The new news 24 thread

[saucedoctor]

Me and a mate took this new wagon up for whitewalls today. It's an Imperial Landaulet, built on a 1996 LTI Fairway (black cab) chassis. The photos don't really show it, but it's fucking HUGE. 2.7 N.A. Nissan diesel with 3 speed autobox. Driving it over a humpback bridge was bloody scary. Having all the aerodynamic qualities of a brick supermarket, it tops out at about 60. There's fuck all room in the front, it has no demister and the steering is mega vague. However, my mate who owns it has already taken deposits for weddings as far away as 2016. Demand is mega. He got 3 calls about it in the short time we were out and about today. It's a new build, SVA'd, retains the ID and reg of the original vehicle.

 

Lovely in the back, though.

 

The RX-8 in the background is fucked, as you might imagine.

[HillmanImp]

I remember seeing one of those on the EBAY tat thread once. The proximity of the driver to the windscreen in hilarious IIRC. 

[TagoraSX]

I REALLY don't get the appeal of those things at all, what's wrong with a proper car?

[richardmorris]

Pendant

I'll have you know I've been published in Pedant's corner in Private Eye.

 

 

It's just a bit of a sore point in 2CV circles that everyone calls them Dollys when they're not

 

 

In other news, still waiting for quotes for the headgasket, but the new starter fires it up like a dream. Makes me realise how noisy and slow the old one was.  Just a shame it's sending smoke signals at traffic lights!

[saucedoctor]

^ this. However, the Imperial is hugely popular with brides to be. My pal runs 2 LWB S Classes as well, and is seriously toying with the idea of a new-ish RR PhatNob. The Imperial is (obv.) only for weddings, but the Mercs and the prospective Royce double up nicely in the executive hire game (as do the 2 Vianos he runs, one of which is mine).

[vulgalour]

I've agreed to take on another Princess.  It will be stored and worked on in a more different place to my three other cars.  There is a bloody good reason for taking this one on though, it's a bit special.

[fordperv]

Vulg Have you gone and had the 1st one from the production line that was up for grabs? if so you hero

[vulgalour]

Indeed I have.  There's still plenty of opportunity for this to all go wrong, but I'm REALLY hoping it doesn't.

[Mr Livered]

It's a long way from you isn't it, you've probably got collection all sorted but do let me know if you need help with that.

 

I (like most on here I think) was hoping you'd take it on.

[trigger]

I've agreed to take on another Princess.  It will be stored and worked on in a more different place to my three other cars.  There is a bloody good reason for taking this one on though, it's a bit special.

 

Sam Glovers one?.

 

As my minds been on doom and gloom things today i decided to paint my Cortinas rear seats to take my mind of them, Here's some refresher photos from before.

 

 

and after graffiti remover and pressure washing.

 

 

Better but miles from perfect, I dropped my front seats off at the trimmers recently and they recommended a local company who sell very good vinyl paint in any colour, they are called http://shop.bradleysmart.co.uk/ by the way, a expensive £66 later i had 5 cans of colour matched paint and a bottle of Plasticprep.

 

 

i gave them a good wipe over with the prep which makes the vinyl tacky and also wiped them with a tack rag as it's all in the prep!

 

I'm very pleased with the results, I am slightly concerned that the colour might be slightly grey but I have enough paint to do the door cards if needs be and i still need to do the front seats once i get them back, the paint is fantastic, it's not sticky or tacky in anyway, I just hope it's as long lasting as they say it is.

 

 

[vulgalour]

It is a long way from me, and it's even further away than its new storage home.  The main problem at the moment is that the new storage facility is a bit on the full side and the old storage facility is disappearing fairly soon, that's my biggest logistical problem at present.

 

All the work the car needs can be done at the new storage facility as I'll have access to a complete restoration workshop and the car will be used for promotional purposes as well as being fully road legal.  Such is the plan at any rate.  Princesses are pretty simple cars and having the 1800 B series in it getting the engine in good shape isn't going to be that difficult if it needs it.

 

It's a big, big job to sort it out but because of what it is, I believe it's worth doing, especially since it has documentation to prove it's the first one.

[vulgalour]

That rear seat looks new again, excellent looking product that.

[Hertz]

Those Rear seats look bloody superb Trigger, well done!

[fordperv]

Indeed I have. There's still plenty of opportunity for this to all go wrong, but I'm REALLY hoping it doesn't.

Gr12 news I was hoping it would go to you

[fordperv]

Those seats look excellent trig

[trigger]

Those Rear seats look bloody superb Trigger, well done!

 

I'm well chuffed with it, Ok so there's a few nicks and marks on the seat if you look closely but this paint was transform the seat, it honestly looks and feels original and unpainted.

 

Even the wife was impressed when i showed her!

[derskine]

Changed nearside rear wheel bearing on 18 today.

Not as much of a bastard as the front one but really need to get myself a decent bearing puller set, my puller is completely shit.

Almost gave up getting the race off the stub axle but managed to pry it with a crowbar - result!

A drive tomorrow will tell if I changed the right one!

[HMC]

Great results on the seats, trig!

 

Lately (specifically with the 504) I've found wife enthusiasm hard to come by !!!

[Cavcraft]

Bloody Norah, nice work Trig!

[derskine]

Also Trig - those seats look fantastic.

[trigger]

Thank you! The car is going to look pucka once it's finished!

[DVee8]

Sitting watching inside Rolls Royce on channel 47.

Some fucking money around

[barefoot]

T2 passed its MOT yesterday, remains at the garage for a bit of a timing/mixture fettle by an experienced fettler.

[Mr Lobster]

Quick boring modern question...

 

Looking at possible future fleet shuffling over the next few months and I want something reasonably quick with a bit of boot space but doesn't need to be a massive car. Skoda Fabia VRS Combi looks an interesting proposition.

 

Trouble is they all come with the DSG box rather than a conventional manual. Does anyone have any experience of them - are they ok or does a world of wallet surgery await?

[cort16]

The DSG boxes are great, they somehow manage to be a good autobox and be able to shift manually quickly and smoothly without that big jerk you get from other semi autos. I'm not sure I would fancy having one on an 8 year old car with 90,000 miles on it mind you.

 

Modern car clutch issues = expensive

Modern car with double clutch issues = garage bills that feel like you've stuck guatemalan insanity peppers up your arse.

 

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3968936-The-Unofficial-DSG-Issues-Thread

[Mr Lobster]

Thanks, I'm thinking that buying something a couple of years old and moving it on before it gets to say 8 years old or 100k might be doable then.

[cort16]

I drove a 3.2 TT with one a couple of years ago and thought it was really good. The flappy paddles are a novelty though you'll use them about 5 times then just go back to drive it like an auto.

[barefoot]

There's an old couple in the village.

 

Lovely C plate Audi 80 Sport in that spectacular metallic blue with the chintzy interior.

Not a mark on it. Cosseted just about sums it up.

I said a while back that if they ever thought of selling it, to give me first refusal.

 

Guess what?

She came rushing up to me in the Co-Op this morning 

to tell me they'd sold it.

 

For £350

 

Fucksticks.

[trigger]

Someone got a bargain, expect to see it on eBay for £2000 soon then.

[Junkman]

The Rover of d00m developed a rattle in the engine bay. The culprit was quickly found, one of the alternator bolts had shaken off its nut, which was missing. I couldn't find a nut with the correct thread, so I took the bolt out and replaced it with an OMGMETRIK one as a temporary measure until I could obtain the correct nut. I was more than worried what the evil spirit would have in petto for me, having the audacity to implant something metric.

 

Needless to say that the revenge followed suit shortly afterwards, it didn't charge properly on the drive home yesterday. All signs of one of the rectifier diodes being AWOL were displayed. So I got me the correct nut and re-installed the original bolt, gave the alternator a good whack with a hammer for good measure, started up the car, and lo and behold, it's charging better than it ever did.