The new news 24 thread

[oldcars]

Is it supposed to?

Hope so 

[alcyonecorporation]

Took the SVX for an evening trip to Partridge's last night.

 

They're notoriously awful on fuel, but, like Piazzas, give better economy when run on super unleaded (I set an IPTOC record on the way back from the AS Cumbria run; no-one has ever managed more than 30mpg and I got 35mpg).

 

I'm lucky enough to work very close to the cheapest source of high-test in Peebo, so it gets topped up now and again. I was expecting figures in the low teens, to be honest.

 

The SVX managed 21.5mpg, which may seem piss-poor when compared to billion mile on a thimble of piss and chip fat farting XUDs (which really aren't that economical in the scheme of things), but:

 

1. It has no PCV hoses or canister (they've....erm....disappeared)

 

2. The exhaust isn't really metal any more, it's patches of weld on top of rust

 

3. The brakes are beginning to drag as the pads are down to the metal, so unless it's going to the garage it's getting warmed up and run in work's car park (and that's it).

 

4. Official urban figures for the SVX are quoted by Subaru as 19.3mpg.

 

5. It's a full time 4WD, 1.6 ton, automatic lard arse.

 

I think with the problems sorted and some decent tuning, 23 or 24 mpg around the doors would be possible. I've had surprisingly good results out of the Impreza before (then again, that isn't goosed, windscreen surround aside).

 

Leonard pisses 55-65mpg whatever you do with it, hilariously, but it isn't an SVX.

 

Also, the SVX isn't quick, but it can use what it has in mostly shite weather, despite it being hilariously rearward biased in the snow.

 

[We absolutely did not play Gran Turismo 2 at Partridge's. Partridge is a fucking motherfucker on Seattle Circuit, btw; never challenge him to a race. We found out the Alaska flyover depicted on that track was demolished in 2014, much to our chagrin].

[oldcars]

The thing with mine is it's intermittent - sometimes it will decide the door is closed and switch off the warning on the dash, then a few seconds later it'll come back on again.  That's probably why it flattened the battery - if the door warning was on permanently then the interior lights would have switched off after a few minutes, but if the warning was coming on and off all day then the lights will have come on again each time.

I have this problem with the boot in the winter. Seems to stick with the cold. It opens but bounces closed. I got round it by locking the car with it open then closing it. Seems* to work.

[egg]

Road rage is a strange and scary thing. Driving along the A1 southbound a big Audi SUV rocked up about 3 feet off the rear bumper of the Xantia of excellence. No space to move to another lane, decision made to pull out a healthy gap, besides driving in the slow lane on the A1 leaves you very vulnerable to people ramming into you front the short slip roads.

 

The act of the Xantia leaving the Audi for dead seemed to set the red mist off with the Audi driver. He pulled up alongside, overtook, pulled in front and tried to pull us in a lay by along with him. Then he swung the other way pulled back up front and slammed the brakes on, then blasted off at a stupid speed. Unplugged the dash cams shortly afterwards so might make for interesting footage. The Xantia has front and rear cameras.

 

That's bloody annoying. Seems like you handled it well!

 

He's obviously late with his PCP payments #genericAScomment

[Tadhg Tiogar]

This popped up on the Thunderbird facebook page and had to share it.

600px-Eerie-eric-iron-lung-bubbletop6.jpg

More information can be found here.

https://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Eric_Goodrich%27s_Iron_Lung

I think it looks great but already there is a comment about a Thunderbird had to die to build it. Which isn't exactly true as all he used were a few body panels and there is very little Thunderbird in it. Whatever you do don't look at the front end as you will need eye bleach, from every other angle though it's pretty good.

 

I hope the ventilation's alright. Can't be much fun driving half a goldfish bowl in full sun / heat.

[Lacquer Peel]

The Passat has been throwing up a manifold pressure sensor code which sends it into limp mode, it can be caused by sticky turbo vanes so out with the Mr. Muscle!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ah, bollocks. There's enough of a stud left to grip with the molegrips, fingers crossed.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Have you driven a montego Vulg? I know you had a maestro but they are a lot more refined.

You could practise your welding too, nothing dissolves faster than a Montego except a Rover 213.....

 

 

...or a sierror or an escrote or a chavalier

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Borat went into workshop for new front wheel bearing, so I'm slumming it on the London Underground for today.

[SierraMikeHotel]

I am sitting in a Mercedes main garage. I was passing and pulled in on a whim to get a price for the couple of jobs that need doing. Place your bets now for how much I'm about to be bum-raped...

[SiC]

My 9-5 has had a dead alarm battery since I got it, which means that it randomly goes off when locked off the fob. Solution - lock off the key. Job done.

Disconnect the siren. You'll get a warning message on the SID, but that's better than the alarm keep going off.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Borat went into workshop for new front wheel bearing, so I'm slumming it on the London Underground for today.

 

UPDATE: needs a steering arm bush as well. Never mind, cheap enough, do it.

[shedenvy]

The Passat has been throwing up a manifold pressure sensor code which sends it into limp mode, it can be caused by sticky turbo vanes so out with the Mr. Muscle!

 

 

 

Good luck with the stud.

Notice you've got a blank, have you tried the EGR 'race' tube and vacuum system simplification?  Definite placebo horsepower to be gained.  The vacuum system mod is free!

[Lacquer Peel]

The EGR blanking kit is just a couple of plates blocking manifolds where the EGR valve was attached, installed by a previous owner, no 'race pipe' here.

I've gone through the vacuum system and replaced old hoses but I'm not totally sure what I can delete and what can stay.

The stud is stuck fast and I can't get purchase on it with my mole grips.

Could this work?

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-extractor-set-5-pieces/1112v

[Hertz]

Remember this?

 

 

Managed to replace the rear lights which are made from Unicorn blood, paint the front bumper and give it a wash then advertise it. Tried car and classic for a week and had absolutely no one biting at all. Then popped it on ebay as a classified ad and the inbox was HOT. A chap from Devon bought it straight away unseen and collected it within a couple of days. Even after I had ended the listing I still got people messaging me to see if it was actually sold. They don't all end as good as that obviously but just shows you that there is still interest in the rare and quirky.

 

 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Remember this?

 

IMG_20181105_144632035.jpg

 

Managed to replace the rear lights which are made from Unicorn blood, paint the front bumper and give it a wash then advertise it. Tried car and classic for a week and had absolutely no one biting at all. Then popped it on ebay as a classified ad and the inbox was HOT. A chap from Devon bought it straight away unseen and collected it within a couple of days. Even after I had ended the listing I still got people messaging me to see if it was actually sold. They don't all end as good as that obviously but just shows you that there is still interest in the rare and quirky.

 

As long as you managed to sell it for more* than you paid for it.....

[wuvvum]

Also, the SVX isn't quick, but it can use what it has in mostly shite weather, despite it being hilariously rearward biased in the snow.

I do recall my SVX being somewhat tail-happy when I drove it in the snow.  Not ideal in a great big wide barge on a narrow residential street with cars parked on both sides.

 

I have a vague memory that there's a fuse you can pull out which locks the centre diff, which may help.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...I have a vague memory that there's a fuse you can pull out which locks the centre diff, which may help.

 

Certainly a mention of it

[shedenvy]

The EGR blanking kit is just a couple of plates blocking manifolds where the EGR valve was attached, installed by a previous owner, no 'race pipe' here.

I've gone through the vacuum system and replaced old hoses but I'm not totally sure what I can delete and what can stay.

The stud is stuck fast and I can't get purchase on it with my mole grips.

Could this work?

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-extractor-set-5-pieces/1112v

Access round there for drilling etc is shocking though. I'd have thought welding a bolt onto what's left might be easier*. Reportedly those easy-outs are shit too. How about the locking wheel nut remover type tools that grip on the OD and have a reverse thread? Need one in about 10mm flavour though.

 

[stonedagain]

The EGR blanking kit is just a couple of plates blocking manifolds where the EGR valve was attached, installed by a previous owner, no 'race pipe' here.

I've gone through the vacuum system and replaced old hoses but I'm not totally sure what I can delete and what can stay.

The stud is stuck fast and I can't get purchase on it with my mole grips.

Could this work?

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-extractor-set-5-pieces/1112v

There's no need to fuck around with blanking plates/egr removal. Just block the vac pipe that goes to the egr valve, job jobbed! I just cut the head off a 6mm bolt, cut the vac pipe, then joined the vac pipe back together with the shank off the 6mm bolt. egr valve now permanently closed.

[richardmorris]

some ferrari models outside earlier. plus the Lancia and I think a Maserati racing model.

[Lord Sterling]

^^ Ah! So that's where I left the Ferrari.

[richardmorris]

^^ Ah! So that's where I left the Ferrari.

 

back off  - they're now in my private collection

[richardmorris]

plus

[SierraMikeHotel]

Sticky parking brake is fixed, and they did a free "visual health check" for me. It's a fair list including several bushes, a pair of brake discs and a pair of tyres and the price they quoted is laughably enormous.

 

I'll put a proper update in my chod thread once my local garage have got back to me with a quote for the same work.

 

As an example Mercedes wanted £336 for a pair of Continentals and my local place can do them for about £250. If they can reduce the rest of it by that percentage I'll be happy.

[Guest Hooli]

plus

 

Nice to see proper good looking sports cars rather than the gopping mess they sell these days.

[Lacquer Peel]

Access round there for drilling etc is shocking though. I'd have thought welding a bolt onto what's left might be easier*. Reportedly those easy-outs are shit too. How about the locking wheel nut remover type tools that grip on the OD and have a reverse thread? Need one in about 10mm flavour though.

 

Access is a lot easier with a longitudinal engine, I can't see a problem getting a drill in about the stud.

 

I put it all back together, of course it's leaking exhaust gases and making chuffing noises from the blanking plate due to the broken stud but it seems to go well and it hasn't thrown up any error codes.

[dozeydustman]

Done 500 miles in the Saab since Saturday morning, back and forward to Kent for family and funny handshake stuff. I still have 1/3 tank of diesel left and according to the SID computermabob, still have 230miles range left and averaged 59.2mpg. I'll settle with that for a 202k miles diesel that is essentially fucked.

[Mally]

The stud is stuck fast and I can't get purchase on it with my mole grips.

Could this work?

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/screw-extractor-set-5-pieces/1112v

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001ILB1LC/ref=asc_df_B001ILB1LC57005869/?tag=googshopuk-21&creative=22110&creativeASIN=B001ILB1LC&linkCode=df0&hvadid=256502455094&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11824405314946060129&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046663&hvtargid=pla-436527894175&th=1&psc=1

 

You want this sort of thing for the stud, but bigger dia.

Providing theres room to get it on.

[Richard]

These are good if there's enough sticking out https://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-4393-Impact-Stud-Extractor/dp/B001DYRDU2/ref=sr_1_5?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1542823411&sr=1-5&keywords=stud+extractor

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Bit f**ked off with the fleet at the minute.

 

Obviously the Merc needs the timing chain replaced. Picked up a second Roomster to do me in the meantime.

 

But when the car you've bought to keep you mobile starts needing attention as well it's easy to get fed up.

 

The front passenger door lock has gone all VAG - it won't unlock. I've pulled as much of the door card back as I can with the door closed, and can see the handles are doing what they are supposed to do. I suspect the deadlock bit of the lock isn't disengaging, and short of smashing the lock off from inside the door there's not much else I can think of.

 

On top of that the front drop links have decided to start doing "skeleton wanking in a biscuit tin" impressions, and the front electric windows don't work.

 

The other Roomster tried to set itself on fire in the midst of all that, the wiring to the boot lid had become damaged at some point, and a previous owner had replaced a damaged section with some wire that was far thinner than it should have been so was doing its best impression of a fuse. There were other wires just twisted together and some floating loose. Fixed all that and the rear wiper now works (it never did before)

 

Why go to the bother of stripping everything just to do a half arsed bodge job????

 

I'm fed up if I'm honest, the Kawasaki needs money spent on it, the honda vision I picked up needs more work than I thought and my project CB200 hasn't progressed at all.

 

I long for the day I reach automotive nirvana and everything just works at the same time.

 

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