The new news 24 thread

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I’m having hankerings atm. I’m as regular as clockwork - 10-12 weeks and I find myself sharking around.

 

I was behind a Hyundai XG30 last night coming out of Cambridge. Actually, it looked really cool. There are a lot of ‘try hards’ around these parts - but this somehow looked effortlessly cool.

 

And shite.

 

It’s like a bunch of 9 year olds were shown the back of a Maybach, then plied with recreational drugs for their entire play time, and then asked to try and draw what they recalled.

 

I reckon I’ve got to have a go on one before it’s too late. Has anybody here owned one?

Nope but I can definitely understand the appeal.....

 

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[Fat_Pirate]

My neighbours kindly allowed me to park the Berlingo on their drive, as I've got myself into some excessive-car-ownership bother.  Unfortunately it's disgraced itself by dumping the contents of it's radiator... it's rotted out at the base.

 

It gets worse - John (neighbour) went with my Mrs to collect a new rad from ECP, where the usual blundering incompetence was in full swing and they had to wait nearly 90 mins for the bloody thing.

[trigger]

I collected my new Focus this afternoon

 

 

And that's where my troubles started, once I got on to the busy A140 I noticed it kept spluttering under load and when i tried to get into the A14 it really struggled and even the EML kept flickering, once home I found the breather pipe had a hole in it from where it had been rubbing on the rad, I've taped it up and so far so good, the biggest problem though is that the front end it's really bouncy, to the point that the garage assistant at the petrol station I stopped at even commented at how much it bounced.

 

I can't believe it passed the mot yesterday being that bad, and it was done at the Ford dealers too, pricing up new struts and springs comes too £150, would it be fair to ring the dealer back up and see if he will fix it or compensate it for?

[RobT]

A mate had the exact same issue with a Focus he bought at auction. Really jittery ride despite passing the MoT. New shocks and springs and I can't see much difference to be honest. But if yours is really bad can't hurt going back to the dealers and mentioning it.

 

Nice car otherwise although the gearing is short, so 5th is a strain on long trips.

[Ghosty]

Well, the guy called me back and the Volvo is now sold pending collection on Weds next week.

[trigger]

I've noticed that with 5th, at 70 it's about 3200 rpm but it's pretty quiet, not sure about the MPG yet, it goes well though, get it up to 4000 rpm and it feels a bit like a VTEC.

[The Moog]

Well, the guy called me back and the Volvo is now sold pending collection on Weds next week.

That's excellent news and proves we know nothing

[phil_lihp]

My gradual migration into non-shite motoring continues. 

 

 

It seems like a good one, the seller runs a specialist Ford garage and owns a spotless Escort Cosworth, seems like a genuinely honest chap.  It's not perfect but its known issues are trivial. Sadly, I'm very excited as I've always liked these despite my old one years back being an over-geared 1.6 which had suffered a lot of neglect and abuse from previous owners.  I know the ST170 is often criticised for its shortcomings in the performance stakes but I'm not bothered, I'm not planning on racing it,

 

Picking it up on Friday, got a fairly fun collection day, albeit only 70 miles away, using my Dad's Nissan Leaf which I've borrowed for the weekend, a known patchy charging network (Taunton Deane services are ideally situated but seldom have working charge points I'm told) and I've a mate who is very keen to pilot the Focus back home for me.  Might as well make a day of it.

 

The Leaf has only done local trips and been charged at home so far, so this will be the first time we've tried a longer trip requiring public charging.  Should be interesting, I'm hoping that if the Taunton chargers really are useless then I can rely on the Wellington Nissan dealer.

[dollywobbler]

Assume you've got the necessary cards or apps to access the public chargers?

[phil_lihp]

I will get the apps sorted, I have plenty of advice being handed down by my ex-boss who now owns a Tesla Model S in that regard.  There will probably be some element of winging it, as ever.

[dollywobbler]

My top tip for getting mileage out of an EV. Momentum is your friend, letting it actually slow down going uphill can save a fair bit. Avoid using that lovely acceleration.

[phil_lihp]

Good advice.  Big hills on the A361 to Tiverton too, lots of regenerative braking available.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Why do I never post in this thread?

 

 

Anyway as I don't seem to use it enough and think it's been about a week since it moved I took the Fiesta out for a tiny drive today.

 

Started and the third turn with very minimal choke. Was OK to start with but being damp weather it did its usual not firing right at one point. I should change all the plugs and stuff as I've no idea if they've ever been done but I'm also of the mindset that if it works don't fix* it. Tbh it needs some proper work doing but I worry that if I start it'll never get finished.

 

Been driving the Frontera a lot instead. It's only 5 years newer than the Fiesta but is so different in every way and shit on petrol.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Diagnosing cars by phone for the wife is great* fun

 

Phone call one

The qashqai steering wheel is vibrating like mad above 40 and again while braking. What could it be?

 

OK come home I'm off I'll look at it

 

Phone call two

It's gone away now and it's fine at 70. What could it be?

 

Erm, come home and ill look at it

 

Phone call three

I braked and its back, its vibrating really bad and there's a burning smell. Is my engine about to fall out?

 

She's actually coming home this time

 

I know one of the front tyres is fairly low and a terrible brand so potential balance issue.... But she's added a burning smell into the mix. Sticking front caliper perhaps? Or maybe a wheel bearing.... But there's no noise...

 

I'll get it jacked up and if there's nothing obviously wrong I'll fire two front tyres on and see.

 

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[Lord Sterling]

EXCITING NEWS.

 

I fitted some new rubber mates to the Starlet.

 

They look absolutely horrible, but they're nice and tough, and might even help quieten the little thing down a bit. Bought them to keep and swap between cars rather than stay with the car. Lord Sterling will be crying at the mere sight of them...

Ach! That is tingling at my OEM senses! However I see your point. It does help to keep the carpet clean and dry and there isn't many options for Toyota Starlet rubber mats. I'm guessing they are not as easy (or cheap) to obtain as K11 mats were (or used to be)

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Diagnosing cars by phone for the wife is great* fun

 

Phone call one

The qashqai steering wheel is vibrating like mad above 40 and again while braking. What could it be?

 

OK come home I'm off I'll look at it

 

Phone call two

It's gone away now and it's fine at 70. What could it be?

 

Erm, come home and ill look at it

 

Phone call three

I braked and its back, its vibrating really bad and there's a burning smell. Is my engine about to fall out?

 

She's actually coming home this time

 

I know one of the front tyres is fairly low and a terrible brand so potential balance issue.... But she's added a burning smell into the mix. Sticking front caliper perhaps? Or maybe a wheel bearing.... But there's no noise...

 

I'll get it jacked up and if there's nothing obviously wrong I'll fire two front tyres on and see.

 

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And the verdict is in

 

Badly badly seized front calipers.......torn dust boots and corrosion on the pistons.

 

 

 

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[Datsuncog]

And the verdict is in

 

Badly badly seized front calipers.......torn dust boots and corrosion on the pistons.

 

Yow. How old is the Qashqai??

 

I know there's been a helluva lot of salt dumped on the roads this winter, but that's scary stuff. Glad all concerned made it home okay.

[Hertz]

Well, the guy called me back and the Volvo is now sold pending collection on Weds next week.

 

Cool. Has he sent you a dipper?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Yow. How old is the Qashqai??

 

I know there's been a helluva lot of salt dumped on the roads this winter, but that's scary stuff. Glad all concerned made it home okay.

It's an early one (2007) and has 160k on it so I guess it can be forgiven. It sat for a long time before we bought it (cheap).

 

Hoping we can get away without discs and pads too as they have plenty of meat

 

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[Datsuncog]

^^^ True, it's probably not stretching the bounds of credulity that an 11-yr old Nissan needs a bit of brake work. Hopefully a set of recon calipers can be obtained without too much grief/expense, or are repair kits available?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

^^^ True, it's probably not stretching the bounds of credulity that an 11-yr old Nissan needs a bit of brake work. Hopefully a set of recon calipers can be obtained without too much grief/expense, or are repair kits available?

I've ordered two rebuild kits with stainless pistons for the princely sum of £40 delivered.

 

The company are called big red and I've bought caliper seals for bikes off them without issue.

 

I've one off already

 

 

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[Datsuncog]

Ah yes - fitted a set of recon Cortina calipers from Bigg Red only last weekend. Decent items, working very well so far. Hopefully that'll get you all mobile again - looks like they could certainly see the benefit!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Set of 4 NGK BP6HS plugs on the way, as part of the cable-wiggling / fault-finding session on the CX to take place this weekend....

[Squire_Dawson]

Blimey, that caliper looks like it's been dredged up from the Clyde!

[320touring]

Blimey, that caliper looks like it's been dredged up from the Clyde!

Oi!

 

Other polluted rivers are available;)

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Blimey, that caliper looks like it's been dredged up from the Clyde!

That's the better side too....havent tackled the drivers one yet!!

 

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[Mally]

Dropped an escort diff on my leg yesterday, it fell 3 feet.

Thought of putting it in the grumpy thread, but nothing broke on me or the diff , so no grump.

Bit of skin missing and I only limp a bit. 

[dave21478]

My Freelander.

We have been through a lot together. I bought it from the "10 saturdays a year, piles of broken old shit" auction in Inverurie and brought it down here...

 

I converted it to LHD and had a massive bollock ache registering it as it was a 2 seater commercial never homologated here.

 

There were some bad times....

 

Actually, quite a few bad times....

 

Some of them more serious than others...

 

But overall I really fuckin liked it.

 

It was perfect for what I needed....comfortable on the road, the van rear section was perfect for my tools, it was capable enough on forest tracks and stuff at work and could tow a couple of tons with ease.. With decent tyres, it was actually surprisingly decent off road and is still the only one of the many 4x4s I have owned that I never got stuck on the farm test field. Lack of low-range was its only real drawback.

 

Following a gearbox blow-up, it has been sitting for ages and realistically I am never going to fix it.....gearbox, which means a clutch too, springs and shox, various bushes all of which are seized to fuck, general corrosion and it struggles to pass emissions.

 

So I stripped off what I wanted to keep, which was surprisingly little in the end....wheels with good tyres and the van floor/bulkhead, plus the boombox, amp etc.

 

And I scrapped it.

 

Good night sweet prince, etc.

Weirdly, I am actually quite sad about this. Yes, I know everyone thinks they are dross, but...I dunno....this one was good. I have owned it for eight years, which is a significant order of magnitude longer than any other car I have had.

 

 

 

The chunkychicken gets it tomorrow too....

I dont really give a fuck about that. It served its purpose and is just making the garden look messy now.

 

I think the old pickup will go soon too. I reckon I will yank the engine and box as spares for the new one and scrap the rest.

 

The upside about scrapping your fleet is you get a decent stock of batteries back....

 

 

 

 

[anonymous user]

The Land Rover let me down today. I put petrol in and then it failed to start, just a click. Checked connections, the battery is fine so it looks like the starter has failed (again). I had to wait for the RAC, so my apologies to Tesco for cluttering up the forecourt and grateful thanks to the staff who gave me a cup of coffee. RAC confirmed dead starter, but tow started me so I could drop it at the garage. I'm in work tomorrow so will be in a borrowed car (either a MINI or MR2), I really should buy a spare car.

[Bucketeer]

Just been out for a quick spin in the 205. It's a nice old thing, but probably gonna be for sale soon.

Please Sir, me Sir.