The new news 24 thread

[steve_earwig]

Got some new keys cut for The Volvo today, using blanks I bought on eBay a mere TEN years ago:

 

B7ynPFiCUAA43X4.jpg

 

They work a treat

Does anyone know if it's possible to cut keys from paper templates?

[HMC]

Rattle can paint arrived today for the Rover P4 bonnet. The Wilks brothers would not be impressed. May wait a bit for things to warm up before I repaint it and it takes forever to flash off!

[overrun]

Gracious apology accepted. Now don't do it again of there'll be a load of big hairy bikers turn up on your doorstep

They're soft as shit, though.

It's been proven.

 

The tyre fitter in the story pissing himself laughing at not having the promised tyre and removing the original with his teeth, would have annoyed anyone, imo.

[Bren]

You must now sell it for £450 for the full Autoshite experience.

And replace it with something french or vauxhall.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Tried to gas weld again at college today. This is my best effort below. It's not that I'm blowing holes in the metal it's that I'm either not setting the torch up right (too hot or cold) so I don't get penetration on the other side

 

[overrun]

And replace it with something french or vauxhall.

I know of a lovely Vel Satis.

[overrun]

Tried to gas weld again at college today. This is my best effort below. It's not that I'm blowing holes in the metal it's that I'm either not setting the torch up right (too hot or cold) so I don't get penetration on the other side

20150121_132105.jpg

Don't be so hard on yourself, mate.

 

It would appear that you are Number 1.

[the judge]

Most bikers are 40-60 professionals these days. I am 38,and the guys i go to france with (despite being professionals and massive pervs) are at least 10+ years my senior. Good bunch of dudes though,but wouldnt take my mrs out with them. (She has huge bangers)

[AlabamaShrimp]

Don't be so hard on yourself, mate.

 

It would appear that you are Number 1.

Yay makes a change from being a number two

[fordperv]

AlabamaShrimp  as with anything its practice practice practice, ive never had a go at gas welding only done mig so youre better than me 

[Inspector Morose]

Gas welding is the only type of welding I can du successfully upside down (Dedra sill to floor, you know the rot spot). I got banned by SWMBO last time though as I had a drop of molten metal drip off and run down my cheek (the one on my face, thank you). Not enough room under the car to avoid it and every time I darted around to shake it off I kept trying to knock myself out on the sill. Thud, bang "ow", thud, thud, "fuck", bang, "shit, fuck", bang etc etc etc.

[dugong]

Gas welding is the only type of welding I can du successfully upside down (Dedra sill to floor, you know the rot spot). I got banned by SWMBO last time though as I had a drop of molten metal drip off and run down my cheek (the one on my face, thank you). Not enough room under the car to avoid it and every time I darted around to shake it off I kept trying to knock myself out on the sill. Thud, bang "ow", thud, thud, "fuck", bang, "shit, fuck", bang etc etc etc.

 

You forgot FUCK SHIT WANKER. 

 

Otherwise, hilarious. 

[AlabamaShrimp]

I know I'll get there in the end and need to practice more. I have a big failing where sometimes I try to run before I can walk

[Inspector Morose]

To be honest, it looks okay. What size nozzle were you using? Maybe if penetration is a problem, try the next size up? Also what's the size of the rod? Lots and lots of variables.

 

Don't do what I used to do and move my fingers,up the rod by pushing it against ones stomach. Especially when you've just welded with same rod. Cue one very nice quortarised hole in overalls, jumper, t-shirt and flesh.

[Pillock]

 Maybe if penetration is a problem, try the next size up? Also what's the size of the rod? Lots and lots of variables.

 

Don't do what I used to do and move my fingers,up the rod by pushing it against ones stomach. 

 

All of this is funny.

[Inspector Morose]

I IZ FINBARR

[AlabamaShrimp]

It was apparently a size 1 nozzle and there's no rod in that as both bits of metal were multiple tacked first that just moved the weld pool along. It's been hit after to make it flatish but had no grinding. Don't know what size rod I used on some other bits just looked the same as normal.

 

Think the guy teaching us would have a fit if we tried to change the nozzle or anything. He like it done just so. In his defence he was right on the mig welding and I'm not bad at that now.

 

Tbh different sizes of stuff is a novelty, years ago when I assisted* my dad we never changed anything and I always set the torch right, this is a years ago though.

[rml2345]

So... Life in the world of diesels is going quite well so far and it's not actually a bad drive. Quite pleasant in fact. I've ordered a new thermostat for it as it only ever shows a third on the temp gauge but haven't been able to fit it due to weather, indifference and interior niggles but it's high on the list.

Less high on the list was a working ashtray/power socket drawer. A chance visit to U-Pull It Inverkeithing (who seem to actually know what they're doing nowadays) sourced a blue one with the bits to mend mine.

 

And Ebay produced two of these, so it should be easier to find in car parks. 

 

Don't worry though, I'm not going to cover it in plastic stick on tat and those should be easily removed if I get fed up with them. Something less easily removed was the incredibly light pale grey interior scheme. I'm sure it looked smashing when freshly delivered from the dealers but the intervening 12 years hadn't been kind and it was bogging. I also hate car seat covers so a better solution was clearly required, like a new interior for example. 
Ebay had a black leather (no, really) one listed for a smidgen under £200 in Coatbridge of all places and I hovered over the "Buy it now" button...
To cut a long story short, I got one out a scrapper in Inverkeithing. 

 

Removing the interior of a car in the snow is NOT fun. Not even a little bit. 

 

After loading the first barrow with interior stuff I sat back and thought, "What the fuck are you doing here man?" But it was half out anyway so I got on with it, stripped the rest and loaded it into the car.

 

Fitted it over a week and finished up on Monday afternoon with it!

 

 

Nice, isn't it? I'm not a huge leather fan but it's a damn site better than what was there before and should be easier to look after. Needs a good feed and that still. In the meantime some OEM mudflaps appeared in the post. Said in the ad and in the instructions they were for cars "Without side Airdam" but they had an odd shape for that. Fitted them anyway but they looked really strange, so I went to check the part number and they're only the wrong bloody flaps after all! So someone at Mitsubishi printed the wrong info on the sheet in 1995 or whenever. Better than nothing though so they've been left on until I can get either the right set or airdams or whatever. 

Need to stop fannying about and tackle some of the bigger stuff next. 

[catsinthewelder]

Is the next job sourcing and fitting a set of Volvo S40 panels and lights to the front end?

[Inspector Morose]

Just booked a couple of nights in Llandudno this weekend for me and SWMBO, because.

 

Mode of transport:

 

BX - means cleaning out accumulated crap and hoping it'll be fine.

Panda - as above but not my crap.

 

Decisions, decisions.

[vulgalour]

Mike reported in that he's not too far from home now, which is a relief.  I suspect the twin axle car trailer he hired is a tad on the too-large side, especially given that he's had to fill up the car twice for the roughly 700 miles he's covered and will have to put some more fuel in to get home.  That must mean the Xant is returning high-thirties to low-forties mpg rather than its usual steady 55mpg(ish).  Sounds like it's been a tough day for him too, as is to be expected from that sort of towing work.

 

Typically, this wretched flu I've had chose not to break until about 9pm (have been bundled in blankets at home all day) so I've been of no use in sharing the driving duties as originally planned, but I should at least be well to help out with the jobs that need doing on the car he's collecting to make that easier.

[vulgalour]

Llandudno... Mode of transport... BX

 

 

As natural as taking a Volvo to Scotland.

[alf892]

Gas welding is the only type of welding I can du successfully upside down (Dedra sill to floor, you know the rot spot). I got banned by SWMBO last time though as I had a drop of molten metal drip off and run down my cheek (the one on my face, thank you). Not enough room under the car to avoid it and every time I darted around to shake it off I kept trying to knock myself out on the sill. Thud, bang "ow", thud, thud, "fuck", bang, "shit, fuck", bang etc etc etc.

 

Done this a few times when working under cars that are not quite high enough.......

 

Bang front of head on underside of car

 

Recoil.......

 

Bang back of head on ground

 

Recoil

 

Bang front of head..

 

etc.

 

Painful.......comical to observe I would imagine although I have never seen anyone else do it. Just me?

 

Reci

[beko1987]

Does carparts4less actually exist?

 

Got an ECP basket loaded up with oil, filter, 2x ball joints and rear pads for the ZX, and remembered people saying CP4L being cheaper, just tried their site and get a 503 Service Unavailable error

[The Moog]

Flat battery yesterday in 405 down to leaving fans on all day.

 

I font think it is omghgf as in the cold weather steam seems to be coming from radiator,likely to be a leak there. Just so many niggles now that I just cant be arse to fix.

 

Picking new one on Saturday so plan is to get it to 250k then punt it on, either on here as a veggie work horse or will James brown it.

[Cavcraft]

{ambulance chaser} Any test left on the 405? {ambulance chaser}

[320touring]

Does carparts4less actually exist?

 

Got an ECP basket loaded up with oil, filter, 2x ball joints and rear pads for the ZX, and remembered people saying CP4L being cheaper, just tried their site and get a 503 Service Unavailable error

http://www.carparts4less.co.uk

 

Working ok on my phone the now

[beko1987]

Same here now!

 

Strange, will try at lunch! Will have to be a bastard good saving though as ecp is only 3 miles away vs having it delivered

[Volksy]

Down to a single car here at the castle now, the wife* is departing to China imminently for a year of Kung Fu training, so he headed south to bid goodbye to family. The 306 decided that it could no longer retain any electricity, largely to being stood for a month whilst the wife* was touring the south pacific. So once loaded up with all his possessions, and farewells made, it disgraced itself by requiring a jumpstart from the Celica. Again farewells were made and off he went. Only for me to receive a phone call ten minutes later as he had switched it off at the petrol station and it wouldn't start again. Got it going, and off he went again. I did say that his personal recovery membership only covers him up to the first services on the M1, after then he was on his own.

When I enquired if he got to his fathers ok, the response was 'just about'. 

I'll miss him, but not having to repair his car on a weekly basis due to the ham fisted nature in which he abuses his vehicles. 

[vulgalour]

Mike made it home safely with Xantia intact, trailer returned to rental place and car being transported tucked up safe.  Achieved a possibly miserable 27mpg on the round trip.  I say possibly miserable because I don't know what good fuel economy is for a 14' twin axle trailer carrying a small roadster on the back of a 1.9td Xantia is.  The trailer was definitely over-sized for the job.