The new news 24 thread

[mrbenn]

Didn't want to get animalistic with it and fuck the nut. Yes it's a McGard, I believe they are used on most Japanese cars. A friend at work has a Mazda so I'm borrowing his tonight.

Why do they make them so shallow!!!!

 

McGard do sell replacement keys if you get stuck.

[Guest Hooli]

She maybe your ex, but thats not a nice thing to say about her.

 

I think thats part of the charm for me. Cheap, disposable 90s motoring at its finest. It from the era when main stream manufacturers went from bargain boxes to over engineered shoes. Small, light, unrefined, manoeuvrable and dangerous in a crash. I mean PAS wasn't even standard, minimum number of airbags and ABS was a rarity! Unlike now where superminis are large, heavy, highly refined, stodgy numb steering, way over-assisted brakes and crumple-zone tastic.

 

Chuckle at the first bit

 

Thing is for me, it was worse than an old banger yet cost a load more. It had 20k on when it managed to OMGHGF! due to the shit design of the heater hoses being cut open by the fan shroud as the clips to retain them didn't work.

[RayMK]

Since June 2017 my Reliant has been sitting in my garage, battery disconnected and untouched.  Today the weather and my relatively good mood coincided with having a space on my driveway.  Time to wake the Reliant up!!  I reconnected the battery whilst vaguely wondering if it had any charge left after sitting dormant for over 12 months.  Next, I moved all the clutter which was blocking the car in the garage.  I gingerly eased myself in to the driver's seat, paying due respect to my arthritic hips and the catheter ('cos getting old and falling apart, health wise     ), turned on the ignition and let the starter wind away for 30 seconds or so to prime the fuel system, then the engine fired and settled to a stable tickover after a couple of minutes on choke.  Try doing that with a modern car.  Even after a month many moderns have a fit of electronic self analysis then announce 'I feel fucked, call your main dealer and/or the AA.'

 

A check of the Reliant's lights, indicators, horn and wipers showed everything was working and the brake pedal felt fine (as in wooden - no servo), then a short drive in the Cul-de-sac confirmed that the brakes and gears worked satisfactorily.  I pumped the tyres up after finding only 10psi in all three.  It is back in the garage for now but I'll check the master cylinder and wheel cylinders next time and fit a fuel filter in the engine bay before getting it road legal and having a proper drive.  

 

Piccies included.

[SiC]

That is one fine and very pretty old machine you have there Ray.

[Guest Hooli]

Proper reliability that.

[captain_70s]

My Civic, on the other hand, is now totally dead after sitting a month. I'm going to have to jump it with one of my decrepit Triumphs.

 

Irony.

[oldcars]

Your Reliant is lovely Ray. Far different to my Rialto, and very different to drive i would guess.

[RayMK]

Your Reliant is lovely Ray. Far different to my Rialto, and very different to drive i would guess.

 

Thanks.  Driving it is initially terrifying. The lack of power (17.5bhp when new in 1961), on/off clutch, crossply tyres, non-servo'd brakes and the lack of a normal complement of wheels takes a few miles to get reacquainted with.  After that phase it is just a matter of staying out of the way of other traffic e.g. tractors, cyclists and mobility scooters.  Audi's etc assume I am parked.  It cruises at 45-50mph and I'm told that it will reach 62mph in large countries.

[oldcars]

Thanks.  Driving it is initially terrifying. The lack of power (17.5bhp when new in 1961), on/off clutch, crossply tyres, non-servo'd brakes and the lack of a normal complement of wheels takes a few miles to get reacquainted with.  After that phase it is just a matter of staying out of the way of other traffic e.g. tractors, cyclists and mobility scooters.  Audi's etc assume I am parked.  It cruises at 45-50mph and I'm told that it will reach 62mph in large countries.

Have you driven any of the modern* Reliants? I would love a go in one of there early ones to see the difference. I was told even the Regal 3/25 or 30 are very much different to the Rialto.

[stuboy]

Purchased one with birthday money...

 

89.99

[RayMK]

Have you driven any of the modern* Reliants? I would love a go in one of there early ones to see the difference. I was told even the Regal 3/25 or 30 are very much different to the Rialto.

 

Yes. In the early '70s I had a Reliant Regal 3-25 saloon (600cc), bought mainly because I had just got married and only had a motorcycle licence. Wifey wanted a heater.  That one drove well, but I did not know any different, having never driven a four wheeled car. We went from Bucks to Redcar several times and even Scotland once, all the time with a leaking head gasket.  The car eventually caught fire on the way to work and blocked the A41 for an hour before the breakdown service cleared up with a dustpan and brush.  Many years later in 1992 I bought a dilapidated MKVI Regal (of today's post) and gradually refurbished it, getting it back on the road in 2005. In 2007 I bought a Rialto saloon (letterbox boot) and was amazed at how different it was from the earlier two Regals.  The Rialto could, with care and a stategically placed heavy toolbox, be thrown around and had very good roadholding.  It could also reach an indicated 80mph with ease (and noise).  

[danthecapriman]

I have a massive soft spot for those fiestas with the 1.25 engines. They were the weapon* of choice for my generation as a cheap banger first car. At that point Novas were a bit long in the tooth and the fiesta were newer + more powerful. Those 1.25 engines (Yamaha design you know!?) in that car accelerated far more rapidly and revved far more freely than any right they had to.

A mate barely fitted in his (even with the seat right back) and mercilessly hammered the hell out of it. In two years of ownership and around 15k miles, he got through 3 clutches, handbrake cable, 3 pairs of tyres and two lots of brake pads+discs. How he never ended up smashing that car, I never know.

If I drove one now, I probably find it incredibly slow. However to a 17/18 year old, it seemed not far* off a hot hatch*.

They still seemed a bit new when I was at first car stage (unless you had money, or your parents did!) most of the idiots my age were still running Nova’s or Fiesta mk2/3, one even had an E reg mk1 Micra. I didn’t of course, getting a Capri then a Volvo 340...

Anyway,

My younger sister however did have that model Fiesta. In fact she had two of them, the second was a slightly rough W reg 1.3 with the old ohv engine. That one was slow and loud, and it looked progressively worse and worse as the years passed and she beat the shit out of it. Yet it always started and just kept plodding on for years.

 

The first one she had was probably my favourite of her cars! It was an R reg 1.4 Ghia in metallic black with velour seats and A/C. It had that 16 valve engine but the bigger one and absolutely flew! Man did that thing go! It drove beautifully and was actually a lovely car to be in too.

She didn’t have it much more than a year though as it turned out the sills had rotted through both sides almost along their entire length. She sold it and bought the one above as replacement.

 

I do like those Fiestas tbh, I never used to but as they’ve got older I like them more. They’re, in my eyes anyway, exactly what a small hatch should be. Small, nippy and cheap. Not like the oversized overweight fucking ugly abortions car makers shit out now! I’d borrow her Fiestas occasionally and really did enjoy flying about in them.

[phil_lihp]

I used to have a 1.25 about 13 years ago, it was my second car, felt like a different era compared to the AX it replaced and whilst it was a bit problematic, it never actually broke down and saw me through a lot of changes in my life.  This one will be a little bit of nostalgia.

[oldcars]

Yes. In the early '70s I had a Reliant Regal 3-25 saloon (600cc), bought mainly because I had just got married and only had a motorcycle licence. Wifey wanted a heater.  That one drove well, but I did not know any different, having never driven a four wheeled car. We went from Bucks to Redcar several times and even Scotland once, all the time with a leaking head gasket.  The car eventually caught fire on the way to work and blocked the A41 for an hour before the breakdown service cleared up with a dustpan and brush.  Many years later in 1992 I bought a dilapidated MKVI Regal (of today's post) and gradually refurbished it, getting it back on the road in 2005. In 2007 I bought a Rialto saloon (letterbox boot) and was amazed at how different it was from the earlier two Regals.  The Rialto could, with care and a stategically placed heavy toolbox, be thrown around and had very good roadholding.  It could also reach an indicated 80mph with ease (and noise).  

You have had a few Reliants then. Shame about the 3-25 must have given you a fright. My Rialto is the letterbox boot one too. Never had it up to 80. You will need to show me how its done 

[SRi05]

Had a letter through from admiral, our multicar policy is up next month, but due to their underwriting criteria, they cannot offer insurance for this coming year. That's a new one on me, is there any particular reason this would happen, or is it just a computer says no scenario? Have looked about and can actually get a quote cheaper elsewhere, but a bit peeved that they won't even take us on again!

[Guest Hooli]

Had a letter through from admiral, our multicar policy is up next month, but due to their underwriting criteria, they cannot offer insurance for this coming year. That's a new one on me, is there any particular reason this would happen, or is it just a computer says no scenario? Have looked about and can actually get a quote cheaper elsewhere, but a bit peeved that they won't even take us on again!

The underwriters won't cover your fleet so admiral can't offer you cover. I've has it in the past from other companies.

[SRi05]

The underwriters won't cover your fleet so admiral can't offer you cover. I've has it in the past from other companies.

We have our modernz Peugeot 208 and the Prelude on the policy. Presumably they don't like having the chod on it. Fuck them then

[Lord Sterling]

....Audi A4 2.4 V6...

Nice. I've often considered one of these as a daily, but I have my BMW which I'm more than happy with. There was an A4 Estate of the same year for sale here for a silly low price, £650 if I remember rightly and had bigger bumpers. How much did you get yours for?

[trigger]

My little car clubs meet tomorrow evening, expect in the excess of 150 classic and retro pre 2000 cars.

 

[loserone]

So. It's an Audi A4 Avant, however, in 2.4 V6 manual flavour. It really is a lovely thing.

 

that's proper handsome that is.

[SiC]

I think the b6 have aged well. Nicer looking than the b7

[SRi05]

Yeah, nice car dude. Far nicer than the merc you were nearly lumped with!

[Brodders]

My little car clubs meet tomorrow evening, expect in the excess of 150 classic and retro pre 2000 cars.

 

You can count me in for that; any other shitters going?

[HMC]

Got hold of a reproduction period gb sticker off e bay to cover a small dent....

The unskilled/lazy man's answer to bodywork rectification.

[Shep Shepherd]

^

I've just attached an eBay-sourced Norfolk Line GB sticker to The Volvo's rear window:

 

 

[skattrd]

I'm using the AS bike 405 today and I figured out how to get the cruise control working, which was nice, so that's remote locking and cruise now working without spending a penny. I haven't taken the drivers door card off yet to try and sort out the interesting window/mirror electrics.

 

My daily w203 wagon did this last week:

 

 

Its developing a few more noises, so I'm treating myself to a replacement 203 with 1/3 of the mileage ... For sale thread for the leggy Merc coming soon.

[oldcars]

I have a m

 

We have our modernz Peugeot 208 and the Prelude on the policy. Presumably they don't like having the chod on it. Fuck them then

I have a multicar with the Kia on it 2001 with them.

[richardmorris]

Came in the car today as I have a new car cover for the fiat to collect. 

Here we have a superb piece of engineering and over the other side a stretched RR on Monaco plates.

[worldofceri]

Got hold of a reproduction period gb sticker off e bay to cover a small dent....IMG_4900.JPG

The unskilled/lazy man's answer to bodywork rectification.

  

^

I've just attached an eBay-sourced Norfolk Line GB sticker to The Volvo's rear window:

 

DffvAf9W4AARslY.jpg

 

What you boys need is a couple of 'AS' stickerz.

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/31899-autoshite-gb-sticker-£1-pp-see-first-post-for-details/

 

[/shameless hawking]

[xtriple]

Can anyone guess what this is then?