The new news 24 thread

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Theres a stall in Crewe market that 'sells' massive piles of utterly worthless shite like old Russ Abbot records and whatnot, I noticed this week that they had a C5, not sure if it was for sale or just some sort of Xmas decoration effort.

[Lord Sterling]

Cool, I've always wanted to try a Sinclair C5. I did sit in one at some auto jumble in Dudley some years ago.

 

Took the Sterling to Telford today, the passenger-noise is getting on my nerves, I'm still unsure if its a shock absorber or brake pads problem, it'll need sorting as soon as. But tomorrow, I'll need to try and transport 2 Rover 800 rear doors, some wheels, wheel trims and various other bits from my old garage in tha 'Coldfield and take them to Worcester. I hope I can fit the bloody things in.

 

Oh yeah, I just remembered, there are 2 front seats too. Arse.

[myglaren]

 

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.

I've driven a 3-pot 2-stroke one an loved it, a workmate had a V4 estate that had a Triumph engine but Triumph had problems delivering engines so SAAB opted for the Ford one instead.

[beko1987]

I need to change the rear disks and pads on the meriva, but won't have time now until the new year

 

So, that means taking the XM to northampton and peterboghorror, which is fucking win in my book as I can fetch my set of wheels that are sitting in a back garden in Newport Pagnell.

 

So yesterday I decided to change the leaky coolant pipe for a spare I had. Got the old pipe off by cutting it flush with the fixing on the engine, then cutting the rubber that had corroded onto the ends off. Then I found out that the pipe I have as a spare is incorrect. So I wrapped the old slightly leaky pipe in cloth tape then self-amalgamating tape, and put it back on, the new ends hopefully providing a better seal than the old crusty ones.

 

This means that I need to go on a bit of a drive to check that it doesn't fail horrifically, before sunday when we go. So need to find something to do tonight/tomorrow to get it up to temperature (only been to the petrol station in it so far)

 

Possibly should also get a new part work front tyre as the one on it at the minute goes from 35psi to 12 in about 4 days...

 

Then, after the new year I need to get the arse of the XM up on the ramps to remove the rusty exhaust heatshield, then go back to newport pagnell to get the very crusty centre sphere out and tested, and replaced if it's fucked, which will hopefully restore my magic carpet ride.

 

A plus side to moving out with the XM, I bought a very ehavy load of boxes home the other night, and she drove beautifully. No knocks, jiggles or other shit from the normally rock hard suspension. Was sublime (right until it lost nearly all its coolant 200yards from my mums...) I want it like that all the time!

[Cavcraft]

For a while now the oil cap on the Acclaim has been a bit on the spunky side, all white and frothy, I've been checking the water levels and they haven't dropped so I suspect it's a combination of wet weather, short journeys and the fact the engine wasn't flushed after it's head gasket repair, this morning I decided it was probably best just to change the oil again, last time I used some 25 year old Castrol GTX 15/50 oil i found in my dad's shed, this time I've put in some Comma 15/40, I'll see if that makes much difference.

 

To be honest I still haven't really jelled with the car though, I mean it does drives well, if a bit bland and it's been reliable since the HG change but I just can't get excited by it in any way, It also looks tattier and rustier every time i look at it, the trouble is if i sell it It's only worth about £600 which means I'll lose about £500 which bugs me too.

 

Probably condensation, Trig.

 

FWIW sometimes you can't win 'em all and have to take a knock here and there. Possibly worth bashing the Acclaim on Car and Classics or something in Spring and seeing what you can get for it.

[Ghosty]

I think someone's cloned Junkman - I saw a P6 pretty much the same as his in Sainsbury's car park, except it had a full-length sunroof (colour coded!), and no badges.

[HMC]

Arranging to purchase and collect some shite early in the new year. The collection thread will involve aircraft and boat action.

 

It will also means I will now move the Sierra estate on. Theres a thread for it if you search. Been a great reliable car. the MOT and tax are up at the end of january- £250 to a shiter

[trigger]

Bloody hell! Why do you live in Devon! For that kind of money it's VERY tempting.

[Lord Sterling]

What a day man. Went down to my old garage in Sutton Coldfield to clear out the rest of what I had left. I had 2 rear Rover 800 doors, 2 alloys with tyres, a load of wheel trims and various other little crappy bits and bobs.

 

I wasn't sure the doors would fit in to be honest, but at the same time, I didn't think I'd fill car, but I did. I managed to get the rear doors in:

 

 

Who needs an estate?

 

This was with just the doors in, the doors were complete with door cards and glass in tact. After I fitted the 2 wheels, wheel trims and various other parts including a box of headlights. All were transported to my barn but as the owner wasn't there I unloaded the doors and parts in the wet and got fairly soaked. Driving to the barn with a car full of gear was quite interesting, the winds tried swiping me a few times as well as trying to aquaplane me off the road but I held it well. Hopefully thats the last of it, I left 2 front leather seats in the other garage which the lad who rented me the garage can dump.

[ShiteRider]

Do it trig, that sierra should stay in 'the family'.

[trigger]

It is tempting, my sisters visiting at the moment and has to drive back home to Redruth in Cornwall in a few days after Christmas and will be pretty much driving past Brookjm's door so that's my lift sorted, the trouble is it's a bit big for our needs and I'm not sure a 7 hour drive back to Suffolk will do it much good with a knackered radiator.

[HMC]

^ trig I drove I back from London basically , sat in heavy traffic getting out of greater london for an hour and down to the south west without a problem when I collected it from rob t, kept a close eye on things but no drama at all.

[trigger]

I've sent a pm...

[ShiteRider]

Waits for acclaim and civic to appear on tat thread.......

[trigger]

Ha!, Just the Acclaim, but no, I'm going to have to pass on it and just kick myself, I don't need a car that big as a runabout, Someone is going to be getting a massive bargain though!

[stuboy]

working in a charity shop i found this in the store room..

[vulgalour]

Dad's Ohmygod has suspected head gasket failure, either that or is suddenly addicted to water.  This means the Princess is primary household transport until the new year.  Good.

[beko1987]

Fuck me its windy. Not just out my arse either. Got blown about driving the xm, god knows what the zx would have been like!

[Lord Sterling]

I got blown about in a fully laden Sterling today on the M5. Goodness knows what would have happened if I'd taken the Micra out on the M5.

[r.welfare]

Dad's Ohmygod has suspected head gasket failure, either that or is suddenly addicted to water.  This means the Princess is primary household transport until the new year.  Good.

What engine does it have?  I would suspect failure of the oil cooler before OMGHGF.

[vulgalour]

2.2 petrol auto... is that specific enough?  I don't really pay much attention to Dad's car.  I should pay more attention I guess, earlier today I accidentally twatted it with a suspension arm I was carrying which has given me a couple of lovely scratches and a little dent to fix.  I'm repainting his front bumper when the weather is suitable anyway, so I'll do it at the same time, I've not scratched through to metal at least.  Felt really bad about it, but Dad was surprisingly laid back.

 

My Lotus alloys need centre caps but I don't want to put Lotus ones on.  Instead, I'm planning to get some universal plastic caps and some stickers to at least make them look tidier.  I have narrowed it down to two choices, I'm not sure which I want to go for.

 

I'd like these more in black and silver and without the L.

 

Inspired by the Dunlop tyres presently fitted and may even make people think they're Dunlop alloys.

[r.welfare]

Dunlops all the way.

 

I don't know much about the 2.2 Omegas but the oil cooler failing on a V6 would give HGF symptoms; actual HGF is rare.

 

They used to have a very good forum (been six years since I owned one) so might be worth a search.

[HMC]

Discovered today that it is possible to insure a newly imported car temporarily using the chassis number as reference. I was suprised by their helpfulness on the phone!

 

Footman James BTW

[skattrd]

Discovered today that it is possible to insure a newly imported car temporarily using the chassis number as reference. I was suprised by their helpfulness on the phone!

 

Footman James BTW

 

I did the same earlier this year with FJ. When I did it though they told me the cover was just to get the car home.

With that in mind I did not run around in my Irish registered car for 3 weeks before I got the UK paperwork and registration - honest*

[vulgalour]

Dunlops all the way.

 

I don't know much about the 2.2 Omegas but the oil cooler failing on a V6 would give HGF symptoms; actual HGF is rare.

 

They used to have a very good forum (been six years since I owned one) so might be worth a search.

 

Dad's been lurking on the forums to make his primary diagnosis, it's helped him get lots of other issues sorted.  The plumes of white vapour out the exhaust and the consumption of about a pint of coolant a day along with occasionally running on 3 has been the main reason he thinks it's OMGHGF.  Interestingly, he took it to Vauxhall for a proper service, part of which included getting the rocker cover to seal with a replacement seal.  Instead, the rocker cover leaks worse than ever and now the suspected HGF has, I think, put Dad off taking it to Vauxhall again.

[twosmoke300]

Did they change the plugs? Aren't those 2.2,s prone to the head cracking if the plugs are over tightened? Usually number 4 iirc

[vulgalour]

It's had plugs and, I think, a coilpack.  One of the plug wells fills with oil from the rocker cover leak sometimes.  There was a wonderful period when it didn't, but now it does again.  I reckon the car is doing this because Dad's been muttering about getting something taller, like an early Mercedes Vito minibus thing.

[Ghosty]

an early Mercedes Vito minibus thing

Aren't these made entirely of rust and prayers?

[eddyramrod]

I did the same earlier this year with FJ. When I did it though they told me the cover was just to get the car home.

With that in mind I did not run around in my Irish registered car for 3 weeks before I got the UK paperwork and registration - honest*

I used FJ to insure my Granada and Metro by chassis number when I imported them from Cyprus.  I didn't drive them on UK roads for nearly 3 months on their Cypriot plates, oh no ossifer....

I got pulled over on my way to work at 0600 on Christmas Eve 2012 because PN 267 didn't appear on their ANPR thing.  Of course it didn't!  It could have been a private plate, yes; but on an old Metro van?

[twosmoke300]

Pull the plugs out and see if there is coolant down the holes. If it's was fine before it went in for plugs they could be at fault. I assume this is the 2.2 chain driven engine