The new news 24 thread

[dean36014]

Driveway has a certain air of class about it now 😁

 

[Jamie]

My dad needs to be on As

 

 

[Cord Fourteener]

36 minutes ago, Jamie said:

My dad needs to be on As

 

 

I've spotted a few households in my area that ought to be, maybe we should have AS business cards to stick through letterboxes and hand out to friends and family. 

[Cord Fourteener]

I hate dodgy dpfs, it's making regret buying modern diesels.

I once used to justify my silly petrol purchases by saying diesels are just no good for short back-country journeys. 

I think i was right. 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Just after renewing the VED for the CX for another year.....

[Crackers]

8 hours ago, dozeydustman said:

Just pulled into Sainsbury’s petrol station for the airline. Wife pointed out an “old brown car”. It was @Crackersin his P6

The last you'll see of it for a while, I was filling the tank up to take it up to my parents' place, to get it out of my way for a few weeks while I arrange winter storage. It'll return in 2022!

[Tadhg Tiogar]

2 hours ago, dean36014 said:

Driveway has a certain air of class about it now 😁

 

Finally succumbed? Or just moved it in from other storage?

[dean36014]

Just now, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Finally succumbed? Or just moved it in from other storage?

Bought it a few weeks ago, gradually sorting out the mechanics, then start on the bodywork next year.

[richardmorris]

[clayts450]

My 814 miles last year in the Streetwise really took its toll. Note to self, stop reversing onto beds of nails

[Cord Fourteener]

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

Tasty 

[MarvinsMom]

On 10/9/2021 at 8:28 PM, MarvinsMom said:

Got all 4 cones changed on Cocopop, at last. George has had a mare of a job with it, as everything has been seized solid, and then the other week he had been in and out of the garage to deal with loonies running outta fuel.

the car is more like a monster truck instead of the low rider, that we were driving before hand.

car is booked in now for its MOT next week. the first time in more than 2 years

we have had the tracking done, now we have to run it for a bit, and then get the tracking done again when the suspension settles a bit.

 

Cocopop has achived an MOT pass, the first time it in 2 and 1/2 years that the car has been tested.

now to tax it, and use it, and hopfully enjoy it at least a bit before the bad weather starts and i've got to put it away. again.

[angle]

One to watch out for as I know a lot of people use Autoaid on here - the bank card I used to pay last year's membership expired, so I got a text saying my renewal hadn't gone through and asking me to phone up. Fine, except the guy said they now ask for the registration of cars in your household. I then got 'oh, the standard policy doesn't cover cars more than 15 years old, you need to take out an older car policy' (£74.99 rather than £59.99). Still cheaper than the AA or whatever and they were good the one time I needed to use them in the past, but not sure what would have happened if the renewal had gone through and then I'd broken down...

[Datsuncog]

Hmmm, don't remember them highlighting that on any of their T&Cs... I've been with Autoaid for over three years now, though never yet needed to call them out - and both our household cars are now in the '15yr old plus' bracket.

Will get on to them pronto and see what the score is - yep, the cover's still cheaper than AA/RAC so I don't particularly object to paying fifteen quid extra, but I'd be well hacked off if I was stranded and they turned me down because they never made me aware of this rather important fact... cheers for bringing this up!

[dollywobbler]

21 hours ago, angle said:

One to watch out for as I know a lot of people use Autoaid on here - the bank card I used to pay last year's membership expired, so I got a text saying my renewal hadn't gone through and asking me to phone up. Fine, except the guy said they now ask for the registration of cars in your household. I then got 'oh, the standard policy doesn't cover cars more than 15 years old, you need to take out an older car policy' (£74.99 rather than £59.99). Still cheaper than the AA or whatever and they were good the one time I needed to use them in the past, but not sure what would have happened if the renewal had gone through and then I'd broken down...

Yes, I had this at renewal, but they did back down and give me another year at the lower rate when I grumbled at them. Given the cover is for the human rather than the car, seems a bit rich.

[Zelandeth]

Okay, I officially really hate this timing chain tensioner.  It's the gift that just keeps giving.

Having removed the alternator to get a socket on to remove it, I then discover that there are *two* bits you need to remove.  The second of which has a 17mm inverse hex head...so it's now back off to buy yet another damned tool for this job!

Yes, I did spend about half an hour rooting through the garage to see if I could find a bolt to use instead...but no luck.

[SgtWilson]

22 hours ago, angle said:

One to watch out for as I know a lot of people use Autoaid on here - the bank card I used to pay last year's membership expired, so I got a text saying my renewal hadn't gone through and asking me to phone up. Fine, except the guy said they now ask for the registration of cars in your household. I then got 'oh, the standard policy doesn't cover cars more than 15 years old, you need to take out an older car policy' (£74.99 rather than £59.99). Still cheaper than the AA or whatever and they were good the one time I needed to use them in the past, but not sure what would have happened if the renewal had gone through and then I'd broken down...

Autoaid politely informed me that "

Following the feedback that we have received from our customers we have decided to offer you the option to renew your cover automatically. This will improve the process of renewing your cover, eliminate any potential risk of your cover accidently being overlooked and is to ensure that you have the continuous benefit of our award-winning breakdown service.

As a result, you will no longer need to call us or go online to renew your cover. We will contact you in good time to remind you of your renewal date."

So they weren't offering me an option, but actually helping themselves to my credit card although I had emphatically switched the autorenewal off when I took it out. They got sacked, (took some doing) and I used another - albeit a bit more expensive - provider. If you want a laugh, look at their Trustpilot reviews.

[Zelandeth]

Finally!

One removed timing chain tensioner.

All that faff to do this.

Now I can actually start putting things back together.

Well...if it hadn't just started raining anyway.

[cpjitservices]

3 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Yes, I had this at renewal, but they did back down and give me another year at the lower rate when I grumbled at them. Given the cover is for the human rather than the car, seems a bit rich.

They phoned me aswell and said my renewal was to be £74.99 due to the age of my car.....

 

Its to cover me not the car might have been hasty to tell them to naff off.

[Dan29]

The Puma goes in for its MoT tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it passes first time as I'm a bit short of dosh at the moment! 

[Crackers]

Time to try cleaning up the small oil slick left behind by the departure of the P6. If it was my driveway I probably wouldn't care but it's rented so I can't piss the landlord off. 

Should have taken a pic before I started, but you get the idea of the scale from the first mid-scrub photo:

First hit is with neat washing up liquid, to see if it will lift the oil. I'll let this sit for a while and either wash it off or let the rain do it. If no luck then I'll try adding some baking soda to the mix. Then it's onto the hard stuff (driveway cleaner) if I still have no luck. 

Thankfully while the stain is large it's not especially heavy so hopefully will come out without too much of a fight. 

[barefoot]

Minor technical failures this week;

The loan car - a VW Boris, is still here & bleeps & flashes an intermittant red warning light if I go above 15mph - my reading glasses revealed that all the commotion was caused by a seat belt warning alarm thing. Then my breathalyzer device refused to refused to recharge & was lined up for the bin. Just before it was chucked, I found the box & the instructions which revealed that the USB was for updating & calibrating it, and it was powered by 3 x AAA's.

[Six-cylinder]

34 minutes ago, Crackers said:

Time to try cleaning up the small oil slick left behind by the departure of the P6. If it was my driveway I probably wouldn't care but it's rented so I can't piss the landlord off. 

Should have taken a pic before I started, but you get the idea of the scale from the first mid-scrub photo:

First hit is with neat washing up liquid, to see if it will lift the oil. I'll let this sit for a while and either wash it off or let the rain do it. If no luck then I'll try adding some baking soda to the mix. Then it's onto the hard stuff (driveway cleaner) if I still have no luck. 

Thankfully while the stain is large it's not especially heavy so hopefully will come out without too much of a fight. 

When I lived at home my mother was more frightening than than any landlord  over oil dips. Trouble was with a series of Triumph Vitesses there was always slicks!

[wuvvum]

Two out...

[Zelandeth]

Holy hell...I know it's been a few years since I last did a head gasket...but good god, that last 90 degrees in the bolt tightening sequence nearly killed me.  Couldn't use an extension bar because the Torx bit is tall enough I really didn't trust it to not slip out of the head of the bolt if I wasn't bracing against it with my other arm.  If I mangled the heads I'd have been in for another whole world of pain.

 

Yes I had followed the manual advice on oiling the bolts and the heads too, and yes I blew all the crud out of the holes in the block with the air line before inserting any of them.

I'm going to feel that from my back in the morning I can tell you that.

[Cord Fourteener]

2 hours ago, Crackers said:

Time to try cleaning up the small oil slick left behind by the departure of the P6. If it was my driveway I probably wouldn't care but it's rented so I can't piss the landlord off. 

Should have taken a pic before I started, but you get the idea of the scale from the first mid-scrub photo:

First hit is with neat washing up liquid, to see if it will lift the oil. I'll let this sit for a while and either wash it off or let the rain do it. If no luck then I'll try adding some baking soda to the mix. Then it's onto the hard stuff (driveway cleaner) if I still have no luck. 

Thankfully while the stain is large it's not especially heavy so hopefully will come out without too much of a fight. 

You can't clean it off, looks like Father Xmas trying to contact you. 

[Crackers]

3 hours ago, Cord Fourteener said:

You can't clean it off, looks like Father Xmas trying to contact you. 

"Santa hears you've been a very naughty boy this year..." 

*shudder*

Creepy. 

 

Anyway, splosh:

We'll see what's revealed when that dries off. Initially looks to be an improvement but won't know for sure until tomorrow. 

[wuvvum]

I found brake cleaner to be pretty effective at getting rid of oil stains.

[Talbot]

4 hours ago, Crackers said:

departure of the P6

Hibernating?  or actually gone (hope not!)

[Crackers]

1 minute ago, Talbot said:

Hibernating?  or actually gone (hope not!)

Yep, just hibernating. Back to my parent's drive for a couple of week, as I've managed to get storage lined up locally to them which will become free in a few weeks time, on the proviso that I go and clear the space myself. Which is a right result.