The new news 24 thread

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Aah yes but don't forget @Cavcraft joke book 🤣

But they did raise £1700 for the nightingale house respite care unit.

https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23238483.wrexham-chester-vintage-bus-day-raises-money-nightingale-house/

 

[Eyersey1234]

1 minute ago, richardmorris said:

But they did raise £1700 for the nightingale house respite care unit.

https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23238483.wrexham-chester-vintage-bus-day-raises-money-nightingale-house/

 

Excellent news

[richardmorris]

8 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Excellent news

I’m always in two minds about this, 1 that such charity shouldn’t be necessary and government should fund it, and 2 that gov doesn’t fund it and we need to. 
nightingale house was started a couple of decades ago by Dr Arthur who worked with my mum in the wrexham maelor hospital for many years. It was originally called Dr Arthur’s. They have a couple of shops in wrexham taking in furniture, clothes and electrical stuff. All our family unwanteds go there.

What clothes aren’t good enough to resell go to the local homeless shelter.

which, incidentally do need underwear, socks and toiletries - eg hotel shampoos and soaps.

 

[RoverFolkUs]

5 hours ago, barefoot said:

My T2 has been running on dropped spindles for a decade or more, which obviously makes the bus look incredibly* cool. Are they just cut & welded together at a different length? And should they be an MOT failure? 

No they'll (hopefully!!) be manufactured with the spindle higher to raise the wheel in the arch, thus achieving an overall lowering. It's not really lowering, because the suspension (and it's geometry) is unchanged, the wheel just sits higher and "lowers" the vehicle that way.

A cut and reweld should be a fail. A part manufactured to a modified dimension would not be an unsafe modification. 

As an example - 

Cut springs - unsafe modification 

Lowering springs - not an unsafe modification

They both achieve the same result (lowering the car) but one is manufactured to do that, the other isn't. 

I hope I'm making sense

[RoverFolkUs]

4 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Thought so.  It was a shock absorber mounting lug that got me.  Despite it having been held on by two tiny crap welds from the factory (which is why this car had already had the wishbone swapped once because the mount broke off the original one in exactly the same spot).  Having welded it back on following the weld cracking on the replacement wasn't deemed acceptable.  Wound up having to replace the wishbone for a second time in six months...which I was rather cranky about.  Especially as I couldn't find a used one so had to buy a new one at a couple of hundred quid.  After I'd already paid to have the mounting lug repaired!

When you say mounting lug, do you mean a location/installation lug? The bit that simply ensures you locate it correctly, and doesn't affix or mount it in in any way? If so - I think that would be an incredibly harsh fail

Do you have a diagram for me to better understand exactly? 

[Zelandeth]

15 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

When you say mounting lug, do you mean a location/installation lug? The bit that simply ensures you locate it correctly, and doesn't affix or mount it in in any way? If so - I think that would be an incredibly harsh fail

Do you have a diagram for me to better understand exactly? 

No, actually the thing the shock absorber attached to.  Which I'd have said fair enough to not allowing it to be messed with if it weren't for it having been put together that way from the factory.

I'll have to have a look when I'm next back at my PC.  May have some photos of it, I do remember snapping a couple when the first one failed.

[stuboy]

Been naughty and bought a new toy, do I need it Dunno, but I don't go out drinking and smoking..  and like the woman all said ohh I didn't realise it was that big..

[SiC]

Just found out Moss in Manchester has closed down permanently. Bit of a shame.

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/about-moss-manchester

 

Charles Ware Car Parts went broke the other week. That one is a bit more complex story. 

Parts and restoration split. Restoration went broke. Restoration then phoenixed as a new company. Now looks like the parts has gone pop.

[Ghosty]

12 minutes ago, SiC said:

Just found out Moss in Manchester has closed down permanently. Bit of a shame.

https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/about-moss-manchester

 

That's a shame, but Manchester is a loose term, it was in Cheadle Heath... the place looked deserted whenever I passed.

[Ghosty]

Anyone want an MX5?

[Rust Collector]

We have 6 family members visiting from abroad on Saturday. We do not have any 7 seater cars, so we are having to drive two vehicles up to Stansted airport to collect them, and then again a few days later to drop them back. Out of the fleet, the only three vehicles up to the journey are the Clio, the Insight and the Shogun Sport. The Insight is only a 2 seater so that is ruled out straight off the bat. This means the Clio and Shogun Sport are the only two vehicles that can be used for the job.

Stansted airport is about a 225 mile round trip for us. The Clio sips petrol, but the Shogun Sport is ruinous at about 20mpg if that. I reckon it'll be in for about £150 of petrol for those two journeys, then chuck in the days out that are planned and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up putting £200-250 into the Shogun over the course of their visit.

I've just seen a Rover 416 auto locally for scrap money with two months ticket on. Apparently it runs and drives just fine... Surely* it's good financial sense to buy the Rover, run it for a few days, save money on petrol and then sell it? 🤔😅

 

[lesapandre]

The dream...and reality...

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/12/halfords-shares-tumble-shortage-mechanics-profits

Investment advice: sell.

I have no evidence of it but I bet they don't pay and are ****'s to work for.

Properly managed this is probably a good business but I bet it's being run by the usual cheese-paring-mingebags.

£60M profit on an operation this big is pitiful:

"As of June 2021, Halfords has 404 stores, 3 Performance Cycling stores (trading as Tredz and Giant), 374 garages (trading as Halfords Autocentres, McConechys and Universal Tyres and Autocentres) and 143 mobile service vans (trading as Halfords Mobile Expert and Tyres on the Drive) and 192 Commercial vans."

[lesapandre]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

We have 6 family members visiting from abroad on Saturday. We do not have any 7 seater cars, so we are having to drive two vehicles up to Stansted airport to collect them, and then again a few days later to drop them back. Out of the fleet, the only three vehicles up to the journey are the Clio, the Insight and the Shogun Sport. The Insight is only a 2 seater so that is ruled out straight off the bat. This means the Clio and Shogun Sport are the only two vehicles that can be used for the job.

Stansted airport is about a 225 mile round trip for us. The Clio sips petrol, but the Shogun Sport is ruinous at about 20mpg if that. I reckon it'll be in for about £150 of petrol for those two journeys, then chuck in the days out that are planned and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up putting £200-250 into the Shogun over the course of their visit.

I've just seen a Rover 416 auto locally for scrap money with two months ticket on. Apparently it runs and drives just fine... Surely* it's good financial sense to buy the Rover, run it for a few days, save money on petrol and then sell it? 🤔😅

 

Not worth ringing round to see who'd do that round trip in a big cab - given the big on-costs and stress on vehicles and humans?

[Rust Collector]

10 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Not worth ringing round to see who'd do that round trip in a big cab - given the big on-costs and stress on vehicles and humans?

I've had a couple of quotes for 8 seater vans from local private hire firms that do airport transfers, the cost per trip has been around £300!!

[lesapandre]

I know it's not very cosy - but the buses to Stansted run OK and are pretty reliable. But...

[Rust Collector]

The idea of putting them on a bus/train/coach was floated when I mentioned the fuel cost to my mrs but I feel a little guilty as they would normally make the 45-60 minute drive to Vienna and back when we fly out to them, although as she pointed out there is only two of us and six of them! They don't speak any English either so there's the possibility of losing them if we send them out on their own - although some may say that's not such a bad thing when it comes to family visits 😅

I've had a quick look at the National Express and depending on timings it's about £200-240 for the 6 of them to go from Stansted Airport to Brighton which isn't far off fuel. Megabus is a lot cheaper but they'd get dropped off in London so we'd still have to drive up and collect them.

It's mad really that it's so expensive to travel a relatively short distance in the most densely populated corner of the country. I suspect we will end up doing both journeys in the Clio and Mitsi despite wallet hammering fuel cost.

[Bren]

A slight whiff of hot oil prompted me to check the BMW's motor - in particular the crankcase ventilation system. These N62 engines are very sensitive - it doesn't take much to get odd smells and a smoky exhaust.

I pulled both diaphragms - one in each valve cover. Plenty of mayo - I was surprised as these N62 engines run very hot. They got a clean - brake cleaner and compressed air sorted out the pipework.

Put it all back together. The diapraghms were not split but they are turning brown ( they should be orange) so they will need replacing at some point. It would appear that sometimes even a healthy motor will puff a bit.

I got bored and put a coin on the engine cover while the motor was running - it stayed upright for quite some time. It could do with new plugs but replacement looks krypton factoresque.

 

 

[puddlethumper]

I would like to give a very big shout out to @Andyrew,@Six-cylinderand @Mrs6Cfor delivering a gearbox to me. Had a good chat and showed them round my hovel home on wheels. This place etc,.

Rang the garage and they can fit me in on Saturday which is good news coz I needz ma weelz yo.

[Mrs6C]

8 minutes ago, puddlethumper said:

Had a good chat and showed them round my hovel home on wheels. 

Great company, warm welcome and even chocolates! Really nice to meet you in person and what a winner of a motorhome! I look forward to grafting some new apple trees from your neighbour as well...

[reb]

Application to form a limited company has been put in. All being well (proposed name is accidentally one word off a much larger company) I'll be a powerfully built company director by the end of the week.

Next step is convincing someone to fund me/it.

My plan for the rest of the evening is to transfer the business plan from my cranium to a PDF.

Wish me luck.

[reb]

Well that was quick.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, reb said:

Well that was quick.

What’s the idea? 

[reb]

9 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

What’s the idea? 

Pay my rent.

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, puddlethumper said:

I would like to give a very big shout out to @Andyrew,@Six-cylinderand @Mrs6Cfor delivering a gearbox to me. Had a good chat and showed them round my hovel home on wheels. This place etc,.

Rang the garage and they can fit me in on Saturday which is good news coz I needz ma weelz yo.

It turns out @puddlethumper has parked his RV in the Pensnett canal! He would be deep in trouble if it was pre 1950! 

[Joey spud]

Bye,bye Honda.

For me it's always a sad day when you scrap a car.

This Accord had been in the family for ten years with me and then the father in law but had sat idle since the Summer. Its mot lapsed in September but still drove spot on and everything worked fine, I'm sure it would have walked another test as it's a Honda.

But the wheels needed a referb and the paint was tired and flaking in places, it's a thirsty thing too and tax is £30 a month so I took the £380 offered by Redcorn rather than faff about trying to sell it to Joe Public.

I did keep the front seats though.

 

[horriblemercedes]

Just now, Joey spud said:

Bye,bye Honda.

For me it's always a sad day when you scrap a car.

This Accord had been in the family for ten years with me and then the father in law but had sat idle since the Summer. Its mot lapsed in September but still drove spot on and everything worked fine, I'm sure it would have walked another test as it's a Honda.

But the wheels needed a referb and the paint was tired and flaking in places, it's a thirsty thing too and tax is £30 a month so I took the £380 offered by Redcorn rather than faff about trying to sell it to Joe Public.

I did keep the front seats though.

That seems a shame - I bet someone here would've had that. That said, it could be a bit more rotten underneath than it seems on top

[cobblers]

fuckinerl aren't the cats off those worth nine million quid?

[Joey spud]

I got the serial number off the cat and checked up and it wasn't worth anywhere near as much as the internet tells you.

I think its value with a fresh mot was only around £600 to £700 so add in an the MOT, getting the tyres to seal on the rims and going through and cleaning/ freeing the brakes etc then there's not much profit to be had.

And just selling it for scrap removes the grief of dealing with the Ass holes that seem to currently thrive in these parts.

I did think about offering it here but the last time i tried to sell on here the opinion was i was in the arse end of nowhere (Kent).

[barefoot]

I'd have had that off you in a trice, 

- had you not been in the arse end of no-where.

[MrGTI6]

A colleague with a 16-plate Audi A3 often tells me that he'll never buy a French car because they're unreliable.

This evening, a small queue had formed on the way home from work. I thought perhaps there were some temporary lights in place. Got to the front of the queue and saw my colleague's A3 was the cause of the obstruction, just sat there with its hazard lights flashing.

It turned out his state-of-the-art dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox decided to completely lose drive and he has no breakdown cover. 

I towed his car back to the yard using my unreliable 25-year-old French car. Only just got back home having dropped him off at his house.