The new news 24 thread

[Volksy]

Took the 'BIG' Merc to my local garage to book it in for various bits doing. 

Part of the job was to fit a new water pump and thermostat, which the previous owner had supplied with the car. The water pump is OEM. When mentioned that I already had the necessary bits......
"We don't fit customer supplied parts" - came the blunt answer.

Fair on a modern, where they are expected to provide some sort of warranty on the repair, but on a 34 year old Merc?

I said I'd waive any liability on the repair. Rude knob behind the counter just repeated "We....don't....fit....customer....supplied....parts" slowly as if I was a moron.

Guess I won't be returning there again. 

I'd do it myself but, short of draining the cooling system over a local street drain, I don't have the facilities to do it. 

 

Bobbed it an old school garage near to work, greeted by a chap in overalls. "Yep, absolutely no problem, however can't get you in for a couple of weeks".  I've booked it in, as it's not leaking, just the tell tale slight rumble of a dry bearing. 

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Volksy said:

"We don't fit customer supplied parts" - came the blunt answer.

Finding a mechanic that will let you supply your own bits is a blessing, especially once you've built a bit of trust that you're able to give them the correct parts.

[Craig the Princess]

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctions/2613-04-Nov-2023?fbclid=IwAR1RCKwqrrwibnRV2SkBRNFZaVQBZvoRmrW_5ZairKyZNIgoU3GmQpQZmhQ

Weighing up which non vital organs I can sell to bid on some of these. 

 

[GingerNuttz]

4 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I got my Aero splitter painted by @GingerNuttz and I fitted it today. Looks brilliant!

 

That colour was close af 😂

Ford race red from an 09 Fiesta ftw

[Split_Pin]

19 minutes ago, GingerNuttz said:

That colour was close af 😂

Ford race red from an 09 Fiesta ftw

I was surprised just how close it was!

[dan95x]

3 hours ago, Asimo said:

Sadly, it will most likely get converted to pedal-clutch. I think I am the only person I have ever met who likes a semi-automatic...

 

My dad used to drive it more often than my granddad, and he said he quite liked it - made for a pretty relaxed drive.  I've never driven one myself to be fair

[SiC]

3 hours ago, Asimo said:

Sadly, it will most likely get converted to pedal-clutch. I think I am the only person I have ever met who likes a semi-automatic...

 

That might stay due to its rare and uniqueness.

Even Car and Driver didn't think much to the system back in the 60s though:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15143072/1968-porsche-911-sportomatic-archived-road-test-review/

 

[stuboy]

moped insurance renewed at a staggering £14 pm........................

[Asimo]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

That might stay due to its rare and uniqueness.

Even Car and Driver didn't think much to the system back in the 60s though:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15143072/1968-porsche-911-sportomatic-archived-road-test-review/

 

Typical reaction of (lazy) journalist:  “this does not fit into any of my pre-conveived categories so I will dismiss it”. 
 

I know semi-autos are rare for a reason.  It’s the same reason I like them, the monotreme of car transmissions.

[Cheezey]

20 hours ago, dan95x said:

I reeeealllly dont want to sell it - I love early 911s/912s, and to have one on your drive, with a family connection, and be selling it, is ridiculous, as I may well never be able to afford/justify one again, however this car, and this timing is just no good for us 

There are a few of Granddads various vehicles that I would have kept if it was 10 years ago, or probably 10 years in the future, but being surrounded by 84 years worth of his hoarding has reminded me that sometimes its better to be pragmatic than just hold onto it and let it fall apart even more before I can get to it.

I could get the 911 back on the road no problem if I kept hold of it for 5/10 years while I get other more pressing things sorted, but I am a (semi!) skilled amateur, not a restorer, and the car is probably worth a proper restoration (not to mention I dont think I could afford the parts it will need at early 911 prices either)

Plus, my ideal early 911 or 912 would probably be a bit of a bitsa/outlaw to get the bits I want - This one is knackered, but all original, so I would rather let someone else have a go at this one, restore it properly, and when I am (maybe) ever in a position to buy one in the future, I can get one thats already been buggered about a bit and I wont feel so bad.

As you can see, it hasnt been an easy decision 😂  In fact I am pretty sure I am still trying to convince myself 😁

It gets a bit of coverage, along with the Beetle, at the beginning of the latest Johnny Smith/Late brake show episode. Best of luck with the auction. 
 

 

[stuboy]

Don't buy an automatic MG Hs automatics, 

1.hvac system too confusing and no option for screen and face.

2. Automatic gearbox has no clue what to do when accelerator pedal pressed other than rev its tits of and move.

3. Automatics creep this does so slow that when u press the accelerator it not progressive its 'on'

4.seats look sporty , look not are.

5. Radio is FM .. dab is a screen stick on aerial u have to plug in the USB, then red circle 🔴  comes up and u have no idea what ur listening too when it works.

6. It's just a pile of crap.

 

This is just my personnel opinion but I wouldn't buy one.

 

😃 😀 😄 😁 🤣 😂 😃 😀 😄 

[richardmorris]

[Dick Cheeseburger]

3 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Aurelia. Absolutely gorgeous. 

[Split_Pin]

41 minutes ago, stuboy said:

Don't buy an automatic MG Hs automatics, 

1.hvac system too confusing and no option for screen and face.

2. Automatic gearbox has no clue what to do when accelerator pedal pressed other than rev its tits of and move.

3. Automatics creep this does so slow that when u press the accelerator it not progressive its 'on'

4.seats look sporty , look not are.

5. Radio is FM .. dab is a screen stick on aerial u have to plug in the USB, then red circle 🔴  comes up and u have no idea what ur listening too when it works.

6. It's just a pile of crap.

 

This is just my personnel opinion but I wouldn't buy one.

 

😃 😀 😄 😁 🤣 😂 😃 😀 😄 

Those actually look alright but it's a no from me. I would rather have either a Dacia or a better, older car.

[Westbay]

49 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Aurelia. Absolutely gorgeous. 

Totally agree…

[puddlethumper]

I think I mentioned in my circus thread about the Brazilian globe bikers truck which we are pretty sure came from a scrapyard and didn't have any instruments. It didn't come up on the vehicle check site so must have been in a grey area between sold and scrapped. Or something like that. These guys have a manager and it was he who bought the truck, although it seems he is in prison somewhere. No more details about that for the moment. 

On the way from Plymouth to Arscot they got pulled by plod on the M5 near Bristol for not having lights on the back of the caravan they had. Upshot was they had no Mot, tax or insurance and the driver didn't happen to have that rather important document, a licence. So basically in the shit big style. It seems at this point plod in his infinite* wisdom started looking at passports and came to the conclusion that one of them, Edge, was an illegal immigrant and hoicked him down the station and locked him up. They came to this conclusion without really looking at his visa stamp which clearly dated that it was good till the end Nov. It wasn't until the next morning that the mistake was noticed so plod, not wanting the embarrassment of having locked somebody up when they obviously shouldn't have and it getting out to press, social medja etc decided that the exit from this possible mess was to drop all the charges and hope it all went away quietly. Which it did as keeping your head down seemed the best route under the circumstances. Unlawful imprisonment. Could go to a lawyer with that. Probably a good case. Plod kept the truck, which was probably a good thing, and Jeff the mechanic took a low loader and a tele handler down to get all their gear. So that's another truck needed before going to Holland end of next week. 

That's it for now from Circusshite.

[dan95x]

8 hours ago, Cheezey said:

It gets a bit of coverage, along with the Beetle, at the beginning of the latest Johnny Smith/Late brake show episode. Best of luck with the auction. 
 

 

Cheers - I knew he was doing the preview for the sale on there, was a nice surprise it started with them both.

Made me a bit teary to be honest, as soft as that sounds - They havent been in the same place (the beetle has been tucked up at my Granddads house, the Porsche on my Dads drive) for over 35 years, so when we delivered them and put them next to each other, was a bit of a 'moment'.  As I say, I would rather keep them both, its just not practical at the minute and I (well we actually, its me and my Brother who are sorting it all as my Mum is incapable) have had to be uncharacteristically sensible about it all

Granddad would have been both f*cking livid we had actually got rid of anything (hoarder isnt even the word for his place😂) but also quite chuffed to see them together and people being interested in them I think 

[wuvvum]

I'm at Lake Windermere. 

It's nice up here.  Just a shame it took eight and a half bastarding hours to get here.  I really hate driving long distances in this country  

[Jazoli]

1 minute ago, wuvvum said:

I'm at Lake Windermere. 

It's nice up here.  Just a shame it took eight and a half bastarding hours to get here.  I really hate driving long distances in this country  

It's lovely, and 5 mins for me, I didn't think it was possible to drive for 8.5 hours in this country 😅 

Although saying that it took 3 hours to do 70 miles last Saturday.

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, Jazoli said:

I didn't think it was possible to drive for 8.5 hours in this country 😅 

 

It probably isn't.  It is, however, quite possible to drive for 5 1/2 hours and sit in traffic for 3.

[richardmorris]

9 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Aurelia. Absolutely gorgeous. 

And it sounded even better!

 

another lancia ( bulls blood red) was about as well as a very nice blue 911 and a red Ferrari whose number plate was trying very hard to say alonso . That grey lancia was prefect though.

[richardmorris]

If anyone is at a loose end next weekend, my dad has just told me that the British ironworks site on the a5 near Oswestry is having a classic car day on the 7th…

he says he wants to give the x1/9 a run before winter.

https://www.britishironworkcentre.co.uk/event_item/forge-car-club/

 

[richardmorris]

And there’s an Italian car meeting the same day, at the hanger cafe in Alton. 

[Barry Cade]

A good mate called in a favour today, he's just bought a mk2 Ford Ka (Fiat 500). Timing belt, water pump and exhaust all done in an hour and a half. Then he decided to rotate the tyres... 2 wheels came off and the next one chewed the locking wheel nut key.  1 came off the old fashioned way, and the other by drilling straight down the middle. 😯

The reason he bought a timing belt kit was a noise when it was running. He decided it was the water pump, and said he saw water dripping out the bottom of the car.. turns out it's an alternator bearing and a blocked plenum 😆

Ah well. I had fun anyway.

[hairnet]

3 hours ago, wuvvum said:

It probably isn't.  It is, however, quite possible to drive for 5 1/2 hours and sit in traffic for 3.

did less than 120 miles today from 0930 to 1615

 

[Metal Guru]

6 hours ago, wuvvum said:

It probably isn't.  It is, however, quite possible to drive for 5 1/2 hours and sit in traffic for 3.

I once took  14 hours driving from Somerset to Edinburgh. Virtually a constant jam from Bridgewater to Lancaster. Ave 27 mph.

[New POD]

3 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

I once took  14 hours driving from Somerset to Edinburgh. Virtually a constant jam from Bridgewater to Lancaster. Ave 27 mph.

One of my cousins came to visit from Banbury to Merseyside. 

It took 2 days. They wouldn't use any road built after 1960. Had a 1959 road atlas for plotting the route.  

After they left us. (Living on a road built in 1966 - hypocrites) they were heading for Aviemore.  5 days later we got a post card to say they'd arrived. 

My point. If you are going to average 27 mph on the motorway. Leave the motorway. Head away from.the motorway. (Roads close to the motorway will be equally as fucked)  in your case, there seems to be a route up the fosse way towards Hull. Via Coventry and Leicester.  Turn left at York through the dales, and back onto the motorway at Kendal 

 

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Off on a collection mission...

Obligatory breakfast picture :

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Managed an almost completely clear run from Canterbury to somewhere near Stoke last night.  Astonished isn’t the word.

[Vantman]

One for the diary--