walk Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 The Dedra passed its MOT yesterday (with different advisories to last year obviously!) I couldn't be bothered taking it 50 miles to my usual place and leaving it for a few days so I popped into my local garage on the off chance they could squeeze it in ASAP. The MOT bay was free and their MOT bloke was drinking tea so the job was jobbed there and then. Believe it or not in 24 years of driving and despite owning "older vehicles" for the majority of that time I have never actually observed a test being carried out, but with the offer of a green plastic garden chair to sit on and a cup of tea how could I say no! Overall everything went well, the 2012 advisory for "free play" in the NSF ball joint had miraculously disappeared by 2013 but the slight oil leak still remains - I really must fit a new sump gasket this year. Oh and one of the front bumper supports looks a bit crusty. Apart from that the car seems rock solid underneath. As I mentioned many many moons ago my only real concern at MOT time with the Lancia is emissions, however the new cat fitted last year still seems to be working well and all is good. Mileage covered since 2012 MOT 2480 miles (2000 since March this year) - definitely now considered a daily driver. With this in mind I do plan to give more regular updates if anyone is interested - and because a few of you out there do seem to like a drool over 3 box saloons here's a couple of recent shots to keep you happy Lancia Dedra Auto Italia 2013 by dick dedra, on Flickr Ecclesfield 060513 005 by dick dedra, on Flickr That's all for now. Vin and vulgalour 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Well, I managed to replace the glovebox in the Sterling. Some months back I got given a glovebox in the right colour along with some other surplus parts that the fella couldn't/sell didn't and was taking up space. The new glovebox had previously been repaired due to suffering the same problem mine did, the plastic lugs that hinge the box onto the bolted on rails had snapped. This had been bodged/repaired by unbolting the rails and tying them with metal cables to the rails creating a hinge therefore only needing to bolt on the rail holders to the dash. It would have taken about 5 mins but I had to clean the glovebox out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 AX gone, 406 possibly on the way out and all being well I'll own that Mk6 Escort for about ten minutes next weekend. I now have a potential gap for another car. Watch this space... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sporty-shite Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 AX gone, 406 possibly on the way out and all being well I'll own that Mk6 Escort for about ten minutes next weekend. I now have a potential gap for another car. Watch this space...You need a 1970s Celica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I'd bloody love one me old tater but I haven't got anywhere near the dosh required to buy that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Given that the Dyane has been hibernating in the garage since 2009, only today have I needed to put some more air into the very expensive 135x15 Michelin ZXs on the front. At this rate, I'll have it back on the road by the end of the century... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Come on Mr Racer - what does it actually need? Apart from being unburied... chaseracer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I found this bit of Aldi's carpark today had taken on a kind of exclusion zone DSCF1803.JPG Good to see my old BX is still in use, and still on the shite Xsara trims I had a productive Saturday with the Vitesse. Bought a new OS tyre for it so it's now legal, and I found a decent independent tyre place. I asked him what 195/65 15"s he had and he said he'd sold out of the cheap ones and only had a Firestone left for £57 including fitting. Seemed reasonable enough to me. I also spent four hours cleaning the interior and also the mankiest door shuts I've ever seen. Can't have my beige slacks being snagged by dirt everytime I clamber aboard. Also sorted the OS door mirror. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Bit worried that you're using a rear view mirror to see where you're going... 2CV. Whipped all the front panels off yesterday as I was hoping to have a clear day today to give it the front brake rebuild I've been meaning to carry out for about three months now. Then my wife says she needs to go out. Merc has brake issues, Disco is a Disco and the BX isn't fancied because of the stupid 'remember this or it'll cook' fan switch. So, I set about putting the front end of the 2CV back together again. This goes well* as one captive thread has come loose (happened ages ago) so getting the wings back on is bit of a pain. Increasing humidity increased my anger and when one nut refused to go on, I lobbed my ratchet away, losing a 19mm socket in the process (I literally threw it straight down - where on earth has this sodding socket gone?!) Out with a 3/4 inch socket and finally get the sodding wing back on. Quick check of the lights - offside front indicator isn't working. I give the wire a tug, as it's usually just a duff contact. It comes off in my hand having snapped inside the light unit. AAAARGH! In theory, I have spare light units, but removing them rarely goes well due to tiny, rusted nuts. I've sacked off the whole thing for now. I've got work coming out of my ears (due to an email fail), I'm really hot and cars are really annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Got back this morning from a weekend in Somerset visiting family. Being a sentimental twat I decided to take the AX - it's almost certainly going to be heading for the great Citroën dealer in the sky at the end of this month, so I thought I'd give it the chance at one last good run. I think my spine has permanently crossed me off its Christmas card list, but other than that the old heap managed OK. 535 miles in two days and it didn't break down once - the only slightly worrying moment was when it lost dipped beam briefly on the M4, but came back on after a few seconds and was fine for the rest of the run. I think the diesel filter is pretty gunked up now though as it did occasionally lose a bit of power - nothing drastic though and it trundled along happily at motorway speeds. It used £55-'orth of diseasel, which isn't bad considering that £20 of that was hideously overpriced £1.50 a litre motorway service stuff. I've worked it out and I reckon it averaged 63mpg on the run, which is respectable enough as I wasn't exactly taking it easy on the way down (saw an indicated 96mph at one stage on a private section of the M4). It didn't use a drop of oil either. It's a shame it's probably not going to pass another MoT, but to be fair the Rover averages 55mpg and is a lot more comfortable and refined than the AX, so I won't have too many regrets going back to using that as a daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angrydicky Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Greased up the Atlantic, fitted a new bulb in the nearside headlight and topped up the steering box and idler in preparation for its MoT tomorrow. I did find an inner trackrod end that had lost its rubber boot, is this a fail now? Hopefully it'll pass, if not the Austin Counties Spares list the balljoints at £14 each which isn't too bad. You may wonder why I'm bothering to renew the MoT, well it's so shabby most people think I've just dragged it out of a barn and I'm taking advantage of the MoT exemption. Also it's peace of mind of course. Wilko220 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 The big news! Pregnant woman goes to hospital to deliver her baby. scruff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Today, I am experiencing shite balance with the Golf. Fixed a set of bulbs and now a different set of bulbs don't work... we shall see how this pans out later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Aye. "The world waits," says the BBC. Not it fuggin' doesn't! The world goes on actually. I hope all goes well for her, but only because I wish that for any woman undertaking the baffling experience of popping out a sprog. If I want to make my eyes water, I'll stick to eating too many fizzy cola bottles in one go. I'm currently trying to decide which car to fix next. I might get away with throwing a spare wing on the 2CV - it's scruffy, but so is the 2CV. BX needs an accumulator sphere fitting (I really should have bought a sphere removal tool) and hopefully the Merc is going in for welding on Thursday. The Disco is ok, but if I'm going to drive it far, I need to swap some wheels about so the iffy tyre isn't fitted. It's fine on the outer edge, but cracked like crazy on the inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vulgalour Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Strangely, all bar one bulb now works on the Golf, that being the battery telltale. Spend so far on getting the Golf sorted, including cleaning fluid for the plastics, is somewhere between £15 and £20. Big spend coming up on a proper brown interior (thanks to bank of Mum and Dad) and about £40 on service items before the MoT. Once that's all paid for I'll've spent nearly as much money as I did to buy the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkman Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 The big news! Pregnant woman, who went to hospital to deliver her baby, gave birth to her baby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treehugger Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Sorry, who is Kate Middleton? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 2CV fixed. Decided it was easier to strip the wiring out of a spare indicator unit and repair the one fitted than try and swap wings again. Must crack on and get a bit more welding sorted so getting the wings on/off isn't such a pain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthebeard Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 My gran knows Kate Middletons mum* and tells me the baby is soon to be named as Wilf. Wilf Cambridge being a solid and traditional English name. You heard it here first! * Though my gran does occaisionally get muddled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meggersdog Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 ^^^ Austin would be much better scruff and vulgalour 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Or, to reflect the modern times we live in, what about Bangra... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I've got to admit that it's a bit depressing to see this back in here. I thought those days were over. ohno by cort16, on Flickr Also although the repair on my Saab door is pretty good the paint although shiny is a SHIIIIT match. I blended it into the door okay at the front but when it gets to the back at the B pillar is looks too green. Pish, I can't be arsed doing it again thats for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treehugger Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 spotted this popular near Menston, West Yorkshire. No idea about it's status, or if that's allowed on here, but somebody might be interested. Not visible from road, so don't worry about thieves or banger drivers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lankytim Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Fitted an "unknown" CD autochanger to the Xantia today. It came with a matching "unknown" head unit which I fitted last week and found worked. Unfortunately when removing it from the scrap door car I cut through the head connecting the head unit to the boot mounted changer. A mate at work soldered it all back together but I was pretty dubious whether it would work or not, seeing as it hadn't been used in years and probably didn''t work anyway. After a few hours tonight, removing trim and threading the lead through the dashboard and into the boot I was delighted to find it all worked perfectly. Amazing! Best of all the CD changer ejected a stack of ancient CD's including Meat Loaf and Roxette. All now donated to the inlaws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 My son has found the ideal car, typically it's pissing hundreds of miles away. Oh well, 'best offer' submitted, and if we 'win' it maybe a trip to Devon is on the cards, unless Shipley come up trumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philibusmo Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 My son has found the ideal car, typically it's pissing hundreds of miles away. Oh well, 'best offer' submitted, and if we 'win' it maybe a trip to Devon is on the cards, unless Shipley come up trumps. Let me know if you want me to glance over it or turn up on the sellers door step with a bat if he does not accept your very generous offer, assuming its in a part of Devon close to Tiverton and not in North Tawton, Minehead or one of those other town that aren't that far away but take hours to get to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Ply Mouth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philibusmo Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Ply Mouth Ah the one area of Devon that takes ages to get to because it is bloody miles away. If you do decide to drive down, make sue it's not on a day that Plymouth Argyle are playing Exeter City at home. The town will be grid locked and some-one will try and start a fight with you for "not being from round 'ere". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavcraft Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Lol, cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Did a slight more fettling on the KV6 today, the tyre that was punctured by a nail has been changed so it now has a good spare. Then I tried to resolder the drivers window switchpack in which I utterly PHAILED at, mind you, its hard to do a precise job standing up trying not get in peoples way blancing the switchpack on cardboard and using equipment I aint familiar with. Fed up with a switchpack that can't be arsed to work I ventured into the loft into my various parts boxes and found a switchpack, plugged in it works marvelously, its nice to have window switches that actually work for once. Next thing I'd like to do is change the bootlid, straighten up the front bumper and get a spare alloy that isn't flaking paint off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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