The new news 24 thread

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Splendid work KOBLAZ, I love how you just 'deal with stuff', the standard was set when you had that red mini back in the day. That was you right?

[cobblers]

Sadly you're right, that was me with the red mini, it's turned into a bit of a running joke with my mates "Hey dave, look - there's a mini! Remember that time you owned one for 7 weeks and lost £1500 and drove it only 9 miles? Remember all that time you spent rebuilding that engine for it to turn out shit? and all that time you spent fitting that other engine? and remember how it wouldn't start? remember how the dizzy drive gear fell into the gearbox and you had to take the engine out and split the box off again? remember how you stripped and cleaned the gearbox out then emptied a hanging basket into it when carrying it out of the shed? HAHAHAHHAHAH"

 

Looking back it probably did me a favour and I got the mini owning thing out of my system without having to try and rely on one as daily transport or anything, lesson learned the hard way and all that. 

[MrDuke]

Cambelt on the Xan is now 5k overdue, and counting - and thanks to our utterly useless ex-letting agents not releasing deposit moniez, I'm nowhere near buying a replacement belt   anyone know if XUDs are especially sensitive in that area?

[wuvvum]

I haven't done much fettling on the cars this weekend - just another fruitless hour spent on my back under the LNA trying (and failing) to get the fugging exhaust to come apart.  I'm going to have to take it to an exhaust place I think.

 

I've had mixed success with the mopeds this weekend though.  I got the 50cc SYM up and running again - the problem was a combination of a knackered spark plug (the old one out of the Bali, which as well as being the wrong temperature for the SYM was pretty worn, so managed OK at idle but fell over as soon as any load was put on it) and a struggling fuel pump.  The plug was replaced with a brand new correct type NGK jobbie, and I re-primed the fuel pump by taking the feed pipe off the carb and sucking the fuel through - seems to be working OK now, although the front brake is a bit sticky from where it's been standing for ages.

 

I still can't get the bastard Bali to run.  I spent two hours this morning going round every motor factor and DIY shop in Norwich to try and find a fugging drill adaptor for my socket set.  One place had a 1/4" and a 3/8", which was no good as my sockets are all 1/2" drive; none of the other places had any at all.  I ended up having to go round a mate's to borrow his.  Brand new plug in the Bali as well, battery borrowed from the Spacy and drill on the flywheel nut, and it didn't want to know.  With the throttle wide open it coughed and backfired a bit, but no more than that.  Unfortunately my £9.99 B&Q drill won't spin the engine over for more than about 15 seconds at a time without overheating, which isn't ideal, but should still be enough to start the thing.  I'm running out of ideas.

 

I did get the Spacy running better today though.  I decided that part of the problem was it was drawing too much air in - the inlet pipe is a weird arrangement with a rubber bit stretched over a metal bit - the carb mounts to the rubber and the metal bolts to the cylinder head.  The pipe that was on there had rather perished rubber, but fortunately the one on the spares bike was a lot better, so I swapped them over, and I also blocked off the vacuum pipe outlet by putting the pipe back on and shoving a bolt in the end.  With a fuel can balanced on the back of the bike and a fuel line running straight from the can to the carb inlet, it fired up and sounded a lot healthier than before.  It ticked over quite happily without conking out, and seemed keener to rev than it ever did in the past, so I climbed on and rode it round the garden - the first time it's moved properly under its own power since I bought it.  The engine sounds in good fettle and the temperature gauge rose as it should, and all the lights and indicators are working so once I can find a good fuel tank for it (both the ones I have are rusted to buggery inside and keep blocking the outlets), it shouldn't be too far from being back on the road.

 

The Aerox continues to be as reliable as it always was - I did 40 miles on it today without missing a beat.  Weather permitting I might even take it in to work tomorrow.

[Richard]

Cambelt on the Xan is now 5k overdue, and counting - and thanks to our utterly useless ex-letting agents not releasing deposit moniez, I'm nowhere near buying a replacement belt   anyone know if XUDs are especially sensitive in that area?

They aren't. The ones I've heard of failing have all been run well over 100k.

[SambaS]

Just rang Peter James as per DWs post in the beige pages...

 

7 cars one policy, MG as a modern, unlimited mileage.

 

See what comes of that. Would cost about £700 to insure them separately so if they come back with £400 or something they may get my custom.

 

MG ZR

Samba Cabrio

Samba Style

Polonez CE

XR3

Monza

Jimp

[Lacquer Peel]

They aren't. The ones I've heard of failing have all been run well over 100k.

 

The one you changed, I'm sure it was original, on my 405 Executive had covered 135k.

[dollywobbler]

Hey, I'm allowed my primadonna change-mind-ever-five-minutes mood swings! It's how I've always been! I do think it's time for a break from BXs though. They're good, but there's a lot else out there that I want to experience. 

[ShiteRider]

Hey, I'm allowed my primadonna change-mind-ever-five-minutes mood swings! It's how I've always been! I do think it's time for a break from BXs though. They're good, but there's a lot else out there that I want to experience.

 

LPG'd Jag should fit the bill.

[vulgalour]

Would you ticket this car?  Chesterfield Borough Council did.

 

 

I'm going to contest the ticket for the following reasons:

> No signs warning of restrictions, penalties or ticketing if parked in or near this area.

> Not on double yellow lines

 

In addition:

> A dropped curb and wear in the grass indicating access to and from this area is permitted.

> View of the junction is not obscured.

> Public footpath not obscured.

 

It's my first ever parking ticket.  I shall be writing to them to try and resolve it reasonably.

[Junkman]

I would ticket this car on a general principle.

[trigger]

Would it also help if you said that the car was broken down and that you was waiting for recovery at the time?.

[vulgalour]

It's entirely likely that it was.

[dollywobbler]

Sadly I think you'll have to stump up. I got my first ticket for parking in a very similar fashion in my first 2CV. "If it's not on the road, it's not on the yellow lines," I thought. Birmingham's parking gestapo thought otherwise. Got away with it for months though, so still cheaper than putting it in a proper car park overall!

[Slappy]

On the issue of it not being sat on DYLs, that isn't the limit of where the parking/waiting restrictions end, it includes the extent of the highway boundary on the side of the road to which the lines appear, which without knowing the area looks like it will include what looks like from the photo either a visibility splay for the junction or historic alignment of the carriageway. As stopping ups of the highway run into thousands of £ the authority won't do it on a whim so it probably still exists as publicly maintainable highway.

 

Maybe try what Trigger suggests.

[vulgalour]

We shall see, I've got a number of a bod at the Council who I'm going to have a nice little chat with to see if I can find out just why I was ticketed.  Knowing the why exactly would be useful, perhaps I can prevent other motorists getting ticketed by contesting it and encouraging the Council to inform people why they can't park there.

[dollywobbler]

I've had an incredibly busy morning, so thought I deserved some tinkering time this afternoon. Did battle with the gearbox sump plug on the Disco. I lost. Did battle with the horrible side steps. I lost. (angle grinder time methinks). Neighbour came up trumps with a long, 32mm spanner. Gearbox drain success! Oddly, there are two drain points, the second one has a gauze filter above it. Happily, that wasn't too gunked up but the amount of shite that came out on the main sump plug was astonishing! Now enjoying a rather late lunch before I have a go at filling the gearbox. This challenge should be made easier by a large suction pump thing that I bought on Ebay. And yes, I did check that the filler came undone before draining!

[vulgalour]

Never mind, turns out I'm actually in contravention of the Highway Code which says I'm not allowed to park on road, pavement or verge where there's DYLs, I did not know this.  Makes me worry about what else I don't know when it comes to road laws, I thought I was pretty good on that front.  The Council won't put any additional signs up because they're meeting all requirements so... never mind.  Ã‚£35 out of pocket (if I pay within 14 days, £70 if not) and a lesson learned.  Still won't make me pay to park in the hospital car park.  I will take this no further I think.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I think that ticket is a failure of spirit vs letter of the law. Surely the whole point of that highways code rule is to prevent inconsiderate drivers parking on and blocking pavements to avoid being on the double yellows. You weren't inconveniencing anyone parking there, so shouldn't have been given a ticket. 

 

Could you have parked against the little wall to be a little less conspicuous? 

[cms206]

Much as it's a shit turn of luck, that deserves to be in the calendar.

[skattrd]

First day using the Lancia for work and the exhaust is getting quite loud. I've not had chance to look at it properly but I can't see anything about to drop off underneath.

[trigger]

I've been offered this Fiesta today, a workmates grandad has owned it from new but is retiring from driving and need to buy a mobility scooter, it's done 94000 miles and has full main dealer history, it's only just come back from the dealers after a service, it needs a mot and tax is short and it needs a regulator valve for the brakes at the back, whatever that is?? 

 

He's looking for £200-250 for it, one arch has gone and the sills are scabby but being a Ghia it has all the electrics, is it worth the grief, I can't decide?.

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Looks nice enough to me. I'm sure a bit of Trigger's elbow will have that looking very sweet indeed. (if you'll pardon the phrase)

[Cavcraft]

I'd see that at about £125-£150, Trigger.

 

Meanwhile I think I might be Astra Mk3-less by the end of the week.

[MrDuke]

They aren't. The ones I've heard of failing have all been run well over 100k.

 

Ta muchly, I can relax for another 35k then

[trigger]

It does have a full tank of fuel but I'm not feeling it, I've had a few Mk3 Fiestas before and although they are nice cars especially in CVH form they are a bit boring.

[cort16]

Those fiestas are just on the cusp of being interesting I recon. It should go alright with the 1.4 in it too although I doubt you'd get any money back you put into it.

Have you got your Civic yet?

[cort16]

I've been trying to be sensible and use my money from selling the Smart to start buying and selling a few "decent" cars. However I've now spotted a v8 Jaguar XJR that I can afford (it looks like a goddun) and I'm thinking of just blurting all my nut money on it.

[trigger]

Have you got your Civic yet?

 

No.  I'm still waiting on this blasted V5 to come back, It's gonna be another week before I collect it now I'd imagine, the annoying thing is that the local DVLA office is still open so if the seller had gone there like i said it would have been sorted by now as they would have done the plate transfer whilst he waited, instead he rang them up and they told him to post it back to them. 

[Cavcraft]

It does have a full tank of fuel but I'm not feeling it, I've had a few Mk3 Fiestas before and although they are nice cars especially in CVH form they are a bit boring.

 

They are actually quite a pleasant little thing. The Ghia was nice because it always interesting to see the extra stuff people paid for over an LX or whatever. I wouldn't like to see all the Mk3s disappear off the road because I have fond memories of them. Yeah, they can rot like hell but I reckon they're just about interesting enough to be enjoyable.

 

Oddly enough because I'm an utter mingebag I just #submitted best offer' on a £100 Fiesta on eBay with tax and MOT. Lobbed an £80 offer and it immediately got rejected then sold for the full price. Serves me right!