The new news 24 thread

[coalnotdole]

The cheque for the sale of the Rebel Van cleared and I dropped it off with the new owner today. He's still not told his children that he's bought it! I hope I'm still in a position to buy funky old cars for fun when I'm in my 80's!

Not sure how I feel about selling it really. I've had it a long time and done lots of amazing trips in it and its sad to think that thats over. On the other hand It wasnt getting used much, I'm trying to save for a deposit on a house so every scrap of cash is being put by for that. I also feel I'm spending too much time working on cars and not enough time driving them so maybe having one less for a while will be a good thing.

Its fairly local still so possibly I'll still keep tabs on it,  With the Rebel gone the Stright 6 Scimitar is looking a bit lonely! Maybe I should go and get ORJI out of hybernation just to keep it company!

 

[Ghosty]

Just wait until winter.

[Datsuncog]

I've just noticed that @R9UKE has this up for sale, and it's giving me a whole host of unexpected desires...

[Ghosty]

Good deal that.

[RayMK]

This is a 'no news' report.  A few weeks ago I mentioned my intention to get the Reliant out of my garage, give it a checkover and see how best to fit an electric fuel pump which I bought years ago.  Well, I got close to doing something but was thwarted by a V70.  My son updated the sound system in his V70, replacing the multi CD/radio lump in the dashboard with a swish Pioneer unit with screen.  It looks and sounds very good.  A few days after buying and fitting an electronic module to enable the use of the standard steering wheel audio controls the battery went flat.  We recharged it and it was flat again the next morning.  He checked and rechecked the wiring and V70 set-up switch positions on the electronic module but battery flattening did not go away.  The remote control connections were thus disconnected to avoid an embarrassing fire and he is happy at the moment to control the audio system from the screen.  Unfortunately, the battery did not recover even after charging (10.7V).  By some fluke, I had had a battery of exactly the same size and similar rating in my garage for at least 10 years.  It actually had 1999 felt penned on it but I can't believe that it is that old or indeed remember which car it was removed from.  Anyway, this ancient battery which had been unattended for years was showing a healthy 12.5volts, so we put it in the V70 which fired up immediately.  Remarkable!  Even more remarkable is that it has not faltered for 2 weeks of occasional V70 use.  The Reliant 'no news' resulted from the old failed battery being plonked at the entrance to my garage, blocking the Reliant in.  I am an old cripple and cannot shift the battery - it has no handle.  When the stars line up again I'll get my son to shift it and will try again.  

[Mally]

14 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

As work is winding down I am just taking days off here and there, who cares if I owe them holidays and the end.

 

Be careful with this.

If you owe them holidays they could deduct the pay from your entitlements in your last pay packet, just when you need the cash most.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Traditional Citroën wiring is shite. And traditional Citroën wiring that has been tampered with over the years is even more shite. That's the view of Monsieur Dubois at FCS who is just after fitting the new CX alternator, only to find that it made feck-all difference as it wasn't receiving electrical signals....

At least he'll rectify all the shite wiring. And hopefully make it less of a potential fire hazard.

*watches bill rise steadily*

[anonymous user]

13 minutes ago, Mally said:

Be careful with this.

If you owe them holidays they could deduct the pay from your entitlements in your last pay packet, just when you need the cash most.

True, I have also had the reverse where I was owed holidays, but unable/ not allowed to take them. Employer did not want to pay in lieu and thought it would be ok for me to lose it,  which was nice. I managed to get it down to one and a half days and just went home at lunchtime on the day before I had said I was finishing. This had the added bonus of avoiding any glib/insincere leaving speeches. 

[adw1977]

Last time I left a job I was owed 3 weeks holiday.  When I handed in my notice I asked if they wanted me to use it all in my last 4 weeks (at their busiest time of year) or give me the money.  They were very happy to give me the money! 

[stuboy]

Tiling done for today so decided to fit my exhaust i welded together onto the mondeo, lil trim of bumper but sounds nice not loud and deafing..

 

[blackboilersuit]

Safe to say a replacement fuel filter was somewhat overdue on the poor old Astra. The fuel that was drained off from the housing was the colour of Guinness too. Considering it's common rail and all that It's done well to keep soldiering on so well. Old filter was date stamped 2012 which was at least newer than the 2004 stamped pollen filter I pulled out last week (it's a 2004 car). The car was also treated to a used air con radiator fan to replace the completely seized original. Air con is still fubarred as expected but hoping this might cure the intermittent engine fan dashboard warning light that's been coming on after startup. Replacing the fan was easy thanks to most of the bumper fixings having been replaced by cable ties and self tappers. It's totally secure so went back together that way. 

[vulgalour]

Right then.  I've got some Rover 400 (R8 shape) bits and pieces up for grabs to put some peanuts in the house move fund since that's happening.  Any of you lot need anything?  I've got, amongst other things, a pair of headlights, some random bits of trim, some electric window switches, and a brand spanking new genuine Rover boot lid.  Concerto rear lights and rear panel are also available.  Mike's not that fussed about taking on the spares with the car, which is why I'm looking to sell/rehome these items separately.  I can post anything, providing the cost is covered, though collection from Middlesbrough preferred.

I'll do a proper listing of this and other stuff I'll be shifting but if any of it doesn't sell by the end of November it'll go in the bin because I'm not moving house with it.

[Ghosty]

Ah, the NOS bootlids, I had one put on my old 416GSi seeing as they were only £30 from Rimmers.

[sloth]

i spent 5 hrs sat at my desk doing not much, as we had approx 4 cars booked in. managed to destroy 4 packs of mini malteasers though.......

 

i wish id been home spannering on the triumph....

[dollywobbler]

One year ago, two hairy Autoshiters jumped on a plane to Bulgaria.

[wuvvum]

14 hours ago, blackboilersuit said:

Safe to say a replacement fuel filter was somewhat overdue on the poor old Astra. The fuel that was drained off from the housing was the colour of Guinness too. Considering it's common rail and all that It's done well to keep soldiering on so well. Old filter was date stamped 2012 which was at least newer than the 2004 stamped pollen filter I pulled out last week (it's a 2004 car). The car was also treated to a used air con radiator fan to replace the completely seized original. Air con is still fubarred as expected but hoping this might cure the intermittent engine fan dashboard warning light that's been coming on after startup. Replacing the fan was easy thanks to most of the bumper fixings having been replaced by cable ties and self tappers. It's totally secure so went back together that way. 

That's novel - I don't think I've ever seen a fuel filter made out of black tweed before. 

[Cavcraft]

After 2 years of pretty sterling service, the Transit has gone. Pondering replacing it, but it seems pretty much everything under £1500 (or a bit more) is rubbish. There seems to be plenty of ticking time bombs in the commercial vehicle world to the extent where it's probably impossible to buy with your head, so might just take a gamble (not an Italian one though) and see what happens.

[clayts450]

10 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Right then.  I've got some Rover 400 (R8 shape) bits and pieces up for grabs to put some peanuts in the house move fund since that's happening.  Any of you lot need anything?  I've got, amongst other things, a pair of headlights, some random bits of trim, some electric window switches, and a brand spanking new genuine Rover boot lid.  Concerto rear lights and rear panel are also available.  Mike's not that fussed about taking on the spares with the car, which is why I'm looking to sell/rehome these items separately.  I can post anything, providing the cost is covered, though collection from Middlesbrough preferred.

I'll do a proper listing of this and other stuff I'll be shifting but if any of it doesn't sell by the end of November it'll go in the bin because I'm not moving house with it.

Would you happen to have a beige keep-fit window winder handle  ? I've got one without the round bit at the end.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

The Friday morning CX electrical report from Monsieur Dubois is not very good.

Engine bay wiring in generally poor state to the point of being a fire risk in places, "mostly bodged", so he will install a parallel circuit for now to ensure that the alternator gets its signal and will charge the battery so that the battery warning light goes out as it is supposed to.

To try to return the wiring to anything like standard (he's had 3 CXs himself and claims to know them inside out) will take at least one full day and cost a minimum of £700. I think we'll leave that job for later in the year or in the New Year. I just need the car to work for now so I can take it to shows and run it to the stables at weekends without the spectre of a flat battery ever hanging over me.

The camshaft pulley also needs attention as it appears distorted so he'll do that.

'tis not all bad news. He took it for a spin and says he was impressed by how strong the car felt (not surprising as it has barely covered 80,000 miles in 30-plus years) and he confirmed that the body, floorpan, etc. requires nothing at the moment (probably because it spent most of the eight years up to October 2017 sitting in a garage or a shed).

Somewhere along the line I'll have to spend the money to have the electrics properly restored. Just not now.

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

After 2 years of pretty sterling service, the Transit has gone. Pondering replacing it, but it seems pretty much everything under £1500 (or a bit more) is rubbish. There seems to be plenty of ticking time bombs in the commercial vehicle world to the extent where it's probably impossible to buy with your head, so might just take a gamble (not an Italian one though) and see what happens.

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

[vulgalour]

clayts: unfortunately not.  No beige trim or window winders available.

[Mally]

39 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

So if you sit inside with the doors and windows closed, and sneeze.

Free Jumbo!

[Cavcraft]

47 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

They do seem cheap and, as you say, always bloody dented. It's funny* how certain vans in a certain price range all have the same faults. Can't find a Renault Trafic/Vauxhall Vivaro under about £1,300 that hasn't shit it's injectors or gearbox, a Mk6 2.4 Transit that has more than 2cms of metal that doesn't need welding, or a Mk7 Transit that hasn't lunched it's engine. Think I'll aim for another Mk6 2.0TDCi to be honest, it'll be rusty but a few months MOT and it being driveable are all that matters.

 

Anyhow, just won another motor on eBay...

[83C]

3 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

After 2 years of pretty sterling service, the Transit has gone. Pondering replacing it, but it seems pretty much everything under £1500 (or a bit more) is rubbish. There seems to be plenty of ticking time bombs in the commercial vehicle world to the extent where it's probably impossible to buy with your head, so might just take a gamble (not an Italian one though) and see what happens.

Yep, cheap vans are now awful. Gone are the days of finding a Mk4/5 Transit with 6 months ticket and a floorpan mostly consisting of iron oxide for £500, that you just knew would serve absolutely fine because even the most ham-fisted, lead footed twat of a driver would struggle to blow the old 2.5 Di up. Same for old Renner Masters and Bedford CFs. 

I got lucky with the Transit I had a few months ago, but to be honest cheap modern vans give me the fear now. In the shite end of the market, I'd want the most rust-free (or already had half of Port Talbot's yearly production welded in) early Mk6 Transit that I could find, with the 2.0 TDDi lump, and I'd have to budget at least £1500 (probably closer to £2k)  to find one like that.  Otherwise, I'd seriously consider buying nearly new something that has been looked after, and taking the hit on depreciation instead. Newer vehicles can and do go wrong, but spunking a decent amount on a looked after or new van that hasn't been thrashed and trashed by someone who doesn't own it and therefore doesn't care about the repair bills is a pretty decent argument against potentially forking out for injectors, clutch/DMF, gearbox, several miles of welding etc on an older van.

[Alex66]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

What is the general reliability of these things like? I have fancied turning a van into a camper just because it would be a fun project and they looked to be a reasonable size. 

[wuvvum]

I've never had any reliability issues with either of mine.  Build quality is flimsy and the gear change is horrible, but the engine is a well-proven VM unit and doesn't seem to be particularly troublesome.

[dollywobbler]

I have a unit!

Pretty much living the dream then. It's not on my doorstep, but then my doorstep won't exist from October. Should easily swallow up my fleet and all my associated crap as well.

[mrbenn]

Excellent. Looks a decent size!

[Cavcraft]

57 minutes ago, 83C said:

Yep, cheap vans are now awful. Gone are the days of finding a Mk4/5 Transit with 6 months ticket and a floorpan mostly consisting of iron oxide for £500, that you just knew would serve absolutely fine because even the most ham-fisted, lead footed twat of a driver would struggle to blow the old 2.5 Di up. Same for old Renner Masters and Bedford CFs. 

I got lucky with the Transit I had a few months ago, but to be honest cheap modern vans give me the fear now. In the shite end of the market, I'd want the most rust-free (or already had half of Port Talbot's yearly production welded in) early Mk6 Transit that I could find, with the 2.0 TDDi lump, and I'd have to budget at least £1500 (probably closer to £2k)  to find one like that.  Otherwise, I'd seriously consider buying nearly new something that has been looked after, and taking the hit on depreciation instead. Newer vehicles can and do go wrong, but spunking a decent amount on a looked after or new van that hasn't been thrashed and trashed by someone who doesn't own it and therefore doesn't care about the repair bills is a pretty decent argument against potentially forking out for injectors, clutch/DMF, gearbox, several miles of welding etc on an older van.

Definitely. Can't justify something fairly new though as it wouldn't get the use and thus wouldn't pay for itself, sadly. 

46 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I've never had any reliability issues with either of mine.  Build quality is flimsy and the gear change is horrible, but the engine is a well-proven VM unit and doesn't seem to be particularly troublesome.

Every day's a school day, always though they had the 2.4 Duratorq thing in Mk6 Transits.

[wuvvum]

Nope - it's a DOHC / common rail update of the old four-headed monster which powered the Rover 825D / Chrysler Voyager etc.  It's more refined and less laggy than the old engine, but just as much of a twat to jump start oddly.  Doesn't shit its injectors or fuel pump every 10 minutes though, so has an advantage over the Duratorq in that sense.