The new news 24 thread

[SiC]

3 minutes ago, 83C said:

Different acronym for the Hitachi trains - Super Hitachi Intercity Train.

Ah I always get it wrong as it's IET isn't it?

But yeah they do seem pretty SHIT and break all the time. If I'm ever using the toilet, I always run the basin water first as there is a good chance it'll be broken. 

Many of the seat bases have collapsed too. Highly uncomfortable when sitting on a bar with no foam. Thankfully I'm only a 15min ride so can put up with it if needed. 

I heard from a train manager that they're leased from Hitachi and when they break, Hitachi often ignore the requests and don't bother fixing them. Doesn't seem uncommon to have one running at reduced speed from a fault either.

[83C]

1 minute ago, SiC said:

Ah I always get it wrong as it's IET isn't it?

But yeah they do seem pretty SHIT and break all the time. If I'm ever using the toilet, I always run the basin water first as there is a good chance it'll be broken. 

Many of the seat bases have collapsed too. Highly uncomfortable when sitting on a bar with no foam. Thankfully I'm only a 15min ride so can put up with it if needed. 

I heard from a train manager that they're leased from Hitachi and when they break, Hitachi often ignore the requests and don't bother fixing them. Doesn't seem uncommon to have one running at reduced speed from a fault either.

Thank the Government/DfT for that. They agreed some very very generous terms with Agility Trains (the leasing company) that basically let Hitachi off the hook for pretty much anything. GWR were told ‘sign here or else’. 

[wuvvum]

Collectioned. 

[SiC]

5 minutes ago, 83C said:

Thank the Government/DfT for that. They agreed some very very generous terms with Agility Trains (the leasing company) that basically let Hitachi off the hook for pretty much anything. GWR were told ‘sign here or else’. 

Is the leasing company happened to be owned by an MPs mate too? I can't say I have much love for First Group either to be honest. 

[barefoot]

On 21/10/2023 at 17:07, HillmanImp said:

Glad to see its still going strong. 💪

And another one...

[Volksy]

Decided the Big needed a louder voice. 

I work in student land, and am so over the headphoned, screen staring eejets blindly walking out in front of me. 

So ..

 

[HillmanImp]

41 minutes ago, barefoot said:

And another one...

Well, you can say its got matching doors now. In the sense that they match each other, just not the rest of the car. 

[83C]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

Is the leasing company happened to be owned by an MPs mate too? I can't say I have much love for First Group either to be honest. 

No idea, wouldn’t surprise me though.

I would say that most of the problems on the rail network stem from the DfT. The owners of the TOCs are just doing the DfT’s bidding, no matter how insane it might seem. Covid was the perfect excuse for the DfT/Gov to take complete control of the railway (without the faintest idea of how to actually run it) whilst maintaining the illusion that the private companies are responsible. I can pretty much guarantee any apparently stupid decision such as reducing capacity, redeploying rolling stock, whether enough staff are hired, what trains are used etc can all be traced back to Whitehall and their fundamental misunderstanding of the requirements of the rail network. 

You might ask (rightly) why the TOCs and their owning groups tolerate this shit state of affairs, and it’s simple. They’re guaranteed an income, in return for taking the blame. That whole business about closing ticket offices was instigated at the behest of the DfT, and despite the TOCs privately all saying it was a stupid idea. But when it got canned ministers were quick to take the credit for stopping the nasty private companies from their plans to close ticket offices. The DfT seem hellbent on running the railways down, despite passenger figures rising and there being a clear shortage of rolling stock.

[Cord Fourteener]

Oops, it's been a while since I posted! Blame life/ music practice/ day job/kids/ wife/scatter brain.

Not much to report, V70 is still rumbling along and approaching 360k miles.

740 is still trundling along, only thing 'wrong' is that my 4y/o lovingly 'fixed' a side light glass with a toy hammer. I'm going to have to fix it again, not pretend this time. 

Wifeshite Peugeot 307 petrol thing is still going. She moans about it and can now afford to buy herself a nice car (after a good promotion at work) but won't so it's staying for now and doing us well.

That's all

[stuboy]

Went too missus House after 8am xray on my knee, park up and look back like all happy drivers do and noticed I had a limp pipe... bloody rubber has dried out and split, only new under 6 months ago... bizarre

[High Jetter]

10 minutes ago, stuboy said:

 

I don't think heating it will help much!

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 10/11/2023 at 11:48, SiC said:

When stuff like this happens and I need to fall back to something solidly reliable, my frankly bizarrely crazy mind goes.

HONDA HONDA HONDA

Or TOOOOYOTA 

Sung to the tune of badger badger mushroom. (Scarily some on here will be too young to remember this first circulating the internet)

Just not one from the Scottish rust belt please.

no, no, no, no that's the rong choon

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

46 minutes ago, stuboy said:

Went too missus House after 8am xray on my knee, park up and look back like all happy drivers do and noticed I had a limp pipe... bloody rubber has dried out and split, only new under 6 months ago... bizarre

you wanna poly bush it m9😎

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I needed a new car, and my list of requirements were: automatic, not silver. So I bought this:

I love it to bits. The collection was uneventful except for an agonising 2½ hour wait for the bank transfer to come through (it was flagged as fraudulent but the bank didn't think it was worth telling me this). It's only a 1.8, but it doesn't feel nearly as sluggish as I'd anticipated. It also has some fancy-ass optional extras, including metallic paint, cruise control, ABS and leather upholstery with armrest and ruffled map pockets. I dread to think how much that lot added to the cost in 1991! Anyone got a price list?

A few jobs are required. I was happy to see it came with a Bluetooth radio, but it turns out to be a vintage one which can only do phone calls over Bluetooth, not music. So that was replaced as a priority. There's a little oil leak from the rocker cover (advised on the last MOT) which shouldn't be difficult to rectify. The boot is damp which really needs sorting ASAP because I hate a boot you can't leave a coat in. It runs beautifully except when first started (hot or cold) it runs rough until the throttle is blipped. If you start it with the throttle pressed slightly it doesn't do it. I don't know much about these engines or the injection system, so I have a bit of learning to do. 

It's delightful. 

[stuboy]

1 hour ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

you wanna poly bush it m9😎

everyone has said this.

[Popsicle]

3 minutes ago, Conrad D. Conelrad said:

I needed a new car, and my list of requirements were: automatic, not silver. So I bought this:

I love it to bits. The collection was uneventful except for an agonising 2½ hour wait for the bank transfer to come through (it was flagged as fraudulent but the bank didn't think it was worth telling me this). It's only a 1.8, but it doesn't feel nearly as sluggish as I'd anticipated. It also has some fancy-ass optional extras, including metallic paint, cruise control, ABS and leather upholstery with armrest and ruffled map pockets. I dread to think how much that lot added to the cost in 1991! Anyone got a price list?

A few jobs are required. I was happy to see it came with a Bluetooth radio, but it turns out to be a vintage one which can only do phone calls over Bluetooth, not music. So that was replaced as a priority. There's a little oil leak from the rocker cover (advised on the last MOT) which shouldn't be difficult to rectify. The boot is damp which really needs sorting ASAP because I hate a boot you can't leave a coat in. It runs beautifully except when first started (hot or cold) it runs rough until the throttle is blipped. If you start it with the throttle pressed slightly it doesn't do it. I don't know much about these engines or the injection system, so I have a bit of learning to do. 

It's delightful. 

That looks a beautiful 190, well purchased!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

1 hour ago, Conrad D. Conelrad said:

It also has some fancy-ass optional extras, including metallic paint, cruise control, ABS and leather upholstery with armrest and ruffled map pockets. I dread to think how much that lot added to the cost in 1991! Anyone got a price list?

I found a 1991 price list. 

Congruent with the price of a C class today. 

[wesacosa]

23 minutes ago, Conrad D. Conelrad said:

I needed a new car, and my list of requirements were: automatic, not silver. So I bought this:

I love it to bits. The collection was uneventful except for an agonising 2½ hour wait for the bank transfer to come through (it was flagged as fraudulent but the bank didn't think it was worth telling me this). It's only a 1.8, but it doesn't feel nearly as sluggish as I'd anticipated. It also has some fancy-ass optional extras, including metallic paint, cruise control, ABS and leather upholstery with armrest and ruffled map pockets. I dread to think how much that lot added to the cost in 1991! Anyone got a price list?

A few jobs are required. I was happy to see it came with a Bluetooth radio, but it turns out to be a vintage one which can only do phone calls over Bluetooth, not music. So that was replaced as a priority. There's a little oil leak from the rocker cover (advised on the last MOT) which shouldn't be difficult to rectify. The boot is damp which really needs sorting ASAP because I hate a boot you can't leave a coat in. It runs beautifully except when first started (hot or cold) it runs rough until the throttle is blipped. If you start it with the throttle pressed slightly it doesn't do it. I don't know much about these engines or the injection system, so I have a bit of learning to do. 

It's delightful. 

that's absolutely wonderful. I wish I hadn't missed the boat on these 

[wuvvum]

And home.

It's not without its faults obvs - as HMC mentioned in the ad the front suspension is pretty tired, and it also developed the dreaded sticky steering around the time I got to the M25.  It managed 340 miles without FTPing though, which is more than some Land Rovers 100x the price can manage.  And that straight 6 does sound lovely.

[brownnova]

Great day out at the NEC yesterday for the classic motor show. Some absolute belting cars on display.

And my two stars of the show. Having read about them in “worst car ever made” books it was great to see a Zagato Zele in the flesh! 

But my absolute favourite was this beautiful Borgward Isabella Combi. 

Great fun, but my hips don’t lie and they are saying after walking 20,000 steps round it yesterday that I should walk less today 😂

[brownnova]

In fleet related news, I was reminded that I really ought to check the tyre ages on new purchases rather than just looking at them to see if they look in good condition. 

Ready to go to the NEC in the highlander I put £96 worth of dinosaur juice in and put some air in the tyres when the DOT mark caught my eye… 1800… that’s a 23 year old tyre! One other was also old at 2003. So I didn’t fancy blezzing down the M6 on them! New tyres on this after pay day! Thank goodness I have enough other cars to use. 

Anyway, have a picture of happier and more oblivious times! 

[andy18s]

2 hours ago, brownnova said:

Great day out at the NEC yesterday for the classic motor show. Some absolute belting cars on display.

And my two stars of the show. Having read about them in “worst car ever made” books it was great to see a Zagato Zele in the flesh! 

But my absolute favourite was this beautiful Borgward Isabella Combi. 

Great fun, but my hips don’t lie and they are saying after walking 20,000 steps round it yesterday that I should walk less today 😂

That Strada brings back a few memories and is the pick of the bunch for me.

[wesacosa]

5 hours ago, brownnova said:

 

 

Nice example of a car I wished I'd bought when I had the chance (33) and one I wished I had not sold (155)

That Estelle limo is cool too. I know the guy who owns it but haven't actually seen it in the metal

really must go to the show one of these years

[richardmorris]

@Six-cylinder is not alone!

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

15 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

@Six-cylinder is not alone!

 

 

A bit posh for me.

[richardmorris]

5 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

A bit posh for me.

There’s a 2cv and volvo, plus the etype and other jags. Not counting the metro.  You’re just missing the large posh barns to show them off.

[Six-cylinder]

3 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

There’s a 2cv and volvo, plus the etype and other jags. Not counting the metro.  You’re just missing the large posh barns to show them off.

Mine are packed in so tight you can't walk between some of them.

[DVee8]

10 hours ago, brownnova said:

Great day out at the NEC yesterday for the classic motor show. Some absolute belting cars on display.

And my two stars of the show. Having read about them in “worst car ever made” books it was great to see a Zagato Zele in the flesh! 

But my absolute favourite was this beautiful Borgward Isabella Combi. 

Great fun, but my hips don’t lie and they are saying after walking 20,000 steps round it yesterday that I should walk less today 😂

Hahah myself and @gm must have walked passed you as you have N01 son in one of the photos.

[wesacosa]

6 weeks in from the Mayor's and TFL's beacon of numskullery by making a main stretch of the South Circular 20mph (yet keeping the following narrower section of road with parades of shops 30) I wonder how it's going

Aaah 

[chaseracer]

On 09/11/2023 at 18:35, RetroShite said:

If you're after a red single cab rear wheel drive pickup you've come to the right place!

Right, please.

😎