The new news 24 thread

[dugong]

Is the knob van un-roadworthy?

 

Yes. The MoT expired shortly after it came back to live with me. It says a lot for the quality of vehicles I've owned that it's the only car people have mithered me constantly to sell. Close second was my 460 Turbo. A bloke followed me down Washway Road and to my mate's where it stayed to ask about it; someone else kept leaving illiterate gibberish notes on the windscreen asking to 'by th engni n box';  after my mate Steve's 460 Turbo auto was lifted a couple of miles down the road and ragged round Wythenshawe Golf Club I was convinced mine was next. The local scrotes took to keying it and kicking the door mirrors off it instead. 

 

Les Knob_van is still the king for fans of trespassing and those confused about the meaning of the word 'no'. The premier turd in the water pipe was a complete fud on a Peugeot Facebook group who berated me for not restoring it (I don't want to restore it, I want to use it for its intended purpose)  and asked: "I know it's not for sale but how much is it and where is it?" after messaging me incessantly. 

 

It can be fixed, but not in the time frame I've got in mind. My other garage up north is costing too much a month. I also need to scrap my other Piazza which has sat in a Bootle lock up for nearly five years. A TD 306 or ZX would be perfect; I ruled out an early petrol XM because it would probably have shat itself and / or infuriated me with its academic superiority. It has to do several 300 mile round trips carrying a lot of stuff without costing me much money.  A cheap estate would be more cost effective than two or three van rentals and if I could break it after I'm done (the estate, not the van) I might do better than break even. 

Running and breaking a 75 Tourer would cause maximum offence to all and sundry, but they're fetching semi decent sums these days (well, more than I want to pay). 

[Cavcraft]

Dave Station is selling a 406 estate, Jon. Any good to you?

[dugong]

Dave Station is selling a 406 estate, Jon. Any good to you?

 

 

Thought about that, couldn't add it to my classic policy unfortunately. 

[Coprolalia]

Yes Mr Chairman

 

(More pictures and some words to follow)

[HMC]

^ thought that was a solara on my tiny I phone screen.

 

Eagerly awaiting updates! Skoda px'd for a real eastern bloc motah?

[Ghosty]

rimz_yo in for powdercoating, will be done next week. Turns out the refurb place will remove the tyres for £2/rim, so they're disposing of them for us too. 

[captain_70s]

Nice evening for car tinkering.

 

 

The 1850 was refusing to start, no petrol to carbs. I have bought new fuel filters as the old one was packed. Now the car won't turn over, nice.

 

Checked/cleaned all the earths to no avail and then checked the connections on the starter. Somehow the live feed had come undone, the nut is nowhere to be seen and the sheathing for the cable is torn right through, how the fuck did that happen? Taped up the cable and have wedged it back on the contact but the starter still has no life. I hope to fuck it's no shorted and fucked my nearly new starter motor that was fitted something like 2 months before the car came off the road.

The battery is back on charge, hopefully it's just so shagged it's not putting out reliable voltage...

 

The car has also decided that the hazard lights now flash a single rear indicator and the front sidelights. Oh, well, this new indicator maintenance access hole will be handy I guess...

 

[vulgalour]

Popped into the local autofactors to see, on the off chance, if the parts for the Renault had arrived.  I was delighted to be handed a box containing distributor cap, air filter, oil filter and a set of spark plugs for a smidge over £40.  The only difficulty was getting the spark leads but I've got options on those.  I was also delighted to discover the (third) clutch I bought fits the gearbox properly.  A good day to be parts hunting for the Renault for once.

[vulgalour]

Those Tatras look surprisingly generic from the rear.

[xtriple]

Thoroughly enjoyed running around in Dollop today. She behaved herself pretty well apart from one failure to start session, as always right outside a busy shop where people could point and laugh... I have tried a new starter inhibitor relay to see if that makes any difference. I'm not hopeful...

 

Filled her up with expensive propellant and had a bit of a cruise in the sunshine - all the windows open, Aerosmith blaring and a dogs head hanging out of either side rear window. What could be better?

 

Oh yeah, a pair of dogs that don't cover the whole side of the car in slobber!

 

First time since I've had it where it was actually warm.hot. Temp gage remained where it should, oil pressure did drop a little bit after it had been stuck in traffic for 30 minutes after a good, fast run - was just out of the white zone (no such thing as numbers on a Bentley gauge - still surprised the rev counter has them!) which is fine at idle. Oh, and the air con is lovely and cold but it doesn't half get confused when all the windows are open - it was trying to chill the whole world!

[Ghosty]

Those Tatras look surprisingly generic from the rear.

My first thought was Fiat!

[Coprolalia]

Ok, work's calmed down a bit, so here's the motor. Was going to put it in the lazy spotters thread but got too excited.

 

This Tatra 613 is not mine (though I damn wish it was). It belongs to a customer of my mate, who is by all intents and purposes an interesting chap. His daily is a 2.6 v6 Audi Cabriolet which he also uses for towing, and he has a collection of 70s/80s Skodas. When my mate let it be known he had this in I had to go and have a look (also needed to talk to him about recovering the Scirocco to him).

 

It's in his workshop having the front struts replaced. Parts were difficult to get hold of: the owner flew to Poland/Bulgaria/Eastern-bloc-slav to have them rebuilt by a man in a shed.

 

The interior is luxury writ large by an author who lives in a tractor factory. Velour and dials. Everything massive, soft and comfy.

 

The 3.5l DOHC aircooled v8 has been rebuilt recently. Looks a bit like an old air-cooled 911 lump, sounds like an old ford flathead. Just amazing. It's got a proper weird layout, sitting between the axles, with diff/gearbox/transfer case making a sort of U-shape around it. I'll sort out the video a bit later.

 

Bit more info on this rarity.

http://www.tatra-register.co.uk/613.htm

 

I'm going to try and meet the owner (not on here I think/facebook/social media/ forums) and see if he wants to share his haul with some Tatra lovers.

 

Incidentally the B2 Passat behind is a 20 point MOT fail job. Mate was not impressed with the hacked springs and lack of bolts for the rear belts.

[cort1977]

"the owner flew to Poland/Bulgaria/Eastern-bloc-slav to have them rebuilt by a man in a shed."

 

We need this winner on here, MOAR PLZ.

[vulgalour]

One day I will see a Tatra in person.  One day.  It is an aspiration of mine.

[Honey Badger]

My step father has a 2001 Astravan sportive 1.7TD he wants to sell, 70000 miles with mot until Jan 2017 with no advisories.  It's been used as his allotment car since he closed his business down and it's done maybe a 1000 miles a year for the last 9 years.

 

He thinks it's scrap money, maybe £200 at most, I think it's probably getting on for a grand, can anyone in the trade get me an approximate price for what it's worth?

 

It's in Kettering if anyone might be interested in it.

[Kiltox]

Always someone looking for a van - I'd be asking £995 for it if it were on my stock list providing it's in good nick with that length of MoT.

 

Trade price will be buttons mind - and scrap money is nowhere near £200!

[RayMK]

My slight optimism yesterday that the 205 may not after all have OMGHGF was today dashed.  Today's trip of about 70 miles, including some 70mph cruising, did not show up any running problems. However, back home when I lifted the bonnet to check the expansion bottle it was oozing horrible slime out of the relief hole in the lid, more or less the same as it did a few days ago.  I flushed the bottle and refilled with clean water so that I could observe its behaviour.  With the engine still warm from the run, there were large burps of gas bubbling into the expansion bottle at fairly regular intervals.  It carried on doing this as long as the engine was running i.e. 15 minutes or so.  Combustion gas is obviously getting in to the coolant.  I detest overhead cam, transverse engines with regard to head removal - way too much faffing about removing the top engine mounting, cam belt and exhaust manifold and more difficult on ordinary ramps/jacks.  Tomorrow I may get an estimate from my trusted garage for a head gasket replacement, probably including a skim.  The £££ required could seal the 205's fate, though I do like the car, so it will have to be a major financial shock before I give up on it.  The 205's misbehaviour meant that the repeat journey of 70 miles had to be in one of my other cars.  The Stellar is out of action waiting for the wheel bearing to be replaced (a much cheaper job than HG replacement).  The Tipo that I share with my son - we both regard it as the back-up car - was thus pressed into action.  I now have back ache.  Also, on one long gentle uphill stretch whilst maintaining 60mph, the bloody thing gradually lost power then made a noise like a sneeze followed immediately by a soft backfire.  I eased off, making the following BMW SUV thing get even closer, then gently reapplied power and it was ok.  My son said it did the same to him a week ago.  F*****g cars.

[vulgalour]

Tipo fault sounds like it could be coughing out the contents of the backbox.

[andrew e]

Does the Tatra look like a Capri from the rear, or Isi it the angle? Vulgalour is rite.

[RayMK]

Tipo fault sounds like it could be coughing out the contents of the backbox.

 

Yes, it felt as though it was over fuelling but my limited experience with mixture igniting in the exhaust - which was a big bang under the car, a peeled open back box, then a visit to the exhaust centre to get another one - suggests this was different.  The Tipo's exhaust is still intact and the sound appeared to come from the engine bay.

[RayMK]

Does the Tatra look like a Capri from the rear, or Isi it the angle? Vulgalour is rite.

I've seen many Tatras but have never thought 'Oh, that looks like a Capri from the rear.'    613s are nice, though 603s are nicer. Just my opinion of course.  Lots of interest from the design/engineering stand point.  Twenty or so years ago, there was a Tatra dealership at Fosters Booth not far from where I live.  It was selling the Westernised 613s that Top Gear tested (and liked).  The garage still exists with different owners but now concentrates on selling and servicing classics and modern cars and is knowledgeable on Reliants.

[vulgalour]

Is the Tipo new enough to have a catalytic converter?  I suppose it could be that.  I'd expect it to be exhaust related from what you've described at any rate.  Perhaps spark leads breaking down too.

[Timewaster]

Vulg. The method we used to use for reviving Rover key fobs was:

 

Battery out

Hold both buttons for 20 seconds

New Battery in

Unlock with the key

Ignition on

Ignition off

Lock with key

Repeatedly press the fob buttons alternately left then right left then right until the door unlocks.

 

This can take ages and ages, sometimes half an hour of constant pressing but on several occasions it got us out of the shit with customers who's car we had immobilised by letting the Saturday boy fit the battery.

It is a combination of advice from various parties and bitter experience.

 

It doesn't work every time but worth a go.

 

Good luck.

[RayMK]

Is the Tipo new enough to have a catalytic converter?  I suppose it could be that.  I'd expect it to be exhaust related from what you've described at any rate.  Perhaps spark leads breaking down too.

 

Its a 1994 car, so it may have one.  I'll have a look tomorrow.  I have got a new set of leads for it somewhere.  Can't do any harm to fit them, and check the plugs as well.  It's not an easy problem to diagnose because it drives fine most times - has only done the cough/sneeze twice.

[barrett]

I've seen many Tatras but have never thought 'Oh, that looks like a Capri from the rear.' 613s are nice, though 603s are nicer. Just my opinion of course. Lots of interest from the design/engineering stand point. Twenty or so years ago, there was a Tatra dealership at Fosters Booth not far from where I live. It was selling the Westernised 613s that Top Gear tested (and liked). The garage still exists with different owners but now concentrates on selling and servicing classics and modern cars and is knowledgeable on Reliants.

Funnily enough, I'm going to meet the chap who homologated those Tatras for the uk market tomorrow, with a view to him hopefully building an engine for our newly purchased DKW...

[Alexg]

Just agreed with Derek from Renospeed for him to build and fit a 1.1 engine for the R5. Its been off the road 18 months but should now be ready for the Bromley Pageant with any luck.

[dollywobbler]

1994 Tipo will deffo have a cat. They can disintegrate and start clogging the exhaust up.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Funnily enough, I'm going to meet the chap who homologated those Tatras for the uk market tomorrow, with a view to him hopefully building an engine for our newly purchased DKW...

 

oooohhhh!!!! Try to get the intel on what happened to his Connaught project, bet theres a good story there.

[dollywobbler]

That'll be Mr Bishop I presume then? Used to live in the next village to him. Always had oddballs driving past the house. Once found myself racing him in his Trabbie Tramp in my 2CV. Glory days.

[mouseflakes]

That'll be Mr Bishop I presume then?

 

Call me Larry.