The new news 24 thread

[Cheggers]

Woo-goddamned-hoo, the Saab passed its MoT today!!

 

As it stands it owes me about £600. Not bad for a '95 900 'vert with full history, new tyres, new exhaust, new suspension bushes up front and a years ticket...bring on the sunshine

[Cavcraft]

Went a bit mad today and taxed the AVinSis 306 estate and we changed the oil and filter on the hatchback one and on my lad's car.

[vulgalour]

BX news: Ball joint no longer suspect because there is zero play in any direction in the front wheels and no noise or gritty feel or the like when rotated or jiggled. I suspect tracking and a different knackered looking bush under the car that I don't know what it is. Cleaned out the fuel filter which was full of BCBs and fatty slime which improved things when put back together including starting from cold and acceleration. I've bought a new filter, but since I couldn't get that until about half an hour ago I've not got around to fitting it. Since cleaning out the filter I've not had to manual prime the car once, so I'd say that's a step in the right direction. Mum's kitchen also now smells ever so faintly of diesel, but she says it's okay because it reminds her of being at home with bits of oily Mini drying on the hearth*. I think I've found the LHM weep and I had to repair the cold air intake for the air box with gaffer because the end of the pipe has come to bits, which in turn meant I resolved the odd metal jingling noise which was the jubilee clip that couldn't hold the disintegrated end of the pipe in place, but can now thanks to my bodge.

 

Overall, I'm quite happy still. Only misgiving at the moment is the gearbox seems a bit clunky and I still manage to stall it (apparently this is difficult to do in a diesel) occasionally, though I suspect this is more down to me getting used to the car than any inherent fault with it.

 

 

*that is what she actually said, but I suspect it's not okay really. I R RUBBISH SON.

[dollywobbler]

You're managing to stall it? Bugger. Clutch clearly isn't as knackered as I thought it was then! It might be the slow throttle response that is catching you out.

 

As for clunky gearchanges, sorry, you'll have to learn to live with that. BXs (especially diesels for some reason) just seem to have crap gearchanges. Turn the engine off and then try a few gears. If it improves, the clutch might be dragging a bit which would make changes clunkier. I did have to adjust it at one point - gawd knows which way you're meant to adjust it - I can't remember. One way will improve it and one way won't.

[vulgalour]

The clutch is pretty fierce, it bites somewhere near the bottom of the pedal. There was a lot of movement in the pedal box before which gave the impression of a knackered clutch but now it's rock solid thanks to Mr Cobbler's fine fabrication work. It is fun surprising people when you get it right from a standing start, you can get it to shift if you really put the effort in, runs out of puff quite quickly compared to petrols though.

[dollywobbler]

Quick gearchanges at 3000rpm are the way to do it. There's no point going higher up the rev range - it gets noisier but no faster than if you change up. Hustling it through the bends at speed is an odd sensation because you can be going very quickly, while the engine isn't revving very much at all. I like torque. In a way, it's far better than the turbo diesel. I have to work that hard to keep it on-boost. Nowhere near as relaxing.

[sporty-shite]

Chance conversation with a neighbour this morning has seen me acquire a Y reg 306 1.4 Meridian. Looks like quite a tidy thing, half leather, A/C and all the usual goodies. Looks like it needs a good service and a quick bit of bodgery on the middle pipe. Hopefully, it won't be too woeful, and might make Mrs S a short term smoker when this Beetle goes (fingers crossed it goes soon!). Otherwise, it'll be straight back up the road for a small drink.

 

Pics to follow......

[Cavcraft]

Hey, let's get a 306 owners club knocked up, Chris! Do you still have your diesel one, too?

 

I've been smoking round in the estate today, this new fangled DW8 lump is much smoother than the XUD and (although I thought differently at first) probably as quick. I think because it's quieter and smoother it didn't seem as nippy as the XUD, though that is more fun to drive.

[sporty-shite]

Yes, Billy, there's two 306s at Sporty Towers now! It's going to be like "his & hers" if that Beetle goes.

 

Is that DW8 the HDi donkey? Bit modern, isn't it?

[Cavcraft]

I don't think it's an HDi, it's just a 'posh' XUD replacement I think. It's running on veg (of course) so we'll see how that goes, though today it seemed ok.

[Pete-M]

Tyre news.

 

Very close inspection of the tyres on my car showed slight signs of the sidewalls crazing... As they're at least four years old I decided it's time to change them. Glad I did.

 

I didn't get pics of them while they were still fitted, but they didn't look that bad.

 

 

Then had a bit of a shock by flexing the sidewalls...

 

 

 

When they were fitted the the car they looked pretty good, but once they were off it was obvious that they're a bad idea.

 

In somewhat irritating tyre news I've been looking for a decent set of matching part worn 235 45 17s without joy for a couple of weeks. Found one place with loads of them, all with the edges stepped. Nobody else in Liverpool seemed to have any. So I shelled out on the most expensive set of tyres I've bought in 20 odd years, got back to Liverpool and my next door neighbour offered me a full set of Nokia winter jobs... if they'd been summer tyres I'd have been slightly irritated..

[Guest]

"Quick" gearchanges at 3000rpm are the way to do it.

 

EFA

[Guest]

Yeah.

 

After 10 combined hours, SCTSH_ANDY and I finally have the starter out of the 460.

 

Andy had to take the driveshaft off in the end. And then the dowels for the replacement motor didn't fit. It's located behind the sump, behind the OS driveshaft. To get at it any other way you'd have to dismantle the ABS pump. And then somehow remove both heat shields with osmosis, or horse curtains, or something. That's why they die - they get beasted by heat-soak.

 

Ah yes, and then I checked the service history. It had two starters under warranty, another exchange pish jobby by some johnny cum fadge rocket, and then this AC Delco wotsit thingi giblet. So that's 4 starter motors over 22 years and 71k. GR 8 DESIGN there Volvo \ Lotus \ Porsche \ whichever shredded Dutchman thought packaging it like that was a good idea.

[dollywobbler]

I gave the BX a quick pressure wash today, to get rid of all the salty muck. It looked like it had been attempting records at Bonneville. Once clean, I discovered it was absolutely plastered in tar spots. Gawd knows how it's got so bad. I say discovered, I was already aware and had bought some tar remover. A soak in that and hasty scrubbing work with an old plastic card soon had it clean.

 

I've no idea where all this tar comes from. One the minbuses I drive is absolutely caked in it as well. Now I've developed the credit card technique, I'll have to have a go at that as the sides of the bus have the gentle, smooth feeling of a teenager's face at the moment.

[skattrd]

Serviced the boring, including the gearbox oil; the gear-change was occasionally crunchy/difficult. I did change the gearbox oil in last summer, recommended grade/stuff, but thought this may have been the issue, so it got 2 quarts of Redline MT90, my favourite gearbox oil. Yes I know I'd sad.

 

Storia X4 passed it's MOT, no advisories, which was nice. To celebrate I splashed out on some road tax for it, so it is now fully UK road legal ...I wasn't expecting it to be on the road until Easter, well done DOOVLA, for not being crap this time.

[ruffgeezer]

Taxed the scrap filled C15, and the new filter head for the Delica is here at last, just got the suspension rebuild on the xsara and the ax to mot now...

[Negative Creep]

Won't be to everyone's taste, but I have just bought some Watanabes and wing (not door mirrors). Need I remind you, they are both classed as OMG JDM DRIFT AE86 KP70 YO!!!!!1!!

[Lankytim]

Dragged the Saab kicking and screaming through an MOT today, well it wasn't that bad really. It failed on a perished brake flexi, insecure front to rear brake pipe and a small patch of welding to the floor. With that done it now has 12 months happy motoring ahead of it, hopefully. The annoying thing is the front to rear brake pipe it failed on was fitted as part of the last MOT done by the previous owner at a "trusted" local garage. Apparently it was badly routed and was devoid of any clips to secure it. I've had to fix other bodges this garage has done before. Twats.

 

Of course there were a few advisories like corroded springs and front discs close to nearing replacement but most were for daft things like "unable to inspect sill members due to sill covers", "unable to inspect engine for leaks due to plastic engine cover", "unable to inspect engine underside due to cover" e.t.c. Is there any particular reason why they note stuff down like this? Maybe I should wrap the whole car up with shrink wrap or clink film so they can't inspect anything at all and are forced to pass it.

 

Anyway, i'm just glad to have the old girl motoring for a little while longer!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've no idea where all this tar comes from.

 

I'll hazard a guess at the road

[dollywobbler]

I've no idea where all this tar comes from.

 

I'll hazard a guess at the road

 

Ah, Autoshite Confucius speaks wise words. What I meant is I don't understand why the BX and one of our minibuses have attracted hundreds of tar spots when other vehicles haven't.

[vulgalour]

It might be a BX/omnibus thing, Stripey looked like it had been driven through a tar field all the way up to the bump strips.

[cort16]

I went to see this today.

 

I knew it wasn;t going to be perfect being a cheap 928 but thought it was worth a look. Oddly it looked okay on one side and well shonky on the other (above is the good side). There was rust on the door bottom and a patch on the sill that looked like it has been welded on with an arc welder fit for to welding oil rigs together. There was also a belting hole right through the fuel filler area (remember it was cheap). Body work I can deal with but I didn't fancy coining out on expensive oily bits so went to get the keys and the jump pack to get it going.

 

The first good* sign when I got the keys was the key was infact the bottom of the key braised onto a 50p! Excellent.

We put the jump pack on it and after 10 minutes of farting around with the 80's immobilser with a fob the size of a bar of imperial leather it cranked. It cranked and cranked but didn't fire. Eventually we thought ah fuck it and took the key out the ignition but the bloody thing kept cranking! At that point I decided it was maybe best to walk away.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Sounds like utter shit! I say avoid like the plague.

 

Who puts something like that up for sale without even fathoming out the immobiliser, the fucking mind boggles man.

[cort16]

My heart always sinks when I see a car like this with an immobiliser as they're always shit. The key braised onto 50p is definetely a first for me.

[Guest]

Starter replacement for the 460 is turning into a world of pain.

 

Andy got it all connected up and it won't engage. I forsee a wallet battering via FRF very soon - and GSF better not kick off about me taking the Delco back.

Oh yeah, the battery's fucked as well. Mmm, cheapness.

 

Still haven't sorted out the new steering wheel, fitted the new[er] door mirror and stereo cage either - but they're relatively minor.

 

Hilariously, the fuckwit who bought the knackered Daytona I pulled apart for the coloured band and boss cover has now done a half arsed job cleaning it and is trying to flog it on eBay for £100.

[Lord Sterling]

KV6 Sterling has finally landed, rather louder than I thought. Big thanks to Andy cms206 and his Girlfriend for bringing it down, glad you enjoyed driving it, shame there wasn't more time, next time you are down here, please let me know, I shall chauffer you around.

 

The join between the flexi pipe and cat has completely gone, not even my mechanic could bodge it up dor a small while, it currently sounds like a V8 or Skyline with a blown exhaust, a little too loud. The rest of the car could do with a clean up, but as the day turned a little more expensive than I thought, I am a little barrasic cleaning will have to wait, I'm now looking for very cheap ways to quieten the car down. A few wanted ads have been put up looking for a second hand Rover Sterling flexi and pipe. If I can get that sorted cheaply and relatively quickly.

 

The car drives and holds the road brilliantly, the tyres are great and a little less than I spent today has already been spent on the car sorting ball joints and brakes. All the electrics work including the remote central locking, alarm and immobilisor.

 

Things that need sorting:

 

Exhaust flexi and cat, urgent job, I cannot really drive around like this.

BIG clean up.

Replace drivers wing. New one supplied, needs painting and fitting.

Service.

 

What with the prospect of being out of work again looming I am not sure all of this can be done. I like the car but I reckon things are gonna be difficult and will take a (long) time to sort.

 

Not having much in the way of luck tbh.

[Micrashed]

Went to Scotlandshire.

Stayed in a castle where BMW were having their UK launch of the GS1200 LC

I got to have a good look at one inside yesterday as I was stopping at the castle.

Then, earlier this morning....

 

 

 

Spotted a tidy RD350 in the car park

 

Driving home from Edinboghorror I got saddle sore in the Microid and pulled off the A(M)74 at some random junction searchhing for a bog, food and somewhere to stretch my legs and found this totally ace really friendly pub in Ecclefechan - lovely crowd, I didnt want to leave, but eventually hauled my self off again in the Microid which returned a staggering 50mpg doing an almost constant 65MPH.

[M'coli]

It's the 'Fecchan place to be, they're such a 'Fecchan lovely bunch! (For those unable to pronounce the Scottish "ch", substitute a 'ck' for the 'ch' in an Irish accent and you might get the joke!)

[Richard]

Did you have an Ecclefechan tart?

[Micrashed]

Did you have an Ecclefechan tart?

No, but I had a burger that you could have used to beat a whale to death with it was that huge. The missus had a mahoosive plate of sausage and mash. Compared to the Nouvelle Cuisine stuff we got in the castle the previous night it was proper grub, in a proper ace friendly place. Got chatting to the landlord and it turns out his missus used to run a hairdressers just down the road from where I worked as a district nurse for 10 years. TBH I was stuffed after the Angus burger and home made chips I couldnt have managed anything else.