The new news 24 thread

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I like the 5-dr hatch BMW's, the 4- and 3-series GT's look really well proportioned to me and almost cancel out the horror of the X6.

[Sloth in a bowl]

Was flashed by an unmarked police car on the way home today.

 

Turning off the M42 onto the A435 dual carriageway, sped up to about 78 pretty rapidly then stayed there and noticed a BMW (silver 62 plate 5 series estate) catching me.

They turned on the radiator lights and I backed off and pulled over, they then passed by with a finger wag in my direction.

I'm guessing that I was saved by, not going over 80, not being near any other traffic and being very quick to notice their lights.

 

Can't believe that I have never had a speeding ticket.

[Fabergé Greggs]

Was flashed by an unmarked police car on the way home today.

 

Turning off the M42 onto the A435 dual carriageway, sped up to about 78 pretty rapidly then stayed there and noticed a BMW (silver 62 plate 5 series estate) catching me.

They turned on the radiator lights and I backed off and pulled over, they then passed by with a finger wag in my direction.

I'm guessing that I was saved by, not going over 80, not being near any other traffic and being very quick to notice their lights.

 

Can't believe that I have never had a speeding ticket.

 

Cripes that was lucky. Sure you weren't actually under the limit and just in a Chrysler PT?

[Pillock]

I had a finger wag too, at 85 (dropping to 75 when I noticed the unmarked car behind me) on the M1. Again, it was clear, I was using the right lanes and showing observation. Probably did as much good as a ticket, and was easier to administer.

[JohnK]

BMW 428i Gran Coupe by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

 

Back end is pretty much just the same as the 5 ...

 

[AnthonyG]

I was nearly going to buy a last generation 3 coupe but I couldn't find a nearly new one that wasn't MSport spec ( or at least trim level) or painted in an actual colour. So I will wait until 2006-2007 ones are cheap enough to get a pez model as a toy. I think the 4 series coupe is gopping, they've really lost it. Like Audi, I wonder how long their premium image can last given they offer more models than Ford/GM, at least half of which seem rather pointless.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the only people making cars in 20 years time will be the Germans, Japanese/Koreans and the Chinese. There will be a few German cars with nice interiors with British/Italian heritage badges (like Bentley now) and maybe Chevrolet / Ford trucks in N & S America but that will be about it for variety. I strongly suspect Alfa will be the next brand to bite the dust in the face of the German onslaught.

[AnthonyG]

Apologies, that last post turned into a bit of a grump, I didn't mean it to be!

 

BMW do turn out some genuinely interesting/good stuff - the i8 is amazing and the i3 is a fascinating 'out of the left-field' punt on the future.

[Ghosty]

The i8 had 150% appreciation in value almost immediately as the demand for them was so high, and the retail price new is £100k! The petrol engine is a Bini lump IIRC.

[Coprolalia]

Scirocco causing more trouble. Getting properly fed up now.

 

Took it into tame mechanic to sort timing. Was running ok-ish, but down on power since I fiddled with the dizzy to get it running when it started playing up.

 

They timed it up properly to factory and it was running sweet. Then proceeded to dump a litre of oil on the floor. No idea where from, seemed to be coming off the exhaust heat shield. Not seeping anywhere obvious. Mystery oil shits.

 

Got it home and it's stopped leaking oil but has a really bad rattle. Only comes on when under heavy load at low revs. Sounds like the exhaust manifolds falling off (it's not). Passersby must think I'm an LT1 taxi with 500k on the clock, it's that sort of noise.

Could it be pinking? Only other thought is it's some exhaust problem.

[TimothyClaypole]

Some thread redress with my BMW -

 

 

 

[holbeck]

A friend from work has just amazed me by saying that he's bought a beige Rennner 5 Auto as a 'fun' car.

 

Stone me, I've known him for 10 years FFS. How can I not have known?

 

(I have of course, pointed him in the direction for AS enrolment and Tat threadage).

[Tayne]

Is he somewhere near Nottingham?

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/20677-any-of-you-lot-got-a-champagne-coloured-renault-5/

[wuvvum]

The words "Renault", "auto" and "fun" are rarely heard in the same sentence.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Scirocco causing more trouble. Getting properly fed up now.

...

Could it be pinking? Only other thought is it's some exhaust problem.

 

Is the dizzy clamp loose ? That could explain both the oil leak and the timing issues. Also, are you sure that the quality* replacement dizzy has the correct ignition curve for your engine ?

[cros]

The Golf box sounds royally fucked, but is still better than the one currently in the Loopoo.

 

Complete failure to proceed suggests that the previous owner had decided that the best way to deal with the loud gearbox whine was to turn up the volume of the radio... Which is the best way to turn an 085 with tired/dry bearings into cog soup. Nice.

 

 

There's no call for this sort of barbarity when faced with a slightly worn transmission. With horrendous back axle whine from my wife's A35 I quickly effected a properly engineered solution rather than resort to fitting a radio.

[Coprolalia]

Is the dizzy clamp loose ? That could explain both the oil leak and the timing issues. Also, are you sure that the quality* replacement dizzy has the correct ignition curve for your engine ?

 

I wondered that, but the oil came from the rear drivers side of the engine, and the dizzy's front passenger. China's finest dizzy is a pattern part which is the part number for my car's dizzy. Original Bosch ones are NLA. Recon ones are £200 odd.

 

In traditional chod style, ran like a champ this morning. Pulls like a train. So arse knows.

 

My working theory is that it's oil that had collected on the exhaust manifold heat shield a month or so ago when it was pissing oil out of the rocker cover gasket (since been replaced). Somethings gone awry with the exhaust heat shield and it's dumped this collected oil as a present to it's grateful owner, and is now rattling away. Only makes noise at <1.5k RPM under heavy load, so I think it must be exhaust knocking. Boot it at 3k RPM and no noise.

Time to stick on that 4-1 manifold I've been hoarding.

[Bobthebeard]

The Honda Prelude has been making a rattling type noise from the rear for around six months now. Not all the time, just on bumpy/jiggly road surfaces. Sounded like the wheel trims rattling (as they were a loose fit due to missing plastic washers under the wheel nuts).

Removed the trims, still rattled. Spent hours jacking up the car and checking suspension bushes, nothing obvious. Gave up and took it to my local friendly garage, nothing seemed to be amiss.

Decided to take everything out of the boot apart from spare wheel, which is solidly mounted and doesn't seem to move at all. Still rattled. Took out spare wheel and, YES!!

A wheel brace had somehow got under the spare wheel and was rattling around on the metal floor! Result.

[gordonbennet]

I had an annoying rattle on the Landcruiser, its quiet over large undulations its the hundreds of crap road fixes following endless cable/pipe laying and bodged pot hole fixes round here that sets it off, could not find the bugger, then when the dogs shoved their noses on the back window to peer out i had to clean the nose prints off, caught the high level brake light with my hand, rattle rattle rattle, sorted.

 

Hummph, the roads are that bad in Kettering you need a bloody 4x4, everything else will shake apart.

[Bobthebeard]

^^ Was in Kettering yesterday funnily enough. Windmill Avenue I think it was. Mrs Beard was working at Tresham College...

Agree about the standard of the roads! Although the roads in Lytham St Annes are as bad TBH.

[danthecapriman]

Fitted an electronic ignition conversion kit to the Mercury. It's the Pertronix kit which isn't cheap but, my god what a difference!

I have always been a bit sceptical about these, I've always thought the points/condenser set up has done the job for the last x amount of years so why change it! But I'm now fully converted!

It's piss easy to install, needs sod all for the rest of its life and the engine runs much better. The biggest improvement is in starting though, it's on the button now. And it still looks original spec too from the outside. The only noticeable difference is the addition of an extra wire to the coil.

The timing has been reset now and it needed some adjustment from how it was with the old points in there.

I'm so impressed the Capri and Transit will both be getting the treatment soon aswell!

 

In conclusion, points and condenser are shit and I'd recommend anyone to swap over if they still run the old set up.

[richardmorris]

Just finished cleaning the car for my grid position at goodwood tomorrow. Took some new photos for the insurance valuation as it looked good.

[gordonbennet]

^^ Was in Kettering yesterday funnily enough. Windmill Avenue I think it was. Mrs Beard was working at Tresham College...

Agree about the standard of the roads! Although the roads in Lytham St Annes are as bad TBH.

 We live other side of town, near the old football ground...if you thought Windmill Ave was bad don't venture along Rockingham Rd which is presumably owned by Millbrook as an extra proving ground.

Are you still in Kettering perchance?

[dave21478]

The Freelander assumed the usual position this afternoon....

 

 

Its been giving some clunky noises from underneath for a while plus the abs/tc/hdc warning lamps have been lit for a few weeks.

 

Diagnosis - front left ABS sensor resistance is a few orders of magnitute higher than the other three so its probably kippered. Prop support bearings are gubbed, making a rumbling whirring noise and one universal joint on the prop is clanking too. Also the rubber mounted damper on the viscous coupling was flapping loose so I chopped it off and binned it. Apparently some have this and some dont for reasons unknown as it seems to make no difference until it fails.

 

Also spotted - various oil leaks, but nothing massive and one rusty bit of chassis rail where the rear subframe bolts on, which is apparently a known fault with them cracking there.

 

[The Moog]

Got the Saab up on ramps today to look at the exhaust.

 

Think I found the issue

 

 

The flange that attaches the cat to the centre pipe has broken off. Ordered some high heat JB weld to try and fix it. If not will have to get it welded otherwise it is new cat time which is £150. Fingers crossed

[ruffgeezer]

Just measure both ends and get a sleeve tube for it for about £6

[Lord Sterling]

Bit worried about Merc. It seemed quite wondery all over the roads today, I always feel like I'm trying to correct it. I drove along a lot of A-roads and some motorways and it seems quite wondery...

 

Also, under the wheel arch liner is a hole where the washer bottle is suppose to be resting. Some welding is gonna be needed soon.

[The Moog]

Just measure both ends and get a sleeve tube for it for about £6

How would it seal?

Sounds like a much better bet if jb weld won't work

[spike60]

Did the final prep on the Le Mans trip jalopy today, a 140k Tdi Polio. It got the outer CV's changed as they sounded like a Gatling gun and a cam belt kit fitted but that still whines like a supercharger....   Not the first choice for a thousand mile trip with it's poor seats but it has good tyres, is insured for both drivers and big boot (seats down) unlike the other fleet options, Bmw Z3 and 530d saloons and estate.

I know it's fashionable to sneer at Vw's on here but I've few complaints with it as a daily plodder despite having spent about £400 on consumables in the last few months, - a set of tyres, pads and discs all round, exhaust back box, service.

[vulgalour]

So I'm back.  I'll reply to the notes I've got waiting and we will draw a line under the whole For Sale thread debacle.  In fact, any references to that particular thread shall be pointedly ignored by me.

 

When it was suggested I 'close the garage door' stepping away from Autoshite - and a host of other car forums I'm on - turned out to be my equivalent of that and it was a very good thing I did it too.  While I've been MIA I decided to focus on anything but cars, knuckled down with work and just did selfish silly little things to make me happy.  It has done me a lot of good.

 

Thank you to those of you that are patient with me and understanding, and for those of you that reached out to check I was okay.  Some of you know what it's like to have noise prattling away in your head and driving you to do irrational things, some of you never will and really should be grateful for that.

 

For now, I'm using the Xantia and working on the Renault and Princess when the mood takes me.  I won't be offering updates on the work I've done until I'm comfortable doing that.  It's just going to take a bit of time for me to get from here to there and I'm not pushing it.

[fordperv]

Hey vulg welcome back, I was chuffed to see your user name pop up.