The new news 24 thread

[HillmanImp]

Found myself reviewing the reliability of my cars past and present.

 

Polo - melted its points, overheating issue facilitated having to stop and let things cool down a few times.

Golf - brakes failed on the first drive home.  Many electrical problems.

BX - pedal box failed and an hydraulic pipe split, though to be fair it did still get me home and never let me down otherwise.

Princess - many, many failures to proceed.  Started out as the least reliable car I've owned, very nearly still is, but still my favourite.

ex-Skattrd Maestro - conked out on the way to work once, for no obvious reason.  Never did discover the reason.  Worked fine afterwards.

Ledbury Maestro - NOTHING.

 

From this I can surmise that the Maestro is the best car ever made, the Princess isn't and VWs are dangerous.

 

On the same basis I could probably say that Auschwitz the Audi 100 was the best car ever made as it was pretty much flawless whilst I owned it. However it totally grenaded itself in nearly every way possible about 2 weeks after selling it to Volksy.

 

Still dirt cheap to run though. 

[vulgalour]

Just out of interest, what's he asking for the Wolzkrab?  It looks appealing in that snapshot.  Asking for a friend, or something.

[scruff]

Moved this today, what a little ripper

 

Peugeot 104S by sparkright, on Flickr

[dollywobbler]

Just out of interest, what's he asking for the Wolzkrab?  It looks appealing in that snapshot.  Asking for a friend, or something.

 

£800 apparently. 

[ruffgeezer]

 

Moved this today, what a little ripper

 

Peugeot 104S by sparkright, on Flickr

 

 

Let me know if the owner fancies a sporty steering wheel, I have one around here somewhere!

[scruff]

I'll ask him, his drive was a Peugeot paradise, 505 V6, 504 rally car (!), 504 estate and a Cavettemobile dizzler.

[vulgalour]

£800 apparently. 

 

Seems reasonable (if there's some T&T still on it), until the faults you mentioned.  Ã‚£600-ish as it stands I'd've thought.  Hope it finds a good home,  I had started to do some sums but they don't add up and where am I going to put a third daft old car anyway?  I guess I feel a bit guilty about not trying harder to save that Ambassador you found, which is a bit daft of me really.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

800 doesn't seem a million miles off, having said that to do owt with the clutch you have to take the engine out so by buying it you're automatically signing up of a load of work so maybe its a tad steep. Looks tidy though.

[dollywobbler]

I though £800 was reasonable start point. It does have test and the tax is free of course. Gearchange is a hell of a lot better than the Maxi too. Curse my lack of income and sudden common sense!

[vulgalour]

Just in case you're a hipster and worried your credentials aren't what you need them to be with your tighter than skin tight jeans, gigantic lens-free NHS glasses, and malnourished physique wobbling precariously in your converse sneakers, you will find yourself needing to purchase this item.  It is the most hipster thing I have ever seen.  For those unsure of what they're looking at, it's a wall-mounted white Fiat 500 nose end converted to be an iPod docking station.

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-500L-IPOD-DOCK-IDEAL-FOR-YOUR-GARAGE-/321243838395?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item4acb9ff7bb

[phil_lihp]

Not getting many bites on the CG125 through Gumtree, had one email tonight which I thought Cavette would enjoy:

 

Hi do you still have this bike and what is your best, best price. I am interseted. Many thanks

 

I've sent a polite response saying my best price is what it's advertised for and an invitation to come and view it but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[coalnotdole]

Today I fitted teh rebel van with some shiny rear shocks, if the weathers fine I'll do the fronts tomorrow....

 

 

Rears:

 

 

 

 

Fronts:

 

 

If only all jobs were as easy!

[Cavcraft]

Not getting many bites on the CG125 through Gumtree, had one email tonight which I thought Cavette would enjoy:

 

 

I've sent a polite response saying my best price is what it's advertised for and an invitation to come and view it but I'm not going to hold my breath.

 

I think I'm going to start telling people (when asked) that my 'best' price is £25,019.33. I really do like that amount and only wheel it out on special occasions.

 

Some drongo offered me £300 for a £600 cycle the other day, I told them that was the deposit covered and asked when they planned to pay the rest. I didn't hear back from them.  

[Lankytim]

Those crabs drive absolutely smashing, it's an old car that isn't a pain the ass to drive. Iv'e done a clutch on one too, and it IS a ballache!

[phil_lihp]

I take it all back, they phoned this morning, turned up on time, looked over it for 10 mins and made a sensible offer. Cash payment, bike loaded into Ford Galaxy, job done. I am a happy chap!

[vulgalour]

Rear displacers are a horrible job, a really, really unpleasant job.  But we got the trailing arm off the HLS today which is now sat on axle stands.  Ran out of daylight to get the HL sorted but tomorrow we plan to remove the same arm from the HL and plumb everything in to get the job sorted.  Really is not a great time of year to be doing this but needs must.

 

In happier news, having seen the displacer that was removed from the axle I bought, it's actually probably usable as the diaphragm is in good order and the corrosion is where the dust cap sits rather than encroaching onto the rubber diaphragm.  It's probably a good spare, but given how impossible the pivot shafts appear to be to remove I may never be able to use it as it won't be permanently sealed into a rear trailing arm.

[dollywobbler]

It's only going to get colder, so think of how warm it still is by comparison! Good luck with getting it all sorted.

[vulgalour]

I'm only glad I'm not doing this in February.  And now I've probably jinxed myself.

[Cavcraft]

They do, of course, look worse in real life. But I like the snazziness of yellow headlights and they're here to stay. Or until I use the jet wash and forget or something.

 

[cort16]

I took some new pictures of my 5 series today with the hope that it might help someone actually want to buy it.

 

[Lankytim]

Finally fixed the Xantia's fog lights today, one had a blown bulb and the other was completely missing. The bumper had to come off but it all went to plan. GOOD.

 

I spotted that the CV boot I fitted earlier this year when I replaced the hub has split already. BAD.

 

 

HOW FUCKING ANNOYING.

[Shep Shepherd]

Replaced the coolant and the thermostat (which turned out to be the one that the car left the factory with!) on The Volvo this morning. The upshot is that I have a heater that I can cook my shopping with and a temperature gauge which sits at the half-way mark for the first time in quite a while. Hopefully, the car's fuel economy will improve a bit as well

 

Tomorrow I am going to attempt to replace the PCV gubbins on TV2, which is meant to be a straightforward job once the inlet manifold and fuel rail are off the car. Has anyone here ever done this job on an 850/70 Series? If so, how did you find it?

[trigger]

This week after visiting the NEC I've decided to throw caution to the wind and sell my Civic and use the money to restore my Cortina, I'd love to keep both but I just can't afford too which I'm gutted about, The Cortina needs a respray and a pair of wings to make it how I want it, It's nothing major but still £2000 worth of work which the Civic will cover (and more hopefully).

 

Yesterday I pulled my original interior back out from the loft where it's been hiding out of my sight for two years, It's worse than I remembered.

 

 

This is the drivers seat, the owner before me took the seat out to fit Alfa Momo seats and painted the rear seat to match. 

 

This is the interior from when i bought it.

 

 

It's missing it's runners, the plastic trim around the bottom and one of the chrome seat adjusters, The passenger seat also needs the trim but isn't quite as damaged, I'm hoping a seat trimmer might be able to do something with them as I've spent the last two years looking for XL seats but nothing come sup for sale.

 

 

This is the rear seat, the paint he used is still sticky even now, our dog used to get stuck to it!, a friend who works for a trimmers recommenced graffiti remover gel to remove it so I gave that a try this afternoon, I'm really pleased with the results.

 

 

a few coats of gel and a good pressure wash came up trumps.

 

 

I still have the back rest part to do which won't be easy as it has a arm rest but as long as it all drys out ok then I think it's savable, I'll have to redye it blue again which is something I haven't tried before though.

[cort16]

That's a bit of a change around I thought you were thinking of selling the Cortina? Was it something you spotted at the show that changed your mind?

[trigger]

It's been playing on my mind for a long while, I enjoy driving the car, all the reactions it gets from people, thumbs up from other road users and stuff, all which you don't get from driving the Civic, plus friends and family been telling me I'd be daft to sell it too, but there's a few niggles that need money spending on it to get it how I want as I'm fussy, namely the paintwork, the seats and a knocking exhaust that keeps slipping and hitting the body as it won't lock in place.

 

Mrs T keeps saying to me that I'd miss it if I sell it and that I should just spend the money and get it sorted and keep it, the issue I have is that I'll never see the money I'll spend on it again and that If i did sell both cars I could buy something else more exciting for £5000ish!

 

Plus i saw this Mk3 at the NEC and it got me all juiced up again!

 

[oman5]

I am extremely jealous of your mk3. as such I think the least you could do is get it all sorted.    

[cort16]

I really like the cortina and I think spending on the money on it won't be money lost as the price of these things (especially unmessed with ones) is only going to go up.

[trigger]

 

This isn't a very good photo but as the tax is out it's currently on sorn in my in laws garage, I took this last month when I last saw it to start it up! The bodywork is very good, It's never been welded and doesn't need any, it's purely a few small dents, a couple of scabs on the wings (I have replacement wings) and some rubbish scratch repairs with a aerosol can and the 40 years old paint is lost it's gloss.

 

I want to change the wheels too.

[Wilko220]

Yes, I have to agree - I think you're wrong to say you won't get your investment in the Cortina back, Trigger. The value of these is only going to go one way surely.

[HMC]

That rear bench came up well Trig! Have to admit when you first mentioned what the previous owner had done I thought it was beyond retrieval.

 

I recon you'd regret selling it on, theres just something about those old cortinas and as wilko says they are on the up.

 

Feeling the Old Ford love here too.

 

 

Feeling the horn for the sierra?

 

 

Cleaned out the idle control valve and the car is running spot on. busy weekend with the Sierra going to the tip. the DIY store, and up onto dartmoor where a rambler obliged with a brochure-esque shot of what outdoorsy stuff those Sierra estate types get up to!