The new news 24 thread

[Supernaut]

Having been met with silence about the £90 Mazda, I'm now frantically searching for an alternative. Problem is, there are a great many cars under a grand that tick many boxes, but given I'm not entirely sure what all the boxes are, it's hard to focus on one exact car. A 1998 Toyota Starlet is proving alluring at the moment. Is it just because I want the polar opposite of the Lexus?

When me and 17-Coffees had a shot of Moog's Starlet (R.I.P. little soulja) at Crail, we noticed all the common switch gear between it and the LS400.

 

Thus, I approve of you getting a Starlet, you'll feel right at home* in it after the LS400.

 

 

 

 

Aaah, the memories are flooding back now. I did a 6k rpm clutch drop / wheelspin off the line, then afterwards Moog said he was watching and it didn't look like I was even trying.

[dollywobbler]

I was thinking it might be a giggle for Autosolos. I'm mightily tempted. 

[trigger]

My old Starlet SR was a laugh, the high revving engine got a bit tiresome on the motorway each day but for hooning around Welsh valleys I'd imagine it be perfect.

[dollywobbler]

My old Starlet SR was a laugh, the high revving engine got a bit tiresome on the motorway each day but for hooning around Welsh valleys I'd imagine it be perfect.

 

That's the big challenge. Finding a car that's good at both. Big barges are great for distance, but hopeless around here. The 2CV and Nippa are fantastic on Welsh roads, but hard work for distance. What I really want is a fairly small car with great handling and great comfort. Something like a beige GSA. *shakes fist at 320Touring*

[cros]

I found some bloody enormous potholes on the M11 last night. The motor I was in has 80 aspect 15" van tyres and soft suspension so must be one of the lesser affected, but I dread to think what it's like in something modern and sporty. Its also unfair on Bond drivers, the poor little buggers must have a job to climb out of some the holes I've hit.

[Hertz]

Mk1 "valver"? Lets have some shots of it with the lovely alloys then Whether ph1 or ph2 they both had top alloys.

 

Yep it is indeed a Valver. Here is a shot of it's best side:

 

 

Needs a lot of welding so looks like a big project or spares car unfortunately.

[Kiltox]

Looking for used cars in the sub £3000 bracket is such a minefield, I can see why people put themselves in debt for new cars.

 

I own this little 2004 Fiesta 1.4 TDCi Zetec, it was my mum's before me and has only done 35k, has full history and needs for nothing.

 

 

As a second car I only really use it for work and occasionally meeting friends in so it doesn't get much use but I'm getting bored of it, it's not excatly much fun to drive, now I have two children I really could do with a 5 door car for when I collect them from nursery and I prefer bigger cars so I thought I'd see what's about, I went to see a Focus locally that was ideal but that had sold, yesterday I enquired about a 10 plate Fiesta 5 door 1.6 diesel which was a good price and low mileage, it all sounded good until I checked on the Autotrader site where it came back as a Cat D, the seller never told me and it wasn't in the advert! Crafty bastard.

 

Then today I drove up to Norfolk to view a Focus 2.0 TDCi estate at a garage, again it sounded really nice and it looked really smart too until I started it up and found it ran as lumpy as arseholes and kicking out so much blue smoke that I couldn't see the salesman, who didn't speak English other to say "needs injector cleaner". Everything in that price bracket seems shagged out or high mileage. I'm tempted just to keep what I have now.

 

In other news I went and started the SD1 today for the first time since October, it's been in the in-laws garage and I haven't even seen it since then! I knew the battery wasn't much good so I've got a new Bosch one from ECP eBay which was £30 cheaper than the store with their discount and popped it on, it took a bit of turning over to get the fuel up but once it fired it ran lovely. I can't wait to drive it again!

 

IMO there are two types of cars worth bothering with - sub £1000 bangers you can bin if they’re too crap and brand spanking new/pre reg. Everything in the middle has the opportunity to be a huge bastard pain in the arse.

 

Since buying my van I am warming to the idea of buying damaged write offs though if you can live with driving something beat up - nearly new for used money. SWS have a 17 plate Skoda Citigo for just over £3k with 700 miles on the clock, body is beaten up but it doesn’t need any work to be usable as far as I can tell.

[Mally]

I found some bloody enormous potholes on the M11 last night. The motor I was in has 80 aspect 15" van tyres and soft suspension so must be one of the lesser affected, but I dread to think what it's like in something modern and sporty. Its also unfair on Bond drivers, the poor little buggers must have a job to climb out of some the holes I've hit.

images.jpeg

 

Bond on a motorway? They only go down hill.

If you had the full 250cc they could even go along on the flat.

[trigger]

I'm sure I heard that if it's on the register a lot of insurance companies won't touch you and if they do it's a lot more expensive than a non write off?.

[Supernaut]

That's the big challenge. Finding a car that's good at both. Big barges are great for distance, but hopeless around here. The 2CV and Nippa are fantastic on Welsh roads, but hard work for distance. What I really want is a fairly small car with great handling and great comfort. Something like a beige GSA. *shakes fist at 320Touring*

Peugeot 306. I sorely miss both of the ones I had. I had a mk1 XUD turbo, then a mk3 HDi estate. Both were comfy and also great fun to chuck about.

[egg]

DW:

 

Ami 6 break or

Favorit

 

And bring something Japanese back from Bulgaria!

 

I'm sure you'll surprise us anyway...

[Supernaut]

Or, in the same vein as the Peugeot 306, a Citroen ZX! Based on the 306 underpinnings, but would look better parked next to the 2CV!

[loserone]

Ha! Plan was to deliver the Lexus, but that does depend on finding something to drive home in. 

 

You could bring Mo's K11 back down south, if that helped logistically..

[cobblers]

IMO there are two types of cars worth bothering with - sub £1000 bangers you can bin if they’re too crap and brand spanking new/pre reg. Everything in the middle has the opportunity to be a huge bastard pain in the arse.

 

Since buying my van I am warming to the idea of buying damaged write offs though if you can live with driving something beat up - nearly new for used money. SWS have a 17 plate Skoda Citigo for just over £3k with 700 miles on the clock, body is beaten up but it doesn’t need any work to be usable as far as I can tell.

Spot on, my next motor is probably going to be a nearly new fiat 500 type thing that's had the side stoved in. Might cost 3k but it's a cheap way to get around long term. Cheap to repair with scrapyard bits too.

[Supernaut]

All my best cars have been sub-£1000 bangers.

 

Both cars I spent over £1000 on have also needed the most spent on them afterwards.

[dollywobbler]

Found a car I like the look of. No response to emails, so finally give in and call. They can tell me absolutely piss all about it. "Is it solid underneath?" "Not even looked mate." 

 

Gee, so helpful. Do you want to sell the bloody car or not? It's 370 miles away, I'm hardly going to pop up for a quick look. Arseholes.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Spot on, my next motor is probably going to be a nearly new fiat 500 type thing that's had the side stoved in. Might cost 3k but it's a cheap way to get around long term. Cheap to repair with scrapyard bits too.

 

Thirded........ almost all of my motors have been way under £1000 and I've had far better reliability than a lot of friends in their shiny new boxes. Easier to fix too!

 

GF dragged me into looking at these newer Fiat 500s - a 4x4 twinair..... I fell for the sound - loved it. If she's paying - then I'll play now n then I suppose

[DVee8]

Found a car I like the look of. No response to emails, so finally give in and call. They can tell me absolutely piss all about it. "Is it solid underneath?" "Not even looked mate." 

 

Gee, so helpful. Do you want to sell the bloody car or not? It's 370 miles away, I'm hardly going to pop up for a quick look. Arseholes.

Where is it?What is it maybe one of the North East shiters could have a look.

[dollywobbler]

Where is it?What is it maybe one of the North East shiters could have a look.

 

Er, bit further north - Kircaldy.

[DVee8]

Er, bit further north - Kircaldy.

Oh well,not this time..

[wuvvum]

I found some bloody enormous potholes on the M11 last night. The motor I was in has 80 aspect 15" van tyres and soft suspension so must be one of the lesser affected, but I dread to think what it's like in something modern and sporty. Its also unfair on Bond drivers, the poor little buggers must have a job to climb out of some the holes I've hit.

images.jpeg

The M11 was fucking terrible yesterday.  Especially on the bit around the Stansted turn-off.

[wuvvum]

That's the big challenge. Finding a car that's good at both. Big barges are great for distance, but hopeless around here. The 2CV and Nippa are fantastic on Welsh roads, but hard work for distance. What I really want is a fairly small car with great handling and great comfort. Something like a beige GSA. *shakes fist at 320Touring*

Peugeot 205 Gentry.

[MarvinsMom]

yesterday we went to the unit to spend a couple* of hours on the mini.

 

i say a couple of hours, when we arrived it was dinnertime, and we left at 8pm and it was dark...

 

we got the last brake pipe on, and then had a go at bleeding the brakes. i friggin' hate doin' friggin' brakes....

the Haynes book of lies says bleed the n/s front, o/s front, then n/s rear then o/s rear. the front brakes, no bother at all as they are new cylinders the back ones? HA HA HA HA!!! not a chance. coverd in shit and not touched since adam was a lad, those bleed nipples won't move.

 

bugger. shit arse wank, drat......

 

as we have both wheel cylinders and brake pipes in the box of bits, we had to change them too.

now, back to bleeding them brakes, go around the car, all done. but no brake peddle. 

so, go around again. still no brake peddle.

 

OH FOR FOOOKS SAKE!!

 

i don't think i've ever, ever sucessfully bled a cars brakes, even with the humourouly named "ezi-bleed" thing. this one is fastened to a tire and pressurises the brake master cylinder, and hopefully the rest of the brake system. (i don't think it does)

 

in other news i don't think the fuel gauge is working, pulling the wires off and bridges across the contacts, still no movement in the gauge. so the gauge doesn't seem to work.

 

and i'm unsure about the tempreture gauge, we did let the car run for abit, though the needle didn't seem to move. next plan there is to take the temp sender out of the cylinder block, give it and the contact a clean and see what if anything that does. 

 

bugger it, home time, we'll worry bout that later.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Peugeot 205 Gentry.

Because in-joke.

[Tickman]

Er, bit further north - Kircaldy.

 

I'm sure a trip to Kircaldy could be arranged, there are a few of us that it is not too far for.

[3VOM]

Mk1 Ph2:

 

ph2.jpg

Those alloys are awful. It looks like you ran over a turtle then chromed it.

[vulgalour]

Feel your pain, MarvinsMom, hydraulics are a ballache.  Have you checked the flexi lines?  Given the state of the other stuff you've been dealing with, I wouldn't be surprised if they're completely knackered and no amount of bleeding will help you without replacing them.

[cros]

The M11 was fucking terrible yesterday.  Especially on the bit around the Stansted turn-off.

It was indeed. My Mrs said its 'cause its mother's day. Being woken up with half a cup of cold tea slopped in the saucer obviously not good enough these days so they're taken out for a fucking good queue.

I was more than a little foolish myself, having filled up with lpg at St Neots I did an orbit of the m25, went to Maidstone and was startled when the Rover started spluttering at Cambridge. Onto petrol and it misfired like buggery which is not useful as they've taken the hard shoulder away. Just made it to the A14 services but need to get the carb working properly.

[MarvinsMom]

Feel your pain, MarvinsMom, hydraulics are a ballache.  Have you checked the flexi lines?  Given the state of the other stuff you've been dealing with, I wouldn't be surprised if they're completely knackered and no amount of bleeding will help you without replacing them.

the front flexi's are new, the back ones.... less so!

 

we may yet end up changing those too, it could be that we were just trying to bleed them quick, more quickly than they need. certainly some of the brake fluid coming out was frothy in nature. what we need is to take more time with it. 

 

the odd thing is that the peddle was soft as a soft thing with the first press, then it was firming right up. 

 

we have got a pocket of air trapped somwhere, so i'm hoping that with further effort we will get all the air back out.

[vulgalour]

You just have to out-stubborn it.  That's the only language they understand.