The new news 24 thread

[PhilA]

I surprised myself by being happy to see the "Low Fuel" warning light come on.

 

But it was on the Renault, which means my repair to the circuit was worth dropping the tank off three times.

 

Hopefully it continues to work when it should.

 

-Phil

[wackywacerwill]

Today I had a niggling feeling that I was doing a wrong un in binin' off the pile of rust swept from under my nearside sill after screwdriver investigation. Even at the lowering prices it surely would of netted a pouch of burn on the next visit to the scales.

 

Curse the day I thought I was doing a good thing by bringing it off the road instead of just applying the time honored mot lash up. Oh now I laughed as the jacking point fell off in my hand.

[cort16]

I was at that Lakeland Museum today in the Lakedistrict. A few interesting cars and bikes but not a huge collection. There was a meet of the Rover 75 club out the back. I went for a look hoping their might be a 260 but it was just a bunch of V Reg 1.8 75's and KV6 ZT's. There was loads of them mind you but to me they're just too new to be interesting. You could walk around Morrison car park and see half a dozen 75's and ZT's. Odd!

[dollywobbler]

Have been at the CXM Rally this weekend near Milton Keynes. Full report to follow but t'was a good event, just bloody horrible to get to and return from. Got stuck in monster jams both directions due to accidents. To make matters worse, the clutch in the BX is both really heavy and knackered, so it judders like a juddery thing.

 

Hoping to start the BX revival this week with welding work. Then it's a clutch and cambelt, which should make it drive better and remove the threat of engine carnage respectively. However, the CXM Rally meant there were a lot of CXs, XMs and Xantias about the place. Temptation indeed. All the Xantias bar a couple seemed to be V6s, and most of those that weren't were Activas! One was both - specially built in RHD as we never got them. French electrics, a fuel slurping V6 and crazy-complicated suspension. What's not to love?

[sporty-shite]

 

I might, and only might, be getting the ex-Sporty Shite Cavalier back, but that's going to depend on the deal I get offered.

 

Sporty Shite likes this!

 

In other news, Mrs S, the junior Sportys and mysef went off for a little trip to Bedfordshire yesterday to collect my new semi-shite. On the way back, we stopped in Woburn to get some tea, and happened across the Woburn Village Festival, which included somoe fairground attractions and a lovely bit of food in a local pub. Cheered Mrs S and the kids up, which meant I didn't get in too much trouble for dragging her halfway across the country in pursuit of old chod.

 

Here is my one and only picture of said vehicle. A bit pink in places, and needs a bit of fettling, but altogether rather pleasant. Drove really well on the way home.

 

[Cavcraft]

Looks ok that, Chris, what lump is in it? Oddly enough I got offered one yesterday (a 2.9 with high miles apparantly) but haven't a clue about them

 

[sporty-shite]

It's only a 2.0 16V, Billy, but it wasn't dear. I don't know much about them, either, but I've always fancied one, so thought I'd give it a go.

 

That one you got offered looks nice. Are you having it? They do drive nicely, and feel pretty well put together, and I'd imagine that one would go pretty well.

[wuvvum]

I had a "failure to proceed" episode in the Renner Six today. I decided to take it for a run up to the coast as it was a nice day and the old crate hadn't been out for a while. Went for a wander along the beach, came back and it wouldn't start, or at least it flattened its battery before it managed to fire up (I think I'd got it rather warm on the run up - I'd been sitting at 60-65 when my normal cruising speed in the 6 is about 50 - it's so much quieter with the new exhaust that I didn't notice how quick I was going). So it's probably going to need a new battery - it should have been able to turn over for longer than it did.

 

Anyway, while I was sitting there wondering how long it would take the AA to get out there, a chap in an immaculate red '66 Mustang pulled up in front of me and got out to have a fag. I wandered over and asked him if by any chance he had any jump leads in his motor. He didn't, but he did produce a 13mm spanner, take his battery off and stick it on the Renault, which sure enough started right up after a bit of cranking. Once she was running it was a simple enough job to swap the batteries back over and I trundled off home, having lost about 5 minutes rather than the 90 or so it would have taken the AA to get there. I'm always a bit dubious about how drivers of "proper" classics are going to react to my tat, but this bloke was proper sound.

[Cavcraft]

It's only a 2.0 16V, Billy, but it wasn't dear. I don't know much about them, either, but I've always fancied one, so thought I'd give it a go.

 

That one you got offered looks nice. Are you having it? They do drive nicely, and feel pretty well put together, and I'd imagine that one would go pretty well.

 

I don't know to be honest. I wouldn't be keeping it if I did hence my reluctance as I reckon they're in that 'unloved/not quite recognised' category at the mo which menas potential PITA to offload, and having to use words like 'future classic' on the advert. {shudders}

[sporty-shite]

It's only a 2.0 16V, Billy, but it wasn't dear. I don't know much about them, either, but I've always fancied one, so thought I'd give it a go.

 

That one you got offered looks nice. Are you having it? They do drive nicely, and feel pretty well put together, and I'd imagine that one would go pretty well.

 

I don't know to be honest. I wouldn't be keeping it if I did hence my reluctance as I reckon they're in that 'unloved/not quite recognised' category at the mo which menas potential PITA to offload, and having to use words like 'future classic' on the advert. {shudders}

 

Anything will sell if it's cheap enough Noticed the pic was from swapz. What were they offering a deal on, the Cinq?

[Cavcraft]

Yes chief, offered me a leveller but it's not really my thing.

[Morgan84]

I had a "failure to proceed" episode in the Renner Six today. I decided to take it for a run up to the coast as it was a nice day and the old crate hadn't been out for a while. Went for a wander along the beach, came back and it wouldn't start, or at least it flattened its battery before it managed to fire up (I think I'd got it rather warm on the run up - I'd been sitting at 60-65 when my normal cruising speed in the 6 is about 50 - it's so much quieter with the new exhaust that I didn't notice how quick I was going). So it's probably going to need a new battery - it should have been able to turn over for longer than it did.

 

Anyway, while I was sitting there wondering how long it would take the AA to get out there, a chap in an immaculate red '66 Mustang pulled up in front of me and got out to have a fag. I wandered over and asked him if by any chance he had any jump leads in his motor. He didn't, but he did produce a 13mm spanner, take his battery off and stick it on the Renault, which sure enough started right up after a bit of cranking. Once she was running it was a simple enough job to swap the batteries back over and I trundled off home, having lost about 5 minutes rather than the 90 or so it would have taken the AA to get there. I'm always a bit dubious about how drivers of "proper" classics are going to react to my tat, but this bloke was proper sound.

 

Doesn't matter what the car is,its the person who is with the car which makes the difference

[Micrashed]

Drove the works Signum today.

I had a choice of car or van and decided to drive the Signum we have - to say I ran to security to get the keys is an understatement - I didnt want m'colleague grabbing the keys to the C8.

What were Vauxhall thinking?

Its as big as an estate, but only seats 5 and the boot is nothing to write home about.

Pleasant enough drive though.

[Shep Shepherd]

Beige shag pile carpet for that classy* feeling.

 

MEGA WIN!

 

I need to do something similar to The Volvo, which has had a sagging headlining since June 2004, when I made a miserable attempt at cleaning it; it was perfect - albeit really dirty - until then

[rml2345]

I think they all go eventually Shep. Being an estate The Volvo should be a bit easier to work with, bearing in mind that the HBOL basically tells you not to remove it at all.

Worth it though as that orange flock shite ends up going everywhere when they really start to go

[dollywobbler]

I've been questioning my sanity when it comes to the BX. I'm all for keeping a cheap car going (as I've made the mistake of quoting in Classic Car Buyer this very week!) but the BX is starting to look a bit iffy. It needs at least £300 of welding - probably more like £500-600, a cambelt and water pump (which I do at least have), a clutch (which I don't yet), at least one engine mounting, the thermostat gasket replacing, a number of engine oil seals replacing and now it turns out it needs rear discs and pads too. The discs are horrifically rusty and one of the pads fell apart when I removed it. The dreadful state of the discs makes me wonder whether the rear calipers are working properly...

 

A BX turbo diesel hatchback has come up for much less than it would cost me to sort just the main bit of welding. Do I ditch my bangernomic principles and just get a better car?

[Caffiend]

I'd say yes.

 

You have the photos, you have the memories - it's hard, but when the bad times outweigh the good, perhaps it's time to call it a day. I haven't known you as long as most other people have, but even I can see you've gone well above and beyond the extra mile with both those estates. The Tiger seems to be causing you more anxiety than it's giving you any damn fun. Buy a BX that works* and get that grin back!

 

*mostly

[dollywobbler]

I like the mostly! Thanks Sandre. The BX does seem to have proved that if you give a car absolutely no maintenance in 30,000 miles, it'll end up knackered!

[messerschmitt owner]

Ian

Bangernomics says if the car costs more to fix than it is worth you should get rid and get a new one.

 

It's a rusty old wreck that will cost a grand to get to the stage that it looks rough and drives ok.

 

You can buy a new bx for. £600 and spend £400 on it getting it sorted. It'll probably be a better car at the end of the day. What you're going to do to the GT is just the start of a very slippery and expensive slope.

[dollywobbler]

My take on bangernomics is that the price you can get if you sell it doesn't really come into it. If it did, none of us would own and maintain autoshite! I reckon I've already thrown about £1500 in total at this car, which sounds horrific - but that includes buying it and spread over the years I've owned it, it's a few hundred quid. That's still cheap motoring.

 

Problem now is a bit of a backlog has built up after it spent time away from me, and I can't actually afford to get everything it needs sorted. The rot gets worse the closer I look at it. I've found a very tempting replacement and am currently working out how to get to Nottingham for the least cash. A £37.30 coach ticket is currently winning. Sounds utterly miserable!

[Cavcraft]

I thought you'd sold the striped BX at the same time as the funky Mk1 you had, Ian? You're probably better off binning that (striped) one, the parts will help keep a few more on the road.

[messerschmitt owner]

Ian

You have to tell us all about the new one now. Looking forward to the collection story.

[Caffiend]

Happy story makes me happy (perhaps I should post in the grin thread!)

 

Ian, I'm sure you won't let other people's affection for the Green Tiger make you feel bad about laying it to r(u)est - ENJOY the new acquisition and look forward to pics!

[messerschmitt owner]

My take on bangernomics is that the price you can get if you sell it doesn't really come into it. If it did, none of us would own and maintain autoshite! I reckon I've already thrown about £1500 in total at this car, which sounds horrific - but that includes buying it and spread over the years I've owned it, it's a few hundred quid.

 

Problem now is a bit of a backlog has built up after it spent time away from me, and I can't actually afford to get everything it needs sorted. The rot gets worse the closer I look at it. I've found a very tempting replacement and am currently working out how to get to Nottingham for the least cash. A £37.30 coach ticket is currently winning. Sounds utterly miserable!

Ian

 

I've thrown £2000 at my white XM since I bought it - on a cost per mile rate that works out at 5p a mile in maintenance, servicing, etc. However, if my XM TD threw another head gasket it would be being scrapped and replaced by another XM.

 

 

That's still cheap motoring. For most of us, we are the last owner of a vehicle, that's the true bangernomics cycle - buy good old car, use old car, either maintain it well and it lasts for ages or scrap it when cost to fix is more than cost to buy another better one.

 

I'm not sentimental about it, as it is just a car, but if something minor or a regular maintenance item needed done, it would be. My car though is a good base, unlike the GT. Sorry, and don't take offence but as long as there are cheap ones about it seems stupid to spend the kind of money you are talking about on the car. You're speaking to someone who has scrapped perhaps two Isettas, three or four Heinkels and three NSUs. All those cars, if in the same condition today, would be restored but at the time the economics said no! They weren't scarce then and they still aren't now and there are bucketloads more BXs out there. Glad to see you bought a new one. GT can live on and at your leisure as you do it up. Or it can live on as a donor for parts for another BX or five.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. Off to Nottingham at some point in the next week to pick up my new motor. Happy days! Will be interesting to see how a turbo diesel compares...

 

The problem with the Green Tiger is that I didn't tackled some jobs when I should have. If I'd got on top of the rot back when I first bought it - when I already knew the rear crossmember was iffy in places - things would be very different. My new challenge will be to keep a good car good, rather than trying to keep an average one plodding along.

[vulgalour]

Brother's Skoda now has sparkly hand-crocheted parcel strings because it was easier than finding a replacement. Ah, all those evenings spent learning how to make stuff is finally paying off.

[TimothyClaypole]

Todays Top Tip:

 

Do not put something on Ebay and expect it not to sell quickly thinking you can sort some packing later...

 

 

I'm done with bodging bits of wood for a while.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I have fixed my fuel gauge After testing the circuitry and gauge itself a few times I admitted defeat and dropped the tank to get at the sender. The hair sized wire inside the sender had broken loose, and not for the first time judging by all the solder on the coil bit. I re-soldered it a little further up. We'll see how long it lasts but for now I'm considering it a £50 saving over a new sender.

 

Just need to find something to use as a gasket. Any recommendations? Some kind of white goo on there now which had worked very well.

[rml2345]

Funnily enough I was tinkering with a fuel sender today in an effort to sort a dodgy fuel gauge.

It didn't work as I suspect the sender has truly had it.

Well done Peter for sorting yours!

[RobT]

My new challenge will be to keep a good car good, rather than trying to keep an average one plodding along.

 

Good plan, one which I'm also building up to doing. I'll be running my Montego until the rot finally claims it (shouldn't be too long!) and I'm saving up to buy something decent that I'll hopefully keep long term. I might be sensible and get a 90s diesel, but I'm veering towards being silly and getting a mk1 Rover Sterling to use as my main car. Just waiting for the funds, and also a good one to come along. I was hoping the 25 would be a keeper but after 2,000 miles and endless back ache it's proved to me it 'aint, so I'll be bunging that up for sale soon.

 

In the meantime I'm avoiding the ebay tat thread as the temptations within are almost unbearable