The new news 24 thread

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Picked up the daddy wagon from the window tinters, very happy nice and dark..

I like the tints, I think a car with as much glass as these needs them

 

Sent from my TA-1012 using Tapatalk

[Kiltox]

After a brief fling with a Freelander V6 (discovered prop shaft has been removed, not getting into all boll*cks), a winter hack has been purchased.

 

agtq1WbZTrCwt1nRlqQgNg.jpg

 

Let's hope it's as good as it looks, I'll know when I pick it up tomorrow. ML500 with 79k and full history. I have NEVER liked the look of these things. They're dated, badly proportioned and quite obviously made for the yanks. But it was a bargain and runs on the correct fuel, so it's worth a go.

Get a thread up NOW.

 

how much was it?

[R9UKE]

^ Cheers mate, I'll get one up in the next few days. It was £850!  Short MOT so that could make for interesting thread material (hopefully not).  It's mighty clean though... grey heated leather, navigation etc.  Plus it sounds bloody orgasmic.

[Kiltox]

Holy shit. I bought the wrong car

[Liggle]

Doesn’t the 1.4 TSI guzzle oil?

 

I don’t think these small turbos are as bad as people make out - the Ford Ecoboost failures were due to dodgy coolant hoses for example.

The later EA211 engines the AA guy was referring to are meant to be much better than the earlier (EA111) oil guzzling time bomb, they are belt driven too so no timing chain issues like the earlier ones.

[DeeJay]

Looking at it I thought you were going to say at least £1500.

[richardmorris]

We’re getting a new neighbour at work. The daughter of another business guy is setting up a personal trainer type gym. Anyway, had a chat with the local guy earlier and he does all the merchandise for top gear and now the amazon tour thing. Has done for decades ( why he drives brand new merc s). Apparently before our time original stig turned up in uniform as he was friends and doing deals for t-shirts etc. Up to 1000 orders a day he said, but down a lot since then. Really only talking as I’d had to park the merc outside the doors to get a pc and scanner inside at 7am without them getting wet- he wanted to know whose classic it was blocking the doors ( one of the classic specialist neighbors is making their presence known at the moment as they objected to the gym).

 

Back on track, he says the producer of the GT, who he’s known for thirty odd years is quite surprised amazon has renewed the series as he expected it to be canned due to poor viewing figures.

 

Stop reading if I bore you, but I was in early as a heating engineer was due to service the boiler. Installed by the MOD in the 1980s apparently so cost no problem. Unfortunately it burns a gallon an hour of fuel oil! He measured the meter spinning.

Ah, yes, the 3inch fuel pipe for this travels from the oil tank ( tanker sized) up through the main warehouse, up over the millions and millions of £ worth of mclarens and other nice cars and into the distribution room, then under the yard to our and the other units. All at high pressure. He was a nice old chap ( into steam engines etc) and urgently suggested the agents and landlords get rid of the whole system. A small leak in the warehouse could cause about £300million damage if it all goes kaboom. Only about £200m if it doesn’t catch fire

 

We’ve never turned it on as my electric furnaces are at 1000degrees anyway.

[forddeliveryboy]

After a brief fling with a Freelander V6 (discovered prop shaft has been removed, not getting into all that boll*cks), a winter hack has been purchased.

 

agtq1WbZTrCwt1nRlqQgNg.jpg

 

Let's hope it's as good as it looks, I'll know when I pick it up tomorrow. ML500 with 79k and full history. I have NEVER liked the look of these things. They're dated, badly proportioned and quite obviously made for the yanks. But it was a bargain and runs on the correct fuel, so it's worth a go.

They're one of the few well-built Mercs from the late 90s/early 2000s, according to the MoT man. Nearly bought one three years ago before the V70 turned up. Can't remember how big they are inside, though.

 

That price is spot on if it's been serviced right.

[320touring]

Get a thread up NOW.

 

how much was it?

You are a sick fuck:)

 

ML looks smart though!

[somewhatfoolish]

My mate showed me a photo earlier at work to confirm the OMGSNOKAOS is slowly building up. Bring it on. I love it as it means I can trot out my much-used adage of 'bit of a snow and the whole country grinds to a halt' That's as seasonal as 'soon be Christmas' which I usually utter on Boxing Day to anyone who cares to listen (usually no-one).

 

"Britain to be hit with entirely typical weather."

 

[Cavcraft]

After a brief fling with a Freelander V6 (discovered prop shaft has been removed, not getting into all that boll*cks), a winter hack has been purchased.

 

agtq1WbZTrCwt1nRlqQgNg.jpg

 

Let's hope it's as good as it looks, I'll know when I pick it up tomorrow.  ML500 with 79k and full history.  I have NEVER liked the look of these things.  They're dated, badly proportioned and quite obviously made for the yanks.  But it was a bargain and runs on the correct fuel, so it's worth a go.

 

W!NNER!!!111!!!

 

Fancy meeting here...

 

http://www.hillnditch4x4.com/

 

and see who runs out of money or breaks something first?

[wuvvum]

The red 75 had a FTP this evening - got back to it after work and the battery was flat.  The car appears to have developed an interesting* new fault where it thinks the front passenger door is open all the time - this may have been the cause of the flat battery if the interior lights had been on all day.  I've now disabled them - I can't lock the car though for fear of the alarm going off.  When I next see the car in daylight I'll have a go at lubing up the lock mechanism to see if that frees off the microswitch.

 

On the plus side - RAC members please take note - the time between me getting off the 'phone to the AA call centre and the patrol pulling up was 11 minutes.

[dollywobbler]

I do so hate modern alarm systems. They create far, far more stress and annoyance than they save.

[vulgalour]

You might all think my desire to replace the reliable Rover with something dreadful is daft.  That's nothing.  Mike's gone and replaced his nice diesel Rover 75 Tourer with a P38 Range Rover.

[320touring]

You might all think my desire to replace the reliable Rover with something dreadful is daft. That's nothing. Mike's gone and replaced his nice diesel Rover 75 Tourer with a P38 Range Rover.

Hopefully a 4.6 with slipped liners for additional win

[Datsuncog]

Finally!

 

Full lighting experience now available, the driving lamps having been offline* since about 2013.

 

 

 

 

*off the road and nose-first into an embankment...

[vulgalour]

Did I mention the P38 has no MoT and burst its oil cooler hoses which is why it was laid up?  Because that's a thing too.  Can't remember which engine is in it.

[Eddie Honda]

But you expect not to be able to see out of the sides of a van

It's not like tints suddenly jump out on you when the are there all the time

 

For the record, I can't be arsed having tints. I have shades instead. I bought these for the Jizz:

 

DSCF7533 by E Honda, on Flickr

 

So when the plank wacked the silver Jizz, I just popped them out and put them in the yellow Jizz. I only tend to have them in for the summer so the weans don't get burnt coupons (and they also stop killer bees getting in when the windaes are doon).

[Mally]

Granddaughter has pulled the shades in the back of our Alhambra.

It really troubles me.

Been like that a week, I shall try to remember to drop them before next time I set off 

[BorniteIdentity]

The car appears to have developed an interesting* new fault where it thinks the front passenger door is open all the time

My 75 thought most of the doors were open. Mine was fixed by closing them all, and clearing the fault codes on the ECU with a plug in reader.

 

You may have a different issue entirely tho.

[wuvvum]

The thing with mine is it's intermittent - sometimes it will decide the door is closed and switch off the warning on the dash, then a few seconds later it'll come back on again.  That's probably why it flattened the battery - if the door warning was on permanently then the interior lights would have switched off after a few minutes, but if the warning was coming on and off all day then the lights will have come on again each time.

[somewhatfoolish]

Your 75 thinks it's the Eddystone lighthouse.

[GeordieInExile]

I do so hate modern alarm systems. They create far, far more stress and annoyance than they save.

My 9-5 has had a dead alarm battery since I got it, which means that it randomly goes off when locked off the fob. Solution - lock off the key. Job done.

[panhard65]

This popped up on the Thunderbird facebook page and had to share it.

More information can be found here.

https://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Eric_Goodrich%27s_Iron_Lung

I think it looks great but already there is a comment about a Thunderbird had to die to build it. Which isn't exactly true as all he used were a few body panels and there is very little Thunderbird in it. Whatever you do don't look at the front end as you will need eye bleach, from every other angle though it's pretty good.

 

[Guest Hooli]

My 9-5 has had a dead alarm battery since I got it, which means that it randomly goes off when locked off the fob. Solution - lock off the key. Job done.

 

Get someone with a Tech-2 to turn the alarm off, SiC did it on the 9-5 I had to solve the same issue.

[Broadsword]

Road rage is a strange and scary thing. Driving along the A1 southbound a big Audi SUV rocked up about 3 feet off the rear bumper of the Xantia of excellence. No space to move to another lane, decision made to pull out a healthy gap, besides driving in the slow lane on the A1 leaves you very vulnerable to people ramming into you front the short slip roads.

 

The act of the Xantia leaving the Audi for dead seemed to set the red mist off with the Audi driver. He pulled up alongside, overtook, pulled in front and tried to pull us in a lay by along with him. Then he swung the other way pulled back up front and slammed the brakes on, then blasted off at a stupid speed. Unplugged the dash cams shortly afterwards so might make for interesting footage. The Xantia has front and rear cameras.

[oldcars]

Is it supposed to?

Hope so 

[alcyonecorporation]

Took the SVX for an evening trip to Partridge's last night.

 

They're notoriously awful on fuel, but, like Piazzas, give better economy when run on super unleaded (I set an IPTOC record on the way back from the AS Cumbria run; no-one has ever managed more than 30mpg and I got 35mpg).

 

I'm lucky enough to work very close to the cheapest source of high-test in Peebo, so it gets topped up now and again. I was expecting figures in the low teens, to be honest.

 

The SVX managed 21.5mpg, which may seem piss-poor when compared to billion mile on a thimble of piss and chip fat farting XUDs (which really aren't that economical in the scheme of things), but:

 

1. It has no PCV hoses or canister (they've....erm....disappeared)

 

2. The exhaust isn't really metal any more, it's patches of weld on top of rust

 

3. The brakes are beginning to drag as the pads are down to the metal, so unless it's going to the garage it's getting warmed up and run in work's car park (and that's it).

 

4. Official urban figures for the SVX are quoted by Subaru as 19.3mpg.

 

5. It's a full time 4WD, 1.6 ton, automatic lard arse.

 

I think with the problems sorted and some decent tuning, 23 or 24 mpg around the doors would be possible. I've had surprisingly good results out of the Impreza before (then again, that isn't goosed, windscreen surround aside).

 

Leonard pisses 55-65mpg whatever you do with it, hilariously, but it isn't an SVX.

 

Also, the SVX isn't quick, but it can use what it has in mostly shite weather, despite it being hilariously rearward biased in the snow.

 

[We absolutely did not play Gran Turismo 2 at Partridge's. Partridge is a fucking motherfucker on Seattle Circuit, btw; never challenge him to a race. We found out the Alaska flyover depicted on that track was demolished in 2014, much to our chagrin].

[oldcars]

The thing with mine is it's intermittent - sometimes it will decide the door is closed and switch off the warning on the dash, then a few seconds later it'll come back on again.  That's probably why it flattened the battery - if the door warning was on permanently then the interior lights would have switched off after a few minutes, but if the warning was coming on and off all day then the lights will have come on again each time.

I have this problem with the boot in the winter. Seems to stick with the cold. It opens but bounces closed. I got round it by locking the car with it open then closing it. Seems* to work.

[egg]

Road rage is a strange and scary thing. Driving along the A1 southbound a big Audi SUV rocked up about 3 feet off the rear bumper of the Xantia of excellence. No space to move to another lane, decision made to pull out a healthy gap, besides driving in the slow lane on the A1 leaves you very vulnerable to people ramming into you front the short slip roads.

 

The act of the Xantia leaving the Audi for dead seemed to set the red mist off with the Audi driver. He pulled up alongside, overtook, pulled in front and tried to pull us in a lay by along with him. Then he swung the other way pulled back up front and slammed the brakes on, then blasted off at a stupid speed. Unplugged the dash cams shortly afterwards so might make for interesting footage. The Xantia has front and rear cameras.

 

That's bloody annoying. Seems like you handled it well!

 

He's obviously late with his PCP payments #genericAScomment