The new news 24 thread

[Bobthebeard]

Edit. The new metal spring

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And the old composite broken monoleaf

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The transmission pan is now off, cleaned and awaiting fitting with the new gasket.

Have installed the new filter. The reason for the fluid leaks was that the 19 bolts were all just finger tight! No idea why this would be. The gasket that was removed was a cork one, so maybe had compressed? I hope that the threads into the box aren't stripped (because steel bolts into aluminium). No sign of any swarf on the bolts so fingers crossed. Am away for a week so reassembly will be delayed.

 

[egg]

so, egg, how was 2016 for you? I spent most of the year looking at coolant leaks on 16v Ford engines

 

There are pages on my Mondeo thread about water leaks. How about some Fusion water leaks as well?

 

- Water pump and cambelt replaced 2 years ago when purchased. Ace! Well negotiated!

- 1 year ago water leak appears (spraying coolant under bonnet etc)

- it was very slow so left it and topped up

- got a bit worse

- advised possible leak in header tank

- I replaced header tank

- still leaking

- advised water pump source of leak

- found OEM pump cheapz on ebay (hooray! better than first line shite)

- got tame mechanic to fit new pump and drive belts

 

RESULT - STILL FECKING LEAKING

 

If you ever see me taking interest in buying any car that isn't a well sorted Carina E, then shoot me.

[messerschmitt owner]

Of course the fucking heap of shit Bentley failed its MOT.

 

Fog light switch faulty. Anti roll bar link rubber boots perished. That's it... however, Bentley do not sell the fog light switch separately so it's the complete panel (5 switches) and they don't sell the rubber boots either so £135 each. But, factors sell rubber boots so they are going on and the switch is being stripped with a view to getting it working... which it did perfectly the other day.

 

Also, apparently my front brake hoses are going as there's a delay in the front brakes releasing, I do like good brakes....  and ones that are NOT going to lock on one day when I least expect it as they are breaking up inside, and advisories for cracking on three tyres.

 

Just waiting for Paul to ring back with a price for the new hoses and fitting and thinking about buying a new set of tyres! Michelin Latitude sport 3 come highly recommended and have a really good rating and they are quiet and £130 each. The 'correct' Avon things are £400 each, noisy, have lousy wet grip and lousy on fuel efficiency.

 

£372 to change the front hoses as a worse case I have just been told. Everything on this car is ridiculous!

 

Good news is: it got serviced with no bother and the diff oil was straight forward!

I would dispose of this POES and spend the money on crack, whores and drink. It will be cheaper and do less harm to you!

[xtriple]

Some good news... maybe. Switch has been taken apart and repaired which is great but an hours labour, which is not... but someone, somewhere has to pay, just why is it always me?

 

 

Paul has also sourced a set of new Michelin tyres for the same price (near as fuck it) as Blackcircles can do them, so it's getting them as well. To be honest, new tyres have been on my 'want' list for ages: the ones currently fitted are mismatched - 3 Nokian things and one Avon correct one (and the spare is an Avon as well but goes down over a week or two). The Nokians on the back do not grip. I have had this car sideways more times than enough, sometimes due to my exuberance, sometimes due to wet roads and no grip and it does catch your attention rather!

 

Also, the Michelins are half the price (of Avons), half the noise, better fuel economy and first class wet grip. Plus, posh tyres  

 

So, it's currently on the ramp having the brakes done and the rubber boots put on then tyres. Should be back soon... ish.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

How much do these boys charge for an hours labour?

[John F]

How much do these boys charge for an hours labour?

 

I'm guessing quite a bit.

[vulgalour]

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.  That's the Bentley/Rolls Royce motto, isn't it?

[nacho man]

It's been red hot today so I have mainly been hiding and in the shade, I did cobble together this dodgy looking emergency stop solenoid for a drill rig.

 

 

It even works 97% of the time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[xtriple]

How much do these boys charge for an hours labour?

Not as much as you'd think - £80 per hour. When I had the Kia serviced I asked them what their hourly rate was and it was near £90! Paul and the lads actually do what they are supposed to for £80 (and the occasional tub of 'Celebrations') whereas those weasels at 'our garage' did sweet FA for £90. Maybe I should have taken them a tub of chocolates as well?

 

Also, in Rolls Royce news, saw a lovely Silver Spirit 11 parked outside the Co-op this afternoon. I was slightly disgruntled as I am the only flash bastard allowed to park there! I hung around for ages in the hope the owner would come back so I could commiserate with him/her at their lousy choice in motor vehicles and ask when they are appearing at bankruptcy court, if it was the same day as me, we could share a taxi to save a few quid!

 

 

 

 

Taxi obviously needed as neither RR or B would actually be roadworthy/running!

[tooSavvy]

If you ever see me taking interest in buying any car that isn't a well sorted Carina E, then shoot me.

 

.... aye, M8

 

* other model Carinas available (err.. but not many!)

 

TS

[richardmorris]

No answer to mr traction owner's phone today. Now I'm wondering whether it's a good idea in any case and what to do about parking. Money is ok, as the interest rates in the bank may as well be zero. But it's parking it that's the rubbing point. It would easily go where the 2cv is in the open barn, but what to do with that? Perhaps I should ask my sister to have it back at her place - it is her car after all!

[SiC]

Not as much as you'd think - £80 per hour. When I had the Kia serviced I asked them what their hourly rate was and it was near £90! Paul and the lads actually do what they are supposed to for £80 (and the occasional tub of 'Celebrations') whereas those weasels at 'our garage' did sweet FA for £90. Maybe I should have taken them a tub of chocolates as well?

 

Also, in Rolls Royce news, saw a lovely Silver Spirit 11 parked outside the Co-op this afternoon. I was slightly disgruntled as I am the only flash bastard allowed to park there! I hung around for ages in the hope the owner would come back so I could commiserate with him/her at their lousy choice in motor vehicles and ask when they are appearing at bankruptcy court, if it was the same day as me, we could share a taxi to save a few quid!

 

 

 

 

Taxi obviously needed as neither RR or B would actually be roadworthy/running!

That's actually not too bad. Audi Swindon main dealer rate is £125 p/h (well 2 years ago it was that). I would heavily wager that your Bentley specialists know far more about the mechanics of their chosen marque than the Audi dealer...

 

The whole pipe thing does sound a bit fleecy though.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah thats less than I was expecting admittedly

[Kiltox]

Autoshite Van Bodies Ltd (a Cavcraft Motors company)

 

[egg]

My lol of the day. Autocar 1993

 

[stuboy]

Decided to whip off the scooter exhaust as needed to be tickled.. but seems it been tickled before and rest is thin and puckered... new one from eyab ordered

[ruffgeezer]

Inspite of it's usefulness, it looks like I might have to move the jumbuck on.

 

Question is with a fresh mot do I bash it out as it is with an oil leak from the head/cam area for around a grand or do all the work and hope for higher?

 

Ideally I could do with a cheap runner with at least 4 seats.

[dollywobbler]

This is a whole heap better than air con. With the windows down, the RAV4 is like a roadster. Ace.

[Bear]

Not car related: Just when you think you've found the level of incompetence Vodafone can sink to, they find a whole new one and literally empty your bank account.

 

Car related: I haven't had time to MoT the hearse, I haven't had time to fix the Twingo, and I have an actual need in my soul - a deep, crushing, relentless need - to own a Mercedes S124. Being exposed to one has reminded me just how much I love these.

So if anyone knows of one for sale - ideally four-cylinder and pre second facelift with MB-Tex or cloth, not fancy - do poke me. I'll consider pre-facelift and late ones, but also can't afford posh W124 money; it'd be whatever I can get for a fixed Twingo, a beautifully running but woefully rusty MGF and an MoT-less hearse.

 

I'll even consider a manual gearbox. Maybe. At a push. My first one was a pre-facelift manual so I'm well versed in the art of juggling pedals for hill starts.

[Bear]

Sometime's it's a fine line between telling if a garage is trying to do the right thing by the car and the owner by keeping it in A1 condition or if they're ripping you off.

 

 

I'm pretty much of the opinion that if the garage does what they've charged for, they're not ripping you off even if the work wasn't strictly necessary to that depth or detail.

 

However, way, way too many tell you the job needs doing, charge for the job being done, then do a half-assed one instead.

[richardmorris]

Still not got though to the traction seller. But my sister has said if I want it then they can worry about the 2cv later ( I've just paid the insurance and VED on it). I've had it eight years now, so think it's time she had some responsibility towards her own car!

 

In other news I've had the laboratory fume cupboards checked today and the guy has been moaning about their condition and the motor -pointed put that we have not altered a single thing and that its all been work down by his own company. Says the system is old and needs work now- It's 6 years since they installed it and has cost £1200 a year in maintenance and certification since. perhaps this should be in the grump thread? We should get a quote through for the new motor and sealing ( probably another £1500) but have also asked for a price for a whole new setup- probably £20k! Makes running a Bentley look cheap!

[purplebargeken]

I am afraid that I would have passed the Bentley to another victim some time back.

 

You are literally bankrupting yourself for a car, am really sorry to say (and obv only my opinion) that no car is worth the stress and hassle

[fatharris]

^ what perpl said.

 

God knows we've all thrown bad money after good and it takes its toll. If you genuinely think this is the last of the big bills for a while then stick with it, but if you're constantly chasing snags then maybe that's a job for the next owner?

[tooSavvy]

I mentioned 'syphoning £££' out of a dog mutt pension pot.

 

As you pay in 'tax free' you get bumraped, taking it out

 

 

Flutter flutter a letter from HMRC drops in today....

 

 

Taxman has looked at all income for last year [wage + wedge] and found egregious bumrape enacted upon my person

 

£££ adjustment en-route

 

Pity I don't want a nice new car lolzz

 

 

TS

[Six-cylinder]

My lol of the day. Autocar 1993

 

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At this time I worked for the Bletchley Motor Group who had Rover dealers and were actually doing this at customer requests.

[richardmorris]

I mentioned 'syphoning £££' out of a dog mutt pension pot.

As you pay in 'tax free' you get bumraped, taking it out

Flutter flutter a letter from HMRC drops in today....

Taxman has looked at all income for last year [wage + wedge] and found egregious bumrape enacted upon my person

£££ adjustment en-route

Pity I don't want a nice new car lolzzTS

 

Funnily enough I was doing the quarterly vat returns earlier in the week and the hmrc website flagged up ( in red) that we seemed to be declaring more vat than our expenditure would require. A quick check and it seems I'd forgotten to include our new credit card purchases!

 

I've also done our annual companies house return today which was also far more stressful than needed. I need a. a holiday, and b. a car as a bonus. I've booked the holidays - lakes next weekend and France in November.

 

The new (additional) car I'm working on....

[For Fiats Sake]

I got around to removing the rear bumper of the panda which I'd previously half removed by reversing into the modern panda's tow bar.  Of course a stud snapped, the replacement bumper already had a missing fixing and the one on the donor car is refusing to come off.  Worse, the inner wheel arch repair that was an mot fail only goes 6 inches along the seam, leaving another six or so inches of gaping rot.

So this car will need welding and properly undersealing - as well as another bumper!

When did it start to get dark so bloody early?

[Guest Hooli]

Inspite of it's usefulness, it looks like I might have to move the jumbuck on.

 

Question is with a fresh mot do I bash it out as it is with an oil leak from the head/cam area for around a grand or do all the work and hope for higher?

 

Ideally I could do with a cheap runner with at least 4 seats.

Swap for gonna?

[panhard65]

I am afraid that I would have passed the Bentley to another victim some time back.

 

You are literally bankrupting yourself for a car, am really sorry to say (and obv only my opinion) that no car is worth the stress and hassle

I think mr Triple's problem is he has bought into the whole "it's a Bentley / Rolls Royce" myth. Every buyers guide going says they must have proper history and budget a couple of grand a year for maintenance. It is total and utter bollocks. They really aren't that special that they need more maintenance than a normal car. Maybe if you are doing 12k miles a year and leave it outside all year long it might need it but not a well loved and maintained car doing less than a thousand miles a year kept nice and cosy in a garage.

[Timewaster]

I think mr Triple's problem is he has bought into the whole "it's a Bentley / Rolls Royce" myth. Every buyers guide going says they must have proper history and budget a couple of grand a year for maintenance. It is total and utter bollocks. They really aren't that special that they need more maintenance than a normal car. Maybe if you are doing 12k miles a year and leave it outside all year long it might need it but not a well loved and maintained car doing less than a thousand miles a year kept nice and cosy in a garage.

I think he's just a fussy old bugger.

 

Massive apologies to Xx3 if I am wrong.