The new news 24 thread

[coalnotdole]

This week the fuel pump in the Rebel van finally packed up... It had been on the blink for a while with it only providing enough fuel with the engine reved up and hardly any at idle. The pump that was on there had come from the 1966 rebel saloon so it wasn't a total shock that it had finally died.

 

So today I changed the fuel pump for one that wasn't 45 years old. The replacement rewarded my efforts by pissing pressurised fuel all over the engine bay. A pressed insert on the replacement pump wasn't sealing properly, so it had to come off to have the crimped points adjusted with a hammer and punch. Its working fine now...!

 

In Rebel saloon news the seat covers are all made and its waiting for some final welding on a seatframe to finish the seats off (no pictures until I've been to the island.) Race Engine wise the original block we had bored out to take 750 liners has been pressure washed and sand blasted, this has revealed it needs extensive welding (far more than first thought) and its now got to go off to be properly tig'd up. After welding it will probably then need to have the be re machined where the liners sit and will probably need a skim. The cost of work to this block is really beginning to mount up....

[Pete-M]

I'd forgotten how much fun 3000-6500 rpm can be in the Impreza.

 

Just reminded myself.. .

[John F]

While I've made some good friends locally with the laning folk, the standard (ie complete lack of) literacy is very depressing. Do people who can actually type not do the whole 4x4 thing?

 

 

Not only is that a sweeping generalisation, it's also rather insulting given that I invited you to join us for a spot of green laning near Machynlleth last week.

 

Using properly-formulated English too, I might add.

[dollywobbler]

Sorry John. It is a sweeping generalisation but based on observations. I'm not saying that owning a 4x4 means you ARE an illiterate oaf. I guess with fora like Autoshite and even RR (which is no fan of txt spk) I get a bit spoilt in my expectations.

[John F]

Sorry John. It is a sweeping generalisation but based on observations. I'm not saying that owning a 4x4 means you ARE an illiterate oaf. I guess with fora like Autoshite and even RR (which is no fan of txt spk) I get a bit spoilt in my expectations.

 

No problem Ian, I'm not averse to making the odd sweeping generalisation myself

 

Besides, it seems that even many supposedly well-educated people can't understand the difference between there/they're/their, or realise that "a lot" are two separate words.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. I'm not too pedantic (I hope!) but I do like to see at least most words spelt correctly and a capital letter where required! I don't pretend to be perfect myself (it's and its often catches me out) but overuse of smilies and txt spk does annoy me.

 

To get back to actual news, I've just collected a load of 2CV stuff from a local chap who hasn't owned one for many years. Hoping the voltage regulator will fit the borked one currently fitted to my 2CV but on initial inspection, the connectors are different. Might be easier to just buy a new one rather than carefully swapping the wires over only to find out that this replacement one doesn't work!

 

Very nervously managed to fit a complete back-end exhaust system for a 2CV into the Bluebird. Why the hell did I take the Bluebird?! I now need to carefully extract said exhaust without getting rusty crud all over the gorgeous blue velour.

[Volksy]

The Fulvia is now in posesstion of 12 months MOT! To be honest it didn't fail on much, and it's a bit of a hoot to drive, seems rather rapid for only 1300cc. It needs a bit of fettling, most annoying being the droopy sunvisor. But most of the jobs are little stuff - such as setting up the heater valve - stuck on hot, and setting the chokes up on the carbs. It'll be taxed on Saturday, so quite looking forward to taking it for a proper hoon.

[dollywobbler]

Me again with moar news.

 

I managed to get the stuff out of the Bluebird without destroying the interior. Result. While in the boot, I discovered the battery clamp. I'd noticed that it was missing only the other day. It doesn't really fit the battery, but it does hold it in place. Sorted.

 

The voltage regulator in the pile of 2CV bits was no good. It had probably been sitting on a shelf since the 1980s and being mechanical, has probably seized up. Getting it open requires drilling it so sod that. I'll just buy a new regulator. A quick double-check of the 2CV yielded an impressive 15.96v spike with all (what little it has) electrical equipment in operation. Definitely battery-frying conditions.

 

So, I moved on to the BX and gave it fresh LHM. This should happen every 30,000 miles, but it had been at least 40,000. I drained the fluid, cleaned the filters and reservoir (the latter was filthy, the filters weren't too bad as I cleaned them up earlier in the year) and bunged fresh LHM in. The BX then refused to rise up again for over 15 minutes but got there in the end. They don't like having the fluid drained! I may still bleed the brake lines to ensure the fluid is as fresh as possible throughout the system but the 2CV is now hogging the garage.

 

I also captured some pictures of the rot. This is the rear crossmember, just the other side of the rear bumper. It's seriously soft.

 

And this is the nearside rear wing. The stripes are rapidly becoming structural. There are massive holes behind the bumper.

 

Elsewhere, it's really rather good for a BX so I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get it sorted. If the Maverick has to go to fund this then so be it.

[Angrydicky]

Buy a welder and have a go yourself? Doesn't look too hard to sort from here.

[dollywobbler]

I tried that once before. I'm just not cut out for bodywork. It requires skill and patience. I lack these things.

[HillmanImp]

Woo! Apparently the Lancia has an MOT. Had a text from Volksy who took it in for the retest. In celebration have a couple of photos:

 

 

[HillmanImp]

Hillmanimp I doth my cap at your welding efforts. The subframe reconstruction looks like a top effort. The car looks like a right stunner on the outside it just shows it's worth poking about underneath when looking at stuff like this.

 

Sorry for the late reply on this. I forgot I had posted those pics before I went on holiday to Devon, I just remembered last night whilst unable to sleep.

 

Thanks for the thumbs up. Its not the prettiest job ever but its structurally sound now. Was pleasantly surprised that the doors shut straight too after the amount of floor that was cut out and how well everything went back together.

 

Its been a bit more work than anticipated this car, but should have guessed that as its a Lancia. I will need to go and take some after photos of some of the other bits as seem to have lots of before pics but not many progress pics on my phone.

[cms206]

The mechanic at work popped the sill covers off the Senator whilst I was out on a school today. The downside is that the back axle *may* have to be dropped to do the work as it is pretty extensive, but it's going into the shed on Saturday to get started (and hopefully finished) by a man who can.

[rml2345]

That Lancia looks fuggin' sweet! Well done for getting it all sorted and back on the road.

Finally got the hose out and properly cleaned the inside of Telly's rear arches as they're a bit bubbly. Had hoped that I could slap some Hammerite where I know it's a bit crunchy in the hope that it would prevent it getting any worse but lots of the underseal appears to be missing/knackered/ancient so it's going into my favourite garage to get undersealed. Sadly I haven't got the facilities for doing such hard and horrible jobs so someone else will just have to do it.

*Sigh*

[cobblers]

Engine flush:

 

Take one t25, stood for 4 years, did a service and stuff, still sounded like it was about to expire any second GTA style, and was actually down on compression on one pot due to sticky valve. Idling high due to a fucked carb too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UrLkZzNtfQ

 

Tip some engine flush in and leave it running for 45 minutes:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRu1laddApk

 

Still sounds like a piece of shit WBX engine, but as good as any I've heard. Full compression on all 4 and no terminal noises. Great success for £6 a tin. Still an awful engine, but a relatively healthy awful engine.

[messerschmitt owner]

discovered a split fuel pipe purely by accident yesterday on the diesel XM - the return pipe from the pump was beginning to come off and pissing diesel all over the place. Only discovered as the battery was flat due to leaving an adaptor plugged into the ciggie lighter socket for a week and it had drained the battery.

 

Popped the existing hose back on but am sending it off to the garage for them to properly replace the hose as it has split and I need a hydraulic leak under the car found and fixed too and I can't do that at home without the car down on the suspension and up on a ramp.

 

Sometimes, your car's failures can be good as it means you have time under the bonnet and get to spot other, much more serious issues.

[phil_lihp]

I'll be getting a phone call tomorrow which will decide the Nova's fate - it'll be getting a thorough once-over to find out the true extent of the rust.

 

Based on the price he quotes for the welding, it might actually be repaired and have a fresh MOT tomorrow afternoon, which I wasn't expecting so soon. Strangely apprehensive about it as last week, based on what the MOT tester failed it on, his quickly estimated price was hovering very close to the 'not worth it' barrier.

 

I really want to save this one though so I suspect heart will override head.

[Cavcraft]

Do it Phil, needs saving!

[vulgalour]

Still can't afford a Bristol, just finished checking the internets. Good luck with the Nova.

[dollywobbler]

Good luck Phil! Just remember that true Autoshite honours allows you to pay more than the car is worth to save it. Within reason! Get it sorted and then you'll get that warm glow that comes from saving something no-one else wants.

 

With that in mind, I took the BX to my bodywork bloke today. He calmly said "bring it in, dismantle it yourself and when the money runs out, I'll stop welding." Hopefully that point will be after it's had the surgery I have in mind. I'm expecting at least £300 worth to be honest. His hourly rate is very attractive, but it's quite rotten! Not too bad elsewhere but there are a few other areas to tackle if I'm still within budget. If not, it can wait.

 

My biggest concern is removing the towbar. The nuts look VERY rusty. Many, many applications of penetrating oil will be applied. Otherwise it's just luck and big hammers!

[phil_lihp]

cheers fellas, will keep you updated on what happens!

 

DW, same thing with the BX, you won't regret it.

 

VA, keep searching, when you do find a ready source of cheap Bristols, do share

[Lord Sterling]

Drove the Rover in the pissing rain to work today. As there was a slight chill in the air (As opposed to a boiling hot whether in Belguim I recently had to endure) I hit the heater for some warm air, did I get warm air? Did I fuck. So a cold journey into work was had. Upon getting to the carpark (of the building opposite my work as thats were we have to park due to ongoing construction work ) I hit a few buttons to see what the deal was, couldnt work it out and ran out of time. As the Rover spat coolant out at the airport a few days ago I thought there may have been an airlock, but upon getting into the car after work warm air came out when selected!

 

I did take a mental note that the control panel seemd a little tempramental on the air flow adjustments side too when the problem occured first time so I put it down to a tempremental control panel. Also - My immobiliser likes to stick on when it rains, making me get out of the car, lock it, unlock it again to get it to start. They joys of owning old cars eh, you never know whats next...

[vulgalour]

Must be a day for it. Upon going out for some shopping with a car full of peoples I had the alarming experience of a very strong smell of petrol in the cabin, strong enough to make me stop the car immediately. Checked all the pipework and possible leak areas to find nothing amiss and no puddles of fuel on the floor, no drips, no split pipework... very odd. When trying to start her again she was very reluctant but got going eventually, it was like there wasn't enough fuel getting through. Once running, she's been fine for the shopping trip, hasn't smelled of petrol, hasn't had issues starting and has left me very puzzled indeed.

 

Oh, and I pulled out in front of a Honda the same colour as the road because I genuinely didn't see them at all. No harm done, I kept my foot down when I did see them and they stood on their brakes so an accident was avoided, but now I'm getting (deservedly) ridiculed by my brother for being a blind old cunt.

[dollywobbler]

A rare occasion. I've cleaned and polished the BX.

[vulgalour]

Further to my previous news, a quick talk with Dad revealed that his Ital used to do the same thing periodically as the Princess did and essentially it's a carburettor issue. For some reason, the float or needle gets jammed, flooding the float chamber which in turn makes petrol come out of the carburettor. When it unjams, the whole thing floods and causes issues starting again. This means that ideally I need to get the carb off and clean it out again, but I might just put some tights over the end of the air intake and hope for the best instead as that's where it's sucking little bits of grit and such into the carburettor.

[Negative Creep]

My Granddad has decided to give up driving and offered me his car for a nominal amount. It's a mk.2 Punto which in typical old giffer fashion is used to drive to the shops and back once a week and has probably never been above 50mph in the time he's owned it. Great news, although it does leave me with a bit of a dilemma as it's not shite or interesting but will be mega cheap on fuel, and I only have room for 2 cars

[messerschmitt owner]

My Granddad has decided to give up driving and offered me his car for a nominal amount. It's a mk.2 Punto which in typical old giffer fashion is used to drive to the shops and back once a week and has probably never been above 50mph in the time he's owned it. Great news, although it does leave me with a bit of a dilemma as it's not shite or interesting but will be mega cheap on fuel, and I only have room for 2 cars

puntos, like many small Fiats, are fun to drive - has it the FIRE engine?

 

Am on my second cabrio and both wifey and I like them.

[Volksy]

puntos, like many small Fiats, are fun to drive - has it the FIRE engine?

 

Although much more preferable with power steering, as the non pas rack is about twelthty thousand turns lock to lock.

[Negative Creep]

puntos, like many small Fiats, are fun to drive - has it the FIRE engine?

 

Although much more preferable with power steering, as the non pas rack is about twelthty thousand turns lock to lock.

 

 

I'm not sure what engine it has, but presume it's the 1.2. I think the mk2 all had PAS with that stupid city button didn't they? It's going to be too new for my tastes, but given the circumstances I'm in no position to complain. Either way, this will help getting the Yugo back up and running

[panhard65]

Just got the uk registration and tax disc for my renault 14. Ready for a weekend's worth of running around. Hopefully the weather will stay nice. Then I can sell it and move on to the next project