The new news 24 thread

[mrbenn]

My brother had one of these (but Aygo) for a couple of weeks as a courtesy car. I honestly think that small/low powered cars are some of the most fun out there and they've got a real charm to them. It was so willing even though it didn't have an awful lot to give. It was like a puppy, up for anything. Great fun!

[DodgeRover]

Unless the small diesel was from the 90s I think you have made a wise choice there!

[bramz7]

Off to get the Olds.

 

Not really feeling this collection. Not a good start really. I wish I'd waited and not impulse bid on it.

[davehedgehog31]

Off to get the Olds.

 

Not really feeling this collection. Not a good start really. I wish I'd waited and not impulse bid on it.

Shiters regret, I know it well.

 

A good type of car to tick off the list though.

[bramz7]

Hey it might be a good one. Odds are it won't be, but we shall see.

 

First time I've ever bought a return ticket on a car collection journey too.

[bramz7]

More omens, missed my second train. As someone who works on the railway that truly irks me, but on the plus side I got a decent coffee at Clapham.

 

Part of me wishes I'd bought that Maxima skattrd has (or had).

[bramz7]

More bad omens, go to the loo on the train and the person opposite nicks my seat when I'm in there.

That's just not very sporting.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

So I was looking for a small diesel, so naturally I bought a petrol instead.

 

 

Changed the oil and been driving it for a few days. Have owned one previously but forgot just how firm and go kart like it is, not particularly crashy though. Seats are like sitting on an ironing board, but I do really like it's sparseness, does feel like a spiritual successor to the AX.

 

Economy seems to be tremendous, if it's anything like the other one I had 70mpg is achievable, on petrol... Man maths were employed, but it may well actually pay for itself if I can stick to commuting in it.

 

It needs new front discs and pads, but thats about it.

 

It also sounds like half of a Porsche.

What's its like on a long run, comfortable doing motorway stuff?

 

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

[davehedgehog31]

What's its like on a long run, comfortable doing motorway stuff?

 

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

Pretty noisy, but the gearing is fine. The seats are very flat and firm, but a decent enough size and there's actually lots of room for driver and passenger. Will probably do a more comprehensive review after I've driven it for a week or so. 

[bramz7]

Update, it doesn't look bad. Rusty but okay.

Now to actually see it start....

[stuboy]

I just been given this brochure...

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I just been given this brochure...

Are ECP going all ripspeed then???

 

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

[Broadsword]

I've been on the waiting list for a modified crank sensor bracket for AJ16 powered Jaguars for a while from the people who actually developed the piece (not eBay). I've just been informed that the new batch will be available next month. I will definitely be buying one for my XJ6 Sport. Since we have a few X300 Jags on this forum, I thought I might spread the work. PM me and I will give an email address for the Andy bracket people.

[SiC]

I've been on the waiting list for a modified crank sensor bracket for AJ16 powered Jaguars for a while from the people who actually developed the piece (not eBay). I've just been informed that the new batch will be available next month. I will definitely be buying one for my XJ6 Sport. Since we have a few X300 Jags on this forum, I thought I might spread the work. PM me and I will give an email address for the Andy bracket people.

I think I read when reading through posts on here that my one has it already. Possibly why I got 28.4mpg on the way back.

[LabRat]

The car is loaded up to the back axles and we're all set for the first holiday in 3 years.

 

Cornwall shiters, if you see a blue Dacia Duster with an AS badge on the boot and a dickhead basset hound on the back seats barrelling round, give us a wave!

 

But first, the prospect of 7 hours travelling from Manchester looms...

[Vince70]

I’ve just taken the Z3 for its Mot and it’s passed with flying colours again without even giving the thing the once over.

It did get a couple of advisories for rusty discs and a cracking rear tyre but I was told it wasn’t worth worrying about as it’s caused by not using it enough and I think it’s the only done 800 miles this year.

 

This afternoon I have my girlfriends daughter popping over as I’ve got to fit two new door mirrors on her lime green mk3 polo so hopefully the door cards won’t have to come off as I’m sure 20 year old VW clips will snap.

[Vince70]

Mirrors are done so the polo now has dark green mirrors on a lime green car and I managed to pry the front of the door cards away enough to get to the screws and no wonder they were loose as two of the three screws were missing but luckily when I pulled the door panel back the other screws fell out, so someone has had a go at the mirrors before me.

 

I just looked at the mot history online for my Z3 and for some reason the garage failed it for headlights being out of line and then passed it again afterwards but they didn’t say anything and it hasn’t taken a whack in the front on the 4 previous mots I’ve put on it.

 

Also it’s got an advisory for considerable surface rust underneath and I can’t work it out as it’s rust free and nigh on bulletproof with the amount of waxoyl it’s coated in so I guess it wouldn’t look good if I came to sell it sometime (not that I would) and the previous year (800 miles ago) it passed without any advisories and I was told by an mot tester then that he hadn’t seen one as good underneath as it’s a bit of a garage queen and doesn’t come out the garage between Oct and March.

 

I wouldn’t mind but my old Rover 416 passed the mot at the same garage without an advisory so I guess the moral is buy a rover and not a BMW lol.

 

But one good thing is I went in my garage and whacked a battery on and I started up my BMW 318 Ti and checked for codes but none came up.

[cort16]

I got this heap home today not helped by a BASTARD of a hangover. I had to drive 50 miles to Kilsyth to meet to the delivery driver, which luckily was late enough for me to be okay to drive. I bought a sausage roll from gregg to try to get something in my stomach after the greedy bastard in front of me in the queue cleared them out by ordering 2 double square sausage and fried egg rolls. The sausage roll turned out to be steak and cheese! Disgusting.

 

Anyway it arrived and about 10 second of cranking flattened the battery. Cleaned and set the points, put the battery on the charger but couldn't a spark out the coil.

After a bit of head scratching and some genuine lucas electrical smoke we found the live from the start solenoid was bollocksed. We ran a wire from the live side of the coil right to the battery and boom it fired right up. Runs like shite when you rev it but I drove it up and down the lane. I've ordered a new switch for a tenner, which should fix it.

Brakes are shite obviously and the clutch is high but not slipping.

 

 

 

 

[MikeR]

I remember them being launched !!!

[SiC]

I'm well jellous of your purchase cort16.

[cort16]

I'm well jellous of your purchase cort16.

I’m glad it’s running . The new solonoid was only a tenner too. I’m going to get it into my lockup and start prodding at it tomorrow .

[Squire_Dawson]

Some Allegro tinkering has been long overdue. I gave it a treat of new windscreen trim as the originals had faded and discoloured and were really detracting from the car's appearance.

 

 

I'd been meaning to do this for years.

 

 

There is a special tool for inserting the trim but I don't have one, so just used a lot of care and an old blunt, rounded screwdriver.

 

 

Looks a lot better in the metal, just need to do the rear now after my sore thumb has gone.

 

Also on the cards was a front brake service, seeing as I hadn't so much as touched them since rebuilding the calipers 5 years ago. All I did was to keep an eye on the pad wear rate.

 

 

Minimum allowed is one-sixteenth of an inch friction material and these were all one eighth inch, so will soon have to be renewed, but not today. The hardest part was extracting the pads as they'd become stuck a little over time.

 

 

I sprayed everything with brake cleaner and wiped off accumulated dust. Plenty of copper grease was applied to the back of the pads and guides, the retaining pins and the sliding yoke of the caliper. Then, I removed all the rust from the edge of the discs, as instructed by the workshop manual.

 

 

I had to loosen the bleed nipples (there is a correct 11mm spanner for this) so lost some brake fluid when pushing the piston back in. It's filthy so needed changing by flushing through all brake lines with fresh fluid. Once the calipers had adjusted up again (pedal goes to the floor the first few applications) I drove the car slowly forward on a clear road to check the brakes. The pedal is now much firmer and the brakes feel much more effective, so that's a good result to me.

 

 

Whilst swapping the wheels around I checked the end-float on the rear hubs, as this is a periodical maintenance task, and packed the bearings with grease. One of the Allegro 'myths' is the rear wheels fall off. This was certainly true of the very early cars, because the retaining washer for the wheel bearing was not of sufficient diameter to cover the outer bearing race. So when the bearing failed the wheel did indeed fall off.

Last on the list today was to grease the front swivel hubs, which are the only grease points on the car and the ones people forget about. I do these every 1,000 miles, although the official guidance is attention every 6,000, I am highly suspicious of these longer service intervals.

The bloody exhaust manifold joint is blowing again. Of all the faults this is one of the most annoying and it's fair to say this is the only fault Allegros suffer from.

[SiC]

The bloody exhaust manifold joint is blowing again. Of all the faults this is one of the most annoying and it's fair to say this is the only fault Allegros suffer from.

But mister, Allegros are the worst ever car made.

[drum]

SD you're making me feel bad about the neglect my allegro suffers.

[Cavcraft]

Incredibly dull like, but I chucked some juice in the Puma this morning, blew up the tyres and proceede to completely DLAC all the way to work, and back.

Going to have to track day it at least once.

[The Moog]

Incredibly dull like, but I chucked some juice in the Puma this morning, blew up the tyres and proceede to completely DLAC all the way to work, and back.

Going to have to track day it at least once.

Let me know when!

 

Moog in laws neighbour in Scotland has got a puma sitting there they are thinking about selling. If i didn't have so many cars I would be asking how much.

[Cavcraft]

If it's a grey Thunder or a 'Black' model, please don't tell me about it.

[RayMK]

Encouraged by the slightly cooler weather and a clear driveway thanks to my son using the V70 today instead of cycling to work, I dug my Reliant out of the garage and drove it round the estate three times then did a longer loop to include a nearby hamlet (very small village, not a cigar).  It behaved and was much quieter inside with the engine cowling re-fitted.  The last brief outing was to the FOD on FotU day when I had to leave the cowling off to prevent fuel vapour locking.  That trip roasted me alive whilst being deafened.  

 

Today, ditto, but 10 miles rather than 5, and went on to the A43 dual carriageway for half a mile, reaching about 55mph.  It would have managed 60mph but a slow Corsa was in front and I wanted to turn off anyway.  Some loose bodywork to attend to tomorrow to stop the rattles.

[The Moog]

If it's a grey Thunder or a 'Black' model, please don't tell me about it.

I don't think it is either. Just 1.7 but a fairly late one.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Despite my annoyance at having to get two new tyres this morning before a drive from Canterbury to Telford, I am really quite impressed by the two Falkens Ecoruns they put on.  They only came to £91 (I think they under-charged us) and after about 70 miles on the motorway, they really settled in nicely.  When the front two need doing, I'll probably just get another pair of Falkens for the front.  I got a full set of Pirelli P1s last October and they've been decent - but quite why the left rear let go, I don't know.  Cost a bit more, too.

 

I'm genuinely impressed by these Falken tyres.  I'm always dubious but it was just a case of needing a pair now and being that end of the month.

 

In other news, driving around Much Wenlock this evening was bloody magnificent fun.