The new news 24 thread

[danthecapriman]

Ready to roll!

896D0CC2-8813-457D-81A2-2B9E3880132C.jpeg

Well,

 

The Mercury didn’t disappoint!! It was perfectly on form all day!

 

Got to the brides parents place early. Left there and got to the church fine. After the car had been stood outside the church for nearly an hour (in the sun too) it hot started first turn of the key. Made it all the way to the afternoon party thing afterwards no probs.

The car went down very well! Bride loved it, her dad loved his ride in it too. Even after they came out of the church some of the family members came over for a chat and look at it while the photographer did his bit.

The groom, who I work with, was over the moon with how the day went and appreciated the use of the car. Even on the way to the after party we stopped at a set of lights, some woman pulled up alongside us in the next lane and gave her congratulations to the newlyweds and said the car was stunning!

 

They got loads of photos done of the car, with bride & groom and bridesmaids and flower girls with it. It matched the colour of their dresses perfectly.

 

Overall a very good day!

I was absolutely shitting myself about doing it. The thought of it going wrong and ruining the day... I needn’t have worried in the end.

 

Took the car back afterwards and used the back roads most of the way. I took the ribbons off and gave it a good hooning which was also great fun.

Seems to be sorted now at least. Must have been that worn needle valve causing the trouble before.

 

 

So, I’ve now done my day of looking and acting respectable and I can now unclench and go back to my slobbish redneck ways!!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Well bloody done mate. Really pleased for you!

[clayts450]

Quick collection this morning.

 

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This was probably going to get scrapped due to my neighbour getting another car and letting the MOT run out on the Rover. The only thing I know it will fail an MOT on is the back door not shutting. First job is to get the tailgate trim off and give the locking mechanism a good clean then put it in for an MOT. Other obvious niggles are it's running a bit rough but that's probably down to the fact that most of the times it never gets warmed up only going down the shops and back. Face vents don't work, handbrake is bit high and there is a plaster covering up the drivers door window switch. I'll pop next door later and find out if the window works or not. Just spent 15 minutes getting the water out of the spare wheel well and noted the date code on the spare is way back in 2002.

 

To make room for this on the drive the ex-Beko Meriva has been sent to the breakers. It has sat on the drive since failing it's last MOT and I did briefly consider sorting it out and it wouldn't have cost that much to get another MOT but it would have needed a new set of tyres in the near future and that made it not worth spending the money. The clincher was I just didn't like it, worse car I've ever driven. I got nearly 10K miles out of it and £167 back scrapping it so had my moneys worth.

 

The ex-HMC £160 Mondeo I'm using at the moment has just rolled past 5K miles since buying it so all in all budget motoring going well..

 

Do you mean the tailgate is not shutting ? TADTS - usually a bit of GT85 or similar on the locking mechanism  and a bit of vigorous to-ing and fro-ing with the key in sorts it.

 

Yup, water in spare wheel well. TADTS. Could be something daft like the rear washer not working (the pipe splits where the hatch lifts up and down) or more likely a fucked seal on the hatch.

 

Knackered window - hopefully nothing worse than a fuse, worse case scenario window has come off the runners due to lack of lube.

 

Face vents  - new one on me - could be related to the 1/2 fan speeds not working, TADTS - £5 10 minute fix.

 

Rough running -  Italian tune up to blow out the cobwebs

 

Handbrake - start off with tightening up the nut at the rear of the centre console (usually under an ashtray or similar) - give the brake pedal a good old pumping before you do this - self-adjusters. If the bar is not straight you will likely need to fart about and get the wheels off and piss about with the adjusters - disc or drum ?

 

Whilst this is the workshop manual for the 25/ZR/SW it's all pretty similar under there for the 200s:

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dEmIjXeLRPDMTK6Sd28SMz-bRQn3dMYQ

[beko1987]

Quick collection this morning.

 

100_5483.JPG

 

100_5485.JPG

 

This was probably going to get scrapped due to my neighbour getting another car and letting the MOT run out on the Rover. The only thing I know it will fail an MOT on is the back door not shutting. First job is to get the tailgate trim off and give the locking mechanism a good clean then put it in for an MOT. Other obvious niggles are it's running a bit rough but that's probably down to the fact that most of the times it never gets warmed up only going down the shops and back. Face vents don't work, handbrake is bit high and there is a plaster covering up the drivers door window switch. I'll pop next door later and find out if the window works or not. Just spent 15 minutes getting the water out of the spare wheel well and noted the date code on the spare is way back in 2002.

 

To make room for this on the drive the ex-Beko Meriva has been sent to the breakers. It has sat on the drive since failing it's last MOT and I did briefly consider sorting it out and it wouldn't have cost that much to get another MOT but it would have needed a new set of tyres in the near future and that made it not worth spending the money. The clincher was I just didn't like it, worse car I've ever driven. I got nearly 10K miles out of it and £167 back scrapping it so had my moneys worth.

 

The ex-HMC £160 Mondeo I'm using at the moment has just rolled past 5K miles since buying it so all in all budget motoring going well..

10k for £100 doesn't seem bad value! No tears shed here, despite it never really going wrong I hated driving it, and avoided doing so at all costs! Rip KH54XTC! Bought from a trader running his business from a self storage place in Reading! You've done well

[twosmoke300]

Well done Dan . Hopefully a confidence boost for you .

[twosmoke300]

Date done . Still a socially awkward teenager inside . But a pleasant morning in good cheery company .

Hopefully more to come

[dome]

If it's a nice day tomorrow, I shall take a look at some local autograss action

 

http://scottishautograss.co.uk

 

https://youtu.be/_zorVAPw4zw

I need to head along to this sometime, looks great fun!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Off to collect a lawnmower from somebody in Tenterden.

 

Other half bought it on eBay as a present this afternoon when I was asleep.  I have a stinking cold and am feeling very sorry for myself.

 

I like lawnmowers.  This should cheer me up a bit.

[madrat]

Just been to Rugby to collect a Christmas tree stand, thinking ahead.

[gm]

I need to head along to this sometime, looks great fun!

I got distracted sorting the brakes on the crv so didn't make it across today either to make up for my disappointment, I took the mazda for a thrash around the backroads instead

 

Oddly, the clutch slipping problem I had at Knockhill seems to have gone away, even a couple of high rev squealy tyre burnouts showed no slip. I'll just leave it for now and hope it's magicked itself better.

[mercrocker]

Good work with the Mercury, Dan....Cracking weather too.   One or two days like that puts all the old car bollockery into a bit of perspective, I find!

[Tickman]

Oddly, the clutch slipping problem I had at Knockhill seems to have gone away, even a couple of high rev squealy tyre burnouts showed no slip. I'll just leave it for now and hope it's magicked itself better.

How is the clutch fluid?

[MarvinsMom]

both cars have returned from Brighton, without issue.

 

well i say no issue, as i have heard a new sound, like a whistle or whine which wasn't there yesterday. seems we may have tightened up the fan belt up too much now, and it is that which is making this new noise. as we got to and back from brighton this new noise isn't i think something to worry about.

on the way down we stopped at Peae Pottage, when i came back from using the facilities Kerry has whipped off the airpan on the black car and fiddled with the carb. the car now ticks over better and is much nicer to drive.

we got onto Maderia Drive in good time, it was misty. it seemed i had jinxed the day right at the begining by putting a sun dress on.... it got out later. very hot, very sunny. nice.

 

some of the sights we spotted.

 

i also managed to buy a really good BL workshop manual for the Mini 100. that car is a '74, the manual is the 9th edition from 1976.

 

i also bought a pair of overtaking mirrors for it, the n/s wing mirror Kerry cannt see anything out of it, and as she don't have as much mobility in her neck, the result of a bad smash some years ago, the extra mirrors will make the black car easier for her to drive.

 

fitting them is a job for another day, first we have got to get both cars safely back home tommorrow. 

 

we are though really pleased with how the black one has gone on, no over heating and no FTP (touch wood, so far....) and i'm struck by how much better it rides when compared with the orange one. but there again, the black one has "proper" tyres, with "proper" side walls. 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Those Minis are lovely.  Next door's is back, parked up in their drive.  Hope they made it out there today.

 

Lawnmower bought.  Guy gave us a rundown.  New carb, oil, spark plug and air filter in the last six months.  Told me you could buy a new carb for £20 if necessary.

 

I've got a good feeling.

[dollywobbler]

I think those Belgian-built Mini Specials might just be my absolute favourite Mini. 

 

Hope your over-tightened belt hasn't caused the water pump bearings to die...

[Guest Hooli]

Quick collection this morning.

 

100_5483.JPG

 

100_5485.JPG

 

This was probably going to get scrapped due to my neighbour getting another car and letting the MOT run out on the Rover. The only thing I know it will fail an MOT on is the back door not shutting. First job is to get the tailgate trim off and give the locking mechanism a good clean then put it in for an MOT. Other obvious niggles are it's running a bit rough but that's probably down to the fact that most of the times it never gets warmed up only going down the shops and back. Face vents don't work, handbrake is bit high and there is a plaster covering up the drivers door window switch. I'll pop next door later and find out if the window works or not. Just spent 15 minutes getting the water out of the spare wheel well and noted the date code on the spare is way back in 2002.

 

To make room for this on the drive the ex-Beko Meriva has been sent to the breakers. It has sat on the drive since failing it's last MOT and I did briefly consider sorting it out and it wouldn't have cost that much to get another MOT but it would have needed a new set of tyres in the near future and that made it not worth spending the money. The clincher was I just didn't like it, worse car I've ever driven. I got nearly 10K miles out of it and £167 back scrapping it so had my moneys worth.

 

The ex-HMC £160 Mondeo I'm using at the moment has just rolled past 5K miles since buying it so all in all budget motoring going well..

 

Shortest collection ever?

[MarvinsMom]

Those Minis are lovely.  Next door's is back, parked up in their drive.  Hope they made it out there today.

 

i'm reasonably certain a saw the car prked up on Mederia Drive, a white one with a sky blue roof?

 

no pic sadly cos there was crowds of folks around.

 

i hope they had a gr8t day out cos we did!

[Cavcraft]

Found a fairly rare, but not exactly top of the tree desirable car. No MOT etc, asked what sort of offers he was hoping for then got a message saying 'thanks for the offer but it's worth £3,000 as there's one on eBay for that much. He must have missed the other that went recently for just over £200.

 

Good luck with that one, then.

[gm]

How is the clutch fluid?

I've just nipped out to check (half way through my spag bol) and it's not dropped, although the slave is external on the mx5 so shouldn't affect the plates if it did leak. Last week, I drained the gearbox oil and measured what came out - exactly 2 litres as there should be. Which leaves the main crank seal as a possible suspect - the engine oil does drop a little over time so this may be the issue. It's a gearbox off job so the clutch may yet need replaced, time will tell.

 

I see the are still two places available for TrackScotland on the 31st, I wonder if I should risk it ?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Well,

 

The Mercury didn’t disappoint!! It was perfectly on form all day!

 

Got to the brides parents place early. Left there and got to the church fine. After the car had been stood outside the church for nearly an hour (in the sun too) it hot started first turn of the key. Made it all the way to the afternoon party thing afterwards no probs.

The car went down very well! Bride loved it, her dad loved his ride in it too. Even after they came out of the church some of the family members came over for a chat and look at it while the photographer did his bit.

The groom, who I work with, was over the moon with how the day went and appreciated the use of the car. Even on the way to the after party we stopped at a set of lights, some woman pulled up alongside us in the next lane and gave her congratulations to the newlyweds and said the car was stunning!

 

They got loads of photos done of the car, with bride & groom and bridesmaids and flower girls with it. It matched the colour of their dresses perfectly.

 

Overall a very good day!

I was absolutely shitting myself about doing it. The thought of it going wrong and ruining the day... I needn’t have worried in the end.

 

Took the car back afterwards and used the back roads most of the way. I took the ribbons off and gave it a good hooning which was also great fun.

Seems to be sorted now at least. Must have been that worn needle valve causing the trouble before.

 

 

So, I’ve now done my day of looking and acting respectable and I can now unclench and go back to my slobbish redneck ways!!

No pictures???

 

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

[MarvinsMom]

 

Hope your over-tightened belt hasn't caused the water pump bearings to die...

 

yes i hope this isn't the case..... i have been and checked said belt, and its about the correct tension.

 

13mm odd deflection between the alternator pulley and the bottom crank pulley, or just about twist the belt through 90 degrees.

 

it could be that the pump is on its last legs though old age, but kerry thinks its the alternator. they are much easier to change!

[danthecapriman]

No pictures???

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

I’ve got two but I can’t get them off my shitty phone!

 

I can’t text them to another phone as multimedia messaging isn’t allowed on my company phone (unbelievable isn’t it!)

For some reason they won’t Bluetooth over either to my iPad. And it won’t even find the other phone in the house to Bluetooth them to that.

Can’t email them from that phone as it just asks me to set up an account.

 

Technology is fucking shit! I’ll see if I can get the younger guy at work to do it tomorrow! Fucked if I know how.

[Guest Hooli]

Have you got a hotmail or google mail email account? you could just use that via the phone's browser.

[danthecapriman]

Have you got a hotmail or google mail email account? you could just use that via the phone's browser.

I have absolutely no idea!

There is some form of email on that phone as I could use it for my company emails. So I’m told.

I’m such a technophobe I don’t have a clue how though! I’ve got a company email address but I can’t use the phone to access them or send any from it as I have no idea how to.

Mind you, I don’t bother using it on the company computers either. I have to get the young guy to do emails and stuff on computers for me! I don’t have a clue how to use stuff like that! I wouldn’t know how to send an email even using outlook.

I only know how to use my iPad!

[catsinthewelder]

I'm not a fan of Facebooks tenticles but Whatsapp is incredably easy to use.  We have a couple of office dinosaurs who can't do anything on the computer and they can use it without trouble.

 

Bluetooth is a system designed so any piece of technology can talk to any other so naturally Apple fuck about with it just enough so it doesn't work between their products and other peoples.  I remember trying to get a train video from one phone to another was finally achieved after 40 minutes by sending it via someone elses smartwatch (which would talk to anything).

[GrumpiusMaximus]

i'm reasonably certain a saw the car prked up on Mederia Drive, a white one with a sky blue roof?

 

no pic sadly cos there was crowds of folks around.

 

i hope they had a gr8t day out cos we did!

 

That's the one.  Exhaust on the wrong side with a big shiny pipe. 

[MorrisItalSLX]

I attended my local car show, National Motoring Heritage Day in Berry, where there was some cracking automobiles which I neglected to photograph.

Shitest in show was going to go to a gold Volvo 262C, but a late contender came in and stole the show (for me):



A Marina Coupé, in big six flavour with a twin carb set up from an Austin Kimberly.



Sounded nice and throaty and went like a stabbed rat. Phwoar!

The Jag drew quite a crowd which was unexpected, alas, no photo in the Jaguar line up so have a morning after photo of it covered in dew.



All in all an excellent day out.

In other news, it appears dollywobbler is visiting my neighbours.

[vulgalour]

I'm 10 miles off doing as many miles in the last two months as I did in the whole of last year in the Princess now.  Never before has 349 miles felt like such a huge achievement!

[wuvvum]

Rather less successful day on the 205 front today.  Well it would have been worrying if I'd had two good days in a row.

 

Got the new wheel cylinder fitted, eventually - took fugging ages to drill the bolts out and broke two drill bits - think the bolts must have been made of hardened steel or something.  Braking still hasn't been restored though - for some bizarre reason, the wheel cylinder doesn't take standard sized brake pipe unions, which are slightly too small.  I have no clue at this juncture what size it's supposed to take.  Of course I found this out after I'd fitted a standard union on the pipe and reflared it - so I'm going to have to cut this off and start again, and hope I don't run out of pipe - fitting a complete new pipe isn't an option as the union at the flexi end is just as shagged as the one at the cylinder end, and isn't going to come undone in a month of Sundays, at least not with any tools I have access to.  So for the moment it's sat there with a G-clamp on the flexi, which is less than ideal.

 

Also, the brake shoes I ordered are wrong.  Right diameter, right make, all the mounting holes etc are in the correct places, but they're about 1/2" too wide.  So I've shoved the old shoes back in for now, after saturating them with brake cleaner then giving them a quick rub down with sandpaper.  Probably not a long term solution, but should do for the MOT.  They aren't fitted properly yet as I couldn't remember what went where - normally I would make a record of where things go when removing the shoes, but on this occasion as soon as I removed the retaining springs everything pretty much fell out.  Fortunately I've found a video on Youtube of a chap doing the brake shoes on a 309, which are the same setup, so I think I can get it back together properly now.  I've given the drum a good clean out too so once the brake pipe union is sorted the car should be pretty much MOT ready (although I do have to stick it up on the ramps once it's got working brakes again and refit the rack boot properly).

[Ghosty]

I'm not a fan of Facebooks tenticles but Whatsapp is incredably easy to use.  We have a couple of office dinosaurs who can't do anything on the computer and they can use it without trouble.

 

 

If you're a Facebook skeptic, Telegram is an open source WhatsApp clone with an open source API etc.

Identical functionality, just not owned by Facebook. It's the LibreOffice of messaging apps.