The new news 24 thread

[The Moog]

The blower on xantia was a bit feeble and didn't really work on lower settings. Normally this means the resistors have gone so had ordered a new set.

 

Set about removing the pollen filter to see whether it needs changing

 

I think it did! One very dead mouse which along with a squirrel hiding its acorns under the lhm tank, this car is a virtual zoo.

 

As a bonus the blower works now so won't need to change the resistors

 

[Lord Sterling]

Glad to hear you're now employed.

 

Hopefully there's some permanence in this.

Thanks Du, afraid not though, it was only for a few days. I'm working for a Photography Company on behalf of my agency. The company are exhibiting some docu-photos from around the world, thier exhibition is in a new yet-to-be occupied building. I've been there 3 days and there has so far been a grand total 1 visitor.

 

I've applied for metric tonne of jobs only to either not hear back or get a "on this occasion, we will not be processing your application" type e-mails. There is another job agency who I came across purely by chance, I contacted them and submitted a CV thinking I wouldn't hear back, but they called me back and had a chat, it sounds quite promising.

[cort16]

Was there really a dead mouse in the filter? Mmm lovely fresh air.

[The Moog]

yep, it looks like it had made a little house in there. I think may have been surprised when its house started spinning

[Rover414]

Just ordered some rear chrome sill tread covers for the Rover from Rimmer Bros. Seems only one trim level got this which is odd. Not bad for £6 delivered. Has anyone ever ordered from there or have any experience of them?

[phil_lihp]

I had some new old stock floor mats and an OEM exhaust back box off them recently, pretty cheap with the offers they had on and the parts turned up very quickly and very well wrapped.  Their postage costs are pretty high but then again it was a big heavy box so can't complain too much.  The dangerous thing with that site is how tempting it is to start adding extras on to the shopping list!

[skattrd]

Rimmers is about 5 miles down the road from me, personally I used to avoid them whenever possible. I found most of their parts were over priced and I have been told by several people not to trust their "refurbed" stuff.

On the plus side it's handy if you're desperate for something for a BL motor, however they've pissed off my local garage several times by promising parts tomorrow or Thursday, and them not turning up until days later.

 

I know a local farmer who regularly goes there to buy stuff for his Landy and usually ends up leaving after swearing  profusely at the staff and telling them where to shove their parts

[dollywobbler]

Went greenlaning yesterday. Disco still out of action so went in a friend's P-reg V6 auto Shogun. Thirsty. An impressive beast, though we did have to use both the centre and rear diff locks to keep it moving due to a lack of ground clearance in places. Nice to have that option! I'd love a rear-locker on my Disco.

 

Sirion now over 71,000 miles so well over 1000 in my ownership. It is such a good car to jump in and drive, even when the weather is grim. Even when it's 3am and you really want to be in bed.

 

The 2CV refused to start for my wife yesterday while I was away and is in disgrace. It's usually turn-key reliable so I need to find out what's wrong. Plugs seem a likely candidate.

[Cavcraft]

Is the van a keeper, Cobblers? Keep the updates coming please.

[dollywobbler]

2CV started fine today. Celebrated by giving it a wash. Bit alarming to see how much paint came off under pressure washer conditions... (mainly an already poor front wing).

[Rover414]

Cheers for that, Rimmers have some stuff for my Rover that seems harder to come by or that only appeared on a few trim levels so I've started off small and hope to reuse them if they're decent. One thing I noticed is that the first class postage on their site is the cheapest for me out of any option.

[scruff]

Currently listening to the clinka-clunk of an SU electric pump as it (very slowly) transfers £100 of diesel from my dead Range Rover into the truck's fuel tank... feel like a bit of a gyppo

[alf892]

Got a quote today for respraying the Rover 25 (and fixing the ding in the drivers door and the wee wrinkle on the NS quarter). £500, and that includes fitting the new front wings. Does that sound reasonable, folks? I really have no idea. I've seen the chap's work in the past and was impressed. Also, he lives next door to my best mate, so he knows he'll hear from me if it's not right!

I would say that is very, very cheap! There is loads of labour in a good paint and then paint isn't cheap.

 

Are you sure he is doing it in your choice of colour?

 

I just paid £170 to get the bonnet and front panel of the fiesta painted and that was for a 'rub down with a house brick and blown over with a bear's arse' kind of job. I have used a really good local guy in the past but he knows how to charge..........just on £600 to rebuild rear arch and blow in a few rust spots on my E39. Fantastic job mind.

 

At £500 you can't go wrong......especially when you've seen and liked his work in the past

[cobblers]

Is the van a keeper, Cobblers? Keep the updates coming please.

I'm sure I'll eventually sell it, but I'm doing it to keep for a few years at least, hence all the fun* with wayoxl today.

 

I've got some more bits and bobs to post up in a bit once I've warmed up and got the pictures uploaded.

[DeeJay]

yep, it looks like it had made a little house in there. I think may have been surprised when its house started spinning

It didn't have clogs on did it?

[cobblers]

Had a nice day faffing with the van today. First off my pal came round, we had a faff with the sliding door to get it to shut better, and I put the van on the road and swapped the wheels over - I needed someone to stand on the brake pedal while I tightened the adapters on the front.

 

 

I didn't take many pictures as he was in a rush and I was also in a rush to get it off the road. With the wheels on I put it back on the drive (well only halfway up because that's as far as it would get with all the wet leaves all over the place)

Anyway at this point the bloke over the road came round and asked if I'd bought a new project - He thought it was a different van entirely, which pleased me! 

 

I wanted to get the van waxoyled ASAP, but I've got shedloads of sticky back sound/heat insulation to put in it so I put at least the first layer of that on, so that I'm not trying to stick insulation to grease. I've got enough to do 2 layers over most of the van, with three layers (total of about an inch) on the front wheel arches and round the engine area.

 

 

Once it was all insulated I got cracking with the waxoyl and sprayer, predictably I ended up in a complete mess with waxoyl spunking all over the flipping place like some kind of robot bukkake scene, so I didn't take any photos at this stage. I think I'm gonna buy a couple of tins of that dinitrol stuff and use that because I couldn't get the lance thing to work right.

 

After I got all cleaned up, I decided to get some electricity in the van and see if all the lights worked. They did, apart from one side light which is presumably the bulb. I'll replace that when I put the new headlights in (or hurriedly while apologizing profusely to the MOT tester)

 

I fitted the clocks and speedo stuff too, and all the cowlings. Revcounter and temp guage seem to have packed in, but I'll sort them out in time.

 

The seats (ex rover 400 IIRC) are both rough as arseholes and I should really get them retrimmed, but they are so comfy as they are I'm not all that motivated to. I might just sling a pair of snapon seatcovers on or something.

 

So it was going dark and cold, I called it a day. 

 

[RobT]

Spent 5 hours cleaning the 416 inside and out, and now I know why people use linseed on the bumpers as I must have spunked half a bottle of Autoglym bumper care on all the faded trim and bumpers, it just kept soaking it up like I was feeding leather!

[rml2345]

Is peanut butter not the thing for faded trim? I keep meaning to try it just ends up on sandwiches instead.

[DVee8]

Is peanut butter not the thing for faded trim? I keep meaning to try it just ends up on sandwiches instead.

It does indeed work a treat

[vulgalour]

Brake fluid is surprisingly good too, if you happen to have some lying around.  Has to be done on a dry day though, otherwise it goes milky and weird.

[myglaren]

The local pound shop has a 'Back To Black' type spray that seems to work quite well and suits my miserly pocket quite nicely.

[drum]

The morning routine for the last week has included scraping ice off the windscreens - every morning. We had a minimum of -5. I don't mind icey windscreens but it signals the start of salty roads. It's maybe not the shite way but I've mothballed the allegro until the Spring. I've been running four cars this summer not including the wife's and one less insurance and tax bill will be most welcome. The allegro has an unprotected underside and some rusty flaky areas so , until I deal with those, it gets a winter holiday.

 

The wife's alfa has been getting a salt bath all week so a wash and polish was administered in the hope that it's Italian paint job can withstand the winter vagaries. Not helped when I had the power washer's nozzle set too narrow and lifted a 6 inch line of lacquer of the bonnet. Fiddlefuckingsticks.

It goes in for an mot on Tuesday so handbrake adjusted, dodgy brake light connection fettled and fingers crossed.

 

The kraut mobile is going into hibernation too. This was bought with a specific mission in mind - get the family to the south of France and back in reasonable comfort and with a small appetite for fuel. The plan was to sell it on our return but having performed with distinction, I want to keep it.

 

196000 miles and £650 with long t&t.

4000 trouble free miles save for a battery drain which needs investigated.

 

The allegro insurance was transferred over to my swb leafer and the disco gets its insurance back from the a4.

[vulgalour]

I can see why you asked if the Allegro units go on the Princess now, I've been getting conflicting information about the 'spring rating' and the dimensions, with some claiming it's a straight swap and others saying they're not strong or long enough for the Princess.

[scruff]

I need to find an Audi estate like that

[stuboy]

yesterday i decided i was fed up with a dirty car so popped outside to freshen it up..

[Mr Livered]

It's making me go seriously cross-eyed but I reckon I can read those plates Stuboy!

[vulgalour]

I can't admit to liking that Mondeo as a thing, but I can certainly appreciate it as a whole.  It's the second time I've seen a Mondeo with bits glued on that looks like a well screwed together and considered thing.  The first was in Fuckoff Yellow which is some sort of factory special I was told, possible an ST or something.  I don't know, it was difficult to hear what I was being told over the colour.

[stuboy]

It's making me go seriously cross-eyed but I reckon I can read those plates Stuboy!

 

there quite easy to read...  

[stuboy]

I can't admit to liking that Mondeo as a thing, but I can certainly appreciate it as a whole.  It's the second time I've seen a Mondeo with bits glued on that looks like a well screwed together and considered thing.  The first was in Fuckoff Yellow which is some sort of factory special I was told, possible an ST or something.  I don't know, it was difficult to hear what I was being told over the colour.

citrine yellow

[dollywobbler]

Today I have looked at two cars and bought neither. Tomorrow is another day though! Therefore, I can reveal no more in case I still buy one of them.

 

Oh and any purchasing would use up funds from my 'tax' savings pot. WCPGW?