The new news 24 thread

[Cavcraft]

Yep, looks like the pushrod engine to me and sounds like they always did. Think they spurred on myriad Chinese copies like Hongdu, Lifan and other such shit. It's defo a CG anyhow because the exhaust is rusty (they must come like that from new) but it's a bit posh because it has an eleccy start.

 

I'll get an insurance quote sometime this or next week, think I have a year's no claims from the Vespa still so hopefully it'll be about £65 TPFT.

 

[dollywobbler]

266 miles to Brum and back today for a funeral. Which might explain the lack of humour mode in the 309 thread...

 

Peugeot decided it didn't want to go. BX just isn't up to it. So, trusty 2CV again, even though it STILL needs a service. Oh well. Modern oils are meant to be better these days anyway...

 

My ears hurt, my back and shoulders ache (took the non-motorway route on the way back, LOTS of corners!) but the little tin snail does it again. No issues at all. Surprised a few cars on the twisties as well, including a new Range Rover that couldn't hack the pace - or saw the ridiculous body lean and decided to back off.

[dollywobbler]

They say romance is dead. Not a bit of it! The BX has been taken in for surgery today. First of all, the new glow plugs arrived. Look out of the window - very wet, even by Welsh standards. I wrap up in a waterproof coat and trousers, grit my teeth and head out. I got two of the plugs changed before I gave up. Water was getting down my neck and my big hat kept tipping water all over the engine. This at least meant that the BX now starts first time, albeit still with smoke and general reluctance. I consider that an improvement.

 

Then I had to get the replacement tailgate into the boot. I drag the wife out bed (happy birthday dear!) and we struggle to get it into the back of the BX, an experience made more exciting by the fact that the current tailgate is trying to fall off due to a broken hinge, and has no struts to hold it up. We got it in though.

 

So, I set off for the place that's doing the welding, discovering that the roads are absolutely awash. The wiper was thumping the bodywork at the bottom of the windscreen and the car was steaming up enormously, largely due to the fact that the carpet is soaking and the rear wiper/HRW don't work.

 

My poor wife's day isn't over though, as she now has to drive to Aberystwyth to pick me up. In a Mini. By the time she arrived, the Mini was in full-on dogging mode, with steamy windows that even Tina Turner would be proud of. Driving a Mini in these conditions means keeping the revs up, so the alternator can actually provide enough juice to power the wipers, headlights and heater. I'm very glad our DIY ignition shield is still working though. I hit a few deep puddles on the way back and the Mini kept soldiering on. Most unlike a Mini!

 

Before I get reported for domestic abuse, I would like to point out that while it is indeed XX years since my wife was born, she celebrates her birthday in June, as do many with a birthday so close to Christmas. So I haven't really been a horrible husband. I think... She's great anyway!

[Skizzer]

It's a CG125 thing. "Make Sign of Holy Pushrods".

 

Basically, if you've got a CG125, then you need to know about these things.

My first bike was a CityFly with more or less the same engine. I didn't know about MSoHP, or much else about bikes tbh.

 

The big thing with that bike was that the (manual) choke had to be in exactly the right position or it would cut out. This involved a lot of riding through rush hour traffic while bending over so my right hand could grope around in the engine to find and adjust the choke, hoping all the while that I wouldn't need it for braking

 

Fun once it eventually warmed up though

[Cavcraft]

The merry-go-round continues.

Zafira just gone and been replaced by something that'll probably have a few people (inc. Pete M) exploding with disbelief. Today's new entry into the Cavette HQ car park is a Corsa C.

 

Not just any Corsa C you understand, but a lawnmowertastic 3 cylinder 1.0 special. Kudos and much doffing of hat to the lad who drove it 330 miles from Cornwall up here, that must have been the journey from hell and no mistaking.

Anyhow it's earmarked for my son who is very happy about it. No accounting for taste is there?

[tonedepear]

For some reason I quite like these, specifically with that engine. Don't tell anyone though.

[Cavcraft]

Been for a blast on the CG, what a laugh. Sounds/goes just how I remember them: not exactly a rocketship but bloody good for commuting and mega on fuel.

 

Corsa seems ok, engine sounds wheezy (because it is) but not a bad little car and my lad is chuffed to mint balls with it.

[Lankytim]

I had to drive a 1 litre Corsa C from Newcasle upon Tyne down to Bristol once. It was a horribly abused example, full of Mc Donalds wrappers and full of dents. It was slow and sounded like it had a bad misfire but whizzed along OK. You did have to cane the living shite out of it though.

 

Did a bit of work on the 240 today. Removed a previously untouched cubby hole cover in the boot and found a large LED torch (minus charger ) and the obligatory green petrol can. Bonus! I used the bonus petrol can to syphon petrol out of my donor 240. The seller said that it didn't run as there was no petrol in the tank, RONG! I only managed to get 5 litres out before I ran out of time but given the pressure that the petrol came out I recon theres quite a bit more left in there. DOUBLE BONUS.

[dollywobbler]

Had a go at re-assembling the Pug's exhaust today. Not sure what's going on with it really - there's an odd ribbed section that's quite thick. I think the problem stems from the fact that this section won't crush down to seal tightly against the back box. To add to the woes, the exhaust seems set to pivot on this very section as there's no support (as designed I think) for the system other than on the silencer and the downpipe where it attaches to the manifold. I've got it back together now, and it survived a rather frantic test session (empty country roads and three days without driving meant I properly enjoyed myself!). I think I'll have to nip down to the local garage at some point and see if we can sort something out that might last longer than five minutes. I was surprised it hadn't fallen apart again by the time I got home.

 

With that semi-success, I finally changed the alternator belt, so hopefully no more squealing on start up.

 

I must say, the 309 is huge fun to chuck down a country lane. Steering that has actual feedback and surprising urge (plus a somewhat rorty exhaust note due to the aforementioned) mean you have much more fun than a lowly-spec car should be. I was looking at the facts and figures. The 0-60mph time is a lively 12.3 seconds! Considering that the only lesser engine fitted to these was a 1.1, that seems pretty brisk. The only downside is that it's very easy to go from second to fifth rather than third. That slows the acceleration somewhat...

[gdhaydock]

Had a 1987 Pug 309 1.1 in the mid 1990s. Seem to remember the acceleration from a standing start was fairly miserable, but once you actually got it moving it was lively, coupled with the fact you didn't need to slow down for corners made for a fun experience. The engine was the old simca derived unit, therefore sounding like a sewing machine on steroids!

[dollywobbler]

Aye, the 1.3 is still the Simca unit too! Thrashy. The weight is the key thing - a kerb weight of about 870kg compared to 1322 for a 308 diesel...

[greengartside]

I went to have a look at the potential MGZR purchase yesterday and I took some photos of the chassis leg that's bent. To be fair it doesn't look too bad but then again I'm not a bodyshop expert. What do you guys think on here? I have managed to get the car for £150 scrap value so it's probably more worthwhile to do now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lankytim]

I can't see any damage?

[DSdriver]

Did you get an engine with it?

[greengartside]

I can't see any damage?

 

That's what I was thinking. There's been a repair to the leg at the firewall end as it's gone rusty but all the owner has said that it scrubbed that side's tyre out quickly - that would be pizz-poor tracking, no?

 

DS Driver - I didn't get an engine with it but I will save up for one as this would be a long-term project.

[DSdriver]

Probably a good idea to get it measured up on a jig to make sure the chassis isn't twisted before throwing any money at it. I bought a Celica once that handled badly, it looked OK but when it was checked it was 3/4 inch shorter one side than the other.

[cort16]

I think with these things it may look okay but it's not until you get it properly checked out will you know for sure. You could go ahead with it but it never drives right.

Hard to say no for £150 though.

[ashmicro]

Get it checked properly before you chuck any money into a drivetrain. I have to say it looks OK to me too, and I've had a Rover 25 for almost 10 years, so am familiar with what it's supposed to look like in there. Best of luck with it, and for £150 and a few bob to get it professionally checked, even if it's no-go, you'll get money for the interior and rims/bumpers/exterior trim, plus weigh-in money.

[trigger]

 

This photo would worry me, I would like to find out if there is meant to be a kink in the front crossmember before getting to carried away, also without a engine you'll need to factor in transportion costs to get it from yours to a bodyshop to get it on a jig (which isn't cheap on it's own).

 

That all said for £150 you wouldn't be out of pocket if it all went Pete Tong and you eneded up breaking it for spares.

[ashmicro]

Hard to tell from this pic (my car has an engine in the way), but the front x member is supposed to look like that

 

 

It's shaped like that to allow the steadybar to mount.

[trigger]

That makes sense then, In that case it all looks pretty straight under there then, When we used to get crashed damaged cars in for repair at my old work 9 times out of 10 the front chassis leg would be kinked, as yours has no damage I'd say the chance of anything too dramatic happening under there is pretty slim.

[dollywobbler]

Hoorah! It's not raining! Cue a desperate bid to dry out the fleet. Mini's carpet is out (there was a puddle), Peugeot's roof is back (have sealed the sunroof screws with a strategic piece of aluminium tape for now) and the 2CV is also getting a rare chance to dry its floors out. I really do need to sort out some covered parking.

 

Wasting my time really. Forecast for the next few days is heavy rain. Bother.

[Cavcraft]

Can't go wrong at that sort of money.

 

Finally getting off my arse and doing some jobs to the Audi. MOT is due soon so new wiper blades brake light bulb getting fitted. Ordered a new temperature coolant sensor (only £18.00 new all in from VAG) to hope that cures the lazy temp gauge problem. If not seemingly it's a dash out job to get to some twittytwattytwoo sensor thing behind it. It's also got a slight diesel leak from the pump somewhere, will probably hhave to jetwash the engine then leave it running a while to see if we can spot where it's coming from.

Local VW dealers quite helpful, said to have a look and they'll see if they can get the part as VAG started using different part numbers for VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda even when they're the same bit, so I might need to go to Audi which is seven miles away.

 

Fitted the nicely charged up battery to the 106, it fired up first crack so I gave it a quick wash and walked round it. Not sure if an aftermarket cat will be good enough to pass the MOT so pondering whether to sell it 'as is' but take a hit on it or go mad and lash out £39.75 on a new exhaust with cat.

[Wilko220]

This evening's events included watching about 20 minutes of the Top Gear 'India special' before finding something better to do.

Perhaps, in due course, someone else can fill me in on the absolutely fucking hilarious way in which they ended up mindlessly wrecking the four classic cars.

[Richard]

Simply tune into Dave and watch whatever episode is playing there, it'll be exactly the same.

[Cavcraft]

Just watching it now. Already had one 'completely unstaged' incident involving a Mini with some cans of food on the roof, a bit of getting stuck in traffic and some twattish driving.

[gdhaydock]

And venting the aircon on the Rolls (Probably R12 gas) straight to atmosphere ....... (Staged or otherwise, I bet they get a few complaints)

[ashmicro]

And venting the aircon on the Rolls (Probably R12 gas) straight to atmosphere ....... (Staged or otherwise, I bet they get a few complaints)

 

 

Was thinking the same thing myself.

[RoadworkUK]

Yes. It wasn't very good.

 

Been out shopping in OMG JANUARY SALEZ. There's something wrong with me because I genuinely enjoyed it; spending money Nic and I got at Christmas on pots and pans, towels and ephemera for the house we should be moving into in Jan some time...

 

I'm even looking forward to decorating.

 

I should probably think about working on the cars at some point, too.

[dollywobbler]

I should probably think about working on the cars at some point, too.

 

Indeed. Some of us are eagerly awaiting Rover Cambelt Part Two - this time it's even more painful!