The new news 24 thread

[Mrcento]

If you think a Mégane is bad,try a Modus.The entire bumper and wheel arch liners have to come off,which is much easier on a lift.Also the bulb holder is very flimsy and they blow bulbs quite often.

The Mégane 3 is easy,pull out a metal strip,which is also a spanner you then use to undo two screws, whereupon the headlamp can be pulled forward.

My mate had a ropey Megane 2, i'm not sure if it was a sign of how bad his was, but it was the easiest bumper i've ever seen to take off, iirc, 2 bolts and the whole unit just unclipped.

 

I also remember however being in my local dealership service dept (in trying to source parts), the guy in front of me was in picking up a megane 2, the woman behind the desk read out the work done and the price.

 

"Replace headlight bulbs, £90 plus VAT".

[artdjones]

My mate had a ropey Megane 2, i'm not sure if it was a sign of how bad his was, but it was the easiest bumper i've ever seen to take off, iirc, 2 bolts and the whole unit just unclipped.

 

I also remember however being in my local dealership service dept (in trying to source parts), the guy in front of me was in picking up a megane 2, the woman behind the desk read out the work done and the price.

 

"Replace headlight bulbs, £90 plus VAT".

The Modus bumper isn't easy to take off , especially as two screws are buried behind the wheel arch liners.About 40 minutes work to change the bulb.

[beko1987]

Funniest bulb change I ever saw was at Halford. I'd limped a corsa c there with the clutch fluid pipe popped off, bought the dot4 I needed and stripped the scuttle and wipers off under a street light.

 

All the while a Halford minion was changing a 206 headlight bulb next to me. I gave him a hand in the end as I'd had a 206 before and knew the fiddly metal clip to hold the bulb in works better if you just remove it fully, fit the bulb then refit the clip, although granted it was harder with hands covered in dot4

[binhoker668]

NB:  Both the stereo and soldering iron are out of skips too.

 

Bitchen.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

If you think a Mégane is bad,try a Modus.The entire bumper and wheel arch liners have to come off,which is much easier on a lift.Also the bulb holder is very flimsy and they blow bulbs quite often.

The Mégane 3 is easy,pull out a metal strip,which is also a spanner you then use to undo two screws, whereupon the headlamp can be pulled forward.

Pity aftermarket LED headlight bulbs are still mostly shite / dangerous. The Modus sounds like an ideal opportunity to fit a pair and forget 'em.

[xtriple]

That motorcycle is a 'Scott' beautiful old 2 stroke, they sound fabulous!

[Mally]

Totally unrelated, but I drove past the old DOT factory yesterday.

Now closed and due for redevelopment it seems.

[cros]

£96 kit from MGBehive to replace prehistoric lever arms is going on...

New track rod ends

Tracking re-set

Tappets adjusted. Exhausts and Inlets had all closed up 2 thou assuming they were right when I bought the car in 2007. Thats a relief as one area that bothered me running a B series on LPG - the centre exhaust valves already run hot due to sharing a port with each other.

I've had a hardtop in the shed for years but never tried it. With it in place you get a few less drafts, but the fit is awful. It may be that the car is out of shape rather than the roof though, might help if I didn't use it as a removal truck...

[Saabnut]

Those MGB hard tops never fit! Bit more waterproof and a few draughts in different places is the usual result.

 

If it had fitted well, then I would have been worried about the shape of your car!

[RobT]

I bet that Gunson Trackrite is a handy thing to have.  Might have to get one myself.

[dollywobbler]

Off to Romford in the Rover tomorrow for an interview, then down to Sussex - Goodwood Breakfast Meeting for Japanese stuff on Sunday. Anyone got any spare Honda badges?

[Tickman]

I bet that Gunson Trackrite is a handy thing to have. Might have to get one myself.

Very handy, mine has paid for itself many times over

[Broadsword]

I may have today left a deposit on an exceedingly cheap XJR8. On the back burner for at least a week since the trader is giving me time to do a fleet cull. Could make for an exciting collection caper though! Will it make it from Manchester to Yorkshire, I’m genuinely not really sure.

[BorniteIdentity]

Will it make it from Manchester to Yorkshire, I’m genuinely not really sure.

Not on one tank of fuel.

[RobT]

Very handy, mine has paid for itself many times over

 

On the strength of that, just bought one off ebay for 40 quid.  Both Xantia and Cavalier need doing, so it's paid for itself already.

 

This arrived yesterday.  Appears sturdier than my old one and better spec too.  I've been meaning to get another for a while, so just before winter seems a logical time to do so.  30 quid off tax avoid-on.

 

 

[cros]

I bet that Gunson Trackrite is a handy thing to have. Might have to get one myself.

It sure is. It seems proper flimsy so I always put a bit of cardboard down first to stop small stones going through it. The plates are only separated by small nylon rollers, but its had some weight on it. It coped with 2 small lorries and a Nuffield tractor (not all at once), though I suppose they're no heavier than a big 4x4. It wouldn't be hard to make something to do the same job, just a couple of plates with small steel rods between them and an indicator to tell you if they're sliding relative to one another.

[1970mgb]

Tappets adjusted. Exhausts and Inlets had all closed up 2 thou assuming they were right when I bought the car in 2007. Thats a relief as one area that bothered me running a B series on LPG - the centre exhaust valves already run hot due to sharing a port with each other.

 

 

Keep track of how much the valve lash is closing up and how quickly. It's usually a sign of valve recession, and means it's time for a valve job with hardened seats. Check them again in a thousand miles or so, and if they've closed up noticeably you need to get that head off sooner rather than later. Letting them recede too far is a recipe for a crack in the head.

 

Also, be cautious with the tube shock conversion. I'm actually rather fond of lever arms, provided that they're in good condition. Tubes can work okay on the rear, but there are a lot of poorly designed front kits that can be downright dangerous.

[Mally]

Keep track of how much the valve lash is closing up and how quickly. 

 

Around 11 years it seems

[1970mgb]

Around 11 years it seems

 

The thing to watch out for is they may have gone 10 years and 9 months without moving a bit, and then closed 2 thou in the last 3 months.

 

Some where is normal, but when recession sets in it tends to accelerate.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...This arrived yesterday.  Appears sturdier than my old one and better spec too.  I've been meaning to get another for a while, so just before winter seems a logical time to do so.  30 quid off tax avoid-on.

 

20181003_144333.jpg

 

20181003_144419.jpg

I thought it looked a bit familiar; I bought this one but haven't had an excuse to use it yet....

[DodgeRover]

IMG_20180921_152124.jpg

£96 kit from MGBehive to replace prehistoric lever arms is going on...

IMG_20180921_152155.jpg

IMG_20180922_124351.jpg

New track rod ends

IMG_20180922_124248.jpg

Tracking re-set

IMG_20180922_124256.jpg

Tappets adjusted. Exhausts and Inlets had all closed up 2 thou assuming they were right when I bought the car in 2007. Thats a relief as one area that bothered me running a B series on LPG - the centre exhaust valves already run hot due to sharing a port with each other.

IMG_20180922_175755.jpg

I've had a hardtop in the shed for years but never tried it. With it in place you get a few less drafts, but the fit is awful. It may be that the car is out of shape rather than the roof though, might help if I didn't use it as a removal truck...

url="http://autoshite.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=215962"]IMG_20180923_110854_2.jpg[/url]

You have an impractical 2 seat sports car on gas I thought it was only me who thought about doing things like that!

 

Oh and the guy with a 100l tank where the back seat of his classic mini used to be and the chap with the lpg garden lawn mower tractor...

[xtriple]

Got the horn working! Yay! No idea what actually cured it, I just cleaned every fuse, every connection, every relay, in fact, if it looked vaguely electrical, I cleaned it! Opened the door and flicked the ignition on and pressed the horn expecting sweet sounds of fuck all and nearly jumped out of my skin as this violent BLART!!!!!!!!!!!! screamed out from under the hood.

 

Bouyed by this rampant success, I got the cassette player to work (original Jaguar dontchakno?) and then washed it to remove all trace of 71 oily hand prints, marks from rusty old bolts, stains from my tears etching into the bodywork as I mourned in silent (not silent) frustration. If I am feeling brave, I 'may' drive it tomorrow!

[SierraMikeHotel]

Watching Steven Spielberg's Duel, amusing myself imagining it's Alcyonecorporation in the Dennis Weaver role.

[bramz7]

Nah he would have changed the radiator hose I reckon.

[cros]

The thing to watch out for is they may have gone 10 years and 9 months without moving a bit, and then closed 2 thou in the last 3 months.

 

Some where is normal, but when recession sets in it tends to accelerate.

I'm not worried about 2 thou as the inlets gaps were the same. They might have been set wrongly by the last owner.

My previous Sherpa (van, not the sports model but still a B series) had massive valve recession when I bought it (no inserts and years of unleaded). I got the head done and it went on to cover 60,000 miles, also on gas, as of when I last saw it 2 years back.

I've no plans to change the front dampers as the kits certainly do pose a huge danger- mainly to your fucking wallet.

[Ghosty]

Watching Steven Spielberg's Duel, amusing myself imagining it's Alcyonecorporation in the Dennis Weaver role.

...?

[wuvvum]

 

On the strength of that, just bought one off ebay for 40 quid.  Both Xantia and Cavalier need doing, so it's paid for itself already.

 

This arrived yesterday.  Appears sturdier than my old one and better spec too.  I've been meaning to get another for a while, so just before winter seems a logical time to do so.  30 quid off tax avoid-on.

 

20181003_144333.jpg

 

20181003_144419.jpg

 

I have to say I was skeptical about these things, but the cheapo Chinese one I bought off eBay has managed to both outboost and outlast all of the "proper" lead acid jump packs I've bought in the past.

[cros]

I may have today left a deposit on an exceedingly cheap XJR8.

Don't worry mate, it'll sponge off.

[R9UKE]

Had this traded in today and I feel it's something y'all would appreciate.

 

Wonderful pleather interior and extremely* realistic wood dash.  Drives brilliantly except for not accepting 2nd gear unless you put it into 1st first..... bizarre.  Goes from 1st to 2nd beautifully every time, but when going down the gears you have to whack it into 1st before it'll go into 2nd.  MOT August 2019.  It's got to be worth something to someone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously though, a lot to be said for these things.  Automatic climate, electric sunroof and windows, rear parking sensors.... all for what would've probably got you an entry level Mondeo back in the day, if even?  At 129k it still feels remarkably solid and everything works including the AC.  Last of the "good" diesel engines too....

[Mrcento]

Had this traded in today and I feel it's something y'all would appreciate.

 

Wonderful pleather interior and extremely* realistic wood dash.  Drives brilliantly except for not accepting 2nd gear unless you put it into 1st first..... bizarre.  Goes from 1st to 2nd beautifully every time, but when going down the gears you have to whack it into 1st before it'll go into 2nd.  MOT August 2019.  It's got to be worth something to someone.

 

IMG_7050.JPG

 

IMG_7066.JPG

 

IMG_7054.JPG

 

IMG_7062.JPG

 

IMG_7059.JPG

 

Seriously though, a lot to be said for these things.  Automatic climate, electric sunroof and windows, rear parking sensors.... all for what would've probably got you an entry level Mondeo back in the day, if even?  At 129k it still feels remarkably solid and everything works including the AC.  Last of the "good" diesel engines too....

The gear thing will either be some kind of inhibitor cable needing adjustment or just a worn/stretched gear linkage.