The new news 24 thread

[Eyersey1234]

Meh sorry Ferraris don't do anything for me, now if it was a bASe Mk1 Mondeo like @egg has it would be different 

[Eyersey1234]

Being key workers both my OH and I thought it would be a good idea to get tested for Covid-19, fuck me what an experience having a stick shoved down your throat. Thank fuck they both came back negative 

[richardmorris]

7 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Meh sorry Ferraris don't do anything for me, now if it was a bASe Mk1 Mondeo like @egg has it would be different 

There was a Mondeo st thing a while back, but yesterday there were a couple of four door sierras with cross channel ferry-sized exhausts. Maybe cosworths?

[Six-cylinder]

20 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Meh sorry Ferraris don't do anything for me, now if it was a bASe Mk1 Mondeo like @egg has it would be different 

This is my problem, I like some Ferraris and cars others would say have no merit at all!

[xtriple]

Polished my headlights... again. Now up to attempt number three. Attempt number two took place last week and I thought it was a success, but I was wrong.

So wrong...

I polished them and then got bored, read some reports and went and bought the Armorall wipes things that are supposed to be the Bees knees. To be fair, they looked great for about a day then whatever lacquer was left on the headlights reacted and it looked like it had acne, bad acne...

So today I sanded them with the Autoglym kit but instead of doing it with a drill, I did it by hand (what a man!) and they came out loads better almost look really good! It was much easier doing it by hand - 800, 1500, 2000 and then 3000, the last stages almost had them shining before I polished them.

I can live with them now they look 'proper' and better than spending many, many hundreds on new ones.

[SRi05]

6 minutes ago, xtriple said:

Polished my headlights... again. Now up to attempt number three. Attempt number two took place last week and I thought it was a success, but I was wrong.

So wrong...

I polished them and then got bored, read some reports and went and bought the Armorall wipes things that are supposed to be the Bees knees. To be fair, they looked great for about a day then whatever lacquer was left on the headlights reacted and it looked like it had acne, bad acne...

So today I sanded them with the Autoglym kit but instead of doing it with a drill, I did it by hand (what a man!) and they came out loads better almost look really good! It was much easier doing it by hand - 800, 1500, 2000 and then 3000, the last stages almost had them shining before I polished them.

I can live with them now they look 'proper' and better than spending many, many hundreds on new ones.

How much was the autoglym kit ? my SLK headlights are pretty yellow and could do with a bit of attention

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I'm just after firing up the CX after six weeks' dormancy. Remarkably, no oil or coolant warning lights. Oil gauge still reading minimum, even after decanting another litre of Castrol 10w40 into it.

Booking it into Garages Dubois-Loizou next month to get another coolant flush, plus a leakdown test for the head gasket. LHM is three years old now so that will probably need replacing. And get all the brake pads/discs checked, and handbrake reset. Big bill anticipated.

Everything else still works, but I'm definitely going to need a replacement heater blower fan - anyone out there got a spare working one?

[BorniteIdentity]

I’ve no idea why I like these old Waddingtons Super Top Trumps so much. As a boy I probably played with them two or three times in total. Anyway I’ve waxed lyrical about my passion for this sort of thing before, so I won’t bore you to tears with the script again. 

Anyway, my sons and I knew the lorries deck inside out so I’ve invested another £6 on a new* set from eBay. 

Just look at them. 
 

 

10/10 would go on a bawdy trans-continental coach holiday via Neoplan Skyliner driven by a balding Sid James type character. 

Would recommend. 

[richardmorris]

2 hours ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

I'm just after firing up the CX after six weeks' dormancy. Remarkably, no oil or coolant warning lights. Oil gauge still reading minimum, even after decanting another litre of Castrol 10w40 into it.

Booking it into Garages Dubois-Loizou next month to get another coolant flush, plus a leakdown test for the head gasket. LHM is three years old now so that will probably need replacing. And get all the brake pads/discs checked, and handbrake reset. Big bill anticipated.

Everything else still works, but I'm definitely going to need a replacement heater blower fan - anyone out there got a spare working one?

Lhm lasts forever being non -hygroscopic , if you had it all hydroflushed when you got it that’s it for the next twenty years.

 

also you say the oil gauge is reading min, but are you checking the dipstick too?

[wuvvum]

22 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I’ve no idea why I like these old Waddingtons Super Top Trumps so much. As a boy I probably played with them two or three times in total. Anyway I’ve waxed lyrical about my passion for this sort of thing before, so I won’t bore you to tears with the script again. 

Anyway, my sons and I knew the lorries deck inside out so I’ve invested another £6 on a new* set from eBay. 

Just look at them. 
 

 

10/10 would go on a bawdy trans-continental coach holiday via Neoplan Skyliner driven by a balding Sid James type character. 

Would recommend. 

Those old Setra coaches go like the clappers, and sound great whilst doing so.  Merc V8 if memory serves. 

[BorniteIdentity]

14 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Those old Setra coaches go like the clappers, and sound great whilst doing so.  Merc V8 if memory serves. 

I would absolutely love a go on a coach. Why don’t people organise THIS as a red letter day rather than the option to spank a lotus around a disused airfield. I’d be much happier taking a bunch of pensioners to Southwold for the afternoon. 

[wuvvum]

The earliest Setras are well over 30 years old now, so legally drivable on a car licence.  You wouldn't be able to carry pensioners though sadly.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

43 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

....also you say the oil gauge is reading min, but are you checking the dipstick too?

Yes, and despite the now two litres of Castrol I've now poured in, I'm struggling to see any trace of oil between the dipstick markers. I always do the check when stone cold before starting. 

Now I accept that my eyesight has worsened over the years, but when I wipe the dipstick the oil traces all come from the bottom section below the marks and not even the hint of a stain between them. Je ne comprends pas. C'est vraiment bizarre.

[mitsisigma01]

26 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

The earliest Setras are well over 30 years old now, so legally drivable on a car licence.  You wouldn't be able to carry pensioners though sadly.

Can you drive a full size on grandads rights (car test passed before xxxx) but be limited as to how many seats (maybe 9 or 13 or 15) and should Mr Bornite purchased a full size coach and if he say had insurance that allowed others to drive it, would others be covered on his insurance or third party only cover from other persons own insurance ????

Just a thought ?

[tommotech]

23 hours ago, stuboy said:

since driling out the exhaust studs ive upset the lambda sensor and its throwing eml on, wonder if got covered in wd40 that i was using as drilling lube

Oxygen sensors get a hard life, in the harshest environment. Even vibration from any hammering / spannering can see them go into a failed existence. I had to replace one recently, on a Peugeot 207 and the car drives massively better and uses less fuel now. 
There is usually a reset within the ECU so the new parameters of the sensor can be learnt and Oxy Sensor ageing zeroed. 

[richardmorris]

37 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Yes, and despite the now two litres of Castrol I've now poured in, I'm struggling to see any trace of oil between the dipstick markers. I always do the check when stone cold before starting. 

Now I accept that my eyesight has worsened over the years, but when I wipe the dipstick the oil traces all come from the bottom section below the marks and not even the hint of a stain between them. Je ne comprends pas. C'est vraiment bizarre.

The oil in my x1/9 is so clean it’s hard to see, but even so it’s there. I have no experience of the 2.5 cxs but like you say, it’s bizzare. Are you in the ccc? Have you asked Stan platts?

[wuvvum]

14 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Can you drive a full size on grandads rights (car test passed before xxxx) but be limited as to how many seats (maybe 9 or 13 or 15) and should Mr Bornite purchased a full size coach and if he say had insurance that allowed others to drive it, would others be covered on his insurance or third party only cover from other persons own insurance ????

Just a thought ?

Third party cover from your own (car) insurance would definitely not cover you to drive a coach.  I think 8 passengers is the limit for driving on a car licence.

[mitsisigma01]

Shame I fancy a go in one ?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

11 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

The oil in my x1/9 is so clean it’s hard to see, but even so it’s there. I have no experience of the 2.5 cxs but like you say, it’s bizzare. Are you in the ccc? Have you asked Stan platts?

I am in the 3C. I think I will have to ask Stan if he's come across anything like this. Incidentally, this has only started happening since the oil and filter were changed. 

After running the engine today,  I switched off, then turned on the ignition without starting. The oil gauge flicked over to about one-third, so it does agree the oil is in there somewhere. 

[red5]

On 5/11/2020 at 5:13 PM, Mrcento said:

As of yesterday, i now own a Vectra.

Mods- how long of a banning offence is this?

I find that hugely offensive. They're all to be desired. Or this isn't AS. 

[richardmorris]

11 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

I am in the 3C. I think I will have to ask Stan if he's come across anything like this. Incidentally, this has only started happening since the oil and filter were changed. 

After running the engine today,  I switched off, then turned on the ignition without starting. The oil gauge flicked over to about one-third, so it does agree the oil is in there somewhere. 

I’ve always found Stan to be helpful, some don’t. Almost twenty years ago on the drive  he helped me diagnose the cause of no cooling fans by phone - corroded relay.

[Talbot]

2 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Lhm lasts forever being non -hygroscopic , if you had it all hydroflushed when you got it that’s it for the next twenty years.

It may not adsorb water, but it does get absolutely filthy.  I thought 3 years was the recommended interval.  Granted, you might push that out to 5 or a few more, but 20?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

24 minutes ago, Talbot said:

It may not adsorb water, but it does get absolutely filthy.  I thought 3 years was the recommended interval.  ...

3 years or 36,000 miles. I don't think I've covered 3600 since I bought it.

The stuff in the LHM tank still appears green, but even so I'd still like it checked along with the spheres. 

[Talbot]

Most of the silt in the system ends up in the bottom of the tank, under the white plastic disc.  An interim "help" to keep the system clean is to decant out (and filter) the tank contents, clean out the tank and then re-fill it.

However, if you do this yourself be *VERY*careful as the lip of the top of the tank is razor sharp.  I've cut myself on BX/CX LHM tanks several times and it really fucking hurts.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Can you drive a full size on grandads rights (car test passed before xxxx) but be limited as to how many seats (maybe 9 or 13 or 15) and should Mr Bornite purchased a full size coach and if he say had insurance that allowed others to drive it, would others be covered on his insurance or third party only cover from other persons own insurance ????

Just a thought ?

This used to be clearly documented on the DVLA website, but the page disappeared when the website was redesigned a few years ago.

The rules are:

[] The vehicle must be more than 30 years old on the day you are driving it.

[] You must be more than 21 years of age.

[] You must have held a full category B driving licence for a minimum of three years.

[] No more than 8 passengers may be carried.

[] The vehicle must not be used for hire/reward.

It's basically a loophole there to allow owners of historic vehicles to drive them.

The biggest headache I found by a country mile when I was more involved in this side of things a few years back was insurance.  The vast, vast majority of insurers who will cover full size buses or coaches will only cover you if you also have a full category D licence.  Your normal car insurance will NOT cover you, even if you've got the "driving other vehicles" feature on your cover.

It's a phenomenal buzz driving something like that though, both in and out of town depending on the bus/coach.  I bloody miss it!  Was a huge perk of my job I reckon.

[Talbot]

5 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

The biggest headache I found by a country mile when I was more involved in this side of things a few years back was insurance.  The vast, vast majority of insurers who will cover full size buses or coaches will only cover you if you also have a full category D licence. 

I wonder if the would cover a pre-97 car licence holder who was under instruction by a Category D licence holder?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I was quite surprised that my 1989 licence made me eligible to pilot a 7.5 tonne horse lorry without needing another test. Having had a difficult experience driving a Ford Cargo based lorry, I'm not sure that's a good thing. 

[Kiltox]

3 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

I was quite surprised that my 1989 licence made me eligible to pilot a 7.5 tonne horse lorry without needing another test. Having had a difficult experience driving a Ford Cargo based lorry, I'm not sure that's a good thing. 

Can also tow a car transporter trailer (or any trailer), you lucky bastard  

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Just now, Kiltox said:

Can also tow a car transporter trailer (or any trailer), you lucky bastard  

Ah now, if only I could haul one up to Bradford to bring that Ro80 home....

[mitsisigma01]

Even one of these type set ups? 

 

Or one of these