The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

RAV4 is currently undergoing surgery. Looks it it was the water pump that was (very noisily) failing. Some of you may have heard it at Shitefest. It got a LOT noisier last week. I've farmed out the work because I'm dead busy AND can afford it. That doesn't often happen. It's usually one or the other! I've been told £260-280. Place bets now! That's obviously for new belt, tensioners and water pump. And a certain amount of swearing I suspect. 

 

I've actually been missing the thing. Wasn't expecting that.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Mihaltsi, Pavlikeni province in Bulgaria.

Every town and village has a central square where the old communist party had a monument.

Most are old artillery pieces or some piece of mining equipment depending on what the local "speciality " was....

Any chance of some close up pics of it please?

[SeanRG]

The picture of the sierra looked right from the early 90s after some scrote had smashed the drivers window to steal the grundig tape player

You're probably right - going by the fact the driver window is etched in a different number plate and the tape cassette was already missing upon purchase! It's most definitely had the plastic sheet treatment before

[BorniteIdentity]

Any minute now my telephone is going to ring with "Your Mercedes is ready to collect, Sir" and my arsehole is going to start twitching like a bunny rabbit's nose.

 

From what I can gather: It's had...

 

• Another head gasket kit fitted
• Refurbished set of valves
• BNIB genuine duplex timing chain and associated sprockets
• Camshaft (previously enjoyed)
• Rocker Cover
• Few hoses (that were brand new but incorrect for a car with A/C)
• Heater unblocked thanks to some unhelpful twat using K-seal (that'd be me)

When I spoke to the guy on Wednesday he said "Well it's 10 hours labour" and that was 5 days ago. Seeing as they've not called to say it's ready, I'm bloody terrified. More of my wife's reaction than to actually paying it you understand...

Still being sheepish on price, but it also needs two ball joints. I knew this because the steering is 184x lighter turning right than left. So that adds another £100 on.

 

Christ.

[Skizzer]

Yes, NLS 192P does indeed belong to Dippy of this parish who uses it daily. He did buy it from the Doctor.

 

Apologies all round, I thought Dippy's was on an N plate too.

[Asimo]

 

http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/emergency_services_called_to_vehicle_fire_on_the_a11_1_4602140

 

Oops.

 

Slammed and paint-stripped all in one go.  And a baked pineapple.

[Skizzer]

Discovery news:  it now has an MOT, yay!

 

 

Then, because it's a bloody minded Land Rover, it sprung a coolant leak a mile down the road.  Fuxake.

 

Slightly wounded Discovery by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

I stuck it up on ramps and had a quick look underneath.  There's a very secondhand-looking pipe under there:

 

Coolant leak by Skizzer, on Flickr

 

So tomorrow (?) I'll take the bumper off and have a better look.  I suspect RadWeld isn't going to do this, it looks like it needs some plumbing.  And I bet it'll be a right bee-atch to take apart, too.

 

Just when I thought I might finally get one of the cars running again.  Joy.

[HMC]

^ That's frustrating skizzer! Looks to be fighting you, and perhaps a pipe to the autotrans oil cooler has let go?

[trigger]

I'm going through a right stage at the moment of craving another car even though i technically don't have any inside storage for it, having sold the Cortina I've got some money and a classic insurance policy going to waste so I'm keen to fill it. I've been hanging back as theres the possibly of the Ital van coming up soon so i want space and i have a perfectly usable Dolomite which i haven't had much use off so far this year because of the weather.

 

But i really fancy trying either a Allegro or a Marina at the moment, not a long term ownership thing, just for a bit of a laugh really. I've just veen offered this 1972 1.8 SDL Coupe for £1800, it has a years mot but needs a bit of fettling on the sills and rear arches as well as de-chaving.

 

 

 

It's also back in it's original SDL wheels, it is tax exempt but i can't decide if it's a daft move or not?

[For Fiats Sake]

 

Waved goodbye to this yesterday.

 

Going back to within a 10 minute walk of where the first owner lived!

 

 

Today I said goodbye to the Maestro........

 

 

........and hello to a big Fiaty boot full of WIN

 

 

 

 

[Brodders]

i can't decide if it's a daft move or not?

It probably is.

 

Therefore there are only two possible follow up questions.

 

When are you buying it?

 

When is the collection thread going to be filled with some red hot Marina action?

[New POD]

I'm going through a right stage at the moment of craving another car even though i technically don't have any inside storage for it, having sold the Cortina I've got some money and a classic insurance policy going to waste so I'm keen to fill it. I've been hanging back as theres the possibly of the Ital van coming up soon so i want space and i have a perfectly usable Dolomite which i haven't had much use off so far this year because of the weather.

 

But i really fancy trying either a Allegro or a Marina at the moment, not a long term ownership thing, just for a bit of a laugh really. I've just veen offered this 1972 1.8 SDL Coupe for £1800, it has a years mot but needs a bit of fettling on the sills and rear arches as well as de-chaving.

 

 

 

It's also back in it's original SDL wheels, it is tax exempt but i can't decide if it's a daft move or not?

 

 

Having been upside down (as a passenger) in a moronina coupe (a 1.3 auto in beige), where a pedestrian was hit (and later died having never regained consciousness), as the car left the road whilst oversteering wildly, having hit a patch of damp, I am definitely qualified in a perverse sort of way, to tell you what to do.

 

Of course you should buy a marina. They were shit then, and are shit now, and people will love you and adore you for preserving and cherishing, that which deserves to be put out of it's misery.

 

If you do buy one, get one with worn out suspension, shite tyres, well past their sell by date, and with as much rust as possible.

 

my comments apply to the MGB which was basically a marina, but much less practical.

[dollywobbler]

Marina needs to happen. You are the man to de-twat it. 

 

In other news, the RAV is back.

 

£282.50 worse off, but hey, my engine didn't get destroyed. Left any longer, I think it might have been. The water pump was seriously f*cked. It was a replacement, but by heck it was shagged. It barely wanted to turn at all, and sounded as smooth as Mel Gibson's chin. 

 

So glad the plucky RAV got me to Shitefest and back, and that it didn't spectacularly let go when hauling Bub's caravan out of the field. 

[alf892]

FaoMr Skizzer...doesn't look like a coolant pipe........are you sure?

[scaryoldcortina]

Yeah, that looks like a PAS pipe to me too.

[Angrydicky]

IMG_20160704_105737459.jpg

 

Waved goodbye to this yesterday.

 

Going back to within a 10 minute walk of where the first owner lived!

 

 

Today I said goodbye to the Maestro........

 

IMG_20160705_141140020_HDR.jpg

 

........and hello to a big Fiaty boot full of WIN

Isn't that funny how the Yorkshire registered Regata has returned home and the Kent registered Maestro has also (almost) returned home with Vek!

[Angrydicky]

Also, a bit of tat removal and some correct peaked reflective plates will transform that Marina. £1800 does sound steep though if it needs welding.

[Skizzer]

FaoMr Skizzer...doesn't look like a coolant pipe........are you sure?

Yeah, that looks like a PAS pipe to me too.

 

Not at all sure - it was bleeding pink blood so I figured coolant and then stomped home in a huff.  PSF would indeed make more sense - thanks.  

 

I'll investigate properly tomorrow if I get time, otherwise the ungrateful little shit will have to wait until next week.

[MarvinsMom]

trig, you need,

 

no MUST buy that marina,

 

 keep the louve on the back window and put some weller wheels on it with a lift on the back axle just like in olden days, 

 

and then you will win at autoshite.

 

plus once you have had your fun you can sell it on and get most or all of your money back

 

(warning - the value of your investment may fall as well as rise.....)

[trigger]

Also, a bit of tat removal and some correct peaked reflective plates will transform that Marina. £1800 does sound steep though if it needs welding.

I don't think it needs any welding but some lights scabs i believe. I just can't decided if £1800 is a lot of money or not, he was after £2500! Mind you the values are shooting up on them. That chin spolier would be the first thing burnt!

[Skizzer]

Just done a bit of Googling - yes, it's definitely the power steering pipes.  Fan out, radiator out - took someone on one of the LR forums ten hours

 

 

Trig - buy the Marina, de-moron it, post great pics on here, sell on.  It's a service you provide for the world, and you do it awfully well.

[Kiltox]

Not at all sure - it was bleeding pink blood so I figured coolant and then stomped home in a huff. PSF would indeed make more sense - thanks.

 

I'll investigate properly tomorrow if I get time, otherwise the ungrateful little shit will have to wait until next week.

Shame you're so far away else I'd just buy it with the leak and sort it myself - driving it all that way is probably gonna kill something else in the steering system though

[trigger]

I think it now looks like this...

 

[Angrydicky]

There could be a nice car lurking under all that crap. Worth a look if not too far away, or someone from these hallowed pages checking it out to save you a wasted trip if its a long distance away.

[Cavcraft]

32 years on and the (bad) memories still haven't faded. Marinas are shit.

 

 

This evening I have ordered a set of points for the Ariel 3, I really want to get it running and go for a spin on it.  

[MarvinsMom]

I think it now looks like this...

 

oh my lord....

 

how much crap can be hung off of the front of one car??

 

and yes, i know that the marina was a bit (a lot?) shit. my dad had one when we were small. but it took us on holiday, to the shops, what ever without (as far as i can remember) a FTP for 5 or 6 years before been traded for a mark 1 cav. which was a much better car!

 

but i still have a soft spot for the marina, it was a shite car, but a great shite car!

[Asimo]

https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-cars/morris-marina-coupe-mk-ii/1176974203

 

Cheaper!

[320touring]

Went to see a potential storage space for my cx earlier..

 

spotted this..

[For Fiats Sake]

The first van I drove after passing my test was a marina.  Went round a corner and the exhaust fell off.  Drivers window was held up with a piece of wood.  Shook like a spin dryer with a brick in it at any speed over 28mph.  Scared the shit out of me.  Luckily the boss was as pissed off with it as I was and bought a Maestro van soon after.  

[mercrocker]

Well, the Cowley just had its maiden long-ish run....492 miles from home to Lowestoft and back including a cruise round the town to the Royal Green from Pakefield.   Ran bloody lovely, probably the most comfortable car we have taken up there.   Did about 30 mpg fully loaded (by which I mean five suitcases for Mrs Rocker and one for me) used no oil or water and completely justified my faith in it.    Oh, and its a nice place to take a ten minute nap in a layby too....

 

I rewarded it with a full grease-up and brush-out this morning but refrained from cleaning it (although I did swab out the wheelarches and inner wings).    

 

Its having a rest before it takes our caravan out in a couple of weeks.