The new news 24 thread

[HMC]

Had word back from the welder working on the pug 504 that "its worse than I thought" all sortable but it's spending a bit longer in the workshop....,

[skattrd]

That sounds like it could be getting expensive brookjim

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Has anyone ever had a 'its better than I thought' call off a welder? Speaking as a sometime welder i've never had to make that call to myself.

[Sigmund Fraud]

swapped wheels on the mondongo

 

You know what : Ten years ago, the styling on this would have made me shudder. But now it somehow seems appropriate and period-correct !

 

I must be getting old...

[Pete-M]

Managed to get out of the 850.

 

The AHK fault put me off. No point in a V12 coupe if it doesn't handle. Especially when it should handle quite well.

[Pete-M]

Pug 04s seem good at rotting in hidden places. My 604 certainly knew how to spring a surprise.

[Angrydicky]

The Maestro's just been picked up, and is on its way back to Essex as we speak. The transport guy had his 07 reg Iveco truck stolen last Tuesday night, on Saturday a friend of his working at Sheerness docks spotted the truck (it's a rare model with a sleeper cab) about to be exported, and the police were able to recover it. He showed me the damage they did to the door, apparently they smashed the ignition and plugged a laptop into the ECU (or something) to get it started! He's replaced the ignition but was very lucky to get it back. I showed him the disklok I've got in the Maestro and advised him to get one for it!

I thought modern vehicles were supposed to be impossible to steal without the keys, obviously not.

 

[vulgalour]

Funny how things get put into perspective.  I've been griping about this stomach bug that's been keeping me up the past few days so it was a bit of a shock to read about a friend in the States that's been admitted to hospital with internal bleeding.  He didn't want to worry his partner so wouldn't let him drive them to the hospital because then his partner would see the blood on the seat.  As a result, he passed out at the wheel on the freeway and somehow his partner had the presence of mind to get the car safely onto the verge, hazards on and a good blast of the horn to warn other drivers.  Amazingly no crash happened, not even a little one.  I have a stomach bug, he has a perforated colon, I think I'm going to stop griping and just get on with what I need to get on with today.

[wuvvum]

I thought modern vehicles were supposed to be impossible to steal without the keys, obviously not.

 

 

I came across a video on Youtube of a chap starting a Mk2 Laguna (keycard version) with a computer plugged into the OBD port.

[MrDuke]

Yeah, try starting a Nova with a laptop, you flash gits.

[barefoot]

I appear to have been offered the job of my dreams.

 

Not being one to tempt fate, I will hang on until it is absolutely confirmed, before saying anything else.

 

Way Hey - I am assistant editor of VW Camper & Commercial - a proper magazine what you can buy in Smiths and other leading retailers.

[vulgalour]

Top Gear teaches us you just plug the hazard switch in upside down to start a Nova.  Top Gear may be lying.

 

 

Got a quote to repair the rot in the boot of the Princess of £40 which seems very reasonable and saves me fannying about trying to do it on the street/drive with a welder I don't yet own.  I'm just going to pay to get it done, it needs doing sooner rather than later so as soon as I've got £40 to pay for it that's what I shall be doing.

[Wilko220]

Congrats Barefoot - that's great news!

[scruff]

Well done that man!

 

Yours, enjoying* press week

[Junkman]

Pah, scene rag, etc etc...

 

Well done, m8! That's really good news for a change.

[cort16]

Top bidder on the ZX has 0 feed back. Doesn't bode well.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Way Hey - I am assistant editor of VW Camper & Commercial - a proper magazine what you can buy in Smiths and other leading retailers.

 

Congratulations ! The challenge now is to somehow sneak a pineapple into the next photoshoot and post proof on here

[Angrydicky]

The Somerset is broken already. Starter solenoid jammed at a friend's house and despite bypassing it with jump leads we couldn't get the engine to fire. Also, sods law states that my starting handle was not in the boot, but 75 miles away. Called the RAC out, chap turns up within 30 mins, puts his jump pack on and eventually it fires up and runs well. Drove off up the road but it soon started misfiring badly under about 30 mph. Came to a T junction, tried to move off (uphill) and the damn thing spluttered and died in the middle of the junction, I then had to roll it back down the hill with cars trying to drive around me and call the RAC again. Same chap came back, jump pack back on again and this time it started straightaway. He followed me the four or so miles back to my lockup in the torrential rain and everything seemed ok. I even took on about 12" of water on a flooded road at about 30 mph because the windows were so steamed up and the wipers are truly dreadful, ridiculously slow and feeble. Anyway made it back ok, and tomorrow I'll try opening the carb and cleaning out any crap that might be in there, and remove and attempt to fix the starter solenoid. If this doesn't work I'll have to buy a new one, I need to be back in Essex by Friday at the latest and this is my only car down here currently. The battery is quite weak as well, and sports a sticker: 'Best before 2006'. Old cars are GR3.

[spike60]

Top bidder on the ZX has 0 feed back. Doesn't bode well.

I've sold about 6 cars on Ebay to 0 feedbackers, everyone has turned up and paid up. That said, good luck!

[HMC]

^ Congrats Barefoot! Fantastic to have the job of your dreams now made official! Do they have a staff cars bit, and if so will the Barefoot fleet be featuring?

[vulgalour]

Hey Dicky, I bet when you fix the starter solenoid the wipers stop working.

[dollywobbler]

Dicky - starting handle not an option? Got caught out when I drowned the 2CV the other week because I'd left the starting handle at home. I know your Zummerzet has had an engine transplant, so I guess that could generate handle issues.

 

Before you pull the carb apart though, I'd be tempted to chuck another condenser on it. Low-speed misfiring and ok-once-cool hint at that.

[Angrydicky]

Yeah it didn't come with a starting handle annoyingly. I do have a spare Somerset one, but it's back at my parents house. Think the handle is the same for the 1200 and B series cars - from memory anyway, as long as it fits through the hole in the bumper and is long enough to reach the crank pulley it should be ok. Will try the carb first, the RAC man reckoned start there as well, as all the ignition components are pretty much new. Although I haven't had the distributor cap off yet, the coil is certainly one of those crappy modern 'Lucas' made in China ones which doesn't bode well. Personally I don't change ignition components anymore unless they are definitely faulty, there's too much rubbish on the market.

[scruff]

Not really shite but on Friday I picked a nice little Panda up from BCA for one of my regular customers, 54k 1.2 pez on a 54 plate, 1 owner and FSH etc. We have fancied one as my wife's car since we had one as a hire car in Portugal last year so I had a good look round and a chat with my man, after he gave it the once over we had a test drive on Saturday and did the deal. I've seen what he paid BCA for it and after paying me to pick it up, there's sod all profit in it for him so he's really done us a good turn. It's got all the original documentation and is like having a new friggin car, chuffed with it. 

 

 

 

[Jim Bergerac]

Timewarp dealer to close

 

I've seen this place mentioned on here before, sad that is closing but can't blame the chap for wanting to retire. Hopefully the old stuff finds a good home.

[trigger]

I've just came to post the same thing, Hopefully the cars will drop in price a bit.

[dollywobbler]

Nice one Scruff. These 'new' Pandas are very much on my radar, so I'll be interested to see how you get on with it. When I sold my 2CV project last year, the chap towed it all the way back to Devon with a Panda 1.2! He reckoned they're great cars.

[twosmoke300]

Good little cars .

[cort16]

The zx sold for 205 quid . I'm defo giving up on cars!

[Lord Sterling]

Timewarp dealer to close

 

I've seen this place mentioned on here before, sad that is closing but can't blame the chap for wanting to retire. Hopefully the old stuff finds a good home.

Kin 'ell. I guess it was inevitable. I met Derek last year, he was really very old, I hope he gets to put up his feet and enjoy his retirement. I also hope the cars find a good home at long last. I'd love those 2 Mk1 800s he has had indoors for years.