The new news 24 thread

[vulgalour]

Had the Proton Saga described to me tonight as "a Rovery K10 Micra" as a driving experience.  Sounds pretty close to perfect to me.

[tooSavvy]

Blueline, our local taxi rank, who have buried many a Mondeo/Vectra/Skoda NOW seem to be 'destructive testing' a Dacia estate...... white!

 

Watch with interest.

 

tooSavvy

[dugong]

Blueline, our local taxi rank, who have buried many a Mondeo/Vectra/Skoda NOW seem to be 'destructive testing' a Dacia estate...... white!

 

Watch with interest.

 

tooSavvy

WHERE ARE THE HOSTAGES?

[meggersdog]

Not car related but hey.

 

As cash is tight (or is that me who's tight) I have been relying on an open fire for heat.I have economy 7 heating and last winter's electric bill almost bankrupted me so it's not on this year.With an open fire a good 75% of the heat goes up the chimney so I decided to make a wood burner.It hasn't gone well so far.

 

I used an old 13kg gas bottle,a small hinge and some scaffold tube.I used a large adjustable spanner to undo the valve.Then filled the gas bottle with water,emptied it and filled it again but not right to the top.A 1mm cutting disc was used to cut the welds off the carry handle.Using the cutting disc I cut a not very square hole in the top.Before cutting the hole out completely I welded the hinge to one side.Then ran out of mig wire.I emptied the water out.Next I cut the carry handle in half and using them as feet I welded them up the side of the bottle.Laying it on it's side means half the bottle will be on the hearth  and the other half where the grate was.By doing this also shows that I have the feet half an inch out,bugger.Starting to get dark now but using a 50mm holesaw I managed to cut two holes at the back of what is now the top.Hmmm really getting dark now so it's now in the passage-way and I've cut and welded two bits of scaffold tube as a chimney.My welding is rubbish, I'm using 0.6mm wire and tip when before it was 0.8.

 

Dragging it outside revealed it's far too close to the house.Only found out after I'd lit a small fire inside it.Smoke was billowing out everywhere.I was going to move it but the thing got hot very quickly.The smoke soon stopped (after 15 minutes) and was replaced by blue flames shooting out of the twin pipe chimney.

 

Started it at 3.30pm and by just after 6.00pm there was twigs and paper burning inside.Needs a fair bit of tinkering and will probably take a lot longer than the cobbled together effort it is now.

[Hertz]

/\  /\ Be careful, that looks like the hall mark of a Darwin Award...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Sounds class that, lets see a pic

[Cavcraft]

Just keep an eye out on the 10.00 news.

[cobblers]

I made one for a mate of mine, it warms his great big fuckoff workshop really well (when I worked in it building campers we'd be in shorts and tshirt all winter!) but to get all the heat out of it we use one of them 4 foot tall bottles, with a little one welded on top. Not sure I'd fancy one in the house, but I suppose it can't be much more likely to burn the house down than an open fire. 

[meggersdog]

If I get home early enough tomorrow I'm going to light it again but move it further up the garden first.The paint needs burning off and I think the blue flame could be the galvanising burning off the scaffold tubes.

It needs an air vent, a latch for the door and maybe a grate.I need some way of sealing the door before I bring it inside as the fumes will kill you before the house burns down.Anyway I'll get a piccy tomorrow.

[cort16]

The guy I rent my lockup off was installing a wood burning stove in his garage last year. I was saying you want to make sure it's installed properly as they can be dangerous without heat shielding etc. As he was installing it one of the bolts he was fixing it to the wall with snapped and it landed on his foot. Luckily he was wearing steel tow caps, unluckily it hit his foot right behind the toe cap busting his foot. I was right about them being dangerous though.

[cobblers]

If you got a proper flue on it, the door seal issue is less important cos the thing will be running negative pressure as soon as it gets warm.

We used to smoke my mates workshop out quite often but only because the flue went horizontal for 4 feet through the wall and kept blocking up because we were burning van lining out carpet, MDF, plaggy bags, literally anything that wasn't metal went on there.

[cort16]

Those oil burners that run off old motor oil seem pretty good too. He just slugs in all the oil he takes out of cars he services into it and he's nice and toastie all the time. Not sure if it's that penguin friendly mind you.

[ShiteRider]

Fuck the penguins, the only good one is the biscuit.

[cobblers]

Garage down the road uses that stuff, but a load of guys who run more legit outfits say that absolutely no insurance co will touch them if there's evidence of even a professionally made oil burner on the premises, let alone one made out of an old gas bottle and some brake pipeing etc.

[cort16]

This one looks like a professionally made one. He's already burned the placed down once after welding through a fuel line on a mk2 cavalier. The lifts survived the fire but the building didn;t so he operated with just the lifts for a few months while he built a new workshop around them.

[vulgalour]

 

Who knows what about SAAB 96 V4s?  This is me still exploring non-BL options for the Happy Shopper and it turns out the 96 fits the criteria (weird/distinctive looking, elderly, basic, unleaded powered, small, low tax).  I gather the engine is a Ford derivative so does that mean it's the same apparently woeful unit found in Corsairs and Transits?

 

Phun Fakt:  I nearly bought a SAAB 96 estate that was up for grabs at £600, but got distracted by the Princess and bought that instead.

[wackywacerwill]

This one is local to me and has been on the bay a while now without finding a buyer...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Saab-96-V4-Rat-Rod-/151179374985?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2332fe3189

 

I think they went fomoco v4 after the 2 stroke reign but have no real knowledge of the things, does it show?

[vulgalour]

I'd love my situation to be such that I could pop down to London and pick that one up, I reckon it would be a great little fixer upper or a complete wallet ruining headache.  Either way it'd be fun.

[phil_lihp]

I reckon it would be a great little fixer upper or a complete wallet ruining headache.  Either way it'd be fun.

 

I think this quote probably answers, in one succinct sentence, the question someone asked on another thread about what Autoshite is.

[Lankytim]

I think I've found a steady supply of used veg oil to use in the XM or sell on to a bio refiner I know. Its KTC soya. Can I just strain it through a sock and wazz it in the tank?

[wuvvum]

Those Saab 96s have the Cologne V4, so similar to the Corsair / Transit lump, but also completely different.  As well as being smaller, obviously.

 

They're not the most refined or economical of engines, and I have a feeling that they can suffer from the same fibre-timing-gear-related issues as other Ford V-engines, but other than that and oil leaks they seem fairly robust - they're certainly a lot less hassle than a 2-stroke.  The cars are well screwed together (rampant rot notwithstanding) and drive well once you're used to the eccentricities.  They'll roll along quite happily at 70+, too.

 

I've had five 96's - I love 'em.

[Lacquer Peel]

I think I've found a steady supply of used veg oil to use in the XM or sell on to a bio refiner I know. Its KTC soya. Can I just strain it through a sock and wazz it in the tank?

 

Soya oil's not the best in cold weather, but assuming the stuff you're filtering is clear, it's fine for fuel. 

If it's not clear, you could mix it with a bit of petrol to help it settle out.

[tooSavvy]

Blueline, our local taxi rank, who have buried many a Mondeo/Vectra/Skoda NOW seem to be 'destructive testing' a Dacia estate...... white!

Watch with interest.tooSavvy

Update: LOGAN M C V , on the boothandle?

 

Just sat behind it in traffic...... 63.

 

tooSavvy

[Sloth in a bowl]

Shit happens in 3's

The bonnet catch is playing up again, I can fix that, but it's a pain.

The car is losing just a touch of coolant, I may radweld it before it gets properly bad and hope that keeps the issue at bay for a few months.

And the left rear caliper is sticking its hand brake on, rescue services got me going and garage is booked for a proper fix this afternoon.

 

I suspect the V40 has realised that it is going to be replaced and is deciding to play silly buggers about it.

I wouldn't normally mind but this is happening when I need to do a 400 mile weekend and don't have time to fool about.

[Rocket88]

Saab V4 izzzzz grate. Freewheel device is hilarious,

[Lord Sterling]

Boring Rover news....

 

Sterling's passenger-side window control decided not to work in the 'up' position a few months ago. Its common for these to go wrong, they really only need soldering, but the points are quite hard to get to. I bought another passenger-side controller off ebay in the same Beige colour to suit the car. Found it dropped into the letter box and within a matter of minutes was fitted in and working.

 

I've got Grey coloured replacement for the drivers side from one I picked up when breakong an 800 a few years ago. I'll probably purchase the other Beige one on eBay to have a matching set. I'll also get the 2 original controllers re-soldered at some point.

[Mr Livered]

Saab V4 izzzzz grate. Freewheel device is hilarious,

Maybe this should go in the stupid question amnesty thread, but what does it actually feel like to drive with the freewheel thingy?

[dollywobbler]

Found out why the Sirion was misting up MORE after the air-con check (though clearing nicely with the air con on). The chap testing it had left it in recirculate mode. Thanks!

[hairnet]

^^bah humbug (i agree with you)

 

oh and you think that feeble applies only to pre 50s cars try all that you described with a 1985 drum braked cg 125

[stuboy]

went to see a solicitor ref access.... 40 mins to write a letter £180  ggrrrrrrrrrrrr