The new news 24 thread

[Volksy]

I don't think that's bad when towing a pretty big trailer. 

[HMC]

My numberplate OCD has kicked in again, this time with the Rover 220. The rear has its original dealer one (protected in a recess) whilst the front one was replaced when the original giffer owned touch parked into a wall.

 

I've sent DMB graphics pics of the old dealer plate and Theyre going to use that as a template to do a new front one in the old style font.

[panhard65]

Another quiet week this week so decided to service the hearse and the rolls. Nearly 20 litres of oil in just 2 cars !! The gearbox in the rolls has quietened down a bit now so it can stay in for a while and the hearse had a good work out at the weekend being used as a builders van. We managed to get all the carpets and the whole bathroom suite in the back of it to go to the tip. It is now being used for storage of the new bathroom whilst the builders are replacing all the ceilings. Finally to top the week off I have found a tow bar for the rolls so we will be the toast of the caravan parks this year !!!! I hate to think what it will do to the fuel consumption but it can't get much worse than the 10mpg I got out of the last tank.

[The Moog]

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

Yep, till 22nd May.

[barrett]

Got the Atlantic out today, ostensibly to get some photos but more as a good reason to get out of the office for an hour. I'm amazed at how capable it is, after reading for years about what a hopeless design they were. The motor is lovely and rorty and it pulls like a train. Handling is nowhere near as bad as folk would have you believe, and you can properly hustle it along so long as you don't get too overconfident.

 

Instead of fannying about putting it away again we took it to the pub after work. the journey from the pub to the office is one of my favourite drives, I must have done it about 200 times and I pretty much know the road by heart now. Things were quite 'spirited' on the way back, even in the dark, and it was great fun. I haven't had so much fun chucking a big car around for ages.

 

It's official: rubbish cars are great 

[xtriple]

Always liked the look of those but bought into the 'they are crap' hype. Mainly because my Mum had one (I'm led to believe) and anything my Mum had must be awful!

[vulgalour]

Atlantics are ungainly, awkard, wobbly looking things with a design that really should be on a longer and wider car than it is.  I love them.  They're very definitely a car I'd love to one day own but never will, if I'm exceptionally lucky I'll get to drive one some day.  In reality I'm happy enough to have seen one in person once, that's probably as close to owning and/or driving one as I'll ever come.

[dugong]

Every picture I see of a slightly scruffy Atlantic seems to make the car look unquestionably elegant. 

One of my favourite ever AS shots was of an Atlantic in profile (NOT 252 DLT L@@K) in a rape seed field. That and the Allegro estate being loaded with a Sinclair C5. 

Someone needs to gut an Atlantic, fit it with the go-faster bits from a Healey 3000 and hammer it round Goodwood during the Revival - that would even out-shite the Nash Metropolitan that raced one year. 
If my numbers come up, I'll find a knackered one and do it. 

[drum]

My dad had the floppy top version in the sixties. He said it could do the ton and was way ahead of most cars in the mod cons department. I'll get a pic.

[dugong]

Some [extremely poor] shots from last year's Lancaster Insurance Classic Car Show. 

 

[320touring]

Would buying a car to swap interiors and thrn flog on be a daft idea?bearing in mind its mot is out on 18th feb..

 

And i work full time

[phil_lihp]

Shortly heading east on the train to stay with a friend for the weekend, not really news in itself but he does live a mere hour from a 'shiter of good standing who's agreed to sell me a car.  That means a collection on Sunday morning of a 25 year old car with no MOT that hasn't run in 3 months for a 4hr 20m journey home to a pre-booked test.  I shall be armed with a collection of tools and spare parts and can foresee absolutely no problems whatsoever.

[320touring]

Shortly heading east on the train to stay with a friend for the weekend, not really news in itself but he does live a mere hour from a 'shiter of good standing who's agreed to sell me a car. That means a collection on Sunday morning of a 25 year old car with no MOT that hasn't run in 3 months for a 4hr 20m journey home to a pre-booked test. I shall be armed with a collection of tools and spare parts and can foresee absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Remember the 10mm spanner-if you forget that all hell will break loose!

 

Enjoy the adventure!

[HMC]

Atlantics are ungainly, awkard, wobbly looking things with a design that really should be on a longer and wider car than it is.  I love them.

Me too. I think in a way cars of this period are victims of their own brochure artwork. Those brochures always make them look long low and wide; even a P4 is made to look sleek and sporty, which isn't exactly what they drive out of the showroom!

[M'coli]

Every picture I see of a slightly scruffy Atlantic seems to make the car look unquestionably elegant. 

 

One of my favourite ever AS shots was of an Atlantic in profile (NOT 252 DLT L@@K) in a rape seed field. That and the Allegro estate being loaded with a Sinclair C5. 

 

Someone needs to gut an Atlantic, fit it with the go-faster bits from a Healey 100/4 and hammer it round Goodwood during the Revival - that would even out-shite the Nash Metropolitan that raced one year. 

If my numbers come up, I'll find a knackered one and do it. 

EFA.

[HMC]

Shortly heading east on the train to stay with a friend for the weekend, not really news in itself but he does live a mere hour from a 'shiter of good standing who's agreed to sell me a car.  That means a collection on Sunday morning of a 25 year old car with no MOT that hasn't run in 3 months for a 4hr 20m journey home to a pre-booked test.  I shall be armed with a collection of tools and spare parts and can foresee absolutely no problems whatsoever.

Looking fwd to the collection thread! Any clues about what you've bought?

[Semi-C]

Day insurance cover - Check.

MOT booked - Check.

Fatha ferrying me to Ipswich - Check.

Saturday collection of choice - Poised.....

[wuvvum]

Shortly heading east on the train to stay with a friend for the weekend, not really news in itself but he does live a mere hour from a 'shiter of good standing who's agreed to sell me a car.  That means a collection on Sunday morning of a 25 year old car with no MOT that hasn't run in 3 months for a 4hr 20m journey home to a pre-booked test.  I shall be armed with a collection of tools and spare parts and can foresee absolutely no problems whatsoever.

I'm getting déjà vu here.  Pillock, make sure your phone is turned off this weekend...

[Asimo]

Would buying a car to swap interiors and thrn flog on be a daft idea?bearing in mind its mot is out on 18th feb..

And i work full time

No, it is a fine idea. If you don't like the new interior when the job is done, change it back.

 

*worth buying a sack of the little plastic clips and sprigs before you start.

[phil_lihp]

10mm spanner packed along with other sizes so all is good. No clues but it's not that exciting so don't get your hopes up.

 

Wuv, methinks you have your Phils mixed up! Pillock can relax, I don't have his number and I don't think I'll be anywhere near him.

[320touring]

No, it is a fine idea. If you don't like the new interior when the job is done, change it back.

 

*worth buying a sack of the little plastic clips and sprigs before you start.

Apart from the fact i have nae storage for the car..at least none that is not 160 mile round trip away..

[darkfour]

Aaahh found you all again. With all the server shenanigan's all I was getting was the dreaded 404 error from the main site, quick email to Fat_pirate and I've found my way back.

 

Update on the Plymouth from last weekend. I couldn't get the lock pin out to get the kingpin out so I ended up removing the entire spindle and steering knuckle. It was much easier than pounding away with a club hammer. Went to use a mate's drill press but we couldn't locate a 37/64" drill bit and none of the local stores went bigger than 1/2" so I had to order one off t'internet. It turned up yesterday so we'll try again to drill them this weekend.

 

In other news I needed to press the 67 Dart Convertible into service this week. Last time I drove this car was New Year's Eve and a quick check under the hood revealed a small drop of fresh coolant on top of the water pump. I wiped this up and then started scraping around the area with a screwdriver only for the tip to disappear in to the pump housing and all the coolant starts pissing out everywhere.

 

So in true 'shiter's form I have 3 cars, 2 of which don't work.

[vulgalour]

STOP PRESS

 

 

I just saw a Mk1 Space Wagon on the school run!

[Ghosty]

EML came on again on mum's Polo, went into limp home mode. Silly woman was scared to turn it off in case it died altogether. After annoying a load of people for a while, and Old Man locking himself out of the house and his car (damn self-locking Honda) trying to come out with a code reader, restarted the Polo and the code's gone. Nothing on the reader either.

 

Bloody VWs. Why couldn't it have been terminal?

[Slappy]

Well that's another big-arsed Megane destined for the great car park in the sky. Just left Chichester on the A27, all of a sudden brake lights and hazards on everywhere, a massive plume of thick smoke and a rapidly expiring Renault stuck in the hedge absolutely billowing the aforementioned smoke out. Armchair diagnosis of massively grenaded heavy oil engine I think. Is that the general pattern with Renault/Nissan diesels?

 

Hope that the owner and everyone's alright of course, and that they're not off the road too long.

[dollywobbler]

Yup. Those Renault diesels are very good at that. Not sure what the fault is, but they do just run out of control and eventually blow up. Exciting!

[vulgalour]

Renault diesels are like that quiet bloke at work, the one that has a lot of horrible stuff happening to him outside of work.  One day he turns up as usual and then completely loses it when he has his usual afternoon cuppa.  Nobody expects it, nobody knows what caused it, but everyone knows to stay the fuck away from the next quiet bloke that starts working there.

[steve_earwig]

[Bren]

Renault diesels are like that quiet bloke at work, the one that has a lot of horrible stuff happening to him outside of work.  One day he turns up as usual and then completely loses it when he has his usual afternoon cuppa.  Nobody expects it, nobody knows what caused it, but everyone knows to stay the fuck away from the next quiet bloke that starts working there.

Somebody on here needs to buy one, and start a game of DCi roulette.

[Volksy]

EML came on again on mum's Polo, went into limp home mode. Silly woman was scared to turn it off in case it died altogether. After annoying a load of people for a while, and Old Man locking himself out of the house and his car (damn self-locking Honda) trying to come out with a code reader, restarted the Polo and the code's gone. Nothing on the reader either.

 

Bloody VWs. Why couldn't it have been terminal?

 

 

 

Failing coil pack? Two of my mates Polos have given the exact same symptoms on numerous occasions.