The new news 24 thread

[Albert Ross]

Also see market stalls, piles of empty boxes, and a couple of random guys crossing the road with a pane of glass.

[vulgalour]

I've made a decision on the Princess' new colour: Aconite. Not metallic, not correct for the year, but I don't care because it's an ace colour. I was going to just patch things up in beige, but the more I try to rectify this paint the more it shows up how badly its applied. Some of the beige came off like wallpaper today, that combined with the solvent pop leads me to believe that stripping all the beige off and starting again is the only option. Keeping the brown interior so I can pretend I'm driving around in a giant one of these:

 

 

I'll either DIY the paint, or farm the work out, I'm not sure yet. I'll do the prep myself regardless, at least then I know what's hiding. Oh, and don't worry, I won't be getting any matt black paint... can you imagine?

[catsinthewelder]

Plenty of love for purple BL tat from this corner V, sounds a great idea

 

Today I've been and had a look at the Austin LD from the tat thread as a possible dub replacement. I'm still considering buying it and he's even offered to deliver it.

 

[Pete-M]

That's an unusual old thing innit. I can just see it flogging car magazines from the 1970's "under the shelf" at shows.

[RedSparrow]

Saw one of them at a van banger event at Arlington about 20 years ago. Ended up still moving but with a Marina van wedged in the back. I look back and wince now I'm older! But then again 20 years ago they both would have been well in the shitty old scrap fodder category so can't complain.

[Cavcraft]

Plenty of love for purple BL tat from this corner V, sounds a great idea

 

Today I've been and had a look at the Austin LD from the tat thread as a possible dub replacement. I'm still considering buying it and he's even offered to deliver it.

 

 

You absolutely HAVE to buy that, it's like fate telling you to do so.

 

Just waiting news of a potential little shite rocket that may darken Cavcraft's door way.

[vulgalour]

Today I've been and had a look at the Austin LD from the tat thread as a definite dub replacement. I'm still buying it and he's even offered to deliver it.

 

 

You appear to have made some typos, I edited them for you

[Lankytim]

Today I had a root around under the bonnet of the SAAB to make sure the oil leak from the oil pressure switch had deffo been fixed. Thankfully it had but then I noticed something amiss in the turbo area.

 

Can anybody spot it?

 

 

The frigging waste gate actuator has come off! This allowed the waste gate to flop open under its own weight, meaning the engine was getting ZERO turbo boost. This would explain the lack of acceleration. The Saab had a new turbo in 2004ish and apparently has been slow ever since, I suspect the waste gate actuator arm must have fallen off not long after the new turbo was fitted. NICE WORK SAAB DEALER.

 

Anyway, the arm was seized in position so I removed the exhaust pipe to have a look inside, the flap was jammed down but a bit of oil and levering had it closed and reattached to the rod, a new clip had to be fabricated from thin springy steel. A test drive left me with a massive smile, there's now great acceleration and a lovely woosh from the now working turbo. I love easy free fixes like this!

 

On a more depressing note.. CU L8R 31MPG.

[Richard]

You'll probably find the mpg improves, as long as you're not ragging it all the time.

[Shep Shepherd]

^ I've always liked that metallic copper colour. I recall Fiats painting their Puntos that colour in 1998 or thereabouts.

 

Phase 1 Clios were offered in a similar colour, as were certain early-1980s Fords and mid-1990s Peugeots

[phil_lihp]

Finally the Nova will be on the move this week, its going to be assessed for MOT, then if it looks good,welded up. Its also having a brake pipe flared to fit the new master cylinder, i've bodged the old one with the front seal from the new to repressurise the system as much as possible, one side is ok but the other side is still letting air in so now I have brakes that work surpisingly well but are pretty mushy. They should get me to the garage safely, anyway.

 

Got fed up with the really nasty, dirty, stained seats on Friday after realising that the drivers seat base has collapsed, so five minutes later I'd lobbed a cheeky bid on a full set of really nice velour seats from a 5 dr 1993 corsa. Won them for...99p and picked them up this afternoon

 

They're not a straight swap so spent some time this afternoon putting the Corsa covers and foam on the Nova frame, not finished yet but it's a huge improvement in looks and comfort so I am mega happy. It'd better repay all this at test time!

[Negative Creep]

Spent the weekend at the Retro Rides Gathering. Due to other stuff I wasn't really in the right frame of mind, but that aside it was a pretty decent show, with lots of great cars there. My favourites were a Napier Bentley, with one of the most epic engine sounds I've ever heard, and a KP10 Skyline race car. On the downside there were several cars there that are not retro (a few VWs less than 5 years old), plenty of stupid stretched tyres, cut springs and other dangerous mods. The car of the show, an Esprit on airbags, also looked shit

[Lord Sterling]

Took Pa_Sterlings Primera out to the local carwash (near the airport, so not that local) to get the thing washed, cleaned and hoovered, lil' Sterling_bros like to mess up the car. So queue a HOT and muggy afternoon hoovering the thing out,then of course, unloading the boot full of picnic gear and other stuff to hoover inside there. Last time I visited I brought the old fella some Mk1 Primera mats, unfortunately since then they seem to have been lost/nicked, looks like some little thieving or simply stupid cleaning monkey took the mats out and replaced them with a mish-mash of anything they could lay thier hands on, doesnt help that ole' Pa doesnt seem to notice/bother about these things - Not happy

 

After the clean and hoovering session, I headed down to the local shopping centre to get sme car stuff, thankfully, I found the Belgian equivalent of Halfords - A place called 'Auto 5' unlike Halford, they actually have a working garage where they do servicing and whatnot, most of the Halfords I've seen with garage facilities seemed to be always closed.

 

Anyhow, picked up some tyre shine a can of WD40 and started about it, the engine bay looks so clean, it looks unused, at least thats one thing I neednt bother about, next on the list is some polish, I'm hoping it'll be cool enough one day for me to set about it.

[Pete-M]

Just been bitten by the eBay monster again.

 

 

2.8i Ghia X estate with leather and a 2.9 fitted. In black. Result.

[CreepingJesus]

Pete, that's a stunner! All the things you'd like to see after the words 'Ford' and 'Granada'.

[Pete-M]

Only problem is it's not on TRX rims. They look so cool on the TRX jobs.

 

Anyway, few more pics from the ad.

 

 

Chrome arch FAILZ but otherwise it looks ok. It'll need work, they all do.

[CreepingJesus]

It'll need work, they all do.

 

Indeed, but it gives the impression of being a solid old tank. Hopefully it's nothing too drastic.

I half expected to see Special Branch/Royal Protection type cops in the interior shots, trying to look inconspicuous!

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

That's very tasty!

[dollywobbler]

Corking. Must be one of the largest load areas of any car ever (possibly excluding the XM estate).

[cort16]

I gave my sister a lift down to the borders to pick up her new car yesterday. She was getting a mega bargain on a Mk5 Golf one of my Dad's friends was selling on behalf of his daughter. She though the car had 50k on it and it was cheap at that but when we got there it turned out to have 15k on it and is absolutely spotless. I wish I'd bought it for Mrs cort16 now!

 

My Dad was giving it "now are you sure you can reverse it out the drive dear" speech to my sister. She wasn't overly confident as the drive was tight so my Dad reversed it out the drive and straight through a enormous low hanging bush. I was loling my plums off. I think he owes her a bottle of t-cut.

[wuvvum]

Pete, that looks quality. Never had a Mk2 with leather before. I really do like the way these things drive - at one stage I had a Mk2 2.8 GL estate and a frog-face Scorpio Cosworth, and on the back roads I could go quicker in the Mk2.

[Cavcraft]

Looks like I've just purchased an Italian car with mechanical problems site unseen. Roll on collection day next week.

[cort16]

Selespeed??

[vulgalour]

Ordered a sample of Black Tulip and Aconite, got told "it's never a dull moment when you come in here". Presented me with some colour chips that likely hadn't seen the light of day for many years, especially since they were presented with the comment "colour chips so ancient they're from a place that time forgot" and I'm still undecided about which shade I'm using. You never know, I might end up using both yet. Just waiting on my call back to tell me the samples are ready, currently driving the Princess about with no rear bumper and a Kurust black rear corner... it's surprising how much space you get behind you with that set up.

[Pete-M]

Spoke to the Granada seller this afternoon. He said it's not factory black, but the colour was changed from silver when it was new. Belonged to a funeral director, he said the sticker was in the rear window when he bought it, but has gone now.

 

2.9 EFi engine has been in it for quite some time, properly done. Was a Ghia X, not a Ghia X 'executive' from the factory, but whoever fitted the full leather has done a proper job, the rear seat backrest appears to have had the leather from a saloon transplanted to it, which results in a Ghia X estate with rear headrests but which still folds forward. Bonus, as factory ones didn't have rear 'rests.

 

A/C has been removed when the 2.9 was fitted, so I'll have to find a Ghia X to rob the necessary bits to reinstate it. The autobox from a Mk1 has been fitted as they're a bit stronger than the one in the Mk2 according to the bloke. I don't think there's any actual difference, but he says it shifts nicely.

 

His mate has just finished a weldathon on it, new front panel and valance, a-posts rebuilt "all the rot cut out and new metal seam welded in" and it's had a few new bits on the exhaust.

 

Gonna go collect it in a bit.

[trigger]

Can't wait to read the collection thread Pete, I would LOVE a Mk2 still, hope it's a sweet in the flesh as the seller says it is.

[Pete-M]

If it's half tidy it'll do the duties quite nicely I should imagine.

 

Needs better wheels though. I frickin' hate 14" wheels on these, they need TRX (15.35) or 16"s on 'em. Luckily the Mk2 Granny shares its 5x112 pcd with all the modern VAG stuff so there's a hyuuuge choice of highly inappropriate alloys out there, but also stuff like BBS RS split rim fakes.... which I'd be happy with as I think they're just '80s enough to look right on a Mk2.

[trigger]

This Cossie powered Mk2 yesterday had a set of BBS Splits on, they looked perfect for a Mk2.

 

1985 Ford Granada 2.0 RS Cosworth Mk2 by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[cort16]

You should fit a set of venoms to it Pete that would look great, honest.

I had a 2.3 v6 estate one of these and it was a lovely thing. I imagine the 2.9 will make for a much better driving experience though. I couldn't get over how vast the boot is with the seats down. Proper old school estate car that's big enough to transport a couch, small horse or anything else you fancy.

[Cavcraft]

Selespeed??

 

Christ no, I'm not that bloody brave.