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Further to my gearbox woes I got the van in the garage and it turns out to be a 4 speed not a 5. I did ask the seller what it came out of and he said he thought* it was out of a phase 2 van. Probably out of a phase 1 which had 4 speeds. Anyway, it works and I'm not so bothered about losing 5th. 4th is longer geared on a 4 speed so no big loss. It's the longest it's been off the road, 5 weeks, in the 22 years I've had it.

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Tools are good in Halfords and if you aren’t in a rush the parts on trade are cheap as anything. What I will say though is that with the exception of a few failed mechanics it’s full of kids these days that have no interest in it. 

In fact I’ll take back what I said about tools, a few years ago I went in for something or other and a couple were shopping for their son who had just got a series Land Rover. Someone clearly just out of school was showing them their bumper basic (metric!!!) toolkit. I waited while he nipped in the back and told them it was fucking shit and to get the proper socket set with 8 sides jobs. 

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Ooo, Trabi World! I was in Berlin just before Christmas, and visited too. I also saw this sad looking Sierra, In very AS fashion.

D5BEEE24-34AE-49B7-8156-266044BFB286.jpe

 

My weekend has started in a different manner to usual. My mum rang me to say she’s hit a pothole and it’s punctured her tyre. Off to rescue from me as she’d still be waiting for the fourth emergency service now.

42CD402E-F698-4273-9B5B-6990469B7F5F.jpe

In a double annoyance, it’s dented the wheel, and in spite of it going to the supplying fiat dealership every year since new, the sodding spare tyre had 7PSI in it. Better than flat, but not much better. Four miles back to home before it looked quite poorly. The correct 41 PSI are now in it.

433D9345-1947-4689-B88F-B2C7642FC4F2.jpe
26A4352E-CBF9-4C44-BEF5-855555BDDFF0.jpe
 

Finally, she nipped off to a local tyre fitters for a pair of new front tyres. The saving grace is that both fronts were quite worn. She requested Michelins, and they said they had Continentals and Fulda all seasons. She for some reason agreed to the Fulda tyres, so has Fulda all seasons on the front and Michelins on the back. I am not super pleased with that, as the cost isn’t an issue, and it’s done well on Michelins from new. I suppose we’ll see how they go, though.

 

Finally to top it all off, one of my friends wife had gone to visit family, and my good lady was out watching the netball, so we were both at a loose end. Visited the Haynes Motor Museum. On the whole, enjoyable. But why no manuals!? My thoughts was that they should have some reprints of some old ones in the shop to buy, but alas. Nice day out though.

 

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20 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Tools are good in Halfords and if you aren’t in a rush the parts on trade are cheap as anything. What I will say though is that with the exception of a few failed mechanics it’s full of kids these days that have no interest in it. 

In fact I’ll take back what I said about tools, a few years ago I went in for something or other and a couple were shopping for their son who had just got a series Land Rover. Someone clearly just out of school was showing them their bumper basic (metric!!!) toolkit. I waited while he nipped in the back and told them it was fucking shit and to get the proper socket set with 8 sides jobs. 

Apart from the fact they were metric there's nothing wrong with an Halford  socket. If there is you just take it back and get another.

You are obsessed with Octagons.

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8 minutes ago, JakeT said:

Ooo, Trabi World! I was in Berlin just before Christmas, and visited too. I also saw this sad looking Sierra, In very AS fashion.

D5BEEE24-34AE-49B7-8156-266044BFB286.jpe

 

My weekend has started in a different manner to usual. My mum rang me to say she’s hit a pothole and it’s punctured her tyre. Off to rescue from me as she’d still be waiting for the fourth emergency service now.

42CD402E-F698-4273-9B5B-6990469B7F5F.jpe

In a double annoyance, it’s dented the wheel, and in spite of it going to the supplying fiat dealership every year since new, the sodding spare tyre had 7PSI in it. Better than flat, but not much better. Four miles back to home before it looked quite poorly. The correct 41 PSI are now in it.

433D9345-1947-4689-B88F-B2C7642FC4F2.jpe
26A4352E-CBF9-4C44-BEF5-855555BDDFF0.jpe
 

Finally, she nipped off to a local tyre fitters for a pair of new front tyres. The saving grace is that both fronts were quite worn. She requested Michelins, and they said they had Continentals and Fulda all seasons. She for some reason agreed to the Fulda tyres, so has Fulda all seasons on the front and Michelins on the back. I am not super pleased with that, as the cost isn’t an issue, and it’s done well on Michelins from new. I suppose we’ll see how they go, though.

 

Finally to top it all off, one of my friends wife had gone to visit family, and my good lady was out watching the netball, so we were both at a loose end. Visited the Haynes Motor Museum. On the whole, enjoyable. But why no manuals!? My thoughts was that they should have some reprints of some old ones in the shop to buy, but alas. Nice day out though.

 

Haynes Motor Museum is a Registered Charity -  separate to Haynes Publishing Group owned by Infopro Digital, a technical data company. That's owned by Tower-Brook Capital Partners - US private equity co. 

December 2020 Haynes stopped any new repair manuals on paper - all content would be online only. Pre-existing titles remain available apparently - but I expect in dwindling numbers.

So there is maybe very little contact between the museum and publisher.

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51 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Tools are good in Halfords and if you aren’t in a rush the parts on trade are cheap as anything. What I will say though is that with the exception of a few failed mechanics it’s full of kids these days that have no interest in it. 

In fact I’ll take back what I said about tools, a few years ago I went in for something or other and a couple were shopping for their son who had just got a series Land Rover. Someone clearly just out of school was showing them their bumper basic (metric!!!) toolkit. I waited while he nipped in the back and told them it was fucking shit and to get the proper socket set with 8 sides jobs. 

Don’t the parts come from Euros? Isn’t it cheaper to shop direct with them?  (Very possible they have changed this!)

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38 minutes ago, JakeT said:

Ooo, Trabi World! I was in Berlin just before Christmas, and visited too. I also saw this sad looking Sierra, In very AS fashion.

D5BEEE24-34AE-49B7-8156-266044BFB286.jpe

 

My weekend has started in a different manner to usual. My mum rang me to say she’s hit a pothole and it’s punctured her tyre. Off to rescue from me as she’d still be waiting for the fourth emergency service now.

42CD402E-F698-4273-9B5B-6990469B7F5F.jpe

In a double annoyance, it’s dented the wheel, and in spite of it going to the supplying fiat dealership every year since new, the sodding spare tyre had 7PSI in it. Better than flat, but not much better. Four miles back to home before it looked quite poorly. The correct 41 PSI are now in it.

433D9345-1947-4689-B88F-B2C7642FC4F2.jpe
26A4352E-CBF9-4C44-BEF5-855555BDDFF0.jpe
 

Finally, she nipped off to a local tyre fitters for a pair of new front tyres. The saving grace is that both fronts were quite worn. She requested Michelins, and they said they had Continentals and Fulda all seasons. She for some reason agreed to the Fulda tyres, so has Fulda all seasons on the front and Michelins on the back. I am not super pleased with that, as the cost isn’t an issue, and it’s done well on Michelins from new. I suppose we’ll see how they go, though.

 

Finally to top it all off, one of my friends wife had gone to visit family, and my good lady was out watching the netball, so we were both at a loose end. Visited the Haynes Motor Museum. On the whole, enjoyable. But why no manuals!? My thoughts was that they should have some reprints of some old ones in the shop to buy, but alas. Nice day out though.

 

Fulda are good, just not very well known in the UK.

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38 minutes ago, Mally said:

Apart from the fact they were metric there's nothing wrong with an Halford  socket. If there is you just take it back and get another.

You are obsessed with Octagons.

Series Landrovers used some Whitworth and BSF sized nuts and bolts, so doubtful they'd have anything suitable. This might do though. Note six sided drive. The things us old boys keep "just in case". IMG_20230114_202301.thumb.jpg.fe3c50d595dd84e9d937e6caa385b18d.jpg

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10 hours ago, reb said:

Well aware, your point?

The only thing there that wasn't publically available already is the address. So I suppose some weirdo might turn up, but they wouldn't achieve much.

IF it bothers you @reb registered office address services are available (says t'internet) from £20 a year.

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1 hour ago, lesapandre said:

Haynes Motor Museum is a Registered Charity -  separate to Haynes Publishing Group owned by Infopro Digital, a technical data company. That's owned by Tower-Brook Capital Partners - US private equity co. 

December 2020 Haynes stopped any new repair manuals on paper - all content would be online only. Pre-existing titles remain available apparently - but I expect in dwindling numbers.

So there is maybe very little contact between the museum and publisher.

Ah, makes sense. Thank you. I suppose turning the museum into a charity stops any VC types liberating some of the valuable stuff for the bottom line, too. I did Gift-Aid my entry fee, which I hope helps them too.

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

Fulda are good, just not very well known in the UK.

Good to know. Thank you.

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7 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

Sailing from Portugal to Madeira? Completed it M9.20230114_085641.thumb.jpg.05a906880de602e11fdd2157f043f120.jpg

Me and a mate have just sailed 500 miles from Faro to Porto Santo the longest passage either of us had done.

20230114_085811.thumb.jpg.353dc4d6480ba143615d206222102b7c.jpg

It's 2.30 in the morning and we need beer and a fry up but for now it's rum o'clock.

20230115_020908.thumb.jpg.7b76c2cfefac37a7bcd28cfdf6c8ec9c.jpg

S'alright here. Hope the natives do fry-ups. Must get ashore and explore. 20230115_085522.thumb.jpg.166bc0c50c9cb6fcc75836568e6d15d0.jpg

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FUN FACT. Nissan Juke wheels fit Mk3 Lagunas.

I found the 18” alloys previously fitted to the ‘Gooner a little crashy over bumps, plus they were pretty tatty with curbing damage and various areas touched up with what looks like silver Hammerite, the budget tyres they had fitted had an advisory at the last mot so instead of replacing the tyres I had a look around for a set of 17” wheels. Due to the 5x114.3 stud pattern aftermarket wheels attract JDM tax and as not many Mk3 Lagunas were sold in the U.K. cheap used  OEM wheels are hard to come by. At the time, Renault and Nissan had some sort of partnership going which meant that many parts are shared and cars like Jukes and Quashqais have the same stud pattern and centre bore. 
 

A nice set of Juke alloys were sourced locally and shod with a set of part worn Michelin tyres I’d been storing in the loft. 

I think they look pretty nice and road noise is greatly reduced. It feels nicer to drive with less tramlining too.
 

To celebrate the new wheels I took the Laguna through the local ARC automatised car wash but got shouted at by the attendant when the automatic park brake applied after I turned the engine off and I couldn’t release it in time before the front wheel was pulled out of that moving track thing with a loud clunk. Whoops! 

 

27B85970-DE02-4DF1-B4E6-856A16337081.jpeg

AEE85F56-1226-4971-8B1F-290DAF3C72F0.jpeg

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Well yesterday was a complete washout, although I did spend a happy* half hour or so pinning up the headlining in the Rover 75 so I can actually see out the back window.  It's suffering from water ingress - I think around the GPS shark fin on the roof - which means that not only is the headlining dripping wet but all the glue has dissolved.  Fantastic*.  That leaves the 107 as the only car in the fleet that is entirely watertight.  I also rigged up some USB LED lighting for the Maxus' instruments - it suffers from the usual Christmas tree dashboard lights and I really can't be arsed to take the clocks out again to try and get the contacts to stay working, so I'm going to stick with the external LED strip for now.  Power is handily provided by the USB slot on the front of the stereo.  On the subject of which, it's stopped flipping over to the reversing camera view when it's supposed to - I'm hoping that it's just a wire come loose on the back of the unit rather than the stereo itself that's stopped working properly.

Today once the wind had died down a bit and the showers had buggered off I went outside to have a play with the Visa.  I drilled out the mounting holes in the front of the crankcase to 6mm and then went at them with an M7 tap - I had to remove one of the handles from the tap turny thing though as there wasn't enough clearance.  Then I found the bolts I'd bought were too long so I had to slice a bit off the end of them with a dremel (would have been quicker with the angry grinder but I couldn't find it, I think it might be buried in the back of the Maxus).  It all worked out OK though and the ignition module is now held on rather more securely than before.

20230115_153414.thumb.jpg.c89d40abe0ef619a76cd12d78e97fce4.jpg

I still want to add a couple of washers to try and keep it all in place - I can't go too mad tightening the bolts up as they're screwed directly into 40-year-old French alloy so I don't think it'd take too much to strip the threads.  Then I finished putting the carb back together (there's one mounting nut which isn't quite as tight as I'd like but it's almost impossible to get to with normal tools (unless I take off the oil filler pipe but the mounting nuts for that are equally impossible to get at)) - I'm going to have to invest in a crow's foot spanner I think.  It's held on well enough though, and once everything was back together the car fired straight up.

That sounds a lot healthier.  Bit tappety, but then a chatty tappet is a happy tappet.   No fuel leaks so far, although I didn't run it for very long because there's no cooling fan at the moment.  Once I've got the washers on the ignition module bolts and I'm as satisfied as I can be that they aren't going to come undone, I can get the fan back on and then start putting the front of the car back together properly.  Then hopefully I can go for a drive!

I then jump started the Innocenti off the 107 and left it to run with the heater on to try and dry the carpet out a bit.  While it was doing that I put the Toyota up on the ramps (that needed a jump start too) and emptied the rest of the can of cavity wax into the bits of chassis I could get the lance into.  I haven't done it all as the can ran out but I've got another can on the way.  Then I had great fun sponging out the water from the carpet in the nearside rear footwell.  One of these days when it's raining heavily I need to go out and sit in the car to find out exactly where the water is coming in - I think it's round the door seal somewhere but I can't work out exactly where.  It was getting dark by that point, so I had to stop playing, but I took advantage of the fact that the wind had dried the roads out nicely and took the Innocenti for a drive as it hadn't moved in a few months.  I still love that little car...

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