The new news 24 thread

[loserone]

I always used to leave the back window unzipped, there's usually a bit of velcro to hold it roughly in place anyway.  Jeez, I miss mine.  

Tip: remember how often you drive on your own before kids.  All those drives can still be done in an MX-5 after they're born.  

 

Or, sell it to me.

[brownnova]

5 minutes ago, loserone said:

Or, sell it to me.

I’m 50/50 as to whether it’ll stay on the fleet... I’ll decide in the new year, and if I do decide to let it go I’ll let you know. 

[catsinthewelder]

1 hour ago, loserone said:

 

Tip: remember how often you drive on your own before kids.  All those drives can still be done in an MX-5 until the 2nd one is born. 

EFA ?

 

Many congratulations Mr + Mrs Brown Nova ?

[loserone]

Not sure I agree, I still commute to work with no passengers and would enjoy it more in an MX-5 than a leaf!

[Six-cylinder]

When my kids arrives I had a Triumph Vitesse convertible and after watching one hide under the tonneau cover because he was so cold changed it for a Jaguar XJ6C. The XJ6C worked great as a family classic, but a few years later I wanted another Vitesse and it cost a lot more money!

[egg]

Mondeo usage has been a bit intermittent over the Autumn. 

The battery on it is at least 4 years old, as it's the same as when I got in in Feb 2016. Resting voltage (ummmm...):

But it does have a start in it, went down to about 10 when cranking and then up to...

What's the verdict, charge it up and keep going, or start seeking out a replacement? 

(Or get a free* test somewhere)

[Spurious]

1 minute ago, egg said:

Mondeo usage has been a bit intermittent over the Autumn. 

The battery on it is at least 4 years old, as it's the same as when I got in in Feb 2016. Resting voltage (ummmm...):

But it does have a start in it, went down to about 10 when cranking and then up to...

What's the verdict, charge it up and keep going, or start seeking out a replacement? 

 

Probably alright for a battery of it's not being used in a while, especially with drains from ECUs, clocks, alarms etc. 

I'd charge it up good and proper and keep an eye on it. Batteries don't like the cold especially if only partially charged. 

That said I'm a skin flint, so your milage may vary. 

 

[egg]

Mazda Battery on resting voltage of 12.17, again on the battery it came with, so also needs a charge - but at least the Xmas break is exactly the right time to do it...!

(They will have to come inside off the car as I don't have power outside, or a driveway...)

[vulgalour]

This is it then.  Off to the new house tomorrow.

[nacho man]

This got delivered today.



My missus was at home and was asking what it was, I told her it was the welcome pack for that new alpina I had treated myself to for xmas. She was not best pleased. I kept it going all day.



Nope just some overpriced decorations.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[320touring]

Much like alpina itself;)

[FakeConcern]

I didn't find this much fun in Kent yesterday...

 

 

[Split_Pin]

I haven't even looked at the cars for 2 weeks but got a chance this morning.

Looks like I need a new jubilee clip expansion tank vent hose in the Audi. Not wept much for 2 weeks though.

I checked the oil and didnt like this though. I initially thought that the hose might have been pressurising not leaking...

The oil was very milky. Underneath the cap was clear, no coolant loss and no smoke though. A few minutes running, few more plunders of the dipstick tube and it cleared. I looked down the tube and could see the condensate on the inside. The car needs a longer run I think.

Had a look at the new subframe and bottom arms that I got for the 172, all in excellent condition. The bottom arms look like new. Very pleased with that. It will be fitted in a few weeks time.

In other news, the Mini hasn't used any oil in 2 weeks and has stopped smoking completely. Obviously related to the oil in it becoming older and a bit thicker. I have some 5/40 instead of 30 to try at the next oil change.

[skattrd]

I have just scrapped my first car. 
It's surprising its taken me this long to scrap one, and it's also the newest car I've ever owned.

It wasn't a bad car as such, but I hated the 4-pot motor (the 5-pot was eleventy times better) and it had too many niggles for me to bother fixing. The broken stepper motors in the dash that meant de-mist wouldn't work was the most annoying (and made the car unsafe to drive in winter). After it decided to start pressurising coolant when I was in Belgium it's fate was pretty much sealed.

£241 for scrapping it and £235 off my insurance premium. 

[wuvvum]

Didn't realise you still had the 205.

[skattrd]

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Didn't realise you still had the 205.

Yep, after I decided to sell it the coolant light came on when driving home from the garage, so that needs to be investigated/fixed when I get chance/time … Hopefully I should get a bit of free time in the spring.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

The AA have given me a whole 10% discount voucher to use at Halfrauds. Such largesse.

[Jamie]

Just having a poo before heading into Bolton to do some Christmas shopping... God help me

[clayts450]

Ta-da. I can haz Council garage

[loserone]

It's empty though?

[clayts450]

Yeah, it'll be the 'out of sight, out of mind' home for the 214. Just need to get the ungrateful bastard going again - the twat has got a flat battery now.

At least it'll free up a parking space outside #notbuyinganother

[clayts450]

Popped over to Rimmers this morning to get the replacement coolant hose for the Streetshite. I always stock up on little nubbins and bits when I'm there due to their extortionate postage charges. 

Two tiny little cosmetic niggles sorted...

420

Something missing....but what ?

Something really important, honest...

Spot the difference

OCD asymmetry resolved

214

Something missing - but what ?

Land Rover parts FTW

Plug that gap

Rests bonnet on head, tries to take photo without nob in frame. Phail

Photos 1-3 taken upside town. Phail. 214 curse.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

A bit of kitsch to hang from the CX's rear view mirror....

[HillmanImp]

As I still have the Porsche, I need to go about fixing it. 

First off is that leak in the boot. 

Its coming through the light. 

One of the captive bolts was spinning and I spent ages trying to get the nut off. I eventually realised that the reason it was spinning was it was no longer attached to the light and the light just pulled off..... It was quite easy to sort the bolt after that. 

Started removing all the horrible tar stuff but its all gone a bit icky here:

It was like that that when I got it, its one of the (many) things I've never got round to looking at.

I've cleaned it up, sanded it down and whacked some Bilt Hammer shizzle on it but need some matching paint made up before I can lob the light back in with some new sealant. 

So for now I've just whacked a cat piss tarp over it until I get some. 

 

[clayts450]

More hair-tearing with the 214 - fully charged battery. Bit reluctant to start then roared* into life.

Left it ticking over for 15 minutes or so (up to temp)....then it died. And wouldn't re-start. Fuel pump is priming okay so not that.

I'd checked the coil again before plumbing the new battery in, but all was good, but reconnected the wires to be on the safe side.

I do now have a NOS crankshaft position sensor to try, so will give that a go tomorrow. Still need to sort out the tyre with a screw in it, but has an iffy spare on for now.

Streetwise battery has also died through lack of use, so it's recharge city here at Clayts central right now, dagnabbit

 

[Bren]

My old man has given me a front strut and spring for the filthy passat - they have never been fitted, he did one side and then his passat repaid him by shitting it's gearbox. I need to do some detective work to make sure I get the corresponding parts - the spring is for a sport and ours is a highline.

[wuvvum]

Today I have mostly been flying this.

40th birthday present from my parents which I haven't got round to taking until now for various reasons.  It was enormous fun - really nice day for it, not too windy or bumpy.  Much smaller than anything I've flown in before (it's actually a microlight, although very much at the posh end of the scale) so it gets blown about a bit and the controls are very sensitive, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The airfield was actually in Suffolk but as my parents had forked out for the maximum 90-minute flight length we were able to fly up the Norfolk coast, then over my house and over the centre of Norwich, and back down over the Lotus plant at Hethel.  The seat wasn't the most comfortable and my arse was getting a bit numb towards the end of the hour and a half, but that was the only fly in the ointment.  I just wish I was a bit* richer so I could buy one myself.

Also I got a pair of tyres fitted to the back of the Alfa, so that's now nice and legal again.  I took it down to Suffolk to give it a bit of a run, and the EML came on on the way back - plugged the computer in and it came up with a fault code to do with the DPF, unsurprisingly.  Cleared the code and the light went out.  It didn't seem to actually affect the running at all, but I'd rather not have any unnecessary lights on the dash.  I still haven't 100% decided whether I'm going to drive it down to Somerset over Christmas or play it safe and take the 75.

[HillmanImp]

I was scrolling through quite fast and thought that was a picture if Concorde taking off. 

[Jamie]

Just scrolling through my sold items on gumtree fuck me I gave this away back in 2016 ☹️

[17-Coffees]

The Astra hit 200K today! Then give it a near enough full tank of Shell-V-POWWAHHH Diesel (Low waning was on for last 30 miles...) as a reward. Huzzah!