The new news 24 thread

[Bucketeer]

1 hour ago, sims00 said:

So I'm currently enjoying the 3 series touring I nabbed off here. Treated it to some new centre caps for the alloys, new wing indicators as they were yellow, new wipers and bonnet badge, along with fresh number plates. The windscreen cowling is awful; broken up and split TADTS. I've ordered a genuine from BMW via eBay for not a great deal, so once that arrives the car will look a lot fresher. I've also ordered some Gtechniq C4 trim restorer, and will give the rest bumper trim and mirror/door handles a go, and it will look a treat then. The car really has been totally cared for so these little touches I think will set it apart.

Will pop a few pictures up in the coming days when they're sorted.

So it'll be for sale next week then?

[wuvvum]

Well my collection mission was a success, although I got there later than I'd hoped as the bus got stuck in traffic.  Seller was a lovely chap and was nearly in tears as I drove off - sadly he lived in the upcoming ULEZ zone so it wasn't practical for him to keep it.  I even managed not to get lost, unless you count missing my exit on a roundabout and having to go round again.  I did however manage to drive down a road which was closed, and had to reverse all the way back up again.  And I still hate driving in London.

Loads of interesting stuff on the roads today - possibly the most Autoshite spots on the way down were Fiats Uno and 126 and NATO green Merc T2 on the A11 and a Lada Niva on the M11, but there were lots of Triumphs (including a slightly scruffy Spitfire towing a trailer tent) and various hot rods and old Yanks, plus a tidy Minor and an early '30s Alvis.  On the way back I overtook an immaculate cream Bedford J-type and a bright orange Y-suffix Merc T1 camper, a battered early Mk2 Astra in metallic bronze went past in the other direction, and approaching the Norwich southern bypass I passed four youngish lads in a lowered Honda Shuttle.  Beat Drive It Day into a cocked hat.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

....I still hate driving in London....

I live in feckin' London, and even I don't try to drive into the central bit of it. Not worth the bother when there are plenty of other places you could sit in traffic.....

[blackboilersuit]

Friday was sump swap day for the disAstra as it was marking its territory a little too much. Just as well I wasn't just intending to do just an oil change as the pan was so rotten that when i tried to undo the sump plug the pan just ripped open like a wet envelope. While there is not much to love about a 15 year old base spec diesel Astra the price of parts is fantastic. Sump, gasket goo, oil filter and a gallon of oil all came to less than £60 which was most welcome.

[dollywobbler]

13 hours ago, brownnova said:

Also heading down Friday morning. Might be some other Cheshire Dragons I’m not sure. But we’ll find a nice spot and pitch up I’m sure! See you there! 

Probably Friday afternoon here. Too much magazine stuff to do!

[Bucketeer]

I doubt there's a happier person in the UK than me right now. I've just bought back my old AX which is comfortably the best car I've ever owned.

Many many thanks have to go to Sickboy of this parish for taking care of it and for waiting for me to be able to cobble enough money together to pay for it.

If anyone wants me for the next few hours I'll be hooning along every B road in the south west.

[mrdelmonti]

So does that mean the 205 will soon be returning north?

[richardmorris]

A GT?

[lanciamatt]

The maserati went all italian on me this morning, put ignition on and absolutely nothing happened. Opened bonnet was just about to start moving relays and it came to life, went for a run to gfs grandads to sort his battery out, sorted that, ignition came on but it wouldn't start, checked basics, fuel pump was priming and eventually it started, drove home OK, I'll check all the earth first job, then go from there 

[Six-cylinder]

13 minutes ago, lanciamatt said:

The maserati went all italian on me this morning, put ignition on and absolutely nothing happened. Opened bonnet was just about to start moving relays and it came to life, went for a run to gfs grandads to sort his battery out, sorted that, ignition came on but it wouldn't start, checked basics, fuel pump was priming and eventually it started, drove home OK, I'll check all the earth first job, then go from there 

I want to get my 425 Biturbo back on the road and don't think there is much wrong with it, the question is it to cruel to take it to my favorite garage for service and MOT when they already have my Lancia Gamma and had to take the cylinder heads off it!

[lanciamatt]

Get it sorted, end of day it's just nuts and bolts, mechanics don't always think that though lol. 

[bramz7]

1 hour ago, Bucketeer said:

I doubt there's a happier person in the UK than me right now. I've just bought back my old AX which is comfortably the best car I've ever owned.

Many many thanks have to go to Sickboy of this parish for taking care of it and for waiting for me to be able to cobble enough money together to pay for it.

If anyone wants me for the next few hours I'll be hooning along every B road in the south west.

Best AX I've owned! Great to see it again. 

[Six-cylinder]

8 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

Best AX I've owned! Great to see it again. 

Best AX I have owned too!

[Bucketeer]

1 hour ago, mrdelmonti said:

So does that mean the 205 will soon be returning north?

Yup. Maybe with the cherry bomb, maybe without.

 

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

A GT?

It's a Forte 1.1i, definitely the best non-GT AX. You get the body kit (to hide rust from the MOT tester), better suspension, 5 gears, electric windows, and a huge grin.

I love this car more than it's healthy or appropriate to love a car.

[Amishtat]

A few from a local show today (Chappel Railway Museum) 

 

[richardmorris]

14 minutes ago, Bucketeer said:

Yup. Maybe with the cherry bomb, maybe without.

 

It's a Forte 1.1i, definitely the best non-GT AX. You get the body kit (to hide rust from the MOT tester), better suspension, 5 gears, electric windows, and a huge grin.

I love this car more than it's healthy or appropriate to love a car.

Being a tall guy with presumably larger than average feet, how do you find the pedal layout? I was more cramped than in the fiat where I have to have special driving shoes.

[Bucketeer]

45 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Being a tall guy with presumably larger than average feet, how do you find the pedal layout? I was more cramped than in the fiat where I have to have special driving shoes.

When I bought it the first time round it was my first AX, and it did take a few days to get used to the pedals. After that though there were no issues. My feet automatically shift one pedal to the left of where they would be in other cars and I've driven them with my size 14 work boots on without mashing all three pedals at once.

My swede does get close to the roof lining and the seat headrest is pretty much between my shoulder blades but I've never had a problem fitting my 6'5" sack of mush in AXs, or any other of the procession of little French hatchbacks I've had since. In fact, as a dull aside, the only car I have not been able to fit and get comfortable in was a Lamborghini Diablo which went through the auctions I used to work at. The roof was so low that my neck and head would have needed to be at a perpendicular angle to the rest of my body.

[vulgalour]

BXs are a bit light aren't they?  Was getting a bit wayward on the A19 today at anything above 60mph, was a bit blowy.

[blackboilersuit]

Just a little tidy up in the garage before lunch....................

Started to tidy up the mess I'd left in the garage after changing the Astra sump the other day. Wipe black oily mess of can of WD40 before putting it back on the shelf. Wipe, wipe, fumble drop! As the can left my hand and headed for terra firma it struck the slightest of glancing blows on the car ramp that was still sitting in the middle of the floor. Said Chinese sweatshop made ramp is naturally covered in many, many sharp unfinished edges. The ensuing geyser of WD40  erupting from the puncture wound in the nearly full jumbo size trade size can was so violent and rapid I just stood there and watched it laughing. Floor, toolboxes, motorbikes and me all drenched in the stuff. 

Two hours, half a gallon of screwfix degreaser, a box of rags and several buckets of hot soapy water later, the inside of the garage has never been so clean and I could see the funny side of things! Silver linings and all that it's made me have a good tidy up which has actually improved my shite fettling mojo somewhat.

I'm just REALLY grateful it wasn't a can of paint!

[chaseracer]

On 5/9/2019 at 7:20 PM, richardmorris said:

...but could only find Dyane ones.

Thank you, Rich; that's worth knowing...

?

[KitKat]

6 hours ago, Bucketeer said:

I doubt there's a happier person in the UK than me right now. I've just bought back my old AX which is comfortably the best car I've ever owned.

Many many thanks have to go to Sickboy of this parish for taking care of it and for waiting for me to be able to cobble enough money together to pay for it.

If anyone wants me for the next few hours I'll be hooning along every B road in the south west.

 

Just glad to have had the honor of its ownership, Alex.  Its been a real hoot to own and drive, but nonetheless I know you'll appreciate it even more than me. Keep us updated!!

I can attest to Mr Bucketeer here being like a kid at Christmas when he came to collect the Forte this morning.

[dollywobbler]

3 hours ago, Bucketeer said:

When I bought it the first time round it was my first AX, and it did take a few days to get used to the pedals. After that though there were no issues. My feet automatically shift one pedal to the left of where they would be in other cars and I've driven them with my size 14 work boots on without mashing all three pedals at once.

My swede does get close to the roof lining and the seat headrest is pretty much between my shoulder blades but I've never had a problem fitting my 6'5" sack of mush in AXs, or any other of the procession of little French hatchbacks I've had since. In fact, as a dull aside, the only car I have not been able to fit and get comfortable in was a Lamborghini Diablo which went through the auctions I used to work at. The roof was so low that my neck and head would have needed to be at a perpendicular angle to the rest of my body.

Only on Autoshite. "The Lamborghini Diablo is too uncomfortable. Far happier in a Citroen AX."

[Tadhg Tiogar]

4 hours ago, Amishtat said:

A few from a local show today (Chappel Railway Museum) .....

 

Built in 1924 to an ex-Great Eastern Railway "L77" design, this one was the very last to be built at Stratford Works. It came out as LNER class N7 no.999E, later renumbered 7999, and then given a new boiler with a round-topped firebox, classified N7/4. Subsequently renumbered 9621 and after nationalisation, BR 69621. Withdrawn from service in 1962, it was bought direct from BR and is the sole survivor.

Somewhere in the shed is a box of bits that I have to build this engine, but life keeps on getting in the way.

[richardmorris]

6 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

I want to get my 425 Biturbo back on the road and don't think there is much wrong with it, the question is it to cruel to take it to my favorite garage for service and MOT when they already have my Lancia Gamma and had to take the cylinder heads off it!

I watched live and let die last night.

i expect your garage has a little voodoo doll of you full of pins

[richardmorris]

2 hours ago, chaseracer said:

Thank you, Rich; that's worth knowing...

?

Testing my memory now?

[wuvvum]

Where are the actual pistons on that 0-6-2 thing?  Is it mid-engined or summat?

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Built in 1924 to an ex-Great Eastern Railway "L77" design, this one was the very last to be built at Stratford Works. It came out as LNER class N7 no.999E, later renumbered 7999, and then given a new boiler with a round-topped firebox, classified N7/4. Subsequently renumbered 9621 and after nationalisation, BR 69621. Withdrawn from service in 1962, it was bought direct from BR and is the sole survivor.

Somewhere in the shed is a box of bits that I have to build this engine, but life keeps on getting in the way.

I’m pretty sure ( given I last looked in the box in 1990) that I have a model in my trainset box.

[Fumbler]

I have some P38 newses: everything is fixed!!!!!!1!!111!!!!!!!

No, seriously. Vacuum hoses for the cruise control, driver's airbag, interior, driver's door window regulator, fuel filler button and sunroof drains have all been fixed. This means the car no longer beeps when the key is put in. One touch window opening now works, cruise control works. It's brilliant.

However I suspect everything will not be fixed in the coming weeks because: Hot weather requires A/C. System will not hold refrigerant. Yay. Hot weather also means the glue holding the headliner up is failing fast. The rear view mirror is still delaminating. The air compressor's labouring and there's exhaust blow etc. It also is leaking oil, however that is a feature courtesy of Rover to reassure the driver that there is oil in the engine!

 

As usual, nothing is ever fixed for long on a P38 Range Rover. Oh, it's MPG is worse than most 1950's American V8 cars.

[Broadsword]

2 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

I have some P38 newses: everything is fixed!!!!!!1!!111!!!!!!!

No, seriously. Vacuum hoses for the cruise control, driver's airbag, interior, driver's door window regulator, fuel filler button and sunroof drains have all been fixed. This means the car no longer beeps when the key is put in. One touch window opening now works, cruise control works. It's brilliant.

However I suspect everything will not be fixed in the coming weeks because: Hot weather requires A/C. System will not hold refrigerant. Yay. Hot weather also means the glue holding the headliner up is failing fast. The rear view mirror is still delaminating. The air compressor's labouring and there's exhaust blow etc. It also is leaking oil, however that is a feature courtesy of Rover to reassure the driver that there is oil in the engine!

 

As usual, nothing is ever fixed for long on a P38 Range Rover. Oh, it's MPG is worse than most 1950's American V8 cars.

As a fellow P38 owner I have learnt that you don't want to fix everything. Fixing one thing usually leads to cascade failure of another item, which leads to more beeps. Interestingly the air con on mine has been removed altogether!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

4 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Where are the actual pistons on that 0-6-2 thing?  Is it mid-engined or summat?

Technically speaking, yes! But only in the sense that the two cylinders and their valves are a casting between the frames, directly underneath the smokebox (the bit with the chimney on it). The connecting rods drive a crank axle (middle driving wheels) and the valve gear is driven by eccentrics on the same axle.