The new news 24 thread

16,788 · February 24

3 hours ago, stuboy said:

Popped across the border too east Sussex.. spotted a visitor to a petrol station more than I do...

See? It's not that scary here! 🤣

7,626 · February 24

22 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Just been watching some videos on YouTube of scrapyard visits. Seemingly JT Wades in Winwick has a plethora of old cars. Is this still a place you can walk in and pick bits? If so, any shiters fancy going there soon?

It is but the pleasant owner can be a tad cantankerous and will be absolutely fuming that the bearded prick has publicised his place and inevitably other wannabe youtubers will descend on his yard to make copycat " abandoned" videos

6,083 · February 24

1 minute ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Do you know of its earlier history, Ray?

Yes. If and when I sell it, the history will go with it. I did share some details on the old 3 Wheelers .com website many years ago when I was also more active in the Reliant Owners Club (i.e. attendance at National and Branch rallies) but now I tend to be publicity shy - except for occasional posts in this select band of enthusiasts of course (AS) 😀.

February 25

Bought myself another Parkside welder on my lunch break, it was only £70 and my last one got me through two NCTs and an MOT so I feel like it's a good investment. They've made them a lot smaller since I bought my first one as well.

10,910 · February 25

FreeLoader - happy days.

Basically rebuild the entire braking system on all four corners, now it stops, steers and goes. Sorted a pile of bushes and a track rod end so it also steers in straight lines (always useful).

A huge pile of advisories remain - four tyres are a must then a couple of days serious wire brushing underneath at the back - it's all surface rust on top of some decent thickness steel so (touching wood) worth spending a bit of time on now to prevent welding later.
@Barry Cade - spot on advice regarding the buggered centre seat belt. MoT guy was quite happy.
I think pulling the plastic off the sill surrounds will also free up a few litres of compost on each side.
The M47 diesel runs very well*, a 0.8 on the smokey failometer at the MoT station. I rather like it but I think it may be getting snaffled by fruit-of-my-wife's-womb as a doggy transportation vehicle.

*bloody O ring on the top of the thermostat housing has started to weep though - looks like a job for Edward Scissorhands.

3,268 · February 25

4 hours ago, EightMegs said:

Bought myself another Parkside welder on my lunch break, it was only £70 and my last one got me through two NCTs and an MOT so I feel like it's a good investment. They've made them a lot smaller since I bought my first one as well.

A man can never have too many welders, l cut down to 3 a while back from 5 by selling a lovely old Oxford arc welder and returning my oxy-acetyle bottles but kept the gear. 👍

14,290 · February 25

Brakes on a stretcher stopped working... the 2 metals that adjust fused brass and steel i think

8,812 · February 25

Nothing much, £600 Skoda doing palindrome miles.

24,938 · February 25

12 minutes ago, Ohdearme said:

Nothing much, £600 Skoda doing palindrome miles.

I’ve not got a car to 200k yet. 174 on my CX DTR on the original clutch, 124 on the merc and the 2cv is on 160.

18,033 · February 25

24 minutes ago, Ohdearme said:

Nothing much, £600 Skoda doing palindrome miles.

That's not what the dash on a £600 car is supposed to look like! Where's mechanical odometer? The ABS light with peeling electrical tape over it?

8,812 · February 25

5 minutes ago, reb said:

That's not what the dash on a £600 car is supposed to look like! Where's mechanical odometer? The ABS light with peeling electrical tape over it?

It has an intermittent emissions fault light but if you just don’t drive it for two days it goes away…

9,915 · February 25

41 minutes ago, stuboy said:

Brakes on a stretcher stopped working... the 2 metals that adjust fused brass and steel i think

At first glance, I thought why does a stretcher need a rear number plate?

February 25

7 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

At first glance, I thought why does a stretcher need a rear number plate?

And a private plate too, FO07 END!

24,938 · February 25

10 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

At first glance, I thought why does a stretcher need a rear number plate?

Frank Spencer or carry on nurse spring to mind.

5,236 · February 25

On 23/02/2025 at 17:01, goosey said:

So after renewing the parts on the rear brakes of the wife’s car, the front offside caliper must of felt left out so decided to start sticking on

refurbished caliper ordered so hopefully the wife only has to use our spare car for just a couple of days 🤞

anyone know what the number 48 means on the caliper ?

Got back from SouthEnd late so fitted the Recon caliper and new brake hose in the dark and cold of course

26,119 · February 25

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

I’ve not got a car to 200k yet. 174 on my CX DTR on the original clutch, 124 on the merc and the 2cv is on 160.

Same. I'm now over 186k on the ex- @Talbot Merc, which means The Big 200 should happen around this time next year if current mileage continues. The Blingo is currently stalled on 181k.

The Dyane's on 130k, but it's taken 43 years to get there!

14,290 · February 25

2 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

A man can never have too many welders, l cut down to 3 a while back from 5 by selling a lovely old Oxford arc welder and returning my oxy-acetyle bottles but kept the gear. 👍

true.. i got a parkside arc welder, mig welder i found in in an alleyway near my house covered in snails ( seems too work ) and one i actually purchased new, a gasless type...

22,324 · February 25

Hello, I'm not dead. Somehow.

Life's been fucking shit, but I'm on the mend.

Without going into much depth, the nightmare from last year is over, the knife was twisted at every opportunity, but I'm finally free to heal. My mental health is simultaneously the best and worst it's ever been. I'm still not drinking - 14 months now. I've been compleletly teetotal since December. Just 0% beers keep me going.

The sedan is gone. Most of my friends are gone.

But there are positives.

After six months on my arse I got a job at an e-waste recycler in September. Minimum wage and shit conditions, but I'd managed to cobble the Golf together well enough to cart me across Manchester daily for it.
It just about got me out of the shit, it was a job. The conditions were so bad that in November I got an RSI in my back, and went on the sick. I started looking for other jobs as I didn't want to go back there.

I got a phone call from a recruiter. I got a lot of these, and often it was just MSPs hiring for field tech roles - I've done this before and it's an awful job. However my ears pricked up when the recruiter named her client - a rather big name in Manchester property was looking for a service engineer. After a chat, the first stage interview was handled by the recruiter, and forwarded to the company.

The company called me in for an interview later that week, and offered me the job the next day.
I count my blessings every single day as I look out of my office window, with a view across the entirety of Greater Manchester. In my previous job, there weren't any windows and it felt like slave labour.

The silver Civic is still here, looking a bit different.

I'm dailying a 2003 Civic Coupe, but it's naff, and I'm looking for something to replace it - viewing a potential car on Thursday, in fucking Ipswich.

The Golf is gone, it wasn't useable as a daily any more, not with my new job, and because it leaked rainwater like absolute fuck through the blower motor. I'd done all I could with it, and I didn't have the time or inclination to keep throwing money at it. I didn't need a second project, and it had a rather embarrassing battery drain/hot start issue.
I didn't have a use for it, so I put it up for sale. The same day, in the small hours, the chapter of the red Civic sedan had finally closed for good - the £1k garage find survivor, with full service history and everything down to the PDI sheet.

Half an hour after I listed the Golf, I got an offer of a swap from an FB friend. He'd received it as a PX against a car he'd sold, and said it was 'too clean' for him - the scruffier Golf suited him better, and he wanted to engine swap it.

As soon as he sent me a photo of it I knew I couldn't say no.

When one door closes, another one opens.

53k. One owner until 2019.
It even has the PDI sheet.

Second chances are rare.

Always count your blessings.

I'll be alright.

👻...

4,950 · February 25

6 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

Hello, I'm not dead. Somehow.

Life's been fucking shit, but I'm on the mend.

Without going into much depth, the nightmare from last year is over, the knife was twisted at every opportunity, but I'm finally free to heal. My mental health is simultaneously the best and worst it's ever been. I'm still not drinking - 14 months now. I've been compleletly teetotal since December. Just 0% beers keep me going.

The sedan is gone. Most of my friends are gone.

But there are positives.

After six months on my arse I got a job at an e-waste recycler in September. Minimum wage and shit conditions, but I'd managed to cobble the Golf together well enough to cart me across Manchester daily for it.
It just about got me out of the shit, it was a job. The conditions were so bad that in November I got an RSI in my back, and went on the sick. I started looking for other jobs as I didn't want to go back there.

I got a phone call from a recruiter. I got a lot of these, and often it was just MSPs hiring for field tech roles - I've done this before and it's an awful job. However my ears pricked up when the recruiter named her client - a rather big name in Manchester property was looking for a service engineer. After a chat, the first stage interview was handled by the recruiter, and forwarded to the company.

The company called me in for an interview later that week, and offered me the job the next day.
I count my blessings every single day as I look out of my office window, with a view across the entirety of Greater Manchester. In my previous job, there weren't any windows and it felt like slave labour.

The silver Civic is still here, looking a bit different.

I'm dailying a 2003 Civic Coupe, but it's naff, and I'm looking for something to replace it - viewing a potential car on Thursday, in fucking Ipswich.

The Golf is gone, it wasn't useable as a daily any more, not with my new job, and because it leaked rainwater like absolute fuck through the blower motor. I'd done all I could with it, and I didn't have the time or inclination to keep throwing money at it. I didn't need a second project, and it had a rather embarrassing battery drain/hot start issue.
I didn't have a use for it, so I put it up for sale. The same day, in the small hours, the chapter of the red Civic sedan had finally closed for good - the £1k garage find survivor, with full service history and everything down to the PDI sheet.

Half an hour after I listed the Golf, I got an offer of a swap from an FB friend. He'd received it as a PX against a car he'd sold, and said it was 'too clean' for him - the scruffier Golf suited him better, and he wanted to engine swap it.

As soon as he sent me a photo of it I knew I couldn't say no.

When one door closes, another one opens.

53k. One owner until 2019.
It even has the PDI sheet.

Second chances are rare.

Always count your blessings.

I'll be alright.

👻...

Well done on getting through last year. I’m glad you can be positive again, there’s a lesson there for everyone. Don’t give up, I wish you the very best for this year. And your new car is bloody brilliant, well swapped.

18,033 · February 25

11 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

When one door closes, another one opens.

Second chances are rare.

These two seem to contradict eachother.

16,788 · February 25

40 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

Hello, I'm not dead. Somehow.

Life's been fucking shit, but I'm on the mend.

Without going into much depth, the nightmare from last year is over, the knife was twisted at every opportunity, but I'm finally free to heal. My mental health is simultaneously the best and worst it's ever been. I'm still not drinking - 14 months now. I've been compleletly teetotal since December. Just 0% beers keep me going.

The sedan is gone. Most of my friends are gone.

But there are positives.

After six months on my arse I got a job at an e-waste recycler in September. Minimum wage and shit conditions, but I'd managed to cobble the Golf together well enough to cart me across Manchester daily for it.
It just about got me out of the shit, it was a job. The conditions were so bad that in November I got an RSI in my back, and went on the sick. I started looking for other jobs as I didn't want to go back there.

I got a phone call from a recruiter. I got a lot of these, and often it was just MSPs hiring for field tech roles - I've done this before and it's an awful job. However my ears pricked up when the recruiter named her client - a rather big name in Manchester property was looking for a service engineer. After a chat, the first stage interview was handled by the recruiter, and forwarded to the company.

The company called me in for an interview later that week, and offered me the job the next day.
I count my blessings every single day as I look out of my office window, with a view across the entirety of Greater Manchester. In my previous job, there weren't any windows and it felt like slave labour.

The silver Civic is still here, looking a bit different.

I'm dailying a 2003 Civic Coupe, but it's naff, and I'm looking for something to replace it - viewing a potential car on Thursday, in fucking Ipswich.

The Golf is gone, it wasn't useable as a daily any more, not with my new job, and because it leaked rainwater like absolute fuck through the blower motor. I'd done all I could with it, and I didn't have the time or inclination to keep throwing money at it. I didn't need a second project, and it had a rather embarrassing battery drain/hot start issue.
I didn't have a use for it, so I put it up for sale. The same day, in the small hours, the chapter of the red Civic sedan had finally closed for good - the £1k garage find survivor, with full service history and everything down to the PDI sheet.

Half an hour after I listed the Golf, I got an offer of a swap from an FB friend. He'd received it as a PX against a car he'd sold, and said it was 'too clean' for him - the scruffier Golf suited him better, and he wanted to engine swap it.

As soon as he sent me a photo of it I knew I couldn't say no.

When one door closes, another one opens.

53k. One owner until 2019.
It even has the PDI sheet.

Second chances are rare.

Always count your blessings.

I'll be alright.

👻...

OOF! Shuttles are for winners, great to have you back.

7,167 · February 26

Currently on annual leave. Had a nice day planned doing DIY and other bits.

Got a call from my wife as she entered the station to go to work... "My wheel is pointing the wrong way".

21,490 · February 26

Fleamarket find this morning. US printed 1981.

21,490 · February 26

Another fleamarket find - (I did not buy this one there is a limit to the crap I can accommodate) - but interesting historically as one of the (probably many) small oil companies supplying the UK vehicle market at one time.

A quick look on t'web threw up an old ad. Thought the area remains industrial company appears long gone.

7,167 · February 26

32 minutes ago, Coprolalia said:

Currently on annual leave. Had a nice day planned doing DIY and other bits.

Got a call from my wife as she entered the station to go to work... "My wheel is pointing the wrong way".

Ruh roh

40,714 · February 26

Just come back from Iceland. Not as cold as I expected - apparently they're getting a warmer winter at the moment and it's been sitting above freezing a lot.

Very expensive. For example this bland tasting supermarket sandwich was £7.60

But I still ate a bit too much.

Saw some incredible scenery.

The peak was seeing the Northern Lights. At first it was really weak - only visible through a phone on long exposure. Pretty much gave up as the conditions weren't good. As the bus tour driver saying that it is just unfortunate and down to luck, he paused and told us to "all get off the bus NOW".

Sky absolutely lit up for a good 5 minutes. Photos don't really do it justice. I always thought the dancing aurora was from time lapse trickery. However it really does dance in front of your eyes in realtime.

Even managed a quick selfie. My startled expression is the concentration trying to keep the phone still for 3 seconds as the night mode capture counted down. Not a type of photo you get time to mess up and redo!

Anyway vehicular reports.

Firstly one of the tour buses had a great novel repair* going on.

There wasn't too much old stuff about. Not actually that much salt and grit about but I guess when you're in the middle of nowhere, you really want something reliable. Albeit doesn't explain the amount of JLR products I saw about.

There was a lot of tour specific vehicles about that were jacked up busses and vans.

The oldest vehicle was this inside the airport as a display.

The rest were mostly jacked up normal vehicles. This Jimny is kinda cute

Not as much Yank stuff about - I guess fuel is too expensive. But the odd bits. These are the older Yank stuff I saw out and about.

Probably the only G-Wagon now that actually gets used for it's intended purposes.

Loads of modern Land Cruiser. This was the only old one I saw.

Was a great trip, albeit I'm knackered and need another holiday to rest. My credit card is also very much feeling the pain.

21,490 · February 26

BEIKON 😂 and that coach 😂

40,714 · February 26

Oh and yes, there is an Iceland in Iceland.

64,773 · February 26

That coach body grafted onto the 8x8 truck chassis is so shit it's brilliant!

64,773 · February 26

Just spoken to the insurance re the Ampera. They've had the engineer's report back and they've made an offer - it's on the low side but not £pisstake as I was expecting. The offer involving me keeping the car is more attractive as they've valued the salvage at £855, which given that it's Cat N makes it well worth repairing with secondhand bits.

Now all I need is for the accident management company to tell me where they've put the car!

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