The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

My good intentions regarding getting the Volvo back on the road took a bit of a blow today. I'd been tinkering with it over the last few days, washing off some of the accumulation of tree sap and bird shite, getting the alternator charging again and pulling it out of the corner where it's sat for the last two or three years. Then I decided to see if I could try and make the brakes work.

 

The front calipers are off the car (both need rebuilding), but it has front / rear split dual circuit brakes so I figured if I clamped the front flexis (four of them as the calipers are four-pot) I should be able to get the rear brakes working. Cue half an hour crawling round under the front of the car putting the clamps on, then I refilled the brake fluid and pumped the pedal. It felt like something was happening, so I started the car and reversed down the drive to test for braking. The car did actually stop, but then the pedal went to the floor and I lost braking completely. Turns out one of the metal brake pipes had burst - the one running across the top of the front crossmember, to be exact, or rather on top of the crossmember, below the radiator and behind the front valance. So that's going to be easy to get to then.

 

Still, it could've been worse - the next job on the list once the brakes were sorted was to take the car round the corner to the jet wash - could have been interesting if the pipe had burst while braking for a junction.

[Cavcraft]

One new* motor arrived, another to collect later this week. The first one (despite bing one of my favourite cars of ever) is going to be up for sale, the second one will be assessed for frag/racing/export then offloaded too.

[sporty-shite]

One new* motor arrived, another to collect later this week. The first one (despite bing one of my favourite cars of ever) is going to be up for sale, the second one will be assessed for frag/racing/export then offloaded too.

 

Cav and Bluebird, then? Is it my old Cav?

[Cavcraft]

@Detective Shite

 

Correct on the first count, wrong on the second! The Cav is round the back c/w white driver's door and comedy bonnet paint (I think) and sadly going to be offloaded I think. I might keep it if the bloke who's having my CLK turns up sometime this century as the towbar and bootspace will be useful, but in truth I can see it being advertised. Tonight. On here and RR

 

The other one I haven't even seen, but it's an 'MOT ready' Nissan Alzheimers which (having done some homework on) is an export target these days it would seem. I may try and test it as obv. it's worth more then but the lad's car is taking priority at the moment so any money spare will be thrown at that to get him on the road.

[dollywobbler]

My old Mk1 BX passed its MOT today. The new owner has done a LOT of work in it (after clocking up 500 miles in the first week of ownership!). Replacement steering rack, replacement pipes, LOTS of welding, new brake discs. He's been a busy boy!

 

He's taking it to Paris this weekend for a French celebration of 30 years of the BX. I should be going really but we've got something on this weekend. I was meant to be co-driver in the dreadful shed at one stage! I'm so pleased. Could not have found a better buyer for it, because it'll never be a shiny show winner. It still looks exactly the same! (in fact, quite a lot of gaffer tape has been used on the doors to keep the MOT man happy about sharp edges!).

[Pete-M]

I have to defend the journalist. Rover 800s are shit.

[Lord Sterling]

I have to defend the journalist. Rover 800s are shit.

 

Yawn.

 

I prefer it to shit Jags etc...

[Morgan84]

Thats another filled doggy bag through the letterbox job then !

[dollywobbler]

BX TXD is back in action again after a replacement caliper, new handbrake cable and new strut return pipes. Good to be able to drive it again, though there's still stuff to do. Winter tyres are being put on a spare set of steels tomorrow, so I can ditch the bloody alloys. Steel wheels are a lot easier to put back on!

[Richard]

Steel wheels are a lot easier to put back on!

 

They certainly are, not least because they are usually considerably lighter than alloys.

[trigger]

 

I've just agreed to buy this for £30 which I'm well chuffed about, it's brand new and looks exactly the same as the unit fitted by Ford for the GXL models and even has the plug in the back for a 8 track, I've got a 6 pin lead that will plug into it and run my MP3 player through, Happy days, Also waiting for a K&N filter to arrive from ebay for the Cortina too.

[vulgalour]

About 4 hours, an angle grinder, a blow torch, many tools, hammering smaller tools over larger nuts and bolts lead, eventually, to new track rod ends on the Princess. What a fucking job. Also have the other steering rack gaiter fitted. Happily, the 2" of play in the steering has now reduced to an almost imperceptible amount.

 

Found a small bit of frill on the leading edge of the passenger sill that needs repairing (or carefully bodging for the MoT so I can repair it properly in a couple of weeks) and a little bit of frill on the same side inner arch after I removed the crud catchers from both sides.

 

We were going to sort out the tappets on the Felicia but tbh, I'm knackered. I'm still adjusting to working morning shift, and having a day off that's been full of housework and car work has not really been much of a day off for me. Hopefully tomorrow will see a more relaxed attitude to everything.

 

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to duck out of the Uttoxeter show because I'm working on that day and can't get the time off So I have a ticket going spare. Only found out what my shift pattern proper is the day my ticket arrived, which is massively sucky.

[Cavcraft]

I think my next car (Nissan Alzheimers) is on it's way.

[HillmanImp]

I've just agreed to buy this for £30 which I'm well chuffed about, it's brand new and looks exactly the same as the unit fitted by Ford for the GXL models and even has the plug in the back for a 8 track, I've got a 6 pin lead that will plug into it and run my MP3 player through, Happy days, Also waiting for a K&N filter to arrive from ebay for the Cortina too.

 

Looks well fly. Plus you can run your MP3.

 

WIN

[Mr_Bo11ox]

My Rover is spluttering like a bastard, its driving me mental, the sparks are escaping from the wires again

[cort16]

The SD1 actually got pressed into duty for something today. I had a load of these shite seats to pickup in Glasgow and bring home. I wasn't overly convinced that I was going to get them all in but it was no bother at all. It's actually pretty vast in there with the seats down although that rear panel is a bugger if your humphing bags of bags of concrete, dead goats, welders or whatever over it.

 

boot by cort16, on Flickr

 

When I got back I realised it had just rolled over 70k. From all the paperwork I got with the car that looks to be genuine.

 

miles by cort16, on Flickr

[RobT]

Question (not a stupid one hopefully). How much do you reckon a very low mileage, good condition Rover 216 R8 is worth? I've seen a good one advertised but don't want to be a chump and pay silly money for it. Cheers.

[Morgan84]

Rover 216 R8 = XW chassis series ?

[Lord Sterling]

Is it an early non-grilled one or late 'grilled' one? Prices for these tend to be everwhere, you can pick one up for £200 all they way up to £600+ for a seriously tidy very low mileaged giffer-garaged-all-its-life one.

[Cavcraft]

Question (not a stupid one hopefully). How much do you reckon a very low mileage, good condition Rover 216 R8 is worth? I've seen a good one advertised but don't want to be a chump and pay silly money for it. Cheers.

 

£495 at best I'd have thought.

[Morgan84]

The three phases of XW Rover

 

1) No chrome grille

2) wrap round indicators ( 93 ish )

3) Chrome grille model

[Morgan84]

Actually,the 216 is the Honda engined one ( basically a Concerto anyway ),so is the pick of the bunch of the normal petrol ones

[Lacquer Peel]

Only if you like excessive fuel consumption and distributor munching.

[RobT]

It's a no-grill early G-reg one, in duo-tone paint. The seller is asking £925 but I won't go anywhere near that even if it is mint. It's this one:

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C329410

 

I'm not that desperate to own one of these so might hold out for sommat else.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Thats pretty sweet mind you, £920 including £120 of tax doesnt seem obscene to me

[RobT]

Thats pretty sweet mind you, £920 including £120 of tax doesnt seem obscene to me

 

He had it up for £750 a few weeks back before lobbing some tax and a new battery on it, so I was thinking maybe around that or a bit less. I'd want it to be a keeper so I suppose if it lasts me it'll be VFM. I'm a bit concerned I might die of boredom driving it though! If it was up to me I'd be buying a V6 Sterling but this'll be a joint car with the missus.

[Morgan84]

Looks a really nice car,plus its a GSi so a well equiped model.The Honda engine is less likely to suffer a headgasket failure,and of course being a Honda means it will be extreamly reliable and smooth.Thats banger money really,and if it lasts a few years,will be cheap honest transportation. Just watch the sills for corrosion

[dollywobbler]

And the rear arches. They fall out for fun. Lovely cars though. Dare I say it, much more of a feeling of quality than the Montego...

 

In shite terms though, I do think it's quite expensive. There was a 416GTi auto a while back that was struggling to find a home at £500. For what he's asking, I'd want some way of confirming that mileage.

[Cavcraft]

Bloody hell, that's nice Rob. I'm sure the 1.6 Honda engine wasn't exactly bullet proof either. I had one that had a cracked head and seem to recall people saying it was a common thing.

Not that that matters really, just get that one bought!

[Morgan84]

From the pics,it hasn't been bulled up for photo's;no bumper dressing or tyre slick,and nothing done to the inside,so it would 'appear' a honest looking car