The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

Have fun directing those regions! They're a pain in the arse.

 

Anyway, the sun shone, the postman arrived and great joy was contained within, in the form of some remarkably spindly HT leads.

 

These liquoirice laces were threaded into the tiny engine bay with gay abandon, though not enough abandon to not get them in the right place. The key was turned and 847cc growled sweetly into life. Misfire banished, I went for a test drive to celebrate a healthy engine.

 

I may have enjoyed this test too much, as much farting was heard from the exhaust. I may have blown my previous aluminium tape bodgery to pieces. So, I headed forthwith to that there dodgy Ebay place, and managed to bag a complete exhaust for 60 pounds. 

 

I love this car. It is so charmingly cheap and dreadful, but mostly cheap.

[Ghosty]

The Rover seems to have started pushing the contents of its exhaust silencer out of the pipe. Thought it had a feather in it, pulled it, and a load of clag-covered fibreglass hair came out.

[Skizzer]

^ Isn't it great how old cars can always find new and creative ways to go wrong?

[stuboy]

The Rover seems to have started pushing the contents of its exhaust silencer out of the pipe. Thought it had a feather in it, pulled it, and a load of clag-covered fibreglass hair came out.

more fruitier tones?

[dollywobbler]

The Rover seems to have started pushing the contents of its exhaust silencer out of the pipe. Thought it had a feather in it, pulled it, and a load of clag-covered fibreglass hair came out.

 

You may find performance improves. Or that it gets worse as the broken down glassfibre clogs the entire system up. I recommend an Italian tune up.

[320touring]

You may find performance improves. Or that it gets worse as the broken down glassfibre clogs the entire system up. I recommend an Italian tune up.

This!

 

Much pedallage of moderate to swiftish pace (anything above 15mph will be fine bearing in mind its a Rover auto;)

[dave21478]

My Orion did that....performance suddenly dropped away to nothing. I pulled over and spent some time prodding things in the engine bay to no effect. I went to get something out the boot and noticed the exhaust was sprouting. I pulled out a big lump that looked like Trumps wig and it was back in business.

[Cleon-Fonte]

The Rover seems to have started pushing the contents of its exhaust silencer out of the pipe. Thought it had a feather in it, pulled it, and a load of clag-covered fibreglass hair came out.

 

I'd contact the previous owner and ask if he's missing his wig.

[dollywobbler]

Once more, I'm reminded just how tiny the Nippa is. Great for supermarket car parks.

[Spottedlaurel]

^ Isn't it great how old cars can always find new and creative ways to go wrong?

 

Certainly seems to be the case with my 1200. Italian-made carb rebuild kit finally arrived from Croatia and has been fitted, apparently with success. Flushed with enthusiasm, I asked them to get it MoTed. It now needs more welding and a balljoint. At least the latter appears to be readily available, several pattern ones are listed on eBay with UK sellers and I'm just waiting to see if Datman has one in stock.

 

The DVLA system is bang up-to-date and reveals that I've done a mere 349 miles in it since last year's test (I'm actually surprised it's that many).

• Reason(s) for failure
  Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded leg top (2.4.A.3)

  Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

If I can get it working reliably I'll celebrate by bringing it along to this year's FOTU.

[trigger]

Another week and another mot, this time it was the P6s turn. It attracted a friend at the mot station.

 

 

It was a right a mess with green paintwork and a flat tyre, i liked it!

 

 

The mot tester is the one i normally use and he's pretty good like one of the headlights needed adjusting so he did that for me. He remarked how good the whole car was and how he wished all his mots were this easy! I was relieved that he was saying all the right stuff as i got this in return!

 

 

Happy days!

[trigger]

The poshest driveway on the street.

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

The poshest driveway on the street.

 

 

Has Mrs trigger been heard to say this!

[trigger]

Strangely enough, no!

[HMC]

My drive is full to overflowing...

In fact it has overflowed as the rover vitesse has to live elsewhere!

[Spottedlaurel]

Another week and another mot, this time it was the P6s turn. It attracted a friend at the mot station.

 

Gav on Flickr has a photo of that CF2 from just a couple of days ago elsewhere in town.

 

Regarding my own MoT, Datman had the balljoint in stock and it's been posted to the garage. Once it's done that'll have been three of my old crocks MoTed in just over a month. Poor/expensive diary planning there.

[RayMK]

My Reliant Regal MKVI passed its MOT this morning with no advisories. To celebrate, I drove it to Burton Dassett country park (piccies below), with a full tool kit and aerosol carb cleaner in the boot.  The car has not been on the road since last August when the previous MOT expired and I was half expecting problems from mucky petrol/tank crud after its long rest.  The drive there was ok and I parked to admire the view and have a sandwich.  When I restarted to drive home about 30 minutes later, the car would only idle.  The engine died at the slightest bit of throttle. Choke made no difference.  With the engine exposed by removal of the internal cowl (two toggle clamps), the Solex carb jets are easily accessed.  I removed each one in turn to blast with aerosol carb cleaner, also blasting the vacant orifice whilst the jet was out.  With everything re-installed and cowl replaced, the engine started readily and responded normally to the throttle.  The run home was uneventful.  Having got used to the terror of handling 17bhp (on a good day) and a fierce clutch while balanced on three elderly cross ply tyres, I sort of enjoyed it. 

[omegod]

Sounds terrifying but it's a lovely little thing 

[egg]

Does it have its own thread Ray? it deserves it!

[RayMK]

Does it have its own thread Ray? it deserves it!

 

Thanks.  No, it doesn't have a thread, mainly because the Reliant only does about 500 miles per year when MOT'd and gets very little attention from me.  The dormant periods and my increasing age would make it too difficult for me to remember, whereas News 24hrs is ideal and contains an interesting variety of posts    .

[Spottedlaurel]

Ray, you are living the proverbial dream. Midweek pottering in something old and unusual, stopping to admire views and eat sandwiches? Hurry up retirement!

[RayMK]

Don't wish your life away.  Retirement is quite pleasant if you remain reasonably agile.  When I work underneath cars, people think I've collapsed or been run over 'cos my two walking sticks are usually scattered nearby.  The permanently on holiday aspect is nice though  .   It was bloody freezing in the wind at Burton Dassett and the Reliant does not have a heater.  Fortunately it's only about 23 miles from home, so I could rush* back to get warm.  Oh.  The central heating boiler broke two years ago.  Will have to burn some more furniture. 

[MarvinsMom]

update of the update....

 

we got about 12 miles before the metro coughed, spluttered and stopped.

 

seems that the spark has either leaked out, or it just escaped.

 

suspects are the condenser or the coil. as these are available in our box of spares, so we are going to swap these bits out, and see if that makes any difference.

 

if not, 

 

then i don't flippin' know.......

update v 2.0

 

changed the dissy this evening for the spare one, which has "good" condenser and points fitted and gapped.

 

turns engine over, it coughs and splutters, like it WANTS to run, but cannot,

 

check everything over, i've managed to get the ht cables for cylinder 1 and 2 mixed up.

 

put the leads on the right way round, and car starts straight up (again).i let iut run untill the cooling fan kicked in, so at the moment, all seems well.

 

am going to drive it on the road tomorrow, will we get further than 12 miles before it stops again?

 

place bets now!!

[stuboy]

Rover of beauty on touch of frosty

[17-Coffees]

My parents amaze me with how well they know me, was told they found something I'd love at a local second hand shop, which they then bought me.

Useing the iPod so will limit it to one picture for now, but you guys will love it I'm sure!

 

There is plenty more where this came from!

[bramz7]

Little AX booked for an MOT in a week or so. Last MOT didn't really mention anything, hopefully that's a good sign for me.

I'll then break it to the Citroen specialist I'm taking it to that they are the chosen ones for the BX Estate rear arm bearings too, let's see how enthusiastic a response that gets....

[Essex V6]

Since the last time I went the stratospheric test hanger is open. This was brilliant- I walked in just after I arrived and no one else was around so had a personal guided tour by the friendly guide.

The Wellington hanger has now gone from the start/finish straight and the Loch Ness Wellington is now here.

I remember my dad taking me down to Loch Ness to see the Wellington being exhumed!

[oldcars]

My drive is full to overflowing...

IMG_0839.JPG

In fact it has overflowed as the rover vitesse has to live elsewhere!

75 and an Express van, living the dream 

[Bear]

So here's a question for the SVM...

 

If you take the dashboard out of a Volvo 740, but don't disconnect the battery, does it usually have some immense electrical drain and flatten it overnight, or did I do something daft like leaving a light on that I can't find any evidence of?

 

The 740's dashboard doesn't have solder, it has metal staples. Willing a dash bulb put pressure somewhere that made the fuel gauge work, so I'm going to replace the bulbs, and get some contact cleaner in there.

[dollywobbler]

My Reliant Regal MKVI passed its MOT this morning with no advisories. To celebrate, I drove it to Burton Dassett country park (piccies below), with a full tool kit and aerosol carb cleaner in the boot.  The car has not been on the road since last August when the previous MOT expired and I was half expecting problems from mucky petrol/tank crud after its long rest.  The drive there was ok and I parked to admire the view and have a sandwich.  When I restarted to drive home about 30 minutes later, the car would only idle.  The engine died at the slightest bit of throttle. Choke made no difference.  With the engine exposed by removal of the internal cowl (two toggle clamps), the Solex carb jets are easily accessed.  I removed each one in turn to blast with aerosol carb cleaner, also blasting the vacant orifice whilst the jet was out.  With everything re-installed and cowl replaced, the engine started readily and responded normally to the throttle.  The run home was uneventful.  Having got used to the terror of handling 17bhp (on a good day) and a fierce clutch while balanced on three elderly cross ply tyres, I sort of enjoyed it. 

 

Lovely. I used to commute over Burton Dassett on my way from Northants to Stratford. One icy day, I stupidly decided it'd be fun to see how slippery it was. Came careering down the otherside in the 2CV. Couldn't brake and even engine braking caused a skid. Ahead of me, a Vectra had already spun off and was driving back onto the road. Oh. I stopped by driving into a hillock at the side of the road. It worked! Good ol' steel bumpers.