The new news 24 thread

[Timewaster]

Have you not done a test run up the hill?

[barefoot]

How heavy is the bridesmaid?

[vulgalour]

Personally, I'm having difficulties imagining DW in wedding attire, everything else about this wedding seems perfectly rational.

[Bobthebeard]

So far not much in the way of spottage during the Malaysian trip. Still in the big city so early days yet though.

So far only seen a (1990's vintage?) hand painted white and green minibus. The red, white and yellow things in front of it can FRO obviously.

[MrDuke]

^^^ Clearly, the bus driver wouldn't have wanted you papping his ride close-up, so you had to pretend you were interested in some other chod instead. However, he looks like he's sussed you anyway.

[RobT]

Today I bought some Autoglym Fast Glass and it's pretty good stuff. I find cleaning windows boring in the extreme yet can't abide having dirty ones or shit wipers, so this stuff is gr9 for making the job a quick one.

 

I've also booked the Rover in to have the clattery engine sorted. I reckon it's oil pump or blocked pick up pipe related as when I poured some oil in the other day it ran quiet for a bit, but then went noisy again.

 

Still not found any new shite that I fancy, or atleast not within my budget. That Mazda 626 is the only contender but I won't be able to view it for a few weeks as the bloke is abroad and then I'm busy, which is a good thing as I'll try and coincide the potential purchase with my insurance renewal in early March. Let's see if Peter James want to bum me for mega money this year, last year's premium was £207 for three old snotters. Has anyone noticed thier classic policy go up lots this year?

[dugong]

Slowly getting stuff organised. 

Is there anywhere folk would recommend I list the 305 for sale? I'm thinking specific Peugeot Owners' Clubs or French Car Forums. 
I think I still have DNJ's number. I'll give him a call. 

[skattrd]

Has anyone noticed thier classic policy go up lots this year?

 

Yes, mine went up by approx 25%. This was despite the number of cars on the policy reducing and newest car being in a lower insurance group.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I just drove home in my Rover P6

[Junkman]

Oh. It made it all the ten odd miles?

 

[dollywobbler]

Yesterday's Skoda-themed wedding was fun! Here's the wedding convoy.

 

I drove the red 120LE, while the yellow 120LE shared the load of bridesmaids. The bride travelled in the brand new Superb estate, borrowed from Skoda UK. Had a whale of a time. My 120LE had only clocked up 19,000 odd miles. It was tight as a drum, if a little low on power. That's 100% of the UK population of 120LEs apparently. Minolman owns the yellow one, DaveRapid the red one.

 

I then had the somewhat daunting prospect of arranging a group of Skodas in a very tight space.

 

The bride and groom departed in this Rapid. This was the end of the night, by which time the car had been 'decorated.' This includes a marshmallow up the exhaust pipe.

 

Was a properly lovely day.

[trigger]

It looks like they had a lovely day, even considering the weather! It was nice of Skoda to lend them the Superb but then again it's the least they can do for all the flag waving that Rob does for them.

 

Did Dave drive across from Cambridgeshire in the 120LE for the wedding then?! That's devotion!

[dollywobbler]

He did Trig. Dedication indeed and a steady 60mph all the way! I seem to have utterly failed to get any photos of me in my wedding garb, but I'm sure some will surface.

 

EDIT - just for Vulgalour. Mr and Mrs Wobbler. Actually, this was a different wedding, but same outfits. My wife made hers out of old blouses.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Oh. It made it all the ten odd miles?

 

It made it the whole ten miles! I ambled back on the slow roads to get more acquainted with the controls. 

 

Already started on the improvements: I have got some new pegs for the choke and fixed the wonky badge. 

[HillmanImp]

Hmmm, a car I last owned 18 years ago might have just popped up for sale. I might have also PM'd the guy selling it asking how much he wants for it. This means that i might have to sell some of my other cars to a) pay for it and b ) make room.

[dugong]

Things are getting sorted. This is good. 

[HMC]

^ What is it/ why did you sell it first time round? Ive come close to buying cars back twice, and have regretted not doing so each time, either because it was in much better shape when the chance came, or in one case it looked like the car might be weighed in.

[HillmanImp]

^ What is it/ why did you sell it first time round? Ive come close to buying cars back twice, and have regretted not doing so each time, either because it was in much better shape when the chance came, or in one case it looked like the car might be weighed in.

Its an old Imp. I sold it as the AA lost my details and it cost me £300 to get recovered off the M1. I was a student and did not have the money and could not find my letter from the AA which confirmed my years free membership (after they left me stranded at the side of the road a year before).

 

The chap will probably want too much for it anyhow. Plus i have loads of other shit i need to be sorting out, like my other imp. Will see what he says though.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

The Sprite has just been collected. I was quite sad watching it drive off, it's been a wonderful car. 

[nacho man]

Missus was away shopping today so had some time to tinker.

 

First was her yaris quick service which takes about three minutes. Don't even have to jack it up to change the oil.

 

 

It's done 10000 miles since sep. And she blasts the poor old 1.0 litre along at 85 mph odd which is about 120000rpm.

 

 

It's soo easy to work on. Doesn't use a drop of oil etc etc etc

 

 

Next was having a look at the stag, ever since I have fitted the reliable* electronic ign it takes a while to fire up in the morn from cold which is gr8 at twenty past six in the morn when I am leaving for work. It's not exactly quiet as well.

 

Nothing seems untoward so I am flummoxed. No pics as my phone died got a vid of it back firing like a chav special after I was messing with the webber, but photo bucket doesn't wanna upload it for somereason.

 

Next was the interior of the Clio. Never seen a car so dirty.

 

 

 

Got a nice second interior to go in. Luckily due to house renovations a bedroom is empty so I have been wet vaxing the new one.

 

 

Can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday. Apart from Kelly brook coated in ice cream. But you know, messing about with old shite will have to do.

[vulgalour]

Lovely new* camera from shiter TimothyClaypole has been put to use today and I was going to regale you all with my progress of bolting the interior and dashboard of the red Princess together but like a doofus I just assumed the SD card in it would fit my reader (which it doesn't) or that I had a relevant data transfer cable kicking around (which I don't).  So I shall have to resolve that and update later.

 

Happily, things are going pretty smoothly thus far and it's feeling very home straight-y.

[Ratdat]

 

That is all.

[trigger]

Awesomes

[Ratdat]

Still waiting for me new welder to be delivered so I can get stuck into fixing the good one. The other one is going to get broken for spares as it's pretty grotty.

[Asimo]

Still waiting for me new welder to be delivered so I can get stuck into fixing the good one To the other one to make a twin engine push-me-pull-you

[dollywobbler]

Next was having a look at the stag, ever since I have fitted the reliable* electronic ign it takes a while to fire up in the morn from cold which is gr8 at twenty past six in the morn when I am leaving for work. It's not exactly quiet as well.

 

Nothing seems untoward so I am flummoxed. Nabout with old shite will have to do.

Hate to worry you, but I've found that electronic ignition on the 2CV can be VERY voltage sensitive, so a weak battery can cause starting issues. Still plenty of oomph to turn the engine, but apparently not to also provide enough volts to a fussy ignition thing. Binned full electronic years ago and went back to points but with assisted ignition. A few quid from Maplins and works a treat!

[wuvvum]

The Innocenti had developed a small pond in the rear driver's side footwell.  I cleared it out this afternoon, first with the boat baler and then with a sponge.  I pressed the sponge into the carpet to squeeze out as much water as I could, and by the time I'd finished the carpet didn't really look wet any more, although it was damp to the touch.

 

Went back to it this evening and the pond had reappered, albeit much smaller than before.  Which puzzled me somewhat as there hadn't been any rain in the meantime - and I haven't found any obvious leaks anyway.  It's not coolant leaking in as the expansion tank is still full.  If the pond has grown again when I check tomorrow morning (assuming it doesn't rain in the night), I might have to call in an exorcist...

 

I took the Cagiva out for a quick spin yesterday - managed to get a bit further than last time, and the bike was pulling better and running a lot more evenly than before, but it still conked out after a relatively short time - luckily more or less as I was passing my house, so I was able to coast into the driveway and make it look like I'd switched the engine off deliberately rather than breaking down again.  I think it's definitely fuel-related as when I pulled the fuel line off the carb and opened the tap, what came out only smelled vaguely of petrol, and some of it was also cloudy like petrol and water had been trying to mix.  So I think the 200 ml of meths I poured into the tank probably wasn't enough.  I've decided I'm going to drain the tank completely and refill it with fresh pez - I might stick an inline filter in the line as well just in case there's any crud in the bottom of the tank. 

 

That'll be a job for next weekend though as it was too fugging windy today.  I was supposed to be going up the ladder to clear the gutters out today as well, but there's no way I'm going up there when it's as blustery as it was today.  A ladder standing on gravel is fairly unstable at the best of times.

 

On the plus side, the wind dried out the roads fairly quickly, so I was able to take the LNA into Norwich this evening without worrying about it getting covered in salty water.  That was the first long run it'd had for several months, but it didn't seem any the worse for its relative inactivity.

[vulgalour]

I'd be interested to know what the Innocenti's pond cause is because MrDuke tells me the Renault is doing the same thing with no obvious cause.

[DeeJay]

If the water is yellow, tramps toilet.

[Lankytim]

I changed the passenger front window regulator on the XM yesterday, the original appeared to have snapped it's cable a while ago but my donor hulk came up trumps with a good replacement. Yay!

 

Drove to work this morning and pulled up with steam emanating from under the bonnet. That will be the main rad leaking then. Bah!

 

The donors rad is also weeping so I may just whip it out and get it repaired by some old local guy in Stokeand so a direct swap with mine.

 

Gotta love these old bangers!