The new news 24 thread

[loserone]

Some time after midnight last night, with the rain cooling the glowing rear hubs and the drivers refreshed after some fruit and hot caffeinated beverages 

[RoverFolkUs]

I was wondering how long it would take the Xsara Picasso to throw some sort of mechanical malfunction at me, well it seems after 18 months of ownership is the answer! 

Have been noticing a "hot chemical" smell coming through the cab which I thought smelt like antifreeze but upon checking today it turns out the PAS fluid has dropped below minimum and has been ejected and sprayed all over the subframe 🙃

I thought I was imagining the engine sounding slightly noisier than normal but it's so slight I thought nothing of it. But the fact it's running low on PAS fluid probably answers that mystery* as well. 

Lovely. 

The rack, pipes and pressure switch are all soaked. I'm hoping it's actually just something wrong with the pressure switch by whichever means it seals, because that would be a bit easier to sort than the other two possibilities. 

I don't think 18 months of nothing going wrong is bad at all for a £500 car to be honest! Aside from a couple of tyres and an exhaust mount it's needed nothing else to date. 

[stuboy]

Walking round the boot fair... not much catches my eye.... but a rusty adjustable... britool make, seized too and dude say 3 quid.. im game... also bonus 8/10mm spanner for 20p too

[HillmanImp]

Dragged the Imp out for the 1st time in about 5 years today as needed to tidy up the garage.

Its 60 soon, I bought it when it was under 40. I think I need to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to finish it and move it on. 

The big question is, when it does happen what do I do with my username? 

[stuboy]

7 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

The big question is, when it does happen what do I do with my username? 

the shaguarist?

[SiC]

12 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

The big question is, when it does happen what do I do with my username? 

Iirc @brownnova didn't have a Nova, let alone a Brown Nova for a long time. 

What is left to do on it? Looks quite complete and solid from that picture. 

[dozeydustman]

Back home with the now-ex @CaptainBoom Saab. It was a wonderful old thing to pilot back to Sussex. Very comfortable seat and a much smoother ride than the NG9-3. If there was a little more cabin space for someone of my svelte* build I’d be getting one for myself, as it’s nicer handling and riding car than the NG.

This one is for stepdaughter’s boyfriend, showed him the ad on here, thought it was worth looking at and compared to the absolute shonkiness of cars in his price range round here it’s a billy bargain; he doesn’t need to worry about ULEZ for the moment, and insurance quotes for a new driver on a first car were very reasonable adding madam as a named driver at around £1500 for the year - cheaper than some more modern hatchbacks.

[richardmorris]

23 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

Dragged the Imp out for the 1st time in about 5 years today as needed to tidy up the garage.

Its 60 soon, I bought it when it was under 40. I think I need to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to finish it and move it on. 

The big question is, when it does happen what do I do with my username? 

Impless?

[EyesWeldedShut]

23 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

Dragged the Imp out for the 1st time in about 5 years today as needed to tidy up the garage.

Its 60 soon, I bought it when it was under 40. I think I need to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to finish it and move it on. 

The big question is, when it does happen what do I do with my username? 

Hillman-Limp?

[JMotor]

Took a little ganders at a parts stash today.

May have bought a bit more than I should of.

Plus another two more Monstro manuals. There was a few more service manuals.  Including one for the MG RV8! 

Heaps of random unipart stuff and other parts. 

[HillmanImp]

5 minutes ago, SiC said:

Iirc @brownnova didn't have a Nova, let alone a Brown Nova for a long time. 

What is left to do on it? Looks quite complete and solid from that picture. 

How long is a piece of string, I guess. I bought it as a £600 car but a working one is now a £6,000 car.

From my perspective, it needs painting and putting together. I assume that they're now worth something, any buyer will probably do a fair bit of work redoing a lot of the stuff I've done, but properly, especially as repair panels are much more available now but think I can sell it as a good base to build on.

I need to find out what my engine is, although still have the original too. Seem to remember the one I bought is a bit of an oddity, like a 946cc or something random. It'll probably need work too now mind you.

Plus I've got loads of upgraded parts. Will spend next weekend digging them out. Will need to look on the Imp page to try and gauge a value. Probably a couple of grand, maybe a bit more with all the spares. 

[HillmanImp]

8 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Hillman-Limp?

Thats what my mum calls them as the one she bought new in 1976 never worked and always broke down. 😂

[SiC]

7 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

Thats what my mum calls them as the one she bought new in 1976 never worked and always broke down. 😂

My aunt used to have a bag of cement under the front bonnet of her brand new one, to give the front end traction and stop it wandering at speed. 

[HMC]

40 minutes ago, stuboy said:

the shaguarist?

GT6oversteer

[HillmanImp]

14 minutes ago, HMC said:

GT6oversteer

Youtube deleted that video. I can't find a copy on my computer either but it might be on an old one I've got under the desk. 

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, HillmanImp said:

The big question is, when it does happen what do I do with my username?

Tosh_lines to match the avatar (assuming that's who it is)

[stuboy]

1 hour ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Hillman-Limp?

Hillman-Limped_home

[EyesWeldedShut]

5 minutes ago, stuboy said:

Hillman-Limped_home

Get a dog/cat - that's be Hillman-Limpet?

[Aston Martin]

3 hours ago, loserone said:

 

 

 

Remember the jokes we made about him needing the jaws of life? 🫣

[brownnova]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

Iirc @brownnova didn't have a Nova, let alone a Brown Nova for a long time. 

What is left to do on it? Looks quite complete and solid from that picture. 

I owned a brown Nova when I was 18/19, and then again when I was 34… not much of a gap really… 

[SiC]

14 minutes ago, brownnova said:

I owned a brown Nova when I was 18/19, and then again when I was 34… not much of a gap really… 

16 years ... long enough for someone to be born then be old enough to drive a moped on the road and only a year off being old enough to learn to drive ...

[Ghosty]

Cav has been misfiring, and in the evenings on my way home from work it'd started stalling in traffic. Never in the morning mind...

Replaced the dizzy cap and arm: the cap wasn't worn, but it was completely unbranded and had witness marks where the rotor arm had been striking the poles. The rotor arm also had damage where it's been striking the poles. A new QH arm and Intermotor cap have made a notable difference to the cranking and idle.
I replaced the rocker gasket as it was weeping (had previously been replaced but bolts weren't torqued down so it leaked and contaminated the gasket), and also separated two HT leads that were cable tied together.

Did that and some rear dampers, and discs/pads all round, and between that and some new Uniroyals and an oil change over the past week - seems to be running and riding miles better. Happy days.

It shows clear signs that someone's been servicing it, but I think they've been using the cheapest parts Autodoc have on offer (unbranded HT leads, dizzy cap, and Herth&Buss oil filter - and some GM (Delco?) branded spark plugs that I'm sure Autodoc used to sell), and it's just a false economy.

 

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, HillmanImp said:

Dragged the Imp out for the 1st time in about 5 years today as needed to tidy up the garage.

Its 60 soon, I bought it when it was under 40. I think I need to come to terms with the fact that I'm not going to finish it and move it on. 

The big question is, when it does happen what do I do with my username? 

It has Implications. My first car was a Californian, EDY667E. What does it need?

[wuvvum]

I fitted an upgraded set of horns to the Getz yesterday.

They're Hella Sharptones - they're similar to Supertones but pitched closer together.  They're a bit* more strident than the pathetic standard issue Hyundai horn.  I anticipate that they will come in useful - I've already had a couple of occasions when other motorists have misunderestimated the speed I was travelling at, presumably seeing a Getz and assuming giffer.

That was the only thing of note I got done this weekend - the rest of the fettling time I had was spent going over the Maxus in advance of its upcoming MOT, and sticking the Rover and Toyota up on the ramps to do some rustproofing in advance of winter.

On Friday night I went to see a mate, and decided to take the Renault 6, as it needed a good run and I wanted to check properly whether the offside front brake is now sorted.  The good news is that the brake didn't stick on (noticeably) at all over the 25-mile round trip, although the wheel was a little hot when I got home so the pads are evidently still rubbing a bit - I can live with that.  The bad news is that the nearside front tyre - which is one of the ones slated for replacement - decided that it had been holding air for long enough and it wasn't interested in doing so anymore.  So when I left my mate's at about 1am I came out to a flat tyre.  So we had to change the wheel by torchlight in his driveway, which was fun*. 

The spare wheel, which has never been used in my ownership and has a tyre almost as ancient as the one that had been on the car, was freed fairly easily from its cradle under the boot floor, and the tyre held air when pumped up with mate's compressor.  So on the car it went and I pootled home, staying below 50 as I wasn't sure how long the tyre would last - it held up fine though, which is good as I only bought two tyres and one is going to have to go on the Renault 4 which has developed an egg on one of the inner sidewalls.  I just need to get onto the local tyre place to get them swapped over.

Also, weirdly, the aux belt tensioner had come completely loose and was flapping around so much that it was twatting the water pump pulley.  No idea how that had happened, but I've tightened it back up and all seems well now.  I'm surprised the belt was managing to drive the pump and alternator, given how loose it was, especially with the headlights on.

[HarmonicCheeseburger]

Finally looking like we may have the funds coming together by end of this month to get out looking for a sub £3k automatic car that can handle 2kids (Isofix+about Picasso sized).

So much has changed since I was last posting regularly on here.  

Fresh start?

[ruffgeezer]

Booked the Laguna in for it's Mot on Thursday.

It still needs the front wheels rebalanced, the tpms reprogramming and a loose heat shield sorting.

Other than that and a small service, it'll be ready to go up for sale. 

[beko1987]

31 minutes ago, ruffgeezer said:

Booked the Laguna in for it's Mot on Thursday.

It still needs the front wheels rebalanced, the tpms reprogramming and a loose heat shield sorting.

Other than that and a small service, it'll be ready to go up for sale. 

Do miss my old identical one! If the Xsara wasn't trustworthy enough to be good over winter now I'd be pondering a swap 🤣 Probably a bit spenner on pez for my driving though, although is it the same 6 speed box we had in the silver one? 

[RayMK]

This morning my son moved his motorcycle and other bits and pieces that were blocking my Reliant in the garage, moved his car leaving a clear driveway and said 'no excuses now.'   I therefore somewhat reluctantly ('cos old and mojo dormant) threaded myself into the Reliant after connecting its battery, turned the key and it started remarkably easily.  The new fuel pump diaphragm (ethanol compatible) that I fitted in June 2022 has made quite a difference to the speed of priming the system after long periods of inactivity.  The last garage start was in February this year but I did not drive it on that occasion.  With all appropriate checks made and tyre pressures topped up I drove to the closest end of our cul-de-sac and back a couple of times (i.e. about 500 metres total), rechecked under the bonnet for leaks - all was well - then drove around the estate - probably about a mile.  By this time I was sweating profusely because it is so warm today and the Reliant, even with its two sliding windows fully open, soon gets even warmer inside as the engine sits mostly in the cabin under a cowling.  That is enough for the moment.  I'll add a photo or two in another post later when I find my camera. No smartphone here! 

[dozeydustman]

Spent most of the day trying to sort a few odd jobs on my car while stepdaughter's boyfriend gave the new Saab a mini valet. The upholstery was cleaned with our Bissell spot cleaner and the water which came out was surprisingly light coloured compared to when I did the Mini last summer (the water which came out of that was black). He's very proud of his wheels and can't wait for his insurance to start next weekend (it saved him £300 on the annual premium).

My car has its niggles. The headlamps were last polished with what appears to be granite. Autosol didn't do much so I will need to get some wet & dry starting at 400 grit and all the way up to 5000. The improvement it made when I did the Kia was night and day, and as the Citroen also needs its cataracts removing buying wet & dry is cheaper than 2 kits.

I wanted also to reposition the wiper arms, 1 the driver's one bashes the top of the scuttle, and 2 there is the tiniest TRIANGLE OF DOOM which excels in the dribble of disappointment. Both wiper arms seized on so I need to get a little puller for them. Hoovered my car out and gave it a thorough* wash.

I also need to find a broken wire somewhere in the loom to make the air con work again.

[SiC]

26 minutes ago, dozeydustman said:

Both wiper arms seized on so I need to get a little puller for them

This is the best puller I've ever bought:

BGS 7794 | Windscreen Wiper Arm Puller | for Honda, Opel, VW https://amzn.eu/d/fWCIkKF

While it's expensive, the other you can get I've found either bend/snap or don't grip when applying force. That one hasn't failed to remove an arm. When it does go, it does let go with some force though!