The new news 24 thread

[vulgalour]

Good to know you're on the mend, Dugong.  Convalescence is boring as all fuck but it does you good.  Take advantage of everyone for as long as possible, it won't last!

[brickwall]

Aye, milk the bastards for everything you can get.

[worldofceri]

When I bought my Saab the nearside wing mirror glass had lately made a bid for freedom.  This didn't require immediate attention as, luckily, it was not a reason to fail the mot, but not having one, I'm surprised how often I look in that mirror.

 

I figured the easiest thing to do would be to get a complete s/h unit and an ebay breaker came up trumps at under a tenner delivered.

 

Getting the old mirror off was a doddle but the crispyness I uncovered was a bit of a worry.

 

 

Looks like the previous repair to this area comprises newspaper and filler!

 

 

Obviously I did the sensible thing and simply covered the problem back up with the new mirror.  I left the door card off the inside (I'd wrongly thought I'd needed to take it off to access the wiring connector) as if that might spur me on to investigate why the electric window doesn't work.

 

 

To my mild surprise the electric adjustment functions perfectly.  Many of the electrical gizmos on this car have given up the ghost (sunroof, heated seats, air-con, some of the electric windows) but the electric mirrors work as does the world's noisiest electric aerial.

 

I've done just under 500 miles in the car so far and am already on my third tank of fuel.  See signature for depressing economy statistics.  Mind you, it can't help that I can't resist getting that turbo spooling at every opportunity.  On the to-do list is:  Get a better stereo head-unit fitted; New tyres all round; Oil change; Investigate electrical niggles.  Oh yeah, and there's a knock at the back that I think might be the osr wheel bearing, but I'll get the garage to check that out. 

[skattrd]

Ceri, I used to average 30mpg from my T16s, and I wasn't driving particularly slowly. From memory I once got 37mpg from a tank with less spirited driving.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. I'd expect a lot better than 18mpg from one of those! Either you've got a fuel leak, or it's munching too much fuel.

[worldofceri]

Yeah, I would have thought high twenties would be more on the money for the type of driving I do. Mind you the speedo is highly erratic (75mph on GPS in an indicated 105mph!) so I wonder if the odo is out.

[worldofceri]

Fuel leak is a possibility. It's not obviously running rich or owt.

 

Edit to add: not sure where the 18mpg comes from as Fuelly reckons 22 if you click:

 

http://www.fuelly.com/car/saab/900/1988/WorldOfCeri/343001

 

(Dunno if that link will work.)

 

Probably not far off to be honest as I do a lot of short trips. If I look at other motors I've had my best-ever economy is always way better than my average.

[worldofceri]

Just figured it out. 18 is US mpg. If I log in it shows 22 UK mpg. Wonder how I change that in the signature badge.

[dollywobbler]

Ah, that's slightly better!

[jonathan_dyane]

I'm horrified by that door! I used to get about 24mpg knocking around in the Saab, 27 on a run, 30mpg best ever driving down to London being ultra cautious after I just crashed my XM. Although the speedo is mental I don't think the odometer is far off.

[jonathan_dyane]

PS, I think the knock is the exhaust which I might have bent after an airborne incident...

[worldofceri]

The exhaust if deffo knocking but I think there's another very similar knock that wasn't there when I picked it up from you. Mind you the exhaust catches on the stupid fecking speed humps on the way into work so I might be making it worse.

[Ghosty]

Old Man and I have had a good look over his new Civic now:

 

 

It's gonna scrub up pretty well - 51k and it hasn't been used much, by a bloke from Rochdale who seemingly PX'd it last November, and it's been laid up over winter before going through BCA and ending up with us - via a dealer in Keighley, where the other Civic now is - here it is on Auto Trader for £999.

The blue one was in the same place for £1195 - we managed to get them down from £500 px, £700 to pay, to £700 px, £500 to pay, by telling them the radius arm bushes needed doing, the exhaust heat shield was rattling and something else. There was a new cambelt and new exhaust put on it in 2012, and the heat shield is a piece of piss to fix. The radius arm bushes were done for the MOT last year, and are fine! Heh heh.

The car came with a massive wodge of history - all the MOTs, invoices and receipts for work done (dealer serviced for some time, then done by a local garage in Milnrow). Two keys, yadda yadda.

It isn't perfect, cosmetically, but it's no worse than the old one - there's a small scratch on each of the front doors, and a scuff and a couple small marks that look like melting on the back bumper. The silver one's rear bumper was scratched up too, and it had had a prang at the front at some point, so it doesn't matter.

One rear quarter of the car's been resprayed at some point and it's obvious in some lights, but not others. It just needs a good polish.

Interior is good too - it's a Sport model so it's the same as a VTi inside - carbon effect dash instead of wood effect, leather steering wheel and gearknob and half leather. Driver's seat bolster has typical wear but it could be a lot worse. The seats are super comfy. Only loss spec-wise compared to the auto is the heated mirrors - still electric though.

Original Honda radio/cassette is there, and works great. 

Three of the wheels were seized on, we've bled the clutch and brakes, and given it a cursory initial clean. Under the bonnet needs a good clean as you'd expect for a dealer maintained car, and it needs a polish, but that's no big deal. Four new tyres will be on the agenda at some point - rears are possibly original, or at least rather old Dunlops and the fronts are, sigh, Mohawks.

It's a much, much nicer place to be than the old Civic, and it drives a lot nicer too - for one, it's manual, and it's not grey and purple inside, but a much more pleasant black and dark blue. We're all super pleased with it. You wouldn't think it was powered by the same lump as the old Civic!

Old Man eventually wants to fit front fogs (the holes are there, with plastic covers that look removable), and heated mirrors. He was going to do rear discs and improved suspension too, but the discs are already there (the car is one of the very last so we think it's had them added to get rid of stock). Old Man also thinks the suspension is firmer than his previous Civic too. Sport model bonus perhaps?

It's going in for MOT some time this week as it expires on Sunday. I'm sure it'll pass.

And then on Friday, the mother and I are going to pick up the Bini...

[HMC]

Ceri, I used to average 30mpg from my T16s, and I wasn't driving particularly slowly. From memory I once got 37mpg from a tank with less spirited driving.

Yep, I got 37 out of mine on long runs, ceri is yours an auto? I used it in London over a week and commuting about gave 18 mpg but that was cold stop start miles the whole time.

[worldofceri]

No, Manuel.  (I learn it, from a book.)

 

Signature now fixed to show UK mpg btw.

[Richard]

If it's the ex-JD 900 it's an 8 valve, must be one of the last 8V Turbos.

[worldofceri]

Indeed it is. And it has the best part of a quarter million miles on the clock so I wouldn't really expect mega-mpg. Plus, I'm not all that scientific about brimming the tank each time and what have you, so any sums I or the_internet might do are just best-guess anyway.

[JohnK]

Im on leave from work this week, so making a conscious effort to start progressing with the list of car jobs I've amassed.

 

First job today was to get the indicator stalk for the new Jag - trip over to my local Jag breakers netted what I wanted and let me have a scavenge around for anything which caught my eye. I managed to bag a Jaguar emblem for the alloy wheels as well, as I had one missing on the N/S/F - this has made my happy.

 

Next up was to get my E23 728i out, it's been parked up since before Christmas. Fresh battery and I couldn't get it to start. Fresh petrol in the tank didn't help either, it was turning and attempting to fire, but then gave up hope and was just turning over. Job for tomorrow to look into it in more detail!

 

I got the Escort out and did a couple of odd jobs needed. I've lent the Jaguar to my dad for a few days whilst I get his Omega sorted after I killed the diff, so the Escort is back Into daily service

 

 

Remaining jobs for the week are -

 

1) Drop the diff from Big JK's Omega and fit replacement

 

2) diagnose starting fault on 728i and get it running. To be fair it's due a service, so I reckon replacing service items will sort the problem.

 

3) scavenge local BMW breaker for parts needed to get my mates E34 Touring back on the road after 5 years of being stood

 

4) remove some more parts from my breaking 190E and get them posted to the buyers.

 

On another note, I've had these 15" cross spokes from my E30 sat in the garage doing nothing for 2 years ...

 

 

Lobbed them on a fixed price auction tonight on eBay and they went for £240, lads collecting tomorrow evening. Happy with that!

[HillmanImp]

Do you need a kidney? Reason I ask is that I need a Ford Escort.

[320touring]

E23 issuebis oikely condensation on the dizzy cap-dang m30s are bad for it

[JohnK]

Escort will be up for sale in a month or so I think! I love it and it gets so much attention, but it doesn't fit in with my longer term plan and I've got another Merc 190E I could do with pressing into daily service.

 

320touring - thanks for that, the symptoms would tally with that as well so I will whip it off in the morning and have a look at it.

[MrDuke]

I collected my Civic from my dad's today after its mot work and took a nice slow drive back home, it really is driving well at the moment, I'm still toying with selling it as I'm not using it much and I fancy a new project but it's such a nice, easy car to drive that I'll miss it once it's gone.

 

If you do sell it, I reckon you'll spend many years hence bitterly regretting it. Not least because you'll never find another one that nice for less than £stupid.

[Ghosty]

Better than our Civic, that's for sure.

[DS20]

DS is in ur wingmirror, checking all the drivings.  

 

 

 

Edit: 

Well, great, that came out brilliantly.  

[darkfour]

3 Day weekend here in the US for President's Day so I've managed to get loads done. First up the new carb turned up on Saturday and unboxing it I was presented with this.....

 

 

4 cans of carb cleaner and a good scrub with a toothbrush and it's cleaned up a treat. I need to order a rebuild kit for it but that's only $30 and can wait until I'm ready to install it. I still need to locate a suitable kickdown linkage.

 

 

I need to drive the convertible on Wednesday and the forecast is possible for rain. First thing I did when I bought the car was to lower the roof and I've left it down for 3 years. Yesterday I managed to raise it and in true autoshite style set about repairing the holes with duct tape. Biggest problem was no rear window at all, I tried a couple of DIY places to get some clear plastic but nothing was suitable. Then I realized that I have a spare roof in the garage and decided to use that to make the car as waterproof as possible.Here's the result and a quick blast down the road and it's still intact. 

 

 

Lastly I got a few hours in on the Plymouth and made some big progress in the rewiring it. I now have working headlights (low and high beams), tail lights, front side lights and indicators!  The only issue I have is that I need to replace the auxillary fan switch. It's a push/pull switch but curiously when you pull it out it's off and push it in it's on. This is the opposite of what I want. New one has already been procured. When I get paid on Thursday I'll order the Camaro calipers and then I'll have everything I need to complete the front disc brake conversion.

[worldofceri]

Well, great, that came out brilliantly.

Looks like ur DS has 'done a Dugong'.

[dome]

I did an autotest today, and it was bloody good fun !

 

http://vid22.photobucket.com/albums/b335/mjbrennan/1CEE8F35-9308-46BF-8791-651A3B4AD284_zpsh7nnwjpj.mp4

 

I went along with a mate whose Westfield is garaged for the winter so we both used my car to take part - the bugger only went and beat me !

 

(Warning - this vido may contain casual use of the word "bollocks")

 

 

Also check out my MSA approved* wooly hat !

Kames! Love it, did a few autotests there back in the day. Great fun.

[Craig the Princess]

I have a train driver assessment day today, wish me luck. One section is mechanical competence so I'm hoping experience of nursing Allegros will hold me in good stead.

[Pillock]

What, for real trains? Good luck! I'd love that job but every time I look they want a qualified driver, like you can just pop down to the TVLA and get your licence.

[gm]

Kames! Love it, did a few autotests there back in the day. Great fun.

Well spotted, Kames in Muirkirk run by the East Ayrshire Car Club. What a great little circuit and a nice friendly club. There were only 12 folk taking part in the test in Sunday so there was a really good atmosphere, I will be booking up for the next autotest on sun 15th March, I'll need to somehow magic up a day off work but I can't wait

 

I'm also tempted by an event the week before run by the Scottish Sporting Car Club down in Ardeer, the former Nobel chemical works near Ayr. It's a big open car park type test which looks like a whole load of fun from the vidos on youtube.

 

In the meantime, Ive got a trackday up at knockhill on sat 28th feb and test day at Kames on sun 1st March so I'd better get the car sorted - new pads and a new set of tyres to put on when I've finished are both in the shopping list.

 

The one I'm really building up to is a track night on the Forrestburn hillclimb course, it's not until the start of May but I think it will be an experience to remember. I should have done this years ago