The new news 24 thread

[ShiteRider]

I'm picking up my new shite tomorrow night, no epic collection thread as i work in Blackburn and the new motor is in Rossendale.

Current daily fiesta is fucked after 2.5 years and 40k miles of abuse, shame as it's been a good workhorse but it'd need £3-400 spending on it at least to see the year out and as it only cost me a weekend of campervan welding it's time to go.

New car should score well in autoshite bingo.

* pogweasel prone red

* CVT auto

* Volvo

* Most undesirable Volvo, a 440/ renault 19 in a cardigan

* Giffer owned
* Costs less than the monthly payment on most modern dross

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1993-Volvo-440-SE-retro-73k-miles-rare-reliable-collectible-classic-/281949670452?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=U7E9ZvmO3pEggKGdQp2kHGwqnjU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

[Kiltox]

BOLL TO TEH LAGUNALINE PLZTHNKSBYE

'Kinell, they really are worthless aren't they

 

Need another facelift Lag II in my life, needs to be petrol though

[dollywobbler]

I'm picking up my new shite tomorrow night, no epic collection thread as i work in Blackburn and the new motor is in Rossendale.

Current daily fiesta is fucked after 2.5 years and 40k miles of abuse, shame as it's been a good workhorse but it'd need £3-400 spending on it at least to see the year out and as it only cost me a weekend of campervan welding it's time to go.

New car should score well in autoshite bingo.

* pogweasel prone red

* CVT auto

* Volvo

* Most undesirable Volvo, a 440/ renault 19 in a cardigan

* Giffer owned

* Costs less than the monthly payment on most modern dross

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1993-Volvo-440-SE-retro-73k-miles-rare-reliable-collectible-classic-/281949670452?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=U7E9ZvmO3pEggKGdQp2kHGwqnjU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

They're not CVT are they? Thought it was a ZF 'box.

[Cleon-Fonte]

You could get a conventional auto or a CVT on a 400 series IIRC.

[dollywobbler]

Indeed. Blimey. From the Wiki.

 

 

Not all 440s or 460s fitted with automatic transmission had the CVT (constantly variable transmission) version, the majority having a conventional 4-speed automatic. The CVT transmission, as fitted to the last generation 440/460 series, used steel belts (as opposed to rubber belts used in the 300 series) and was known asTransmatic, although cars equipped with this auto box were renamed HTA (short for High Tech Auto).

This differs from the rubber belt-driven system in the 340, which was known as 'Variomatic'. The HTA gearbox was subsequently used in Rover's Metro redesigned model (last generation) and carries the VT-1 model component number.

[dollywobbler]

Anyway, in Citroen news, a friend came to visit today.

 

That's a BX 19TRS, so a posh one with the extra rear side windows. An auto too. I've known of the car for a good while now, but never got a chance to drive it in previous ownership. Made up for it today and wow, well worth the wait. Lovely gearbox, surprisingly quiet and refined engine, nice, floaty ride. Very pleasant.

 

But it did remind me what I don't like about BXs so much, namely the doors that seem to clang when you shut them, and the el-cheapo interior plastics and switchgear. I don't regret the move up to XM Class. They do look good together though.

 

Interestingly*, you could get XMs in this Olympic Blue, though I've never seen one in the metal.

[320touring]

I awoke the slumbering beast after 4 months..

 

[Bear]

Sunny day today.

 

 

[Barry Cade]

V40's gone. Snapped up by a dealer, now carless for the first time in years! Volvo cost £12,298 in loss of value in 2 and a half years and 18,481 miles. Averaged 52MPG. 2 free services. Would have needed 4 new tyres come MOT time in Sept. No warranty claims. No faults.

 

Why the hell do people do it?

 

over 5 grand a year to own a fancy Focus.

[Tickman]

I awoke the slumbering beast after 4 months..

 

That steering wheel is minging!

[320touring]

Ayebit has a certain hoach aboot it!

[andrew e]

So it's a few weeks old news, but Mrs E has a new (to her!) car, in proper beige with steel wheels.

 

TAKE THAT 21ST CENTURY!

 

[LC Torana]

And tyres with a decent amount of sidewall.

 

It might even ride (relatively) comfortably.

[Ghosty]

So it's a few weeks old news, but Mrs E has a new (to her!) car, in proper beige with steel wheels.

 

TAKE THAT 21ST CENTURY!

 

 

Interesting spec for a Cuntyman in that it doesn't seem to have many boxes ticked. 

How is it?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Have to say, that is seriously gopping

[andrew e]

Ghosty, outside bog standard bar a electric full sunroof. Does have electric everything, air-con, dab/Bluetooth/whatever standard mind. Drives quite pleasantly, excellent space inside and very airing indeed, far better driving postion than a regular MINI #Turning into my Dad. Her money her choice, but it is growing on me more than I thought. Mr _B I take that as a compliment!

[dollywobbler]

Beige is pushing it a bit isn't it? Getting on for turd brown that. I do like the steel wheels, but that's about it. 

[dave21478]

That mini is shocking. The designers could at least have got the rear window to line up with the window line of the doors, no? 

 

Makes the original Bini look positively refined and tasteful by comparison.

[Lacquer Peel]

Bloated imposter.

[trigger]

I'd sooner have a Maxi.

[Angrydicky]

Horrible modern rubbish. Good to see some sensible wheels for once, but that's its only redeeming feature.

[xtriple]

Relatively productive day on the Mazda. When bought, the noise from the hardtop was horrendous and it was moving around so much, I gave myself a blood blister in my pinky when I stuck it in the gap twixt roof and screen. It made me cry....

 

So, hardtop adjusted and generally fiddled with and taken for a drive and.... success! All is quiet on the roof front, but, the wipers kick up a dreadful racket, and of course, it's fucking raining. So I went to Halfords (after walking mutts - Chester is not a fan of the lack of comfort!) and bought complete new wipers (set 51 for any sad bugger that cares!) and two tins of 'Waxoyl' to keep the wheel arches/sills pretty and perfect. I even remembered my trade card and got a decent discount, which cheered me right up.

 

Fitted wipers in their carpark and it was, amazingly, a veritable 'piece of piss!' no more than 89 seconds for both sides and 45 of that was opening the box they came in! Normally there's fiddling with adaptors and stuff. No, these were spot on.

 

No more horrible squeaky wipers and a clean windscreen. The pair of wipers (after discount) were under a tenner (£18 without) and the drivers side.... wait for it...... has a 'spoiler!'

 

How cool is that/am I?

 

          

[oldcars]

SCB in Newbridge Edinburgh have a Rover 800 in.

 

http://www.scbvehicledismantlers.co.uk/parts-breaking-tyres/#list_top

[dollywobbler]

Having driven all the way to Solihull and back on Saturday, I drove all the way to Coventry and back today, for reasons of a worky nature. Took the XM, which ate the miles up with its usual relish, though the horrible front end clonk is still there. Might ask the garage to check it. Am hoping its just the shit, cheap, Ebay droplinks I fitted last summer, and not something more serious.

 

Also made the mistake of buying cheapo wiper blades. This went badly for several reasons. Firstly, the first garage I tried to buy blades at (a nice, small, local one for good karmas) had issues with the till, which didn't read the barcodes, so they couldn't sell me the blades. FFS.

 

At the next one, the rear blade didn't fit, so I got a refund. Fitted the fronts, which seemed fine, but they're not. As soon as I was up to speed, they were utter shit. One was so bad I changed it while waiting at a set of temporary traffic lights. 

 

Any recommendations for GOOD wiper blades? Guess I'll be ordering some on the interwebz then.

[forddeliveryboy]

Valeo work well for me.

[dollywobbler]

It had Valeo fitted just after I bought it. They were shite. Even the 2CV ones barely last any time at all now. I used to like Bosch, but they went crap too. I've had Halfords own brand on it for the past year or so, and they've not been too bad. I hate Halfords though.

[Barry Cade]

Valeo work well for me.

 Always far prefer Valeo to Bosch, but Asda have some flat blades in just now, 7 quid IIRC and they're really very good! Got a pair for the Vito and was impressed how solid they felt, wiped perfectly and most important, no noise! If you are loaded. PIAA.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Any recommendations for GOOD wiper blades? Guess I'll be ordering some on the interwebz then.

 

Lidl - and I'm being serious ! Their ULTIM8_SPEED_BRUV wipers clean the windscreen as well as Bosch/Valeo, they last longer and are cheaper to buy !

[dollywobbler]

I'm not loaded, and my wiper geekiness will not allow me to fit aero blades. The Prelude has them, and I don't like it. 

[dave21478]

I needed to get a few bits done for work today, but NOOOOO, I managed to burst the radiator of the shitlander while winching the Metro out of the mud that used to be my back garden.

 

You may remember I made the winch mount myself and proud of it I truly am....except I didnt think things fully through as normal.

 

Turns out if you are winching at a funny angle and the cable doesnt spool neatly, it will bunch up at one end of the drum and quickly arrives at a larger diameter than planned for which causes the cable to mash the radiator core. Thats exactly what happened.

 

FFS.

 

Access is a breeze*

 

Anyway - Daves radiator bodge methodology, step 1. Jubilee clip rubber gloves over the main hose tails on the rad.

 

Use an air line on the wee stub that returns to the header tank to lightly pressurise it. This shows exactly where the leaks are. Use soapy water if needed and watch for bubbles.

Despite it being well mashed, only two of the horizontal elements were burst. (The fine vertical fins are just for heat dispersal and of no real consequence to water-tightness.)

 

degrease, dry and apply epoxy resin to the effected area.

 

 

Once dry, repressurise with the air line and see if it holds pressure. This seems to have worked. I will now have a few anxious days with a drum of water in the boot in case it fails again.

Reassembly is the reverse etc etc.......

 

While it was drying I welded a steel plate behind the whinch drum to prevent a repeat performance.

 

I also spotted the return lines from the injectors were weeping diesel which might explain the noxious smell it sometimes has (apart from ass gass in the interior) so I took the Metro out for a run down to town to buy some new hose. Its running nicely at the moment.