The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

Sunday? Train? Shocker! When do you get on a rail replacement bus?

Done that bit already - Norwich to Ipswich.

[DeeJay]

 

Giving the back seat passengers the finger.

[dollywobbler]

Rover out of use due to tyre from hell, RAV4 blocked in by Nippa, so the Colt had a little outing earlier. Gosh it's hilarious after you've driven something good! It feels like a hippo in a shopping trolley. Quite pleasant to bimble around in, just best not to ask it to travel quickly. 

[Ghosty]

Is that a Laurin & Klement Octavia? They have particularly lurid interiors iirc.

[Richard]

Yes. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/skoda-octavia-1-9-tdi-lauren-Klement-/142080310372?nma=true&si=FlXpl9lLvx%252FSY6yH7NJwoi8Gaj8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[Ghosty]

Just had a look in Glass's. 

 

 

That's a lot of car. 02 makes it pre-PD as well.

[Richard]

I'm a wee bit jealous actually.

[BorniteIdentity]

Is this rectifiable with filler and an aerosol? Never done it before but looking to learn on something.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[worldofceri]

Saab news.

 

Lately I have mostly been using the Gooner because, as one would expect from a Mr_Bo11ox-fettled motor, it Just Works.  The Saab also works, but has several petty issues that make me disinclined to drive it.  In no particular order, these are:

 

1.  PAS fluid leak.  Those with exceptional memories may remember that the power steering pump fell off a while back.  My local garage fixed it back on but since then it's leaked a bit.  It's liveable-with provided I keep it topped up, but there is a large stain on the road where I tend to park it that I'm a bit sheepish about.  Fairly sure none of my neighbours would notice, let alone care, but, still.

 

2.  Vibration.  Above about 50mph there's a disconcerting shudder that gets worse with speed.  It's more severe under load but disappears altogether if the clutch is disengaged.  In my head this rules out unbalanced wheels or driveshafts and points to a gearbox issue.  I let local spanner-expert and AS  member Dave Aspley take a look and he thought it was just the (brand new) exhaust vibrating on the underside of the boot.  He adjusted the angle the exhaust was sitting at and the vibration did indeed disappear ('Hooray', I thought).  Weirdly, it was fine for about a week, but then the vibration returned and has kept getting worse since.  Reckon it's a bit more involved than just a wobbly exhaust.

 

3.  Exhaust.  The exhaust is virtually brand new but I can't get it to sit right.  I don't think the garage fitting it have cocked it up, as such;  I expect it's just a shit pattern part that doesn't really fit properly.  After Dave adjusted it, it was fine for a while, but then started knocking on the rear axle (which the old knackered exhaust used to do).  So I put it back to how it was, vibrating on the underside of the boot.  Then one of the (brand-new-SHITE) rubber mounts split so it was knocking AND vibrating.  I figure the only real cure is to take it off and try to bend it to the correct shape (I think it needs a greater curve on the part that loops over the axle), but for the time being I have bodged it to sit a bit lower where it doesn't contact any other parts of the car.  It's looser now though, so it still clonks over speed bumps and what have you.  Zip-tie-bodge:

 

 

4.  Coolant leak.  It's been losing a bit of coolant for ages now and I've not really figured out where from.  Prime suspect is the header tank, which is not in great condition.  I'd have replaced it by now, but brand new ones are ca. £40 and Ebay scrapyard-shitehawks seem to want around £20.  Fuck that.  I found a crack in the little leak-off pipe, but pushing the pipe on a fraction further seems to have stopped that weeping.  Then yesterday I discovered a big hole in the hose between the water pump and the header tank.  Not a good photo, but you can see it here if you squint:

 

 

I managed to cut the pipe about Â¼" shorter and stretch it on a bit further, thus getting the jubilee clip the other side of the split.  Needs a new hose though really.  Having bodged the cooling system satisfactorily I drained it and gave it a quick flush.  The drain plug on the radiator is a nylon bolt you can undo by hand - ideal for lazy 'mechanics' like me;  there is a drain plug on the block as well, but it looks awkward to get to, and as the car was on a slope the bottom of the rad was the lowest point of the system anyway, so I didn't bother with it.  I ran some water through from the expansion tank;  I didn't want to disturb any other hoses in case I ended up with another split one.  Quite a bit of brown water came through before it ran clear:

 

 

5.  Hot-start problem.  It's getting increasingly reluctant to start when hot.  I suspect some sort of fuel-vapourisation issue.  I could try lagging the fuel lines, I suppose but, even if it works, it's a sticking-plaster approach that won't address the underlying problem, whatever that is.  Googling 'Saab 900 hot start problem' brings up about eleventy thousand suggestions as to what the issue might be.  I don't really know where to start.

 

6.  Headlight relay.  Dipped beam frequently fails to work.  Current solution is to give the relay a wiggle.  Long term solution is to get a new relay, but they seen expensive for what they are.

 

I know I'm coming across stupidly tight-fisted here, but to be honest I'm broke at the moment and I can't justify spending more than a few pennies on this car whilst I have another that (for now, at least) doesn't need owt doing.  But then, if I'm not using it, I can't justify the forty-odd quid a month I spend taxing and insuring it either.  The Gooner is great for just being a car, but doesn't really interest me enough to call it a keeper; the Golf fulfills the role of boring reliable* family hack.  I'm disinclined to part with the Saab when it has so many unresolved issues, but lack the resources to tackle them.

 

Hoping it would renew my enthusiasm, I washed, polished(!) and vacuumed it and took it to the Warwick Retro/Classic show/meet.

 

 

Unfortunately on the way back the vibration got so bad I had to come off the dual carriageway and take the B-roads back to Cov so I could keep the speed down.  I won't be able to bring it to Chumley if this isn't fixed.  Mojo is at a low point, and I don't quite know where I'm going from here.

[Ghosty]

(Oh, and if anyone else wants a page from Glass's Car Checkbook 2004 snapping - so basically for any car available in the UK 1996-2003 - let me know. It's full of power, weight, towing weight, CO2 and other such figures).

[Richard]

Re. SAAB vibration problems

 

It sounds as if it might be the mainshaft bearing in the gearbox. I think it's reasonably straightforward to change if you don't mind taking gearboxes to bits but you have to take the engine out. IIRC if it's that it won't be happening in every gear, but I can't remember the details.

 

The other possibility is that the inner CV joints are worn. As they wear they tend to run off centre and vibrate. The cheapskate fix for this is to swap the joints side for side so they are driving on a new surface. The symptom here is vibration under power but not on the overrun. I think they are held in with circlips so you have to open the diff, but that's not as big a deal as it sounds. Provided it hasn't been done before that's a free fix.

 

Headlamp relays just do that sometimes. It's often the result of people running high powered bulbs. You might be able to clean up the relay contacts but probably not.

[For Fiats Sake]

 

OMGHGF confirmed.

 

 

 

 

[Kiltox]

Is this rectifiable with filler and an aerosol? Never done it before but looking to learn on something.

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Yep just spend a lot of time stripping it back properly and treat with rust remover

[worldofceri]

...excellent advice...

 

Thanks Richard.  My gut feeling is that it's a gearbox issue.  

[Lacquer Peel]

Just had a look in Glass's.

 

 

That's a lot of car. 02 makes it pre-PD as well.

Plush veg mobile

[RobT]

I went to Cranleigh Classic Show in the Metro today. Weather was good, loads of different tat on display, and Mike Brewer was the compere (can't have everything I suppose). Actually I don't mind the bloke, and he said positive things about Allegros, so maybe Wheeler Dealers are due a BL tin resto.

 

Anyway, I only took a few pics. This Triumph 2000 was one of my favourites. I spoke to the owner's missus and she said it's one of their dailies, being used for tip runs etc. Big old load space in these when you have a proper look. Lovely.

 

 

An old Bentley. I think it's unrestored and only has 22,000 miles on the clock. I couldn't quite hear what the owner was saying as some twattish know-fuck-all kept butting in. The wings looked too good to be original paint though. Either way I liked it.

 

 

GR9 for being John Steed.

 

 

Giffer with Cortina selling tat.

 

 

A Zummerset for Dicky. For sale too at £5,500.

 

 

The wide variety makes this a good show, and I chatted to lots of friendly owners. WUD DU AGAIN.

[HMC]

Haven't had much spare time this weekend but I did pap a traction engine as it trundled by whilst I was testing the filler neck repairs on the Merc...

[Cavcraft]

Still a lovely looking car those CLKs, they certainly weren't as nice on the eye when they facelifted them.

 

I've had a pretty horrible day (non-car related) but in  (dull) fleet news, here's what has occurred:

 

 (2015, boring) Viva given it's longest trip out to date, still only managed an indicated 42mpg, but the gauge has barely moved so maybe the computer isn't right? The cruise control was a God send and it pulls well for a poxy 1.0 litre and is actually a nice little car.

 

Calibra: more hopeless attempts to start it, my son came home, whizzed the dizzy cap off, gave it a wipe and it fired up. Let it tick-over then went for a 'drive it like you stole it' blast, where it performed heroically and almost made me smile.

 

Silver 405TD estate: charged the battery and it started first go. Back box now fitted, bit tight against the bodywork but 100% better and sounds like it should. Still some more jobs to do though.

 

Red 405TD estate: used as the battery lead mule for the Calibra. Funny how being a more basic model it actually feels poles apart compared to the (later, snazzier) silver one.

 

MX5: Untouched, still smells of burning oil as it has since my test drive before I bought it. The duck tape has now fallen off the gaping hole in the sills. 

[Sheefag]

Speaking of gaping holes in sills, what happened to that MG?

[Cavcraft]

With it's lucky* new owner in London somewhere.

[spike60]

Haven't had much spare time this weekend but I did pap a traction engine as it trundled by whilst I was testing the filler neck repairs on the Merc...image.jpg

I don't know what you've done with yours but  my 2000 Clk had a split rubber pipe about the size of heater hose behind the arch  liner somewhere that dribbled on your Hush Puppies when you filled the tank. The temporary repair with insulating tape was still going strong when I last saw it 2 years later.

[Supernaut]

17-Coffees and I went to Knockhill today.

Look at this heap of chod. Not a straight body panel amongst them.




We got to walk the track after all the racing, and sneaked into the pits just as the sun was beginning to set, hence me managing to get that epic shot. I'm properly chuffed with how well that photo turned out.

[panhard65]

Can't complain about mine, then, at least it was fixed...

 

News 24: Can't afford a new bike now because tyre. Considering the fate of the hearse, it has a nanosecond of MoT left and is highly unlikely to get another. Itching to get to work on the Smart.

If the hearse is going do you think you could retain the plate for me if I cover the costs.

[vulgalour]

I have decided in my wisdom to make one of my personal favourite photographs into a tee-shirt type print thing.  Redbubble have 20% off EVERYTHING at the moment too, so that saves you a few bob if this tickles your fancy.

 

http://www.redbubble.com/people/angylroper/works/22823303-remould-rusty-princess

 

[Angrydicky]

20160814_131717.jpg

 

A Zummerset for Dicky. For sale too at £5,500.

 

 

That's lovely, thanks Rob! Don't know the owner myself, but I recognise the reg as one featured in the club mag a while back. The owner used to have a black Somerset in the sixties and decided to relive his youth by buying another one.

[mercedade]

Would anyone be able to make use of these?

 

Original Volvo hubcaps, complete with removable centre caps. Complete, no breaks or cracks - a couple of dents and marks.

 

These were liberated from a now-dead 240 (I think) because I decided that anything which looked so cool must be worth an absolute fortune and eBay would make me rich.

 

Then I forgot about them.

 

Now I just want someone to use them.

 

[HMC]

I don't know what you've done with yours but  my 2000 Clk had a split rubber pipe about the size of heater hose behind the arch  liner somewhere that dribbled on your Hush Puppies when you filled the tank. The temporary repair with insulating tape was still going strong when I last saw it 2 years later.

Same with mine, bad first impressions as it wouldn't rev nor hold fuel if you brimmed it. A MAF and some heater hose I had at the back of the garage sorted things.

[Supernaut]

Would anyone be able to make use of these?

 

Original Volvo hubcaps, complete with removable centre caps. Complete, no breaks or cracks - a couple of dents and marks.

 

These were liberated from a now-dead 240 (I think) because I decided that anything which looked so cool must be worth an absolute fortune and eBay would make me rich.

 

Then I forgot about them.

 

Now I just want someone to use them.

 

 

Are they 15" ? They'd look hilarious on my Xantia.

[Sheefag]

Speaking of gaping holes in sills, what happened to that MG?

With it's lucky* new owner in London somewhere.

 

Did you post it to him?

[mercedade]

Are they 15" ? They'd look hilarious on my Xantia.

Umm...dunnno. Crucial information though I'd have thought, so well done me for not including it.

 

I will measure them this evening.