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Father Ted

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As alluded to elsewhere, the Innocenti passed its MOT this week.  Somewhat to my surprise I have to admit - I was fully expecting it to need some obscure unobtainium bits, but I was relieved that it didn't.  I drove it 25 miles on Friday evening to go and see a mate - I'd forgotten how fun it is, despite the lack of power.  The steering is like a go-kart and it's great fun to fling around.  It's not running 100% right, it stutters every now and then under acceleration, but it has been off the road for nearly five years so not unexpected.  I suspect the fuel filter is full of crud - I've got a new one to go on.  Next weekend I'm going to fit the new gearbox mount as the one on the car really is beyond a joke now.  I'm also going to have a crack at adjusting the clutch cable to see if I can get any more life out of the clutch - the adjuster is a plastic knurled nut which is probably quite brittle by now so I'm going to have to be gentle with it - I've been soaking it in GT85 to see if I can free it off.  I might still need to change the clutch but I'd like to put that off if I can - some of the bellhousing bolts look a right twat to get to.

I drove the Volvo to Tesco yesterday.

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It's still running fine, but the rear brakes definitely need looking at - I had to brake fairly hard on the way back to avoid someone coming round a corner and the back brakes stuck on.  Looking at the offside, the outer pad is almost down to the metal where the inner pad looks nearly new, so that piston has definitely been sticking.  I've ordered some new pads so when they get here I'm going to have a go at freeing the calipers off - I'm hoping they'll be easier to do than the fronts as they only have two pistons rather than four.

The Renault 6 is still buzzing happily around - it reached 96K miles yesterday.

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I've had to redo the two bits of wob in the scuttle panel though as the previous effort (from about 8 years ago) was falling apart.  I do have a replacement panel to be welded on at some point, but it's way beyond my abilities to do, it really needs to go to a professional body shop which I can't afford at the moment.  I can't really patch up the existing panel with the welder either as the screen would have to come out and if it gets broken or cracked during the removal process finding a replacement will almost certainly be fun*.

The 107 is still in use as the daily runaround.  I've splashed out on a pair of upgraded speakers - these in fact:

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They do make the radio sound rather less tinny, although it's never going to be the most fantastic sound system.

The Jag is still behaving somewhat oddly.  I took it for a run up the coast road last Sunday evening - it was running fine and pulling as it should with no smoke or stuttering, but half way through the drive the DPF light came on.  Not entirely surprising given the amount of clag it'd been putting out when I drove it into Norwich.  So one evening last week I took it for a run, fairly late to ensure that the dawdling giffers had all gone to bed - I was going to drive towards Norwich then go down the northern bypass, but just as I got to the bypass roundabout the DPF light went out so I turned round and came home.  It was running perfectly on the way down; on the way back it gave the odd stutter but no smoke that I could see.  It's all a bit odd.  I've booked it in to the local garage on Friday for a go on their diagnostic machine to see if they can make head or tail of it - I'm in two minds whether to spend a bit of money on it or whether to cut my losses and sell it as it is and buy something else...  I do like the old thing though when it's behaving itself.

 

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11 hours ago, sims00 said:

Say what you want about budgets, but these Autogreens from National are A rated for wet grip allegedly and with the 10% discount it was a no brainier. Plus it is no sports car. 

I was reliably informed recently (possibly by @bub2006?) that Autogreens use an old Toyo tread pattern. I've no idea how the actual rubber compares, but apparently they're not a bad steer.

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10 minutes ago, SRi05 said:

G Techniq, a very satisfying (and bastard expensive) product. Worth it though as it actually lasts unlike other back to black type stuff. 

@SRi05, do you have a link to the stuff you bought? I have more faded trim than I could shake a stick at

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19 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

@SRi05, do you have a link to the stuff you bought? I have more faded trim than I could shake a stick at

Only if you promise not to faint 

 

Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer 15ml - Revitalize Tired, Faded, Discoloured Car and Vehicle Trim - Premium Weather Protection, UV Resistant, Leaves No Unattractive Gloss - 2 Year Durability https://amzn.eu/d/56JtVEf

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9 minutes ago, SRi05 said:

Only if you promise not to faint 

 

Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer 15ml - Revitalize Tired, Faded, Discoloured Car and Vehicle Trim - Premium Weather Protection, UV Resistant, Leaves No Unattractive Gloss - 2 Year Durability https://amzn.eu/d/56JtVEf

Amazing stuff. I’ve got a bottle to use on the Avensis on a few small bits. Nothing else comes close to how good this stuff is 

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I’ve used that stuff back in the day and it is very good. 
 

These days I’m not into ‘detailing’ and more just cost effective ways of making things look less shit. 
 

Read on forums over the years about Cherry Blossom liquid shoe wax and how people have done their bumpers and years later it looks exactly the same with no fading.. I did the Transit months ago, posted pics in that thread and it still looks exactly the same now. For £1 a bottle it’s bloody amazing 

956FD7CC-449B-4D74-96F7-74701C38CB52.jpeg

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6 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

I’ve used that stuff back in the day and it is very good. 
 

These days I’m not into ‘detailing’ and more just cost effective ways of making things look less shit. 
 

Read on forums over the years about Cherry Blossom liquid shoe wax and how people have done their bumpers and years later it looks exactly the same with no fading.. I did the Transit months ago, posted pics in that thread and it still looks exactly the same now. For £1 a bottle it’s bloody amazing 

 

Double TDCI badges so you doubly know it's a turbo diesel with common rail injection. 😎

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2 hours ago, SRi05 said:

Only if you promise not to faint 

 

Gtechniq C4 Permanent Trim Restorer 15ml - Revitalize Tired, Faded, Discoloured Car and Vehicle Trim - Premium Weather Protection, UV Resistant, Leaves No Unattractive Gloss - 2 Year Durability https://amzn.eu/d/56JtVEf

Not too bad for something that really works. I thought it would be 60 from your warning.

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Simoniz bumper and trim wax is pretty good for about £6 from Tesco. I don't spray it though, I pour it into an old aerosol lid and wipe it on with an old rag or use an old paintbrush to put it on tyre sidewalls. It lasts as good as anything else I have tried, admittedly I haven't ever spent alot though.

 

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Don't use the Meguiars stuff it's junk.

Cherry Blossom does work well. Apply liberally and it helps if you give it a couple of coats as it will soak in. 

I have tried boiled Linseed oil, works well inside steel frames and always found it to be a bit too sticky?

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Just now, cobblers said:

Does it pop up on your TV when he arrives 😅?

No, on my phone! Even when I'm not at home. 

He called round the other week. Very bloody cheeky. Kept asking for the previous owner of the address.  Then who I was. Had to ask him 3 times who he was until he said "I'm your local TV licence inspector". I said "no thanks"  and locked the door. He must get that a lot. 

They're so bloody pushy. I must fill out that online "I don't need one" but I loath to give them any details. Or I should just buy one. I dunno. 

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9 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

I’ve used that stuff back in the day and it is very good. 
 

These days I’m not into ‘detailing’ and more just cost effective ways of making things look less shit. 
 

Read on forums over the years about Cherry Blossom liquid shoe wax and how people have done their bumpers and years later it looks exactly the same with no fading.. I did the Transit months ago, posted pics in that thread and it still looks exactly the same now. For £1 a bottle it’s bloody amazing 

956FD7CC-449B-4D74-96F7-74701C38CB52.jpeg

Any link for the cherry blossom? I can only see it at £5 or £6 ish.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=cherry+blossom+liquid+shoe+polish+black&rh=n%3A355005011%2Cp_89%3ACherry+Blossom&dc&ds=v1%3Ac7lXPIvZXP%2Fdah12JNjIPrvWHUpbbisEHL%2BIsDlcmXk&crid=IRBD60V1HN1R&qid=1656353672&rnid=1632651031&sprefix=Cherry+blossom+liquid%2Caps%2C158&ref=sr_nr_p_89_2

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12 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

I got it in Poundland

Also seen it in Morrisons and also Savers (the Superdrug type shop) weirdly enough. 

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7 hours ago, juular said:

Boiled linseed oil is another cheap alternative that lasts ages and smells nice.

+1 on this, a 500ml bottle lasts ages and it does really work. About £3 a go, but it has been about 5 years since I bought some.

It's a little bit self-ignitey on rags, so if you apply it, use kitchen roll and burn it after use, or if you use an old rag, just don't leave it in direct sunlight. I've never had any issues, but apparently it is a 'thing' 

Also good for rust proofing as per @loserone post

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2 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

A rag isn't a rag unless it has a flashpoint. 

When I was a kid I used a magnifying glass with a boiled Linseed rag. I'd remembered Father Spurious telling me about it being rather flammable. 

It literally started smoking a minute or two later after focusing the sun and poof, up it went. 

Right little arsonist I was. 

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