The new news 24 thread

[EyesWeldedShut]

4 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Morning fleamarket home-made toy garage find - just right for my battered motas. Was about to go in the skip.

My Dad made just that for me & my twin brother when we were 5 or 6 - ply and balsa wood - white gloss paint and some Ford stickers.
I'm guessing a plan from 'Modellers' World' or some similar 1960s magazine as he was an ardent DIY woodworker.

[lesapandre]

Yes it's quite well done - the blue has a white stipple finish that looks like it must have been hand-applied. 

Lovely little find.

[EyesWeldedShut]

32 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Youngest daughter came home from nursery today and decided she’s calling me Papa… so I decided she can be called Nicole… which is confusing her three year old brain…

That's so retro - what about the one with our recent Dead Pool nominee?

 

[cpjitservices]

6 hours ago, Rustybullethole said:

New shoes

 

Im trying to scope ebay for new shoes for the Allroad bargain, trying to find some good all weather boots!

[comfortablynumb]

12 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

My Dad made just that for me & my twin brother when we were 5 or 6 - ply and balsa wood - white gloss paint and some Ford stickers.
I'm guessing a plan from 'Modellers' World' or some similar 1960s magazine as he was an ardent DIY woodworker.

I had one very similar, it survived years of abuse, went through my kids and survived that, and now my two grandsons have it.

Becoming quite the heirloom 😁

[EyesWeldedShut]

Hot news folks!

Tonight, for the first time ever, I have fitted new cylinder, shoes, springs and clips in under three days - just over an hour * thanks to ...... drum roll .....
Haynes Manuals.
Yes, the infamous Book of Lies actually speaketh the Truth as regards rear drum brakes on a FreeLoader - it's even got decent pictures that work under headtorchlight
Here's to you, Mr Haynes, brake drum mojo may be back **

*this included cutting off the old cylinder from the inside of the back plate. The alloy block on the old one had corroded so badly that the build up of shite has kinked the backing plate, the old shoes were also stuck to the backing plate - a tribute to ABS systems and hooky MoTs?

** previous, long term ownership of drums-all-round brake systems as fitted to Series Land Rovers and Bedford/AWD lorries has promoted an allergy to such high maintenance, low stopability systems.....

[Boycie]

59 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Youngest daughter came home from nursery today and decided she’s calling me Papa… so I decided she can be called Nicole… which is confusing her three year old brain…

If she thinks she confused now wait to you turn up to nursery in a mk1 clio ...

 

 

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

My Dad made just that for me & my twin brother when we were 5 or 6 - ply and balsa wood - white gloss paint and some Ford stickers.
I'm guessing a plan from 'Modellers' World' or some similar 1960s magazine as he was an ardent DIY woodworker.

I think my Dad subscribed to that or something similar. He made many wooden things, including a chest of drawers I still use daily.

[brownnova]

3 hours ago, Boycie said:

If she thinks she confused now wait to you turn up to nursery in a mk1 clio ...

 

 

I turn up regularly in a 2CV… she’ll find the Mk1 Clio luxury! 

[beko1987]

On 16/01/2025 at 17:34, beko1987 said:

I jinxed it by tutting at a vag bombing up lane 3 with its undertray flapping around this morning on the way to work. 

Driving home tonight I took my usual corner at my usual speed and scraaaape... Got home and the singular cable tie holding the entire rear of my undertray has given up. Best sort that this weekend 😂

It's gone since Tuesday though. That started badly* as my rear pads had seized on. I last drove it the Tues before in the wet, then it sat frozen solid for 7 days. Big old clunk when I pulled away and then a nice big pedal vibration as the disc rotated around the rusted spot. 

Picked up my mate who I lift share with and told him and we proceeded with caution. Until 4 miles later a waitrose van behind me started flashing. Proper "m8 there's something wrong" repeated flashing, my mate confirmed it. We pulled over, and I did the usual "oh fuck what's wrong" rolling around on the floor looking everywhere. Nothing. My mate stood and watched my drive up the road and back and said all was fine and it was. The brakes cleared after 10 miles of m40 and all was well. 

Had the car jacked up this morning and there's nothing wrong. Undertray is cable tied on well, one of the arch liners is a bit loose though, but nothing rubbing or scrubbing or falling off that I can see 🤷 The angle I'm usually parked at must have made it seem lower than it is on flat tarmac

Will have to wang around that same corner on Tuesday and see if I can reproduce the issue

[davehedgehog31]

Small update on my two latest purchases. The first is this 1.6 hdi Peugeot 207 which came in at the beginning of December. The previous owner was a really nice lad and was SERIOUSLY fastidious, bestowing more work and parts than any 13 year old Peugeot 207 warrants. Full spec at link below:

https://www.peugeotforums.com/threads/peugeot-207-1-6-hdi-120bhp-inari-blue.375793/

It has been great, as you'd expect, 60+ mpg driven considerately and still does 54 if driven hard. Drives brilliantly. I've been impressed by the comfort and refinement levels for a little supermini.

Next, when I saw @Split_Pin post his Audi A4 Cabriolet for sale I impulsively had to have it! Knowing how well Iain keeps his cars and the fact it's a Cabriolet my lad can fit in the back of, I thought it would be an interesting thing to own. Again, chuffed with my purchase. It's comfy, quite fast and feels plush inside. 

[Split_Pin]

Glad you are happy with it, the A4 Cab is a great all round practical proposition with some fun. My other one continues to give great service! Enjoy the turbo noises too!

[bunglebus]

Today marks 30 years since I passed my driving test. Actually quite a scary amount of time!

[junkyarddog]

Nice day for it. 

Glen of Aherlow Co Tipperary for anyone interested. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Carina E did sterling service on Thursday and Friday, after using it for work I took it up to Loughborough for a stopover with Miss SL and her BF:

Good to this pair together again, with a combined mileage of around 420k. As well as trekking up there from home the Avensis has also been used for overnight airport runs to and from Stansted, getting four of them down there to head off for an overseas study trip.

With the help of ye olde navigation system.....

I then headed up to Chorley. Quite unintentionally, en-route I drove right past the Toyota factory at Burnaston where I think my Carina E (and presumably the Avensis) would have started out. I bet in years gone by there would have been plenty of them on the local roads.

Reason for this trip and to take the Toyota, when the daily RX would have been much better-suited to a long mid-January journey? Long-time friend and Japanese car enthusiast Peter Hunter of the Toyota Enthusiasts' Club sadly passed away just after Christmas and it was his funeral.

Even if you didn't know him those of you who've attended shows at the NEC or in the North-West such as Tatton Park and Cholmondley will have seen this estate, his Crown coupe or the older saloon which was the original press car. He also had an early '70s Corona MkII and I believe an Avensis or two. I first met Peter back in 1993/94 and enjoyed many happy times talking cars, models and brochures with him. A number of other TEC people were at the funeral too, having travelled from as far afield as Scotland and Belgium. The cars were just a part of a long and fulfilling life, and the enthusiasm and energy he had was incredible (and something of an inspiration, on the journey home it made me rethink a few things which I've found challenging in recent times). A remarkable family too, apparently his sister still has an MG Midget and his older brother 37 motorbikes (and that's after some were sold). RIP Peter.

So it only seemed right and proper to take take the Carina E. I suppose it shouldn't really be a surprise but it did a great job over the 550 or so miles I drove, spending most of its time in the outside lane when I was on the motorways. I got home late on Friday with more respect for it than ever.

There was another pleasing turn of events on the way back when it turned out part of the A14 was closed. No bad thing, the stretch from the M1 to Cambridge is one of the dullest roads I can think of and always good to avoid. So I kept going down the M1, turned off south of Northampton and drove past Billing Aquadrome. This is where the above photo was taken and I went to some great JAEs and other shows in the '90s and '00s. After that I drove on one of my favourite roads fromHigham Ferrers to St Neots via Kimbolton. I don't know it well enough to really clog it along there, and the Carina's headlights are not great, but it was still great to drive along there and remember the anticipation I'd have in driving along it on a Saturday morning then the satisfaction of heading home in the late afteroon sunshine on Sunday, usually somewhat later than planned after one final chat with Peter and his wife.

[stuboy]

 

Nothing exciting... visited the dealer today and he sold me a baggy of E5... lol

 

Was gonna change the fuel filter but suspected arthritis in my fingers said no son try next weekend..

[lesapandre]

(🎉Seems a life well-lived - good on him 🎉) I had one of those Crowns - a saloon 31 years ago - they were rare then even.

[bramz7]

@Spottedlaurel

Was he the chap who featured in TG mag 30 years ago? I probably have the issue in a cupboard. 

[richardmorris]

36 minutes ago, stuboy said:

 

Nothing exciting... visited the dealer today and he sold me a baggy of E5... lol

 

Was gonna change the fuel filter but suspected arthritis in my fingers said no son try next weekend..

It’s the wrong time of year to try changing old rubber fittings. Wait until it’s 20degrees!

[Spottedlaurel]

1 hour ago, bramz7 said:

@Spottedlaurel

Was he the chap who featured in TG mag 30 years ago? I probably have the issue in a cupboard. 

Maybe, pretty sure he was in C&S with his coupe many years ago.

[bramz7]

Ah no sorry, it was someone else. My mistake.

May 1995.

[Split_Pin]

The Saab is between V5s at the moment and showing as untaxed so I've been out an about in the E46 this weekend and covered quite a few miles with the family in it. I have barely driven the car since getting it back from having the gearbox replaced and I think I'm warming to it eventually. Now that it has a healthy gearbox I am learning to drive it properlyand using a bootful of throttle as a normal driving style is where it seems happiest. The exhaust note is very addictive too.

More miles to cover in it this week.

[vulgalour]

Did some Renault fettling today and now I can tell you how to replace the door handle and lock mechanism on a Renault 5 Extra.  Not a bad job really.  Couldn't find any guidance on it when looking online, kept pulling up pretty good tutorials and videos on basically every other Renault ever made, typically.

[Spottedlaurel]

31 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

Ah no sorry, it was someone else. My mistake.

May 1995.

That's Billy Wells, who sadly died last year.

[reb]

It's my birthday, twenty fucking nine!

Because I am old at heart I'm not doing much for it, just going for a curry this evening.

It doesn't feel that long since the last one. In fact it feels like only a few months since I turned 20!

[EyesWeldedShut]

14 minutes ago, reb said:

It doesn't feel that long since the last one. In fact it feels like only a few months since I turned 20!

Don't worry - once you get to 30 you'll just stop counting. Next thing you know - you'll be 60 (well, that's my experience).

Happy Birthday in any case - have a tasty curry.

[reb]

Just now, EyesWeldedShut said:

Don't worry - once you get to 30 you'll just stop counting. Next thing you know - you'll be 60 (well, that's my experience).

Happy Birthday in any case - have a tasty curry.

Honestly I've sort of already stopped counting. Recently-ish the cashier in Lidl asked how old I was when I was buying a shitload of wine and I heard myself say out loud "oh, that's a good question, I don't know"

I'm now older than my parents were when I was born, have been for a while I suppose. When I passed that point it was sort of a big step in the direction of really realising one's parents are, well, just people. And often are just as lost and confused as anyone else. Which it turns out a lot of people very much are.

As for the curry, we can't go to my favourite curry place because it's not open on Mondays, but the place we're going instead is still pretty good! Alas it doesn't seem to have any Naga curries, which has been my go-to birthday curry over the last few years.

[comfortablynumb]

Had to withdraw some cash over the counter at nationwide last week.

As part of the security questions cashier asked how old I'd be on my next birthday

Had to stand there and work it out!

Didn't look suspicious at all 🤦

[EyesWeldedShut]

3 hours ago, reb said:

And often are just as lost and confused as anyone else. Which it turns out a lot of people very much are.

I only sussed out that my parents had been winging it for years when I was 37 - I married the child bride who brought along an eight year old and a ten year old to the reception - I just started winging it too.
In times of real panic I'd just do what my Dad would have done it the same situation - seems to have worked as neither of the kids turned into axe murderers.

[comfortablynumb]

4 hours ago, reb said:

As for the curry, we can't go to my favourite curry place because it's not open on Mondays, but the place we're going instead is still pretty good! Alas it doesn't seem to have any Naga curries, which has been my go-to birthday curry over the last few years.

You know the answer to this is curry on Monday and Tuesday?