The new news 24 thread

8,475 · August 22, 2023

29 minutes ago, stuboy said:

the answer to this is too........ rent another garage and buy the stuff u need so ur have 2 of everything..

My guy.

Am saving the funds.

If you have stuff you need space. I dream of work benches and not having buy, beg, borrow another set of tyre levers when i need them now.

50 minutes ago, Back_For_More said:

Dude..... If you ever look at sorting that place and need an extra pair of hands we can go at it over a weekemd to get some semblence of order*

Much appreciated my good man. You may live to regret this kind offer when the time comes 😂

24,575 · August 22, 2023

Saw this on the way home… a Chevrolet Epica… which is interesting in its own right… but there’s something a bit odd about this one…

21,408 · August 22, 2023

10 hours ago, Lankytim said:

The Laguna is wearing out the inside edge of one of the front tyres and pulls under acceleration so I’ve taken it to be tracked up. After 5 minutes the thing that every shiter dreads happened… the guy came walking back in to the waiting room with a serious look on his face and told me the tracking was pretty much spot on…. Dammit! It’s had a replacement used strut on one side and there’s a possibility it’s the wrong type. To cancel out the disappointment I papped a couple of lovely old motors parked outside. They’re both fabulous!

As said above check the rearmost bush on the bottom arm, also get it put on a proper 4 wheel alignment which also checks camber and castor. Once you have those figures as well it will be easier to see what you're up against

Check for vertical play in the steering rack, get someone to rock the steering side to side while you observe the inner track rod, you won't find any play with the car in the air rocking the wheel, you will only find this type of play with the weight of the car on the suspension. I have seen this before and it's been tricky to pick up on

Swap the left and right front tyres (not front and rear) and check for any difference. I've also seen shitty budget tyres (but not exclusively in the case of an underlying suspension fault) that wear the tread in such a certain way that it causes a pull.

Also just because the arms are relatively new don't assume they're good, aftermarket arms only really have an expected lifespan of a year or two, so if you're doing the steering check I mentioned above then check the arm bushes and also the lower ball joint

Some Renaults are notoriously difficult to find play in a bottom ball joint with the suspension hanging free so also pay attention to this while someone rocks the steering

25,076 · August 22, 2023

2 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Saw this on the way home… a Chevrolet Epica… which is interesting in its own right… but there’s something a bit odd about this one…

A facelifted one!

13,054 · August 22, 2023

7 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

that wear the tread in such a certain way that it causes a pull.

I had a set on a B2 Passat once that had a terrible pull down the camber, but no uneven wear. I had new ball joints and the tracking done, also fitted a replacement steering damper, no difference, but as soon as I fitted two Kellys, which were Goodyear's second line then, it tracked arrow straight.

25,076 · August 22, 2023

Trying to sort a few niggles... The speedo occasionally cuts out for a moment, and the info centre is poorly lit. Caused by a broken bulb and what I suspect to be a faulty connector.

40,079 · August 23, 2023

Father in law won a free competition on sky. So at Brooklands to do a bit of a Mercedes experience.

16,513 · August 23, 2023

14 hours ago, Rustybullethole said:

Recurring theme on every job is it takes longer to find the bastard tools.

That's the story of my life lately, to the point where I put jobs off as I know it will be a fucking nightmare to find the tools/consumables I need.

Sometimes I just buy new stuff as I tell myself the time saved is worth the money, but that's not a great approach when really I should be tidying up and organising my work space better. Currently, everything is spread between my garage, my shed, my house, a barn up at the stables, my parent's garage, and the boots of about 20 cars.

I need to empty everything out, figure out what I've got and put it all back in a logical way. It's just a big boring bastard of a job to do that...

One nice thing tough is that it's like Christmas when you find stuff you didn't know you had 😅

26,948 · August 23, 2023

12 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

As said above check the rearmost bush on the bottom arm, also get it put on a proper 4 wheel alignment which also checks camber and castor. Once you have those figures as well it will be easier to see what you're up against

Check for vertical play in the steering rack, get someone to rock the steering side to side while you observe the inner track rod, you won't find any play with the car in the air rocking the wheel, you will only find this type of play with the weight of the car on the suspension. I have seen this before and it's been tricky to pick up on

Swap the left and right front tyres (not front and rear) and check for any difference. I've also seen shitty budget tyres (but not exclusively in the case of an underlying suspension fault) that wear the tread in such a certain way that it causes a pull.

Also just because the arms are relatively new don't assume they're good, aftermarket arms only really have an expected lifespan of a year or two, so if you're doing the steering check I mentioned above then check the arm bushes and also the lower ball joint

Some Renaults are notoriously difficult to find play in a bottom ball joint with the suspension hanging free so also pay attention to this while someone rocks the steering

That's interesting, might try that myself!

When my budget tyres wore out they wore the inside edge bald before the outer. The tracking was done when the tyres were fitted and I'm equally torn as to wether the car just needs the tracking done again, as they wore I kept the tyre pressures topped up and they just wore badly or there's something deeper at play...

Leaning towards it being fine and the shit tyres just wearing out but I might try looking at the steering rack when I'm next under there and having someone move the wheel.

Had new budgets fitted now and tbh it might be cheaper to just do that every 20k than fix any potential issue... 😂 (assuming the car lasts another 20k...)

19,553 · August 23, 2023

12 hours ago, D.E said:

Trying to sort a few niggles... The speedo occasionally cuts out for a moment, and the info centre is poorly lit. Caused by a broken bulb and what I suspect to be a faulty connector.

You've put the steering wheel on the wrong side m9

19,553 · August 23, 2023

@Rustybullethole & @Rust Collector - sort your shit out. Do it.

When we moved into our house in May, the removals people just threw the stuff into my garage any old way. I don't blame them, they just need to get it done and move on.

It looked like Rust Collector's shed. You couldn't get in it, or move around in it, let alone retrieve anything.

Pulling it all out, sorting it, and replacing it in a logical order probably took 4-5 hours.

Caveat: I have an 'overflow' shed at the back of the house. Spares and bulky stuff gets stored in there, freeing up the garage space to be a usable tool/workbench area.

The reason I say this is because when the garage was in the unusable state, it really affected my mood. I was grumpy and irritable and felt completely helpless about doing anything mechanical or even DIY. Once it was ordered I felt loads better.

Give it a go. Block out some time on a dry weekend and do it. You won't regret it.

2,716 · August 23, 2023

1 hour ago, SiC said:

Father in law won a free competition on sky. So at Brooklands to do a bit of a Mercedes experience.

The best of all the track day experiences in my book.

16,513 · August 23, 2023

5 minutes ago, grogee said:

@Rustybullethole & @Rust Collector - sort your shit out. Do it.

When we moved into our house in May, the removals people just threw the stuff into my garage any old way. I don't blame them, they just need to get it done and move on.

It looked like Rust Collector's shed. You couldn't get in it, or move around in it, let alone retrieve anything.

Pulling it all out, sorting it, and replacing it in a logical order probably took 4-5 hours.

Caveat: I have an 'overflow' shed at the back of the house. Spares and bulky stuff gets stored in there, freeing up the garage space to be a usable tool/workbench area.

The reason I say this is because when the garage was in the unusable state, it really affected my mood. I was grumpy and irritable and felt completely helpless about doing anything mechanical or even DIY. Once it was ordered I felt loads better.

Give it a go. Block out some time on a dry weekend and do it. You won't regret it.

My earlier joking aside, you're spot on with how much it can weigh on your mindset. I feel fucked off before I've even started a job because I know it's going to be grief getting all the things I need together, and then it won't leave enough time for the job at hand. Driving between my house and the stables because I think a tool I suddenly need halfway through a job is there really sucks. Especially when it isn't there.

I keep kicking the job of tidying/reorganising down the line as there's always more pressing jobs at hand, but the reality is that the time I'll save on all consequent jobs will probably outweigh the effort of the sort out by so much that I should do it immediately and start reaping the rewards.

15,083 · August 23, 2023

1 hour ago, grogee said:

Pulling it all out, sorting it, and replacing it in a logical order probably took 4-5 hours.

.. and you'll get that time back from not having to spend an hour looking for a tool each time you start something. I'm the worst for just flinging everything in my shed and forcing the door closed after doing a job, it really messes up my head for ages afterwards knowing I have to sort it.

1,287 · August 23, 2023

We are up to 4 sheds at our house and I still refuse* to organise them!
*I am too busy and lazy!

13,054 · August 23, 2023

1 hour ago, grogee said:

@Rustybullethole & @Rust Collector - sort your shit out. Do it.

When we moved into our house in May, the removals people just threw the stuff into my garage any old way. I don't blame them, they just need to get it done and move on.

It looked like Rust Collector's shed. You couldn't get in it, or move around in it, let alone retrieve anything.

Pulling it all out, sorting it, and replacing it in a logical order probably took 4-5 hours.

Caveat: I have an 'overflow' shed at the back of the house. Spares and bulky stuff gets stored in there, freeing up the garage space to be a usable tool/workbench area.

The reason I say this is because when the garage was in the unusable state, it really affected my mood. I was grumpy and irritable and felt completely helpless about doing anything mechanical or even DIY. Once it was ordered I felt loads better.

Give it a go. Block out some time on a dry weekend and do it. You won't regret it.

Agree, I'm naturally messy, and even now my garage doesn't look immaculate, but stacking everything in order on shelves so I know where everything is has made the whole car hobby much more enjoyable.

August 23, 2023

If anyone is visiting the musical grave that is Carfest this weekend (or is considering it), please come say hello to the MR2 stand.
We're behind the Ferraris 🤣

I'm the fat bloke with the beard running the stand.

44,535 · August 23, 2023

Gawd. Some honest truths in this thread. I need to pay attention and sort my mess out too. It's genuinely debilitating at the moment.

26,948 · August 23, 2023

I'm having similar with hoover stuff. Thrown/given alot away recently that's just sat in the (falling down) shed for years.

Had to 're buy' 3 things so far which isn't bad. Been flogging hoovers too and it feels quite good. I'm not a hoarder... I'm not a hoarder...

15,649 · August 23, 2023

Autoaid are now re-connected with the BTCC, involved with team HARD.

10,977 · August 23, 2023

Cleaned and reassembled the NSR brakes and adjusted the handbrake so I’ve at least got some braking effort via the parking brake and can move this old Rover around under its own steam to work on. The wheel cylinder was gunned up with crystallised brake fluid but cleaned up ok. The rubber dust covers have perished into liquorice. I also removed the master cylinder for inspection, although it looks like it could be OK. I haven’t had chance to pull it apart and clean it. I’m actually enjoying working on this old tub.

1,630 · August 23, 2023

7 hours ago, grogee said:

@Rustybullethole & @Rust Collectorsort your shit out. Do it. ling it all out, sorting it...... won't regret it.

THIS.... I'm half way through today. Found a load of Spitfire spares, underseal and zinc primers up the wazoo and junked some utter crap I'd thought would come in handy.

Seems I have poly bush kits for the Lada 2101 amd ignition bits so I'll try amd get that running over the next 2 days I think - P6 welding not withstanding

One downer was my Aprilia decided to fuck it's throttle handle - plastic fatigue.... New one ordered.

22,264 · August 23, 2023

On 8/22/2023 at 12:52 PM, egg said:

Do you mean Corrie? Proper Favorit fan!

Yes it is Corrie 😄 was looking at her bagged Favorit at RRG, she appeared out of nowhere and I got talking to her. Turns out she lives on the other side of Manc to me and is often at car meets in Cheshire-ish so we've beenn going to meets and chatting absolute nonsense about shit cars, she really appreciates my Civics too.

24,575 · August 23, 2023

Rear windows stopped working on the Saab. Also noticed the reverse light wasn’t on a few days later. Assumed the bulb has gone.

Checked the fuse board today… fuse 9: rear windows and reverse light….

Well that was an easy 2 for the price of 1 fix!

131,064 · August 23, 2023

On 8/22/2023 at 7:32 PM, Rustybullethole said:

mrs has a run to do so thought best sort the tyre and wing the biscuit back in the boot since i got my bead breaker bar back i couldn't find for two fucking hours Saturday then recalled i lent it too a mate.

Off you go. Lets find my levers.

Yeah ok these will do

and a bit of this

Sealed after a fuckabout looking for that

will it go back on. will it fuck.

Ive two big irons here somewhere but can i find them. fuck no.

Shall dive out from work tomorrow for 'lunch' and tap up my friendly local for a go on their tyre machine. Need to book a bike for a ticket anyway so hopefully that'll sweeten the deal.

Mrs swears shes been using the pump and not driven it flat. Shall let you good people be the judge on that.

Recurring theme on every job is it takes longer to find the bastard tools. How i long for the time and space and brain function to be an organised cunt.

Hats off to anyone breaking the beads on an alloy wheel without using a machine, absolute bastard of a job. Ref. getting the new tyre back on, try it from the front of the wheel, rather than the rear. It's been a very long time since I was out of the game, but pretty sure the 'rule' was to do it from whichever side the valve was nearest to, as that was the shallowest. Time has probs played tricks on the mind though, so could be wrong.

131,064 · August 23, 2023

Didn't even know this was a thing anymore, but spotted today

See if you can work out where it was by entering our free competition:

Spot The Town Comp,

Home of the Astra,

ELLESMERE PORT

Cheshire.

22,264 · August 23, 2023

Improvement (?). VTEC 3/4 cards and seats. Now just to find front seats.

8,475 · August 23, 2023

56 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Hats off to anyone breaking the beads on an alloy wheel without using a machine, absolute bastard of a job. Ref. getting the new tyre back on, try it from the front of the wheel, rather than the rear. It's been a very long time since I was out of the game, but pretty sure the 'rule' was to do it from whichever side the valve was nearest to, as that was the shallowest. Time has probs played tricks on the mind though, so could be wrong.

Cheers man. Long lever bar, shovel and a transit/council railing works pretty well. Just need to make sure it don't slip as that jars a bit! Right you are, rescued a broken gear bagged Vauxhall this eve after work for a mate and my mistake became obvious with the rotation when he produced a decent sized lever from the garage. Popped on like a dream. Hopefully is still up in the morning*

*A triumph with my advancing years.

Little Frenchie tugs fat Astra. Wobbly.