The new news 24 thread

[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

 

14737961491451876025204.jpg

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.

[Eddie Honda]

I think he's just a fussy old bugger.

 

 

We know he is. He's said as much himself!

[xtriple]

I am indeed!

 

Yes, some of the ridiculous expense is down to me being fussy/ocd/insane but a lot of it is simply down to the fact I like to have things 'right'. Before, I could do it myself, thoroughly enjoy being ocd and end up with the car perfect (or the bike... usually the bike!) but now I have to pay someone else to have the pleasure of working on my car.

 

It is an expensive way to be and no mistake.

 

But, some of it was down to sheer lack of maintenance over 8 years (if you recall, the car was cheap and the reason was because servicing had been very sketchy) and some of it, sheer bad luck! The second lot of paintwork because of the bin in the wind event for example. But, I cannot abide there being things wrong with my car (or bike) so I am a garage owners wet dream: tell me it's got a fault that needs looking at in the future and I'm on it like a tramp on chips!

 

Also, and here we have the crux of the matter: I intend to keep this car for ever (if I can) as it's the last of the line, the last of the British RR and Bs it is irreplaceable. So, to me, while I have spent the gross national product of a small African nation on the bastard, it is now as right as it can be and that is the way I want it and want to keep it!

 

Every Rolls Royce and Bentley that I looked at over the years (with a view to buying) was in dire need of something expensive. Given that, all of them were massively over-priced seeing as they needed lots of work to bring them up to standard. It was better (possibly, maybe...) to buy one that did need work and get it to the standard I want rather than the way someone else feels they can live with.

 

It has always been a 'dream car' for me. sad I know, but I love these old dollops, and Shadows and even more, Clouds and would love one as well, but as I am now skint, unlikely to happen. Fortunately I hold strong Buddhist beliefs, so I will make a note for the next life

 

The other thing of course is that NO ONE WILL WORK ON THE FUCKER! So, it's Specialist Cars or no one. Fortunately I like Paul and Craig and the others (after a shaky start I admit) and trust them as much as I trust anyone (not much!) so if they say 'it's in need of replacement' (none of this 'it's proper fucked is that lad!' here chaps) I take their word for it.

 

I have to, no choice

 

As I have driven this car in its original state and seen (and funded) its gradual restoration, I can honestly say: there is a marked difference to driving a tired old car and one that is sorted and maintained. It was 'okay' to begin with, but now, it's a true pleasure to drive and feels fantastic and EVERYTHING works as it should - smoothly, silently, efficiently.

 

Okay, I am a little bit sceptical about the need for these hoses, but, I know me and they will worry me no end and if I don't do them now, it's be back there within a month having them done and the tyres are a complete waste of money(?) . Well, not really, the Nokians on it are winter tyres and 112 weight rating (so I have just been told) and that does explain the lousy grip, it would be rather a shame to bend it because I refused to change a set of pretty tired (see what I did there?   ) tyres, the backs would be worn out in a year or two even with the sweet fuck all annual mileage I do anyway.

 

I have spoken with a few people on the RR and B forums and they all say that the first year of ownership is a constant worry and drain on the wallet, that is if you want the thing to be 'right' as they never are. As Panhard said, they are not really that complicated or maintenance hungry, but they do need looking after and quite a lot of things are quirky and old fashioned and need knowledge/experience or willingness to actually sort it out yourself (as Panhard did) and faced with the costs that most places quote for repairs, it is easy to understand why owners decline to have non essential stuff done, and eventually all these 'non essential' jobs add up to the point where the car is a 'money pit' and not terribly nice to own or drive so it gets moved on, getting cheaper and more decrepit as the years go by.

 

That was not what I wanted.

 

The first Turbo R I had, I really liked: nicer colour for a start and I wish it hadn't gone 'bang' as I reckon it would have been a lot cheaper to look after than this one... but, having said that, the owner before me had paid Specialist car shed loads of money having all sorts done before he fucked the engine and bailed out fast, so it did drive nicely. But, with the benefit of experience, I know now that the rear suspension on that car was knackered (spheres) and the brakes were in need of repair and there were a few other bits and bobs that needed doing - probably 4 grands worth before the engine was taken into account.

 

So, while 'a fool and his money are soon parted' I've done it now and only time will tell whether I wasted it all or got my moneys worth!

 

Sorry for the long post. Just thought I should explain...

[richardmorris]

Traction purchase delayed for now. The guy never answered his phone, just left it to go to voicemail. My mechanic eventually got through to him to find a buyer has flying from Ireland tomorrow - we can't physically get out to it tonight so that's that. I didn't want to be pressured into a bidding war either!

[xtriple]

Just had the call from Paul.... £1727 all in! That does include £600 for the tyres though but even so, £1100 for a service, rear axle oil change, two hoses, two rubber boots (1 hour labour) and the fog light switch rebuilding (1 hour labour!) seems a tad steep!

 

Or maybe not, your view may differ?

 

Had a good chat with him and we were talking about the 93 Brooklands I was going to buy (it is red and was only in Totnes - about 5 miles away) but the guy couldn't sell it so Paul bought it... it was up for £13000 but I bet Paul paid a LOT less than that. Anyway, it's so far needed: 2 new rear spring pans, a complete air con system (pump, condenser and all the pipe work) a DIP repair (drivers information panel, they always go!) a full service including plugs and caps etc the gearbox sorting.... so it's not just me! I could have bought that as it was cheap,, but not the car I wanted (but it was local!) and still been faced with huge bills. Oh yes, it's got to have some paintwork done as well then it'll be up for sale.

 

I don't think anyone makes a quick buck out of these things!

[New POD]

I have no right to be stressed but I am because :

 

a) Wife and daughter broke down yesterday in BINI but it fixed itself (see my other postings) by the time RAC man came. I will be expected to give it the all clear before it is used again.

BINI needs a new exhaust and I won't get home until 2pm, and the Mx5 is booked in for an MOT at 4pm, 10 mins walk away, and the BINI for 2:30, 20 mins away, so theoretically, I can walk in the door, drive the MX5 to mot place, run home, put dog in the BINI, drive to next town to get an exhaust, take the dog for a walk whilst they do it, pick up Bini, get home at 4 ish, go an pick the Mx5 up. If there is anything wrong with MX5 I'm not sure when I can fixer it.

c) Then I have to pack for taking daughter to Cardiff University to start 3rd year.

d) Then Saturday I have to drive 220 miles, with wife, daughter and dog, and stay over in a student house before returning Sunday.  The Astra hurts me after 2 hours in the driving seat.  I hate students generally.

e) The following Saturday my wife has decided that we will take darling son to Birmingham Airport, so he can go to Australia for 3 weeks. It's only 123 miles each way. I'm not sure why he can't get the train, or even what time his flight is. 

The Saturday after that, it's back to Cardiff to stay in a nice hotel, taking along wife, her sister and one of our nephews, in order to run the Cardiff Half Marathon on the Sunday, and come back on the Monday (assuming I survive)

f) I would quite like to go to JohnK's house and view a MV6 Omega, which I think would be perfect for the long tiresome painful journeys. Not quite sure that it fits with the current plan.

g) If I do buy it, wifey will be on at me to flog the astra fast.

 

All this has me stressed.

[New POD]

a DIP repair (drivers information panel, they always go!)

 

A bloke I worked with at Garratt, in Skem, had been at Delphi in Kirkby, Liverpool, when that was introduced as a manufacturing engineer.  The original signed off design, (By RR/Bentley stylists and engineers) had the Logo DIC (Delphi Instrument Cluster) in full view of the world, and at a prelaunch to senior management of the first production car to use it, a senior manager sat in the drivers seat, and went mad.  "Who agreed to put DIC in full view of the world?" Heads rolled in Crewe, and Delphi, were tasked with immediately replacing all stock, with the logo removed (or changed), and had to work 26 hours a day to replace all the stock at their cost, despite it being signed off by people in Crewe.  Given that they were made by Scousers working for an American company, I'm not surprised if there are reliability issues.

[fatharris]

Took Herman to Guildford and back today. 41.5mpg. Very happy with that.

[ruffgeezer]

Swap for gonna?

 

 

No thanks, seems the Jumbuck's oil leak has upgraded itself from "light misting" to "Exxon Valdez" so I will need to replace the headgasket before selling it.

[Kiltox]

Swap for gonna?

Best typo ever

[Kiltox]

No thanks, seems the Jumbuck's oil leak has upgraded itself from "light misting" to "Exxon Valdez" so I will need to replace the headgasket before selling it.

Fancy the autoshite Colt? As long as the oil leak isn't "won't drive anywhere without seizing"

[320touring]

you know what they say..

 

finish the day with a palindrome!

[ruffgeezer]

Fancy the autoshite Colt? As long as the oil leak isn't "won't drive anywhere without seizing"

It's drivable but I cleaned the engine yesterday and it was filthy with oil by the time I'd got to work. It isn't leaking loads just making a bloody big mess with what does get out.

 

I'm not sure it'd still be shite money as I've a lot invested in it. It was rather sheddy when I first got it.