The new news 24 thread

[mercrocker]

Just buy a mig and get on with it. I wouldn't contemplate owning an old car if I couldn't weld. Anybody can weld, don't be scared!

 

Aye, good advice...Sadly it never happened because there was always a slightly less rusty Mini/Minor/Oxford/Landcrab/Granada.   Until now, of course.

[mercrocker]

Man up, it's no Oxford levels;)

 

True, but I always seem to have one of those rusting away as well....

[Noel Tidybeard]

Further to the previous entry: ebay folk want £35 plus post for a second hand hella horn, so I’ve ordered a new pair of Bosch in the correct dual tone hz ranges for £14 delivered. It’s not going into a concours so who cares? Strictly speaking I suppose one horn is enough, but it’s not right ( god i’m Beginning to know how xtriple works).

 

and for ordinaries sake pointthe horn downwards or it'll fill with water and stop working

[MarvinsMom]

today i haz been performing open heart surgery* on the mini 1000.... to exctracate the broken bits of petrol pump from within the innerds of the black mini's engine.

 

and so to work.

 

grill off, drop the oil, popped the carb off, water drained and radiator and fan off, 

anyone fancy tea?

 

eventually we* got the n/s engine mount off

 

kerry has formulated a plan to get some access to the sump without taking (all of) the engine out. the speedo drive runs into a separate part of the sump casting, get this off, then there is plenty of room into the sump, just about rignt under where the petrol pump sits

digging around with a magnetic probe thing and we have these bits, the spring

and the other bit

so now all we have to do is put it all back together.

we have been for supplies, a new petrol pump, gaskets, and some fresh oil and filter, and i think we have a chance of getting the car back together sometime this summer!!

[DeeJay]

Little jig of joy when you pulled them out?

 

(No euphemisms intended)

[MarvinsMom]

it was more like tears of joy when i saw them bits of petrol pump stuck on the end of the magnet thing!

[vulgalour]

That's a relief, MM!  Just look at it like a recomissioning service and it doesn't feel quite as painful a job.

[xtriple]

Good job on the Mini ladies, proper result with the bits being there to grab.

 

Merc horns: mine are both pointed downwards though one is now a bit less pointed down than it was.... I tried to open the bonnet with it thinking that was the release! Of course, anyone who has had Mercs before (like me for instance    ) knows that when you lift the bonnet a tad, the release pops out from between the slats.

 

I are idiot!  Or, in IT speak: ID10T error.

[Supernaut]

I are idiot!  Or, in IT speak: ID10T error.

 

Layer 8 error.

[Kiltox]

Layer 8 error.

I’ve worked in IT for years and that’s a new one on me. Like it.

[dome]

Phwoooar! A Saab 9000!

Anniversary too!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Just spent an hour sanding and polishing the headlights on dollop 2.0. Now look good as new whereas before they were very VERY secondhand

Common on mercs of that period, my w203 is the same.

 

Yes they do suffer rot which lets the side down somewhat but everywhere else they feel very well screwed together.

 

Proper plush interiors too, I had a look at some newer mercs and beyond the bits you actually touch they feel fairly low rent. The w204 for example feels cheaper than the w203 so I think I'll be sorting the scabby bits on mine and keeping it for a while....

 

Even older mercs manage to do that thing where people think you've spent more than you have. When I first got the w203 I got lots of "ohhh fancy big merc eh?" type comments until I pointed out I paid £750 for it

 

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

[Supernaut]

I’ve worked in IT for years and that’s a new one on me. Like it.

 

Old MacDonald had a farm, EIGRP!

 

Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol.

I can't remember what it does, but I remember the song!

[sierraman]

Been offered another Mercedes barge for £300, no v5 and the 6 digit plate is now on another car.

 

It starts and drives.

 

Worth a punt?

 

Sent from my G3311 using Tapatalk

Buy it to break then flog the shell on to the banger racers, they'd give you that back for the rolling shell.

[davehedgehog31]

I’ve worked in IT for years and that’s a new one on me. Like it.

A PICNIC issue.

 

Problem In Chair Not In Computer

[Skizzer]

My news for this week was supposed to be the collection of a new modern work daily, a Skoda Kodiaq in beige. But when I turned up at the dealer this morning, it turned out Skoda has built it with the wrong interior. So I’m back at the end of the waiting list for them to build another one.

 

I was also supposed to collect my XJ-S yesterday after it’s had a load of work done. But it started misfiring when they gave it a test run, plus the heater blower has packed in, so that’s back in the workshop for another week or two. They suspect it’s fouling the injectors after standing a long time over winter.

 

Not sure the non-collection of two cars is exactly news, but I needed to share. Luckily I have other transport and I’m quite a patient person. Up to a point.

[bramz7]

i just sold the Brava via Gumtree, and the Tempra sale has made me especially nervous about selling to the public now. I got a bit of a iffy vibe from the guy this time too, but I hope that's just down to nerves.

I know for a fact he will run it into the ground too, which is disappointing but I can't worry about cars I no longer own I suppose. 

 

With the Rover heading out on Wednesday I am now calling around for quotes for the BX (yep) I am bringing in as a daily classic, to pair with my new daily, which itself is having an exhaust fitted for it's MOT by the seller. 

Sadly me no longer having driveway room is having a huge impact on quotes, the best now is Flux with £550. A lot of insurers seem to dislike street parking it seems. 

[r.welfare]

My news for this week was supposed to be the collection of a new modern work daily, a Skoda Kodiaq in beige. But when I turned up at the dealer this morning, it turned out Skoda has built it with the wrong interior. So I’m back at the end of the waiting list for them to build another one.

Out of interest, what does the dealer (or manufacturer) do in such a situation - underwrite your trade in at the age and mileage today, or provide a demo/hire car until the new one arrives?

[dave21478]

I appear to have fixed the air con in the pickup. 

I had previously found one of the rigid pipes, which are 8mm alloy things had a pinhole where it goes through a plastic clip holding it to the inner wing. Dunno if it was corrosion or rubbed through with vibrations or whatever. Anyway, I cut out a short section and fitted a straight compression fitting. I am generally of the belief that plumbing fittings have no place on cars, but what else could I have repaired it with? 

I have one of those hoses with the quick-release fittings for topping up ac systems with the aerosol cans, so ordered a few cans off the internets, including one that supposedly deals with humidity in the system without needing it vacuumed. Does what it claims? fuck knows. I do know that the system is now blowing nice and cold though....just need to wait and see if it lasts or if it will be fucked again by Monday due to some other previously undiscovered leak.

 

It hasnt had any over-heating related conniptions recently, so hopefully the change of radiator and water pump will have sorted that once and for all. 

 

Not much else is happening car-wise. The MGF is slowly shedding weight by developing rusty holes here and there. Its never going to pass another CT with the new rules outlawing its patchwork of previous welded repairs and thick coat of underseal and I can in no way whatsoever be arsed with cleaning it up and doing the needed welding. I will run it for the summer and likely scrap it to avoid dealing with the kind of fud who would buy a rotten MGF, so its getting no maintenance in the meantime. One of the rear calipers is binding slightly....hopefully it wont get worse.

 

I havent the faintest, foggiest idea what to replace it with. I have a little cash set aside, but literally nothing is catching my eye. I dont even know what TYPE of thing to get.....certainly not another convertible, but hatch...estate...4x4? no idea. Nothing appeals at the moment. I flick through LeBonCoin and Ebay most evenings and its all just meh.

[Skizzer]

Out of interest, what does the dealer (or manufacturer) do in such a situation - underwrite your trade in at the age and mileage today, or provide a demo/hire car until the new one arrives?

Neither in my case as I’m not trading in - I was disposing of the BMW separately so I’ll just hang on to it. The extra depreciation on it will roughly net off against the Skoda being 3 months newer when it does eventually turn up, I suppose. If I’d already sold it I’d be royally stuffed and very pissed off.

 

I’m trying to insist that Skoda UK honours a £1k free fuel offer that I should have been eligible for, but I bet they won’t.

[matt27]

As usual, I'm terrible at updating things on here! So, for now, here is my quick summary...

 

We had our ticket booked for the L2B in the Mini but the MOT expired on the 17th. I stripped out the ignition system last summer as I was going to fit my Megajolt kit but I got distracted with fitting a kitchen, decorating other rooms in the house and fixing our daily cars!

 

I got everything running, then this happened:

 

 

Shortly, thankfully, followed by this:

 

 

Then we camped in Crystal Palace:

 

 

Saw these:

 

 

and had this (or similar!) in Brighton (when we eventually got onto Madeira drive, that traffic never improves!)

 

 

[richardmorris]

Saw my first ever ( as far as I remember ). UA on a registration plate today, white van. I’ve just had to look it up to find the country. Any clever dicks know without looking on Wikipedia? Chocky biccy available at the field of dreams for correct answer.

 

In other news, the 2cv is going in for service and mot on Wednesday. I’ve been round it today and barring the odd hole (no officer, that’s an intentional water drain, certainly not rust), all seems ok. Also put the boot box on for the trip up to registers day next week.

 

And tested the twin tone horns on the merc. Having done so, I’m not sure they ever worked properly before in my ownership. It’s very Italian aggressive now!

 

 

It’s also quite warm here this afternoon.

[andy18s]

Been on a mini Bulgarian collection thread of my own the last couple of days

Friend wanted to "treat" his wife to a new motor and found a 306 cabriolet that had made it's way down from Switzerland

Spoke to the (English speaking) seller and it all sounded good,arranged an early meet on Friday

Ran down in her old car,a Celica that's getting past it's prime in looks but goes well enough

Seller was fairly easy to locate once we had sorted a mobile signal,car was viewed and taken for a spirited test drive

Friend declared himself happy,sorted a price and then we headed onto Shumen to sort transit plates,insurance ect

Cue over 6.5 hours of me sitting around in a shitty Celica (thank God for aircon) whilst mate is stuck in a queue to get the thing imported....

In the middle of a good punch up between some Hgv drivers and the Kat rep over queue jumping,various cars scraping sumps and exhausts on concrete piles in the overflow car park and a fecking cracking thunderstorm which killed the power for an hour, I had a brilliant day out...

Breakfast of champions

Awaiting pickup at a fairly nice McDonald's

Spotted at a fuel station

Maybe gone a bit far?

The pug in question,inc of roof box

few bikes in the same yard

Bertone 4x4 awaiting it's reg

Old girl that gots us there and back

The and on BG plates,plans maybe getting made for this

 

Edit

No idea how the pics and comments got split like that,but you can have fun putting one to another.....

[Eddie Honda]

The pug in question,

 

No interior shot? EYEZ DIZZAPPOINTED.

[clayts450]

Yoinks... blind purchase, no photos. WCPGW

 

 

This follows my earlier grumps - seller came through with the info I needed 

 

Collection capers most likely next weekend (but possibly Monday if I cannae wait) - deposit paid, car currently SORN.

 

A total bargain, it should* be a bit of a cracker, notwithstanding some minor damage to one wing (driveable). Even if I only get five months out of it, it's one off the bucket list.

 

Gonna shift the PT Cruiser on now - need to get outside and at least make it look vaguely presentable before fershale/roffle thread

[xtriple]

And it's broken! One day and I busted it. Tried to open the roof this morning and the sod would not unlatch at the front. Gave it a bit of a tug/twist/pull sort of thing and the bloody handle fell off! I was properly impressed I must say. Not MBs fault it seems, bodgers have been at it and it was all a bit mangled/gubbed.

 

I got out the tools and did what any self respecting cripple would do... cried a bit. Then I got all the covers off, opened the roof, took all the linkage and latches off and took the dogs out for a walk while I had a think as to how best to fix it all.

 

Got home, drilled out the old rivets, drilled far enough to put a self tapper in each side, re-assembled the whole lot, screwed it all together and then, having put it all back on the car, realised that with it assembled I couldn't get the handle back on! Aargh!

 

So I bodged. I am not proud, but there was no way I was taking it all apart again 'cos it was a right palaver getting it all in and lined up, so I drilled the handle on a slant so I could waggle the fancy screw in and then straighten up and do the actual screwing bit.

 

You will all be amazed to learn that it now works perfectly, opens and closes and I even got the windows to open automatically when the top is unlatched (don't actually know how, they didn't work before, now they do). I am quite enjoying having something I can faff with. The BGD was too precious to fuck up whereas this, I have no qualms about a tiny bit of bodging

[davehedgehog31]

Yoinks... blind purchase, no photos. WCPGW

 

won.png

 

This follows my earlier grumps - seller came through with the info I needed

 

Collection capers most likely next weekend (but possibly Monday if I cannae wait) - deposit paid, car currently SORN.

 

A total bargain, it should* be a bit of a cracker, notwithstanding some minor damage to one wing (driveable). Even if I only get five months out of it, it's one off the bucket list.

 

Gonna shift the PT Cruiser on now - need to get outside and at least make it look vaguely presentable before fershale/roffle thread

Just found your auction from that limited information! Haha

 

I do agree on the diagnosis of "should be a cracker" though.

[andy18s]

No interior shot? EYEZ DIZZAPPOINTED.

Only pic I can get atm....

[madrat]

Away for the weekend just outside Stratford, next to the river, was looking forward to kayaking today but the rain and the wind have made the current just that bit to fast to paddle against.

[Jim Bell]

Sorted my insurance over to the Prelude yesterday, got a refund of about £60!

I am genuinely excited to receive it tomorrow from Ghosty.

 

If thats not sad enough, I'M genuinely excited about looking at pictures of it on the internet man.