The new news 24 thread

[bramz7]

Fair play regarding the Saabs, they don't sound like my cup of tea now!

 

In other news the silver XM went yesterday. I got to drive it for about a mile and it was lovely. Soft leather, decent feeling plastics...the bill (and potential bills) soured it mind.

Very glad I've got a VSX TurboCT to go and get next weekend.

[OwdChina]

Evenin all

Now I know that NASCAR isn't much liked in Blighty,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but, this is going to be a bit special.

Charlotte Motor Speedway has been modified to include a road course inside the oval track, and has been christened the "roval". Instead of blasting round and round the oval they now come off the corner banking and onto the road  course for about half a mile before rejoining the oval.........which now has a chicane added to it. This is the first time it's ever been raced on and I'm watching practice day right now....2.2 miles of carnage.

This one will be worth watching.

Saturday evening around 7ish your time for the less powerful cars.

Sunday evening around 7ish for the highly powered cup cars.

 

Enjoy, this ones gonna be good !

[skattrd]

Fair play regarding the Saabs, they don't sound like my cup of tea now!

 

In other news the silver XM went yesterday. I got to drive it for about a mile and it was lovely. Soft leather, decent feeling plastics...the bill (and potential bills) soured it mind.

Very glad I've got a VSX TurboCT to go and get next weekend.

 

Dibs on the TCT XM, if it's an auto

[panhard65]

Just seen an Excel station wagon on the road in rural Devon (A3072 at Bickleigh). Huge, mint and fugly; is there a more gopping front from major manufacturer?

Do you mean Edsel as there is one that I spotted a few weeks ago.

[kirton]

That's the one (damn autocorrect)

[danthecapriman]

That’s gorgeous! You want ugly try a Shitroen DS!

[spike60]

I know the vultures on AS do like a bit of rot, - as long as it's someone else's.  This is what our 57 reg workshop Transit pick up  looks like under the plastic step cover. It still has a test until the end of year.

 

[fordperv]

Rotting like a good ford should

[Broadsword]

How has the seat not gone through the floor yet?

[cobblers]

Fucking hell, that makes my talbot express look good!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Jesus Christ on a bicycle!

 

Which is, incidentally, the mode of transport your workshop will be using from hereon...

[Fumbler]

Landscaping Transit from '09 was beginning to have the same issues. Entire wheelarch and half the sill was being consumed alive. The entire vehicle was pummled though so no big worries.

[Richard]

My old work van failed its MOT for crispiness this year. 2007 Transit. 

 

30/07/2018 14:00 Fail

Mileage:

142,017 miles

+ 1,600 miles travelled since last MOT.

Refusal Notices

• Offside front brake pipe excessively corroded to rear (1.1.11 ©)
• Nearside seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced foot step (7.1.1 (a) (i))
• Offside seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced foot step (7.1.1 (a) (i))
• Nearside front seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced to rear sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))
• Offside front seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced to rear sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))
• Nearside rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected floor (5.3.6 (a) (ii))
• Offside rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected floor (5.3.6 (a) (ii))
• Offside rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected corner (5.3.6 (a) (ii))
• Nearside rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected floor (5.3.6 (a) (ii))
• Offside rear suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected floor (5.3.6 (a) (ii))
• Nearside rear inner suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected arch (5.3.6 (a) (ii))
• Offside rear inner suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded to the extent that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected arch (5.3.6 (a) (ii))
• Offside rear tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))
• Offside suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 ( (ii))
• Nearside front wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 ( (i))
• Rear service brake excessively fluctuating (1.2.1 (e))
• Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Advisory Notices

• Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
• Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
• Nearside front inner rod end has play
• Under van is corroded

[wuvvum]

That’s gorgeous! You want ugly try a Shitroen DS!

Wash your mouth out with soap!

[wuvvum]

I know the vultures on AS do like a bit of rot, - as long as it's someone else's.  This is what our 57 reg workshop Transit pick up  looks like under the plastic step cover. It still has a test until the end of year.

 

DSC_02621.JPG

Bloody Nora, and I thought mine was bad...

[danthecapriman]

Wash your mouth out with soap!

No it’s true. The DS is imho the ugliest car of ever.

 

Besides, if you get an Edsel you get to drive a car with a clunge on the front! Now who wouldn’t want that!?

[Joey spud]

 

Two birds with one stone and all that,here's my 900 after i gave it a serious session with G6 and farecla polish earlier.

 

Now sold and off to its new home in the morning.

 

It wont stay that red for more than a couple of weeks mind.

[Lacquer Peel]

The Maxima now has 13 months MOT and the 405 has 12 months.

 

The Maxima really needs to go, and I need to decide whether the 405 does as well, it probably should, I've too many cars.

Is the 405 diesel?

[wuvvum]

I have had at least a dozen classic 900s of varying flavours (from 8 valve carb to full blown T16S) and I never really had any issues with the handling, except on the convertible I drove once which felt like it had been sawn in half behind the bulkhead and tied back together with hairy string.  My last T16S was my daily for nearly a year until the head gasket let go, and I got quite adept at hustling it along shite Norfolk B-roads.  The steering takes a bit of getting used to in tighter corners though, due to the lack of any Ackerman geometry.  The 99 is actually a better handling car than the 900 ('cos shorter overhangs and better weight distribution), but the 99 never came with PAS so the better balance is offset by the amount of arm twirling you have to do as you wind the massive steering wheel through its 8 turns lock to lock.

 

I never did rate the 9000's handling - I've had loads of those as well (even did a track day in one once) and they are good at sweeping corners but always feel like a massive unwieldy understeery barge in tighter bends.  The exception being the Carlsson, which was a revelation compared to a "normal" 9000.

 

GM 900s aren't brilliant either - they're a bit soft and wobbly and understeery.  The same shape 9-3 is a marked improvement, although even that isn't going to trouble a 205 GTI down a twisty road.  The later saloon 9-3 is better, although it's a tweaked Vectra C underneath so it's safe rather than exciting.

[bramz7]

Is the 405 diesel?

Pretty sure it's my old 405 Auto. Lovely old thing. Dented but lovely.

[MarvinsMom]

fleet update.....

 

lexus fixed and seeming ok, "new" alternator was £130 and it cost another ton too get it fitted. and it was it seems a mare of a job. the bottom mounting bolt was siezed solid so solid in fact it snapped... and to get at it to drill it out the front roll bar had to come off. oh and the multiplug thing in the back was a melted mess.. joy!

 

orange mini is fine, as is the metro. but the tax on them is up, so the metro has been put away for the winter, along with the motorcycle in one of the lock ups. the mini won't be far behind it, with it too going away for the winter.

 

black mini? well i'm not talking to that.... i assume its ok as i've not bothered even looking in on it again this week (shame.....) though whether it comes out to play anytime soon remains to be seen. have tried to fix* the flickering reversing lamps on the boot lid. by screwing in the switch into the gearchange housing. its worked so well that the reversing lamps are on all the time in 4th as well as reverse. little twat.... no more signs of OMGHGF save the dampness George saw in the exhaust port for cylinders 1 and 2, no mayo under the cap or clouds of clag outta the (now commically?) small exhaust. BUT i wouldn't trust it to go to the end of the road and back..... its gotta go. end of.

 

as i was without a proper car last week for work, marvin the metro had to step into the breach. which he did magnificently. sadly the track upto the digs is that rough still, i decided that the best thing was to pop marvin in a quiet corner of the carpark and get the landlord to come and pick me up. i care enough about the car not to scrape the hell out of it floor, or pull the exhaust off going up and down the track, so, come the end of the week, the rumour round the office was that the metro was broken down, and bets were been taken as to how i was going to get home.... well come hometime, i got into the metro, with a touch of choke, the car burst into life at the first touch of the key. and all this, while one of the daft kids outta the office was stood next to the car, to witness this faultless start. good ol' marvin. 

 

so the drive too and from work took me a while longer than usual, but at least i made it.

 

and the rover 75? well that is supposed to go off tomorrow for its new fly wheel and clutch. so maybe i'll have that to use next week? either way, come hell or high water, next week i will be driving a proper full sized car next week, touch wood......

[wuvvum]

I'm sure Ken's offer of £100 for the black Mini still stands.

[MarvinsMom]

^i'm seriously thinking about it.......

[Mrcento]

I know the vultures on AS do like a bit of rot, - as long as it's someone else's.  This is what our 57 reg workshop Transit pick up  looks like under the plastic step cover. It still has a test until the end of year.

 

DSC_02621.JPG

That's even worse than my "replaced in 2013" Land Rover discovery rear crossmber

 

I really must grab up to date pics, it's a bit special. Quite a lot of space where there should be structural metal

 

 

[skattrd]

Is the 405 diesel?

 

No, 2.0 pez, auto estate with moo and working a/c

 

Pretty sure it's my old 405 Auto. Lovely old thing. Dented but lovely.

 

I think it is one of your old cars, not that that is a rarity around here

[spike60]

How has the seat not gone through the floor yet?

Surprisingly, the seat is secure, as in it doesn't move when you rock in it.  I don't think we'll be getting a a 2nd opinion from the MOT man even though t passed in Dec 2017. No one has had it on a ramp or lifted the mats yet.

It's not the worst I've seen, one of our Police vans pretty much had only the chassis and outriggers left at the rear, the floor panels had turned to cornflakes at 9 years old. Yup, another Transit. Good job it was boarded out!

[brownnova]

I never did rate the 9000's handling - I've had loads of those as well (even did a track day in one once) and they are good at sweeping corners but always feel like a massive unwieldy understeery barge in tighter bends. The exception being the Carlsson, which was a revelation compared to a "normal" 9000..

I find the 9000s handling perfectly acceptable. She hustles nicely through the sweeping bends and yes tight bends can unsettle her a little, but if you get the power application right and don’t mind body roll you’re fine. Haha.

[RobT]

Xantia drive belt AGAIN (after last Saturday's aborted attempt).

 

 

I bought some torx bits yesterday specifically for the bolt in the middle of the tensioner, but access is so tight it won't fit, despite looking reasonably accessible.

 

 

Starting to annoy me now....I'll probably admit defeat and get my friendly mechanic to do it. It's no doubt a 10 minute job for someone with the tools who knows what they're doing.

[Saabnut]

I don't think I can procrastinate any longer. Grass mowed (hopefully the last time this season) and sausage roll & coffee demolished. Now to the Sonett...

 

I hate working on carburettors and one appears to be flooding (started at the end of the day at Prescott) so needs a strip and a look to see what is going on. I may be some time......

[Ghosty]

GTi is putting mayo in its header tank.