The new news 24 thread

[myglaren]

Google 038 battery and find out which cars have them, then use that?

 

Don't be so ridiculous!

 

 

actually, I was pointed in the direction of a battery interchangeability chart thing that was helpfully on Pdf, which my Firefox cannae open for some reason so I just gave up even bothering. Good start.

 

Just imagine all the ridiculous question I'll be asking when I actually get the thing...!

If you can be bothered, install Libre Office and the Document Viewer opens pdfs painlessly.

Some of the plugins for browsers can be a bit of a pain, as can Adobe and allegedly Foxit Reader.

[myglaren]

Decided to investigate the returned intermittent PAS on the BX 'Safari.' Got as far as checking the LHM filters (clean) and gave up. Decided to fix the central locking instead. One rear door had stopped working. Bought a box of random BX bits from a pal some months ago. Happily it included an actuator. A simple case of swapping them other then? Well, sort of. I somehow managed to remove the broken one, and then refitted it! That puzzled me for a while. All sorted now though.

 

Might try a change of LHM. While I've poured quite a bit in since getting it back (it was barely above the minimum) perhaps it needs a complete change of fluid. I've got plenty knocking around, I just can't be bothered. I also have a spare second-hand pump - which is the other possible fault.

 

May be worth treating it to some Hydrorinçage Ian. Works wonders. Allegedly.

[dollywobbler]

Certainly worked when it first developed this issue in 2010. Might have to buy another load of this magic flushing fluid.

[rml2345]

Tickets booked for Northampton tomorrow with a collection thread to follow...

[Lacquer Peel]

No oile leak from Pug so rocker gasket has done it's job. To celebrate this fact I've lobbed even more veg oil and some diesel into it taking the tank to the very, very top so I can get 'real time' mpg figures.

 

BOSH PUMP M8?

You might have noticed, but they're selling sunflower oil for £1/litre at Tesco if you buy two 5 litre drums for £10, it's lovely thin stuff compared to rapeseed or soya and you should be able to run it 100% at this time of year.

[Cavcraft]

YH DEFFO BOCH PMP INNIT BRUV.

I got it froma local Asian/Indian food supermarket, £20.99 for a twenty litre drum so a smidge over Tesco's price but saves piss arsing about with loads of small bottles I reckon. I reckon I'm probably running about 50-50 at the moment but never shy of trying 100%.

 

Cheers for the heads up on the supermarket price/quality though, always handy to know. When I find the make of the stuff I'm running on now I'll let you know and give you a run down on it, it might be cheaper elsewhere so always worth a look I reckon.

[r.welfare]

When I used to run the 405s I would buy 20L of the KTC soya (I think) from Costco at about £18-19 or thereabouts, never went more than about 75% in the summer or 50% in the winter but in the colder temperatures it used to run awfully lumpy until it had warmed up. Smelled GR8 though.

 

Only problem with a 20L drum is getting the stuff in the car, I should have bought or made a transfer pump but ended up decanting it into a jerry can, marvellous for slopping veg all over the driveway then slipping over on it afterwards!

[Lacquer Peel]

Soya oil is the poorest of all vegetable oil fuels, it's the thickest and gels up when the weather is slightly cold. Unfortunately soya is all the used stuff I get.

Sunflower oil is brilliant, it's almost as good as diesel.

[Cavcraft]

KTC, that's the badger!

 

As above it has run a little lumpy when cold and mostly veg oil but no noticeable difference to performance so far. I've discovered how to get over the pain in the arse decant of 20 litres by simply shoving some rags near the fuel filler and using the spout of a petrol can shoved into veg oil drum, with the spout held on with that weird black tape that's quite thick and leaves yiour hands all sort of oily. It's done the job admirably so far and the only thing I'm considering to help further is to drill a small hole near the top of the drum when it's about half way through to see if some air in it will push things along quicker.

It does leave an unholy mess as you say if not cleared up and I use the rags because it makes the paintwork sort of sticky and then dirty very quickly.

[skattrd]

After work tonight I drove 120 miles down to Hemel Hempstead in the Volvo to look at the XM on Autotrader (and ebay tat thread).

It's a lovely XM, vgc, virtually no rust, electric leather, aircon (working) suspension went up and down smoothly. Engine seems fine for a 20yr old XUD, autobox changes ok, if a bit lethargic. 12 months MOT, tax until Feb 2013.

I walked away.

 

I know I shouldn't compare it to the Volvo, but thats what it would replace, and all the time I was in the XM I was thinking the seats aren't as comfy as the Volvo, the gearchange isn't as good and the engine is underpowered.

 

I now hate the Volvo but it may be staying for a while

 

If anyones wants an XM I reckon thats a good one, its just not for me atm. It's a really nice old bloke selling it, he' also selling a very tidy BX GTi (auto with aircon) for £975.

[Cavcraft]

Soz Barrett, but beaten you to it in the obscure plastic car race. Yesterday I collected my new WHEELZ, YO!

A chance 'wanted' advert on a website surprisingly threw up two of these, one about 3 miles away, the other in Winsford. Mindful of the travelling involved (and being a lazy bastard) I went for the cheaper, more local offering. Quick jaunt up yesterday in the VOE (Veg Oil Express) with my daughter as co-driver 'just in case'.

Anyhow a cursory look revealed all was ok so money was handed over, the the new wheels safely loaded up and off we went. I didn't take a test drive because the seller seemed 101% GENUWIN THX M8 KK and time was against us.

Anyhow immediately after collection I dropped it into CAVSPRAY (2 UN)LIMITED as the paintwork needed attention and I had a special offer on in the paint shop. A quick dab here and there and I'm well pleased with the results. WL DUN CAVSPRY WUD USE AGIN ELEVENTY/SIX.

 

After the paint job it was then whizzed over to CAVMODS, our little used modification department and also a shared base for CAV-DE-CHAV where Lexus lights are often smashed to pieces. The mod's took longer than thought so instead of burning the midnight oil we opened up early this morning to complete the job ready for use today.

No before pictures sorry, but hopefully you rare car nuts will know what these looked like standard anyhow...

 

 

Things left to do are to underseal the underside, get some Iron Cross stickers, fit the lowering kit and nail some rusty saucepans to the roof. However sadly I think I'm going to end up selling it because I wanted to fit some Triumph Dollspramite alloys and they won't go on. I think the satin black paintwork suits the car, I just need to paint the roofrack (cut down car creeper) silver though I think.

 

[r.welfare]

Ha ha ha ha! Brilliant!

 

Have you ever tried to build one of those bloody things? My daughter has a pink one (of course) - as they've produced 11 billion of the buggers, the moulds are so worn out it's an absolute nightmare, it took me about an hour and a half and it drew blood at least twice.

[vulgalour]

Good old Cosy Coupé. I'm a fan of the Mk1, personally, I have great memories of being a teenager and seeing how long me and my mates could stay in/on a knackered one as we trundled down the drive aided by gravity and an unfriendly shove. Happy days, I'm surprised nobody broke their face or had to be cut free.

[RedSparrow]

Bangin' project Cav YO!

 

I demand you post it on RR and let us know their reactions.

[wuvvum]

That is fugging quality!! I agree, a thread on RR is required.

[Cavcraft]

Job jobbed.

 

http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.c ... ead=133703

 

*Sorry for lack of forest.

[Tayne]

 

 

Only selling to fund the operation to remove the rake from my head.

[trigger]

Ha ha! Class!

[skattrd]

Quiet week at the garage for B-I-L so he's had time to look at a couple of my broken motors ....

 

Good news, the Alfa and the Galant are both alive

 

Alfa turns out it was just a dodgy connection to the lpg control unit. It also needed a new battery - I think I'm going to get the lpg system sorted and certified then sell it. It'll likely be a month or so before I can get to the lpg place though as he only works Mon-Fri.

 

Galant is sort of alive. It starts and runs a bit, but it's not properly running yet. I've been told its prob tight rings and just needs running for a while. It'll be left at the garage for now and he'll start it and run it around when possible.

[Lord Sterling]

Well, the Rover passed its MOT today with 3 advisories. Starter motor was also changed, so hopefully no more of those embarassing situations trying to start the car at the petrol station/other public with people looking on.

 

 

Started to take the old starter motor apart for a minor and cheap refurb:

 

 

This part was very dry and coarse inside, I greased it up, but will eventually send it off, with another motor I've got for a professional refurb.

[rml2345]

New shite purchase is home from Northampton. Thread soon...

[dollywobbler]

Mini is attracting attention on Ebay, with fortunately only one "WOTS UR BIN" so far. Buyer Requirements have saved me from crap bidders too (well, one got in before I realised I'd failed to tick one of the options). Got someone coming to have a look at it this morning - local chap. I think if he's keen to do a deal, that'll be that.

 

Sadly my suggestion that we immediately rush out and buy a tidy Honda Civic (as per the Ebay thread) has not been received with enthusiasm. Need to get rid of the BX Mk1 before we add anything else to the fleet. I must concede that my financial advisor has a point... *looks at bank balance*

[cobblers]

bloke I work with was after a van to turn round, I found him this:

 

We picked it up on friday from Liverpool, fairly uneventful A frame journey back.

 

It's dead solid, but its been stood 4 years, the engine pours oil out when it runs and it will only run for a few seconds revving the knackers off itself when it does. Not had a lot of chance to look at it, but tomorrow my job is to try and get it running properly. There's a few things like driveshaft bolts loose and missing, the exhaust looks like it's been hastily thrown on along with other evidence of it being in bits which tells a tale.

 

If the engine does turn out fucked he said he doesn't want to get into changing it so I'll see if I can try and buy the shell off him and build my panel van into it, I'm beginning to wish I had some windows and the aftermarket ones look so shit in T25s.

[HMC]

After a bit of swappage I have ended up with a 1987 w126 560sec. This one had 12 months ticket but is in a sort of hazy late 90s high rise spec timewarp. primered wings, tired paint and a slightly tappety engine. Option 822 on the build sheet means a high compression 300bhp unit, though id wager a few of those horses may have long since left the corral. Its been off the road since 2007 and the general air of neglect and feel of the car is improving as it gets used, and as i get rid of the filth and mould from the interior. as its an 87 model this is too early for asr (early traction controll) so its easy to break traction from a standing start. The original becker mexico seems stuck on a 90s dance/ rap station which suits it well, i remenber them being driven agressively round manchester in this state with the volume turned up, with things for sale in the boot or stashed in the cills etc.

[Lord Sterling]

Brook - Your new Merc looks the biz. What was swapped for it?

 

In other news...

 

Bit of a shit day for fettling to be honest. I'd decided to have a lazy day doing some minor trim fettling in the Micra. Yesterday, whilst the Rover was having a new starter motor fitted and supposed to be having a service (relegated to next Saturday ) I took a stroll up to the local scrappy and picked up some interior trim from a '98 Micra Si.

 

I also picked up a couple of tweeters and A-pillars from the same Micra last weekend so decided to see if I could fit these (I already have a ser of tweeters somewhere, I just dont know where the fuck they are) I'd already fitted the A-pillar trim but there were no tweeters, I was also aware that the drivers side tweeter connection was missing, I thought it might have fallen down somewhere, but alas, after a bit of searching I could find nothing:

 

Passenger side; present and fitted:

 

Drivers side, well...er....is missing!?

 

Is it down here?

 

Obviously not

 

I left it as it is because I couldnt be bothered with wires and stuff, I might chuck a couple of quid at some one to do it for me.

 

After a bit of a drive around in the little British built Japanese bubble, I decided to tackle the rear under-window card:

 

Standard:

 

Upgrade:

 

I got as far as trial fitting it then decided to fuck it off as threading the seatbelt out of the existing trim and into the new one looked like a right arse-ache, I'd fitted it on only to size it up and make sure it fitted, which it did. I'll try and tackle it some day when I can be bothered.

 

Also, I have one of those rear ashtray thingies:

 

I picked it up sometime ago from a scrapped pre-facelift Micra GX or summat, it had 4 doors and a Beige interior, which is the problem, my interior is Grey and this is beige, its not overly noticeable but I think I'll have to put my arse into gear and search for a Grey one, I cant be arsed to paint it even though it'd probably be easier.

[barrett]

 

It's coming TOMORROW !!

[vulgalour]

Hooray! Pictures and such are a must.

[nigel bickle]

Barrett

 

Maypole. Wednesday 7.30..

 

You'll be able to bring Gary with you...

[barrett]

Not a chance Nige!

 

Actually we're gonna miss this one completely due to total lack of working cars down here.... next month though... but still not in the Bond

[sporty-shite]

Scirocco now has MOT and standard ride height. Now to sell the Lupo to finance a tax disc for it!