The new news 24 thread

[sporty-shite]

GOOD NEWS UPDATE!!!11!1!1

 

The battery light was a blown wiper fuse.

 

Also found a better stereo under my bed, which I've fitted, and double bonus, it had a CD in it that I thought I'd lost!

[vulgalour]

Quick, buy a lottery ticket or have some sort of fast horse related flutter before this run of good fortune expires.

[shedvan]

Just read about a Princess HLS down in Cambridge for £100. It's beige, has no tax or MoT and is in need of two front wings and a rear door... no pictures.

 

http://leylandprincess.co.uk/forum/view ... p=890#p890

 

I'm happy to help with cross-forum communication if needed, it could very well yield some good parts if it turns out to be a complete basket case, especially considering the price of even halfway decent panels due to scarcity.

 

Why not try to buy the interior trim VA off the fella? HLS have those cool arm-rest chairs don't they?

 

Would make an awesome and do-able mini-roadtrip from north Notts to Cambridgeshire

[dollywobbler]

Princess decided to be ungrateful and try and run me over while I was vacuuming the interior today. Maybe I didn't put the handbrake on all the clicks, maybe it's because I've not yet done the brakes, but it came as a bit of a shock and I was quite relieved neighbours were on hand to stop the car rolling all the way down the drive. I'm holding off doing the brakes until after Monday's RR meet because I'm expecting at least one bleed nipple to break off when I make the attempt, or a handbrake cable to snap or something and I'd rather that happen after I've done the event that I really want to make than just before. So if the weather's good, I'll make the attempt on Tuesday.

 

Surely one of the first rules of driving shite is never trust a handbrake? I ALWAYS leave cars in gear.

 

I'm a bit wiped out after the weekend (which started Thursday and ended just after lunchtime today) but did manage to get as far as lifting the bonnet on the Discovery. I've decided to farm out the timing belt job, to a chap I know who's a former Landy technician. While changing it is within my abilities I reckon, I can also see that it'll be a great way of covering our gravel driveway in a slick of rusty old coolant and oil. I have started to improve the interior though. The seats were minging but the front passenger seat is now vaguely clean, as are the door cards and centre console. Bit sad that the furthest I've driven it since collection is backwards down my driveway a bit - hopefully next week will see it ready for use. Already planning a little laning trip with our neighbours and their Disco 2.

[cort16]

Well the Astra swap went through and this is what I came out the other side with. What you can't see is the big dent in the drivers side and the fact part of the roof mechanism doesn't work but it got me home without going in fire or splitting in half so I'm chuffed.

To do is fix the dent on the door, sort that shit wheel colour, possibly replace a slightly lazy starter out and try to get the roof working then I can drive it around with the roof up while it pisses down in a traditional Scottish summer.

 

saab by cort16, on Flickr

[andrew e]

Aye that looks like a fair trade

[rml2345]

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.

 

Actually got a chance to try and find the loose connection at the weekend and failed completely to replicate the fault. I'll keep searching though as there must be something amiss.

In other news, I found a perished vacuum hose to the ignition control box which may explain the rough idling I get sometimes. A temporary fix has led to much improvement so that'll be mended properly ASAP.

[cort16]

I like the dark wheels, provided they're not chipped or dented I'd leave them.

 

They're are and what's not chipped is flaking off. I'm not keen so I'm going to do them a gun metal grey.

[dollywobbler]

Just pulled the soggy boot floor undermat out of the Disco, in attempt to get rid of some of the straw that seems to be plaguing it (ex horsie owner). Boot floor is in remarkable condition - a fair bit of surface rust, some solid patches but no holes! I'm letting it all dry out and I may give it a rub down and a coat of rustoleum. Tempted not to put the mat/carpet back in to be honest as it'll only continue to hold moisture against the floor. Given the lack of sunroofs, it can only be the alpine lights. The nearside one DEFINITELY leaks.

 

Once the heat of the day calms down a bit, I'll investigate the front brakes to see if I can find why it's pulling to one side. Timing belt kit and other stuff ordered, along with some Dexron III gearbox oil. There are many, many theories about which gearbox oil is best for these, but automatic fluid is the original recommendation and I've gone for fancy synthetic stuff. If I'm lucky, I'll get second gear synchromesh back.

 

In a bid to make the Disco more wife friendly, I might also investigate the bias plate on the gearbox, to see if I can make third gear easier to find. This latter reason is because I'm considering selling the BX. I'm not 100% sure that's a good idea though. Yes, I'm getting fed up with spending so much on its upkeep (£500 purchase, £500 spent so far and still more to do) but if I sell it - probably for about £500 - then someone else gets the benefit of all of my expenditure.

 

As for the Merc, it isn't going to cost me much to keep sitting on the driveway over the summer, so that's exactly what it'll do if the sodding thing won't sell. I'm unlikely to get very much for it as it stands (given the almost total lack of interest in it) so selling it doesn't seem worth the hassle. It's road legal until the end of October. My driveway situation will improve once the 2CV and spare chassis get collected later this month. Merc is currently blocked in so hasn't moved for the best part of two weeks.

[cort16]

The rear brakes are binding on my Smart. I thought I'd fixed it but it's return (probably because of lack of use). Anyway I've not got time to fix it and I want to get it sold. The guy I rent my lockup off has a garage right next to mine so I left the smart outside, put the keys under the door then phoned him about 10 o'clock to ask him to look at the brakes. He thought I'd done this as it needed an mot so ran it up to the mot station . The mot's not out until January next year. It's really my daft fault for not writing on an envelope what I wanted to him to look at. If it passed then a year mot not going to harm the sale anyway.

[Shep Shepherd]

The sun came out today, which made TV2's windscreen decide to crack, right in my line of vision:

 

 

At about the same time that I noticed said crack, I noticed that the N/S/R tyre had a slow puncture:

 

 

 

Luckily, my insurance will cover the windscreen and the tyre seems to be letting out air at a very slow rate, so it will most likely be all right with periodic re-inflation until I can find the time to get it fixed

[cort16]

The rear brakes are binding on my Smart. I thought I'd fixed it but it's return (probably because of lack of use). Anyway I've not got time to fix it and I want to get it sold. The guy I rent my lockup off has a garage right next to mine so I left the smart outside, put the keys under the door then phoned him about 10 o'clock to ask him to look at the brakes. He thought I'd done this as it needed an mot so ran it up to the mot station . The mot's not out until January next year. It's really my daft fault for not writing on an envelope what I wanted to him to look at. If it passed then a year mot not going to harm the sale anyway.

 

It passed. Ah well at least its now got a years mot. I also found the saabs roof issues are down to a burst pin on a UJ that makes the cover go up. Its quite common according to the interwebz.

[skattrd]

A couple of times recently the boring (VW vora tdi) has seemed to stutter on boost. Today on the way back from Newcastle the turbo didn't appear to be boosting at all. I gave it a good bootful a few times, the engine revved fine, but no oomf and no cloud of black smoke*

After a quick correspondence with Cavette of this parish I think it may be the N75 valve. I am currently doing interweb research to see if I can bypass this for now or if there is some way to check it is the N75 valve before splashing out on a new one, hopefully it is that valve, as everything else is more expensive.

[dollywobbler]

That reminds me. Baffling logistics saw the 2CV left at the festival site after I'd finished bus duty. Headed over in the BX so my good lady could pilot the 2CV home. My wife mad no attempt to keep up with me due to a combination of gravity (steep hill straight out of the site) and the BX's tendency to create a James Bond-esque smoke screen.

 

We have at least concluded that the smoke is black, so it's a fuelling issue rather than anything wear or turbo related. That pleases me. I can also conclude that Valeo windscreen wipers are bloody useless. I should know this as I seem to need a pair a year for the 2CV (doing 3000 miles or less). Bought some aero blades - they quite suit a BX and work well in my experience. Sadly the wiper arm doesn't allow them to be fitted. I have an arm they WILL fit somewhere in the garage but when I set out to find it this morning, I accidentally ended up working on the Discovery instead.

[Cavcraft]

A couple of times recently the boring (VW vora tdi) has seemed to stutter on boost. Today on the way back from Newcastle the turbo didn't appear to be boosting at all. I gave it a good bootful a few times, the engine revved fine, but no oomf and no cloud of black smoke*

After a quick correspondence with Cavette of this parish I think it may be the N75 valve. I am currently doing interweb research to see if I can bypass this for now or if there is some way to check it is the N75 valve before splashing out on a new one, hopefully it is that valve, as everything else is more expensive.

 

 

I wouldn't worry too much* about blanking it off. I did a few hundred miles one week without the bastard turbo working at all. What a really enjoyable holiday that was.

 

*If I'm wrong feel free to try and sue me. You can have half of f*ck all!

[messerschmitt owner]

My M reg XM passed its MoT yesterday - been trying out my new local garage too. Had new pads fitted front and back plus mot for £149, and they swapped the spare onto the front as the front n/s tyre had a cut in the sidewall on the inside.

[wuvvum]

The Twingo sold last night to Lovejoy of this parish, who set off in it back to Dorset - not heard yet if the journey went OK, but assuming that no news is good news... 

 

I've now got to stay off eBay for the next few days so I don't end up buying something else - I've got three vehicles (Alfa, Carina and Ducato) to get through a test this month, all of which will probably need a few quid spending on them to pass, and I've had absolutely bugger all interest in the Xedos so far. 

 

I'm trying to decide at the moment what to do with the Rover of Doom (the original one).  It was a great little car, but I don't know if I want to spend money trying to find out why it's lost all its power - I can't bring myself to scrap it either though, as it's still a solid (if rather battered) car and the engine itself is still in fine fettle, starting on the button with no preheat even in sub-zero temperatures.  If anyone can make use of it and wants it for scrap money let me know.  It's still perfectly driveable and will still roll along at motorway speeds - it just takes a while to get there.

[skattrd]

The boring has now clocked up 210k, 50k of that is down to me. The only car I've done more miles in is my mk2 Scirocco (80k).

 

I have been slightly concerned about "mayo" on the filler cap of the Daihatsu Storia. I've been meaning to do a compression test & cemical test on the water for weeks, but just don't have the time, and this weekend I'll be fixing the boring again. I gave up and asked my local garage to do it, not BIL, but the one at the end of my street. All cylinders were withing 10psi on the comp test and the other tests showed no hydrocarbons in the water. Good news for me then, I can now start thinking about fitting normal size springs and a few other things, relocating the battery (so i can fit a bigger one) and an remote oil filter (so you don't need to remove the front of the car to access it). I'm relatively pleased with the garage so they may get a few other bits of work me/BIL can't be arsed doing.

[garycox]

Barrett and I have just bought that beige Allegro. It's pretty great.

 

Pictures and stuff to follow at some point soonish...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

going to pick up this Volvo on Sat morning. I've checked it out on Streetview, doesnt look too great!

 

[vulgalour]

Didn't know Volvo ever did a hue quite so brown before now, and certainly didn't expect to see it on a post 1970 non US model.

[wuvvum]

That 760 does look like it's got a bit of Milford Cubicle going on from the Streetview pic.  Still an awesome colour though.

[ruffgeezer]

I er, yeah, I bought another car, one that I really didn't need but couldn't refuse. It's being delivered this evening. Anyone want to guess?

[skattrd]

I er, yeah, I bought another car, one that I really didn't need but couldn't refuse. It's being delivered this evening. Anyone want to guess?

Xantia ... if not some other Citroen.

[Richard]

C5?

[vulgalour]

Leyland Hippo

[TagoraSX]

I've just bought a 1993 Audi S4 which I hope to collect in a couple of weeks

 

These have almost been engine raped out of existance so I was glad I could save one.

 

[messerschmitt owner]

Ruffgeezer, were you dispatched to buy another van?

[cms206]

Bloody hell, all change in here innit! Minor update, the Maestro has departed the fleet, only to be replaced by something equally red, Austin Rover-esque and 1600ish. It may be good, it may be bad, but we shall see...

[vulgalour]

Did you buy that Montego then?