The new news 24 thread

[chaseracer]

Liked, because Wobbler/2CV!  Now, I shall watch it... 

 

EDIT: The cheesy grin says it all...

[loserone]

Is it just me that can see some performance upgrades taking place on Elly?

 

[edit - name spelling]

[dollywobbler]

Is it just me that can see some performance upgrades taking place on Elly?

 

I will concede that I'm a little worried about the return to 29bhp. I've been getting far too used to things like power and torque. Mind you, my current favourite way to unleash more power is an electric conversion. Either that or BMW power...

[garbaldy]

/\ No don't do it you will get called a wanker or even told to go to the blue.

[Supernaut]

Sadly while driving to work yesterday morning a truck veered into it, spinning around and plowed it for about 15 meters and spun it back into oncoming traffic.

Once he'd got the car started and moved to a safe space only to have the driver come over and say "I diddent see you"...

That bastard car was BRIGHT GREEN, for fuck's sake. How does one not see it?! I'm still sad about it getting smushed. It was a recalcitrant bastard, but it was also a nice car with a really nice interior. Sitting in our friend's RX-8 on Sunday made me realise how nice it is to have a car with a proper interior. Both the Xantia and the 316 are very 90s plastic fantastic.

[Kiltox]

Anyone looking for a cheap van? Got a MK4 Astra 1.7 DTI coming in on Monday - needs a windscreen for it's MOT though 

[cobblers]

Cavcraft?

[Guest Hooli]

Cavcraft?

 

Judging by recent history, get a horse to shit in it & he'll be unable to resist.

[Supernaut]

Cavcraft?

Think he said it's not big enough.

[garbaldy]

Anyone looking for a cheap van? Got a MK4 Astra 1.7 DTI coming in on Monday - needs a windscreen for it's MOT though

If mk4 is 2002 I will be scraping one asap can check if screen is good

[Kiltox]

Yeah that's the one.... you're quite far from me though! 

[garbaldy]

Yeah that's the one.... you're quite far from me though!

 

I hear that a lot,😀

[vulgalour]

Dropped the Renault's engine off at a local engine repair place.  He took a look at it after I described what was amiss and he mentioned it sounds like it might be a bent con rod or muddled caps, which is just what has been suspected so far.  He also eyed the crank and seemed to think that it was fine.  It took him about 3 seconds to come to that conclusion rather than my three hundred years.  They'll inspect and measure and get back to me with the news so I know what's needed.

 

I was going to be dropping the Rover's head off at the same time but I've hurt my back AGAIN, so the Renault engine was dropped off so it wouldn't stay in the boot of the Applause for ages.  Bit anxious about how much this is all going to cost me, but needs must.

[richardmorris]

Still in France and not seen a 2cv or dyane yet. Lots of c15d though, one r4 van with top hinged rear door skylight thing with a tree sticking out, another c6, an early xantia with chevrons on bonnet, and a Renault 9.

[dean36014]

Well k-Seal added to the Zx today to see if it cures the heater leak. Also cut up a lemonade bottle and wrapped the neck in gaffer tape and rammed it in the radiator neck. Filled it up with coolant and opened the bleed screw on the bulkhead and success, finally bled properly. It needed the water level raised above the bleed screw to bleed properly. Unfortunately the heater seems crap still so shoved some cardboard in front of the rad to see if that improves engine temperatures.

[beko1987]

Well k-Seal added to the Zx today to see if it cures the heater leak. Also cut up a lemonade bottle and wrapped the neck in gaffer tape and rammed it in the radiator neck. Filled it up with coolant and opened the bleed screw on the bulkhead and success, finally bled properly. It needed the water level raised above the bleed screw to bleed properly. Unfortunately the heater seems crap still so shoved some cardboard in front of the rad to see if that improves engine temperatures.

But you had a whole spares ZX of parts, surprised you didn't replace the part!

[dean36014]

Have you ever changed a heater matrix? On the ZX the complete dash has to come out to get to it. I have a brand new one ready to fit but its too dam cold to start ripping the interior out. Just want it to get to spring and then it will get done. On yours when i tried to disconnect the heater pipes all the plastic fittings just broke up on the heater pipes, so i need to find replacements ready to fit incase it happens on mine. It will get done next year, but I've been diagnosed with spondylitis  and two more discs have bulge so things take a lot longer now.

[beko1987]

Ah well in that case then K seal sounds like an ideal repair!

[dean36014]

Ah well in that case then K seal sounds like an ideal repair!

Just want to keep it leak free to spring. Then I'll do it as the heat output is rubbish so it must be blocking up. Can't say i'm looking forward to it as its a massive job. Your steering wheel has been scrubbed, fed with leather treatment multiple times and lives on in mine now. I was amazed when I stripped it how much rot there was in it, the inner rear arches had all been plated and was rotting through again. I'm to scared to take the trim panels out of mine and check! still the best 50 quid ever and will keep mine hopefully on the road for a good few years, the shed is bulging with parts!

[RayMK]

Today I set off in my trusty 205 automatic to collect a new filter (and gasket etc) for the transmission.  The handbook recommends that this is done at 60,000 miles  (66K on the clock), together with a fluid change - the car has now done over 12,000 miles in my ownership and I thought I'd give it a treat.  The outward bound journey from mid Northants to Louth (a main dealer still had the required parts - only £15) was uneventful, including the dawdle along the Nocton Fen road.  I lived at RAF Nocton Hall in 1970, so the nostalgic excursion was excusable.  I picked up the transmission filter replacement kit and set off home.  Shortly after refuelling at Sleaford I became aware of the temperature gauge creeping up and thus kept an eye on it.  Everything else was fine - no steam or smells.  I assumed the car was simply being French for a few miles.  After a few miles, the gauge was past mid point, an area it rarely explores as it normally sits at 1/4 scale and the fans cut in just before mid point.  As I turned on to a minor road to stop and investigate, the red warning light for low coolant came on.  Oh bother!  (I may have said something more colourful).  I stopped in a field gateway next to a deep puddle  (handy).  On opening the bonnet I was greeted by much warm wetness and the expansion bottle was nearly empty.  Squeezing the rad top hose made a strange wheezing noise which sounded like an air leak but I could not spot a split hose amongst the wet mess.  I let it all cool down, added lots of best quality muddy water from the puddle and drove gently back towards Sleaford 12 miles or so. I left the pressure cap loose to minimise the ejection of coolant.  At Sleaford, with the assistance of my son who was at work but near a computer, I joined the AA and a very nice man arrived 45 minutes later to have a good poke around.  To be honest we both feared OMGHGF, but he persevered and found a hose which had split around a quarter of its circumference next to a clip.  A 'get you home' style fix was effected (new section of hose and a plastic connecting piece), coolant refilled, heater bled and full warm up commenced.  It seemed ok, so the very nice man followed me for 20 miles 'just in case' and checked again before we went our seperate ways.

 

One thing amused me later when I got home.  The very nice man kept sniffing the expansion bottle with his finely calibrated OMGHGF nose and looked puzzled, saying it smelt like transmission fluid. Sort of sweet.  I had forgotten that apart from puddle water (NO I DID NOT PISS IN IT!) I had added some lemon and lime flavoured sparkling water at a  later intermediate stop before reaching Sleaford  .  

 

The car is booked in to have its transmission service tomorrow.  It will now include a coolant flush and replacement hose(s).  For the moment, this is News, rather than a Grump. 

[Eddie Honda]

I had added some lemon and lime flavoured sparkling water

I've used Barr's Irn Bru before. Too much hassle walking all the way back up the flat.

[17-Coffees]

Got the Lexus running for the first time in a few weeks. Cold frosty morning and started no bothers, considering how good* the weather has been up my way the past few weeks I never expected it. Left her to tick over and warm up while I stood with a hot drink in hand and listened to the V8 burble. 

 

Before setting off on the 800 mile round trip to Birmingham I though I was best  give her a once over, and by that I mean i could see everything looked "As it should" while moving my bag's from the Abarth into the LS. Then put the kettle on for another drink. 

Then remembered it needed 3/4 of a tank of fuel. So off to fill her up, turns out 70 liters of Premium fuel at the local Tesco's cost £85. Then set off to Aberdeen to pick up Supernaut. The car felt "a bit weird"...turns out the rear tyres were at 20PSi, so sorted that out with a footpump at a park & ride a mile down the road...oh well.

 

Other than that, the LS has done what it does best and just ate the miles up, using about 350+ miles in half a tank. With the driving split between myself & Supernaut. I've been up since 2PM Thursday, done my shift at work and just stayed up...rather shattered to say the least.

 

Now time to get some sleep and enjoy the show at the NEC tomorrow!  

[Supernaut]

Spotted some solid gold shite in Dundee, and got a shite photo of it too, as we drove past!

 

 

Somewhere south of Dundee but north of Preston, we spotted a mk1 Combo with rear windows and German plates.

 

 

In Preston now for the night.

[Barry Cade]

Ain't no substitute for cubic kW/H...

 

[Kiltox]

LOL

 

I REALLY want a Twizy

[Barry Cade]

LOL

I REALLY want a Twizy

You really don't. Get a cozy coupe, same thing but better made and at least you'll get home.

[Cavcraft]

Obvs. it's wrong to lark about in work's time using their vehicles and fuel, so I've definitely not pissed about today driving miles and miles 'Dabbing' people.

[Kiltox]

You really don't. Get a cozy coupe, same thing but better made and at least you'll get home.

 

I don't get the range anxiety thing - if you know your car can only go X miles on a charge, don't use it for journeys that are close to X without knowing how you'll charge it...

[dave21478]

 

I don't get the range anxiety thing - if you know your car can only go X miles on a charge, don't use it for journeys that are close to X without knowing how you'll charge it...

Steady-on with the logic and reason, man!

 

How do battery cars "run out"? We have all played (and some of us lost) the how much further can I go before I need petrol game, are electric cars range predictions accurate or is there a bit of uncertanty like a wobbly fuel gauge? I know Li-on power tools loose a bit of power then suddenly shut down to prevent full discharge, are cars the same?

[plasticvandan]

Putting the indicators on doesn't usually effect the range of a petrol car