The new news 24 thread

[RoverFolkUs]

Why do testers still use manual advisories for items that are testable and have their own advisories!? 

[wuvvum]

17 hours ago, barefoot said:

Agreed value insurance...

Insurance company looked at my photographs & agreed that the van should be insured for £30,000. 

A mate of mine did the same thing not long back with his 1969 Mini Cooper S.

[Rust Collector]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:14 AM, High Jetter said:

I felt sorry for the guys shifting this - and the end of the long second day (it was only supposed to be one day) they got up the narrow lane to the destination but couldn't get the swing in as a dog-walker had left their van right in the wrong place!

I was gutted that I was busy at the weekend and didn't get to go and see this. I think their single day target was a bit optimistic though - I always find collecting just a car normally takes at least twice as long as planned, and I read that these bits of kit were something like 300 tons each 😅 I also would've liked to have seen what they did at the bridge by the Southerham roundabout to reinforce it temporarily for the load.

[cort16]

On 3/21/2022 at 2:09 PM, richardmorris said:

Have just seen a very unusual BMW 6 series ( Y reg I think it was, 1981?).  Odd, solid alloy wheels and a very strange body kit that ended with a steeply sloping bootlid and reduced window glass area.

Will try and find pics - the number plate said 4* classics.

Found it!

635csi observer coupe 1982

The Original BMW "M3" – 1982 BMW 635CSi Observer Coupé - The Truth About Cars

 

Made with a hacksaw!

 

Wow, that's brilliant and totally pointless, didn't the 635i have quite a big sunroof anyway?

[eddyramrod]

I was awake at 4.30 this morning, and had been for a while, so I gave up the struggle and went downstairs to spend time with my little doggy.  I'd just got comfy in the recliner chair when I noticed a reflection of blue lights at the edges of my front window, so I deserted chair and dog to have a look.  Two vans at one end of my little street, with at least 3 officers dealing with someone across the street, against the front wall of one of the houses.  One of the neighbours has now suggested that it was the householder who got taken away... I have yet to find out.

[wuvvum]

On 3/19/2022 at 9:24 PM, wuvvum said:

Things are not quite so rosy on the Rover 75 front.  I took it to the jet wash in the next village to wash the Sahara desert off it, and when I'd finished and got back in to drive home it wouldn't start.  It was churning over but not firing, and the radiator fan was kicking in.  After a short while it flattened the battery (which was fairly low anyway).  I called the AA but they were very busy and gave me a 2 hour ETA, so I walked home and got the Maxus and the jump leads.  With the leads attached and after a lot more cranking it eventually fired up, but all was obviously not well - after a few seconds of running it spluttered a few times and then the idle went up to 1,500rpm and the engine light came on.  Touching the brake took the idle speed back to normal.  Tried stopping and starting it a few times but no difference.  It was running though so I sacked off the AA and started to trundle home at 1,500rpm - which unfortunately is not quite enough to get it to change gear, so I was going quite slowly.  After a bit I discovered that if I floored the accelerator it would pick up, so I was able to get it up to 30 and nurse it home, then get on the pushbike and go back to retrieve the Maxus.

Once I was home I popped the bonnet to investigate and found the scuttle full of water.  Mea maxima culpa I hadn't checked the plenum drains in a while (they've never blocked before in my ownership) - they appear to have been coping OK with "normal" rain but the rather more intense stream of water from the jet wash had proven too much.  I got my longest screwdriver and rodded the nearside drain out and the water dribbled away.  The ECU wasn't under water but some of the wiring had got rather damp.  I'm hoping that once it's been left to dry out for a day or two it'll sort itself out - I could do without having to get the ECU repaired on top of everything else...

So after two days of painstakingly drying the ECU connections out, blasting them with contact cleaner and gently rubbing down the corroded pins with fine sandpaper, this afternoon I refitted the ECU to the 75.  Reconnected everything, turned the key and... we're now up to nine fault codes and it won't start at all.

The only thing I can think of now is that a couple of the multiplugs are showing some signs of corrosion and / or furring.  Obviously it's the two with about a million wires going into them and connectors so small that you can't get any kind of file up inside them to clean them up.  I've soaked them in contact cleaner and I'm going to leave them for a day or two and try again.  If not, well, Cartakeback have offered me £363, which is more than I paid for the car when I bought it* so at least I'll make a profit*.

The battery terminal cover summed it up best.

 

 

 

*Obvs that doesn't take into account the hundreds I've sunk into it since then, but we'll ignore that.

[richardmorris]

3 hours ago, cort16 said:

Wow, that's brilliant and totally pointless, didn't the 635i have quite a big sunroof anyway?

It does seem like a lot of effort for a sliding roof. 

[Barry Cade]

Couple of neds running from the cops just did this to my van... 🤬🤬

[High Jetter]

That's your good* deed for the day then, assisting your local plod. At least they got them, I presume.

[Wack]

I buy all sorts of crap but every now and then I find a fascinating gem at a car boot sale , this was in an album of family pictures 

Cologne in 1949 , 4 years and they still haven't flattened bombed buildings 

 

 

[RoverFolkUs]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

So after two days of painstakingly drying the ECU connections out, blasting them with contact cleaner and gently rubbing down the corroded pins with fine sandpaper, this afternoon I refitted the ECU to the 75.  Reconnected everything, turned the key and... we're now up to nine fault codes and it won't start at all.

The only thing I can think of now is that a couple of the multiplugs are showing some signs of corrosion and / or furring.  Obviously it's the two with about a million wires going into them and connectors so small that you can't get any kind of file up inside them to clean them up.  I've soaked them in contact cleaner and I'm going to leave them for a day or two and try again.  If not, well, Cartakeback have offered me £363, which is more than I paid for the car when I bought it* so at least I'll make a profit*.

The battery terminal cover summed it up best.

 

 

 

*Obvs that doesn't take into account the hundreds I've sunk into it since then, but we'll ignore that.

At least you haven't wasted further time with the spring ☹️

It's a shame scrapping them though as parts are getting few and far between. Nobody wants 'em though

I'd be checking all the fuses for engine management incase it's shorted out and popped one. Might as well do all the others while you're at it, and the relays too

[brownnova]

One out! 

Sooner than expected, but fair play in the few months I had it I found it to be an excellent automobile! Far better than expected. If I had all the space and all the money it would have gone nowhere!

All this means I’ve sold three cars and bought none so far in 2022… I’m down to only 8 cars. 

[Floatylight]

50 minutes ago, brownnova said:

One out! 

Sooner than expected, but fair play in the few months I had it I found it to be an excellent automobile! Far better than expected. If I had all the space and all the money it would have gone nowhere!

All this means I’ve sold three cars and bought none so far in 2022… I’m down to only 8 cars. 

Which gives you time/space to sort the non runners?

[clayts450]

1 minute ago, Floatylight said:

Which gives you time/space to sort the non runners?

I think you'll find One out will undoubtedly be followed by One in.

Give it a day or two, am sure Alex will come good...

[Barry Cade]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

That's your good* deed for the day then, assisting your local plod. At least they got them, I presume.

Nope, they did a runner... helicopter was out looking for them...

[brownnova]

36 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

Which gives you time/space to sort the non runners?

In theory… 

33 minutes ago, clayts450 said:

I think you'll find One out will undoubtedly be followed by One in.

Give it a day or two, am sure Alex will come good...

Probably in practice… 

[catsinthewelder]

@Barry Cade. They've properly thumped into that, it's bent more than our old work van and that had a 44 tonner straight up the arse!

Drove nicely afterwards too apart from the rear doors open bong.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, brownnova said:

One out! 

Sooner than expected, but fair play in the few months I had it I found it to be an excellent automobile! Far better than expected. If I had all the space and all the money it would have gone nowhere!

All this means I’ve sold three cars and bought none so far in 2022… I’m down to only 8 cars. 

Have you moved house?

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Barry Cade said:

Nope, they did a runner... helicopter was out looking for them...

Ah. At least you have the reg of the assailant, and credible witnesses.

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

Ah. At least you have the reg of the assailant, and credible witnesses.

They’ll probably get a suspended and a few hours community service.

[tooSavvy]

14 hours ago, Wack said:

I buy all sorts of crap but every now and then I find a fascinating gem at a car boot sale , this was in an album of family pictures 

Cologne in 1949 , 4 years and they still haven't flattened bombed buildings 

 

 

Hmm...... Lot of it about 🥺

[Eyersey1234]

Stepdaughter's PCR test came back negative 

[New POD]

On 21/03/2022 at 23:33, RoverFolkUs said:

I too have managed to dodge it for the last 2 years, even despite (inadvertently) coming very close to cases at times I don't know how I've avoided it!

Now I say that I'll probably jinx it and test +ve next week! 

I tested positive last Friday.  And am staying away from home. I probably should do a test today, but I still feel a bit shit, so it's irrelevant really. 

Daughter (who I haven't seen for 2 weeks before that, as she lives in Manchester) has just started a new job at Manchester Royal, having moved from Salford Royal.   She tested positive yesterday. 

Wife is home alone, trying not to catch it before her and her friends fly to Lanzergrotty, at the end of next week. 

It's going round rapidly. 

[New POD]

16 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

I was awake at 4.30 this morning, and had been for a while, so I gave up the struggle and went downstairs to spend time with my little doggy.  I'd just got comfy in the recliner chair when I noticed a reflection of blue lights at the edges of my front window, so I deserted chair and dog to have a look.  Two vans at one end of my little street, with at least 3 officers dealing with someone across the street, against the front wall of one of the houses.  One of the neighbours has now suggested that it was the householder who got taken away... I have yet to find out.

Given how close you are to BAEsystems, I wonder. 

Years ago, there was an early morning raid, on the house a few doors down, from my student digs. Helecopters, armed police. 

Rumour has it that the guy worked down the road at the Alvis factory, in Covemtry and had in his possession copies of blueprints for rocket launchers.  Rumour was that he had family back in Ireland, and was copying drawings solely out of interest or to stop his family being harmed. Or something.

All rumours.  But the fuckers woke up the whole street. 

[Vince70]

The £250 Cabriolet is looking very smart now and yesterday it went through the mot advisory free and looks the bizzo in the immortal words of Scotch Harry.

I’ve just got to sort out getting it off disabled car tax now as I want to use it from the first of the month.

Also I got offered a lovely 57 plate 40000 mile CMax from an elderly neighbour for £500 who’s giving up driving as apparently I’m the guy that has all of the cars and luckily I’ve got a strip of land on the side of my bungalow that’s hidden from view for my 1990s dealership lol.

I won’t be having it though as it’s worth a a good £2000 and don’t want to be known as the guy that takes advantage lol.

Next job is to get the renavo and fabsil out to get the roof looking  as good as new again.

 

 

[Cookiesouwest]

2 hours ago, Vince70 said:

The £250 Cabriolet is looking very smart now and yesterday it went through the mot advisory free and looks the bizzo in the immortal words of Scotch Harry.

I’ve just got to sort out getting it off disabled car tax now as I want to use it from the first of the month.

Also I got offered a lovely 57 plate 40000 mile CMax from an elderly neighbour for £500 who’s giving up driving as apparently I’m the guy that has all of the cars and luckily I’ve got a strip of land on the side of my bungalow that’s hidden from view for my 1990s dealership lol.

I won’t be having it though as it’s worth a a good £2000 and don’t want to be known as the guy that takes advantage lol.

Next job is to get the renavo and fabsil out to get the roof looking  as good as new again.

 

 

Or sell the car for him and take a cut. You both win then

[beko1987]

Had a 2nd go at my inop/dribbly washer jets this afternoon. The £4.99 brand new pair from ebay were just as shit, so I've had the old ones soaking in de scaler for a few weeks now. 

Swapped them back over and boom, work perfectly again! The new ones were at a different angle when fitted so hit the bonnet first it seems. Thrown those in the bin now, cheap crap

[Royale80]

Gave the Sierra a wash today after rubbing a bit of surface rust off the underneath from the driveshafts back. Kurust and then a coating of Screwfix red lead (no lead). Another coat tomorrow and the underseal-then onto the middle. 

Underneath not bad though after last years welding fest!

 

 

[MR SCRUFF]

Rumbling along the A1M just south of Peterborough about 8am this morning. I felt like I'd briefly entered a time portal - overtaken by two Citroen BX, one a LHD E reg the other a H plate, and then going the other way I shit you not a Subaru Brat!! Tell me please it was someone on here.

[BorniteIdentity]

4 hours ago, MR SCRUFF said:

Rumbling along the A1M just south of Peterborough about 8am this morning. I felt like I'd briefly entered a time portal - overtaken by two Citroen BX, one a LHD E reg the other a H plate, and then going the other way I shit you not a Subaru Brat!! Tell me please it was someone on here.

I think Practical Classics were doing a photo shoot at the Showground yesterday.