The new news 24 thread

[stuboy]

19 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Is there a steering box on the other end of that steering wheel?  If there is, even if the rest gets binned, please save that.  RHD specific steering parts are made of unobtainium, especially steering boxes.  So one that's either serviceable or in a rebuildable condition is something that is well worth saving.   

not seen one yet,

[Dobloseven]

13 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Daughter came round a couple of Sundays ago. Oil light had come on in her car. Checked dipstick which wasn't reaching the oil. Evening so all the usual suspects were shut. Car, 66reg Peugeot 208 needs 0w30 stuff. Got lots of oil in shed, but none of that. Phone oldest son, he hasn't got any either. He lives near the Leicester Forest East M1 Services. Phones me up, 23 quid a litre. Fortunately I'd just been to the petrol station at the bottom of the road and paid 15 quid. That got it back on the dipstick. Only holds about 3 litres anyway. Bought 5 litres and a filter from GSF later for around 40 quid, but haven't got round to changing it for her yet. She's going to Dubai in August so car will be sold off anyway. Been a good car for her really. Had it new on a Just add fuel PCP, bought it outright when the 3 years were up. Just got in on the £20 pound tax. WBAC come up with more than she paid for it,so all good. 

All this talk of oil made me change it for her tonight. Really easy to do. Filter is a spin on type vertically alongside the sump. Only holds 3.3 litres. Took ages for the oil light to go out. Also noticed it's got a wet timing belt, visible through the oil filler. Can't quite get my head round 3 cylinder engines though. Engine sounds quite harsh(1.2 petrol),whereas the 1.4 in my Zafira, same age and mileage is almost inaudible on tickover. 

[RoverFolkUs]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

especially given that his van wasn't even level

Thought most mobile fitters still have dynamic balancers in their vans? Seems a bit odd to use a static balancer, for the reason you mention

[Split_Pin]

I've no idea man, I had just heard a few people say that their wheels were badly balanced after having tyres replaced by a mobile fitter.

[RoverFolkUs]

Just now, Split_Pin said:

I've no idea man, I had just heard a few people say that their wheels were badly balanced after having tyres replaced by a mobile fitter.

I can imagine if they're using static balancers! No reason for them not to have and use a dynamic one in my opinion

I wouldn't even bother with a static balancer, they're never perfect even on level ground. 

[Split_Pin]

Apologies for the angry post.

[JJ0063]

Off to the local scrappy later if I can get enough work done this morning as my old dears Corsa C has its MOT next week and one of the headlight adjusters is stuck permanently on. 
 

Usually full of chod, it’s not your typical scrappy so il try and get some pics if I remember.

 

For any of the Norfolk folk, it’s Warmers in Mattishall… if you’ve been before you’ll know what I mean when I say it’s full of chod…

[LabRat]

Came home from work early yesterday with a blinding migraine, woke up this morning coughing and feeling grim, so did a COVID test to cover my arse and it's positive... Fucking lovely.

On the plus side, at least I won't have to fill the car this week! 

[Bren]

Did a couple of jobs on the vectra today despite sounding like a sith lord.

The passenger side window switch was inoperative - it is always dirty contacts. You can't strip this one like the drivers side so I removed it and soaked it in switch cleaner. It cured the problem.

The check arms on both front doors were very noisy - the rollers in the mechanism were worn. They are reversable - you simply unscrew the arm from the post and rotate it 180. Then undo the two nuts from the door and push the assembly into the door - you rotate the whole lot so the bracket for the door post now fits against the a post. Button it up and see if it is quiet. What you are doing is adjusting the arm so that it works against the unworn roller.

Fortunately a previous owner hadn't tried this and the other roller was unworn. I did have a bit of a disaster with the drivers side when I let it fall into the door. I had to remove the door card and speaker to get it out. I seized the opportunity to lube the regulator for the window.

I know vauxhalls dont have much love on here but their plastics are excellent - no broken tabs or clips unlike previous german cars we have owned.

We have started to look at possible replacements. It is 15 years old and covered 154k. It runs well however it is not great on diesel and the road tax is a salty £340 a year. The lacquer is starting to peel on the roof and bonnet and too many fat arses have squashed the seat bolsters into submission. The aircon and electric sunroof still work perfectly.

These arrived this morning for the 'busa. I will fit them tomorrow before I attend hospital for my two weekly injections - I call it a stab and a brew.

[Bren]

20 minutes ago, Bren said:

Did a couple of jobs on the vectra today despite sounding like a sith lord.

The passenger side window switch was inoperative - it is always dirty contacts. You can't strip this one like the drivers side so I removed it and soaked it in switch cleaner. It cured the problem.

The check arms on both front doors were very noisy - the rollers in the mechanism were worn. They are reversable - you simply unscrew the arm from the post and rotate it 180. Then undo the two nuts from the door and push the assembly into the door - you rotate the whole lot so the bracket for the door post now fits against the a post. Button it up and see if it is quiet. What you are doing is adjusting the arm so that it works against the unworn roller.

Fortunately a previous owner hadn't tried this and the other roller was unworn. I did have a bit of a disaster with the drivers side when I let it fall into the door. I had to remove the door card and speaker to get it out. I seized the opportunity to lube the regulator for the window.

I know vauxhalls dont have much love on here but their plastics are excellent - no broken tabs or clips unlike previous german cars we have owned.

We have started to look at possible replacements. It is 15 years old and covered 154k. It runs well however it is not great on diesel and the road tax is a salty £340 a year. The lacquer is starting to peel on the roof and bonnet and too many fat arses have squashed the seat bolsters into submission. The aircon and electric sunroof still work perfectly.

These arrived this morning for the 'busa. I will fit them tomorrow before I attend hospital for my two weekly injections - I call it a stab and a brew.

Apolgies for the multiple photos at the start. No idea why this happened.

[JJ0063]

[JJ0063]

And he had this, came in as non runner.. when you connect a battery to it the alternator starts smoking. Chassis looks good and it’s very clean. Wants £1200 Ono. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

51 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Nae chance that one of those Fabias happens to have the soundproofing under the bonnet? 🤔

[JJ0063]

11 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Nae chance that one of those Fabias happens to have the soundproofing under the bonnet? 🤔

I’m possibly going over there Saturday, if there’s one and it’s cheap il grab you it. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, JJ0063 said:

I’m possibly going over there Saturday, if there’s one and it’s cheap il grab you it. 

Excellent, ta. There's also a little orange bonnet clip thingy as well.

[C3C3]

Got the Mk3 Escort Estate MOT'd and back on the road now with its shiny new wings and arches. 👍

[Spottedlaurel]

Structural gaffer tape repairs undertaken on the trusty Honda mower, which is doing a Honda i.e. still runs well enough, but the tinwork is becoming a concern.

[SiC]

Having a beer, while reading a book


At the end of the garden, with the sun going down


While watching others jet off on their holidays


I wish it was a bit warmer though, considering it's now summer.

[vulgalour]

Finally, both Maestro wheel arches are now done.  The time it's spent on the driveway waiting for me to put new rear arches on it is probably the longest its ever spent off the road in its entire life.  Is it a perfect profile and exactly as it left the factory in 1988?  No.  Is it close enough?  Yeah, absolutely.

[artdjones]

34 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Structural gaffer tape repairs undertaken on the trusty Honda mower, which is doing a Honda i.e. still runs well enough, but the tinwork is becoming a concern.

Next time buy the plastic one, I don't know what's in it but it seems indestructible.

(Not mine, but I haven't got any photos of mine. It's still in perfect shape at 14 years old, just not this immaculate)

[Zelandeth]

17 hours ago, artdjones said:

Next time buy the plastic one, I don't know what's in it but it seems indestructible.

(Not mine, but I haven't got any photos of mine. It's still in perfect shape at 14 years old, just not this immaculate)

Like our old one.  Engine (flat head Briggs, so obviously will run forever) was perfect, deck was perfect for the most part (if rather faded), just a shame that after 30 years that everything else started to fall to bits.  Eventually got to the point that replacing all the broken bits was going to cost a substantial chunk of what a new mower would...and I'd still be missing the grass box (it was a kerbside find - fixed by replacing the primer bulb) which I had been trying to find a replacement for ever since I got it.  I'd managed to wedge one from another machine on, but it was way too small.  When the deck started to crack around the handle I decided enough was enough and retired it.

Still in the back of the shed...throwing out a perfectly running engine just feels wrong!

Current one is Honda engined and does get the garden cut in half the time the old one did. 

Do have to say that the old Briggs was always way easier to start from cold though!  This always takes a few pulls first start of the day.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

Having a beer, while reading a book

 

As I believe the kids say, 'Oh! MG'

[artdjones]

10 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Like our old one.  Engine (flat head Briggs, so obviously will run forever) was perfect, deck was perfect (if rather faded), just a shame that after 30 years that everything else started to fall to bits.  Eventually got to the point that replacing all the broken bits was going to cost a substantial chunk of what a new mower would...and I'd still be missing the grass box (it was a kerbside find - fixed by replacing the primer bulb) which I had been trying to find a replacement for ever since I got it.  I'd managed to wedge one from another machine on, but it was way too small.  When the deck started to crack around the handle I decided enough was enough and retired it.

Still in the back of the shed...throwing out a perfectly running engine just feels wrong!

Current one is Honda engined and does get the garden cut in half the time the old one did. 

Do have to say that the old Briggs was always way easier to start from cold though!  This always takes a few pulls first start of the day.

Our Honda is always a first pull starter, except after winter, and even then it's 4-5 pulls on old petrol. Our first mower was Briggs and Stratton though. When I bought it it had been sat under a hedge all winter and started first pull. It lasted another 7 years until a large part of the deck, including a wheel suddenly detached.

[reb]

Remember how my tyre looked like this?

Man in a big blue van to the rescue!

That's better.

[scruff]

Setting up our stand at the Royal Highland Show. 

Surprising yad spot. With bonus swallow 

[dozeydustman]

Is Captain Scarlet’s car a possibility?

 

 

[Bren]

I used the vectra for my visit to Wythenshawe hospital. The computer showed a disappointing 36.8 mpg prior to my journey. My wife does a lot of short trips.

I reset the computer and kept the speed to 55 - 60. Managed 56 going and this dropped to just over 50 on the return journey.

The car could do with a new air filter.

[High Jetter]

9 hours ago, reb said:

Remember how my tyre looked like this?

Man in a big blue van to the rescue!

That's better.

"You can't fit quicker..."

Bollocks!

[Bren]

It is so hot here that when I have just sprayed lube on the BM's door locks the lube started spitting.

[RoverFolkUs]

The man from the ministry said NO .... 

Could have been worse, £15 worth of parts will change that result

Just waiting to go in for retest now!