The new news 24 thread

[Barry Cade]

7 minutes ago, SiC said:

You can tell them to heat up when on charge. So when you get into it, it'll be nice toasty warm and ready to go. 

Great, in theory.. I put the heating off for a minute, and it got cold quick. 

[DodgyBastard]

Thinking about buying a cortina estate, I was picking up a spare wheel for my 504 from a local 504 owner and he had a bunch of other cars hanging around including a Granada estate, Amazon estate, MK2 Capri and a couple of 504 pickups.

He mentioned having a cortina he was thinking about selling and I had a quick look. I like the look of it so thinking I should sell the Estelle and buy it.

[chadders]

That looks nice.

[HMC]

Was overnight in a sort of boutique hotel with a guest having particular taste in motors too….

 

Looked to be in daily driver sort of condition, and still with its original plates, or very good replicas….

The eagle eyed will see I also got a parking ticket on my travels, but not at the hotel.

A cliche beside an old ruin, but which is which?

 

[Carlo_Raffo_TDS]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

Where was the car? Saw a few and put a (refundable) deposit on a few - so might be back up again!

Yes, this did hurt. With a dead car, I just had to get over the fact that second hand cars are so much more expensive at the moment. Was hoping I'd have got another year out of the A4 and when car prices hopefully start to become a bit more sensible again. 

I'm 5ft10 and fit perfectly, even if a tad high with the seat on it lowest position. 

It was in Henley in Arden in the midlands. Just checked and its still gone. 

I`ll have to try both generations out, if they don`t get sold before I get there that is. I reckon a fair few ex Honda accord tourer owners are snatching the civic tourers up. Nevermind eh  

[Zelandeth]

3 hours ago, Lankytim said:

Maybe these electric cars could have diesel powered heaters installed? You’d only need a small fuel tank and they don’t use much fuel at all. 

Peugeot did that with the electric version of the 106.  Had a petrol fired heater with a 5 litre tank.  Worked really well too, got furnace levels of hot way quicker than the standard car's one and didn't hurt the already limited range.

[richardmorris]

Local history page. Are those two GS estates in front of the fighting cocks? ( a pub name that seems to have changed at some point).

[Barry Cade]

50 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Peugeot did that with the electric version of the 106.  Had a petrol fired heater with a 5 litre tank.  Worked really well too, got furnace levels of hot way quicker than the standard car's one and didn't hurt the already limited range.

You could get one in a Trabant too, but I believe they could be a bit  ,erm, temperamental...

[DodgyBastard]

Spent all day looking at potential cars for my parents after selling their 2008 Audi A3 last night to a dodgy trader.

Their criteria for a car was something small, basic, petrol, 5 doors and cheap to run. I went to look at a K11 Micra this morning, then a 1998 Toyota Starlet but didn't buy them.

I felt like I had seen everything gumtree and marketplace had to offer when this slightly older A3 Quattro turned up 5 minutes walk from their house. I had a go in it and it seemed to drive fine so just bought it. 

My Mrs seemed to like it so has taken ownership and lent my parents her Camry until they can find something suitable.

[SiC]

Been tidying the garage the last few days. It's got to the point where there is enough clutter that it was even annoying me. Still a long way to go and I could really do with another roller cab to have more places to put stuff away.

It's also given me a chance to fix my welding cart finally. The lighter hobbyweld cylinders were fine but when I put one of the heavy BOC cylinders on the back, it broke the carts back.



It's been like that for over two years now.

To try sorting this, I welded on some large triangle braces.



Also gave a good chance to practice my welding again. I leave it too long and loose the knack a bit. You can probably tell which was the first one I did and the second where I cranked up the power and wire feed.



Doesn't matter so much though after attacking it with the grinder.


Once the lick of paint dries eventually dries in this cold weather, I'll see if it takes the weight of the cylinder this time.



Did manage to snag my thumb on the wire wheel. Went straight through the glove without slowing down. Fuck knows how I didn't do more damage. One day there is a good chance I'll end up needing hospital treatment after being in my garage.

[Spurious]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

Been tidying the garage the last few days. It's got to the point where there is enough clutter that it was even annoying me. Still a long way to go and I could really do with another roller cab to have more places to put stuff away.

It's also given me a chance to fix my welding cart finally. The lighter hobbyweld cylinders were fine but when I put one of the heavy BOC cylinders on the back, it broke the carts back.



It's been like that for over two years now.

To try sorting this, I welded on some large triangle braces.



Also gave a good chance to practice my welding again. I leave it too long and loose the knack a bit. You can probably tell which was the first one I did and the second where I cranked up the power and wire feed.



Doesn't matter so much though after attacking it with the grinder.


Once the lick of paint dries eventually dries in this cold weather, I'll see if it takes the weight of the cylinder this time.



Did manage to snag my thumb on the wire wheel. Went straight through the glove without slowing down. Fuck knows how I didn't do more damage. One day there is a good chance I'll end up needing hospital treatment after being in my garage.

Get some cut resistant gloves. They do work, about 10-12 years ago when I was young and stupid, I'd been using Father's rat tail grinder with a flap disc one handed and it hopped about and "brushed" off my gloves. No injuries. 

[Shirley Knott]

30 minutes ago, DodgyBastard said:

Spent all day looking at potential cars for my parents after selling their 2008 Audi A3 last night to a dodgy trader.

Their criteria for a car was something small, basic, petrol, 5 doors and cheap to run. I went to look at a K11 Micra this morning, then a 1998 Toyota Starlet but didn't buy them.

I felt like I had seen everything gumtree and marketplace had to offer when this slightly older A3 Quattro turned up 5 minutes walk from their house. I had a go in it and it seemed to drive fine so just bought it. 

My Mrs seemed to like it so has taken ownership and lent my parents her Camry until they can find something suitable.

PD130?

[SiC]

47 minutes ago, Spurious said:

Get some cut resistant gloves. They do work, about 10-12 years ago when I was young and stupid, I'd been using Father's rat tail grinder with a flap disc one handed and it hopped about and "brushed" off my gloves. No injuries. 

I didn't realise such gloves existed. Usually I wear welding gauntlets and they work pretty well against rotating grinders, but are clumsy. Hence wearing these thinner PU gloves. Usually I wear vinyl, PU and then welding gauntlets. The vinyl gloves do keep moisture in though and messes up my skin. 

Looking at Screwfix, the cut resistant gloves look similar to the PU gloves I was wearing but with that cut resistant (Kevlar?) feature in. Not as cheap as the ones I wear but if it stops a serious accident, they'll pay for themselves. 

[somewhatfoolish]

Those gusset(ooh er missus) plates are the wrong way round, tin that thin needs to be under tension or have a fold put in to stiffen it to resist buckling.

[Mally]

Yes, should have turned the edge over. But  I'll bet I't holds the bottle for a few* years.

[Bren]

Had the 'rona a week now. I am feeling better but still have dizyness and a cough like Val Kilmer in tombstone. Surprised how much of my spare tyre has gone in just a week.

Spent some of the week looking at used cars on tinterweb - prices truly are depressing for mainstream stuff - given that £6k+ is being asked for a ten year old mondeo £12k for a 500 hp Jag XFR seems better value for money.

[Jamie]

Well shit. 

[Barry Cade]

Bored today so crunching some numbers about the Leaf road test yesterday.. if I charged at home, the Leaf was doing the equivalent of 106MPG.. Double what I get out the Focus.. my electric costs me 19p per KW/h.. the nearest public charger to me is 15p per KW/h.. 

Stuff the car, I'm off to plug my house In! 😯

[Jazoli]

28 minutes ago, Jamie said:

Well shit. 

And that's why I love old cars that have been 'modified' by previous owners...not!

[Jamie]

8 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

And that's why I love old cars that have been 'modified' by previous owners...not!

Ha! It was my own fault. Went over a sleeping policeman quicker than I normally would 😁

[Barry Cade]

1 minute ago, Jamie said:

Ha! It was my own fault. Went over a sleeping policeman quicker than I normally would 😁

Did you wake him up with the noise?

[Jamie]

4 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Did you wake him up with the noise?

It's got to be the loudest car I've ever owned, the first one I've wanted to make quieter in fact! 

[SiC]

7 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Those gusset(ooh er missus) plates are the wrong way round, tin that thin needs to be under tension or have a fold put in to stiffen it to resist buckling.

What way should have they been? 

I did think about bending the edge to stiffen it up. 

[Sunny Jim]

A tunnel near Merthyr Tydfil that was sealed 60 years ago has been opened revealing some cars* that were abandoned in there. Go on shiters, who can identify them?

Daily Post article here

[Zelandeth]

Suspect their dating on it being sealed is a little off...given that at least two of those are 80s motors, one possibly into the early 90s.  

My guesses...Mk 2 Cavelier, Mk 3 or 4 Fiesta, maybe Metro, no idea.

[somewhatfoolish]

4 hours ago, SiC said:

What way should have they been? 

I did think about bending the edge to stiffen it up. 

My preference would be a pair of angles as shown in red, but a pair of short angles bent up and welded on to your gussets(fnarr) as shown in green would probably be perfectly adequate.

 

[DVee8]

I was thinking a Manta,not sure maybe a fiesta, no idea and a proton.

[brownnova]

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

A tunnel near Merthyr Tydfil that was sealed 60 years ago has been opened revealing some cars* that were abandoned in there. Go on shiters, who can identify them?

Daily Post article here

I’ll go Cavalier, Punto, Escort and fuck knows! 

[brownnova]

So what to do with a car you’re trying to convince yourself you should sell… go to a meet for that car and then go for a drive through the Welsh hills of course. 

Having not actually given it a good run since October I thought the heavy rain last night will have washed most of the salt away, and I’ll make sure to power wash the underside too. So I taxed it and drove it about a bit. It’s a good fun thing, forgot how much. Not sure what I’ll do without an MX5… I’ve had one on the drive for nearly 8 years in total! Second thoughts on selling… definitely… 

After the MX5 meet I met my wife for a brief mooch round some antiques… these were my favourite antiques… 

Then it was time to do the bi-monthly cabinet reshuffle and move the cars about to put the Merc at the front so I can tax and use that now I have the logbook. 

Decided to put the Pontiac in the back as it’s the least likely to be used in the next few days. Also started the Nova again took 3 or 4 goes but went happily enough, it really is quite tappy though. But I can’t get it to move… might need to give it a tug with the Elgrand to free it off. 
 

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

I thought Manta here.

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

Mk2 Fiat Punto.

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

A thing.

2 hours ago, Sunny Jim said:

A former motorcar.