The new news 24 thread

[Cavcraft]

And verily the Lord* do giveth working electric windows upon thy 306 and thou was so grateful thou threweth thy half eaten mouldy Cornish pasty at though nosey knobhead near neighbour's car.

 

 

*Halford's, fuse department.

[wuvvum]

I finally managed to get the oil change done on the Rover today. Neither the motor factor in the village nor the one I usually go to in Norwich had the correct filter in stock, so I had to go to Halfrauds - they produced one which looked completely different but fit OK so I went with that. Unfortunately what I didn't realise until it was too late was that whilst two of the 2-litre bottles of Castrol GTX Magnatec semi-synthetic oil I'd found were 10W40, the third was 15W40, so the car now has a litre of oil in it that's thicker than the rest. I don't think that kind of thing will bother an L-series too much though. Flush with success, I then changed the oil on the AX, using cheapo 20W50 and a filter I bought last week - that went without a hitch, although the engine still rattles and clanks just as much as it did before.

 

I've now given up on the Honda Bali - the fugging thing still showed absolutely no interest in starting today. So I shoved it into the corner and wheeled out the Spacy, which I hadn't touched for months. That now has a rather dodgy contact on the ignition switch, which means the key has to be in exactly the right place or it won't play ball, but once that was sorted it fired up easily enough on Easystart - it wouldn't run on petrol but I think the carb is gunked up - unfortunately, 30-year-old Japanese Philips screws being what they are, I can't take it to bits to clean it out, so I think I might have to fork out for a replacement. It should be a fun thing to potter about on once I do finally get it running properly - although it weighs about twice as much as the Bali.

 

I also replaced a dodgy-looking bit of fuel line on the LNA, and measured up the brake pipes on the Volvo. I've found the elusive front caliper off the Volvo at the back of the shed (whilst looking for my tube of Hylomar, which turned out to be on the passenger seat of the Rover ), so with a bit (OK, a lot) of luck the Volvo should have working brakes again in the relatively near future. Then all I need to do is find out where the hell Volvo have hidden the flasher relay so I can get the indicators working again, wire in a new screenwash pump and get my friendly local garage to fit the new rear suspension bushes that have been in the boot for the last five years, and the old crate should be ready for a test.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Today I was thinking "with all this rain, I do hope the Sprite spontaneously becomes less weatherproof" and like magic the drivers side window fell off its runners.

[Lord Sterling]

Got the Sterling back after it failed the MOT on various items. Its cost me £367 for these various jobs including MOT fee, the lqnbda sensors have been sorted, the sills have been welded, the underside completely sprayed with Hammerite, the handbrake has been sorted and a caliper replaced, exhaust has been resealed, properly, the oil and air filter changed.

 

Not bad a price for the amount of work, but it has again taken a huge hit on my bank account which isn't looking to healthy.

[rml2345]

It's alive! Fuck only knows how though as the fuel pump relay didn't seem to make any difference and the breakdown chap said there was no power going to fuse 11 (In tank pump). All Ive done is push stuff down on the fuseboard and swear so thoroughly confused...

[cobblers]

More than likely a biff connection or joint on the fusebox or something, I'd personally give the whole thing a prodding with the engine running to try and pinpoint the dodgy joint when you're in the dry on your drive, rather than have it fail in the middle of the night, in the rain, in hull.

[stuboy]

I'm sure you are all bored to tears with pics of my new Cav but these are the last pics I promise! Taken today at Capesthorne Hall.

 

I really am very happy with how it has come up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yes

 

yes

 

yes

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I managed to get away from boarding lofts and painting skirting boards yesterday and get down the garage for a bit. Sadly a ‘full day of HOT MASER ACTION’ turned into about 2.5 hours after I had ticked off the list of house shite that needed doing IMMEDIATELY. Enough to weld a small patch on the chassis leg and fit some new petrol pipes!!! Dismal.

 

I have ordered a snazzy MLS head gasket off eBay for the Rover van however so maybe I can get a bit of time in on that soon.

[RobT]

Today is my birthday and I've spent it tinkering with shite and clearing out my garage. The Sierra is back on home soil after being used by Fatha T since March (he was a bit reluctant to part with it!) and today's jobs included hammershiteing the rear of the NS sill to cover up surface rust from a previous welding job, fix the rattling tailgate by adjusting the catch, a new set of wipers, remove the roof bars to give me an extra 0.43mpg, clean and re-gap the plugs, and hoover the interior.

 

My garage was looking like a hoarders paradise so I've now got rid of two E30 seats, two new Montego rear exhausts (CBA with ebay), loads of other assorted BL/ARG trim I'll never need, and miscellaneous household crap like nine nearly empty tins of 5L paint. This means the garage is now long enough to fit a mk1 Rover Sterling in, just need to find one for sale now

[Lord Sterling]

Happy Birthday Rob! You'll find a mk1 Rover Sterling at some point, just keep on looking, they always turn up.

 

The KV6 is worrying me. Yesterday after picking it up Steve told me about a noise coming from one of the cambelt areas, something inside the cambelt cover seems to tap when the engine is cold, he tried to take the cover off and whilst one bolt came no problem, the just seemed to turn and turn.

 

Whulst driving home today I kept on hearing some sort of knocking noise, it seems to be coming from the front brakes so it looks like the car will be heading back there soon.

[vulgalour]

Happy Birthday, RobT. Today, I found a local garage that'll pump up the Princess for £20 providing he still has the relevant fluids. He seemed excited at the prospect, always a worrying/reassuring sign.

[cobblers]

Pump up the Princess sounds like a late 80s band from Doncaster.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

if he hasnt got the right fluids he can use more or less anything as long as its water based and unlikely to freeze, I would suggest perhaps some Quatro or 'Tab Clear'

[vulgalour]

Thanks for the tip, MrB, I seem to remember certain antifreezes are okay as well? I may be wrong on that one and am presently too lazy to internet for more info. Sorry I never chased up about borrowing your machine, stuff and things happened, you know how it is.

[trigger]

I appear to have just bought a Vauxhall Vectra. I fail at life.

[Lord Sterling]

I appear to have just bought a Vauxhall Vectra. I fail at life.

 

I like Vauxhall Vectras, but how and why did you manage to buy it?

[trigger]

A work mate is going into the TA for a year and his wife can't drive so the car was going to end on on the driveway unused, it's a 52 plate new shape 1.8i LS in red, 116k with mot and tax until August, pretty tidy old bus too.

 

It needs a wishbone apparantly but at £250 I couldn't say no. Just call me Billy from now on.

[wuvvum]

I bought a Vectra C a week or so ago Trig so you're not alone in your shame.

 

£250 does sound like a bargain for a T&T'd motor, even one in need of a bit of work. They're not a bad old bus to drive either - although mine's a 3.2 so has a fair bit of grunt, which helps.

[Pillock]

Polish it up, get a wishbone on and you'll pocket a fair old profit. And I guarantee it'll be pulled by the police on a council estate somewhere for being driven with no insurance and having a bag of weed tucked above the sunvisor.

[trigger]

These are as good as photos I've got at the moment, I don't think it needs much doing to it really.

 

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

your mate could have put it on eBay with photos as good as those. Looks shiny though!

[RobT]

For the first time in five years I've only got two cars, the Sezza and the Metro:

 

 

I'm going to see something small and French after work tomorrow so hopefully it'll be back up to three soon. I can't find a Rover I want at the moment, missed out on a 416 GTi a few weeks back, so this may help pug the gap

[Cavcraft]

Between Weds and yesterday I did 594 miles (Chester-Lincoln-London, London-Lincoln-Chester) in the 406. It ran a treat, pulled like a train and was really comfortable, which are pretty much all the reasons I took that and not one of the diesels.

If I've got my figures right it's averaged 35mpg which is fucking ace for a pez, but it'd have been shit loads cheaper in the diesel with veg oil.

[Cavcraft]

And the Corsa has just been sold!

[trigger]

My mate dropped the Vectra off this afternoon, it looks pretty good for the money, Obviously it's a lovely shade of Pogweasel pink but that mean I had get it looking nice with my mop, it also needs a pair of front tyres and this wishbone, It only has one key so I'm going to have to google if it's easy to get a cheap spare, the drivers electrci window switch for the passenger window doesn't work and it has a power steering light warning on the dash, again I need to look into that.

 

Still for £250 I can't complain, my mate's only just had a clutch fitted at £459!.

 

2002 Vauxhall Vectra 1.8i LS by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

2002 Vauxhall Vectra 1.8i LS by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

2002 Vauxhall Vectra 1.8i LS by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[cort16]

That Vectra's gagging for a good mopping.

[retrogeezer]

what a bargain, makes my Cavalier seem very expensive!

[trigger]

I'm really pleased with the Vectra after spending a few hours tinkering with it, I got to use my new Karcher pressure washer which was ace at getting the dirt off it and then i went through a few of the faults, the power steering warning light was a easy fix, a quick google showed the PS reservoir was in the wheel arch so I took the wheel and splash shield off, topped the bottle up and bingo! the lights now gone.

 

The bulb warning light was also a easy fix, the side light wasn't on so a quick tap of the light and it started working again, double bonus!

 

It badly needs a pair of 215/55/16's and the front shock has also had it, it also knocks on full lock so that maybe the part of same issue, the wishbones look fine though, I just need a nice day now to attack it with my polishing mop!

 

I've also gone though the stacks of paperwork, it's a ex Vauxhall car that was loaned to Asda back in 2002 and it has cruise control fitted which impressed me.

[Shep Shepherd]

^

£250 for a fundamentally sound 10 year old car? I definitely would

 

Pawnote: I drove what must have been one of the first Vectra Cs imported into the UK when I briefly worked as a new car delivery driver in the summer of 2002. I was impressed by its solidity and by how easy it was to drive. I also got a chance to see them being put together when I visited the Opel factory in Russelsheim in 2003

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I always think they look pretty appealing those Vectras, they seem nicely detailed and are a good size and the interior lokos pretty nicely made too. However I've never driven one and am aware that doing so might put me right of them, i'd still like to give one a whirl though, to be fair to Vauxhall I am a fan of the Mk4 astra driving experience. On the other hand of course, ALL VAUXHALLS R SHIT etc.