The new news 24 thread

[Ghosty]

Shuffled my insurance around a bit. The Aerodeck isn't the cheapest thing to insure for what it is, at least it wasn't when I got it, at £670 a year or something, and that was for 6000 miles on commuting cover. 


Civic was on Esure, the MX5 on Admiral - I like Admiral more and they're generally cheapest for me, and helpful too.  So out of interest I decided to see what it'd cost to change the MX5 policy to the Civic, upping the mileage to 12k and adding commuting cover. It was 60 quid or something, and it also included 'driving other vehicles' cover as I'm 25 now. Winner. 
SPECTRAL DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE 
It made sense to keep the Admiral policy as it was significantly cheaper to start with, and the start dates of each were two weeks apart -  cancel the more expensive one for a bigger refund. Also, as explained, this had the added bonus of other vehicles cover. 
Anyway....

I want to get something a bit newer than the Aerodeck - it has a lot of strange design choices that are just slightly grating on a day to day basis. Don't get me wrong it's a fantastic car, it's just horribly counterintuitive to use in so many ways, and I do over a thousand miles a month, over half of that is motorway, and I really need a sixth gear. 
Also, my dad's starting to show his age, and has basically hung up his spanners now - he hung up his driving gloves not long after I got my first car. He's a named driver on both my car and my mum's Mini, but hasn't had a car of his own since 2017, and doesn't want to work on cars any more. It's sad, but unsurprising. I just never thought I'd see him give up, I always thought he'd work himself to death. 

I'm gonna have to do the unthinkable and get a modern - thankfully I have the money and I know what I want, and I know I'll be able to do the work on it as I've already had the front half of one - I'm looking at manual Volvo V50s. Gonna get a decent one to keep long term, and I'll hold off shitters for a while until I've improved my income and such - which I intend to do in 2021.  
Mercifully I have a friend who's practically agreed to buy the Civic off me for the right money when I'm ready to sell, and another friend tells me he's bouncing off the walls at the premise, so things are looking pretty promising. 

Watch this space... 

[Cord Fourteener]

  On 29/12/2020 at 18:10, Joey spud said:

This needs to find a new home so...

The battery has been on the charger/conditioner..

Then the exhaust started to blow and needed a bit of welding.

I needed a new gasket for the tail pipe and found this up the shed.

Yee haa. I also snapped the two studs off and had to weld on a couple more.

That'll do. Mot is booked for tomorrow then it's  getting put up for sale as i have a van for work so never really used it.

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Now that's what I call sexy Japanese origami shite!

As in, according the MCM they actually have a tactile demonstration at the Daihatsu factory, that still produces cars, of how thin steel is three times stronger when folded twice.

Love it.

[Lord Sterling]

Upon returning from La Belgique I did some self-isolation time. Then upon release I decided to some stuff to the Peugeot.

Firstly I gave it a clean:

It has Peugeot rubber mats which have never really been cleaned but upon giving them a wipe over with a damp cloth and scrub with black shoe polish, they came up like brand new.

My hand-held Gtech vacuum gave the carpets and seats a good vacuum.

In isolation, I'd ordered and paid for a centre arm rest lid. Mine was shit, the plastic retaining pin had snapped off so driving about, the arm rest lid would fly open or closed when slowing down which was highly annoying. My cack-handed attempt at repair did not work.

However, even more annoying was the fact that Peugeot, in their infanate wisdom decided to use all sorts of different centre console configurations. The one I had bought had a retaining was located 1cm over to the left of the pin retainer. Enough not to be able to easily move the plastic pin on the lid:

Red is my cack-handed repair and yellow is on the new incorrect lid.

Peugeot are known for using whatever parts they can lay their hands on. There doesn't seem to be any evidence of usi g the same parts across the same models. Even stupid things like brake pads can differ from one car of the same model and year 😡 ***slow clap***

So I found a small bolt, screwed into the crappy hple made in the original lid and used that to close the lid successfully:

Now it just needs tracking and a minor investigation into why the left headlamp doesn't work (hint: it isnt the bulb) maybe look at why the passenger side window plays up and possibly, if I feel flush, a return of the passenger side check-strap.

 

[Shirley Knott]

  On 29/12/2020 at 19:05, Split_Pin said:

Oil change on the Audi yesterday.

ACTION PUMPO

 

It's MOT isn't until 6th February but I'm going to have it done before that in case they close garages again to all but the most valued members of society.

 

 

 

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Of all the tools I have, the Pela pump has to be biggest game changer. Great aren't they?

Loads of others have made life easier- Ratchet spanners, mains impact tools, Sealey brake bleeder etc, but none of the above have seen as much use as the Pela. In the 8 years or so I've had mine I must have done 40-50 oil changes with it, still going strong.

[MorrisItalSLX]

The Sydney Bus Museum is raising money to restore their 1983 Mercedes-Benz O305G Bendy Bus, which is to be repainted back to its original brown and orange livery.

If you would like to donate to the cause, and you should, just look at that glorious colour scheme, there is a go fund me on their website.

https://www.sydneybusmuseum.com.au/mercedes2556

[Craig the Princess]

  On 30/12/2020 at 02:13, Lord Sterling said:

Upon returning from La Belgique I did some self-isolation time. Then upon release I decided to some stuff to the Peugeot.

Firstly I gave it a clean:

It has Peugeot rubber mats which have never really been cleaned but upon giving them a wipe over with a damp cloth and scrub with black shoe polish, they came up like brand new.

My hand-held Gtech vacuum gave the carpets and seats a good vacuum.

In isolation, I'd ordered and paid for a centre arm rest lid. Mine was shit, the plastic retaining pin had snapped off so driving about, the arm rest lid would fly open or closed when slowing down which was highly annoying. My cack-handed attempt at repair did not work.

However, even more annoying was the fact that Peugeot, in their infanate wisdom decided to use all sorts of different centre console configurations. The one I had bought had a retaining was located 1cm over to the left of the pin retainer. Enough not to be able to easily move the plastic pin on the lid:

Red is my cack-handed repair and yellow is on the new incorrect lid.

Peugeot are known for using whatever parts they can lay their hands on. There doesn't seem to be any evidence of usi g the same parts across the same models. Even stupid things like brake pads can differ from one car of the same model and year 😡 ***slow clap***

So I found a small bolt, screwed into the crappy hple made in the original lid and used that to close the lid successfully:

Now it just needs tracking and a minor investigation into why the left headlamp doesn't work (hint: it isnt the bulb) maybe look at why the passenger side window plays up and possibly, if I feel flush, a return of the passenger side check-strap.

 

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I remember from the 206 I had the multiple options Peugeot put on things for no reason, very annoying.

The 407 looks amazing in that colour though 👍

[N19]

Chilly out this morning. And frost on the inside of the Bluebird windscreen - guess I haven't totally solved the damp issues yet then... 

[Split_Pin]

  On 30/12/2020 at 07:52, Shirley Knott said:

Of all the tools I have, the Pela pump has to be biggest game changer. Great aren't they?

Loads of others have made life easier- Ratchet spanners, mains impact tools, Sealey brake bleeder etc, but none of the above have seen as much use as the Pela. In the 8 years or so I've had mine I must have done 40-50 oil changes with it, still going strong.

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Mine is a Laser one, identical in every way to the Pela,  just a fraction of the price. I've done about 20 oil changes in it since I bought it in late 2018. I had to replace an o-ring in it this year but otherwise it's been great. I no longer wince at the thought of having to do an oil change, they are now that easy.

[danthecapriman]

I’ve just ordered a Silverline fluid pump off eBay. I’m more interested in it for doing shitty jobs like diff/gearbox oil changes etc rather than engine oil. 
Ive got the diff and power steering oils to change on the Volvo, which is why I bought it, so hopefully it’ll work well! It’s got to be easier than trying to undo ancient seized drain bungs or trying to catch old fluid in cut up bottles etc in the engine bay. 

[Split_Pin]

Make sure the oil is warm if possible.

[Joey spud]

It's been sitting since February,forty minutes later..

 

A pass with advisories that'll do.

[danthecapriman]

  On 30/12/2020 at 12:29, Split_Pin said:

Make sure the oil is warm if possible.

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I tried doing the diff oil on the Capri a few years ago by using a big old syringe with a length of plastic washer hose stuck on the end. 
It worked, but my god it was hard and time consuming trying to suck cold thick gear oil out with it!

[loserone]

  On 30/12/2020 at 09:33, Craig the Princess said:

I remember from the 206 I had the multiple options Peugeot put on things for no reason, very annoying.

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Peugeot made more 206s than any other car, and I think it's their only car which started with normal wiring and was multiplexed during production.  They were also made in several different factories.

 

Agree though, @Lord Sterling that 407 actually looks appealing, well done!

[BorniteIdentity]

Inspired by Mr the Pin I also have my Pela doing the Clio at the moment.  I ordered the sump plug tool 2 months ago but the ground temperature is zero and it's nice to be able to do an oil change whilst WFH.  Without getting changed.

How much of a fight the oil filter puts up I'll let you know.  Like everything done by a garage, it's probably tighter than an Nun's chuff.

[Split_Pin]

At least access is ok on that era of Renault. I always have a total war with the Audi as the engine is longitudinal and the spin on filter points diagonally back and down towards the bulkhead. Even although I give the new one the customary smear of oil, tighten it by hand only, Giant Haystacks sneaks in and nips it up a further 850nm in the intervening 6 months.

[beko1987]

Evas watching some horse tripe on netflix and I keep spinning the plates through the mot checker... 

There's a vw camper in this episodes plot, typical shiny outside and modern plates for a 1976 van

Had that twice in a month too before suddenly a pass with all the welding gone... 

 

[N19]

  On 30/12/2020 at 12:53, danthecapriman said:

I tried doing the diff oil on the Capri a few years ago by using a big old syringe with a length of plastic washer hose stuck on the end. 
It worked, but my god it was hard and time consuming trying to suck cold thick gear oil out with it!

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Which axle? For some I believe it's quite easy to whap the rear cover off. Mine's a banjo where the cover is on the other side though.

I have an old soap pump bottle from the kitchen which I use to top up gear/diff oil as required. Thoroughly recommend for awkwardly mounted fill holes high up on the side of boxes!

[Supernaut]

You lot actually change gearbox oil?

 

[crunches into reverse attempting to leave]

[N19]

  On 30/12/2020 at 16:58, Supernaut said:

You lot actually change gearbox oil?

 

[crunches into reverse attempting to leave]

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My favourite job! Everyone loves smelling of cat piss...

[Supernaut]

  On 30/12/2020 at 17:06, N19 said:

My favourite job! Everyone loves smelling of cat piss...

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The worst part is that I've had a bottle of gearbox oil in the boot of my Saab since a couple of weeks after I bought it (in late June) and it even has a lovely plastic filler neck on the gearbox, clearly visible in the engine bay!

No excuse!

[cort1977]

You should have said the other day! No excuse at all!

[danthecapriman]

  On 30/12/2020 at 16:54, N19 said:

Which axle? For some I believe it's quite easy to whap the rear cover off. Mine's a banjo where the cover is on the other side though.

I have an old soap pump bottle from the kitchen which I use to top up gear/diff oil as required. Thoroughly recommend for awkwardly mounted fill holes high up on the side of boxes!

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Sadly, no rear cover on mine either.

I might steal your soap pump bottle idea, it’s awkward using the spouts on the oil bottles and trying to squeeze them to force oil out. I did fill the Capri up using one of those little oil cans with the little pump handle but it took ages and made my thumb ache!

[richardmorris]

  On 30/12/2020 at 16:15, beko1987 said:

Evas watching some horse tripe on netflix and I keep spinning the plates through the mot checker... 

There's a vw camper in this episodes plot, typical shiny outside and modern plates for a 1976 van

Had that twice in a month too before suddenly a pass with all the welding gone... 

 

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Glad I’m not the only one that does that! Inspector morse, lovejoy and minder are great for this.

[richardmorris]

  On 30/12/2020 at 16:58, Supernaut said:

You lot actually change gearbox oil?

 

[crunches into reverse attempting to leave]

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Well I don’t personally, but I do have a garage that does it for me. Point and pay!

[SiC]

  On 30/12/2020 at 18:21, danthecapriman said:

Sadly, no rear cover on mine either.

I might steal your soap pump bottle idea, it’s awkward using the spouts on the oil bottles and trying to squeeze them to force oil out. I did fill the Capri up using one of those little oil cans with the little pump handle but it took ages and made my thumb ache!

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Got compressed air? Make a hole in the top of the bottle, pipe into diff and blow air in the hole on the top of the bottle.  

[catsinthewelder]

If I tried that I would rustproof most of the village.

[N19]

I actually managed about two hours down at the garage before I got a bit parky. First up was an alternator swap on the Capri. Newer alternators seem to have a slightly larger pulley, thus needing a fanbelt one size up from usual. Proper tensioning to follow tomorrow and the obligatory test run if it's not too salty. 

That done, I decided to sort out the corner of the garage where I should have some more workbench space. I've also improvised a parts/grubby hands washer out of two old adblue cartons and an old ikea bookshelf for extra ingenuity. The shelf at high level should hopefully clear some of the crap out of the way so that I can keep the work area clear for whatever I'm working on. I have somewhere some extra LED rope light to go round there to light up properly. 

[lesapandre]

New Russian 4x4 imported into USA by Italian company...what could possibly go wrong?

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/12/29/bremach-taos-uaz-import/

[Jim Bell]

  On 30/12/2020 at 12:42, Joey spud said:

It's been sitting since February,forty minutes later..

 

A pass with advisories that'll do.

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Well played man. 

Is it definitely going up for sale now?

[Joey spud]

Well i have just ordered up new discs and pads for it (the green stuff ones are absolute Horseshit) and i have even found a good second hand exhaust for it in Tunbridge Wells.

And it needs,i hope just the wheel balancing as there is strange vibration at 70 mph.

Once that's done and i'm happy then it'll need to find a new home and i will offer it on here first.