The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

Alarm just went off on the Omega. That's annoying. I hate car alarms. Wonder if the horn element can be disabled like it could on the XM?

[beko1987]

*snip*

[DodgeRover]

Alarm just went off on the Omega. That's annoying. I hate car alarms. Wonder if the horn element can be disabled like it could on the XM?

Or is someone trying to nick it?

[SiC]

40 minutes left on a car auction for something I want! Needs work and will be a project, so don't want to spend too much. But having seen it, it's generally a good car. Still trying to decide my maximum!

 

Getting really nervous, with those nervous pangs in the stomach.

Doesn't help that:

a ) atm, there is not many others around,

b ) I've seen it, so already got a connection,

c ) Its relatively local, so I don't have far for it to be transported by car transporter,

d ) I ate too much bread and cream for desert earlier, so my IBS is kicking in.

[anonymous user]

West Wales is full of old cars, today's trip witnessed an R reg Mk 1 Fiesta on the A40 by Carmarthen, a horde of 1980s/90s Fords living at a house beyond Whitland, also an M reg Peugeot 205 Cabriolet for sale at the garage just outside my sister's village. (I think it's a CJ rather than a CTI also it's £1495 so I haven't taken a close look)

Also remembered, just outside Haverfordwest I noticed a Rover 800 coupe in a farmyard.

[Spottedlaurel]

Reasonable news on the Camry’s visit to the garage, neither grump nor grin at this stage (though erring towards the latter).

 

Washers and wipers not functioning (hopefully something silly, I have spares if need be off the other car).

Inner and outer driveshaft gaiters on one side only.

RH front spring broken (knew about that, I would rather get both replaced).

1x front brake binding (pretty good after being stood for three years).

1x fuel leak (appears to be rodent damage, there are chew marks on the underseal all over the place as well).

 

One or two obvious advisories, like the discs being corroded (may bite the bullet and get them all replaced, at least on the front).

 

Not bad at all for more than three years off the road, I’m sure we’ve all suffered longer lists than that on cars that have been in regular use. Even paying for garage labour I’m sure I can get it back on the road for around £500 (self-imposed limit based on money from selling the Lexus last year).

 

Next job is to check Footman James will insure it. Is it a ‘classic’? Any issues with it having been a write-off?.......

 

Making more progress. I've found front discs, pads and springs at reasonable price.

 

Spoken to FJ about the insurance. It might be that the minimum I need to get it insured again is a new MoT, but they've asked what category write-off it was. Any suggestions as to how I can found that out please? There's nothing on the correspondence I got at the time, which only mentions that it will be recorded on the motor insurance anti-fraud and theft register (MIAFTR). It doesn't seem like I can access that myself, and now that the VIC process has gone there's nothing showing on DVLA.

 

I found it slightly odd that FJ didn't/couldn't get access this themselves. Would an HPI check show something?

 

Advice would be welcome from anyone who has recent experience of insuring a write-off, thank you.

 

[New POD]

Over the weekend, I drove to Edinburg, stayed in a posh pub with my wife who turned 50 on Saturday, had numerous baths in a massive roll top bath in the middle of the bedroom, turned 50 myself on Sunday, went to Leith, where I pretended to drive the Queen's holiday home.

 

 

Took a photo of my wife next to the Bridge 

 

and Let her take a picture of me next to one of the Queen's Old cars

 

 

Then we went off and had Lobster and Oysters and crab at "The ship on the Shore"

 

 

Then on Monday we drove home to find the cat had left sick on our bed, and the dog had shat in the kitchen (people  were looking after them) which kind of took the romance away.

 

 

 

 

[SiC]

Boughted!

 

s-l16001.jpg

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142256928106

 

Unseen naturally... I did make a proviso in my offer that I want to have a test drive before I buy, so I know its not going to try and kill me on the drive back.

 

Possibly not AutoShite material though??

After the aborted attempt from last time above, lets try this again...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-SMART-Roadster-80bhp-semi-automatic-champagne-/292019705607

 

WAHOO!!!

 

Not a coupe which is what I really wanted, however this went really cheap! Not my favourite colour but it incidentally matches my Civic...

 

Bought as a project to get up to scratch ready for the summer. I saw it last week and this is what I thought at the time: (said to someone else at the time)

 

I hopped over the bridge yesterday evening to look at this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292019705607

 

Guy was totally sound. It was his 2nd Smart Roadster and he'd owned it since ~2012. He was the type of guy who loves cars but didn't know how to get his hands dirty. So all the work was done by merc dealer and specialists. It was laid up in 2014 when the MOT expired and then bought back in use in 2016 - hence the gap in the MOT history.

 

Generally seemed all ok. Body was in excellent condition. Pretty much full service history. Slight squeal from the aux belt at idle in the cold. I suspect old+loose belt and large power demand from the alternator because not run for a while.

 

The electrical problem I suspect is water ingress. As it happens occasionally I think no permanent damage done just moisture from sitting around. Wet under the back seats so it's leaking somewhere, but around the body computer is dry. Looking at the wet door speakers, I suspect it's coming in through the door mirror gasket. Easy enough fix.

 

Gear selector fault I reckon is just the clutch actuator. The acutator shaft looked pretty rusted. Probably never been replaced. Often it's water and internal grease goes manky and slows it down. Suspect just cleaning it out and replacing grease will get that going. Failing that, acutator are £250 brand new. Second hand £50.

 

Needs a really good service. All Fluids+filters+plugs+leads. Brake discs and pads were done 2 years ago and not many miles on them, but pretty rusted up. Front tyres are date coded as original to the car - which he said they were original too. Backs were 2010 but knackard. So 4 tyres. Pirrellis are £300 all-round.

 

So yeah I reckon it needs £600 spending on it. As reasonable ones go for £1500 starting atm and good for £2000-2500, my mental internal max is around the £700-800 mark. Ideally £600 odd.

 

Apparently he looked at the other bidders and they're all scrappers. As he love the car, he very much would like it to survive. He was going to let the auction end to see (so I didn't want to push on price too hard), but will re-evaluate on Sunday.

 

They are worth a fair bit in parts tbh. So that'll define the minimum.

 

Good, well looked after car. Just needs a bit of love to bring it back to being really good.

MEGA HAPPY right now! Perfect as a birthday present for myself on Sunday.

[Spottedlaurel]

Spoken to FJ about the insurance. It might be that the minimum I need to get it insured again is a new MoT, but they've asked what category write-off it was. Any suggestions as to how I can found that out please? There's nothing on the correspondence I got at the time, which only mentions that it will be recorded on the motor insurance anti-fraud and theft register (MIAFTR). It doesn't seem like I can access that myself, and now that the VIC process has gone there's nothing showing on DVLA.

 

I found it slightly odd that FJ didn't/couldn't get access this themselves. Would an HPI check show something?

 

Advice would be welcome from anyone who has recent experience of insuring a write-off, thank you.

 

 

Answered my own question, it appears to be Cat C. I shall find out tomorrow what FJ have to say about that before committing to spending too much more on it.

[vulgalour]

1997 Rover 416 Tourer in nightfire red with the later beige interior.  Chuck some trims on it and fix the suspected blown head gasket (or potentially failed inlet manifold gasket) and job's a good un.  It's in that there London and they only want £150 for it.

 

 

 

 

If only it could have appeared when I was looking to replace the Xantia back in 2015.  If it weren't so far away and I didn't already have three cars I'd be considering buying it.  If I hadn't already got my 414 sorted and had only sorted out some of the issues, I'd definitely be buying it.

 

Link to the ad here: http://www.rover200.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=10487  Alternatively if you use the Book of Faces, I believe it is Tanya Field that you need to talk to about it.

[dollywobbler]

Stuck in traffic yesterday, I suddenly realised how bloody awful the rear lights of the Proton Wira are.

 

Look at those hideous gaps! Someone could steal your shopping. Feel queasy at the way it looks like the section on the tailgate was designed by a different person to the one who designed the bits on the rear of the car. Marvel at the 'fake' reverse lights next to the indicators, matched by the hideous half-arsed job of the actual (single) reverse light and its opposing fog light.

 

Or maybe it's just me...

[JohnK]

Nigel, ive insured total loss cars with FJ previously, they've never asked category details and I've never had cover issues ...

[RobT]

Sold the X300 to a Jag breakers in Surrey today. He came and trailered it away and I've taken a financial loss that made me wince a bit, but can't win 'em all I suppose. Glad to see it gone as the issues were racking up and it just wasn't worth the hassle. The Safrane deserves the garage space more seeing as it actually works, albeit with a few niggles.

 

I then took the Cavalier to the jet wash and in front of me was a mintola N-plate Omega estate 2.5 V6. Sounded and looked bloody lovely! I've taken that as a sign from the shite gods that my next purchase should be an early Omega, preferably a V6 pez auto. But that won't be until atleast late spring as I need to be boring and not spend large chunks of money for a while.

 

After that I then tried to fix the non-functioning wipers on the Rover. Replacement stalk didn't sort it at the weekend, and neither did a new wiper motor today. I'm hoping it's just a fuse or relay (something I should have checked first obviously) but I was getting hungry so couldn't be arsed tonight.

[rml2345]

Whilst the Xantias is still sitting in a corner waiting for me to do something constructive the Volvo now sports a set of matching headlamp wiper arms.

 

 

Not terribly noticeable but never mind. It also got the standard old Volvo cheese cog odometer repair so depressing MPG figures can be obtained once more. On the 850 this generally involves removing the top of the dashboard which is much easier than it sounds but still a bit laborious so a check of instrument bulbs was made to avoid having to do it again any time soon.

Naturally one has now blown.

Anyway, yesterday the brake pads reminded me that they've not been changed yet either so hopefully that'll be today's job.

[Spottedlaurel]

Nigel, ive insured total loss cars with FJ previously, they've never asked category details and I've never had cover issues ...

 

Thanks John. Hopefully they'll be OK about it, if not I'll just have to find another insurer.

[flat4alfa]

Nigel, ive insured total loss cars with FJ previously, they've never asked category details and I've never had cover issues ...

 

But what about payout issues?

[tooSavvy]

Malaysians built that Proton Wira >>>

>>> the bumper doesn't seem to fit too well and it would explain the shonky panel gaps.

EFA

 

TS

[reb]

No more stupid LEDs and no more stupid reversing camera. The bolts at the top of the bumper were somehow more corroded than the ones at the bottom.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[panhard65]

Latest daft purchase is arriving Monday morning. Hopefully it will get here ok and not just be a pile of rust on the transporter by the time it gets here. I will have to try and find somewhere to put it as I am a bit busy next week to have a go at getting running.

[Supernaut]

The Xantia failed its MOT today... on ONE thing.

 

A leak from the fuel filter housing. I know precisely why it's leaking, too. I replaced the fuel filter a few months back, and couldn't get the lid quite all the way back on. I didn't think it was a problem at the time, it's not like it was pissing all over the place, and the car still runs fine.

 

Now the lid is in a stupid state where it's not on properly and won't come off easily. Of course it's not threaded, but it uses a springy metal o-ring and lugs instead. Stupid bastard of a thing. Oh, and it's plastic, and has a hex bit on top to put a socket on. Guess what happens when you put a socket on it. It slips and rounds off the corners. I distinctly remember not using a socket the first time round.

 

I finish work at 3 tomorrow, so I'll have a couple of hours of daylight to look at it. Handily, Halfords autocentre say they're open this Sunday (for the first time) so they can't take bookings on the computer system, but if I ring them I can drop past and they can check it. It looks like there shall be 4 of us going to Errol in the BMW 316 on Saturday though.

[Lord Sterling]

Sold the X300 to a Jag breakers in Surrey today. He came and trailered it away and I've taken a financial loss that made me wince a bit, but can't win 'em all I suppose. Glad to see it gone as the issues were racking up and it just wasn't worth the hassle.

Ah no Rob, I wouldn't have minded having that off ya. My KV6 is clinging on to dear life at the moment, everything is falling apart around it but the engine just keeps on going. I'd have scrapped it to take on your X300. I've got the pangs of wanting to try something different. Never mind.

[alcyonecorporation]

Ah no Rob, I wouldn't have minded having that off ya. My KV6 is clinging on to dear life at the moment, everything is falling apart around it but the engine just keeps on going. I'd have scrapped it to take on your X300. I've got the pangs of wanting to try something different. Never mind.

X300s are guff, don't bother unless there's an XJR in the offing.

 

Work had a Sovereign. It was a tragic, tacky, badly made piece of shit with a cramped interior, crap wood and demented electrics. For the amount of fuel it pissed away, it wasn't even that quick.

 

Put it in park one afternoon (having forgot something inside the office), came out of the door in front of the car and it tried to run me over. I went out of my way to hurt the fucker after that. Bouncing it off the rev limiter and getting it lock stop sideways in the NVR's gravel car park cheered me up a bit. Did a couple of nice one wheel peels down a quiet C road one summer afternoon when I got stuck with it as a pool car. It rode nicely, I suppose. I'll give it that. The damping was very well controlled and, despite the steering telling you sweet fanny adams, it handled. After I began to see something in it, the boot lock solenoid failed so I couldn't get my stuff out of the back when I got back home. Fuck you, X300 - the Scrappage scheme didn't claim enough of you.

 

Otherwise, I felt like a pub landlord on the way to Makro to get some peanuts. Only one jar, like - you can't fit fuck all in an X300. A PROPER BRITISH CAR, or some such foaming gibberish.

 

Summary: I don't see why people gush over them. At least you can fit people with legs in the back of a Rover 75, and they're basically wheeled versions of the Trafford Centre's Barton Square with half sucked proto-plastic globules of shellac shite for switch gear.

[Guest Hooli]

Are you sure you drove a X300? sounds nothing like them to me.

[vulgalour]

Have to admit, I'm not a fan of the X300 either.  Expensive looking cheap feeling interior that's cramped too and a rear seat ride that feels as though it's suspended on springs and bricks simultaneously.  I'm not tall and even I struggled for rear leg space with short people in the front too.  Boot space is rubbish.  I don't even think they look that good.

[Guest Hooli]

I do much prefer the Xj40 I'll admit that.

[dollywobbler]

It was a particularly shagged X300. I rather liked it, even though I twice had it very scarily sideways. It had a ton of money spent on it to sort the wayward handling out - two grand I think. Then it was sold, presumably for near enough sod all. It did like a drink though...

[cort16]

The x308 has a nicer interior and feels better put together. I had an XJR x308 and was lovely to drive around in and fast as fuck but but it didn't handle for shit. 

I don't think you can have a really decent handling car with an old school autobox it's just never in the place you want it. The XJR had getting on for 400bhp and it just couldn't get that power down. I remember just sitting at roundabouts in the wet and it span the wheels so frantically off the line. 

[alcyonecorporation]

Are you sure you drove a X300? sounds nothing like them to me.

Yep. Don't care if I'm slaying a sacred autoshite cow for saying they're crap, either. Pete-M had an XJR - that drank like a black hole but went well enough to justify the petrol bills. Sounded like a cement mixer, weirdly. That's the only X300 I've liked so far and I've driven quite a few of them now. Can't comment on the XJ40; never driven or lived with one, although I'm led to believe there's a lot of '40 in the '300.

 

Pete-M also owns an example of the only MkIV Golf worth a wank - the 4Motion.

 

Also shit: 6 pot DB7s. Similar mentality to people who buy £500 Jags and think they're cock of the walk; a (far cheaper) XK8 pisses all over an early DB7 (although to be fair, it's a far newer design). Folk only buy DB7 six bangers for the name and the looks - it ain't 'cos they're good cars.

[Guest Hooli]

Late XJ40s are virtually a X300 underneath yeah, but I loved mine. It was everything I could want in a car, except more power but it was only the 3.2.

 

DB7 has a lot of XJ40/X300 bits underneath. I believe the only place you can get bigend shells for the AJ16 Jag engine is Aston Martin as it's the base for the DB7 lump.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I guess you either 'get' Jags, or you don't.