The new news 24 thread

[Kiltox]

Don't these shed gears quicker than Transit Dis shed heater positions?

Gearbox is in good order - seriously doubt it's original though!!

[egg]

I know that you can get original dealer number plates recreated, but how about dealer stickers? This is fading rapidly (pic from February, now a lot worse)....Any thoughts? I have emailed Cuff miller in the very unlikely event they still have some old ones!!

[Skizzer]

I know that you can get original dealer number plates recreated, but how about dealer stickers? This is fading rapidly (pic from February, now a lot worse)....Any thoughts? I have emailed Cuff miller in the very unlikely event they still have some old ones!!

DMB Graphics do dealer stickers as well as number plates.

[beko1987]

Yep, they are pretty grim and not much fun.

 

Kids bought us a caravan club membership for Xmas, not really understanding what we use ours for.....

 

Did two sites, both fucking horrible. They are soul-less cemeteries full of other peoples kids and about as interesting as a Tesco mother-and-baby car park. Also, I do not appreciate kneeling on gravel winding the legs down while some chopper next door with a "Dad" tea mug brandishes his Aldi cordless drill and brays about "You need one of these". No I don't mate, I need a big field without people like you in it.

 

Also, if reception see you are just solo in a small van you get "tucked into a wee spot, you should just fit" next to the bins and where the "proper" caravanners empty their shit kegs at 0645 every day. And have a nice chat about Kias outside your window.

 

Nah, they are just microcosms of shitty suburban life without brick walls to keep the twunts out of earshot.

 

I have found some brilliant sites where the pitches aren't marked out and everybody else (all 5 of them) on an otherwise empty site appear to be socio-paths. You won't find these in a Plakky-Van Club site guide, though.

 

Mostly we use our caravan as extended accomodation for the camper van at rockabilly weekends and the camper as a mobile beach hut or replacement for over-priced "hotels" that used to be known as guest houses.

 

Why people tow a conservatory round with them and then spend 4 hours twiddling a satellite and another six putting up a flappy awning just to go and watch telly is frankly completely beyond my understanding.

I feel I have learnt something about caravanning!

[For Fiats Sake]

Went to see two caravans today, both same make though different models.

 

I missed out on an ebay auction one by £20 on monday so I thought I would try the classifieds route.

 

Both were same age but the first one didn't have a toilet and I couldn't be arsed fitting an awning just to (my least favourite expression ever now) "curl one out of a morning".

It also had original repulstory and matching curtains.  I put in a offer reflecting what I thought of an untested van of this age should be and was rejected.

 

I hit the phone when I got home and left a message with a seller of one about an hour away.

I viewed it this afternoon.  

 

Much tidier, interior nicer, inside toilet and everything working.  Managed to get a couple of hundred quid off the price (still dearer than ebay prices) but being localish and not having to win the auction only to find its a heap made me want to seal the deal.

 

 

These are about 650kg so the old panda 4x4 should be able to tow it (with a new engine fitted) and being a pop top can be stored under the car port.

 

Now just have to wait for the towbar to be fitted to collect it!

[Guest Biggus Dickus]

Just because you can doesnt mean you should.

Towing that with a Fiat Panda is going to be alarming at best and lethal at worst.

 

Ok, its technically within the weight limit of the car, but the relative mass and surface area to catch the wind will mean the van will be pulling the car all over the road.

[bub2006]

Where is it and you? If not far I'll collect and deliver

[wuvvum]

I r hippocrit.

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

Yep, they are pretty grim and not much fun.   

 

Kids bought us a caravan club membership for Xmas, not really understanding what we use ours for..... 

 

Did two sites, both fucking horrible.   They are soul-less cemeteries full of other peoples kids and about as interesting as a Tesco mother-and-baby car park.    Also, I do not appreciate kneeling on gravel winding the legs down while some chopper next door with a "Dad" tea mug brandishes his Aldi cordless drill and brays about "You need one of these".    No I don't mate, I need a big field without people like you in it.

 

Also, if reception see you are just solo in a small van you get "tucked into a wee spot, you should just fit" next to the bins and where the "proper" caravanners empty their shit kegs at 0645 every day.   And have a nice chat about Kias outside your window.

 

Nah, they are just microcosms of shitty suburban life without  brick walls to keep the twunts out of earshot.  

 

I have found some brilliant sites where the pitches aren't marked out and everybody else (all 5 of them) on an otherwise empty site appear to be socio-paths.   You won't find these in a Plakky-Van Club site guide, though.

 

Mostly we use our caravan as extended accomodation for the camper van at rockabilly weekends and the camper as a mobile beach hut or replacement for over-priced "hotels" that used to be known as guest houses.     

 

Why people tow a conservatory round with them and then spend 4 hours twiddling a satellite and another six putting up a flappy awning just to go and watch telly is frankly completely beyond my understanding.

 

 

Dunno about the caravan club, but the camping & caravan club have hundreds of tiny sites like that. I forget what they call them, certified locations or something daft. When I was a member they were black dots on the map at the back of the site book, found some utterly brilliant places to stop that way & they are members only so made the club worth it.

[Guest Hooli]

Finished tiling the garage earlier so started to fit the garage door. I really expected an electric roller shutter to be harder to do, it's in & working. I'm well chuffed as never had a posh garage door before Got it 2nd hand for £240 on ebay, much better than the £1,300 plus fitting for the same door new. It's almost new anyway, bloke had it fitted, sold the house & the new owner changed the garage & took the door out again!

 

 

As you can tell it's been sat on the floor for a year so filthy & the garage still needs gutters, a final coat of render & paint - all that keeps it at AS level I'd say?

[Stanky]

Today I finally got round to repainting the wiper arms on the Nissan. The original paint has largely come off, exposing the ally underneath, this is normally fine however if the sun catches it at just the wrong angle if reflects directly into your retinas and you can't see a bloody thing.

 

I've rolled down to Toolstation and picked up some matt black metal paint and given the arms several light goings over, so they are all black now and waiting for the paint to dry properly overnight in the shed and i'll re-fit them tomorrow.

[Guest Hooli]

^^^

Reminds me of my Midget, someone that done that before I got it & all the dial surrounds etc. Took a day with nitromors to get them all shiney again

[For Fiats Sake]

Just because you can doesnt mean you should.

 

Towing that with a Fiat Panda is going to be alarming at best and lethal at worst.

 

Ok, its technically within the weight limit of the car, but the relative mass and surface area to catch the wind will mean the van will be pulling the car all over the road.

 

If it doesn't feel safe I'll be using the newer bigger Panda instead.

 

Where is it and you? If not far I'll collect and deliver

 

Ta, it's Stockport and I'm in Halifax.  I can't have it home this week as the drive is being widened,  the seller was okay about having it for a week or two.  If his patience wears out I'll let you know.  Thanks Bub.

[bub2006]

Well I'm in derby but I'll do what I can.

[trigger]

I got my Dolomite back from the garage today, i ended up having the clutch replaced and flywheel skimmed, two rear wheel bearings fitted and a section of brake pipe at the rear, the carbs topped up and balanced, the timing done correctly and the tappets adjusted.

 

It now feels much nicer to drive, much quieter and smoother with no judderling clutch, all in all the bill came to £125 cash which i can't grumble about although it needed a bloody good clean once i got it home both inside and out. Sadly i didn't get time to take a photo but I'm taking it to a big free car show (Cars on the green at Nowton Park if your local and fancy it) in Bury St Edmunds tomorrow so I'll try and get one there.

[Supernaut]

I got my Dolomite back from the garage today, i ended up having the clutch replaced and flywheel skimmed, two rear wheel bearings fitted and a section of brake pipe at the rear, the carbs topped up and balanced, the timing done correctly and the tappets adjusted.

 

It now feels much nicer to drive, much quieter and smoother with no judderling clutch, all in all the bill came to £125 cash which i can't grumble about although it needed a bloody good clean once i got it home both inside and out. Sadly i didn't get time to take a photo but I'm taking it to a big free car show (Cars on the green at Nowton Park if your local and fancy it) in Bury St Edmunds tomorrow so I'll try and get one there.

£125 for all that?!

 

Did you miss a 0?

 

Fucking hell, I should get a dolomite.

[robinmasters]

Finished tiling the garage earlier so started to fit the garage door. I really expected an electric roller shutter to be harder to do, it's in & working. I'm well chuffed as never had a posh garage door before Got it 2nd hand for £240 on ebay, much better than the £1,300 plus fitting for the same door new. It's almost new anyway, bloke had it fitted, sold the house & the new owner changed the garage & took the door out again!

 

 

As you can tell it's been sat on the floor for a year so filthy & the garage still needs gutters, a final coat of render & paint - all that keeps it at AS level I'd say?

 

I'd leave it as it is; it looks like a shop in suburban France, on a Sunday.

[trigger]

Not bad hey! Mind you the new clutch was £45 on top of that. To be fair the mechanic is very cheap as it was a in between cash job, he's had it a week so you wouldn't want to be in a rush but as it's only a weekend toy that doesn't bother me much.

[mercrocker]

Dunno about the caravan club, but the camping & caravan club have hundreds of tiny sites like that. I forget what they call them, certified locations or something daft. When I was a member they were black dots on the map at the back of the site book, found some utterly brilliant places to stop that way & they are members only so made the club worth it.

That sounds more like it.   cheers for the info!

[crapcarcollector]

Now I've finished the GTV the 145 Junior thread has got me hankering for a 145 again. Hmmmm

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Guest Hooli]

That sounds more like it.   cheers for the info!

 

One of the most memorable was Talmine on the Kyle of Tongue, just here https://goo.gl/maps/zU7M5UHbPCN2 now turn around on street view to see the view over the road

I stopped there in October a few years ago & the lass running it refused any money as she was closed for the winter! Brilliant trip that, if a bit wet as I was riding my '77 Bonnie.

[stuboy]

Bloody parking round gfs is getting beyond a joke, had to bunk it up on the grass verge...

[Cavcraft]

Just a thought ref. caravanning and all that: Why do people with motorhomes tow small cars behind them? Surely you're better off with a nice comfortable car and a decent caravan than a 49 foot BFO coach and a half-arsed FIAT Seicento?

[bub2006]

I've often thought that. Yes fair you don't have to pack up then struggle parking with a car like you would a motorhome but you have two lots of tax,not,insurance and more than likely more fuel costs. The xantia is negligible fuel wise when towing or not,its comfy and capable too.

[Richard]

I'm pretty sure A-framing cars behind campers isn't legal- or at least it might be but the law is so woolly that you could be waved through one VOSA checkpoint and get the whole lot impounded at another one 20 miles up the road.

[RobT]

Another American import I'd have thought, they probably do loads of it over there with their massive Winnebagos.

 

This morning I left the flat and found someone had bashed the driver's door mirror on the Cavalier. Funny that seeing as I was moaning about such things happening in the Sierra base thread. This time it was hanging off though and the casing flung across the road, so I've gaffer taped it up for now.

[BorniteIdentity]

I've decided that, whilst I love it, the Sierra won't be with me for very much longer.  5x distinctly banal 4 cylinder family hatchback's is just too much - and I'd really like to replace it with a car that offers something different.

FS thread now marked.

[Supernaut]

I was up in Huntly this afternoon, on my way home I saw an ambulance absolutely fucking going for it.

 

I kept a good pace (smidge over 60) and was waiting until it caught up to me to do something. Instead, when it was still a good 100 yards or so behind me, it pulled out into the other lane, driving straight AT oncoming traffic at a good 70mph+

A little bit of poo came out, and I heaved on the anchors to give it a gap as the line of oncoming traffic did the same.

[Ghosty]

Whenver I see someone towing/trailering/whatever a car behind a motorhome, it's always a Smart...

[17-Coffees]

Spent the weekend up at Shieldaig (Applecross) for camping and a spot of driving with the parents.

 

The Parents had been there since Friday, with me joining on Saturday. Fantastic other than the fact I'm sure my arm has stuff written in braille thanks to the bloody midges as per normal, but was't enough to dampen the spirit, a few beers did help to stop the feeling as well. 

 

 

 

Some of you may have seen this car before, because it is Supernaut's old 'Stupidly Ultra green' A4, which is currently owned by my dad! (And completely by chance!). Great car for the road he says!

 

Typical Stock photo from top of Applecross pass...

 

The laugh of it is, I was there roughly a year ago in the Lexus, and also with the A4 as well.

For the size of the car, handles it all no problem despit the car being as wide as the road in most places...