The new news 24 thread

[brownnova]

Been using the 9000 this week for commuting

Its wonderful, comfortable, reasonable economy, reliable…

But my God the headlights are utter shite! I have to drive with the fog lights on on the country lanes to stand a chance!

 

[Zelandeth]

16 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Been using the 9000 this week for commuting

Its wonderful, comfortable, reasonable economy, reliable…

But my God the headlights are utter shite! I have to drive with the fog lights on on the country lanes to stand a chance!

 

What state are the reflectors in?  Know it used to be a common problem with them degrading years back, and there at least used to be a company over in Germany who could re-silver them.

Sadly like the Xantia and XM the 9000 is cursed with that narrow light line so they're never going to be great as the reflector and lens design is so heavily compromised by being made to fit into such a small space.

[stuboy]

Nothing exciting , spending the shift in a horrendous mg 1.5 auto doing patient transport service 

[danthecapriman]

3 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I was sat around at home today twiddling my thumbs and heard an almighty bang from outside in the street.

Looked out the window and couldn’t see anything so I nipped out for a look. 
A couple of doors down, in the street someone in a Prius has somehow managed to drive straight into a parked car on the side of the road! God knows how, but the Prius has hit it so hard it’s spun itself at a 45 degree angle as it came to a halt blocking the entire road! The car it hit is a brand new Mercedes SUV thing (one of them things with the green number plate!), looks like both are write off material.

Anyway, nearly 3 hours later the street is still blocked with no sign of recovery. People are having to drive down the pavement to get past, including double decker buses.

Makes you wonder what people are doing while they’re driving to manage things like that.

I went and had a closer look earlier now all the heat has calmed down.

Prius has gone, the front corner and most of one side is smashed to hell on that. It’s ripped the front wheel and suspension out of it too and has pissed oil all over the road. Highways have just been out and cleaned it all up. 
The Mercedes is brand new! It belongs to someone a few doors down apparently and he’s only had it a couple of months. It’s absolutely annihilated though! The rear quarter panel is smashed right in, looks like a crumpled coke can. Both doors and the front wing are all smashed and scratched too. Round the back the tailgate is actually inside the boot now on one side! 
The Prius certainly wasn’t doing 30mph when it hit though looking at it.

[richardmorris]

On 11/01/2024 at 21:34, Six-cylinder said:

Mrs6C says no because of the blue interior.

You will have to make do with my "old one" when I sort the clutch out.

I think the blue interior one of the best bits.

[brownnova]

50 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

What state are the reflectors in?  Know it used to be a common problem with them degrading years back, and there at least used to be a company over in Germany who could re-silver them.

Sadly like the Xantia and XM the 9000 is cursed with that narrow light line so they're never going to be great as the reflector and lens design is so heavily compromised by being made to fit into such a small space.

I think the reflectors are fucked tbh. I’m going to take them apart when I get a chance… 

However, there is now water pouring down my drive as there appears to be a burst pipe under the drive, so it might not be this weekend! 

[alcyonecorporation]

Did the Scramble but the show overwhelmed me a bit so I might save the battery for the old resto show, eh.  Definitely looking to keep the old motors but do less of the writing  - the industry is grating on me. 



Fixed the headlights while I was there. I lost the full beams in the Trough of Bowland in September and TBH, full and dipped on an SVX aren't that dissimilar. 



I forget the price of the metal that attends the Scramble, sometimes. 

A few more bum notes from the phone and Nikon for your eye faces: 





































The wind chill at the Scramble was horrible. 



I couldn't go home to my shared house in Peebo, owing to two of my housemates having COVID, so I stayed with some friends in the next county over. 
His missus's Freelander was misbehaving and she needed a lift back home where another car awaited. 

The SVX WAS the office for a bit...she worked in the back so the laptop lid didn't go over the door mirror. 



After that it was time to go back to the garage before a quick wash at the hand car place and another rinsing of the arches owing to the access road looking like a bad day in the Somme. 





When I have enough spare money the SVX is going back to Carnetix to get the centre pulley done; it's moaning like a bad day at the brass house and the bearing is starting to go. 
Low loader to Melton, I reckon. 

If there's enough money in the pot I'll have the vomiting rocker covers sorted and get a price on new top mounts. 

[mk2_craig]

1 hour ago, alcyonecorporation said:

Scramble

I don't give a rats ass about any of the other tin that showed up, apart from the SVX maybe.  I want that Audi like a Renton junkie wants another fix.

 

Great photos by the way - thanks for sharing. 

[alcyonecorporation]

2 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

I don't give a rats ass about any of the other tin that showed up, apart from the SVX maybe.  I want that Audi like a Renton junkie wants another fix.

 

Great photos by the way - thanks for sharing. 

Glad you enjoyed 'em. 

I b-rolled 'em because ones from the Nikon are all soft as shite. 

I wasn't allowed to park in the 90s cool kids in-field. 

[grogee]

7 hours ago, alcyonecorporation said:

I wasn't allowed to park in the 90s cool kids in-field. 

Same. I brought my Puma hoping to make the 'top table' but no, not cool enough - into the pleb field please sir. 

Honestly though when are they going to get another SVX at the Scramble? They should have given you the red carpet. 

[alcyonecorporation]

3 hours ago, grogee said:

Same. I brought my Puma hoping to make the 'top table' but no, not cool enough - into the pleb field please sir. 

Honestly though when are they going to get another SVX at the Scramble? They should have given you the red carpet. 

It's the only one that goes, it's done two Radwoods and now a Scramble. 
I'm more surprised than annoyed TBH, you can't expect the door staff (many of whom might not be into cars) to know what it is, it's just an old, groaning heap of shit to them.

I did think of just driving across and leaving it there, but one of the marshals was really arsey when I tried to short cut. Wasn't worth getting into a row over, so I left it. 

[stuboy]

Thought I'd make a start swapping the egr valve, day 1 ,struggled with 2 bolts getting out, no room , freezing cold, got it off,my body said it was time !! 2'c couldn't feel my feet and toes, fitting new one will be a pain...

[Asimo]

Connect is back with the biggest garage bill I have ever had.  I won’t complain though because this is more than I have spent in consumables, parts, repairs in the ten+ years this has been my daily.

It’s been away for a month for a clutch and MOT but it seems a lot longer as the test expired in October and there was a long wait at the garage (caused by a big seasonal rush due to the covid mot-extension).  And then the clutch, which has been intermittantly slipping for at least six years, began to slip more than it was practical to drive around and they were just too busy to fit me in until Christmas. And then their petrol-emissions machine broke, and the clutch, which is special to petrol-Connects was delayed… but all good now. I knew MOT needed a driveshaft boot so I bought a whole driveshaft assembly back in the summer but never bothered to fit it. Which is ok because when they are doing the clutch, the driveshaft change is no extra work. The thermostat housing is plastic and was changed by the dealer when I bought it 10+ years ago. The old clutch felt ok, but the new one is amazingly light in comparison.

Do you like my giffer-mod gingercators?

[auntiemaryscanary]

On 12/01/2024 at 14:21, auntiemaryscanary said:

Minor racking update.

I'd collected a couple of thick pallets for the boarding but wasn't satisfied and couldn't be bothered arseing about with something that would never be to my requirements. Chipboard decking is available but once it gets damp/wet it's useless.

eBay had loads of ready made timber examples but most had wide gaps so I found some "closed" versions with a minimal gap leading to a run down to the beautiful West Mids.

£15 each (no vat, no receipt - £18 if wanted a bit of paper). 6 bought which covers 3 levels. Timber is 32mm thick. But my god they were filthy. Pic after they were hosed done. I was expecting more marks, stains etc. I reckon they've just been sat in an unused corner of a factory for a long time.

There's approx 11+ linear metres in each one. I can't get the timber that cheap, nevermind the faff of cutting and assembling.

Each one is 1340mm long. They would have fit in the back of the Doblo but some of them would have rested on the protrusions of the folded up rear seats. 4 Allen bolts and washers and the seats are out. I've had the f-ing thing 12 years and never had the seats out.

Yeah I know it's filthy but would ya look at that load space!

(The owner of the racking place had a modern Jag in bits. He says "I'll get this Jag back together one day". I said nowt, very unlike me )

Major racking update

After visiting an v unwell family member today I thought a bit of physical was called for...

I'm well impressed with the set up. It's absolutely rock solid. I used the middle level as a platform to lift (solo) the top level beams in place. 

I'm trying to balance the work bench height against maximising storage space but the middle bench level is going to have to come down a bit.

Cost was £130 for the beams and uprights. The boarding was another 90 quid so total of £220. I also got another set up of a loft over the garage door (see a page or 2 back) out of the original racking purchase so a right bargain I reckon.

Slight issue is I've got to fill these gaps

You can't really tell in the pic but the brick roof supports are in the way of the racking going flush with the rear wall. The gap is about 8". I plan to fill by screwing 3 x 2 to the wall and the boarding and infilling with cut pallet slats.

I've still 12 beams left, probably cut em up and use as fence posts up the allotment

TOP TIP: There are different makes of racking - Link51, Redirack, Mecalux, Stow (mine) etc. They are all proprietary and not interchangable between makes. So if buying any stick to one brand.

[Back_For_More]

Very nice bit of kit...... Would you not be able to sell off the other beams to other nutters like us and recoup most of your costs perhaps? 

[auntiemaryscanary]

24 minutes ago, Back_For_More said:

Very nice bit of kit...... Would you not be able to sell off the other beams to other nutters like us and recoup most of your costs perhaps? 

I could try to flog em, they are approx 2.85m long (Inc the bracket bits) so they won't go in a Fiesta! Not sure I can face the great unwashed via auction sites/bumtree They aren't that expensive to buy from used dealers. There are 12 on eBay for £40. There are some 2.3m ones for a fiver each.

[stuboy]

4 hours ago, stuboy said:

Thought I'd make a start swapping the egr valve, day 1 ,struggled with 2 bolts getting out, no room , freezing cold, got it off,my body said it was time !! 2'c couldn't feel my feet and toes, fitting new one will be a pain...

just realised when bagging up the used torn gloves the plunger on the old one had no resistance, when compared too the new one... that the fault i bee getting>??

[Lankytim]

VW FOX COLLECTIONED
 

Some cack collected today from an old work mate. No collection thread as I don’t think modern dross like this warrants one. It didn’t go without incident though. I drove the 15 miles or so to my friends house and realised I’d randomly forgotten my detachable tow bar, drove home to get it, hoofed it back and hooked up the A frame then realised I’d left the extension lead to my trailer board at home too! Honestly, I think I’d forget my balls if they weren’t attached to me! 

By the time everything was hooked up, money had changed hands and tea had been drunk  it had gone dark so I towed the new purchase home with the engine running and the lights on without event. 

This little Fox is in pretty good shape despite being parked up for 18 months. The battery is totally knackered but I don’t think it will need much for an MOT. 1200cc and 3 cyl! 

I think these VWs were built in Brazil and the Fox was a stopgap model in Europe as the Polo had got too fat and they needed a new small car in the lineup. 

OBV it will just sit around for another 18 months before I fill it with random scrap and weigh it in. 
 

[stuboy]

36 minutes ago, Lankytim said:

what did the fox say??

 

is it borked?

[Lankytim]

1 hour ago, stuboy said:

what did the fox say??

 

is it borked?

No, looks alright. 

[PhilA]

Hid the car in a lineup tonight.

Made me smile.

[HillmanImp]

It would be weird if she returned as anyone else wouldn't it. If she came back as Grant Mitchell or Arthur Fowler it would probably be confusing for the viewers.

[andyberg]

14 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

It would be weird if she returned as anyone else wouldn't it. If she came back as Grant Mitchell or Arthur Fowler it would probably be confusing for the viewers.

But how is this news anyway??? Just some hard up actress getting her old job back because she can't do anything else... I don't understand why it makes the headlines on the BBC, Sky and whoever...

[Schaefft]

2 minutes ago, andyberg said:

But how is this news anyway??? Just some hard up actress getting her old job back because she can't do anything else... I don't understand why it makes the headlines on the BBC, Sky and whoever...

Because click bait for ad revenue, and enough people fall for it.

[HillmanImp]

2 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Because click bait for ad revenue, and enough people fall for it.

Including me. I don't even watch it. 

I just thought, what an odd headline. 

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, andyberg said:

But how is this news anyway??? Just some hard up actress getting her old job back because she can't do anything else... I don't understand why it makes the headlines on the BBC, Sky and whoever...

Sadly this is important to a great many people.

[lesapandre]

Live traffic updates by DfT. What could possibly go wrong with a government led data rich IT project?*

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/jan/14/satnavs-and-google-maps-to-be-updated-in-readiness-for-driverless-cars

*Horizon 

[lesapandre]

2 hours ago, andyberg said:

But how is this news anyway??? Just some hard up actress getting her old job back because she can't do anything else... I don't understand why it makes the headlines on the BBC, Sky and whoever...

BBC seem to spend a lot of time reporting about  themselves these days. Very cheap to gather news.

[grogee]

19 hours ago, Asimo said:

And the clutch, which is special to petrol-Connects was delayed… but all good now

There's a petrol  Connect? Every day's a school day. Is it a 1.6 NA? 

I really really like the Connect. Seems very no-nonsense. 

[Asimo]

2 hours ago, grogee said:

Is it a 1.6 NA?

1.8 as in Mondeo.