The new news 24 thread

[Tadhg Tiogar]

3 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Available for the Cx too.

About four hundred quid a set, plus post, plus import duty / VAT.....

[PhilA]

8 hours ago, wuvvum said:

What is eTorque exactly?

Golf cart technology.

Basically they stuck a big motor where the alternator goes, and a fat belt. Where you pull away below about 1500rpm it dumps battery from a big pack under the back seats (48v) into the motor and assists the engine where it's not quite up into it's peak torque range.

 

Phil

[reb]

It's 9am on a Sunday and I've already been awake 5 hours. This is not by choice nor is it for a particularly good reason, I just woke up from a couple of hours of fairly shitty sleep and couldn't get back to sleep. I gave up entirely on sleep at 6 and had a coffee in the back garden. Honestly it's been quite a pleasant morning, I'd pay good money to be awake for the sun coming up every day, but there is one problem. What do you do with so much day? Assuming it's a day off, of course. I've already spent a couple of hours watching YouTube videos, I've eaten breakfast, what now?

I'm down to one car on the road at the moment and pretty much everything that needs has been done or needs parts I can't get same day on a Sunday. The C2 and the Fiesta need prepared for sale, so I might head up to the unit to see if I can get the C2 started and take some photos of it. Jumping it should be fun* as the 205 is in front of it. I need to somehow charge the battery despite it being too dead for my mains charger.

The 205 is a whole other story in itself, I won't go into it too much here but the gist is that I'm a massive fuckwit that can't leave things well alone so am now stuck with a useless car with crucial components missing to either complete the build or revert it to factory. Luckily I do have a plan for how to rectify this, but I don't think I can do it alone and I can count on one hand the number of people I personally know who *could* help let alone will be available to. Thats a panic for another day though.

This post is really for me to think aloud as it were, otherwise I'd get nothing done (like most days). The problem you see is thus; I'm depressed so I get nothing done, because I get nothing done I'm depressed, then because I'm depressed I get nothing done. Its a truly hateful cycle to be in and I will break it but by fuck is it hard.

Anyway. As you were.

[wuvvum]

I'm off on a collection mission. 

It is a fugging mission too.  I'm going to be on this train for a looooong time.  Not gonna lie though, it'll be nice to see some different scenery for a change - apart from a brief foray over the border into Suffolk, I've not left Norfolk this year. 

[wuvvum]

Just passed a 1980s Renault Trafic van on its side in a wood.  I've remembered the location in case I need any bits for mine. 

[wuvvum]

Currently sat at Thetford - apparently there's a points failure at Ely.  Excelsior.  

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

I'm off on a collection mission. 

It is a fugging mission too.  I'm going to be on this train for a looooong time.  Not gonna lie though, it'll be nice to see some different scenery for a change - apart from a brief foray over the border into Suffolk, I've not left Norfolk this year. 

156, I bloody love those things. I miss not travelling back from  Glasgow every day in them.

[Split_Pin]

Cavalier all ready for presentation to the MOT station tomorrow at 10am. Everything checked, screenwash topped up and a bottle of Cataclean ready for dumping into the tank tomorrow before a longish drive. 

I'm going to ask them to do the emissions first while the cat is red hot. Hopefully that won't be too difficult for them to comprehend. Due to the obvious ineptitude of garages in my area to mentally process a car older than 10 years old, I am prepared for them to try and spuriously condemn it, but the place that welded it seemed to like it and they also do MOTs.

 

I have also found that the car is popular with the delivery drivers who come to the door!

[richardmorris]

A better class of people at ascot farmer’s market today!

( another historics auction apparently).

[wuvvum]

On the move again. 

[richardmorris]

Watch live.

https://online.historics.co.uk/m/view-auctions/live-sale/id/27

[Leyland Worldmaster]

Childhood dream became reality today! 🤩🤩🤩

 

[Leyland Worldmaster]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

I'm off on a collection mission. 

It is a fugging mission too.  I'm going to be on this train for a looooong time.  Not gonna lie though, it'll be nice to see some different scenery for a change - apart from a brief foray over the border into Suffolk, I've not left Norfolk this year. 

Safe journey! It is a Workington Built Leyland Train. Based on Leyland National Bus components! 🤩🤩🤩

[phil_lihp]

My T4 was lowered by its previous owner, as most modified ones are, however this meant it had almost no suspension travel and was hideous to drive on the roads around where I live, most of which resemble the surface of the moon.   It had aftermarket springs on the back and the front torsion bar had been wound very low.  I've seen them even lower than this but no idea how they're even driveable, with it set like this it feels like it has no suspension in it at all.

They're dead easy to lower - they have adjustable torsion bars on the front and springs on the back, so all that needs doing is getting it up in the air to take the load off the wheels, winding the torsion bar adjusters up/down according to requirements and taking one bolt out of the rear shock mounts to let the arm drop down enough to swap the springs out.

A friend lowered his T4 many years ago and still had the original springs, which he donated to the cause so yesterday I spent several hours going all anti-scene.

Before:

After:

Slight issue there - the donated springs are off a LWB T4 which it turns out has a higher load capacity.  I had a feeling that might be the case, plus the torsion bar adjuster on the driver's side decided it would not go back up to full height, the nut simply would not move past a certain point regardless of how much I cleaned the threads with a wire brush and soaked them in plusgas and oil.  In the end I levelled them both out at that height and it's actually sitting quite nicely at the front.

The key thing here is the ride quality, which has improved immeasurably.  Definitely worth doing, it's so much nicer to drive now.  I will probably try putting the lowering springs back in the rear and see if it sits more level and still rides OK, otherwise I'll get hold of a pair of correct SWB springs but at least for now it's an awful lot nicer to drive.

[wuvvum]

Now on my favourite bit of the route, through the Peak District. 

We're not going very fast though, I think the 156 is struggling a bit with the hills. 

[juular]

13 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Now on my favourite bit of the route, through the Peak District. 

We're not going very fast though, I think the 156 is struggling a bit with the hills. 

I always thought it was the scuds (158s) that struggled with hills, hence the 156s merrily doing the West Highlands. 

[wuvvum]

Could be.  158s are higher geared so that'd make sense I suppose. 

[New POD]

On 16/04/2021 at 23:31, SiC said:

Had "the conversation" with Mrs SiC about the fleet and the BMW in particular. I explained how the parts situation (cost and supply) dampened my enthusiasm for it. Also as it's a big car, not sure how much fun I'll have. She's has never liked the BMW since it arrived really anyway. Plus as she reminded me, once I've convinced something in my mind, I tend to move pretty quickly and constantly self reinforce it. First question was what was I after to replace it, as I apparently only sell stuff when I'm something else. 

Mentioned that I would really like a Mini. Her remark was that she really liked them and really didn't mind me getting one. Also she thought that was the case as she saw one left up on my computer screen earlier (that may have been deliberate on my part 🤣). This enthusiasm took me back as she never really has any interest in classic cars at all. I did give a warning that they're not cheap though. Her suggestion was that I could sell the Clio too and that would fund for a better one. Then daily drive the Boxster ... or maybe sell that too and buy another MK3 MX-5 (which she also loves). At this point I think she was getting carried away with herself - not least selling all my cars... There was brief mention about selling the MGB, which I quickly shot down bef.

Why don't you get a Countrymans, was the next query. Now Mrs SiC really isn't into her cars but she still has a small knowledge on them. But why a Countrymans? "It's just like Nanny had!", referring to her great grandmother who she held an awful lot of affection for. Aha! That's why she's so enthusiastic for the Mini then. 

Unfortunately Countrymans are quite a bit pricer - far more than I'd want to spend on a mini. But that's ok as Nanny used to love her Minis and had a few over the years.

I think that this really does concrete the fact that I'll be getting a Mini next...! 

Sorry E28, your time with me may not be quite as long as I expected. Haven't even got it through the bloody test yet either.

You know my opinion of minis? You can do better. 

[stuboy]

Yesterday went and visiting my friends in sittingbourne.. but just leaving town had a strange driving by a bmw driver... were they lost... confused...??

 

 

[New POD]

16 minutes ago, stuboy said:

Yesterday went and visiting my friends in sittingbourne.. but just leaving town had a strange driving by a bmw driver... were they lost... confused...??

 

 

The people in the car speaking have some interesting use of language. 

[wuvvum]

Arrived. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

53 minutes ago, New POD said:

The people in the car speaking have some interesting use of language. 

Is it stiff upper lip only in yours?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, stuboy said:

Yesterday went and visiting my friends in sittingbourne.. but just leaving town had a strange driving by a bmw driver... were they lost... confused...??

 

 

Are you driving a small 3 pot car? If so, BMW driver has assumed they're more important than you. 

The amount of people who used to pull out in front of our old MX5 because small car was ridiculous. Strangely, the MR2 commands more respect from other road users which I still can't quite understand. 

[High Jetter]

27 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Arrived.

Have Netwok Rail gone Chinesium?

[wuvvum]

Seller isn't home.  Epic. 

[wuvvum]

Panic over, he was asleep. 

[reb]

In the end I decided against driving to the unit today because I realised driving on basically no sleep isn't particularly sensible, but then a friend popped up and asked if he could borrow my engine crane so we went along in his brother's van. While we were there we decided to have a prod at the C2, discovering that the bonnet really didn't want to open we spent a good few minutes fighting with it, eventually we got it open and got the battery out to charge. Other than being a bit grim from sitting it all seemed altogether better than it did when it was parked up, which might just be because I'm feeling more optimistic now than then. Next job there will be photos then listing it for sale/roffle.

My friend also agreed to help with the 205 since I've helped him out with his turbo Civic build by lending him various bits of garage equipment he couldn't justify buying himself, between us we make a single reasonably skilled mechanic* so that's another big relief. It's been entirely too long since it was last on the road and quite frankly I wish I'd just worked on the problems the original engine had rather than trying to stuff an HDI into it but that's hindsight. I'm hoping that by the time I'm "finished" with it it'll be in a better state than it was when I bought it, I think we're more than capable of that.

I feel a lot calmer about the automotive side of life than I did 48 hours ago, obviously staying awake this long has a cleansing effect on the brain or something.

[wuvvum]

No pez shot yet as it had a third of a tank, but I've pulled into a layby on the A628 for a bite to eat.  

I've bought a car with no logbook off a Scouser.  What could possibly go wrong? 

[LightBulbFun]

13 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

No pez shot yet as it had a third of a tank, but I've pulled into a layby on the A57 for a bite to eat.  

I've bought a car with no logbook off a Scouser.  What could possibly go wrong? 

no Police national computer record so thats good LOL but impressive they managed to lose the V5 given the last one was only issued in late march!

(was quite surprised to find that it only has an 875cc engine mind! we need a back to back comparison/review with a singer chamois LOL)

[phil_lihp]

My daily driver Octavia VRS is sat up on axle stands on the driveway at the moment while the alloys are off being stripped and painted.  I took the opportunity to give it it's overdue yearly service last weekend - overdue in terms of my inclination to do it annually, it's on some ridiculous 18,000 mile intervals I think, although I doubt the previous owner stuck to that as she had it 11 years and it's done over 201,000 miles so I think it's been done more frequently than that.  First time I've used my little Lidl oil pump instead of draining the oil via the sump plug and I was impressed at how much it got out.

(Yes it's sat on the (original!) spare on one corner due to the inability to get the very old and very substantial axle stands I borrowed to add to my two into a suitable position under both sides at the back).   

I finished that off today with changing the absolutely disgusting pollen filter which I changed when I got the car in Feb 2019, quite impressive how much muck it'd accumulated in that time.   

One job I have now thrown in the towel on however is changing the secondary air pump, a common issue on the 1.8T VAG engine as when it wear out the plastic rivets holding it together break and it starts whistling when it runs at cold starts.

Thanks to @Coprolalia's suggestion I obtained a cheapo one off eBay a while back, the original is quite literally falling apart and makes jumbo jet noises so has been unplugged for the last year or so.

I can only assume they start with this thing before building the rest of the car around it - after 2 lengthy sessions cramming my hands into nests of pipes and sharp bits of metal and plastic, muttering under my breath, trying all sorts of odd ratchet attachment combinations and getting nowhere fast, I have to admit defeat on the last allen bolt holding the mounting bracket for the pump in place.  This one below was the second to last one and almost impossible to get a ratchet on to in a way which would allow me to actually get it out - it took about 2 hours to finally get this one off.

Then I found the last one was even more inaccessible and when I finally got the socket on it with the use of 3 extensions and a flexible adaptor, it was seized solid and would not turn.

Sod it, it can go to the garage for that job, plus the thought of having to try and get those bolts back in again does not fill me with joy.  The important thing I've found with vehicle maintenance, as with running and DIY, is knowing when to stop.