The new news 24 thread

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 minute ago, N19 said:

I have realised how much I missed our old (crown) post office. ....It's now run as an adjunct to a convenience store, ok useful to get groceries etc, but if you want anything that isn't a routine day-in-day-out operation for them, they claim it can't be done, shrug their shoulders and are just generally useless....

Best avoid the PO in Ealing (at the back of WHS). This is an understaffed and inefficient operation even in normal times. The distancing requirements have only made the place worse, with c-arse-tomers having to queue all the way back through WHS and into the main areas of the Broadway precinct.

I now post the office outgoing post elsewhere as it takes less time to drive there and park than it does to stand in line in Ealing, and there's never a queue where I go....

[nacho man]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5SkK6JvRy255jXAFFIKqID?si=xjTpWPoNTomWPhXKJ1NAQA

This is not a bad listen nice story about the mk1 mondeo slipped in there as well.

Don’t know if anyone listens to the collecting cars podcast by Chris Harris but he has a good couple of hour one with Nicky Grist recently uploaded.


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[N19]

4 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Best avoid the PO in Ealing (at the back of WHS). This is an understaffed and inefficient operation even in normal times. The distancing requirements have only made the place worse, with c-arse-tomers having to queue all the way back through WHS and into the main areas of the Broadway precinct.

I now post the office outgoing post elsewhere as it takes less time to drive there and park than it does to stand in line in Ealing, and there's never a queue where I go....

There's a similar arrangement at Watford Harlequin with WHS. Last time I was there, there appeared to be four staff on duty. One was serving customers, another was changing mailbags (for over 20 minutes), another was floating around and trying to encourage people to use the self-services machines which for most of us wasn't an option, and the fourth supervisor-type was looking very important with a clipboard. OK I'm sure they have to do paperwork and returns and so on but for 3/4 of them to be tied up at once is pretty poor planning, and/or lack of awareness ("I need to do this paperwork but there's a huge queue, I'll jump on a till for fifteen minutes and come back to it")

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 minute ago, N19 said:

... there appeared to be four staff on duty. One was serving customers, another was changing mailbags (for over 20 minutes), another was floating around and trying to encourage people to use the self-services machines which for most of us wasn't an option, and the fourth supervisor-type was looking very important with a clipboard. ....

This is pretty much the same as Ealing, except that Ealing has no clipboard handler. Even before the distancing requirements were introduced, it was common to stand in the queue for long periods whilst the staff decided which one of them could be bothered to man the counter.

[Six-cylinder]

What car is this interior from?

[stuboy]

38 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

What car is this interior from?

zatava?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Certainly has a sort of 'Cheap Italian car' look to it

[Fumbler]

Second with the Zastava idea- looks like it to me. That or its an incredibly cheap Fiat interior.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

3 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

....That or its an incredibly cheap Fiat interior.

Seat Marbella?

[Ghosty]

The Volvo has four egg shaped wheels and is currently riding so badly it's trying to shatter my spine. 

Fuck sake. Needs new wheels as they don't balance at all. No identical ones on the 'bay either - maybe buckling is TADTS on these?

Looking into options, though for now I might need to daily the Jag. Hehehehe. 

[AnthonyG]

I reckon the interior is of a Yugo/Zastava 45.  It’s definitely Fiat based from the column stalks, and is way too nasty for an actual Fiat and too 1980s for the 128 based cars (311 etc).

[Skizzer]

5 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

I reckon the interior is of a Yugo/Zastava 45.  It’s definitely Fiat based from the column stalks, and is way too nasty for an actual Fiat and too 1980s for the 128 based cars (311 etc).

This: I’ve driven one and you don’t forget such things.

Sports* seats and a vestigial centre console suggest it’s not the most basic variant, so I’m going Yugo 55.

[skattrd]

10 hours ago, Ghosty said:

The Volvo has four egg shaped wheels and is currently riding so badly it's trying to shatter my spine. 

Fuck sake. Needs new wheels as they don't balance at all. No identical ones on the 'bay either - maybe buckling is TADTS on these?

Looking into options, though for now I might need to daily the Jag. Hehehehe. 

What's the stud pattern and c/b?

It might be the same as something a bit more common,
I use this for comparison, although newer cars aren't listed: https://www.carlsalter.com/wheel_fitments_by_pcd.html

[clayts450]

Just checked the status of my fleet.

• Streetwise - started first time, went shopping, loose heat shield
• 620 - started first time, but battery is definitely wearing down, FW/REV, handbrake off, left in park
• Accord - started first time, FW/REV, handbrake off, left in park - alarm has however failed but doors still lockable
• 820 - started first time, FW/REV, handbrake off, left in first
• 420 - battery near enough dead, 20 quid off Amazon jump starter, fired up, REV/FW, handbrake left on as still rolls in gear
• 214 - who cares, in a garage 3 miles away
• Van - no issues

 

[Supernaut]

5 hours ago, skattrd said:

What's the stud pattern and c/b?

It might be the same as something a bit more common,
I use this for comparison, although newer cars aren't listed: https://www.carlsalter.com/wheel_fitments_by_pcd.html

https://www.wheel-size.com/size/volvo/c30/2007/

This says 5x108. Makes sense as the C30 is a Mk2 Focus in a fancy suit.

You can get 16" Mk2 Focus wheels for many cheaps, I've found. I put some on the Mk3 Mondeo I used to have.

[richardmorris]

On 4/1/2020 at 11:23 AM, BorniteIdentity said:

Cant find the relevant thread.

Anyone want this knob? Came in a Sierra but I think it’s from a Mk5 Escort? 5 speed bottom right reverse. Condition 8.5/10. 

Is that a knob in your hand or are you just pleased to be here?

[hairnet]

some sort of fiat thats a fiat door handle

[junkyarddog]

One of the tail lights on my 205 was a lot brighter than the other.

Mmmmmm,yes that may explain it.

A clean and a shot of chrome effect paint later!

Happy with that,they both match now.

[mitsisigma01]

Anyone understand dascam specifications. Is this any good? 

EagleCam Front & Rear HD Dash Cam + G-Sensor

➊ Get a better view with this EagleCam 1080p HD Front & Rear Dash Cam. ➋ Includes collision G-Sensor and 5.0MP CMOS sensor. ➌ Four dynamic modes, normal, event, parking & night-vision. ➍ Motion detection & cycle recording, seamless loop recording functionality. ➎ Features 2.7" LCD display and supports up to 32GB microSD.

Was (£59.99) Now £14.99 (+£6.99 UK delivery)

Thanks in advance 

 

[Ghosty]

8 hours ago, skattrd said:

What's the stud pattern and c/b?

It might be the same as something a bit more common,
I use this for comparison, although newer cars aren't listed: https://www.carlsalter.com/wheel_fitments_by_pcd.html

5x108 with a 63.4 bore and 7" wide.

The standard wheels are 52 offset though so choice is slightly limited. 

AIUI Mondeo/Focus/X-Type are the same but I'm yet to find any wheels that aren't fucked. 
I also want something I can reuse my tyres on... 

[EssDeeWon]

Despite everything going on I found a local garage open to service the Rover today, he also let me get under the car with the torch for a poke around.  Oil filter and air filter done for a 100 quid. 

 

[Bren]

35 minutes ago, EssDeeWon said:

Despite everything going on I found a local garage open to service the Rover today, he also let me get under the car with the torch for a poke around.  Oil filter and air filter done for a 100 quid. 

 

Not worth bothering yourself for that money.

[High Jetter]

That sounds frighteningly expensive, but I'm probably 50 years out of date

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Apparently you can be buried in your favourite motor in South Africa.

"Autoshite & Sons Undertakers. How may we help you?"

[BorniteIdentity]

Had to nip to the chemist yesterday (in completely unrelated news there's a bit of a shortage of rubber johnnies atm) and noticed that my Avensis is now doing 3 weeks to the gallon.  Pretty good for an old girl.

[barefoot]

Both my T2 & the 944 have been parked up under my car port since November with just the occasional fire up. This would have been fine by me, had they been back on the road this month as planned. However, they look like staying there a while longer so I bought some Sta-Bil fuel presever additive stuff. This has some unexpected instructions like;' treats ten gallons, use with fresh fuel'. I have no idea how much is in the T2 since the fuel guage doesn't work. Can I just chuck the stuff in & let them both idle for ten minutes or so? Will this make things worse/open up can of worms? Or will it just do what it says on the fucking packet & preserve my fuel until I can get them both driven again?

TIA

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Had to nip to the chemist yesterday (in completely unrelated news there's a bit of a shortage of rubber johnnies atm)...

What, even the extra-safe grade?

[dozeydustman]

Shock! Horror! I've done a car thing!

Ordered service bits for the Toyota and a big bottle of oil courtesy of Euro. My Honey coupon browser plug in got me a discount of 55% (higher than the 50% shown on the website), as I already have the filters for the Suzuki plus 4 litres of oil looks like I'm doing some car related jobs when this lot arrives.

I will also be giving the Corolla a pre-MoT at some point; it's due date was 12th June, as it stands this falls under the 6 month extension but don't want madam going out in an unsafe car when she's working (which appears to be 5 days out of 7 at the moment). And I need to check the rear brakes, the shoes haven't been done in the 7 years I've been with Mrs dust, and last time I looked (about a year ago) they had 3mm of material, so approaching the end. Car's done sod all mileage in the last year though, probably around 5000 miles.

 

In the interim I need to get some essentials in a moment, I'm hoping the idiots aren't still queuing for hours outside a shop, plus the Suzuki hasn't had a run for over a week now.

[xtriple]

Just been out for the first time (apart from a daily trot round the block with das mutt) since last Tuesday. Had to get some shopping and electric (yes, this place is a key thing - always has been). For one thing, the bloody shop STILL has no stock: no eggs, bread, milk or anything else I needed and for a second, the bloody key won't work!

So I went to another shop and tried again, no joy. No electric can be bought.

So, fearing the worst, I rang EDF and after about ten minutes of warnings about wasting their very limited time and if the call is NOT very important the service advisor will put the phone down on you! But, I got through straight away once all the messages fucked off and the guy was efficiency itself and sorted out a new key to be delivered ASAP. Turns out, I was talking to the guy at his home! I only sussed when I heard his dog bark, so who says working from home isn't working?

[andy18s]

The wifes company has a call centre section,all are working from home and most have realised that that actually prefer it!