The new news 24 thread

[Split_Pin]

75 .

Bastards

[SiC]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

75 .

Bastards

How are the welding classes going?

[crad]

new washer jets on the mighty 'rolla. just need to find some rust remover & a rubber puck for me jack so i can de-rust the arches and change the oil... oh and a decent spark plug remover because mine's shite...

still, it is running well (besides the mental idle from cold, but i'm ignoring that bc i lack skillz)

[Split_Pin]

19 minutes ago, SiC said:

How are the welding classes going?

I finished 2 weeks ago. My welder behaved impeccably there but as soon as I cracked it out on the drive the MIG wire unravelled itself for no reason! It had been sticking for a while and it finally let go.

I'll get a new spool tomorrow, plus a new regulator as the one I've got is an old hospital one and is quite beat up.

The sill looks bad but thankfully 75s aren't known for galloping rot, what you see is hopefully what you get.

[Lord Sterling]

Right, well I'm back in the UK now. Shit me I am dog tired and my head hurts. However, despite being tired old and leaky, the Vauxhall of tiredness has done an absolutely tremendous job of taking me there and back. It's an absolute beast of a car and needs to spend more time in this world. 

It needed nothing but a top of oil which it hasn't needed for a month. However, it did need a constant top up of coolant every few days. It want to get it liquid tight now, that's a priority. Next will be tyres but also the insurance will need to be renewed in the next month. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

SORN'd the Freeloader in the evening of 31st March.
Transferred ownership to Sprog #2 on 1st April.
Refund cheque from DVLA arrived today via Royal Mail.

That's service.

[Popsicle]

Right this is boring, I do apologise.

Went to pop the newly painted Carlos Fandango wheels on the Caddy earlier in the week and one had a puncture ☹️. Dropped it round the tyre place on Tuesday with two other punctured tyres that needed fixing, got them back Thursday and fitted them on the van.

They had a first run out today, I took a dash pic on the original wheels on Tuesday at a GPS 60 mph set on cruise control.

2200 revs and speedo showing 64mph.

Today with the bigger wheels fitted at GPS 60 mph.

2000 rpm and 59mph at GPS 60, whoops I've probably slightly overdone it!

The odometer reckoned I covered 355 miles today, google maps and my tracker reckon 388, so I'm losing a few miles.

I'm sure its all alterable with VCDS. Very happy with the bigger wheels and tyres though, vans a bit smoother over the broken pot holed roads and they oddly seem a bit quieter, might be because the standard wheels had all season tyres on, while these Falkens are summers? I think I'm at the limit size wise, it only just clears the suspension and arch liners.

[Lord Sterling]

OK, since I got back, I've not managed to sleep. Fatha_Sterling had quite the cough a few days before I left and I think I've picked it up. Great. On top of that, I had an absolutely annoying headache, so I took some paracetamol, cough med and my inhaler and I feel a bit better, particularly after having something to eat and drink.

As I was lazing about just now watching TV, a local neighbour of mine called me, he owns a Golf GT TDi or something, automatic with leather which is a nice thing, a f*cking fast to boot. Anyhow, he'd parked up locally to pick up some food and found he couldn't get the key back into the ignition barrel. I walked down and had a look. Inside the barrel is a spring-loaded door that appears to have got stuck. I stuck my front door key and levered it out the way. I then drove it with him around the corner, the wheel bearings are definitely on their way out. I told him to get it done ASAP as I could hear them whirring. 

His Golf looks looks a bit like this:

[Spottedlaurel]

Had five days on the trot of using the Carina E for work, such a useful thing.

Yesterday I dropped the Laurel off at the garage so they could investigate a misfire and coolant leak, and collected the LS400 with fresh MoT. Will get a full set of new tyres on it soon, and discussions are being had with regard to finally changing its cam belt.

In extended family fleet news, this Land Cruiser Colorado has appeared:

 

The idea is that it will replace the ex @BorniteIdentity Avensis SR as Miss SL's daily driver, and will be of use for towing her BF's BMW drift car around when needed, general carting duties (future house doing-up, etc) and roomy transport for holidays - already planned that it will be taking a 3-4 weeks trip to France this year, the last long one they can do before finishing student life and starting work. Has good local history from new, seemingly starting its life down at Coronation Garage in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex and gradually making its way into Suffolk. The seller didn't think it had much paperwork, hence it being sold for a surprisingly low price, but a big pack was found under the seat Has done 194k miles and no previous mentions of corrosion although there are some bits on the chassis which will require attention soon. Drives nicely but has an issue which may require a replacement set of injectors. BF's family run a garage so it shouldn't be too difficult to address any problems, and the interior is surprisingly clean and tidy so fingers crossed they've got themselves a goodun. They had been after an Amazon, but in reality it would have cost them significantly more to buy and run and the tax would be £700-odd instead of £400-ish on this one.

The Avensis will then sadly need to find a new home.

Mrs SL is finally saying the same about her Auris since she unfortunately had to stop driving for health reasons - anyone after a decent family car with MoT, relatively low mileage and two owners from new?.....

[Asimo]

Oil-change day for Ma'am's Duster. Up on the "ramps" (planks and blocks) and remove 11 off M6 screws to get the undertray off.

What was wrong with spin-off filters?  This (1.3 turbo petrol) has a separate element inside a plastic screw-in cup (full of oil) which has to be emptied and then cleaned out somehow. Messy.

Then out with the drain plug

What a mess! And I was doing so well - until the  catch-can burped the funnel out and about two litres of hot oil dropped into the big plastic tray I was lying in...

A whole roll of blue-paper, 6 bin bags, 2 beers, 1 washing-machine load and a shower later: I think I have a new reason to "go electric".