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Father Ted

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Have been driving this here in Rome since getting back last month. It’s a 2.0 hdi (I think) and it goes well but a slipping clutch has numbered it’s days 

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I don’t know if I’ve made the right decision but I’m replacing it with this:

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its a weird spec with colour coding and electric windows but no radio!

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In theory it should suit my commute much better but there is just something so likable about a Bingo

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Well what a weekend that was.  Good job the Rover 75 is a comfortable car, seeing as I spent >12 hours in it yesterday...  Traffic was ridiculously slow on the run back (37mph seems to have become the default giffer speed on NSL A-roads, and overtaking with a laden trailer is not something that the Rover is particularly keen on), and bastard Google Maps sent me down what I assume it thought was a shortcut but ended up being a single track lane (always fun with a big trailer), but Google evidently wasn't aware that the lane was closed half way down and therefore the route it was trying to send me on didn't exist.  Even more fun than driving down a single track road with a trailer is reversing back up said (unlit) single track road with said trailer, in the dark, then doing a three-point turn by reversing into a farm track.  Thank feck I took the Rover rather than the Maxus - I'd never have got turned around and I would have had to reverse out onto the A1.  As it was I had to turn right onto the (busy) dual carriageway, from a standing start with a tonne and a bit of trailer hanging off the back.

Then at some point I managed to run over a screw with one of the trailer wheels, so that went flat - I didn't notice straight away but one of the ratchet straps came loose and when I stopped to investigate that I noticed the flat tyre, so I had to change the wheel on the trailer - fortunately I had the trolley jack in the boot of the Rover.  After a couple of other mishaps I got home just before 1am this morning.

I didn't get as much done today as I'd been hoping, largely because I got up rather late due to being utterly knackered from yesterday.  The first task was to run an extension lead out into the drive and get a blower heater set up in the Volvo to dry out the footwell carpet.  It took ages and I dread to think how much it cost me in electricity, but it's pretty much dry now.  I've bought one of those big windscreen covers which goes over the scuttle panel and the front edge of the roof and attaches with four elastic straps - I'm hoping that'll keep the water from getting in through wherever it has been.  

I then went down to the car park and did an extremely half-arsed reassembly of the front end on the Visa, to get it looking more like a roadworthy car and less like a restoration project.

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I've ordered a new front number plate for it as the current one is warped beyond repair.  I then borrowed the battery from the Volvo and had a play with some switches to see what's alive and what isn't.  We have headlights, one rear light, most of the indicators, wiper, horn and heater fan.  Even the radio works.  Things that currently don't are the offside rear light cluster, which doesn't do anything at all (I'm going to need to get the multimeter out on that at some point) and the screen wash - I think the pump is seized as it's drawing current, so I'll probably just wire in a universal one for now.  The driver's door doesn't currently lock (not that that's a major issue round here) - the original lock turns OK but doesn't actually do anything, and there's a secondary lock in the door that someone has fitted but which isn't actually connected to anything.

The other job I had scheduled for today was to fit a new window regulator to the nearside rear door on the Toyota.  I thought it was going to be an awkward job, and thus it proved.  The problem is that to remove the regulator you need to unbolt the window glass in its carrier from the regulator mechanism, and to access the bolts you need to have the window part way down.  The current regulator has seized with the window fractionally below the fully closed position, so I can't actually get to the bolts - I can feel them with my fingers but because of assorted other door internals and the shape of the door itself I can't get a spanner in there.  I think I'm going to have to cut the cables, but I couldn't immediately find a suitable cutting implement (wouldn't get a hacksaw in there so it's going to be either bolt cutters or a dremel with a cutting disc) and I was running out of daylight by then anyway so that's been postponed.  I've managed to find a way of clamping the cables so that the window stays closed - hopefully that'll stop any more water getting into the car until I can sort it properly...

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Had to collect from a company literally under the QE2 bridge today 

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I was admiring the unusual view when the guy started telling me stories about half a dozen 6 foot fence panels sailing off a lorry and landing in their yard. I got back in my van and left sharpish...

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3 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Had to collect from a company literally under the QE2 bridge today 

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I was admiring the unusual view when the guy started telling me stories about half a dozen 6 foot fence panels sailing off a lorry and landing in their yard. I got back in my van and left sharpish...

Crossways?  Yeah.  It’s best not to have much imagination driving through there.  I used to do it every day when I was training in South Thamesmead.  One of my least favourite places.

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Took this for final ride of the year yesterday.

Looks like it will be going next spring. My advancing years mean I seem to be getting cramp a lot when I first put my feet on the pegs. I am not taking up tantric yoga just to ride a bike.

Something more sensible beckons.

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Day 1 working from home in our temporary accommodation.

Big slipper: ACTIVATED.

I bought this for Mrs Grogee as a joke a few years back as she always has cold feet. But actually it's AMAZING, I'm a total convert. It also has massage function which is doing my plantar fasciitis wonders.

Adverts for stretchy beige trousers, beaded seat covers and Panama hats gratefully received.

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Mannol oil currently with a nice chunk off on Ebay so thought I'd get a few in to tide me over winter.

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£69 for 20 litres of 507 VAG juice for the Caddy.

£57 for 20 litres of generic low ash/sulpher for the Vectra.

A bit dearer than a few years ago when the 507 was £15 a tub and the C3 was £10 a tub, but like everything else it keeps going up in price.

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56 minutes ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Does the 'finishing' sign refer to a battery 'finishing' its useful lifespan? 

 

LOL, no it's a handmade furniture workshop. 

 

Seller arrived with jump pack and led me to Halfords, has gone halves on a Yuasa battery with me. Winner, should be no trouble now. 

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Mum going into hospital 7.30 in the morning for a cataract op. Dad driving her in my x1/9 which will certainly wake the neighbours! When I first had the car back in 2006 I picked my mum up from work in it at the same hospital.

just whatsapped as it’s her birthday. She says she now gets two lines of the national anthem ( when Charlie was just Prince he was only allowed one).

i had a laugh at the medical notes which says you can only drive when you can read a numberplate from 20.5metres.  Given that she can’t drive now…

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5 hours ago, Ghosty said:

Picked this up for the mother. 53k. 

 

Got as far as a petrol station but unfortunately the battery is toast, but the seller is willing to assist. 

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Winner! If that Aerodeck doesn't revive your mum to full health then give me a call. Stunning. How is she now?

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7 hours ago, grogee said:

Day 1 working from home in our temporary accommodation.

Big slipper: ACTIVATED.

I bought this for Mrs Grogee as a joke a few years back as she always has cold feet. But actually it's AMAZING, I'm a total convert. It also has massage function which is doing my plantar fasciitis wonders.

Adverts for stretchy beige trousers, beaded seat covers and Panama hats gratefully received.

IMG_20221114_143714383.jpg

Those things are flipping ace, I ended up with one years ago when I had to use an 8x6 garden shed as an office all winter, if your feet are really warm the rest of the room can be ten degrees for all it matters. Used it every day 5 months a year for quite a few years, I wonder where it went? 

 

While were doing sexy leg/feet shots, I bought some Rab down insulated booties for "extreme wild camping up mountains when it's -10c in the snow" but I tried them on in the house to make sure they fit and they have immediately become the best £35 slippers ever.

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Hopefully I won't knacker them before I need to use them when camping

 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Ghosty said:

Picked this up for the mother. 53k. 

 

Got as far as a petrol station but unfortunately the battery is toast, but the seller is willing to assist. 

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With the amazing chod you keep collecting on behalf of your mum I think she needs her own account on here! 

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