The new news 24 thread

[Alexg]

Blezzing down to Dover and over to France on LeShuttle, £23 day return jobbie in the Midget hearse this Wednesday. Just noticed the offside rear suspension strap is broken. I'm guessing this is no biggie should I not be launching the car anywhere violently whilst loaded with booze and cheese?

[dollywobbler]

Lovely pics Trig.

[cobblers]

Cracking pics trig. My grandad turned up with one of those Civics as a "gift" for my mum about 15 years ago. It was a right old dog and she wouldn't drive it, but I always quite liked it.

 

I've been pissing about in the garage this weekend. About 6 years ago the old garage door all went to bollocks in an explosion of cables and springs. We were a bit short on space so I put some patio doors in it's place and covnerted the garage into another room, for a while. The garage floor level is about 5 foot lower than the house, so I made false floor etc etc.

It looked like this:

But it was always cold, and lately it never got used as a "room" so I decided to convert it back into a garage and get the van out of the rain. I got a cheapo roller shutter door off of some kid from ebay, fitted that yesterday and then ragged all the false floor out.

You can see all the stuff I just put the floor over (anything that was too tall I just tipped over)

 

I did a shitload of trips to the tip today, and got rid of a load of crap, then decided to make use of all the old false floor timber to make some storage above the door instead of just chucking it on my mums fire.

 

Shazam:

 

I had done my measurements and knew it would be tight, so I was shitting myself when I actually came to try the van in, thankfully, it fits with an inch to spare either end:

 

 

Ended up doing it on my own since my usual "just lift this for us" mate was out shopping with his missus all weekend. so I'm absolutely bollocksed now. it's a good feeling to have a garage attached to the house again though.

 

[Micrashed]

I did the patio doors thing about 10 years ago.

 

Then I did the false floor with insulation thing, then the battening the walls out and more plasterboard with insulation under it thing, then it got a proper wall and window put in where the patio doors used to be, then a proper radiator fed from the central heating and now these days the lad sleeps in there. I dont think he will let me have it back as a garage again.

Mind you it was shit as a garage, a Mk 2 Fiesta only just fit.

[stuboy]

spent £4 in halfords clearance

[cobblers]

my mates fiesta is in the fiesta one of those, which he was hugely excited about. 

[vulgalour]

Watch out, Cobblers, you'll end up looking after that van if you're not careful.

[ShiteRider]

RIP Paul Walker

Star of the fast and the furious films has been killed in a car crash.

[Sigmund Fraud]

My scruffy 740 completed yet another 750-mile continental trip without any issues, returning a fairly constant 30mpg !

 

I'm now having second thoughts about putting it up for sale, even Mrs.Fraud seems to have taken a liking to the boxy old beast (or, rather, it's impressive loading capacity).

[Craig the Princess]

Marina appears to be bolloxed, it won't start when warm the starter motor either just clicks or turns over very slowly but when cold the engine turns very easily.
Still at least the bonnet was closed for the first time in oven a year yesterday.

 

[panhard65]

Now have a full set of gears on the Renault truck and a fully functionall folding windscreen. Headlight bowls coming tomorrow so should be getting close to a proper road test for the first time. Had a horrid little mini in for mot today, done a massive 25 miles since last year. They really are horrible things to drive bouncing around everywhere unlike the luxury renner 5

[Rusty_Rocket]

I can tell just by looking at it, that Mini is in desperate need of new rubber springs.  I actually think they should be classed as a service item and done every 5 years.  When they get that flat, the ride is so, so bad; there is no suspension travel at all 

Mine has 4 new Minispares units and the ride is really smooth, surprisingly so in fact!

[dollywobbler]

Oops. You mean our old Mini probably just needed a suspension refresh? Certainly didn't feel like it had any suspension...

[dugong]

Every Mini I've ever been in has rode like shit. Then again, it could be because of the scene 'mods' and noisy exhausts that made it wearing to be in. 

[MrDuke]

I'm pretty sure that most things on a Mini, including the bodyshell, should be classed as a 5-year service item.

[MrDuke]

Perhaps there's a vast lack of mechanical knowledge amongst owners.

I image talking to a deck-scraping mini owner (even a non-scene one) about new rubber springs is like engaging the owner of an older Range Rover about worn air suspension.

Complete denial and the phrase "it's meant to do that" accompanying the psht psht noise of a recently turned of RR as it drops to compensate for the air pissing out of a spring.

 

Oddly, when I dabbled in the Mini scene (a few years back) the majority of owners were fairly well clued up on them, even if they didn't have the aptitude or skills to actually do the work. The 'scene' owners also knew exactly what they were wreaking on the ride & handling, but they did it anyway, not out of ignorance though. Sadly, despite the abundance of genuine enthusiasm, if I had to choose, I'd rather attend a twat-infested VW event than a Mini one.

[Rusty_Rocket]

The problem is, the vast majority of Mini owners are young and only want to slam the car to the deck.  They fit stupidly expensive dampers and wide tyres and expect to go round corners faster than anything else.  The reality is, the rubber springs sag, drop the car and go rock hard.  This means the suspension has all of 1/2" before it hits the bump stops... hence the 'bounce'.  In the state the damper is doing nothing at all, the car is almost uncontrollable on anything but the smoothest surface and is a pig to drive.

A properly set-up Mini on fresh springs and sitting at the correct ride height is a joy- the suspension is firm but has sufficient travel to absorb bumps and the dampers control this movement.

You need nothing more than a 145/80/10 tyre also!

[dugong]

Sadly, despite the abundance of genuine enthusiasm, if I had to choose, I'd rather attend a twat-infested VW event than a Mini one.

Please justify. 

[MrDuke]

Please justify. 

 

I'd derive greater pleasure from viewing mk1 Golfs/Polos slammed on polished split-rims, than seeing 'Pirate' or 'Disney' themed Minis & owners.

[dugong]

I'd derive greater pleasure from viewing mk1 Golfs/Polos slammed on polished split-rims, than seeing 'Pirate' or 'Disney' themed Minis & owners.

Reasons accepted.

[hairnet]

For a brief time I drove around in Mr Rungasamy's Carina II Estate which had ATS Classics on it, some kid in a Polo gave me the stink-eye, it was great.

pics stat!!!!

[stuboy]

more charity reading material..

[M'coli]

Funny how they're the same size and weight these days...

[ShiteRider]

I've just saved a datsun laurel........

[DVee8]

I've just saved a datsun laurel........

More info you just carn't come out with that and pics

[Mr Livered]

TELL US MOAR

[vulgalour]

Pictures, or it didn't actually happen.

[Lord Sterling]

Yo ShiteRider. Here at Autoshite, we DEMAND nothing less than a full explenation with pictures.

[ShiteRider]

I'll be home by 9. Pictures and story then.

[dollywobbler]

It's half nine now!