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[wuvvum]

Today was an exciting day.  I drove the Volvo to Tesco.

The first time I've actually been "somewhere" in it (rather than just pottering up and down the road outside my house) in over ten years. 

It's not entirely happy - it's suffering quite badly from fuel starvation, not sure whether there's a partial blockage in the fuel line or whether the eBay special electric fuel pump I fitted a while back is on its last legs or simply not up to feeding the prodigious thirst of the B30, but either way it gets decidedly spluttery after a bit and doesn't want to do much more than 30.  It never cuts out though.  Leave it idling for a minute or two so the fuel pump can catch up and it's back to its usual sprightly self, albeit briefly.

On a more positive note, the run to Tesco was enough to kick the alternator back into life, and it's now putting about 13.4v into the battery at idle - so not brilliant but it's definitely charging.  Also the heater is surprisingly effective given the non-functioning blower - even at town speeds it was doing an adequate job of demisting the windscreen.

Not really done much else this weekend, other than empty out the back of the C4 in preparation for its impending departure to a new owner - this involved some creative use of space in the garage, the door only just shuts and I now have two pushbikes in my kitchen, but everything is under cover that should be.  I really do need another van mind.

 

[mitsisigma01]

15 hours ago, Patent said:

There's an art exhibition currently on at the London Southbank Centre by a Finnish artist who has abandoned a bunch of cars outside and illuminated the interior at night.

https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/art-exhibitions/anne-roininen-car-show?eventId=889953

I can only assume Anne Roininen is one of us

Is that it.... or is there more cars lit up... Modern fkin art... 

 

More art in the 2cv

[TheOtherStu]

On 11/12/2021 at 8:26 PM, Gerrymcd said:

I didn't spot this otherwise I'd have come round and said hello. Thanks for taking the time and effort to display your car. I much prefer seeing a loved example that is used regularly, rather than seeing rows upon rows of display models you could eat your dinner off. Much more my cuppa tea! 

Cheers.

This was our stand. The Mk1 on the left is good and in original condition, however, Mark who owns it drives it very regularly and has put most of the miles on it.

The Mk2 is in the midst of being restored, but again, it's regularly driven. The one on the right is mine. It has terrible road rash on both the bumper and the bonnet. The offside has quite a few scratches. The left side doesn't, simply because it had so many dings and scratches, I actually had to get it resprayed. The rear is a mess too. Lights are milky and so on.

I also find it amazing how much the NEC lights make cars look much nicer than they are.

[gm]

i liked the tape collection in the mk1  

 

[richardmorris]

Off for the mot.

[SiC]

On 11/12/2021 at 11:02 AM, SiC said:

The restoration side of Charles Ware has apparently gone into administration. Parts section still going on as a separate concern. 

It's official. Quite a few people panicking as they have cars under restoration there.

[TheOtherStu]

2 hours ago, gm said:

i liked the tape collection in the mk1  

 

Me too. The first time I met Mark, I loved this attention to detail.

He has more in the back of the car too.

I'll let you into a little secret. His cassette player is broken 🤣

[grogee]

On 11/13/2021 at 10:27 PM, trigger said:

I bought a new project today. 

The world's greenest Fiesta van... Its in fact a 2011 1.6TDCi Econetic Van, apparently. My neighbour bought it about 5 years ago for talking his dog out in but never ended up using it much and when the screen broke and mot lapest it just ended up as a tool for moving logs around his garden before being laid up for the last year or more on the drive. 

I was chatting to him this afternoon and asked what his plans were for it, probably scrap it but I haven't a clue, he said, would I be interested in it? Hell yeah! 😂 £600 was handed over, got it jumped started of my car and drive it back round mine. 

It is absolutely mingling! 

If you think that's bad the boot was growing its own ecosystem! 

As the misses was out I took the opportunity to get straight to work in the boot, a full black bin of wood and bark came out including even a sleeping Carpenter bee!

Whicha after about 3 hours looked like this again. 

So as you can see LOADS of cleaning to do but I'm quite excited to do that, I reckon under the muck is a really tidy van, even the back looks like it's had a easy life considering its 134000 miles. 

Mechanically it needs a battery, bonnet pull, a couple of tyres and possibly a ball joint and definitely a good service and windscreen but not much really. 

That's decent that is. What a useful tool.

Is the bee alright?

[richardmorris]

No advisories. 32 miles covered today- half the annual total! She’ll vpower now at £1.60 a litre!

[Bren]

The vectra has a couple of broken flaps on the interior vents. I have removed one and stripped it down ( a more detailed explanation in "what have you fixed lately?" thread).

I keep looking at other cars as the vectra is getting a bit old - two injectors need re sealing and it will need a rad before next summer. It has started to clonk from the front - I suspect it needs drop links.

However stuff is so expensive - £3.5 k for an 09 mondeo estate with 120 k to £4750 for a 13 plate passat with 149 k - if you are borrowing money the car will be worn out before it is paid off - I think I will just pick the jobs off one at a time.

[reb]

I saw an 850R with something like 150k on it for sale on AutoTrader for £25k, significantly more than any of the lower mileage ones I've seen. I think I'll stick with TDIs if that's alright with everyone!

[junkyarddog]

This old thing went in for its annual road worthiness test today (NCT)and passed first go,was really expecting them to find something wrong with it.

I did chuck on a set of partworn Chinese death rings on it(from a mates scrap yard)and adjusted the handbrake a little bit,but apart from that did very little else.

Good to go for another 12 months. 

Chuffed.

16 years of ownership and counting.

 

[doug]

This might be worth a look.

Sent from my SM-A127F using Tapatalk

[Bren]

5 hours ago, junkyarddog said:

This old thing went in for its annual road worthiness test today (NCT)and passed first go,was really expecting them to find something wrong with it.

I did chuck on a set of partworn Chinese death rings on it(from a mates scrap yard)and adjusted the handbrake a little bit,but apart from that did very little else.

Good to go for another 12 months. 

Chuffed.

16 years of ownership and counting.

 

These are still a great car.

[junkyarddog]

1 hour ago, Bren said:

These are still a great car.

Yep.it's been a trooper.

Drives really nicely still,even the aircon still works.

It's not a cherished example by any means,but it still does what is required so why replace it.

 

[Vantman]

MOT passed today for the Scruffy Saab---no advisories😀

 

[Bren]

Fitted the SD1's calipers today -

Two bolts and a tab washer. Need to get some kunifer to make up the pipes - it has rigid pipes from the caliper to the flexis.

[SiC]

1 hour ago, Bren said:

Fitted the SD1's calipers today -

Two bolts and a tab washer. Need to get some kunifer to make up the pipes - it has rigid pipes from the caliper to the flexis.

The one thing I do really hate about BL engineering is the hubs mounted after the discs. Makes them a right 'mare to change. 

[barefoot]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59307070

Lands End to JOG in a Peel 50 - Twat.

[dollywobbler]

40 minutes ago, barefoot said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59307070

Lands End to JOG in a Peel 50 - Twat.

Seems a little unkind given he's raising money for charity, and driving something that is even slower than a 1.3 Montego estate (23mph apparently!).

[reb]

Fiesta finally left today, I received my end of the swap weeks ago. It went on a trailer being towed by a rather gruff sounding Merc Vito. Still haven't warmed up from standing outside helping*, it's bloody freezing today!

[DVee8]

My FiL has this as a courtesy car, while his is in for repair.

Apart from the mot is out in 3 days check the history.

[barefoot]

17 hours ago, barefoot said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59307070

Lands End to JOG in a Peel 50 - Twat.

I'll bet the fucker calls it 'Pete' as well.

[Amishtat]

19 minutes ago, barefoot said:

I'll bet the fucker calls it 'John' as well.

FTFY

[Austat]

I just found out that the Mercedes W120/W121 are called the "Ponton" models, not the "Proton" models which I thought they were called:

[barefoot]

It's because they don't have 'separate' wings, and the sides of the vehicle are flat, like a pontoon. The VW Type 3 is also occasionally called this.

[wuvvum]

Today is an exciting day at Wuvvum Towers.  My friendly local Parcel Force driver has just delivered a nugget of purest rocking horse poo.

This is what I believe to be the last remaining NOS Innocenti 500 engine mount anywhere in the world.  I actually tried to order two but the only place that listed them in stock reduced my order to one because that's all they had, and the manufacturer no longer lists them.  The car could really do with two replacing but there's only one that's totally fucking fucked mate big time, so this should be a significant improvement once fitted, and given the mileage the car does the others should hold on for a few more years yet.

I'm just massively chuffed to finally have it in my grubby paws - you wouldn't believe the hassle I've had trying to get hold of one.

[dozeydustman]

Just come back from Silverlake Autos just outside of Alton in Hampshire. Got my dad a wing for his Polo and a couple bits for the C2 for £30. It’s one of these Upick places. Most of what they have is 2000-on but there were a couple of 1990s vehicles there for people to take bits from. Recommend the place.

[SiC]

34 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I'm just massively chuffed to finally have it in my grubby paws - you wouldn't believe the hassle I've had trying to get hold of one.

I've seen bushes made out of PU/Tigerseal/car window glue and the like by filling the gap from stuff in a tube. Maybe worth it on the other when it's totally had it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl2XcCqYVRU

[dean36014]

Well the bx has passed its MOT.  Well chuffed to have it back on the road after not using it much for a few years due to coolant pressurising issues. Now let's put some miles on it and see if the new head gasket holds up.