The new news 24 thread

[AnnoyingPentium]

35 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Pheasant 0 Mercedes 1

I was doing 55 on impact, last time I hit a pheasant at that speed I was in an Alfa 156, and it smashed the fog light and cracked the bumper. No such worries with the German tank! 

Reminds me of the time my Grampa hit a fat lump of a pheasant at ~65mph in his Edition 100 Vectra, smashed the front bumper, intercooler, air con, and radiator into many, many bits.

[sdkrc]

39 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Pheasant 0 Mercedes 1

RIP BIG LAD

[Zelandeth]

4 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Reminds me of the time my Grampa hit a fat lump of a pheasant at ~65mph in his Edition 100 Vectra, smashed the front bumper, intercooler, air con, and radiator into many, many bits.

Likewise!

Only hit one and it was on a high speed dual carriageway.  In a friend's Volvo 240.  Bullseye right into the middle of the radiator.

Took *hours* to clean that up, not even counting the replacing of the radiator, shroud and fan, all of which were atomised.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, Zelandeth said:

Likewise!

Only hit one and it was on a high speed dual carriageway.  In a friend's Volvo 240.  Bullseye right into the middle of the radiator.

Took *hours* to clean that up, not even counting the replacing of the radiator, shroud and fan, all of which were atomised.

My Mum had one of the daft fuckers stoat off the bull bar of our 2001 Mitsi L200 at a reasonable* speed. You can guess which won that battle.

[mitsisigma01]

1 hour ago, N19 said:

Are those any good? Opinions seem to differ wildly. I have a perished joint on the Nissan and that solution looks tempting 

I certainly wouldn't pay £117+ for somebody to glue a boot round the CV . The parts cost about a fiver FFS  !

Edit; even minus the cost of the mot 😐

[N19]

2 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

I certainly wouldn't pay £117+ for somebody to glue a boot round the CV . The parts cost about a fiver FFS  !

I mean, the thing in my mind is that if the glue ends up falling apart after 6 months and causes damage vs paying to have it replaced with a 'fully moulded' one... but I'll have a looksee at them. Also I think the original post referenced £117 to include an MoT too.

[adw1977]

50 minutes ago, brownnova said:

I was doing 55 on impact, last time I hit a pheasant at that speed I was in an Alfa 156, and it smashed the fog light and cracked the bumper.

My other half managed to hit a heron with a Focus at similar speed and it quite badly cracked the bumper and appeared to have knackered one fog light, but on closer inspection the bulb inside was snapped in half but the actual light unit was fine.  I'm not even sure how that's possible.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

My other half managed to hit a heron with a Focus at similar speed and it quite badly cracked the bumper and appeared to have knackered one fog light, but on closer inspection the bulb inside was snapped in half but the actual light unit was fine.  I'm not even sure how that's possible.

Like the person from that one U2 song. Ford's move in mysterious ways.

[Richard_FM]

I once hit a pigeon on the M60 with one of the wing mirrors on my Toyota Yaris.

There was a mess of blood & feathers on the front, but no damage at all.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, N19 said:

Are those any good? Opinions seem to differ wildly. I have a perished joint on the Nissan and that solution looks tempting 

I've only used one once, and that was on a car where we couldn't for love nor money get the driveshaft to separate from the hub to get a normal boot on.  After several DAYS of fighting with it (in February, in the snow, with crap tools) we were just out of patience so tried one of them as a last ditch effort.  Worked perfectly, and was still on the car when it was scrapped a few years later.  Most important thing is to make sure it's *absolutely* clean before putting the adhesive on or it won't seal properly.  

Doesn't save much time really over doing things normally if you've got the right tools and everything cooperates, and is still really fiddly, but if you're stuck they can work to get you out of trouble.

[Broadsword]

4 hours ago, DodgyBastard said:

Picked up the Ka today, it drives nicely.

Well done! Had a few of these. Always head over heels more fun to drive than its contemporaries.

[Jim Bell]

4 hours ago, DodgyBastard said:

Picked up the Ka today, it drives nicely.

That looks decent man. Theres not many non-rotten ones left!

[GMcD]

1 hour ago, brownnova said:

Pheasant 0 Mercedes 1

I was doing 55 on impact, last time I hit a pheasant at that speed I was in an Alfa 156, and it smashed the fog light and cracked the bumper. No such worries with the German tank! 

Hit one in a C4 cactus at 50mph.  Jumped out from a hedgerow. 

Everything behind the bumper was obliterated into chunks of broken plastic.

An expensive day. 

Best bit - its head and neck ended up wedged underneath the bonnet. It was quite an experience trying to pull it out whilst the thing was twitching like an absolute fucker 🤢. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Miss SL's BF was flicking through the recent ACA results and realised one of the cars looked familiar. What was the registration on my old Sunny? E923 RVG I replied.......

Amusing that my 2019 trip to FOTU is now part of its provenance. Went for a bit more than I sold it last summer, wonder where it's gone? Hopefully at that amount it will get looked after, it was a really enjoyable thing to drive.

In other news, the LS400 got more use for the commute on a couple of days. Somewhat overkill for a 10-mile journey where I never got above 50 one day - it felt a bit like using Shergar* to pull a carriage up and down the seafront at Gt Yarmouth - but even at slow speeds I can just revel in the smoothness. It's like driving something liquid rather than mechanical.

*Other racehorse analgoies are available, but given my lack of knowledge of the subject it's either that or Red Rum.

Miss SL and the BF got the ex-@BorniteIdentity Avensis beyond 270k and recorded the moment with a nice sunset shot:

 

I haven't driven it much since the collection last weekend, but it's been on the driveway here. It's reinforced my view that the Avensis's styling somehow makes it look smaller than the Carina E. Otherwise it has a very familiar feel, with the interior much like its predecessor, but the 2-litre engine making it feel more like the Camry to drive (I believe it's essentially the same unit). Interesting how little power it gives away to its bigger stablemate: 2.0 = 126BHP, 2.2 = 128BHP. I presume it must lose a bit of torque, but being lighter it's not apparent and it didn't feel much like a peaky, gutless multivalve unit (unlike the miserable 1.8 petrol in the 2015 Avensis that I had for a year).

Enjoy its 'black wood' trim.

[grogee]

10 hours ago, Mrcento said:

Keep missing out on cars in only ways i can. Such is life.

I'm formulating plans for the year ahead.

Selling the Cinquecento number 1. I just don't have any future plans for it. Sort of done all i want to do with it when i got it back on the road with 16v power. Will need work to get back on the road but nothing crazy, just a light refreshing. Was a daily when i parked it up, purely because of my work taking me on absolutely horrendous roads and out on untreated country roads in winter multiple times a week and the abuse it was getting was going to smash the thing to bits sooner rather than later.... Even getting out of work everyday was a battle to not ground out or get beached in potholes a ft deep. 

Brilliant little car and a complete riot to drive, But i want the space and have moved more into wanting floaty, comfy things. Especially when i fell into the Civic... it  rides way worse than the Cinq at low speed.

16v Cinq? Where do I sign?

[grogee]

10 hours ago, N19 said:

Are those any good? Opinions seem to differ wildly. I have a perished joint on the Nissan and that solution looks tempting 

In theory it's a good idea. In practice I daren't try it because having put the black goopy grease inside the boot, inevitably some ends up on the seam that you have to glue together. 

Hey presto, your wheelarch is now coated in molybdenum disulfide grease. 

I prefer the stretch boot solution. Harder but still easy. 

[Split_Pin]

3 years ago to the day I picked this up after winning @320tourings roffle.

For £12 I think it's pretty good value.

It's not long passed another MOT so here's to another year

[Mally]

9 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

I certainly wouldn't pay £117+ for somebody to glue a boot round the CV . The parts cost about a fiver FFS  !

Edit; even minus the cost of the mot 😐

I'd normally never use one. CV joint was knocking too, So bought a new driveshaft.

Hub seized on driveshaft splines, couldn't shift it.

So re greased joint and  glued a boot on. Stopped the noise as well.

Anyone want a New Qashqai N/S drive shaft for cost of postage? (if I can find it)

[mitsisigma01]

3 hours ago, grogee said:

In practice I daren't try it because having put the black goopy grease inside the boot, inevitably some ends up on the seam that you have to glue together

Clean all the old shit off first then glue the new one before putting the new grease in ....🤔

[Zelandeth]

Oh deep joy.  We're heading up north to an event on Thursday (which I'm still not sure whether I'm looking forward to or dreading).

I appear to be developing toothache.  In the inevitable poking around that's followed I think I've ascertained that I've lost a chunk of filling roughly the size of Texas.

Odds of being able to see the dentist and get it sorted before we set out?  I'm not holding my breath.

Also I'm petrified of the dentist at the best of times - never mind when I *know* work needs doing.

[grogee]

14 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Clean all the old shit off first then glue the new one before putting the new grease in ....🤔

That's a good idea. 🥴

[grogee]

10 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Oh deep joy.  We're heading up north to an event on Thursday (which I'm still not sure whether I'm looking forward to or dreading).

I appear to be developing toothache.  In the inevitable poking around that's followed I think I've ascertained that I've lost a chunk of filling roughly the size of Texas.

Odds of being able to see the dentist and get it sorted before we set out?  I'm not holding my breath.

Also I'm petrified of the dentist at the best of times - never mind when I *know* work needs doing.

I'm having a filling done mid Feb after checkup start of Jan. Not really an emergency though. 

As always with these things, I think it's possible but the financial pain may outweigh the physical pain. 

[grogee]

Mrs Grogee just called and had a flat tyre on the hard shoulder of the M40! 

Currently negotiating with AA to see if my account membership covers her... 

There is a space saver but I'm not having her changing it by the side of the motorway, no way. Particularly as it's offside front. 

[wuvvum]

12 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Most important thing is to make sure it's *absolutely* clean before putting the adhesive on or it won't seal properly. 

This.  The glue they supply with the boot kits is fantastic stuff, but if there is any grease anywhere on the seam you're stuffed and will need to start again with a new boot.

4 hours ago, grogee said:

In theory it's a good idea. In practice I daren't try it because having put the black goopy grease inside the boot, inevitably some ends up on the seam that you have to glue together.

As mitsisigma01 said, you glue them together before getting any grease anywhere near them.  I usually glue them halfway up the driveshaft well away from the CV joint, then once the glue is properly set I add the grease and slide the boot down the driveshaft and over the joint.

[Six-cylinder]

Tomorrow Sunday 6th Feb from around 9:30am at The Giffard Park pub Milton Keynes is a small classic car gathering. It is organised by Milton Keynes Classic Car Club (MKCCC), there is no need to book. All welcome. 

I plan to be there with the ex Zel Mercedes 230TE.

THE GIFFARD PARK, Broadway Avenue, Giffard Park, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK14 5QN

Breakfast is available in the Pub.

Unfortunately the weather looks a bit damp to start with but drying up later in the morning.

[reb]

I once hit a pigeon going about 90 (me, not the pigeon) and it just fucking exploded. I had to wipe blood off the headlight at a petrol station which got me some funny looks. I found feathers every time I opened the bonnet until the car came off the road months later.

[vulgalour]

The Lanchester wiring job is in the last 10% of fiddly nonsense now that seems to take forever.  However, I now have working dash lights and the boot lid is back in one piece so that's definitely progress.

[sdkrc]

Wiper refills came through from China

Although that's an awful lot less straight than my windscreen is.

 

I've been stuck in standstill motorway traffic for over an hour in the Lexus. What a place to be, just look at the legroom here LOOK! Obscene

[grogee]

5 hours ago, grogee said:

Mrs Grogee just called and had a flat tyre on the hard shoulder of the M40! 

Currently negotiating with AA to see if my account membership covers her... 

There is a space saver but I'm not having her changing it by the side of the motorway, no way. Particularly as it's offside front. 

Have to say, the AA get full marks for helping out. Mrs Grogee did all the right things and waited well away from the road up an embankment. For some reason her car is down as a Fiat 500 on some system somewhere, but The Man got to her eventually. Towed her with the lift thing to the slip road and put the space saver on. 

Top marks to ME for checking spare pressure at last service, which was about 30psi and should be double that so I filled 'er up. 

She was back to watch the 2nd half of Chelsea v Argyle, where the Pilgrims forced extra time and made the European Champions look pretty ordinary. Their team worth something like £215m, ours less than £15m. #COYG. 

Checked the burst tyre and it's gone in a big way, not sure what caused it but it's fucked. Ordered a part worn Avon to match the others for £35.

Interestingly Mrs Grogee has expressed an interest in my Saab for her work commute next week, having turned her nose up when it first arrived...

[DodgyBastard]

 

Still not had a chance to look at this in proper daylight yet but it's looking to be in pretty good condition. It's probably "too nice" to use as a winter beater but I'm still planning on using it anyway.