The new news 24 thread

[worldofceri]

  Lacquer Peel said:

worldofceri, are your mole grips a questionable brand? I was about to give up on a bolt head I ruined with cheap mole grips, but found my uber mole grips and gripped and undid easily.

 

I had some cheap ones that are pretty worn so I went out and bought some relatively expensive Stanley grips. To be honest, I can't see much to choose between them.

 

  scaryoldcortina said:

^ I've got three words for you - Irwin Bolt Grips

 

Looks like I should have spent my pennies on these instead. Thanks for the tip.

 

On reflection I think I should have got more penetrating oil in there in the first place. What's the best one to use?

[RobT]

  Lord Sterling said:

 

You've got a Montego? I dont think I've ever seen it?

 

 

Here it is, cleanest it's ever been and doing a good job at hiding it's rust at Brooklands last March It's a 2.0 GSi automatic and needs a bit of tlc after serving me well over the last 18 months with minimal amounts of maintenance bar servicing, up until a recent mis-fire saga that is....

 

 

My original idea was to run it cheap and then throw it away after a few years, but seeing as I like driving it so much I'm tempted to throw a few quid at it later in the year to sort the rear arches and other bits of grot.

 

One day I'll probably upgrade to executive class and get an 800 (an early Sterling with duo-tone paint is my ideal), but don't think I've deep enough pockets at the moment to run one!

[Lord Sterling]

YUM!! OM NOM NOM NOM!!

 

That Monty looks tasty. You made certainly made the right decision to keep it, the 2.0 GSi specs are quite rare as I understand, even rarer in Estate form which I did once see a few times, sadly I never go pic (CuZ I iZ L4ZY)

 

  Rob T said:

One day I'll probably upgrade to executive class and get an 800 (an early Sterling with duo-tone paint is my ideal), but don't think I've deep enough pockets at the moment to run one!

 

Like this:

 

 

My old Sterling, got an identical one now, they were once pictured together, I own the one of the left now:

 

 

My old one has been scrapped as its engine imploded due to some serious bodging to the coolant system by one of the last owners, plus the body was getting worse by the day. I took a shed load of parts off it though.

 

Never tried a Monty but I have one waiting to be 'tried out' waiting in the wings courtesy of one of our members. Good luck and keep that Monty in good nick, there arent many of them left!

[warren t claim]

 

That does look mega tidy!

 

What's the story behind it? Is it still running?

[Father Ted]

Exhaust on the K11 has started making some right horrible rattling noises from around the Cat area. Not the top heatshield, but if you hold it and get the teenager to blip the throttle you can feel as well as hear the thing [cat] clattering about.

So, do I ignore it and let it develop, ignore it and contemplate fitting a straight through pipe, or grit my teeth and get dry bummed by Kwik Fit.

I should write to Nissan as clearly the Cat has not lasted the life of the car.

[Cavcraft]

C U L8ER Honda 125, welcome back to an old acquaintance that's slightly faster and not quite as economical as the CG:

 

 

In between me getting it back again the owner had twigged there was a split pipe somewhere (which he replaced) and as such it's even quicker now. Drove it like I stole it on the way home and ferk me that thing can shift.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Did my first ever welding on a car today. Went as well as could be expected and I will be trying again tomorrow.

 

Set nothing on fire, but gave myself a flash of arc light and had a cutting disc explode.

[rml2345]

Spent yesterday afternoon trying to adjust the serpentine belt on the Yaris as it's a wee bit loose. Gave up after spending 3 hours trying to loosen off the alternator pivot bolt. Not even a hammer and a smaller socket would shift it. Did however manage to shear two bolts holding the plastic wing liner/under engine thing on to the car, so at least it wasn't completely uneventful. Cable tied that back on after finding than "No Nails" doesn't work on the mocket underside of a car. I'Z A BODGER.

Will now leave the belt until I'm stranded somewhere far from home with no breakdown recovery. Or I can pay someone else with ramps and shit to do it.

[RoadworkUK]

Euro Car Parts don't list a clutch slave cylinder for a KV6 825.

 

Car Spares don't list a clutch slave cylinder for a KV6 825.

 

Rimmer Brothers do list a clutch slave cylinder for a KV6 825, but it's out of stock and frig knows when it'll be back in. They also do a slave cyl seal kit for about a dozen quid, so I'll have one of those and have a little tinker.

 

Rover hasn't moved from its wastland resting place since Friday. Test expires tomorrow, Tax end of the month.

 

How long before the pikey vultures start circling?

 

 

Won't be happening, Pete-M!

 

In other news, Audi now insured, MOT booked, Albanian valeter primed and mounting sense of forboding and dispair.

[dollywobbler]

Relying on old, cheap heaps for critical business trips is perhaps not the best idea. The Peugeot let me down AGAIN this morning and refused outright to start. Barely a hiccup before the battery went flat and I gave up. That's seriously pissing me off as this is a car I'm trying to sell! I needed to be in Leominster for half nine and after faffing about with the Peugeot, I ended up leaving the house at twenty to nine. In the trusty 2CV (which seems to have overcome its own starting issues thankfully!). Even driving like a demon - which is standard behaviour when I'm in the 2CV anyway - I ended up late, but did get there for 10am, which isn't bad going given trucks and tractors encountered en route. The 2CV really is marvellous.

 

I think the BX will be trustworthy, but still need to get some running and hydraulic issues sorted. Might be time to invest in a brand new pump and I still need to see whether it is indeed sucking in air somewhere. Not sure when I'll get time to do all this. Busy times.

 

I was actually at a 4x4 auction, but thought it safer if I just reported on proceedings rather than registering. Wasn't much in the 'shite' category anyway, though a scruffy Pajero that actually seemed to run quite nicely sold for a mere £300. Quite amusing to watch petrol Freelanders come in, and a bloke lifts the bonnet and pulls off the expansion bottle cap before bidding! Wise move.

[Negative Creep]

Fitted another washer pump. Turned out it was from a later model so had to mess around in order to make it "fit". Not very interesting news, but for the first time since I bought it the ash warning light isn't on

[cort16]

  Peter said:

gave myself a flash of arc light and had a cutting disc explode.

 

This is normal

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Today went much, much better - I decided a butt weld was a bit ambitious so I made a plate and lap welded it. That's how all the other patches have been done anyway. Not the prettiest weld, but good for a first go and solid.

 

Some of the past patching under the rear seats is poor. Looks like I'm not the first person to teach themselves welding on this car.

[RoadworkUK]

Audi passed MOT. How the bloody hell did that happen?!

 

Only inside front tyre wear as an advisory.

 

Cool! I can go to the Colchester Beer festival this weekend after all.

[Mike D]

Bit of a news more than 24 update, but the other week I finally got the mexi bug I bought back in October re-mot'd, I took a bit of a gamble when I bought it as it only had 6 weeks test left, and wasn't disappointed by the extensive list of work and unbodging it needed to gain a pass!!

 

Exhaust didn't have a cat for a start, I didn't even think of checking this, as all my other beetles have been tax exempt, however being a '99 this one needs one. The exhaust does however look correct, so that was a sort of plus - tha massive minus being it was blowing from every joint and sounded fuggin terrible - complete removal, some technical hammering flat and filing of the flanges, a new gasket kit and a set of j tubes later, it was back together and leak free. Joy! but not for long, the blowing now revealing a GTA esque dying car death rattle coming from the engine. These late ACD code flat fours use hydraulic tappets and an interwebs search suggested them to be at fault - a suggested tin of Wynns by cobblers was thrown in, the engine flushed and the oil and filter changed, resulting in a whisper quiet motor. Result!

 

Next - the rear suspension. I know it's frowned upon over here, but I like lowered cars! this however was too low at the rear, and riding on the bump stops. A swift removal of the torsion arms, a re filing of every damn spline as they had been brutally beaten back on by the previous bodging owner, and a refit a spline higher up resulted in a better look and far better ride.

 

Horn and rear foglight were next up to be mended, the wiring to the fog being the issue, and the actual horn itself being kippered

 

The front wheels also received a dose of camber and tracking action, i lobbed some wheel spacers on and did a bit of grinder fettling to allow me to run centre caps on all the wheels, re-upholstered the rear seat fabric onto a later seat frame so it actually locks in place, changed the headlights and front bumper indicators, replaced the handbrake cables, and boshed it in for a test. Which it passed!

 

I also fitted a rev counter to it the other day, next up are some new gearbox mounts and a few gearbox seals, some new window winder mechanisms, and some new quarter light window frames. Should be pretty much sorted then!!

 

Here it is now -

 

It doesn't look a great deal different to when I picked it up, it's taken some work though! next up is a new voltage regulator I think as it keeps having electrical spazzes

[wuvvum]

Forked out for a 1/2" - 3/8" adaptor today (the motor factor round the corner only had them in a set of 3 for £7.50, but it would have cost me more in fuel to go somewhere cheaper), connected my breaker bar to the 8mm square drive I bought the other day, and finally got the fugging gearbox plug out of the CX. I just hope the threads haven't been kippered by winding it in that tight. When I next see the car in daylight (probably Saturday) I'll top the fluid up and take it for a spin to see if it improves the gear changing any.

 

I also took the Rover of Doom to my friendly local garage to have the knocking on the front looked at. The diagnosis is a knackered strut - the bottom half moves back when the clutch is released, which isn't doing wonders for wheel location either. Wilcos couldn't come up with anything for less than £75; there's some on eBay for just under £50 but I don't know whether that's the whole leg or just the insert. Or I could go the autoshite route and buy a secondhand complete leg for £30 delivered, and hope it'll be good enough to be worth fitting.

 

Spoke on the phone this evening to the bloke who's bid on the Iveco on eBay - he's coming all the way from Wales for it, although his daughter lives in Norwich so he's going to drop in on her while he's here. I don't envy him having to drive the bloody thing back to Wales through the night though. The Ducato went last night, to someone rather more local, so I'm down to one van now. I've still got to get rid of the Metrocab, Ligier, 106 and Rover 75 before my cull is complete though. Possibly even the Scimitar too. This will free up some money to buy myself a bike before the prices go stupid in the spring, and also to get the Citroëns back into shape, which is unlikely to be cheap. And I'm going to have the Volvo back on the road by its 40th birthday if it kills me...

[trigger]

I had another play with the Cortina tonight, Firstly i popped to screwfix on the way home to buy some rubber grommets to fill the holes in the boot from the tow bar removal last night, It turns out that i bought the wrong size though on the plus side i did see this lovely R4 van in the car park.

 

1986 Renault 4 Van in Ipswich by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

My new brake flexi hose arrived today from ebay, a new genuine Lucas Girling one dated 1987! That must have sat in stock a long time!.

 

I gave the car a bit of a polish, it's coming up a little but i am thinking of investing in a mop as it's still really flat, and i polished a dodgy aerosol repair on the rear 1/4 and quickly went though to beige primer so I'm going to have to fix that now.

 

I removed the soul remaining rear mudflap, I'm trying to decide whether to take the front ones of now or leave them, While hooving the boot out my hoover blew it self up, I've only used it 5 or 6 times so that was a great investment, as was the new leadlight bulb that blew with in 10 minutes of turning it on.

 

I then decided to remove the old radio which was a mission but not half as much as trying to replace the cigarette lighter for a standard one (The original is much longer then normal and won't accept any chargers), It took me frigging ages to remove it and fit the new one only for the fuse under the bonnet to blow and i haven't got any 8amp continental fuses .

 

I wish i hadn't bothered now.

[The Moog]

V40 has MOT. New roll bar bushes, some brake pipe and headlamp adjustment.

 

Benn quoted £400 for Cambelt so probably wont bother with that.

 

Need to fix the climate control though fed up of with either blasted with hot air or freezing to death ..

[Father Ted]

Email today from Michelin UK saying that they discontinued the Pilot HX in 2009 and there are non in stock in the UK.

 

Utter bumhats. I have an unused spare and no way of getting a matching tyre to be able to lob it on the C8. So, Do I buy a non matching Mitchy and plob both on the rear and put the matching Goodyears on the driven wheels, do I risk trying to get one from a scrapper who claims its identical but wont send me a picture? Do I just buy a matching pair of something cheap and hope for the best or say bugger it and buy in true autoshite fashion an odd Goodride or Maxxus Triangle tyre, because lets face it its the wifes car and she drives like a girl*

 

 

 

 

 

 

*not actually true, she drives like a farmers daugher that she is and doesnt give a sh*t for other road users.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Just buy something mid-range and stick them together on the rear.

[Station]

My 1.3 Spi Felicia is doing 20mpg.

 

I sold a die-cast Ford Escort mk2 for 30 quid, and a Ford Capri for 55 quid! Thought Escort would make similar money as 'completed searches' proved that (50 - 60 quid).

I noticed the old K-series head in the boot of my old car and thought I'd whip that on ebay. I already tried before but it only made 5 quid and the bloke didn't pay anyway. It made 55 quid. Quite pleased as I was about to 'weigh it in'.

[cort16]

Would any shitealists like this early 90's Sony Cassette desk? A guy at work gave me it for my "old cars" but even my Rover has a CD player.

I've no idea if it works and there's no standard connector on the back. It's free to pick up in the Paisley Area/Ayrshire Scotchland or I can post it to you for a fiver.

Unfortunately there's no MEGA-BASS.

 

Cassette by cort16, on Flickr

[Father Ted]

Before the "winter" I bought off Amazon a heated car seat cover for the grand sum of £14. Initially impressed withits volcanic heat its gradually stopped working bit by bit untill only one little section on my left arse cheek remained hot - however it was still quite volcanic in its heat and at times a bit uncomfortable.

 

Today I invested in a heated massage cover from Lidl for £17... Removed the old cover and discovered a hole burned in the luxury velour cover of the seat and a burned hole in the reverse side of the heated seat cover.

Arse.

[myglaren]

Not too sure if this belongs here but here goes.

 

Minories in Durham are refusing to work on the Prius.

They have just started MOTing them and have had three of their staff injured by them.

When checking the wheels with the car off the ground, the car thinks it should be moving and starts the electric motors.

Two of the testers have broken wrists.

 

Also it appears that the sills are used to carry the current for the motors and they are not at all happy about that, more potential injuries there.

[scaryoldcortina]

The prius problem is well known to VOSA, they have a training video for testers about safety and hybrid/electric cars. I had to sit through it on the MoT course (VOSA training videos make fifth gear look well presented, witty and informative).

 

Upshot of it is - Never leave the key in your pocket because the car will try to do stuff automatically (like start the engine if it detects low battery). Put it into service mode then put the key out of range (like in the MoT office) and it should be ok. Also mentioned not touching damaged wiring but duh....

Oh, and the VSI report on the MoT computer (when you log the car in for a test) tells you all the same things, and the exact procedure for making the car safe to work on.

[myglaren]

I'm surprised that it caught Minories out then - glad I don't have to deal with them.

Three testers seems rather like carelessness too.

[Richard]

Are there circumstances where a Prius might catch out an unwary owner?

[scaryoldcortina]

^ Yes. You are on your way to an important business meeting, and the screenwash warning light comes on. You pull over, put the key in your shirt pocket grab a bottle of evian water and open the bonnet. While filling the screenwash your "Top Man" tie dangles into the engine bay, just as the car decides it needs to run the engine to maintain battery charge. You are pulled towards the engine at some speed by your tie (which is now part of the AUX belt system) and the best case from here is that you hit your head on the engine and the tie snaps.

 

Moral - always wear a clip-on.

[cort16]

I never knew any of that about the Prius it sounds like a right loose cannon.

 

I brought my Volvo S80 down the road tonight as the new wing is now painted and I want to fit it on Saturday. It's bloody soaking inside as the rubber seal at the bottom of the doors wasn't on properly (it is now I glued it on). It drives lovely and the interior is cracking. It's not rapid compare to the Alfa but it can move.

Best cupholder eva!

[ashmicro]

My neighbour's first Pieass was spirited away at night, with dark mutterings about "battery issues" and a bit of cloak and dagger stuff, with the dealer using an unmarked flatbed and the car was covered. It reminded me of a Special Forces funeral. Turned out the sodding pedal-Toyota had had a fire. It must have been bad as he got a brand new car.