The new news 24 thread

[stuboy]

Was given this brochure , so thought I'd share it...

[SiC]

7 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Driving the XM 2.0 16v Auto out of Milton Keynes this morning as I accelerated from a roundabout I found a old looking US Ford van was catching me so I pushed harder, then my hardest and it just rushed on past me. I quite liked how this quite large van picked up its skirts and ran.

I caught it at the queue for another roundabout and papped it, says it is an E150 on the back and total car check says it is 4600cc and 2004. Thing is it comes up as taxed but no MOT, how is this?

Could be owned by someone in the USAF. 

Saw a LHD X5 yesterday with a rear fog light drilled and attached to the bumper. Also had a US plate on it. So likely the same thing.

[Ghosty]

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

[SiC]

4 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

RX8

I believe @Jamie will be selling one next month

[Ghosty]

God no! 

[egg]

That Crusader is on the beach next to Bamburgh Castle?

[loserone]

16 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

A house?

[Split_Pin]

My 75 has a detachable towbar but I thought that the PO had sold the harness before I bought the car. Turns out that the electrics are just very, very well hidden so I could now tow things.

I have a pre 97 driving licence as well so, a whole new world.......

All I'm really planning is to get a hitch mounted cycle carrier though, towing something would likely end in disaster for me.

[Cord Fourteener]

9 hours ago, Ghosty said:

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

Porsche 924

[wuvvum]

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

My 75 has a detachable towbar but I thought that the PO had sold the harness before I bought the car. Turns out that the electrics are just very, very well hidden so I could now tow things.

I have a pre 97 driving licence as well so, a whole new world.......

All I'm really planning is to get a hitch mounted cycle carrier though, towing something would likely end in disaster for me.

As long as you don't tow anything bigger than a Mercedes W115 you'll be fine.

[Supernaut]

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

My 75 has a detachable towbar but I thought that the PO had sold the harness before I bought the car. Turns out that the electrics are just very, very well hidden so I could now tow things.

I have a pre 97 driving licence as well so, a whole new world.......

All I'm really planning is to get a hitch mounted cycle carrier though, towing something would likely end in disaster for me.

If I had both the necessity and space for a trailer I'd look at a trailer licence (2005 licence for me).

I spent 10 months working at a certain major telecomms company towing a trailer around behind a van and it was fine. I've towed trailers behind tractors before, and I would get complimented in the yard about how well I reversed it. I actually found it amusing how some other new recruits were almost having kittens at the idea of towing a trailer, yet I just hooked it up and drove off. It's no big deal, really. You can see where it is in your mirrors and you just need to take it easy, and take corners a bit wider.

[Yoss]

That's a fantastic range of trim and colour options. That's what modern cars lack. It's all just grey and black with the occasional tan leather but who wants that when you can have green Chatsworth fabric. Glorious. 

[eddyramrod]

On 12/9/2020 at 10:00 PM, Ghosty said:

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

You just know what I'm going to say...

[egg]

Something I hadn't realised was changing on 1/1/21 - at the moment you can import goods from outside the EU under the value of £15 and not pay any VAT - this is handy for low value orders from rockauto say. This exemption is being abolished from next month.

https://www.lovewell-blake.co.uk/news/vat-alert-low-value-consignment-relief

[Cord Fourteener]

Another week, another MOT!

The timing could have worked out better if it wasn't for the absurd monstrosity of the absurd upcoming public holiday.

Anyway good luck Mondeo, it's been 17½ months since your last MOT.

I hope I get you back this afternoon without any drama.

[Amishtat]

On 12/9/2020 at 9:45 PM, stuboy said:

Was given this brochure , so thought I'd share it...

That's lovely! I've got this one from Candor Motors for the Mk. 3.

[beko1987]

3 hours ago, Tim_E said:

Another week, another MOT!

The timing could have worked out better if it wasn't for the absurd monstrosity of the absurd upcoming public holiday.

Anyway good luck Mondeo, it's been 17½ months since your last MOT.

I hope I get you back this afternoon without any drama.

Has it been 17 months since you did any work or maintenance on it though? 

[Cord Fourteener]

39 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Has it been 17 months since you did any work or maintenance on it though? 

I bought it in summer as a stop gap for Wifey, I've tinkered with the interior, it's had a service and new hub bearings on the rear so I've kept my eye on the obvious.

Now it's my daily because it's solid and here already!

Anyway, pass with a few advisories so I'm happy with that!

[ProgRocker]

On 12/9/2020 at 7:38 PM, brownnova said:

I had a VW Polo that used to do that. It was indeed the mechanism inside the door, apparently water used to get in. It was OK when the passenger door would open, but once that froze up too and no amount of boiling water or de-icer would touch it.... I got into the boot, but it was a Polo Classic and folding the seats was only possible from inside the car! I had to get a lift to work that day, and left one seat folded at all times for the rest of the winter! 

I had the same issue with my 1999 SEAT Ibiza. It's like the drivers  door would weld itself shut. Seems like a quirk of VAG stuff of the era.  So much for that peerless German engineering trickling down to the Spanish and Czech marques. 

 

[cort1977]

On 12/9/2020 at 9:45 PM, stuboy said:

Was given this brochure , so thought I'd share it...

 

Just realised that at some point in the early 80s some bastard swapped the wheels on my Dad's Cortina Ghia to GL wheels.  I'm fummin.

[vulgalour]

Fixed the fuel gauge on the Maestro and all* I had to do was dismantle some of the dashboard, remove the steering wheel, disconnect the speedo cable, and buy a whole new gauge.  Easy!

[Cavcraft]

Vespa passed it's MOT yesterday, a hat trick of recent scooter tests. 

Charged the battery up for the Derbi, bastard still wouldn't start but then I discovered why it's been so hit-and-miss: there's a choke on it which I wasn't aware of! An internet search revealed its whereabouts (under left hand side switch gear) so that, a boost pack (I think battery is knackered) and getting the fuel tap into a working position did the trick. Helpfully* it started to leak petrol out (from the tap) straight away, though. New battery will be ordered.

Talking of batteries, the (new) one on the Sierra is struggling to start it, put it on charge but the charger says it's good to go. It's a top quality* Lion branded battery.

In other news, have been offered a Spanish Lambretta (Serveta, possibly?) 125 in a deal for the orange Scomadi. The Lambretta is a 1972, I think British registered from new. Rough as bollocks but it does run.

[320touring]

The picasso I bought off of @rml2345 had a new lion battery in it, and wouldn't start.

Putting another battery in fixed it.

Lion batteries, they're GRRRRREAT*

[Supernaut]

I've had a Lion in the Saab since I bought it.

It's been fine so far, touch wood.

 

[frantically taps desk]

[vulgalour]

I've had a Lion in the Princess since forever.  Seems like a pretty robust battery, I've used it in other cars, to jump start other cars, flattened it by accident a couple of times and it's always come back around no bother with a charge or a jump start.  Then again, I've known other folks with Lion batteries that have found them to be the crappest battery of ever, so I guess their quality control is a bit British Leyland.

[Cavcraft]

The warranty is pretty good (3 or 4 years, iirc) to be fair. Put one of the spare batteries on for now anyhow.

[Sunny Jim]

Collection mission! Just about to set off to meet @leanycan in Prestatyn to go and listen to a stuck CD.

[brownnova]

I’d be careful Prestatyn is pretty dodgy these days... 

[Cord Fourteener]

It begs the question, what's @leanycan doing hanging out in Prestatyn on a Saturday morning?

🤣

[leanycan]

4 minutes ago, Tim_E said:

It begs the question, what's @leanycan doing hanging out in Prestatyn on a Saturday morning?

🤣

Various nefarious things 🤪