The new news 24 thread

[Split_Pin]

Dropped the red forum bike Saab 93 off for its MOT. I know it needs a few bits, hopefully it will all be more or less an expected outcome.

[AnnoyingPentium]

15 hours ago, Yoss said:

My mum was recently quoted £800 for a pair of headlights for her Micra CC. I've no idea if that's what they cost or not but I said you could get headlight restoration kits. I'd never used them because I only drive quality* cars with glass headlamps but offered to give it a go. How hard can it be? 

This is the before shot, it doesn't really convey the state of them. Not just the colour but the texture. They were really rough. 

The slightly worrying bit is that you have to make them considerably worse before they get better. 

This is the Auto Glym kit. Comes with 800 and 1500 grade sanding discs, then 2000 and 3000 grade foam pads and finally a sponge mop with allegedly special polish which I think is just fancy T cut. There are cheaper options but it had everything in one pack and £25 is a lot cheaper than £800.

Anyway it worked. 

 

So I thought whilst I'm there we'll do step dad's Pug 207. They weren't nearly as bad to start with but they still came up nice. 

Before 

After

 

 

Oh by the way, the pictures of my mums Micra had the bonnet open. With it shut you'll note the quality decoration. 

These are all round the front and rear lights, door handles and badges. Now you know where I get the hankering to drive round in unique cars. I think mine are far more tasteful unique cars but other opinions are available wrong. 

Excellent work there.

I did the same with the Fabia. The difference at night was startling, but they were getting bad again within a few months (probably an issue on my end tbh) and I just whipped the lights off when ECP had one of their never-ending 45% off sales.

[Split_Pin]

Pass for the Saab. 

The wheelbearing is annoying me though, going to get that sorted at a later date.

[SRi05]

4 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Pass for the Saab. 

The wheelbearing is annoying me though, going to get that sorted at a later date.

I was going to quote you earlier saying it would probably need a coil spring. It's needed at least one the past few MOT's. Absolutely loves them.

That's a result though ! chuffed it's still going man

[sierraman]

11 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Not sure man, I don't know much about these. My wife drove past it on her way back to work after lunch and said it was full of holes along the bottom. Hopefully it's being saved, nobody on the Scotland Rover Facebook page has owned up to it yet though.

He looks insane, get him out for a drink. 

[Saabnut]

2 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Excellent work there.

I did the same with the Fabia. The difference at night was startling, but they were getting bad again within a few months (probably an issue on my end tbh) and I just whipped the lights off when ECP had one of their never-ending 45% off sales.

 

Once plastic lights have been polished, they need a coat of UV resistant clear laquer on them to stop them going the same way in short order.

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, Saabnut said:

Once plastic lights have been polished, they need a coat of UV resistant clear laquer on them to stop them going the same way in short order.

Ahhhh so that's where I went wrong!

[Leyland Worldmaster]

17 hours ago, stuboy said:

Sprint?

The licence plate on the Rover looks awfully familiar. If it is what I think it is, I knew someone who owned it in the 'nineties... 🤓

[SiC]

17 hours ago, wuvvum said:

more concern is the EML, which has come back on a couple of times.  I plugged the laptop in and apparently it's a fault with the ROM in the ECU, so not the nice easy sensor I was hoping for.  It's an intermittent light and sometimes it goes out of its own accord - I think I'm just going to have to take it for a test and keep everything crossed that it doesn't choose that moment to come on, 'cos I'm fecked if I'm paying for a new ECU

This sort of thing should sort it worse case:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144518084318

[HMC]

toledo on pizza collection duty 

[RoverFolkUs]

Despite my infuriation last week, Focus #2 is finally back together. 

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, all I had left to do was put the Aux belt back on which was a challenge as with every other Focus with a stretch belt, but it's done. 

Annoyingly the pipes popped out of the rack as, unbeknownst to me, the threads had stripped on the rack where the clamp goes. With the pipes reseated correctly, and the thread re-tapped it went back on perfectly fine. 

No more leaks, the new PAS pump is a tad noisy through the cabin but it's not leaking anymore so that's all sorted in my eyes.

Did a bit of tinkering and minor jobs to it, MOT is in about 6 weeks, found the track rod locking nut was loose on the drivers side so it was knocking about and had whacked the alignment out a fair bit, that's all sorted now which is good. 

The rust on the rear sills was creeping back so I slapped it with a smear of underseal (already treated and painted) to keep the man from the ministry's eye off it. 

Minor gearbox oil leak from the N/S driveshaft seal but its hardly affected the level and doesn't drip so I'll leave it well alone. 

With the PAS issue out the way it means I can stop worrying about Focus #2, get it MOTd and sold and concentrate on Focus #1, Xsara Picasso and maybe just maybe something more exciting that may or may not join the fleet

Will see if any pictures I took are legible or interesting, if so will stick them in my fleet thread

[horriblemercedes]

I'm quite pleased with myself this evening. Walking across the supermarket car park, I heard the sound of a car with a flat battery failing to start. So I spoke to the old man in the driving seat and gave him a jump start. He was so grateful. I love it when I'm able to help someone 

[Split_Pin]

My 75 has been suffering from a very erratic oil level on the dipstick. The advert for the car, which I bought 2 years ago this month said that it had an upgraded BMW vortex PCV filter fitted. This deletes the foam part of the filter and is virtually maintenance free and mitigates the risk of a blocked PCV, oil spouting out the dipstick and in the worst case, a runaway.

As such I had ruled that out and hoped that the high pressure diesel pump wasn't leaking at the shaft seal and letting fuel past the timing case and into the sump. Not the end of the world but a job beyone my capability and gumption to replace it (I have a spare CP1 that I'm going to rebuild with a new seal kit just in case), so that would get contracted out.

However, I thought maybe the BMW filter might need a clean out anyway so I took it out:

One not-upgraded-very-standard PCV foam filter, absolutely choked solid. 

Sorry, car!

No harm done thankfully and new one on order.

The air filter was also needing changed so I did that while I was in there as I had one on the shelf.

Now that I'm happy I have found the issue I can change the oil next week knowing its not getting diluted with diesel.

 

[Angrydicky]

On 5/2/2022 at 7:36 PM, NigeT said:

Managed to acquire this gem whilst under the influence last night for the princely sum of £250 from an even drunker mate who wanted it off his driveway.  Been sitting since last summer when my pal replaced it with an E39 estate & forgot about it. Started and run fine off my CLK battery & brakes don't seem to be seized. Hope to book it in for an MOT in the next couple of weeks to get it to my olds & see what it fails on. Underside seems pretty solid. Perfect present for my old man to replace the Rover that will hopefully end up on here.    

Sorry to hear your dad is parting with his 620 Nige, I hope it finds a good home! 

Obviously I'd flog the Beemer on if it was mine and continue using the Rover. Does it have much in the way of issues? (apart from having the oldest cambelt on autoshite (TM)

[MiniMort]

On 4/30/2022 at 11:29 AM, Angrydicky said:

It would be nice if there was a company that offered unloved, shite classic driving days, but I guess they would quickly go bust offering those 😂

I mean... I think The Great British Car Journey offers you drives in some pretty shite cars - an Allegro, a Viva, a Chrylser Avenger ect. I'd really like to do that actually, might have to see whether or not I can stomach the prices.

[MiniMort]

On 4/29/2022 at 7:12 PM, High Jetter said:

I've just looked them up, they do one about an hour from me in September. Some might say you just picked the cheapest 3 available, but I agree with your choice rather than the big heavy stuff. I might swop the Golf for the Lotus Cortina though, never driven a hot Mk1.

I drove the Lotus Cortina last time. Let me tell you, it was a glorious car. Everything about it felt straightforward, dare I say easy. The hardest bit is finding one for a reasonable price. 

[wuvvum]

3 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

My 75 has been suffering from a very erratic oil level on the dipstick. The advert for the car, which I bought 2 years ago this month said that it had an upgraded BMW vortex PCV filter fitted. This deletes the foam part of the filter and is virtually maintenance free and mitigates the risk of a blocked PCV, oil spouting out the dipstick and in the worst case, a runaway.

As such I had ruled that out and hoped that the high pressure diesel pump wasn't leaking at the shaft seal and letting fuel past the timing case and into the sump. Not the end of the world but a job beyone my capability and gumption to replace it (I have a spare CP1 that I'm going to rebuild with a new seal kit just in case), so that would get contracted out.

However, I thought maybe the BMW filter might need a clean out anyway so I took it out:

One not-upgraded-very-standard PCV foam filter, absolutely choked solid. 

Sorry, car!

No harm done thankfully and new one on order.

The air filter was also needing changed so I did that while I was in there as I had one on the shelf.

Now that I'm happy I have found the issue I can change the oil next week knowing its not getting diluted with diesel.

 

That's a job I need to do on mine, now it's back up and running properly...

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, HMC said:

toledo on pizza collection duty 

I have a slight issue with the location of the Desmos, tbh. Good to seeing it used though.

[Metal Guru]

On 02/05/2022 at 13:41, Split_Pin said:

Big shout out to everyone in my street who thinks this delivery is for me (it isn't)

 

Like the fifty shades of grey fence!

[Split_Pin]

4 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

Like the fifty shades of grey fence!

It's a reflection in the window, my fence is black.

[dozeydustman]

Mini is back in the world of the living, fitting the new alternator was a sod but the belt was relatively easy. See communal Bini thread on moderns if you are desperate to see a smol diesel start up.

[Saabnut]

I left home a week ago.

I am in the middle of the North Sea where I have been for 5 days.

So how the hell have I managed to buy a shite car that I have never seen?

I know it is OK however. Firstly it is a modern. Secondly it is a Vauxhall. Most importantly I had it inspected. Well, the previous owner did. By an insurance company. Who wrote it off. WCPGW? Fortunately it is nearly 600 miles from my house.

[Yoss]

44 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

I left home a week ago.

I am in the middle of the North Sea where I have been for 5 days.

So how the hell have I managed to buy a shite car that I have never seen?

I know it is OK however. Firstly it is a modern. Secondly it is a Vauxhall. Most importantly I had it inspected. Well, the previous owner did. By an insurance company. Who wrote it off. WCPGW? Fortunately it is nearly 600 miles from my house.

Well, I think you have managed to tick every single box in the Autoshite how to buy a car guide. Well done. 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

On 5/1/2022 at 5:58 PM, brownnova said:

Casually eating a chicken and stuffing sandwich in a cafe when a traffic jam begins to for outside…. 

And what a traffic jam it was!! 

 

It was the steam run from the Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza! He no idea it ran past where we had chosen to get lunch! 
 

Is it ok to admit I find Steam/traction Engines fascinating! 

Bugger me! I was standing at a roundabout a couple of hundred yards from you. We also knew nothing about this until we stopped 3 cars back from said roundabout, we abanded the car where it was and watched them go past, one of my daughter’s commented on how many were being steered by women . The pair of little lorries looked as if they should have been driven by children. 
Drove the wrong way down a one way street trying to get to The Great Orme road, hopefully no cameras.

[grogee]

On 5/2/2022 at 1:41 PM, Split_Pin said:

Big shout out to everyone in my street who thinks this delivery is for me (it isn't)

 

That's a shame. I feel like you've let us down. Go and harass the owner to join our club

[vulgalour]

Another bit of the Lanchester working now.  Finally got to the bottom of the connectivity issue which is that there's just loads of play in the rivet that's the pivot for the switch.  There's one tiny sweet spot where the switch will make and hold contact.  That means it works well enough.  A better rivet would fix it properly but I haven't the tools or materials to do it (a pop rivet isn't going to work here, needs to be a rod that's peened over top and bottom) so it'll just have to be the way it is for the forseeable.

[Cord Fourteener]

Friggin potholes!

Now I have a bumping sound coming from somewhere underneath the Mondeo. I hope it's just the exhaust rattling around. 

[richardmorris]

Serious crash on the m3 this afternoon . Motorway closed in both directions for an hour or two. Usual traffic chaos.

 

[cort1977]

Turns out the roof on the Saab is waterproof.  I have been keeping it out of the rain as there are a few small rips on it but I got caught out today when a thunderstorm went through.  Car is dry inside which is a definite win.  Will give it a good clean and renovo treatment now and hopefully put off replacement for a while.  Happy days.

[jmsguzzi]

The local seagulls have decided to make the new 205 an OMGBARNFIND, beats making it an OMGCOVEREDINSHIT