The new news 24 thread

[beko1987]

Mine gave its little whimper as the boost solenoid coughed... I told it to fuck off or it would be on that flatbed...

[skattrd]

Yesterday I was going to post about how good my daily Merc has been as it's approaching 250k, and nearly 40k in my ownership (13 months).

Then I decided not to as that would be tempting fate.

Guess what happened today? 

It didn't quite FTP, but it shat its water-pump in the work car park this morning, mileage 249800.

During the day I scrounged 3x 4 pint milk cartons and at 4pm I left with 12 pints of water with me. On the drive I think I spent as much time watching the temp gauge as the road. I stopped half-way home, at Morrisons, did a bit of shopping, had some (not very good) food in the canteen whilst it cooled down. I then refilled the water, about 10 pints (5l) refilled the cartons and set off.

Keeping revs down and a steady 40-50mph the temp didn't get above 95 the rest of the way, yay for half-term, quiet roads and cooler day today.

 

Anyhoo - w203 Merc, c270 dizzle, even with todays issue, I'd still have another, it's a cracking motor, just ignore the rusty panels, that what makes them cheap.

[binhoker668]

Well, Xantia is back from it's shameful sojourn at the (now ex) Citron Clinic in Bridgford.  It's parked outside my gaff and very apologetic about the whole affair.

Looking forward to a 20 min commute in utter comfort tomorrow - the 2 buses/1.5 hour each way has NOT been a good thing.

I re-bonded with the machine by installing my usual stereo and having a blezz round the area listening to scratchy and unpopular 'music'.

It's ace.

I now want a 1980s miniature tacky caravan to tow behind it. 

But let's see how the ole clutch pans out first eh!  I kinda think it's maybe not as bad as first thought like.

 

EDIT: also just found out that it's 'Rouge Lucifer' in colour.  Which is of course, fine by me.

[Shep Shepherd]

Properly tested The Volvo's LED headlamp bulbs for the first time this evening, on the way home from Birmingham:

 

 

They enable me to see where I'm going, but they don't dazzle other drivers, which is great

[binhoker668]

Properly tested The Volvo's LED headlamp bulbs for the first time this evening, on the way home from Birmingham:

 

Deedjt2XcAATLHv.jpg

 

They enable me to see where I'm going, but they don't dazzle other drivers, which is great

 

Wanting some of these for my fog lights, but not sure I wanna look under the bumper just yet... Scared.

[Pat Earrings]

Properly tested The Volvo's LED headlamp bulbs for the first time this evening, on the way home from Birmingham:

 

Deedjt2XcAATLHv.jpg

 

They enable me to see where I'm going, but they don't dazzle other drivers, which is great

 

Where did you get them from? I'm intrigued to find out if the beam pattern is any good, instead of just illuminating the immediate area rather than stretching further afield which is what I hope these do. Think the Prelude would look smart with them!

[chodweaver]

This is more practice than execution, but here we have a rusty (in a number of places: I'm only attacking one at this stage) XM wing.

And a patch painstakingly* made up, and allowed a head start on corrosion so as to stay in keeping with the rest of the car.

Tonight's efforts were however restricted to fettling my home brew metal folder so that I could put an extra bend of about 10° in the part of the patch that will be visible - I'd missed that there is a swage line in the wing, just above where it meets the bumper and to make up for it, my repair was going to need an amount of wob that I simply cannot brook. Well, not yet, anyway. I'm trying to get better at this, really I am.

 

Tomorrow, I will put aside my frustration at not being able to find the butt welding clamps (that I assuredly* bought from Machine Mart some months ago, and promptly mislaid in my garage) and clamp wing and patch to the bench instead, and then undo all the hard work done thus far with my inept attempt at the migging that is required.

 

The metal folder will need strengthening before I can say I'm happy with it, but it has produced this patch without me having to resort to annoying the neighbours with feverish hammering noises in the small hours...

[Shep Shepherd]

Where did you get them from? I'm intrigued to find out if the beam pattern is any good, instead of just illuminating the immediate area rather than stretching further afield which is what I hope these do. Think the Prelude would look smart with them!

 

Here:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NIGHTEYE-9000LM-H4-HB2-LED-Headlight-Dual-Hi-Lo-Kit-3-Sided-Bulbs-White-Beams/272917572255?epid=907050746&hash=item3f8b27aa9f:g:aiYAAOSwtG9a~4Lz

 

The beam pattern with the LEDs is practically the same as it was with the halogens. I think it might be very slightly lower, but the angle is the same. All in all, I'm very pleased with the conversion.

[Pat Earrings]

Here:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NIGHTEYE-9000LM-H4-HB2-LED-Headlight-Dual-Hi-Lo-Kit-3-Sided-Bulbs-White-Beams/272917572255?epid=907050746&hash=item3f8b27aa9f:g:aiYAAOSwtG9a~4Lz

 

The beam pattern with the LEDs is practically the same as it was with the halogens. I think it might be very slightly lower, but the angle is the same. All in all, I'm very pleased with the conversion.

Ordered! Is it a faff like HID'S to fit or all straightforward?

[Shep Shepherd]

Ordered! Is it a faff like HID'S to fit or all straightforward?

 

They were a direct replacement for the halogens. Took me about ten minutes to fit in total ^^

[xtriple]

This morning I have received 3 parcels for the Merc: leather dye, rear badge and a brake light switch. Also got a call from Halfords to say the filters I ordered at 1:00 am this morning are in stock, even though they said 'after 4:00pm on Friday'!  So I guess I will be contorting me wrecked body into awkward shapes trying to fit a new brake light switch in a few minutes.

 

Also got to clear out the drains in the scuttle as I don't like wet cars.

 

Oh yes, it is so misty out there it's like an old fashioned London smog!

[RobT]

This has needed a new set of front tyres for ages, as the old Dunlops were rock hard and must have been close to 20 years old.  8am before work in the bay it goes...no other punters were waiting for a change so it was a quick job.

 

 

Anything would have been an improvement, but at £45 each fitted I went for Vredestein T-Tracs.  I can now drive with confidence in the rain.  Handling has been a bit ropey in this recent piss wet weather!

 

The Autoglym bumper care jollop has lasted exactly two weeks on the rear bumper.  I think I need to crack open the linseed oil.

[Kiltox]

This morning I have received 3 parcels for the Merc: leather dye, rear badge and a brake light switch. Also got a call from Halfords to say the filters I ordered at 1:00 am this morning are in stock, even though they said 'after 4:00pm on Friday'! So I guess I will be contorting me wrecked body into awkward shapes trying to fit a new brake light switch in a few minutes.

 

Also got to clear out the drains in the scuttle as I don't like wet cars.

 

Oh yes, it is so misty out there it's like an old fashioned London smog!

Pro tip - Halfords get their car parts from euro car parts who must have a trade counter reasonably near your Halfords store. Buy direct for much savings

[xtriple]

Pro tip - Halfords get their car parts from euro car parts who must have a trade counter reasonably near your Halfords store. Buy direct for much savings

Strangely, Halfrauds  were cheaper than ECP! ECP came to just over  £20 Halfords £16. No, it makes no sense to me either.

 

Of the three things that arrived first thing, one was wrong... the brake light switch ordered from MB Newcastle thru there eBay shop. The other two things (leather dye and rear badge) spot on. Then, the paint that I specially ordered - Mercedes 208 CLK 320, 1999 - 2000 code 189 Met black opal, arrived. It is code 189 alright, but SAAB red/gold! That is a pretty epic fuck up to be honest.

 

I have taken all the under dash out - faff a plenty and it is staying out until it's all fixed, took all the windscreen trim off and the vents off to clean out the 'bucket drains' and I was expecting a pig of a job and it was an absolute doddle. Also, extremely full of crud and mud, once cleaned out, about a gallon of clean water poured out, so another job off the list. Just had attempt number one with the leather dye, really good match and doing a splendid job - drivers seat bolster which was well scuffed/creased now looks like new! One seam still to sort but I think I'll glue it as stitching is not my strong suite! Did the steering wheel as well, not quite as good a result on that but I shall prevail....

 

Maybe.

 

Stucke the badges on the boot: I am not a fan of de-badged cars (or wrngly badged ones either) so CLK320 was bought. Again, well made and on a clear sticky window in a cardboard frame which made placement dead easy, it's probably wrong but it looks fine to me, so fuck 'em!

[egg]

I applied this waterless stuff....

 

 

With some elbow grease, which is good for a fat boy like me...to achieve this...

 

 

Reasonable alternative to a two bucket wrong'un. Cars in Herne Bay, even a mile inland, get covered constantly in sand, so this is a quick* way of sorting it.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I applied this waterless stuff....

 

IMG_20180531_134151.jpg...

 

Impressive.

 

I get loads of sandspots on the car after it rains, and I'm nowhere near the coast. Must be all the sand and dust from the constant building developments in London.

[oldcars]

I applied this waterless stuff....

 

IMG_20180531_134151.jpg

 

With some elbow grease, which is good for a fat boy like me...to achieve this...

 

IMG_20180531_134138~2.jpg

 

Reasonable alternative to a two bucket wrong'un. Cars in Herne Bay, even a mile inland, get covered constantly in sand, so this is a quick* way of sorting it.

Did you wash it first or did you just go in with this stuff?

[egg]

Just went straight on with it. This car is a 10 footer anyway, lots of scrapes and bumps close up.

 

It was a two cloth job, one to remove dirt, then another to buff it.

[dave21478]

^^ might as well use a brillo pad and some Ajax.

 

I know these waterless things claim all sorts about "floating" the dirt off, but its a crock.

 

Occasional spruce up of a rain-spotted or slightly dirty car? yeah ok. Use lots of it though.

Long term or a car you care about? lolnope.

[oldcars]

^^ might as well use a brillo pad and some Ajax.

 

I know these waterless things claim all sorts about "floating" the dirt off, but its a crock.

 

Occasional spruce up of a rain-spotted or slightly dirty car? yeah ok. Use lots of it though.

Long term or a car you care about? lolnope.

My thoughts as well. Neighbour used a earlier version of this stuff, car looked like mine when i was wetsanding it after paintwork.

[egg]

Occasional spruce up of a rain-spotted or slightly dirty car? yeah ok. Use lots of it though.

Yup, that is the circumstances.

[Kiltox]

I don’t think these waterless things are as bad as some people make out - even some of the detailing world types use them.

 

I’ve got a metric fuck tonne of it on its way to me (couple of 5L jugs + 500ml spray), will report back

[egg]

Oh and it's raining now, lol!

[dave21478]

Fair enough. Im no three-bucket pervert or anything, but I personally wouldnt use it. I would guess that DetailingWorld types already have about 15 layers of wax made from Queen Nefertitis breast milk, and farting near the car would be enough to blow most dirt off its molecularly smooth paint.

[egg]

It can only ever be a partial solution really, it's not going to get your wheel arches, sills, underneath clean. I'm trying to ween myself off the local handwash though cos of the possible slave labour stuff.

[Kiltox]

Fair enough. Im no three-bucket pervert or anything, but I personally wouldnt use it. I would guess that DetailingWorld types already have about 15 layers of wax made from Queen Nefertitis breast milk, and farting near the car would be enough to blow most dirt off its molecularly smooth paint.

Hahaha you’re probably not wrong there!

 

I bet this stuff would work wonders on my Duster - it had Diamondbrite applied when it was new which although I thought was bullshit has actually proven very effective!

[320touring]

Do I feel another Oxford coming on?

 

 

Ehhhhh, naw

[egg]

Ooh look at the beading, which means the dirt can stick again!

 

[RobT]

For the sake of £2.99 I'll give that Aldi waterless stuff a go too.  I've been meaning to try some on the Metro, as chucking loads of water over a car that's just slightly dusty does feel excessive (rarely used garage queen that it is).

[egg]

I've rinsed out the nozzle with water after use btw, to avoid it getting gummed up.