The new news 24 thread

[N19]

6 hours ago, Ghosty said:

From first hand experience, I completely understand that reaction. 

I used to work in South Ken, when going to meet friends in West London a while ago I had to actively stop myself from getting off the tube there - it becomes ingrained into your brain!

[Borsuq]

10 hours ago, RobT said:

Shame it's in doom blue mind, but you can't have everything.

I actually like the colour. When I think Xantia I think of that blue.

[N19]

Impromptu fleet photo of the shared dailies. 

Bluebird is now behaving after a bit of brake TLC (new discs, pads, lines renewed and new rear cylinders). It does need an oil change and some waxoyl top ups, and the passenger window doesn't move, which I think is because I forgot to reconnect it when I had the door card off. There's also broken plastic grommets which hold the front trim on at the sides, hence the gaffer tape. And somewhere are the trims I removed in February and put to one side... 

Mondeo has been here for just over a month and in that time has had a new cambelt, rocker cover gasket, aux belt, and thermostat housing. Fingers crossed that lot should see it behaving reliably for a while. The insurance is due in September and I'm very skint short term, so I'm going to SORN for the month and use that to attack the other little jobs that need doing on it - new tyres on the original wheels, flog off the temporary ones, deal with some rust in the spare wheel well, fit the stash of service parts currently on my dining table, and periodic gaffer tape renewal. If I'm feeling plush, it might even get a wash... 

The Capri therefore is probably feeling quite neglected, but it's performing well on sunny weekends and is probably happier for not being used in semi-daily service anymore. It's due an MoT next week so we'll see how it goes... 

[Steve79]

Just saw this clip on imgur of a guy driving along when the shockwave in Beirut hit.

The guy was very lucky!!!

[Pat Earrings]

The Subaru got some LED front sidelights fitted and rear number plate ones too. Interior lightbulb that was blown along with the spot lights all replaced with LED equivalents. I am genuinely in love with this car. 

[mitsisigma01]

Does anyone on here still have a Freelander 2 ???

[davehedgehog31]

So the 205 has been languishing MOT-less from February thanks to a cracked windscreen. 

Seeking a replacement I sent a few messages and found another place for the c**t list in the process;

https://www.ds-windscreens.co.uk/

Phoned on Thursday, very keenly arranged to do it on Friday. Waited home all day, a no show. Phoned  them at 4pm, gave me some rubbish about ordering it "a few days ago", despite the fact the first contact was 26 hours previous... Anyway, gave him the benefit of the doubt as he said he'd be out Saturday between 10am and midday. Never showed up again, no reply to texts and no answer on phone calls. 

Left an appropriate review and got a cheeky response full of lies, will just avoid in future.

Anyway, I got quotes of £120+Vat from both these chaps;

http://allglassglazingltd.co.uk/

https://www.albawindscreens.co.uk/

In the end went with the second one, just because they could do it a good bit sooner. First guy was just dead busy, but comes recommended. 

They came this afternoon and had the old screen out and new one in in less than 15 minutes, top work. Would recommend. 

Here is why you don't leave your car parked under a tree/next to a hedge for months;

Quick wash to get the worst of it off;

Anyway, MOT booked for Friday at 1pm. Fingers crossed. When I phoned the test centre the boy asked on hearing it was a 205, "Is that a cherished vehicle then?", "eh, well...." was my response.

I better convert it from shed to car beforehand though;

[blackboilersuit]

Brilliant news that the 205 will be back on the road again soon. A clean car is a roadworthy car, we all know that. At least that's what I tell myself every time I wash and hoover one just before an MOT! Fingers crossed for Friday.

[captain_70s]

17 minutes ago, davehedgehog31 said:

When I phoned the test centre the boy asked on hearing it was a 205, "Is that a cherished vehicle then?",

Well, you fucking washed it didn't you?

[Yoss]

Last night me and Felicia hit a deer. At about 50ish I think. I was just driving along when suddenly - bang - it was there. I watched the chrome grille surround sail over the windscreen and by the time I looked forward  again it had gone. I certainly didn't run it over so hopefully for the deer I just bashed it back into the woods from which it had come. 

I didn't stop immediately as the road (A272 just west of the West Meon crossroads) is wooded both sides and quite a fast road and I knew I had a grille in the garage. I stopped as soon as there was a safe place to do so. I could see the grille was broken but the cold light of day showed a bit more damage. 

Grille smashed. 

And headlight. 

And the front fog was hanging loose. I knew the headlight had a glass lens but didn't realise the front fog was too as this is lifted from the VW parts bin. 

The headlight lenses are just held on with six clips, so rather than change the whole headlight unit and have to undo all the bulbs and worry about headlamp aim I just swapped the lens over. Forgot to take a photo but the old lens went in the recycling. 

I resisted the urge, when fitting the new grille, to put the red surround on. 

I thought this would look like a big red pair of lips and give Felicia a more feminine aura. 

So tonight she's nearly back to her old self. 

I didn't have the fog light in stock and the spare grille had no badge. A quick scan of ebay suggests these will be around £26. All things considered that's not too bad. I've known deer strikes write cars off and if I'd hit it more centrally I think it would have been a lot more serious. 

[richardmorris]

4 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Does anyone on here still have a Freelander 2 ???

My new neighbours have a 2010 reg. no idea what version though- they've stolen my bin so am not talking.

[mitsisigma01]

6 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

My new neighbours have a 2010 reg. no idea what version though- they've stolen my bin so am not talking.

So you won't be doing them any favours then... 

There was a brand new rear bumper for one being given away earlier, probably gone by now 

[richardmorris]

1 minute ago, mitsisigma01 said:

So you won't be doing them any favours then... 

There was a brand new rear bumper for one being given away earlier, probably gone by now 

Ha! It’s very odd. They re-numbered my bin as theirs, despite them being side by side. Mine also had squirrel damage and so a hole in the top, so hardly a premium version. 

[stuboy]

Headlights in the v6 are to be desired so I ordered some philips white vision h7 and h1 bulbs..

[paulplom]

13 hours ago, davehedgehog31 said:

 

 

 

Are those battery jet wash things any good? Do they work off mains water?

[Pat Earrings]

17 minutes ago, paulplom said:

Are those battery jet wash things any good? Do they work off mains water?

I've used one. It's good for an interim wash if you've waxed your car already as the dirt comes off fairly easily. I found it useless aside from that though. Just a decent basic top up wash or its ace for shows etc.

[davehedgehog31]

31 minutes ago, paulplom said:

Are those battery jet wash things any good? Do they work off mains water?

It's nothing like a 240v pressure washer, but I've certainly found it really useful.  It's far better than I expected.

You can run it off a mains hose, the unit itself has a standard hose fitting on it. 

Running off the water drum the pressure is somewhere between a garden hose with a spray gun and a proper pressure washer. The spread is quite narrow on the pressure setting, but I've managed to clean a couple of pretty grotty cars with it, just takes a wee bit more patience than a big boy pressure washer but very doable. 

[paulplom]

Better than your standard hose then?

I think I'll get one.

[vulgalour]

With someone coming to view the BX tonight I decided to take it out for a few miles just to make sure it was okay.  Obviously it's gone and fixed itself now and I couldn't get it to stall at idle or misbehave in any way.  It'll've done it out of spite.

[Eyersey1234]

26 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

With someone coming to view the BX tonight I decided to take it out for a few miles just to make sure it was okay.  Obviously it's gone and fixed itself now and I couldn't get it to stall at idle or misbehave in any way.  It'll've done it out of spite.

Always the way, the bugger will be thinking i'll fucking show him. Lol

[davehedgehog31]

6 hours ago, paulplom said:

Better than your standard hose then?

I think I'll get one.

Yeah, it's certainly a fair bit better. 

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3379343

That's the one I have, I got it for £80 with the attachments etc, it may appear on sale again.

@davidfowler2000 has the Worx equivalent too.

[anonymous user]

5 hours ago, vulgalour said:

With someone coming to view the BX tonight I decided to take it out for a few miles just to make sure it was okay.  Obviously it's gone and fixed itself now and I couldn't get it to stall at idle or misbehave in any way.  It'll've done it out of spite.

Do not count chickens before they're eggs. My Series 1 Land Rover only ever let me down when it was being sold. It ran fine when test driven, but would not run when the bloke came to collect, I ended up giving the bloke his money back. The next time it ran fine, bloke left a deposit, but weeks later couldn't come up with the rest of the money, I gave his deposit back.

I was selling because I was moving, it ended up moving with me, I had to take the roof and hood sticks off to get it in my garage. I eventually sold it to my vet, the day he picked it up the exhaust broke off at the manifold. (Thankfully he still bought it)

[vulgalour]

It's sold now.  Behaved itself on the test drive.  It's off to another shiter, who can out themselves if they fancy.  I guess it just wanted to go and play with someone else.

[rickvw72]

Just washed and polished the Mk2 Golf.

MoT time monday! 
 

[Split_Pin]

For some weird reason driving stops my stomach hurting so I took the Corsa for a run tonight.

This was a nearby train station car park that I used to use. As most people who use the train to get to work have been working from home since March, the weeds had grown tall through the monoblock surface almost everywhere, giving the place a more dystopian feel than the area already has.

[N19]

Garage move and sort out continues slowly. The Mondeo is proving an awfully useful big estate load lugger, got these shelving units moved today, and the matting was picked up for free on freecycle. It's only foam so won't last forever, but it'll be helpful when kneeling on the floor trying to do some cow of a job. Next job is to unpack the boxes of oil and various sprays, then tools etc. Hopefully that'll be me having a decent useable workspace again. 

[stuboy]

On 8/5/2020 at 9:33 PM, stuboy said:

Headlights in the v6 are to be desired so I ordered some philips white vision h7 and h1 bulbs..

I think there better

[vulgalour]

BX off to its new home.  It's been an adventure. I'm a little sad to see it go, but not too sad.  I've certainly enjoyed my time with it and I hope it makes the next owner just as happy as they were today setting off into the dark with it tonight.

[stuboy]

4 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

BX off to its new home.  It's been an adventure. I'm a little sad to see it go, but not too sad.  I've certainly enjoyed my time with it and I hope it makes the next owner just as happy as they were today setting off into the dark with it tonight.

fellow shiter?

[vulgalour]

Yup, thankfully.  They brought a friend with a dog, so that made the collection even better.  Dogs make everything better.