The new news 24 thread

21,701 · June 6, 2025

14 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Oh it might. That's not a massively unusual screen size from memory, so a "no hoper" with a serviceable tube might turn up one day. Shame as looking at the condition of the dropper resistors in there it looks to be a really low hour set.

There is at least one fella on the vintage radio form who's replaced a 21" tube in one of these beasts. The one in mine is a Birimar, which shared factory space with KB, so almost certainly the original.

Internally it's in really good nick, aside from being FILTHY. By far the dirtiest piece of electronics I've bought, the pictures are AFTER a brushing...

Back panel is missing, hence the smashed tube. It was previously a display piece in a vintage clothing shop from what I understand.

It is going to continue its life as an overly ornate sideboard for now. I haven't even fixed the '46 Pye radio I've had for 15 years, let alone a telly!

14 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Shouldn't be too hard to hack it all to bits and mount a cheap flat screen in there.

Starts putting on running shoes

A N G E R E Y reacts only.

35,552 · June 6, 2025

40 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

that's over a grand we've dropped on it since purchase.

That's pretty much my life as well, but if it's the right car then money well spent in my opinion.

43,657 · June 6, 2025

1 hour ago, beko1987 said:

£600 inc labour for the belts etc isn't bad, I was just above £250 on just parts with the belt kit, expensive coolant and thermostat then got to spend a rainy Saturday morning fitting it all 🤷

Remember if she picks up a nail next week it's her fault...

No, it's not dear at all when you think about it - all the parts totalled about £260, then nearly the same again covering four hours' labour @£60 p/h, then £100 in VAT on top. Pretty good, really.

It seems to be a fiddly enough job with the 3S-FE engine; there's virtually no gap between the belt cover and the offside suspension tower, so by the time I'd started pissing about with renting engine hoists I'd have been better off just letting a professional do it!

I should be able to change the timing belt on the Corolla myself though - there's a good bit more access, and no need to remove engine mounts either.

43,657 · June 6, 2025

58 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

That's pretty much my life as well, but if it's the right car then money well spent in my opinion.

Indeed - if we can get this one running smoothly and then slather it in underseal, we're hoping it should last us a good few years.

15,600 · June 6, 2025

First sensible move after selling the Range. Been a while! Time to be sensible for a change.

35,552 · June 6, 2025

I've just done the same!

27,938 · June 6, 2025

I've never had a credit card.

Student loan debt, though...

15,600 · June 6, 2025

42 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I've never had a credit card.

Student loan debt, though...

Keep it that way! Hard to get out of.

Mrs JJ has a student loan too, I doubt that’ll ever get paid off with earnings these days though!

23,896 · June 6, 2025

3 x Lancia MonteCarlos, a Moke and a Brabus-Smart coupe (sounded epic) on the road to Hay just now. What is going on?

25,205 · June 6, 2025

I saw two entirely unconnected Lotus Elans on my way to work this morning.

6 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

Mrs JJ has a student loan too, I doubt that’ll ever get paid off with earnings these days though!

It was quite the day when I finished paying mine off a few years back… Mrs B reckons she’ll never pay hers off being part time.

13,120 · June 6, 2025

2,209 · June 6, 2025

With many people off on holiday and a lot of us who were in feeling a bit under the weather, there was a terminal case of Friday afternoon lightheadedness at work today.

Hence a couple of us collapsing in giggles whilst jointly reviewing an equipment qualification document translated to English from a French- speaking manufacturer:

"10.4 User Rights
Objective: Demonstrate how to restrain some users from accessing restricted data..."

....I'm guessing that a length of rope and some duct tape wouldn't be considered an effective solution 🫠

9,843 · June 6, 2025

1 hour ago, myglaren said:

'Kin 'ell. First I knew about LTN's was getting a fine for driving through one. Shall look forward to getting my cash back.

65,000 · June 6, 2025

Brief fleet update:

The Leaf is back together (more or less - still a few finishing touches to sort) and is back in use as the commuting car, which it's pretty decent at other than the fact that the current tyres are absolutely appalling in the wet. It's not perfect but it's good enough for my needs.

The Toyota has developed a misfire and is currently running on three most of the time. I've bought it a set of plugs which I will fit when the weather permits - hopefully that'll cure it, I'm hoping it isn't the leads as those are rather expensive.

I haven't fixed the Renault's fuel tank leak yet. It's not currently causing any issues - the patch I put on there a few years back is still intact, it's just starting to delaminate from the tank which means that once the fuel level in the tank gets above the top of the patch it seeps out the top, but if the level is below that it doesn't leak at all. I'm going to sort it but the stuff I used last time is apparently now obsolete (and my tin of it has completely dried up) so I've ordered some hopefully similar stuff which should do the job.

The Innocenti is now taxed and back on the road, I'm hoping to get a bit more use out of it this summer.

The i-Miev continues to trundle along happily - it's in for its MOT in a week's time, I think it might need a few suspension bits but hopefully not too much more than that.

The Merc and the LDV are both now MOT'd and ready to depart.

21,765 · June 7, 2025

8 hours ago, myglaren said:

I've not looked at the judgement in detail - but the High Court was not asked to look at the principle of LTNs - but the process around their public consultation and subsequent implementation in this case brought before the Court.

What in effect has happened is the Council involved have consulted residents - as required by law and then not properly acted on that consultation - ie they have been treated "unfairly". Thus this LTN is scrapped.

It will be down to how it was reported to local decision makers and the decision they made.

It does not 'scrap' LTNs overall - but means the legality of the implementation of others may be in question if residents seek review. This will be on a case-by-case basis.

Dulwich is the home of the well-off - so they have been able to fund this.

It would not surprise me if the residents group now takes civil action to recoup fines.

It's a debacle for the Council involved.

The High Court in this case has found the Council has not followed the law in their actions.

There are pros and cons to these LTNs - it really is up to local people to decide - but not as the High Court has set out to be ignored.

FTB Chambers report it more here - there is a link to the judgement itself if you want to look further:

https://www.ftbchambers.co.uk/news/news-view/high-court-finds-west-dulwich-low-traffic-neighbourhood-unlawful-wdag-v-lb-lambeth

If you do get involved with any council consultation - do ask 'how will my views be taken into account?'

Any future LTN implementation in the UK will have to take account of this HC judgement.

14,905 · June 7, 2025

Last year the Laurel clicked over 100,000 miles, a few days ago it was the turn of the daily driver Lexus RX:

Just had a 'reassuringly expensive' 100k mile service, which threw up no issues and the plan is to keep it for another 4-5 years, or longer?

I know the above should really be in the Modern section, but this milestone got me thinking about the overall fleet mileage, and it's rather neatly at half a million miles across the four current cars: LS400 = 167k, Carina E = 133k, RX = 100k and Laurel = 100k.

With me those four cars have done 113,000 miles, and the RX is the car in which I've done the most (77k).

If I then think about how much I've driven over the 37+ years I've had my licence that must also be at least 500,000 miles averaging 12,000-15,000 miles a year (there have been some where I've been at more than 20,000).

9,843 · June 7, 2025

Just quickly pop in the spare headlamp to cure the cataracts....

Obviously being a modern most of the front end needs to come off. Being a modern of over 20 on the road the lower bumper bolts just spin. Access just possible here so after much swearing and a bit of a fight one of us ended up with a black eye.

Looks much better now though.

65,000 · June 7, 2025

3 hours ago, Rustybullethole said:

Just quickly pop in the spare headlamp to cure the cataracts.... Obviously being a modern most of the front end needs to come off.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Audi A8s have a similar issue.

9,374 · June 7, 2025

ZX sold.

3,751 · June 7, 2025

Does hiding in the bushes make the job easier then? 😁

4,839 · June 7, 2025

@Rustybullethole

Reflective tape.

That's a bloody good idea. Kind of a 'why aren't they like that from the factory ' good idea.

3,049 · June 7, 2025

The little MAN successfully passed its 17th MOT on Monday without any advisories.

Mileage: 1,455,882

Number of clutches changed: zero

Onwards for another year….

16,950 · June 7, 2025

10 minutes ago, MJK 24 said:

Mileage: 1,455,882

Number of clutches changed: zero

That's some achievement!

3,049 · June 7, 2025

17 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

That's some achievement!

It’s doing very very well.

It was my Dads truck. Sadly he passed away in September aged 78 after being diagnosed with lung cancer that soon progressed to his brain.

The longevity is down to the way he maintained it and drove it.

4,283 · June 7, 2025

53 minutes ago, MJK 24 said:

It’s doing very very well.

It was my Dads truck. Sadly he passed away in September aged 78 after being diagnosed with lung cancer that soon progressed to his brain.

The longevity is down to the way he maintained it and drove it.

The truck certainly sounds like it's a credit to your dad and a testament to his maintenance and mechanical sympathy. Here's to many more years/miles of service!

3,751 · June 7, 2025

2 hours ago, scdan4 said:

@Rustybullethole

Reflective tape.

That's a bloody good idea. Kind of a 'why aren't they like that from the factory ' good idea.

I like the french idea of making it compulsory for the driver and front seat passenger to have hi-vis available in case of a breakdown, strikes me as a good safety tip.

Got some under the seats in the range rover of too many wheels

10,187 · June 7, 2025

6 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

I like the french idea of making it compulsory for the driver and front seat passenger to have hi-vis available in case of a breakdown, strikes me as a good safety tip.

Got some under the seats in the range rover of too many wheels

It’s the same in Spain too.

17,334 · June 7, 2025

11 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

I like the french idea of making it compulsory for the driver and front seat passenger to have hi-vis available in case of a breakdown, strikes me as a good safety tip.

Got some under the seats in the range rover of too many wheels

Screwfix had them for £1 a few weeks back, silly not to really.