The new news 24 thread

[Lankytim]

Ok, not THAT car, but you get what I mean.

[dollywobbler]

I investigated what sort of a job replacing this broken pipe would be on the BX and after getting my face sprayed with LHM, decided I really can't be arsed with it. Called my insurer to investigate what sort of breakdown cover I have. I don't have home start, but if I'm a mile or more away from home, then all is well and I can have the car taken wherever I like.

 

So, at some point in the near future, I'll be seeing how far I can get on the 70 mile drive to Hereford. I've a nasty feeling that it might all go wrong somewhere near my mate's house a few miles away. At least, I hope it makes it that far...

[vulgalour]

I was cleaning car parts in the shower - as you do, I wasn't showering at the time - and picked up some Astonish brand bathroom cleaner by mistake only to discover it's an excellent engine parts degreaser! The Astonish is £1 a bottle and is far more effective and less harmful to bare aluminium and paint than either Jizer degreaser or Cillit Bang while also being cheaper than the aforementioned products. I love happy mistakes like that.

[plasticvandan]

best engine cleaner/degreaser i found was the cheap W5 engine cleaner from lidl,presumably they dont follow our health and safety laws and it seems to have much stronger chemicals in it,plus its cheap

[ruffgeezer]

I've been chased down today, and offered a 1994 Citroen Zx advantage, it's got a good spec but a knackered headgasket, and a grotty strut top, around £150 is the asking, it is straight and clean, but at the same time I do not need it at all...

 

C'mon Autoshite, tip the balance for me?

[hairnet]

In other news, I'm trying to decide what on earth to buy next. I got in a right state last time and ended up with a Mercedes that did my head in right up until the moment I decided to sell it. A Xantia V6 seems a nice idea, and there's an Activa on Ebay tempting me. But given that complicated cars invariably end up doing my head in, neither of these choices seem that wise.

 

So what about a Ford Cougar? Mondeo underpinnings, 'interesting' styling and I found one for just £295 with long MOT. Yes, it comes with an enormous To Do list, but anything is at that money. But am I actually going to look at it and consider it well bought? I doubt it. I've been looking at Rover 75s again as well. I would like another - V6 auto this time (shame Norfolk is so far away) perhaps. Maybe that's the answer.

 

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C384384

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mazda-6-2-5-G ... 3a80a713fc

[sporty-shite]

306 passed MOT today. Yay! It failed last week on a track rod end and ARB drop link. However, once fixed, it decided to spew the contents of the PAS system before firing parts of the pump all over the road. Fitted a new (to me) one last night, and wanged it in today. Just have to tax it tomorrow

 

Now it's all driving nice and lovely, I'll probably get it in my head that I need a change, and go out and buy something shit

[vulgalour]

@ruff: For the cost of repairs you might find yourself making a profit if it still has ticket on it. You can't go that wrong at £150 for any car, most must weigh in for about that.

[Lord Sterling]

Last Sunday after picking up an ebay purchase from Stourbridge, I passed through Halesowen I remembered a old fella who lived up in some sort of 'Keeping up Appearences' type housing estate who drove a 1995 Rover 827 Sterling in Grey, absolutely identical to the one I have stored away same year too. I called at his house hoping to talk with him, I noticed the car seemed to be living out on the street since he had his driveway re-paved or whatever.

 

The car seemed to be looking noticeably rougher than when I first saw it. It hadnt been washed for a while, his wife answered the door and we got talking about the car, she obviously knows that he loves his car. I passed my contact details to her in case he wanted any help with hus car, the old boy and his wife are getting on a bit.

 

Our cars:

 

The old lad contacted me yesterday and we spoke for a good 40 mins, he intends to keep it for as long as he can, hopefully I can help him keep it cleaned and maintained.

 

The phone call to the old lad followed a call I made to a lady selling this:

 

Again we must have spoke for a good 40+ mins or so, apparently this car belonged to her father who passed away some years ago and it has sat there ever since, which is shame. She is looking to move it on for scrap money but is resisting the scrap man. I'd personally love to out this car back on road but finances and space are a problem for me

 

I said I'd pop up and help get it started if I could, the girl drives a Rover 416 SLi which I shall try and privide the wheel trims.

[cobblers]

I got a hand taking the screen out today, we broke it but that wasn't a surprise - it's scratched and chipped all over the place so it was scrap anyway.

 

I was surprised at how bad the window aperture was once I got the screen out though. It looked like this on both sides, and didn't leak noticeably

 

Turned out being like this:

 

I was expecting a hole or two, but not as bad as that - I can't believe it never leaked. No big deal though, weather permitting I'll get it done over the next few days.

 

HAVE SUM OF THAT, LOCAL PROPERTY PRICES!

Actually, if I keep this up, in a few years I'll be able to afford to buy next door or something.

[cort16]

Astra failed it's MOT but not too bad. 2 rear shocks a binding brake and a wheel bearing. I actually think the wheel bearings okay and it's just the rear brake being a fud.

All quality* parts ordered and hopefully it'll have a years test next week. I'll also change the oil as it looks pretty bogging.

[Vin]

Mark Radcliffe on 6Music just mentioned that Barrett passed his driving test. GOOD WORK

[dollywobbler]

Mark Radcliffe on 6Music just mentioned that Barrett passed his driving test. GOOD WORK

 

Brilliant. That's two people I know mentioned on 6Music today.

 

BX is now awaiting recovery. I got just off the driveway before the STOP light came on, and then managed to get another couple of miles before stopping and awaiting recovery. That two mile journey must have cost me a fortune in LHM.

[skattrd]

Mark Radcliffe on 6Music just mentioned that Barrett passed his driving test. GOOD WORK

Are we sure that this is the right Barrett?

 

If so, well done sir, now how's the Bond coming along? booked the MOT yet ?

[dollywobbler]

The BX is still loitering roadside. Not impressed. The specialist receiving it is going to have to undertake a night shift at this rate. Good job his premises are behind his house - but it's a ballache for him that I wish I wasn't responsible for.

 

Nipped over there in the Merc just to make sure it had gone. It's amazing how that car has transformed itself in my view. It's very lovely and I'm an idiot to have considered selling it.

[Pete-M]

This isn't prime Autoshite material, but it is lovely and built in a kind of Autoshite mindset.

 

 

It's only just been built, but it has been done really well, and if this place had bikes I reckon a CX500 Café Racer would be on the 'most wanted' list.

[cobblers]

Right so, I did one corner after work. It looked like this:

 

So I went at it with a wire wheel for a bit and it was a bit more like this:

 

I didn't really like the look of rust in the corner, it's not really possible to get the grinder in to cut it out and subsequently grind the welds back. So, I got the dremel out. You know you're in for a bad time when you're doing car body work with a flipping dremel.

 

Anyway, I had to dig a load of braze out - VW fill the seam with braze to make it smooth so that the screen seals, I needed to get rid of all this before welding to it, cos obviously you can't mig weld steel onto brass.

 

I wasn't about to buy the proper repair panels for this job because luckily my mate bought a splitty that had a few window repair sections in the back amongst boxes of shit. They are almost a perfect fit, and nice thick steel so I robbed a couple:

 

Did the usual grind/try/grind/try/grind/try thing a few hundred times, got the bits to fit really well (so well that they didn't need holding in the holes) and then welded them in real quick.

 

Welding when not upside down getting bits of hot steel dripped all over you is so much easier, as you can see by the standard of weldage. I'm quite pleased with that especially considering my welder is originally from Aldi and the wire feed motor is out of a broken hot chocolate whipping machine.

 

Here we are at about half 7 when I decided it would be about time to put the grinder away - I'll flap wheel it all back and it'll only need a really light lick of filler:

 

[barrett]

Mark Radcliffe on 6Music just mentioned that Barrett passed his driving test. GOOD WORK

Are we sure that this is the right Barrett?

 

If so, well done sir, now how's the Bond coming along? booked the MOT yet ?

 

Yessir!

 

Bond is no closer to being on the road than when I got it (less so, actually, seeing as half of it is under my bed and in the loft). Needs lots of money throwing at it but now I have the impetus to get it moving we'll see what the state of play is in a couple of paychecks time... Meanwhile, I should be picking up a sensible* reliable* modern* attractive* capable* car to get me to the office and back THIS WEEKEND (if I can borrow some money off my boss and get the insurance sorted). Expect an epic* collection thread at some point soon.

 

[michiel]

Nice. Eight or Ten?

[dollywobbler]

If it's that actual car, it's an Eight I think - less bling. If it's a really povo one, it won't have an opening bootlid. 1950s Autoshite!

[Rocket88]

My first motoring memory is watching a very old lady burn out the clutch on one of these trying to negotiate a hairpin bend on a very steep hill.............

[skattrd]

Went to the garage to give the boring it's bi-monthly oil change so I could spend tomorrow preparing Italian shite for Chumley. Oil change done, but I noticed that the coolant was low, leaking rad, it also has a split cv boot and one of the TRE's has a knackered bush on it. As the boring is used for work, and therefore more important, I suppose I'd better fix those things before playing with rusty Italian shite.

 

... oh and the rear shocks on the boring appear to be getting a bit spongy. I fitted the current shocks 18 months ago, and the car's only done 40k or so on them, I'm not impressed. They've been added to to do list, but not urgent.

[Junkman]

This isn't prime Autoshite material...

 

Says who?

 

It's only just been built, but it has been done really well, and if this place had bikes I reckon a CX500 Café Racer would be on the 'most wanted' list.

 

Doubt it since a Maggot isn't shite.

[michiel]

If it's that actual car, it's an Eight I think - less bling. If it's a really povo one, it won't have an opening bootlid. 1950s Autoshite!

 

Ah yes. What a great idea, no bootlid...

[Negative Creep]

Yugo has sold on ebay to someone who bid with a few seconds left - and lives in West Sussex. So, what do we recon people?

[vulgalour]

Since I've replaced all the knackered fuel hoses with good ones, the carb on the Princess is leaking fuel, but this time not from the hoses but from somewhere on the casing itself. It doesn't leak every time, but when it does leak there's petrol dripping straight onto the exhaust manifold which I'm not happy about. Obviously, I'm not using the car at the moment because of this* but I'm wondering what the best course of action is. I've tried cleaning it out again, though there wasn't much of note in the carb to warrant it, and it's neither made things better nor worse. I expect it's rebuild kit time, I know from the first time we dismantled this one that the long brass needle had to be straightened and other replaceable components were looking worn. The float seems to be fine and doesn't appear to be perforated so I don't think that's the problem.

 

Is there an option to the £50 rebuild kit? Am I missing something obvious?

 

 

*I'm also not using it because I've got to wait for the BX insurance policy to expire and to save up enough cash to insure and tax the Princess simultaneously now she has an MoT. Annoyingly, I can't just transfer the Princess onto the BX policy as Admiral will only put her on a classic policy which means starting a new one. Typical.

[barrett]

It's not that actual car, but it is an Eight. No bootlid or ignition key, or seatbelts. sliding windows, crossplies, 110 per cent pure 1950s shite. Hopefully picking it up on tuesday evening. EXCITING!

[Cavcraft]

It's not that actual car, but it is an Eight. No bootlid or ignition key, or seatbelts. sliding windows, crossplies, 110 per cent pure 1950s shite. Hopefully picking it up on tuesday evening. EXCITING!

 

Brilliant, always loved the look of the 8. Bet the crossplies will make the handling interesting* though!

[michiel]

^what cavette said^

[dollywobbler]

As far as I know, the BX is still sitting roadside awaiting collection and transportation to Hereford. I'm a bit worried that people might be able to find out where I live by following the trail of LHM through the village...

 

Not impressed that it has taken so long to shift it. Should be moved by lunchtime today, but they never indicated that it could take 'up to 48hrs to collect' until I'd signed it over to the AA. Rubbish!