in an extendable wheel nut wrench as I appear to have lost the one I had some years ago.

[Snake Charmer]

39 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound? 😂

Woof.

[barefoot]

8 hours ago, lesapandre said:

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound? 😂

I read somewhere that not only does it fall silently, it also causes minimal disruption around it and retains the energy that would normally be released, making it far more thermally efficient when burnt as fuel.

[Volksy]

12 hours ago, HillmanImp said:

Met a mate at the pub today. 

The new wheels in question:

He said its the nicest car he's ever bought for under a grand and absolutely loves it. 

To be fair, we spent an evening trawling through all the for sale sites and it literally was the best we could find. 

It does look clean and pretty well looked after.

[wuvvum]

18 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

forgot to take a before pic but you can see it here..

Heh, that bannister (the bit that isn't black yet) is identical to the one in the house I lived in in the late '80s.

[wuvvum]

22 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

Broken the front prop pulling a Defender off a tree!

I did something similar once to the propshaft of a 635CSi, racing a Punto GT away from the lights on the Norwich ring road.  I would have had him too.

[Vince70]

16 hours ago, CGSB said:

Where is the photographic evidence of said chunky dog on a parcel shelf please? 🔍

I didn’t take a picture as I was driving at the time lol.

But I’ve the paw prints and dog hair too prove it lol.

Not that I was too worried as I’ve a complete spares car that has a good parcel shelf.

[SiC]

Pulled this out

Put this away for now (I think I might sell this really soon)

Greta will be angry

Because I live in Somerset, we have these sort of things going on. So we gave it a watch.

Went for a drive. Found someone* with a similar #wankerplate

Satisfying mileage.

 

 

 

* My parents, it wasn't that much of a coincidence.

[Split_Pin]

55 minutes ago, SiC said:

Greta will be angry

I've been making her angry since last year with my 2 DPF-less diesels 😅 Rather less cool than a Porsche though!

 

[grogee]

21 hours ago, mat777 said:

Funny how things go.... last weekend with predictions of motoring armageddon, I drove 450 miles to the West Country and back just fine. Today when the entire population is supposedly on the couch full of cheese and wine, a simple trip to Derby was traffic hell in both directions... 
Aaanyway, that's the Insight dropped off for a little "rejuvenation holiday" with RichardK, where it's currently the ultimate "2001 Honda Lifestyle Brochure" I'm partnership with his HRV😎 

First time towing with the 120hp, 4 speed slushmatic Discovery made me realise how spoiled I've been in recent years with a slew of modern 200hp, variable turbo'd, 8-speed trucks.... 

Everybody was on the m5 yesterday. 

Everybody. 

A three hour journey took me five hours. 

[wuvvum]

Yeah, M4 wasn't great either.  First half of my journey back from Somerset yesterday was something of a chore.  Second half was fine other than having to go via Northampton as the A421 was closed.

[comfortablynumb]

A1 was playing silly buggers, worse than usual, between WGC and Stevenage, went via knebworth and wasn't too bad, and then had to deal with the abomination that's the black cat roundabout 🙄

Did find a cutoff through St Neots tho, so wasn't on the queue 

[wuvvum]

Black Cat wasn't too bad on Christmas eve, somewhat to my surprise, but the roadworks aren't helping.

[beko1987]

8 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Black Cat wasn't too bad on Christmas eve, somewhat to my surprise, but the roadworks aren't helping.

Christmas day at 9.30am it was dead 👌

Boxing day afternoon going home it's always slow on the approach southbound, but far better than I've seen it before! 

 

[comfortablynumb]

Yesterday it was queued from that lap dancing (?) club to the traffic lights, I found getting off at tempsford and running parallel until you reach the old A428 skipped all that.

As kryten said, 'Smug mode' 😁

[stuboy]

Last day of 6 in a row bar xmas day, and thought has anyone started an ambulance that was off the road as they want us to drive it 20 miles to a dealer...

And I said get stuffed u can sort recovery !! Its hurt

[JJ0063]

Decided id quickly* take part of the carpet up and lay these peel and stick floor tiles this afternoon. 
 

What a fucking arse. Some weird 70s plastic floor tiles under the carpet which were all cracked and loose at the edges where the carpet gripper battens had been nailed down. Ended up having to remove the lot before I could clean up and lay the new ones.

Just need to trim and fit the last edge around the bottom of the stairs.

Phase 2 will then be carrying on to the underside of the stairs where I temporarily just cut the old carpet to split the job. 

[SiC]

9 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

Some weird 70s plastic floor tiles

Asbestos tiles?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

7 minutes ago, SiC said:

Asbestos tiles?

I thought the same. Our place was built in the early 70s and I ripped up the lot covering the downstairs when we were renovating. Only discovered latterly on here that they were likely asbestos. Fortunately, I didn't break too many, but even so, a few regrets. 

[JJ0063]

37 minutes ago, SiC said:

Asbestos tiles?

Fucking hope not, I put them in a bin bag and took them to the tip this morning 😂 they were a thin plastic type material, I thought asbestos was more of a concrete type stuff? 

[comfortablynumb]

 took them to the tip this morning @JJ0063?

You actually got an appointment for a Norfolk tip??

Sorry, recycling centre🙄

[SiC]

26 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Fucking hope not, I put them in a bin bag and took them to the tip this morning 😂 they were a thin plastic type material, I thought asbestos was more of a concrete type stuff? 

Maybe contains it, maybe not. Just thinking that if someone left it before and put floor over the top, they may have not been sure either. I don't know enough visually to tell. Some trades on here will be better. Not that it matters now but for next time:

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/guidance/a23.pdf

Probably wouldn't stress too much about it. As while not good to breath, it's much lower risk stuff than some as it's encased in those tiles and adhesive. Tbh I think back to when I was in school in the 90s when we used to poke, break up, inscribe in allsorts of asbestos containing building materials in the school buildings. 

The new floor does look better though!

[BorniteIdentity]

18 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

 that lap dancing (?) 

Pahaha. Bless your innocence. 

It's far, FAR more exciting than that there.  I was invited a couple of years ago but politely declined the offer.  Firstly, it's bad enough disappointing one girl at a time and secondly - I didn't have a wife with which I could trade.

In truth, you can go as a single male if you so wish - they just keep an eye on numbers to make sure things are balanced.

[Rustybullethole]

Service time and something amazing happened.

Minimal spillage!!!!

Whilst draining (into the fucking container what) air filter and box relieved of loose tut and dead animals. Shall grab a new one as its time. 

Tyres inflated.

And side repeater re fixed

 

Sump bolt back in, lets have another look at that clean ground. Wow.

Time for refill

Bollocks

 

 

[JJ0063]

4 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

 took them to the tip this morning @JJ0063?

You actually got an appointment for a Norfolk tip??

Sorry, recycling centre🙄

I was a good boy and booked my time slot, turned up and he said oh don’t worry about that it’s so quiet now we’ll just let you in anyway 😂

[Hawkeyethenoo]

Now that's what I call a collection. Slight overhang, please beware the rudder. I'm not worthy !

[wuvvum]

I've finally done a long trip in the Merc, nearly 6 months after buying it specifically to use for long trips.  500 miles to my parents' in Somerset and back.  It averaged about 44mpg, which isn't bad for a 3-litre (the Rover 75 manages about the same on that trip and even the Ampera doesn't do massively better).  It behaved fine, even the radio which had been playing up managed to stay working for the whole trip.  It still has a minor exhaust blow and there's still a very slight shake from somewhere at above legal speeds, but it's livable with and definitely better than before.  

It's not quite as comfy as the Rover but it's not far off, and the headlights are noticeably better, as are the seat heaters (although they still take a while to get up to temperature).  The main thing I miss compared to the Rover is a variable intermittent setting for the wipers - useful at this time of year.  Also the cruise control doesn't like me setting the speed downwards and tends to throw up a fault and stop working (resets when the ignition is switched off), but that's a minor gripe - I can just cancel the cruise and then re-engage when the car has slowed down, which is what I have to do on the Rover anyway. 

The only other slightly disappointing thing is that the rear tyres struggle for traction more than I would expect when the road is a little damp - a couple of times accelerating off roundabouts and the like the back end has stepped out a bit and the stability control has had to rein things back in.  The Falkens I put on the back generally get decent reviews, and they're A-rated for wet grip, but I'm slightly disappointed with them (although they were a bargain so I can't moan too much).

[Stinkwheel]

7 hours ago, Hawkeyethenoo said:

Now that's what I call a collection. Slight overhang, please beware the rudder. I'm not worthy !

What’s the airframe?