The new news 24 thread

[skattrd]

I popped in to my sisters this evening and was greeted by B-I-L stating that my Scirocco now has an MOT.

It's a bit premature, but he tested it to see what needed doing to get it legal. It failed on a bulb and washers, which he promptly fixed and then passed the car.

 

To do list now is fix leccy windows, fuel gauge and change the 4+e gearbox (which I stupidly fitted 4yrs) ago for a std close ratio 5spd.

 

I'm now starting to doubt my impulse bid on the Lancia as it will likely be a choice between taxing the Lancia and the Scirocco at the end of the month .... I should be picking up the Lancia on Sunday, tat collection thread to follow (if it warrants one).

[dollywobbler]

BX welding doesn't look so pretty underneath, which is a shame as it looks fine from the boot side.

 

I didn't even take a photo of the underside because I'm ashamed by it. There's still a hole and you can see the fresh plate above it. That should last a matter of weeks then. I'll be going back for it to be tidied up in the New Year. It was cheap though...

 

This morning was lovely, so I coaxed the stripey estate into life and had a drying out session for both cars - paint for one, residue from storing logs with the estate.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

The difference between that cavernous hatchback and the estate looks quite slight in that photo. It's not like the immense difference between, say, a Minor saloon and Traveller.

[dollywobbler]

They are pretty close. Can still fit a scaffolding tower in the hatchback (in component form I hasten to point out).

 

Estate has a couple more inches but the different rake of the rear screen is the main difference, so taller objects fit in better. The lack of suspension turrets is very noticeable in both though, and both have entirely flat, rectangular boots even with the seats up. None of this curvy nonsense of modern cars.

[Angrydicky]

BX welding doesn't look so pretty underneath, which is a shame as it looks fine from the boot side.

 

I didn't even take a photo of the underside because I'm ashamed by it. There's still a hole and you can see the fresh plate above it. That should last a matter of weeks then. I'll be going back for it to be tidied up in the New Year. It was cheap though...

 

 

Unfortunately that's all you get from a garage welding wise unless you're prepared to pay top dollar. The previous owner of my A55 Cambridge spent a small fortune having welding done at every MOT, sills, floors, chassis legs. All the rot was still there under the plates and I have now replaced most of the underside with proper repair sections. This is why I do all my own welding, as well as saving an absolute fortune on garage bills I know its been done properly and will last, unlike most garage/MOT welding which really is a false economy. Far better to buy a cheap MIG welder (mine was secondhand from Ebay) and have a go yourself! You won't regret it.

 

If you were so inclined, you could have the BX estate all migged up in a couple of weekends I reckon.

[HMC]

Having a great time running the eunos as my winter hack. its mix of budget radials makes means on quiet damp country lanes, its great fun at quite low speeds. Getting dripped on in the never ending miserable weather saw me looking around half heartedly for a hard top. In the end i decided to simply have the tired vinyl soft top replaced. Its booked in to a local specialist thats going to replace it with a mohair version, which should hopefully be a bit more durable.

[dollywobbler]

As it happens, a local chap who REALLY knows his stuff has offered to weld up the estate, teaching me how to weld as we go. I can see Ebay becoming even more dangerous if I learn how to get rid of rust. Though the current fleet would keep me busy enough to start with.

 

At least the silver BX will now have a dry boot.

[cort16]

I started to swap the doors on the puma yesterday. The door came apart pretty easily but could I get the bottom door pin to move? Could I knackers. It's pain in the arse as you need to hit it up so your swinging the hammer from underneath. I've left it steeping in some WD40 but worst comes to the worst I chop the hinge.

 

The bodywork on the otherside looks okay. I just need to persuade my friendly painter to give it a scoot of paint as I can't be arsed pissing about with rattle cans.

[nigel bickle]

Out of hospital .hurrah! I'm extremely wobbly, and my limbs feel totaly weird. Howevber prognosis is good, and I've avoided novovirus -which is a bonus.

 

Apols if my typing is weird but my fingers are very clumsy- feel 6 inchs wide!

 

Sadly my troll has been abusing my family by email whilst I've been comatose -and pressing the 'Buy it Now' button on my family's Ebay auction stuff -then leaving hugely defamatory negative feedback. Despite him living in Scotland my wife felt unable to stay at home - unless one of our (adult) sons is present. Fime for the Xmas break, but no long term answer. Now she wont open the door -unless she knows who it is.

 

To me, his comments are pathetic, juvenile and daft -but my wife is taking them seriously -so I guess I must. I'm loathe to go legal, I'll not go violence -so woulod appreciate (sensible) thoughts on how to deal with this.

 

Thanks. Back to dozing for a few more hours.

[Mr Lobster]

Nigel, Sorry to hear that.

 

Assuming you have his details then the police / legal route is probably best.

[Cheggers]

I'm with Mr L, you should at least investigate the legal options. If Mrs B isn't comfortable in the house on her own then it must be classed as threatening behaviour at the very least. You'll probably find a polite word from the local plod will put him back in his box.

 

Failing that, I'm up for a day trip to Scotland

[HillmanImp]

Yeah, if you know who this person is shirley you can report it? Why are they doing this?

[Cheggers]

Nigel, is it the same cockwhisk that was bending your ear on here a couple of weeks ago??

[nigel bickle]

Yup. Same one. Mrs went down plod shop when the emails started -taking printed copies of one or two.

 

Frankly they werent interested. Wouldnt even issue a Crime Number -' as no crime has been committed'. Offered to put her in touch with Victim Support , or suchlike...

 

I think I may have to employ a Solicitor to write him a nice (albeit blunt) letter.

[skattrd]

Lancia Beta Spyder is now on my driveway

Collection was completely uneventful and I forgot to take pics, so no tat collection thread (one day I will do one). The car starts, stops and goes as well as you'd expect a 33yr old Lancia to do. It's done 150 miles today and everything seems fine. I'm not saying it's without fault, but it's quite a nice civilised drive.

 

Faults:

Engine runs warm/hot but doesn't overheat. Thermostat, rad fan switch etc. need checking.

Heater n/a .. looks like matrix has been bypassed, could be faulty/leaky matrix.

Most dashboard bulbs n/a

Alternator dodgy - one electrical item at a time is fine (I chose headlights) any more drains the battery.

Interior drivers door lock n/a - wind window down and reach outside to open door.

Door window seals appear to be gaffer tape, not rubber.

Headlights not great - look at better bulbs/uprating wiring after alternator is fixed.

Wipers not great - functional, but slow and and don't clear much.

Washers, offside not great, nearside n/a.

Drivers door rusty and needs welding in at least 2 places, one minor, one major.

Bodywork - not great, rusty bits all over, but looks fine from 20+ feet away ...

 

I'll stick it on a ramp and have a look underneath tomorrow.

I've all ready spoken to B-I-L and I may be using this car to learn how to weld

[brickwall]

Nigel, can the Communications ombudsman do something? Perhaps your ISP customer services could advise on any office you could approach? Slander or libel and harassment is just that. Misuse of the phone lines etc?

 

Just a thought or two.

[Lord Sterling]

Not sure if this is co-incidental, but after changing the expansion tank on the the Rover, the engine seemed take more of an effort to idle than before I changed the tank. Whilst changing the tank I hardly lost any coolant at all being careful it didn't shoot out of the pipe. When the 'new' tank went on, all seemed fine, then that evening I noticed the level had gone down so I tried to top up in the dark in a dirty tank. The next day whilst pottering around town the car started fine but couldn't maintain its idle so I had to start again, but it doesnt seem to maintain high idling when just after its been started which it usually does, though starting seems better.

[skattrd]

LS - sorry if I missed it elsewhere, but if it's splitting expansion tanks isn't that a sign exhaust gasses are getting in to the coolant?

[cobblers]

I know some hondas of mid/late 90s vintage run an auxiliary air valve thing that works off the coolant temp - if the coolant level is low, they don't work right and the idle goes unsteady.

[Lankytim]

I started to swap the doors on the puma yesterday. The door came apart pretty easily but could I get the bottom door pin to move? Could I knackers. It's pain in the arse as you need to hit it up so your swinging the hammer from underneath. I've left it steeping in some WD40 but worst comes to the worst I chop the hinge.

 

The bodywork on the otherside looks okay. I just need to persuade my friendly painter to give it a scoot of paint as I can't be arsed pissing about with rattle cans.

 

 

I'm stripping my puma for spares and having exactly the same problem!

 

How DO you get them out?

[cobblers]

I started to swap the doors on the puma yesterday. The door came apart pretty easily but could I get the bottom door pin to move? Could I knackers. It's pain in the arse as you need to hit it up so your swinging the hammer from underneath. I've left it steeping in some WD40 but worst comes to the worst I chop the hinge.

 

The bodywork on the otherside looks okay. I just need to persuade my friendly painter to give it a scoot of paint as I can't be arsed pissing about with rattle cans.

 

 

I'm stripping my puma for spares and having exactly the same problem!

 

How DO you get them out?

 

Cut through the hinge on the door side on the crap doors, remove the doors and get easy access to the pins, then cut through on the car side on the good doors and do the same?

[Cavcraft]

Not much (for now) sorry, Nigel, but I believe you can report this two bob loser to eBay as they have rule/s against people buying stuff just to leave shit feedback.

[cort16]

The top pin came out alright but I recon you'd need to jack it up to get a decent swing at the bottom one. I think I'm just going to chop mine but not much good to you if you want to sell them.

[TagoraSX]

Anyone have a picture of a dealer plate from Loders of Yeovil from the 1980's?

[Cavcraft]

Now have a working handbrake on the 306. It was (as I think Len suggested) the adjuster 'things' inside the rear drums. Took the driver's side one off, cleaned, freed and greased it up and it's working great now.

[philibusmo]

Thanks Ruffgeezer!

[dollywobbler]

^^^ Brilliant.

[Spiny Norman]

Love the GT stickers on the Demio. Wasn't that one of the first cars you win on the original 1997 version?

[philibusmo]

Love the GT stickers on the Demio. Wasn't that one of the first cars you win on the original 1997 version?

 

It's the car you win from the 'sunday cup' pretty much the first set of races on the game. A championship comprising of three races, first Autumn Ring Mini, then High Speed Ring and finally Grand Valley East Section.

I just have so many memories of being 7-8 years old, having bought a Toyota Supra as my first car on GT and trying to win this championship, against Mazda Demios, Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborgs and Toyota Corolla Levins, finally managing to not spin off on every corner and winning a Mazda Demio A-spec.

[gearoil]

Vectra SRi - showing signs of HGF, guzzling a header tanks worth of coolant every 4 -5 days, mayo'd up etc, temp up & down like a yo-yo. Due a timing belt and the stem seals are showing their age, Its the V6 so two heads to skim. Price of parts is pretty much what a tider example would cost. I think I will chuck it through cartakeback.com claim my £240 and cash whats left of the tax in.

 

Car cost £400, serviced it, new disc's & drop links on the front, 4 part worn Michelin Pilots and 2.5 years of fault free service.

 

Its been a good budget banger.