The new news 24 thread

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Went out with the horse in the morning. Went out with the CX in the afternoon, after it agreed to start.

[Ghosty]

Volvo is on't'Bay now, £1100 classified.

[cort16]

As mentioned previously I was having problems with the Cortina overheating while trying to bleed the cooling system. I ordered a new stat, radiator cap, fan belt and on advice from here bought a re-built original cast impeller water pump.

 

Pretty good for 20 quid and probably twice as heavy as the chineseium one on it. 

 

 

The old one looked okay other than it having a pressed rather cast fan. There was no play in it or resistance to it spinning but it didn't exactly look quality.

 

I also flushed the coolant through a few times (I now have about 10 litres of manky coolant to get rid of). I also took the radiator and heater matrix out and back flushed them.

 

I did a rough flow test on the radiator, which I also though was suspect by plugging the bottom hole, filling it with water then unplugging the end. It seemed to dump it all out almost instantly, which makes me think it's not horribly choked,

 

Over a few nights I put it back together again. After swapping the insurance from the Maestro onto this and spending a few hours trying to find the v5 so I could tax it it was good to go. I went down late afternoon to bleed it through and after running for about 2 minutes it ran out of petrol. After a quick trip to the petrol station it bled through okay so I took it out for a drive.

 

NICE AND STEADY. Phew

 

 

So this is the first drive in probably 3 years on the public highway. 

The brakes are pretty horribly as there's a stuck bleed nipple so I can fully bleed it. Other than that it drove pretty well and  nothing boiled over or fell off.

 

 

The last time it was on the road it had old Ghia seats in it with burst springs that tried to do horrible things to your bum cheeks. 

It's a bit snug with the seatbelt on cause I'm fat. It seems to have a second seatbelt mounting point a few inches forwards so I might move it to them to accommodate for my fatness.

 

 

I guess I need to drive it now,

 

[wuvvum]

Because I'm nice, I've lent my motorbike boots to a colleague. I don't ride very often so thought I could do him a good turn.

 

Because I'm an idiot, the very next day I get a reminder that all the paperwork is due on the bike... So I fact I do need to ride it, to get it to the garage for an MoT. Plonker.

Aren't motorbike boots a bit overkill on a Honda Vision?

[Jim Bell]

I like the orange knob on the green car.  And also the green car.

[320touring]

Great news Cort16!

[SierraMikeHotel]

Aren't motorbike boots a bit overkill on a Honda Vision?

They are scooter ones, not full-on solid ski-style ones, but hopefully enough to avoid a broken ankle at 30mph! I'll probably chance it in normal shoes.

 

At least I didn't lend him my helmet...

[cort16]

Other than the brakes only two minor issues.

 

1: The steering wheel isn't on straight

2: When I turned on the heater  clouds came out. Not steam but clouds. No rain tho.

[blackboilersuit]

Up early today to take the CRV to have a new windscreen fitted. It's been cracked since last July but since it's not due an MOT till June this year I'm counting this as being massively proactive. Fitted a new set of Bosch wipers all round just to celebrate. I'm now actually motivated to clean the thing inside and out for the first time in about a year (once the weather improves naturally). 

 

Took the GPz1100 for an MOT in the afternoon and f**k me was that a cold wind. Snowing intermittently too, not enough to lie but enough to stop me being arsed to take photo's for your viewing pleasure...soz about that. 

 

Booked my XR650 in for an MOT nest weekend, it's not even been started in the 18 months since I dropped it on myself and broke my leg so I've got a few nights of prep ahead of me this coming week.

 

Fleet management is going well this year (for a change) even though it feels like I'm actually working 2 full-time jobs some weeks. 

[xtriple]

Car is covered in snow which has frozen solid. Poor old dollop, bet it wishes it was back in the garage!

[loserone]

Car is covered in snow which has frozen solid. Poor old dollop, bet it wishes it was back in the garage!

Bet it doesn't.

[aerodynamically_challenged]

Went to British Rallycross at Silverstone today, absolutely brilliant racing and some racing chod in the retro rallycross. Bloody freezing though.

[Arthur Foxhake]

Caravan hitched up for LOLZ.

Will be road legal after my holiday next week, can't wait.

Sick of my 75ps mk6 transit, its utterly gutless, also very rusty.

 

[fordperv]

Looks as if your off on a tarmac laying adventure, i love it

[purplebargeken]

Trig, that MX-5 looks ace!! Even more so in yellow. Fab!

[Fat_Pirate]

I collected the ex-JJ0063 Mini from Norfolk last weekend.  I went on the train but couldn't be arsed to take any photos, and there's no pez station shot either as I was sidetracked by a bloke who looked exactly like 8-Ace trickling a few quids worth of fuel into a 67-plate Kia SUV thing.  But here it is, in all it's imminently-exploding-Midland-gearbox-your-car-is-shit-mate glory:

When I first saw it I was immediately pleased - it was clean and tidy, exactly as JJ had described it.  I hated these when they first appeared though - I  considered them bloated, ridiculous caricatures of the honest, efficient little car they'd cynically assumed the identity of.  But as the years have rolled by and constant facelifts have made the Mini ever more ugly, the styling of these original R50s now appears clean and unfussy to me.  I'm informed they're also unfashionable now 'cos NOT SUV, which is another bonus. 

 

First task was to service it.  Changing the air filter and plugs was done in about 15 mins, the oil filter... 5 days.  It's an element that lives in a steel housing on the back of the engine; for reasons unknown, an alloy cap is used rather than the usual plastic, and it has a reputation for seizing even if you stick religiously to the service schedule... and this car was WAY overdue.

Eventually I had to take the whole bastard thing off the car (very awkward), then set about it with a lot of WD40 and serious impact-gun action - it was going to open or be destroyed in the process!  Eventually it surrendered and I was very pleased with myself.  Then noticed I'd smashed the oil pressure switch in the process.

It's back on the road now and I love whizzing about in it - so much so the Jag is up for sale (proper for-sale thread to follow but £1000 special shitter's price m8).  I ask, nay DEMAND that R50 Minis be added to the Autoshite-Approved-Car list immediately.

[dome]

Other than the brakes only two minor issues.

 

1: The steering wheel isn't on straight

2: When I turned on the heater clouds came out. Not steam but clouds. No rain tho.

Pah, minor details. I'll look forward to seeing this cruising Ayr shore front in the summer.

 

Unless you've sold it by then...

[SiC]

Just looking through the Civic damage photos sent over by the assessor. Looks like the rear crash beam has taken the majority of the bump. Unfortunately it has put a very small crease into the body work. Boot floor is apparently all straight though.

 

This small crease is what has written it off. I guess that to put it back to the pre accident condition is going to be a massive pain in the arse. Even though it doesn't look like it'll affect the structure or safety. Unfortunately I can't upload the photos as they're not mine.

 

Tempted to buy it back if not a silly price - i.e. £500 or less. Especially as I know it's been looked after (serviced yearly by my local garage with genuine Honda parts) and it's a very decent car in good nick. Looking at second hand cars today reaffirmed my belief that the vast majority are utter unloved or uncared for heaps once they get more than a couple of years old. Even when going in with a budget of £6k+.

 

However Mrs SiC is keen not to have it back. I guess the cat marker is going to make it very hard to shift on again in the future though.

 

Would anyone interested in buying it off me if I do buy it back? I rather not let it go to waste or ruined by co-part.

[cort16]

I’ll not be selling this one unless there’s a serious financial crisis (or I decide to buy an m5)

[Ghosty]

  I ask, nay DEMAND that R50 Minis be added to the Autoshite-Approved-Car list immediately.

 

Binis aren't bad tbf, I've driven my mum's old one. Good fun, plenty of go and good handling, but ePAS (was an R56) is shit and too light, I had to drive it in sport mode for it to feel like the steering wheel was attached to the wheels.

 

I'd have an early one but the autos are CVTs that like to blow up.

[cms206]

This happened this morning whilst I was in my bed. I had expected issues when it had sat for a year more or less untouched but it flew through apparantly.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[rickvw72]

I may know someone who’d want the Civic if available.

Works in a body shop too.

[Ghosty]

Already had a serious enquirer for the Volvo that sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

 

Based on the phone number he's given me, he's in Tyneside...

[taxi paul]

The HGF primera can now shuffle off to the scrap yard because v5 came yesterday. The kids caravan /play house is also getting scrapped.have bought a new to me 7 seat modern so the jap bus has been put on to light duties for a while. Like been said the other day about days off. I am busy with the kids and foster kids so has much has I love an older cars shape and styling and am not loving the mechanical bits ,not having a clue doesn't help. Then again my jap bus is 18 yrs old so that can be my old car for a while.

[drum]

The Santa Fe was almost replaced by a P38. Looks like it will be hanging around a while longer.

[Jim Bell]

Already had a serious enquirer for the Volvo that sounds like he knows what he's talking about.

 

Based on the phone number he's given me, he's in Tyneside...

If you could understand him, its definitely not Toosavvy.

[tooSavvy]

..... No VloVo in my futre m8

 

TS

[xtriple]

Chester and I have just had to WALK to the local shop which is a mile or so away. Proper snow again, about a foot on the tops of the cars/roads/pavement. Phoebe came out with us to begin with, had a wee, sat down, thought: 'Sod this!' and turned round and went home! Chester thought it was marvelous: all those wonderful smells and deep white stuff to wee on and jump around in. He is always in front and at the end of his very long lead, today I was having to drag the sod.

 

I can't believe it; 2 lots of proper snow in the space of a month, in Torquay, just NEVER happens! At least this time the snow is all fluffy and soft, not like the last lot that was like compressed ice.

 

Oh, Doc Martin boots are the footwear equivalent of winter tyres, awesome!

[New POD]

I collected the ex-JJ0063 Mini from Norfolk last weekend.  I went on the train but couldn't be arsed to take any photos, and there's no pez station shot either as I was sidetracked by a bloke who looked exactly like 8-Ace tricking a few quids worth of fuel into a 67-plate Kia SUV thing.  But here it is, in all it's imminently-exploding-Midland-gearbox-your-car-is-shit-mate glory:

2018-03-14 10.43.48.jpg

When I first saw it I was immediately pleased - it was clean and tidy, exactly as JJ had described it.  I hated these when they first appeared though - I  considered them bloated, ridiculous caricatures of the honest, efficient little car they'd cynically assumed the identity of.  But as the years have rolled by and constant facelifts have made the Mini ever more ugly, the styling of these original R50s now appears clean and unfussy to me.  I'm informed they're also unfashionable now 'cos NOT SUV, which is another bonus. 

 

First task was to service it.  Changing the air filter and plugs was done in about 15 mins, the oil filter... 5 days.  It's an element that lives in a steel housing on the back of the engine; for reasons unknown, an alloy cap is used rather than the usual plastic, and it has a reputation for seizing even if you stick religiously to the service schedule... and this car was WAY overdue.

2018-03-15 19.52.38.jpg

Eventually I had to take the whole bastard thing off the car (very awkward), then set about it with a lot of WD40 and serious impact-gun action - it was going to open or be destroyed in the process!  Eventually it surrendered and I was very pleased with myself.  Then noticed I'd smashed the oil pressure switch in the process.

2018-03-17 15.42.14.jpg

It's back on the road now and I love whizzing about in it - so much so the Jag is up for sale (proper for-sale thread to follow but £1000 special shitter's price m8).  I ask, nay DEMAND that R50 Minis be added to the Autoshite-Approved-Car list immediately.

 

Last time I did ours I struggled to get it back on. You have to screw it in against quite a bit of sprint pressure. I have a large adjustable spanner for taking it off.

[trigger]

MX5 is now sold. I decided the rust and ABS light was too much for me and the local MX5 specialist who it turns out already knew the car and had been looking after it for the girl I bought it off gave me my money back on it, I kept the nice stereo that was in it though for my troubles.