The new news 24 thread

[SiC]

One owner from new garage find!


It's been stuck in there for 6 months in my parents garage as they've had building work done. However the brickys have not only got brick dust all over it, they disconnected the car battery charger and didn't plug it back in. So the battery went completely flat.

The engine in these is obviously in the back as mid engine, so the battery is under the Frunk. However that's electrically controlled and with no power it's not possible to activate it.

Handly Porsche envisaged this being a problem. In the fusebox is a pull out terminal you can connect a jumper lead to. This allows power to pop the bonnet.

Much better than my earlier Boxster (same problem in the early 911 too) where the official way is to have to make a harness to wire into the fusebox.


Once that was done, the battery could be accessed. Except the car was very upset at that point and had the alarm siren going off. Bloody loud trying to replace the battery with that going off. Not surprising given it's by the battery. I found some ear defenders that made it bareble.


Battery changed, ignition on and the usual Christmas tree light up from a replaced battery. It got put away on a satisfying 64k exactly.


Pulled it out of the garage. Did the usual ESP trick of turning the wheels to both end stops and a short drive forward to clear that warning.


I went for a drive with my mum and then swapped for her to drive back.
"I really like my car and I don't want to sell it! You can borrow it though..."

Damn. I was hoping she'd finally let me buy it! I don't mind driving it but it's a bit different driving someone else's pride and joy. If it's your own and you prang it, imo it doesn't feel as bad. However if it's someone elses then I'd feel incredibly guilty, even if it wasn't my fault.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

The only issue with those connectors for airbag connections is that they don't short the pins together when disconnected. If you look down airbag connectors, you will see that they do this. Its to prevent any static build up or such accidentially triggering them when disconnected.

Notice the two pins and the additional spring contact pressing on them that connects to the busbar strip at the top to short them. This moves out of the way when plugged in so electrical contact can be made with the airbag.

https://www.hella.com/techworld/uk/Technical/Car-electronics-and-electrics/Car-airbag-system-3083/

Really necessary? Have dis and reconnected without issue. Temporarily.

[SiC]

4 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Really necessary? Have dis and reconnected without issue. Temporarily.

Depends if you want to risk them accidentally going off. The risk is low but not zero without the correct connector. It's for this reason I point it out.

I.e. with that aftermarket connector without the shorting, you need to be extra careful handling the pyrotechnic based airbags. Unlikely to discharge but if they do, it can cause a nasty injury depending what the deployment impacts on you. 

[MJK 24]

The Algarve climate is kind!

 

[PicantoJon]

Spotted an unfamiliar car in the car park at work this morning. Turns out Work* Mate has traded his trusty Ayego for a 66 plate Astra diesel. 

In short, debating whether or not to disown him... 

[New POD]

4 minutes ago, PicantoJon said:

Spotted an unfamiliar car in the car park at work this morning. Turns out Work* Mate has traded his trusty Ayego for a 66 plate Astra diesel. 

In short, debating whether or not to disown him... 

We need to know his logic before we can advise.  He may need to attend a disciplinary hearing. He can bring a friend 

[sierraman]

Driving an Astra Diesel is punishment enough I think.

[PicantoJon]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

We need to know his logic before we can advise.  He may need to attend a disciplinary hearing. He can bring a friend 

Says he couldn't fit a baby seat in the back of the Aygo... I disagree, surely with enough mechanical persuasion it will! 

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, PicantoJon said:

Spotted an unfamiliar car in the car park at work this morning. Turns out Work* Mate has traded his trusty Ayego for a 66 plate Astra diesel. 

In short, debating whether or not to disown him... 

His crime is also his punishment!

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

We need to know his logic before we can advise.  He may need to attend a disciplinary hearing. He can bring a friend 

Will he have any friends now?

[New POD]

23 minutes ago, artdjones said:

Will he have any friends now?

I don't know much about the Astra K but every other person I know with an Astra J has a manual diesel and not one has a bad thing to say, whereas me and the wife have petrol autos and her 1.6 is a little underpowered.  

The body styling only really changed in a subtle way from J to K.  

[Six-cylinder]

29 minutes ago, artdjones said:

Will he have any friends now?

Stop bullying us Astra Diesel drivers! 

[PicantoJon]

I shouldn't say anything really seeing as my dad drives an Astra... 🙊

[Pat Earrings]

So update on the Bluebird. Matrix is out and the radiator place can’t find a core for it. A lot of digging done by me and it seems it’s cross compatible with Audi 100 cores of the same era and the measurements are pretty much identical, and I believe the pipe work is too.

He said he’ll attempt a repair but it’s close to the metal fin so isn’t sure but fair play to him for wanting to try. I think, fingers crossed my digging and research will prove fruitful as I am fairly confident so long as the sizings are there or there about a it should be a good replacement. 
 

He’s advised to just get a new radiator which he’s sourced for around £90 which is good too as the core was too expensive. My garage have been absolutely sound. Just hoping it all comes together nicely as I’ve not seen it for a couple weeks!

[Surface Rust]

Festival of the Dead, 2nd July, Stamford, Lincs.

No, not the start scene from a Bond film, but a car show featuring only defunct car brands.

https://www.classiclineinsurance.co.uk/festival-of-the-dead/

 

 

[Pat Earrings]

1 hour ago, Pat Earrings said:

So update on the Bluebird. Matrix is out and the radiator place can’t find a core for it. A lot of digging done by me and it seems it’s cross compatible with Audi 100 cores of the same era and the measurements are pretty much identical, and I believe the pipe work is too.

He said he’ll attempt a repair but it’s close to the metal fin so isn’t sure but fair play to him for wanting to try. I think, fingers crossed my digging and research will prove fruitful as I am fairly confident so long as the sizings are there or there about a it should be a good replacement. 
 

He’s advised to just get a new radiator which he’s sourced for around £90 which is good too as the core was too expensive. My garage have been absolutely sound. Just hoping it all comes together nicely as I’ve not seen it for a couple weeks!

Well it isn’t lol. He’s just sent me the matrix and the pipe work is different entirely, pointing outwards.

fuck sake.

praying he can repair it.

 

I’ve stuck a thread on ask a shiter with the photos of it 

[Split_Pin]

I replaced the rotted aluminium/rubber trim on the 75. It's only taken me nearly 3 years. 

I sprayed the inside of the doors with silicone grease to try and stop freezing.

Couldn't get the button to stay in though.

Oh, well, it doesn't have one now!

While I was looking under the red 93 in case I'd dropped a clip, I noticed that here, where there was once metal, there is now only underseal. The brown bits could be pulled away in my hand.

No idea why the picture is upside down.

This was fine last summer so that's happened fast. The brown one went in exactly the same place too (that was fixed).

 

[GMcD]

Bloody cars! Sounds like you had a frustrating Saturday like me. 

[Split_Pin]

Yeah fairly so, old cars eh!

[GMcD]

I spent ages last weekend and now today footering with the rear brakes on the Cav.

What was supposed to be just drums ended up being shoes, fitting kit and the handbrake cables as the shoes fell to bits. With new shoes on I couldn't get a handbrake(Cable had no adjustment left). Cylinders fine so I left them. 

Never done drum brakes before. Don't think I want to again. What a palava. I had to mess about something awful with them to get the auto adjusters to play ball. I must have had them off about 4 times each side (including taking them off again to do the handbrake cables). 

Discs, pads and calipers for me please! 

[Split_Pin]

Aye, fuck drums, I'd be firing mine to the garage along the road so fair play.

Vauxhall discs are worse though, with those silly, bastardy, foutery wee handbrake shoes which never adjust even each side.

[wuvvum]

Drum brakes are indeed the work of Beelzebub.

[Dyslexic Viking]

Another drum brake hater here, they really are the work of the devil. And I own a 1960s car with drum brakes front and rear, I will do everything I can to avoid having to deal with them.

[richardmorris]

The rear drum brakes on the 2cv haven’t been apart yet. 159,000 miles. Squeaked a bit last year, but judicial use of the big hammer got rid of a lot of dirt / asbestos.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I knew there was a pretty insane engine in some WW2 US tanks and I've been reading up on it and it's very interesting. Chrysler took their reliable and proven flathead 6 also used in Dodge and Plymouth and bolted 5 of them together and so the Chrysler A57 multibank engine was born. 30 cylinders 20.5 liters and 276kw was the result.

 

[Andyrew]

9 hours ago, sierraman said:

Driving an Astra Diesel is punishment enough I think.

[Ghosty]

7 hours ago, Surface Rust said:

Festival of the Dead, 2nd July, Stamford, Lincs.

No, not the start scene from a Bond film, but a car show featuring only defunct car brands.

https://www.classiclineinsurance.co.uk/festival-of-the-dead/

 

 

festival of the_
Lincolnshire location
Run by a classic insurance company

Sounds familiar. 



Bet it ends up being full of Rover lickers. 

[RoverFolkUs]

Fuckin' hell, have Facebook finally got some sort of new algorithm for identifying and labelling imbeciles! 😂

[Metal Guru]

39 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Fuckin' hell, have Facebook finally got some sort of new algorithm for identifying and labelling imbeciles! 😂

They’ve had that from the  very start. You register  = imbecile.

[New POD]

17 hours ago, PicantoJon said:

Says he couldn't fit a baby seat in the back of the Aygo... I disagree, surely with enough mechanical persuasion it will! 

My son, has a W reg 1.6 mk4 Astra with just 65k on the clock. Less than 3k miles a year average.  He's saying he might have to move it on.

1) He works in Birmingham city centre and it's not emisions zone compatible.

2) It's not ISO fit child seat compatible. So ? 

3) His wife doesn't drive manuals.  

I have no use for a 3rd Astra, but its tempting. 

Except 4) I do 500 miles a week.

5) it doesn't have cruise control.

I kind of look back 18 years, to when I started going to the VBO show at billing aquadrone and think, well it would definitely have put all the 22 year old mk2 cavaliers to shame. Maybe I should get rid of the MX5 and replace it in the garage with my father in laws old car, and only bring it out for shows on sunny days