The new news 24 thread

[Cavcraft]

After 2 years of pretty sterling service, the Transit has gone. Pondering replacing it, but it seems pretty much everything under £1500 (or a bit more) is rubbish. There seems to be plenty of ticking time bombs in the commercial vehicle world to the extent where it's probably impossible to buy with your head, so might just take a gamble (not an Italian one though) and see what happens.

[clayts450]

10 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Right then.  I've got some Rover 400 (R8 shape) bits and pieces up for grabs to put some peanuts in the house move fund since that's happening.  Any of you lot need anything?  I've got, amongst other things, a pair of headlights, some random bits of trim, some electric window switches, and a brand spanking new genuine Rover boot lid.  Concerto rear lights and rear panel are also available.  Mike's not that fussed about taking on the spares with the car, which is why I'm looking to sell/rehome these items separately.  I can post anything, providing the cost is covered, though collection from Middlesbrough preferred.

I'll do a proper listing of this and other stuff I'll be shifting but if any of it doesn't sell by the end of November it'll go in the bin because I'm not moving house with it.

Would you happen to have a beige keep-fit window winder handle  ? I've got one without the round bit at the end.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

The Friday morning CX electrical report from Monsieur Dubois is not very good.

Engine bay wiring in generally poor state to the point of being a fire risk in places, "mostly bodged", so he will install a parallel circuit for now to ensure that the alternator gets its signal and will charge the battery so that the battery warning light goes out as it is supposed to.

To try to return the wiring to anything like standard (he's had 3 CXs himself and claims to know them inside out) will take at least one full day and cost a minimum of £700. I think we'll leave that job for later in the year or in the New Year. I just need the car to work for now so I can take it to shows and run it to the stables at weekends without the spectre of a flat battery ever hanging over me.

The camshaft pulley also needs attention as it appears distorted so he'll do that.

'tis not all bad news. He took it for a spin and says he was impressed by how strong the car felt (not surprising as it has barely covered 80,000 miles in 30-plus years) and he confirmed that the body, floorpan, etc. requires nothing at the moment (probably because it spent most of the eight years up to October 2017 sitting in a garage or a shed).

Somewhere along the line I'll have to spend the money to have the electrics properly restored. Just not now.

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

After 2 years of pretty sterling service, the Transit has gone. Pondering replacing it, but it seems pretty much everything under £1500 (or a bit more) is rubbish. There seems to be plenty of ticking time bombs in the commercial vehicle world to the extent where it's probably impossible to buy with your head, so might just take a gamble (not an Italian one though) and see what happens.

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

[vulgalour]

clayts: unfortunately not.  No beige trim or window winders available.

[Mally]

39 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

So if you sit inside with the doors and windows closed, and sneeze.

Free Jumbo!

[Cavcraft]

47 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

They do seem cheap and, as you say, always bloody dented. It's funny* how certain vans in a certain price range all have the same faults. Can't find a Renault Trafic/Vauxhall Vivaro under about £1,300 that hasn't shit it's injectors or gearbox, a Mk6 2.4 Transit that has more than 2cms of metal that doesn't need welding, or a Mk7 Transit that hasn't lunched it's engine. Think I'll aim for another Mk6 2.0TDCi to be honest, it'll be rusty but a few months MOT and it being driveable are all that matters.

 

Anyhow, just won another motor on eBay...

[Alex66]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

What you need is an LDV Maxus.  Plenty of those for under £1.5K, and they don't rust like Transits either.  The body panel dent if you sneeze within 10 feet of them, but you can't have everything.

What is the general reliability of these things like? I have fancied turning a van into a camper just because it would be a fun project and they looked to be a reasonable size. 

[wuvvum]

I've never had any reliability issues with either of mine.  Build quality is flimsy and the gear change is horrible, but the engine is a well-proven VM unit and doesn't seem to be particularly troublesome.

[dollywobbler]

I have a unit!

Pretty much living the dream then. It's not on my doorstep, but then my doorstep won't exist from October. Should easily swallow up my fleet and all my associated crap as well.

[mrbenn]

Excellent. Looks a decent size!

[Cavcraft]

57 minutes ago, 83C said:

Yep, cheap vans are now awful. Gone are the days of finding a Mk4/5 Transit with 6 months ticket and a floorpan mostly consisting of iron oxide for £500, that you just knew would serve absolutely fine because even the most ham-fisted, lead footed twat of a driver would struggle to blow the old 2.5 Di up. Same for old Renner Masters and Bedford CFs. 

I got lucky with the Transit I had a few months ago, but to be honest cheap modern vans give me the fear now. In the shite end of the market, I'd want the most rust-free (or already had half of Port Talbot's yearly production welded in) early Mk6 Transit that I could find, with the 2.0 TDDi lump, and I'd have to budget at least £1500 (probably closer to £2k)  to find one like that.  Otherwise, I'd seriously consider buying nearly new something that has been looked after, and taking the hit on depreciation instead. Newer vehicles can and do go wrong, but spunking a decent amount on a looked after or new van that hasn't been thrashed and trashed by someone who doesn't own it and therefore doesn't care about the repair bills is a pretty decent argument against potentially forking out for injectors, clutch/DMF, gearbox, several miles of welding etc on an older van.

Definitely. Can't justify something fairly new though as it wouldn't get the use and thus wouldn't pay for itself, sadly. 

46 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I've never had any reliability issues with either of mine.  Build quality is flimsy and the gear change is horrible, but the engine is a well-proven VM unit and doesn't seem to be particularly troublesome.

Every day's a school day, always though they had the 2.4 Duratorq thing in Mk6 Transits.

[wuvvum]

Nope - it's a DOHC / common rail update of the old four-headed monster which powered the Rover 825D / Chrysler Voyager etc.  It's more refined and less laggy than the old engine, but just as much of a twat to jump start oddly.  Doesn't shit its injectors or fuel pump every 10 minutes though, so has an advantage over the Duratorq in that sense.

[davehedgehog31]

1 hour ago, dollywobbler said:

I have a unit!

Pretty much living the dream then. It's not on my doorstep, but then my doorstep won't exist from October. Should easily swallow up my fleet and all my associated crap as well.

That looks good! What's the situation with leccy, water etc?

[dollywobbler]

It has leccy, no water other than what's in the pit...

[wuvvum]

That's a bummer - if it'd had running water you could have moved in.

[Stanky]

3 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

 no water other than what's in the pit...

Private swimming pool, surely?

[MikeR]

the engine light came on today again on the way home ,,,,,, the usual cat is fubared code .....

which stays cleared for a few hundred miles when deleted .....  on Monday eve

would it pass the mot emission next Tues ????? 

or will that be a bit more on the bill

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by MikeR
spalling misteak

[JohnK]

Slightly drunk last night I agreed to a purchase, the hungover reality was a bit of a shock.

A very early Type 19 on a B plate. Mind, it is only a rolling shell.

Crazy engine build plans afoot though - looking forward to how this will pan out....but to get it how I want there is going to be some cash injection needed, so some of my fleet is going to have to move on to release funds. I drove a Mk2 GTi with a mental engine conversion recently and I will be replicating that build into this - which will make a stupidly fast car.

Pretty much solid, just a couple of small bits of welding required.

[wuvvum]

What you need to do is convert it to RWD and fit a Peugeot 403 engine.

[mrbenn]

51 minutes ago, MikeR said:

the engine light came on today again on the way home ,,,,,, the usual cat is fubared code .....

which stays cleared for a few hundred miles when deleted .....  on Monday eve

would it pass the mot emission next Tues ????? 

or will that be a bit more on the bill

 

Would guess it depends how well (or not) the cat is working.

Get it good and hot for the test and fingers crossed it'll be ok.

[MikeR]

Its getting a ragging on the M6 soon !

[mrbenn]

5 minutes ago, MikeR said:

Its getting a ragging on the M6 soon !

Might be worth tipping a bottle of Cataclean in. I've heard it give good improvements on marginal cats though I've not used it "in anger" myself:

https://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/summer-essentials/car-accessories/summer-essentials-deals/?542770410&cc4_1055

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cataclean-Catalytic-Converter-Cleaning-Treatment/dp/B002BVXM92/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=cataclean&qid=1558714726&s=gateway&sr=8-1

[stuboy]

Missus plane delayed, so parked up in godnestone,  love these captains seats in the galaxy

[MikeR]

4 hours ago, mrbenn said:

Might be worth tipping a bottle of Cataclean in. I've heard it give good improvements on marginal cats though I've not used it "in anger" myself:

https://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/summer-essentials/car-accessories/summer-essentials-deals/?542770410&cc4_1055

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cataclean-Catalytic-Converter-Cleaning-Treatment/dp/B002BVXM92/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=cataclean&qid=1558714726&s=gateway&sr=8-1

I did read a lot of snake oil comments about that stuff so I gave it a swerve !!!

[mrbenn]

Fair enough. Chap I know that runs a motor factor reckons it's one of the better additives. Maybe keep it in mind if you find the car needs help through the test re emissions.

[stuboy]

8 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

I have a unit!

. It's not on my doorstep, but then my doorstep won't exist from October. 

moving to a tent ian?

[Ghosty]

Collection caper today.

 

 

got to the S90 this morning, flat battery and low tyres. Checked it over, one jerry can of fuel in, started with a jump from the 850, and off we went, it didn't need much.

 

Petrol station shot, stuck another jerry can in it. Should be enough as it's only a cross Manchester journey. As it needed jumping it was filled from the jerry can with the engine running.

 

To avoid a potential ANPR nightmare on the smart* motorway I came back through Manchester instead, making use of regular motorways where possible. This showed that the cruise control still works! Had to take a very strange route home, as it was imperative I kept the car in motion. I was informed the engine fan didn't work which I think is down to a sticking thermostat - the expansion tank would fill itself up to thee brim. I was relying on forcing air at the engine to keep it cool. Nonetheless I did get stuck once or twice and had to let the car cool off, no harm done.  Heater on full blast and windows down, of course.

As the car ran it smoothed out and got better, no issues with the engine (only on 105k) but the gearbox takes a bit of convincing to find the gears once you select them. I think it needs an ATF change as there was a top up bottle in the boot of Ford-spec ATF-G - wrong spec, I think these just take Dex IID. 

 

Once I got out on a quiet route out of Manchester (easy considering I navigate the city daily for work) the car was fine and got home just fine.

 

Fleet shot.

It cleans up well, I've vacuumed it out, started to treat the leather seats, and given it a first wash to get rid of the dust and moss. It needs doing again though as it was horribly dirty. 

 

The paint should tidy up nicely with a cut and polish.

[mrbenn]

Lovely. Neighbour had a 6 cylinder one of these in the rather fetching Gold they did, sounded amazing.

[Six-cylinder]

That 960 does look posh, can we an an interior shot please.