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16 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

They do rust eventually, the youngest cars are still 15 years old. Some I have seen are really bad around the sills, especially the Phase 1.  Mine just happened to live in Staxigoe for many years, in the far North East of Scotland. 

 

Had to google that, 25 mins from John O’Groats! 

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9 hours ago, Timewaster said:

Ramp rental is a worry. 

There is a very good chance I would opt for 3 hours at £10 pH or whatever it is,  fuck the job, strip a thread, shear something off, poke a bloody great hole, immobilise the car and end up renting the ramp for 3 weeks. 

My lodger has a spare ramp in his workshop in Uttoxeter.  Looking at what he pays in Rent, rates and insurance, to have it sitting, I might suggest he rents it out. 

He said I can use it anytime but MEH. 

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I think ramp hire is good for - inspecting your own car, rustproofing work, maybe exhaust work - that kind of thing - but agree anything where you're getting into significant dismantling etc - not worth the risk.....

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First ever sale to a Shiter today (fingers crossed) then immediately off to collect the new modern, which requires two new wishbones, but needs to be pressed straight into service regardless as a daily. My work colleagues will doubtless get a laugh out of the not insignificant knocking coming from my 'new' car.

Have been washing and hoovering the Foz in the rain, and feeling a little bit like a colossal traitor for selling it. It knows; you can tell. *sniffle*

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Just got back from a weekend away, stayed in the Pennines not far from Burnley - stunning views and a relaxing time. 
Audi charging issue was sorted before leaving, CJF Rotating Electrics in Hednesford tested my alternator before relieving me of any cash and then reported it to be in good health, electrically. However, the clutch drive pulley was knackered which was no surprise. I was surprised that the one way clutch was so knackered it was also slipping in the drive direction when the alternator was loaded, leading to lack of charge. 
£30 was a bargain for a replacement pulley, fitted onto my alternator. Unit bolted back to the engine and faultless, quiet performance restored. 
 

Now to make preparations for the incoming XM estate, getting excited but I’m sure reality will soon hit!

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Reb's trip State-side on the open forum has got me reminiscing about the only time I went to America in April 1998. The shite aspects...

My then girlfriend drove a Dodge Omni which you can see in this picture of her house, it was out of commission unfortunately for the duration of my trip

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So we did loads of miles around Massachusetts and Rhode Island in her mum's Chevy Cavalier...I drove it round a car park only as I had no licence...

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It all went pear shaped, but here's a pic I took returning to Boston airport..I made the plane home by minutes because of this traffic. I was the last one on the plane back to the old continent (running down the gangway!)

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I think we need a thread on 'shite you saw on holiday in the 90s' :-)

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I've been keeping an eye out for anything useful locally since there's a good few house renovations going on.  Spotted a skinny locker sat on the pavement, knocked on some doors and found out it was destined for scrap so scooped it up in the BX for the garage.  Good for metal bar stock and garden canes, thinks I.  A friend tells me it's a gun locker.  I don't have any guns, so I'll keep bar stock and garden canes in it instead.

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On the A41 there’s a house with a number of Saab 9000s (amongst other Saab’s) outside. Yesterday on the way home from Cannock I knocked on the door, but sadly no answer. So I left a note inquiring if he had any spare doors and leaving my number.

Today I got a phone call off a very nice man who says he has many spares for 9000s including doors!! So might have tracked down a door for the dented Saab! He’s said I’m welcome to see what spares he has and offer for anything I need!

Result!  

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In a local pub car park there is a sad looking red Jag, dirty, flat tyres etc.   A year ago it was shiny and loved looking. 

Not unusual, except that this Jag is only 5 years old.

Did an MOT check, thought I had got the reg. number wrong because the colour came back wrong and did it again. Same result.

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Wonder what is going on. Were all XFs registered on the same day?

 

 

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Just spent $35 in Missouri on a new piece of distributor that has twice the required number of parts that it actually needs to operate.

Nowhere around here sells ignition condensers and nowhere either sells Gruyere cheese. The two are unrelated but the lack of condensers led to a very pleasant lunch of croque madame sandwiches.

That then led to me falling asleep on the couch in something of a food coma because I rarely have deep fried anything these days.

Net result is I have done bugger all useful today but feel a little better.

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Had a long hard look at the rear spring on the A4 this afternoon and decided not to tackle it myself.  I'm pretty sure I would have been able to get the old spring out - it was getting the new spring in which was worrying me.  All the tutorial videos I found online were done by people who were fitting lowering springs - obvs if the spring you're putting in is 3" shorter than a standard one it's going to go in a lot easier.  So I'm going to farm it out to the garage - they'll charge £63.60 (according to the bloke I spoke to about it before) but then they'll waive the retest fee so the net cost to me will only be about £45.

The V70 has been making some odd noises from the front end again recently, and also got a bit of a wobble on again yesterday.  It's not the replacement strut - that is fine - and there's no obvious play in any of the front suspension components, so I think it might have been the offside front tyre being a bit out of shape - I've swapped the wheels over front to back for now.  The strange noises appear to be a result of the fact that the offside outer CV boot has split (not really visible with the wheels on the ground as it's split right at the CV joint end)  - this appears to have happened some time ago as the CV joint is bone dry.  So that's going to need replacing as well.  My "bargain" T5 looks like it's going to end up costing me as much as it would have done to buy a decent one in the first place...

Been driving the Tempra around some more today.  It needs a couple of minor jobs doing, the most pressing of which is that with the lights on the fanbelt squeals for a few minutes after starting the engine - it looks like I'm going to have to get the car up on ramps and crawl underneath to adjust the belt tension as the alternator is at the bottom of the engine.  It sounds like it could do with a drop link on the nearside front as that's a bit rattly over bumps.  Also I'd really like to get the rear wiper working again, as saloons with rear wipers are cool - I think the spindle might be seized as there's power to the motor and it'll switch on, but it just makes grinding noises.  Still loving the digital dash though, especially the boost gauge.  :cool:

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11 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

HStill loving the digital dash though, especially the boost gauge.  :cool:

I reckon the two tier digital dash Fiat used on the Tipo/Tempra is one of the coolest looking ones ever made.  Actually works pretty well too once you've got used to it.

We need a photo for the dash at night thread...

All the buttons, stalks etc are lit from one lamp via fibre optics if I remember right, so if you suddenly loose about 90% of the cabin illumination at some point it will just be that that bulb has blown.

They re nice driving old cars I always thought.  Still regret not buying the black estate I had the chance at a few years ago.

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15 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

I reckon the two tier digital dash Fiat used on the Tipo/Tempra is one of the coolest looking ones ever made.  Actually works pretty well too once you've got used to it.

We need a photo for the dash at night thread...

All the buttons, stalks etc are lit from one lamp via fibre optics if I remember right, so if you suddenly loose about 90% of the cabin illumination at some point it will just be that that bulb has blown.

They re nice driving old cars I always thought.  Still regret not buying the black estate I had the chance at a few years ago.

they also break , the power transistor for the lighting is only riveted to a shite heatsink and it comes loose and over heats , its some sort of darlington pair , but I am sure a more modern PWM setup could be used .

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New car (new to me anyway) joined the small fleet today. Got fed up driving the HRV shitter on a 20 mile commute, so bought this. 1.8vvt sri 95k on clock. Everything works except the thermostat. Booked in to garage on Weds for the stat and a long overdue oil change. I know people slate them, but I like it. 900 of her majesty finest notes, well spent. HRV can get bridged now. And I have room for a new shitter (even the Mrs is on board - although she wants a clk - not told her that's it's more likely to be a R75 as I've had that itch for many years and now it's time to scratch it)

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