The new news 24 thread

[meshking]

Surely if you're going to do something like that then a G-van is the way to go?

[dollywobbler]

Surely if you're going to do something like that then a G-van is the way to go?

 

Hmmmm. All I need is a rusty corrugated shed...

 

[Angrydicky]

The missus is away in to hospital for an operation today. Her health isn't good at the best of times and she's terrified she won't wake up. Not a good day so far here

 

Really hope your missus was ok CMS.

[cms206]

Cheers guys... she was seven hours in theatre, finally got the nod all was more or less okay at six last night. She was a bit groggy but we thought she'd be home on Wednesday.

 

Got a call at about 9am, she's in high dependency receiving a blood transfusion due to falling calcium levels and blood problems. Not out the woods yet but getting there. Thanks for your kind words folks.

[dollywobbler]

A friend has found one of the rarest cars in the world. A Citroen BX Mk1 estate in right-hand drive!

 

Bearing in mind my old one is still thought to be the only one on the road in the UK. This one's in Malta. And similarly shambolic. It is a slightly higher spec though - DTR. Changed for UK speaking markets from the original TRD...

[Spiny Norman]

Cleaned up the Merc's yellowed and horrible looking headlamps with Autosol metal polish this afternoon, after doing a bit of research to see if there was a 'guerilla' method of cleaning them up that involved something I had in the house rather than some some £20 'kit'.

Took a bit of effort doing it on 4 lights by hand but the difference is amazing, I can now see the bulbs through the glass.

[skattrd]

Tomorrow morning at about 08:10 if all goes to plan the boring should clock up 200k miles, which will be 40k in my ownership.

To celebrate I'm thinking of treating the car to cruise control .... Awesome gti near Mancs retro-fit cruise to Mk4 goofs & borings in 2hrs for £120. Unfortunately I'm not near there and my current schedule doesn't take me that way for a few weeks. I've tried a couple of local places and they want double what Awesome gti charge

[Pete-M]

 

Rattly creaky balljoint replaced. Other than that, nothing to report.

[Lord Sterling]

On Tuesday I felt so crap in the morning that I phoned in sick. Felt a bit better after dropping Ma off, so I decided to do a spot of cleaning the inside of the KV6 Sterling. I only intended do about an hours worth of hoovering, this turned into 3 hours of hoovering the carpet, cleaning the leather seats with Gliptone (which didn't really make much difference, the seat faces are pretty "lived-in" anyway) and cleaning out the boot, spare wheel well and spare wheel (which will hopefully be changed for a full alloy soon anyway)

 

Its not done to a great standard but its clean enough to be presentable, I've not used the car due to the blowing hole between the cat and flexi, this should be replaced on Monday next week, hopefully it'll be quieter and more pleasant to drive.

 

Fatha_Sterling has informed me that he is selling his Primera after having bought an '03 Volvo V40, top-spec 1.9 Diesel (can't remember if he said if it was a Turbo or not) can't wait to see this car, sounds well tasty, when I go to visit, it'll get a good valet, polish, and I'll try and see what other stuff I can collect for it.

 

Anyone have a set of Volvo V40 roof bars? Pa_Sterling is after a Chrome set.

[dollywobbler]

I'm still trying to work out how to get my latest project home. I can hire a car trailer cheaply, but don't actually have a tow vehicle. I'm currently painting up a tow bar to be fitted to the BX. Might have to speed that project up a bit! The electrics bit is worrying me. BX rear lighting cabling is like the old, wide printer cables. It's not nice to splice into.

[messerschmitt owner]

Last time I did a bx towbar I split the wires and used those scotch lock connectors

[dollywobbler]

I have an abject hatred of those things. Will try and do a proper job with a soldering iron and everything! I managed to fit the high level brake light so hopefully I'll be ok.

[mk1_4dr]

7.45am Thursday 21st I was making my way to Matts house to clear some space for escRot and generally tidy his garage out when I became accutely aware of some blues and twos behind me, basically I got a tug for having a headlight out, fair cop I suppose.

However, being as it was early morning they did a 'standard' breathaliser which I promtly failed due to being in drink the night before.

 

Gutted.

 

Yesterday I went to court, 16month ban and £305 fine.

 

Game Over.

 

No-one to blame other than myself, feeling pretty devastated though.

[dollywobbler]

The bloody Merc wouldn't start this morning. Ugh! A hint of one cylinder thinking about going for it, but then nowt. My suspicion is damp dizzy, as it was a damp ol' morning. There should be a seal around the inner edge of it, which was noticeably not there when I took the old one off. I hope that's all it is anyway...

 

Had to dash off in the BX for minibus duty, so I'm now stuck at home for lunch trying to fit a tow bar to a car which isn't here. Oh well. Might as well give the towbar another coat of rustoleum.

 

EDIT - shit Mk1. That's bad news. So easily done. One reason I went tee-total was that it made me 100% sure of never getting done for drink-driving. Not always fun when out with boozing chums though.

[R9UKE]

 

Yesterday I went to court, 16month ban and £305 fine.

 

Game Over.

 

No-one to blame other than myself, feeling pretty devastated though.

 

Really sorry to hear that. So easily done, amazing what a duff headlight led to

 

Well I'm picking up the Mondeo after having had its power steering issue cleared by a replacement pump. Then it's MOT time which it should pass. So.... Is £595 with the view of getting £500 too ambitious? It's a T reg 2.0 LX AUTO - which should help sell it, I've always found autos easier to shift. Yes it's bumpers are of course gaffered, but it's had a new exhaust system, brand new alternator and replacement PAS pump. Plus a full years MOT. 107k miles.

 

Then work needs to start on the black Mégane II as its going over to my aunt in Birmingham at the end of this month. Private plate transfer, an MOT, timing belt and dephaser pulley change and the body shop to lose its key scar up the side. A lot to do in very little time

 

It also looks like the non-starting C5 V6 is being bought by a chap off the FCF who is going to give it yet another chance at life. Works well for me, saves the bother of breaking it.

 

The old faithful 1.9d Clio is due an oil and filter change. Interval is 5k miles - not sure if its done that yet as the speedo is broken but it'll cost f all anyway.

 

To do list is slowly diminishing

[HillmanImp]

However, being as it was early morning they did a 'standard' breathaliser which I promtly failed due to being in drink the night before.

 

Gutted.

 

Yesterday I went to court, 16month ban and £305 fine.

 

Game Over.

 

No-one to blame other than myself, feeling pretty devastated though.

 

Gutted. This is something that most people will unwittingly do all the time. You feel fine and it not like you are falling over the place like when you are actually pissed, so you feel alright just getting into the car and heading to work etc. However the drink is still in your system and you can get done for it. Like you say, game over.

 

On the plus side, you might be able to get the Escort back on the road for when your ban is over.

[hairnet]

farcanal dave

[mk1_4dr]

Cheers guys.

 

I felt fine, infact, more than fine. I'd arisen, had breakfast, a pot of coffee and bumbled around the house for half hour before setting off out. The bobby seemed genuinely suprised when it came back a fail, we'd been having a rather insightful discussion about how the LOLvo was quicker than he'd expected and but also how his T5 was quicker than most expected.

[mk1_4dr]

Mr H Imp, you're dead right, its a big lump of time to get escRot sorted. Its just unfortunate that it is now 12miles from home at Matts house so a bit of a bitch to get to and from.

 

I forgot to mention, that the judge was very understanding when I mentioned 'classic cars' and will be putting me forward for a course that will reduce the ban by 25%, so down to 12months. Still a substantial lump of time...

 

On a slightly happier note, after a 2week outage I now have a working mobile and internet at home again.

[Largactil]

Currently sat on one of Stena Line's finest (free WiFi at sea FTW), with the Peasant Spec Pug lying in the bowels of the ship below.

 

It's been pressed into service as a removal truck, for my move to Ireland - whipped the rear bench out last night (2 bolts), and it's now like a little 954cc van, with 200kgs in the back.

 

All going to plan, should make Dublin for around 4pm this afternoon; wish me luck!

[hairnet]

17.05

 

dont cry in the rush hour

[vulgalour]

Harsh news Mk1. Hopefully it doesn't cock things up too much for you :/

[trigger]

Oh man Dave, sorry to hear that, I'm amazed I never got pulled for the same thing when I was younger as I was terrible for driving into work with bad hangovers on a Saturday morning.

 

I'm sure the 12 months will go by quickly and you'll be saving money on fuel and insurance in the meanwhile...

[mk1_4dr]

Harsh news Mk1. Hopefully it doesn't cock things up too much for you :/

 

It depends what you mean by cock things up.

EVERYTHING I had planned this year pretty much involved me driving somewhere. The reason i bought the LOLvo to begin with was for the 3 big camping trips that I take with my 'chosen family' I guess we'll just have to leave the gazebos, firepit and niceties at home, and possibly have to share tents.

Its for this reason I feel like I've let others down more than myself. If anything it's probably going to do me, personally, some good.

I'm very lucky that I work about 1.5miles from home, so this morning I've walked in (45mins), but I may get a pushiron to carve that time in half again.

I'm currently trying to see the good, I'll be saving at least 2k over the year on not running cars.

Some of that will get absorbed by escRot fettling, but I should still see some extra pennies in my pocket.

[dollywobbler]

Bloody rain. Was all set to get the tow bar fitted but nature has other plans. Forecast for tomorrow is even worse. Wondering if my friendly garage will let me borrow a corner of the workshop tomorrow...

 

For some reason, I hadn't reckoned on having to remove the rear bumper. That should be 'interesting.' Wonder what rot lurks behind that...

[sporty-shite]

Got a few handy bits done yesterday. Finally put the Mi16 wheels on the 306 D, and put a new exhaust centre on Mrs S's Meridian. Also gave them both a wash and hoover.

 

Pics a comin'.

 

Better than those ridiculous things it had on before. Although a chance conversation with the young lad across the road may see the 17s (Bo!) going to his mate.

 

Fairly tidy little thing for Our Maud to potter in for a couple of months

 

 

 

Also, the Beetle has gone! Just got to get round to moving the Celica on, now.

[Lord Sterling]

Shit news Mk1. Very sorry to hear that.

 

Sporty, the 306s look nice, but the Poundland wheel trims on the Blue one look gash, they must be binned for original Pug items. I bet your neighbours must think you've lost the plot by moving the newer, more modern looking and private housing estate-friendly Beetle on for 2 old Pugs (and bringing down house prices aswell)

[dollywobbler]

Got the towbar project started today, after kicking the 2CV out of the garage.

 

There's some rot lurking behind the bumper, but it isn't too bad. Something for me to focus on once I've learnt how to weld.

 

I've discovered why the bumper looks curvy when fitted. The bumper bar has taken a sharp dent at some point - looks like a bollard. I've whacked it viciously with a hammer to flatten it out, which quite a large degree of success. It also proved that despite the surface rust, the metal still has integrity. Job now on hold as I've slapped a load of rust converter about the place as an interim 'fix' for now.

[dollywobbler]

Have given up. Despite coming off a near-identical BX, this towbar just isn't going to fit. Two of us have tried long enough! Exceedingly frustrating. That's a day wasted.

 

However, my neighbour has said he's up for using his Disco 2 to drag the 2CV home, so that might be a solution. I still need a towbar on the BX really. We own a trailer that a friend borrowed before Christmas. A useful thing to own, but only if you have a vehicle with a tow bar...

[vulgalour]

Guess the car! round 5 VW Apollo by andrewcarspotter98, on Flickr

 

Ow, my brain!