The new news 24 thread

[Mike D]

Im in the pub and ive just bought a 205xs off the bay! Wunderbar!!!

[M'coli]

I am looking at the prospect of doing a cambelt-change on a Lucas-pumped XUD7T, any tips gladly accepted...

[Lacquer Peel]

What is it in?

There isn't much access on the cambelt side but it's quite a straight forward job, you can lock the flywheel with an allen key, and the injection and cam sprockets with the intercooler bolts if it's so fitted.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I fitted a new front wheelbearing in Ms_Ballz' ultra reliable Mk4 Astra today, cost £70 for the fuggin bearing but its made it a lot more pleasant to travel in!

 

Also finally got the Doblo van on the road, its got a few teething issues which I think may be EGR valve-related, I am gonna investigate those tomorrow. Plan is to use it to A-frame this Rover Commerce van home on Tuesday.

[vulgalour]

My brother just traded in £50 and his 52 plate Mondeo with a knackered clutch for a Mk3 Astra estate in flat white. It's a 1.7 turbo diesel with full service history, it's done 250k and... I'm actually a little bit jealous! Rear arches are pristine, black plastics are still black, interior looks showroom fresh. I'm going to get some photographs of it as soon as opportunity presents itself, it's the best car he's ever bought, it really is remarkable.

 

He's currently after some Mk2 Astra Merit trims to replace the cable-tied Poundland (matching) trims it currently sports.

[M'coli]

What is it in?

All will be revealed once it's home: chickens/hatched springs to mind. If, however, anyone has a 205 parcel shelf going spare...?

[gdhaydock]

Saw this rather sorry looking H reg proton this morning at Skipton autojumble

 

[M'coli]

New shite purchased and home: Peugeot 205 Sceptre thread imminent!

[Mike D]

It seems to be the season for small French hatches! I've just booked my train ticket for tomorrow to pick mine up, so more tales of tat will be forthcoming!

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I'm a winner*. I just won an e-bay auction for a tyre made by the premium* tyremaker COOPER TIRES, which will allow me to get rid of the Sime Tyres Monza ditchfinder and finally have a matching pair of tyres in the back. The frenzied bidding culminated in a winning bid of £9.53, which means I'm likely to pay more for fitting (isn't it usually a tenner?) than the actual price of the tyre!

[Cavcraft]

Today I purchased another car. No epic tales of road and rail, it was about 214 yards from my front door. It's an (almost) universally hated 1990s Vauxhall small hatchback. What do I win?

 

As for actually admitting to buying a Corsa on a public forum:you're a bollock-brained,biscuit-eating,faux-northern, bastardy, bollocky, wank-brain.

 

[cort16]

The crank sensor didn't fix the smart. Bollocks. I need to get it onto a proper diagnostic machine but I think the original diagnosis of a borked injector is looking more likely.

I did however get the brakes fitted without too much hassle and prepped and primered two of he wheels ready for them to get painted.

[vulgalour]

£50 and a 52 plate Mondeo with a knackered clutch can get you a little something like this. My brother and I washed and claybarred it today but we didn't get the opportunity to finish the cutting and polishing as it got too cold suddenly to be able to get the polish to work properly, a common theme so far this year. Edited to add: This is my brother's new car, that wasn't too clear from the original post.

 

 

 

 

 

The worst bit of bodywork on the car is this bodged arch. Both arches are salvagable with a little flap wheel and rust converter action, rather than the usual rot fest.

 

It's a 1.7 turdblower diseasel with intergalactic mileage and a full service history from new. 2 owner car too. I'll happily work on this wee beastie because it's such an astonishingly solid thing with only a few minor battlescars from years of use and careful ownership. It's a shame I can't get comfortable in most Vauxhalls because I can imagine life with this car would be very pleasant.

 

[Cavcraft]

It looks like I've bought another car

 

[Shep Shepherd]

Nice Astra, Angyl. Repaint the rear arches properly and slap lots of rustproofer in and around them at regular intervals and the car should see your brother right for quite a while yet

[Tayne]

.

[Cavcraft]

Not that I'm aware of, I think he still owns his!

[cort16]

I'm going to stab a guess at it being an R reg 318 sport?

[cms206]

Astra

 

 

That is a pleasant looking little thing; when they become old enough for classic insurance I'll be seriously looking for a good one. Easily the best looking variant of the Mk3 Astra too; this was my old company car...

 

aviance AV02217 - K730 ANV by cms206, on Flickr

 

... it'd only done 138k-ish though; 1.7 n/a diesel in Merit trim with no spec whatsoever and a blue interior. We got it from British Airways so it'd had a hard life for those miles.

[Cavcraft]

I'm going to stab a guess at it being an R reg 318 sport?

 

Close, it's a 'P' reg 318iS. Hopefully it'll be ok as I've not seen it in the flesh yet!

[cort16]

Justed taxed the SD1 now all I need to do is get it through it's mot, which runs out in a couple of weeks. I got a set of leather front seats for it, which are in great condition and grey, which is a bit unfortunate as the interior of my car is blue. I guess I need to get some kind of redyeing kit for the leather.

[ProgRocker]

£50 and a 52 plate Mondeo with a knackered clutch can get you a little something like this. My brother and I washed and claybarred it today but we didn't get the opportunity to finish the cutting and polishing as it got too cold suddenly to be able to get the polish to work properly, a common theme so far this year. Edited to add: This is my brother's new car, that wasn't too clear from the original post.

 

[/img]

 

Looks alright. I'm probably a little stuck in the past (like my taste in music) but what happened to the Skoda Felicia estate?

[cort16]

I just bought some of this shite. Hopefully it'll work!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260907493330&ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:GB:3160

[vulgalour]

Looks alright. I'm probably a little stuck in the past (like my taste in music) but what happened to the Skoda Felicia estate?

 

It got scrapped. He spent a lot of time and money on it sorting out the initial problems but having to work 60 hours a week and having a baby to look after meant he just couldn't keep up with the rate of breakages on the car and nobody wanted to buy a Skoda Felicia with problems so he cut his losses and sent it to Deatons, who crushed it before he'd even left the yard.

 

@Cort16: I'm yet to try any of those vinyl dyes out, but I've seen lots of folks get good results from them. Seems the key is in the preparation and applying only a light dusting of dye per coat, patience will prevent a crap end result.

[meshking]

Went to blackbushe auctions and failed to buy anything. Tired berlingo n/a with 100k and 5 owners? 750. 53 plate hdi unsold at 1050.

 

Kia rio estate 1.3 with 250k miles? Flurry of bidding up to 300. Missed out on a p reg disco tdi auto, was too busy being amused by the people bidding up an x reg golf tdi estate to 1400 (it had 130k on it too).

 

Nearly went for an s plate crv 2.0 auto with 69k and 1owner, but that went for 1300 in the end.

[dollywobbler]

I've just got back from my 660-mile round trip to Kent in the BX estate. I'm shattered. Car doesn't seem to be though, which is nice. There are quite a few minor gremlins to get sorted (like the goody-two shoes ABS light that comes on if I exceed 83mph indicated, the crap ride and leaky turbo) but hurtling along the motorways of this country in a turbo diseasel BX really is quite marvellous. At three o'clock this morning, I was acting as taxi service for friends - I still love the way the car self-levels when four people clamber aboard.

 

Incredibly, I've had very little in the way of traffic issues. Sailed down to Kent on Saturday without hitting anything other than the variable limit kicking in at the M6/M5 interchange, and today was good too - though I did resort to the M6 Toll to avoid OMG BANK HOLIDAY SHOPPING TRAFFIC KAOS. Also meant I didn't have to drive through the massively long 50mph speed limit roadworks on the M6 at the moment.

[ProgRocker]

Looks alright. I'm probably a little stuck in the past (like my taste in music) but what happened to the Skoda Felicia estate?

 

It got scrapped. He spent a lot of time and money on it sorting out the initial problems but having to work 60 hours a week and having a baby to look after meant he just couldn't keep up with the rate of breakages on the car and nobody wanted to buy a Skoda Felicia with problems so he cut his losses and sent it to Deatons, who crushed it before he'd even left the yard.

 

That's a shame. Looked almost like a brand new car after the elbow grease.

[R9UKE]

Getting the train down to Burmham tomorrow to collect a Vel Satis. Watch out for undisputed French class powering up the M40 late afternoon.

[dollywobbler]

Some holiday snaps.

 

Filthy Rennershite and a fabulous Amazon.

 

Speedy Moggy.

 

The only photo of my hard-working BX, and even then it only just sneaked into the shot. Incidentally, I left it parked up for several hours in that car park totally unlocked, with a bass guitar and amp in the boot. Idiot.

[vulgalour]

Top spots, DW.

 

I've had a few too many complaints from tonight (and in the past too, hence the decision) about the RR meet over at Meadowhall. With this in mind, I'm moving it and reorganising it to be more properly retro friendly with emphasis on pre-2000 cars proper. I just have to find a suitable new location. I may also be moving it from the first Monday to the first Wednesday of the month, to increase the chances of keeping it fresh and clean.

 

So, I'll update when a new location for the 6th of May meet is decided and would encourage anyone in the vicinity to come along and show their support in any pre-2000 car, modified, stock, shite or otherwise. I reckon the meet needs a blank slate approach because the current location is too well known by the anti-social crowd.

 

Any suggestions for a free access car park that'll host 40-200 cars (winter and summer average turnout, respectively) in South Yorkshire, ideally Sheffield/Rotherham area are very welcome either here or over on the RR thread here: http://retrorides.proboards.com/index.c ... 711&page=7