The new news 24 thread

[vulgalour]

It has been a busy day on the Maestro.  Pulled some filler out and along with it, a sock.  All the rot now cut out on this corner, splashed with some zinc primer ready for welding tomorrow (hopefully).

Apart from the sock, nothing I uncovered on this corner was particularly surprising really, I expected this sort of thing when I bought the car given how ludicrously cheap it was.

[richardmorris]

3 hours ago, Broadsword said:

Hmmm, I think this spark plug might just be past its best!

Mind the gap!

[juular]

Flippin cars, man.

 

[Cord Fourteener]

22 hours ago, Stanky said:

On the Volvo leak - might it be coolant from a leaky heater matrix? I had this years ago on a Mk3 golf and ended up bypassing the heater matrix on the engine side of the bulkhead because I lived in fear of the matrix bursting and giving me a 90c face, hand and foot wash.

oily and wet and in the footwell does sound a bit like it might be the issue... Wipe your fingers on it and give them a good sniff, coolant has a distinctive smell

I suspect it probably is. But it doesn't really smell.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

51 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

It has been a busy day on the Maestro.  Pulled some filler out and along with it, a sock.  All the rot now cut out on this corner, splashed with some zinc primer ready for welding tomorrow (hopefully).

Apart from the sock, nothing I uncovered on this corner was particularly surprising really, I expected this sort of thing when I bought the car given how ludicrously cheap it was.

The question I'd now be asking is: where is the other sock?

[vulgalour]

Probably the other arch, which also needs replacing, but hasn't yet fallen off so it can wait a bit longer.

[brownnova]

The MX5 is a summer sort of car. Right? 
 

So I realised that I haven’t driven it since I parked it after my commute on the last day of term 6 weeks ago… the curse of having too many cars to drive I guess. 

So I thought I should take it for a drive for pleasure.

Off into the Clwydian Range for an hour.  It’s always good fun in the 5. 

[danthecapriman]

On 8/28/2021 at 8:15 PM, Cord Fourteener said:

Good news here. Passat keys exist but car is at the wrong place; at Glan Clwyd hospital. Wifey normally works at Wrexham so we'll have to go on a drive out to recover it some day soon.

Mondeo is now behaving itself again after a good talking to by Forscan. No lights, no smoke, no smells. Just good running. All isn't perfect, some electric gremlins in a wheel sensor and the like but for now it's fine. 

Volvo has a strange slightly oily damp patch in the driver's foot well. No idea if that's run-off, drip in, or leak from, if its water mixed with carpet oily goo or something else. It doesn't smell, I know that much. And it's taking its time to dry out. 

Otherwise it's perfect. Mostly. 

If it’s definitely coolant in the drivers footwell, it’s most likely the heater control valve leaking. 
Fairly common fault on them now, you get a little drip where the seals go and it drips onto the carpet near the pedals. Right hand drive ones are no longer available unfortunately! 
 

You need to remove the under dash trim panel, then stick your head in the footwell and look up under the dash. You should be able to see the heater hoses where they come through the bulkhead and the heater valve is right there. A drip coming from it should be pretty obvious.
 

[stuboy]

On 8/28/2021 at 9:47 AM, Crackers said:

Of all the things a person could choose to barry... a Fusion? Really?

boredom, he signed off sick, before that messed about by agency etc etc

[dozeydustman]

A run up to see my parents in Kent and the C2 is massively improved with new front tyres. The random tracking left then straight then tracking right has gone as well.

[High Jetter]

So, Spa was a washout?

[GingerNuttz]

Just been informed my niece has the rona and she might have given it to my sister who was in my parents house last night.

I've just walked right into her house with the wife who is currently with child FML 

[Split_Pin]

Shit man hope all is OK. Think you need to wait 3 days and you can get a PCR.

It's still out there big time. A few folk in my work were talking about going back to the office but no way I'm doing that. It's just asking for trouble.

[GingerNuttz]

Sister and parents are waiting on tests atm but I reckon me and the wife will be fine. 

We only made it 3 feet into the house before I was told what happened and we bailed. 

[juular]

10 minutes ago, GingerNuttz said:

Sister and parents are waiting on tests atm but I reckon me and the wife will be fine. 

We only made it 3 feet into the house before I was told what happened and we bailed. 

Hopefully everything is ok with your Mrs. You did the right thing by bailing out.

43 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

It's still out there big time. A few folk in my work were talking about going back to the office but no way I'm doing that. It's just asking for trouble

Yep, it's rife at my work (school).

People are dropping like flies here, but it all seems to be talked about in casual conversation as if everyone is now immune. Masks optional. Hand sanitisers empty everywhere. I wish I could work from home again.

Management:

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, GingerNuttz said:

Just been informed my niece has the rona and she might have given it to my sister who was in my parents house last night.

I've just walked right into her house with the wife who is currently with child FML 

Order a couple of boxes of lateral flow tests and do them daily. I really do hope neither of you are infected 

[MJK 24]

New rear light seals for the baby Benz 

[SRi05]

8 minutes ago, juular said:

Hopefully everything is ok with your Mrs. You did the right thing by bailing out.

Yep, it's rife at my work (school).

People are dropping like flies here, but it all seems to be talked about in casual conversation as if everyone is now immune. Masks optional. Hand sanitisers empty everywhere. I wish I could work from home again.

Management:

My Mrs is a primary teacher and it's everywhere in her school. Two kids in her class have it from last week. She messaged me this morning saying that she feels like shit and something is starting on her. Great. Still hasn't had her 2nd vaccine yet.

 

[LabRat]

Got back off holiday to moaning neighbors, apparently the MG6 has been lowering the tone of the area- it's parked under a tree so if fucking filthy after 2 weeks and has 2 flat tyres and a dead battery.

I did obviously thing and ignored the moaning gits until this morning, then borrowed the wife's Ssangyong for a jump start, against all sensible advice from fellow mg owners (you cant jump start one as it will kill the ECUs, fry fuses, injure nuns and kittens...) Surprisingly it only bloody fires up first press of the key! 

Pumped the tyres up, dragged it's sorry arse to the nearest jet wash and it almost looks presentable again. It promptly thanks me with a strong smell of hot electrics coming through the vents. On investigation the battery negative is hot enough to fry eggs on.

Looks like I'm stripping all the earthing points down and praying that the battery isn't fucked then. Oh, and the fucking clutch has started to slip under load too... I'm so, so tempted to scrap the the bloody thing off and get a Dacia on PCP. 

But, I'll keep with it, if only for the fact it's trade in value is currently about £800 in good condition. This one would probably have me owing the dealers money to take it off my hands!

[Floatylight]

Stepmum has the rona, everyone who was at Dad's funeral last week currently getting pinged by test and Trace, thankfully most people double jabbed..

[brownnova]

4 hours ago, SRi05 said:

My Mrs is a primary teacher and it's everywhere in her school. Two kids in her class have it from last week. She messaged me this morning saying that she feels like shit and something is starting on her. Great. Still hasn't had her 2nd vaccine yet.

 

I’m dreading being back in work this week for that reason too… 

Wife is pregnant too, but has no option but to be around 30 teenagers at a time.

Can’t wait… 

[brownnova]

Some highlights from the Capesthorne Hall car show today…

Starting with my car of the show:

This Hustler was bloody ace!

Runner up: 

Beautiful Ami! Wonderful to behold.

And in bronze medal position...

18,000 miles from new! It was awesome.

Honourable mentions:

And having commented on how rare e Beta Montecarlo I saw at Mavericks on Tuesday was… 

Another one! 
 

Of course that’s just my cars of the show… things like Escorts and Mk2 Jags were winning in the actual show ring. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

A relaxed run in the CX up to North Watford and back. Nothing of note to report, although there did seem to be more SUVs out on the roads than normal.....

[Mrs Spart]

On 8/25/2021 at 10:44 PM, HillmanImp said:

Who's got that shopper bike with the bike engine on it these days, that was doing the rounds on here a few years ago? It was quite local to me but not sure if it still is. 

Its the Harley Davidson weekend where I live, where hundreds of bikes ride through the village and I fancy borrowing it and suddenly pulling out of a side street and being the leader of the gang as they come through. 

 

[Mrs Spart]

On 8/25/2021 at 10:44 PM, HillmanImp said:

Who's got that shopper bike with the bike engine on it these days, that was doing the rounds on here a few years ago? It was quite local to me but not sure if it still is. 

Its the Harley Davidson weekend where I live, where hundreds of bikes ride through the village and I fancy borrowing it and suddenly pulling out of a side street and being the leader of the gang as they come through. 

 

[Ghosty]

decided I'm going to put the Ignis up for sale if anyone wants it - I'll sell it for my (rather fair) break even price - see the for sale section. 

[brownnova]

27 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

decided I'm going to put the Ignis up for sale if anyone wants it - I'll sell it for my (rather fair) break even price - see the for sale section. 

Didn’t think it would last long… not a very ghosty car… 

[bunglebus]

Someone's pinched my photo! I took that "BE 54UCY" picture years ago when I worked at Merc/Chrysler in Southend, it's on my Flickr and the number plate thread - and now pops up on Google (but not on the link if you click it). Cheeker feckers

 

[Split_Pin]

Fixed the air bag light on the 75 today.

Disconnected the battery, waited 10 minutes. 

Disconnected and reconnected both pairs of yellow plugs under the driver and passenger seat, light now out.

This was literally a fix from a Rover technical bulletin  back in the day.

[Fumbler]

I swapped over the gear knob in the car with the one in the spares stash. Spares stash one is also falling apart but it's better then what was there.

Naturally, I decided to PlastiDip the old one to see if it'll work. Have a painted knob (fnar).

The knob is sticky (fnar fnar) but after a night in the warm house it should be cured and ready for use. I can't find any shiny plastic ones so I'm having to make do at the moment.