The new news 24 thread

[Jim Bell]

This evening I purchased another van.

 

DSC_0076.JPG

I did have a bit of a tail wind I think.

I'm the same when all I've eaten is petrol station pasties.

[HMC]

Van you say?

 

 

Just dragged the sprinter Mk1 airport taxi re imagined as a camper out onto the street. It has an OM601 2.3 non turbo with 78bhp. It’s sooo slow, presume this is normal, has anyone any experience? Obv it’s not going to be speedy but it feels like you have to drive flat out just to maintain road speed and not become a mobile road block on hills...

[mercrocker]

Must be camper day - Getting mine back out the barn later on.  MOT Monday....

[brownnova]

I didn’t get the memo... I fired mine up for the first time in about 3 or 4 months LAST Saturday.

 

Third time lucky which isn’t bad considering it usually takes three goes if it’s been stood a couple of weeks...

 

Some remedial work to do on the roof before it’s ready fir trips. But it’s a) a bit windy today and b ) the rugby’s on later so I might leave that for today...

[egg]

'Relax in a Reliant' from Motorcycle Scooter and Three wheeler mechanics June 1969

 

 

[egg]

One more reliant pic from that mag...

 

[320touring]

Van you say?

 

8711ABE8-535A-4304-85D4-42A627F42E65.jpeg

 

Just dragged the sprinter Mk1 airport taxi re imagined as a camper out onto the street. It has an OM601 2.3 non turbo with 78bhp. It’s sooo slow, presume this is normal, has anyone any experience? Obv it’s not going to be speedy but it feels like you have to drive flat out just to maintain road speed and not become a mobile road block on hills...

This is the om601 motor I think? It's the 4cyl 8v version of what I have in the Merc.

 

From my reading there seems to be a few things you can do - in order of difficulty:

 

1. Drive it like a petrol - they are high revving for dervs and don't really do anything useful until past 3k rpm

 

2. Change the fuel filters - mine is now much more drivable, with better acceleration once moving - the old filters were clogged to fuck.

 

3. Make sure it gets up to temperature - thermostat and coolant change needs doing if the temp gauge doesn't get above 60 degrees.Do a service whilst you are at it.

 

4. It's possible to alter the pump timing ( Merc seem to suggest 1 degree per 100k miles to account for wear. I reckon my Merc would take 3 degrees). There are guides on line for how to do this, I have yet to try, and be warned, it could cause problems if not done correctly.

 

5. You can increase the fuelling on the pump, and alter the fuelling rack rate so that you get more fuel for longer. Again guides are available, but it does mean taking the back off the pump - and the van not being running til it is all back together. It's another job I am considering for mine.

 

6. Fit a later Merc turbo diesel engine - the om604/5/6 engines with boost would pep it right up.

[wuvvum]

I had its VW-badged cousin - a MWB LT28 with the 75bhp SDI engine - and that was very similar, needed caning to even get close to keeping up with traffic.  The only upside was that being a 5-pot engine it did sound rather nice when being thrashed.

[Cavcraft]

One of the Pumas wouldn't start the other day. Remote locking wasn't working, so opened door with key, car wouldn't go. Changed (fob) battery for known good one, got advice on how to re-set the remote, nothing doing. Asked my mate who does mobile key replacements and coding, he said to try the re-set sequence.

Still nothing, so put the jump pack on car (was convinced it wasn't car battery, but thought I'd try it). The alarm sounded, the remote worked and the car started.  

 

Verdict: bell end 

[Cavcraft]

Van you say?

 

8711ABE8-535A-4304-85D4-42A627F42E65.jpeg

 

Just dragged the sprinter Mk1 airport taxi re imagined as a camper out onto the street. It has an OM601 2.3 non turbo with 78bhp. It’s sooo slow, presume this is normal, has anyone any experience? Obv it’s not going to be speedy but it feels like you have to drive flat out just to maintain road speed and not become a mobile road block on hills...

 

Are they the same old lump as in the old 308D type vans? 

[shoddybanger]

I've been bathing in brake fluid again. I wonder if I'll ever get these stupid Nubira rear brakes to work properly. Here's hoping.

 

So the rear left brake was making ugly sounds again. My earlier attempt at replacing the pitted caliper piston last summer ended in failure due to a non-fitting replacement part. I had acquired a known good piston now, so away we go, yet again.

 

The Daewoo Nubira/Gentra, a.k.a. Buick (Excelle), Chevrolet (Lacetti/Optra/Optra5/Estate/Nubira), Suzuki (Forenza/Reno), Holden (Viva) and what have you..

 

One of the slide pins was stuck. This was a new development of affairs. Cleaned and going back again.

 

The pitted old piston, which I'd tried to clean and reuse last summer with poor results.

 

New piston in place. The new rubber boot just didn't want to sit nice in the groove. It'll seal, I'm sure*

 

A bleed and new set of pads later it's back to working order. Meanwhile, the left rear brake has started binding in the Trajet. Wonderful.

[Skizzer]

I wonder if I'll ever get these stupid Nubira rear brakes to work properly.

That’ll be the Daewoo.

 

 

 

(Ba-dum tish.)

 

Fingers crossed for you.

[HMC]

Are they the same old lump as in the old 308D type vans?

 

The very same I think. Bit of a crossover of the new body but the most gutless of the pre- cdi generation emgines

[HMC]

I had its VW-badged cousin - a MWB LT28 with the 75bhp SDI engine - and that was very similar, needed caning to even get close to keeping up with traffic. The only upside was that being a 5-pot engine it did sound rather nice when being thrashed.

Good, hopefully a service may help a bit but it sounds like that’s what they are like. With a long enough stretch of my local MIRA I had it up to 75 on the sat nav, eventually!

[Christine]

Mike had time to lend a hand.  Even with a scaffold bar, me on the footbrake, and all Mike's strength neither front hub nut will budge.  They're both FAR too tight.  Going to see if a local garage can get them off with the big gun and then retorqued to the correct setting so we can do the wheel bearing and CV boot replacement at home.  They're on that tight that with me on the foot brake and all Mike's strength on the scaffold bar you can hear the brakes beginning to let go.  Someone has dogged these up WAY too tight.

 

 

[HMC]

^ Liked also as they were road registered (California plates)

[Split_Pin]

In here again to try an improve the connections in the temp and fuel gauges. M2 shake proof washers are too small though, I have ordered M3 now and put it all back together for the 3rd time.

[dean36014]

I've discovered a Vel satis 3 litre diesel automatic for sale locally me at 699. How quick would this bankrupt me? It's done 88k from new. What, other than the autobox obviously should I be looking for as problems? It's got a full mot. I should I see if bramz still has his Volvo estate for sale?

[Ohdearme]

Bottom corner of imps Jag wing has made a bid for freedom.

 

 

Also, nicked a battery charger off my dad and got the Galaxy fired up again to collect a double bed for the sprogs room.

 

Woman complimented me on the Galaxy ‘Can’t go wrong with a Galaxy, we loved ours, etc’.

 

She was oblivious to the whiff coming from the driver’s rear brake as that side seems to be binding a bit.

 

Much heat in the wheel but too we tot poke about again today.

[SiC]

I've discovered a Vel satis 3 litre diesel automatic for sale locally me at 699. How quick would this bankrupt me? It's done 88k from new. What, other than the autobox obviously should I be looking for as problems? It's got a full mot. I should I see if bramz still has his Volvo estate for sale?

Same engine as used shortly in the Saab 9-5 and Vectra C. Pretty spectacular how many problems they can have. No one will want to work on it either.

 

If it's working and at a throw away price you can afford, it'd be a worth a laugh.

[wuvvum]

That 3-litre V6 diesel engine is thunderously shit.  Gearboxes can poo themselves but aren't as bad as Renault's in-house efforts, however the rest of the electrics can and do go haywire on a regular basis.

 

If you have a masochistic streak and can afford to lose £699, then by all means go for it.

[Mrs6C]

Romania gets another metre of motorway!

 

It was ruled illegal though as it didn't have a construction permit...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47582694

[dollywobbler]

Romania gets another metre of motorway!

 

It was ruled illegal though as it didn't have a construction permit...

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47582694

 

I can't say I'm vastly surprised to learn the roads are dangerous. They all drive like maniacs and make the M25 look like a gentle amble in the park. That said, I think the closest we came to actually dying on the Romania trip was in Serbia...

[catsinthewelder]

Twice within a couple of KMs just before the Bosnian border.

 

I think the first was a Iveco van overtaking a lorry on a bend then shortly afterwards a Renault 4 had broken down on another bend and we had a scary 3 cars on 2 lanes moment when an oncoming car didn't see it until the last moment.

 

Closest I came to dying was that layby in Romania with the abandoned aeroplanes.  It was really peaceful and quiet and I stepped away from the car as Ian was filming and was very nearly hit by a black 4x4 full of heavies that had entered the layby at about 70mph.  They were rather unhappy so we made a sharp exit.

[Cavcraft]

The very same I think. Bit of a crossover of the new body but the most gutless of the pre- cdi generation emgines

 

Bullet proof/reliable/totally gutless.

[Split_Pin]

Tackled the rusty rear arches on the Audi today. Thankfully it was all surface rust only.

 

Offside:

 

 

 

 

Nearside:

 

 

Got my trusty bandfile out

 

 

 

Down to bare metal:

 

 

Vactan on and wait for it to dry:

 

 

 

 

Ten quid ebay touch up bottle is a good match. I'll add another coat when I come back later today.

 

Still a ten footer but looks better than the rust.

[Skizzer]

Nice job there. I need to do the same with the Accord. Wish me luck matching silver as well as you have with the blue.

[SRi05]

Looks a zillion times better, good job

[holbeck]

This year I decided to holiday in Citroland.

[R9UKE]

I'm currently on the mainland and in that beautiful position of having to find something interesting to drive back to Belfast after delivering a Mercedes CLK to my aunt in Walsall.

 

 

I had a Renault Megane auto lined up, a potential next car for my grandmother, but the ebay auction was pulled early.  Having not won the Buick roffle..... I'm seriously struggling for something to buy.  The last two times I have done this, it was a 2006 Laguna V6 Initiale and a 2005 Cadillac CTS (formally of this parish), both of which I still have.  But didn't mean to keep.  I just ended up liking them that much.

 

Must be petrol, preferably auto, preferably a ridiculous engine size and wafting points are always welcome.  The closer to Birmingham the better. Should be capable of doing 300 miles up to Cairnryan in comfort.  Around £1000 would be nice. Even more points if it's cheap enough to flog back in Belfast for enough profit to make it a free trip home!

 

Been looking at Saab convertibles, big Volvos.....  There's a Pug 407 SW V6 Exec in Manchester for £995 which might end up being the back up plan.  It's bloody typical.  Usually I'm sat on the other side of the Irish Sea salivating at what is out of reach.

 

Anything you happen to come across, I'd be happy of the link.

 

Thanks chaps.