The new news 24 thread

[HMC]

Fleet shot…

 

[brownnova]

44 minutes ago, HMC said:

Fleet shot…

 

Put some ribbons on and there’s an extra source of weekend income right there. 

AS Wedding cars:
Your Arrival is our Concern.

 

[Boycie]

Do you get a Christmas card from BP ? ..... You should

[Split_Pin]

After the 75 bursting a damper on the rough roads to and from the hospital, the same rough roads have now finished off the NSF wheel speed sensor on the Saab. It was intermittent anyway but now its throwing the ABS and TC lights. I can live with those but the latter is flashing which is annoying so I've fixed it with black tape because I currently just can't.

[Spiny Norman]

After 2 months of owing a convertible I finally managed to go for a quick spin in it with the roof down today and it's really quite civilised, more so than I was expecting. The mild for February weather enticed out a few other hardy souls, possibly for the first time this year, and I got a wave from a guy in a Boxster. 😎
A couple of points of note.
1: The aftermarket exhaust the previous owner fitted just before I bought the car is a tad boomy with the roof up but is close to full-on barry boy when you put your foot down. Is that what I sound like as I drive past?
2: I need to adjust the screenwashers down a bit. Prestone screenwash smells nice but tastes bloody horrible...
3: I was operating a major component on a 20 year old car for the first time in months so of course something was going to break, luckily it was only the little red cap on the roof switch which pinged off and went under the passenger seat as I was opening it. It still worked OK without it and after a few moments grovelling around under the seat I found the offending article and clipped it back on. When I've got a minute some superglue will happen.
4: I don't know if it was my imagination but the car felt slightly different to drive, possibly the weight of the metal roof dropping downwards and back has shifted the centre of gravity or something but it seemed a bit  more 'sporty' round the bends.
5: I was secretly worried I'd hate driving it with the roof down, the last floppytop I was in was a mate's Triumph Spitfire years ago and it was so draughty and rattly I wanted to get the bus home, but this was fun, I can see me driving it like this pretty much all the time if/when we get a summer.

 

[Spiny Norman]

And here is the result of the half hour headlamp polishing session I posted last week. They weren't as bad as some I've seen but this is a definite improvement.

[EyesWeldedShut]

 

19 hours ago, stuboy said:

ordered...

[Split_Pin]

44 minutes ago, Spiny Norman said:

After 2 months of owing a convertible I finally managed to go for a quick spin in it with the roof down today and it's really quite civilised, more so than I was expecting. The mild for February weather enticed out a few other hardy souls, possibly for the first time this year, and I got a wave from a guy in a Boxster. 😎
A couple of points of note.
1: The aftermarket exhaust the previous owner fitted just before I bought the car is a tad boomy with the roof up but is close to full-on barry boy when you put your foot down. Is that what I sound like as I drive past?
2: I need to adjust the screenwashers down a bit. Prestone screenwash smells nice but tastes bloody horrible...
3: I was operating a major component on a 20 year old car for the first time in months so of course something was going to break, luckily it was only the little red cap on the roof switch which pinged off and went under the passenger seat as I was opening it. It still worked OK without it and after a few moments grovelling around under the seat I found the offending article and clipped it back on. When I've got a minute some superglue will happen.
4: I don't know if it was my imagination but the car felt slightly different to drive, possibly the weight of the metal roof dropping downwards and back has shifted the centre of gravity or something but it seemed a bit  more 'sporty' round the bends.
5: I was secretly worried I'd hate driving it with the roof down, the last floppytop I was in was a mate's Triumph Spitfire years ago and it was so draughty and rattly I wanted to get the bus home, but this was fun, I can see me driving it like this pretty much all the time if/when we get a summer.

 

The exhaust on mine looked standard but was quite raspy. I liked it. I have unfinished business with SLKs.

[grogee]

1 hour ago, Spiny Norman said:

The mild for February weather

I heard an ice cream van jingle today, optimistic. 

[Split_Pin]

8 minutes ago, grogee said:

I heard an ice cream van jingle today, optimistic. 

I hear ice cream* van jingles in the middle of winter here. Wonder what they're selling 🤔

[barefoot]

My kid brother has been banging on for ages about having bought tickets to see Bob Dylan. It turns out that Bob's tour is currently moving across North America and Cambridge corn exchange will be hosting Dylan,  23 year old electro pop artist,  Natasha Woods.

Nob

[RoverFolkUs]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

After the 75 bursting a damper on the rough roads to and from the hospital, the same rough roads have now finished off the NSF wheel speed sensor on the Saab. It was intermittent anyway but now its throwing the ABS and TC lights. I can live with those but the latter is flashing which is annoying so I've fixed it with black tape because I currently just can't.

On the bright side it's still better than having some modern where you can't help but wonder when the engine is going to give up, hey!

[Joey spud]

The wife is away in the Avensis looking at property near the Brecon beacons so I have got Boris the Morris or the faithful Granvia for getting about.

I wanted to do a run to the tip so yesterday backed the Granvia up to the yard gates and noticed the battery x2 were low as it only just caught so I left it running while I loaded it up then parked it up again for a tip run today.

Come today and the batteries haven't enough power to even work the central locking so after jumping it up again rand checking the charge (13.9 @ 25amps) there must be something draining it as both batteries tested ok.

Sticking a meter on it shows a drain that goes from 4.5 amps down to 1.7 amps after a few mins.

Back in my old RAC days I used to find a lot of high current drains were from naughty alternators so before pulling fuses I stuck my hand on the back of mine and it did feel a bit warm but didn't smell hot so I unbolted the battery charge cables from it a checked the drain again.

That'll do nicely although I now need an Alternator.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, barefoot said:

My kid brother has been banging on for ages about having bought tickets to see Bob Dylan. It turns out that Bob's tour is currently moving across North America and Cambridge corn exchange will be hosting Dylan,  23 year old electro pop artist,  Natasha Woods.

Nob

Bob and his never ending tour.

[High Jetter]

"How many times..."

[Metal Guru]

On 17/02/2024 at 19:33, Sigmund Fraud said:

There's a tool that allows you to extract all the contact pins from a VAG multi-plug, which should enable you to transplant everything into the correct connector without having to spend half an afternoon soldering cables together.

Erm, I think those are for eating corn on the cob.

[dozeydustman]

Did a swim this morning (600m) then set about sorting the absolute mess that is my shed. Picked up 3 4ft x 2ft 12mm ply sheets last week to make tool boards. Some crappy Amazon terry clips arrived over the weekend so I set about sorting things after lunch.

2 are in the shed holding up my racking and the hand tools I can find, I’m missing a set of 3 G-cramps, a panel saw and a shitload of screwdrivers. They’re probably in the garage, the shelves in which are equally messy, the third sheet of ply will become a tool board in the garage, but for that I shall need more clips and hooks. I’ll get some better terry clips this time though.

[richardmorris]

Aftermath of a nasty accident I passed on the way home today.  Motorcycle under a lorry at a junction. Hope they’re ok. About six police, an ambulance and fire engine.

 

2cv is booked in for an mot tomorrow and started for the first time since November yesterday. All seems well, with lights, indicators, wipers etc.

[Split_Pin]

Update and some background on my recent ABS and TC failure messages on the Saab 93.

Last Friday when I collected my son from basketball, I unlocked the car and he dropped his ball in the footwell before we got in. Somehow this set off the alarm and even when I started the car it wouldn't stop. It only stopped when I took the key out and put it back in. 

After that the steering lock stopped working and the next time I used the car was when the ABS and traction control faults appeared. 

Today, both lights went out and the steering lock started working again. I find that very strange.

[Austat]

I had a very fun day on Sunday. A week ago, a friend of mine was questioning which of his cars to bring to the RACV British and European Motoring show, a well known show amongst car enthusiasts here in Melbourne. He considered bringing an orange R16 along but it needed some work fiddling with the brakes. I suggested that he should bring along his 1966 Mini Deluxe along, a car bought new by his grandmother and since then has been kept in the same family since. He liked the idea, and decided to get it out of storage on Saturday, meanwhile I made an information sheet on the car featuring the interesting history of it. I woke up about 6 on Sunday morning, got down to the opposite side of Melbourne and met my mate an hour and a half later. On the way to the show grounds, we had a small convoy with another friend of mine driving his '71 VW 1600 'Square-back' following behind us. 

It was my first time in a (proper) Mini, I was surprised with the leg room and how I didn't feel claustrophobic with the amount of glass around me, comfortable for an hour-long drive to the show. The quarter lights in these Australian spec Minis are a game changer, especially in hot weather like that afternoon.

Both cars received a fair bit of attention being displayed at the show, I underestimated the weather and did get sunburnt on my neck, but it was a very enjoyable time regardless. I'll post my spots from that show on a seperate thread if anyone else wants to see them, I thought I could create my own thread so I don't dump hundreds of photos on the lazy spotters thread.

[Marina door handles]

WTF is going on with the mirrors?

I came home to this and was rather puzzled.... Turned out we have a Great Tit who has taken it upon himself to attack a deadly rival bird who mysteriously only appears in car wing mirrors! He can spend ages hammering his head against a wing mirror so Mrs MDH took it upon herself to fix the issue! 

 

[barefoot]

I love tits.

[Zelandeth]

34 minutes ago, Marina door handles said:

WTF is going on with the mirrors?

I came home to this and was rather puzzled.... Turned out we have a Great Tit who has taken it upon himself to attack a deadly rival bird who mysteriously only appears in car wing mirrors! He can spend ages hammering his head against a wing mirror so Mrs MDH took it upon herself to fix the issue! 

 

We had a blackbird that did that a few years back. Scratched the top of the doors on the 107 by the mirrors to hell!

[horriblemercedes]

I remember one year being afflicted by that problem at my parents' house. Never before or again.

 

The bird would crap down the door as it fought itself in the mirror. We put supermarket plastic bags over the mirrors and tied the handles on. People had a lot more plastic bags at the time!

[chadders]

We have this every year both with the cars on the drive and some of the French doors. They tend to be Robins by what I've seen, being known to be very territorial. Mind you we do have a lot of Robins here.

[beko1987]

6 hours ago, Marina door handles said:

WTF is going on with the mirrors?

I came home to this and was rather puzzled.... Turned out we have a Great Tit who has taken it upon himself to attack a deadly rival bird who mysteriously only appears in car wing mirrors! He can spend ages hammering his head against a wing mirror so Mrs MDH took it upon herself to fix the issue! 

 

I've got a conure that does that with the bathroom mirror 🤣 And things that make a noise when he hits them with his beak. They don't understand reflections, they think it's another bird

[Snake Charmer]

On 11/02/2024 at 23:59, wuvvum said:

Gave the Zafira a one-bucket wrong un yesterday.

Looks tidy, I hope you used washing up liquid. 🏁

[richardmorris]

2cv service and mot has not gone to plan. Started fine and drove in. Mechanic thought it a little lumpy but it revd ok. But ( although I checked it on Sunday), it seems the alternator is dead and the low battery failed during mot. So no lights, wipers etc. fail. Have temporarily fixed it by swapping the alternator and battery, but there’s also rust in the drivers floor bulkhead. Battery dated April 2014.

rick can’t weld it until next week so it’s now stuck at work, adding a bit of French chic to all the mclarens and Ferraris.

The last bulkhead floor welding was dec 1999 and that was just a small section in the centre over the chassis, so it’s not done too badly. The alternator was 1998 new as well.

 

 

other bad news was that one plug was lean and the other black. It’s blown both exhaust manifold gaskets somehow in the last 1000miles. Oh, and the gearlinkage rubber has gone ( yet again) so am trying to source a replacement rose-joint.

In the end my colleague dropped me off in Sunningdale on his way home and I walked home.

 

 

[wuvvum]

21 hours ago, Austat said:

I suggested that he should bring along his 1966 Mini Deluxe along, a car bought new by his grandmother and since then has been kept in the same family since.

Is he a radio DJ with a penchant for loud shirts?

[Snake Charmer]

6 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Oh, and the gearlinkage rubber has gone ( yet again) so am trying to source a replacement rose-joint.

What size/type?