The new news 24 thread

[Burnside]

Been over to Enviro Strip in Tamworth [which has featured in Car S.O.S], as my Brother needs a few panels to be treated before fitting etc.

Thankfully Tim Shaw wasn't there, but a bloody great big pothole hidden by the rain caught the bottom of my Stilo front bumper. Good job it already has a few scars, but it still pissed me off !

Had a nice chat with one of the staff there about our Fiat's and cars in general though. Apparently Fuzz Townsend owns a MK1 Fiat Multipla, which I guess is the one in the background of his workshop in a few episodes.

Hopefully the panels should be ready for collection next week, then I can make a return trip [ avoiding the holes ] and let the bodyshop do there thing.

 

[grogee]

9 hours ago, grogee said:

En route back to Warwickshire with @Dick Longbridge 's bike on the back of the Toyota. Found some drips in the boot when I loaded up this morning so my efforts to waterproof haven't worked. I need to get in there with Master Grogee on hose duty and see where it's coming in.

Trip meter says its doing 52mpg which is pretty respectable with 4up and luggage. 

I won't be filling up at Morrisons, it's £1.55 for dizzle here and we're going to stop in Bristol Costco instead for maximum mingebag points. 

I should probably point out that the bike on the back partially or completely obscured the lights and number plate (I made sure brake lights were OK). 

I was fully expecting a tug from the law on the four hour drive home. 

Instead I spotted at least three police or highway eager beaver vehicles that were stationary on bridges or by the side of the motorway checking for speeding. At one point Mrs Grogee was driving and one of the highways pretend police vehicles was right next to her, I felt sure they would stop us but no, somehow we Obi-Wan Kenobi'd out of sight. 

I'm not sure why I'm telling you all this except to say it's OK to drive like a complete twat with a totally unroadworthy vehicle - the only thing the law cares about is speeding at the moment. 

[grogee]

3 hours ago, reb said:

Nothing much to report, except that I bought the cheapest garage racking on Amazon (£44 for two units) to use to store computershite and other gubbins.

It had generally good reviews, except for one that said it just falls apart.

Only one way to find out, I suppose.

I think I bought the same thing, the assembly method relies on tabs in slots but it's possible to misalign one tab, which might have lead to the 'falling apart' review. 

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 minute ago, grogee said:

highways pretend police vehicles

They don't actually have any legal powers as regards enforcement - they can stop/direct traffic in respect of an accident/incident but, otherwise, are effectively just posh witnesses to any transgressions they may see.
A lot of them are ex-coppers so may give the impression that they are still in Traffic Patrol - they're not. 
They can be rather helpful though (thinking of a front axle blow out in a  7.5 tonner on the M5 in absolutely 100% shite weather - very nice chaps)
VOSA on the other hand?  Don't feck with them. (apologies DVSA- showing my age)

+1 for papping the Berlingo/Partner

[stuboy]

Blimey a rivian EV truck in the uk and I wish ford was more generous with cable ties as the trunking falls off exposing the ad blue pipework, done half my ambulance fleet at base.

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 30/03/2024 at 23:25, RoverFolkUs said:

Composite plastic something-or-other, yes. Also found on the early 00's Vauxhall Movano/Renault Master 

i do believe LDV/Leyland Daf did it before then

[richardmorris]

From local bike shop….

[Popsicle]

9 hours ago, barefoot said:

Nipped down to the Malt Shovel but spotted some old motors outside the New Inn, so went there instead. 

A Rapier! 1,100 twin cam with pre selector gearbag. One of just 46 built. Popped in the pub, barmaid a bit thin in a black T shirt... And then another appeared. All of four foot eight in a white T shirt with pneumatic breasts. I'd swear that they swelled up as she pulled the bitter. So I had a second pint to check.

I've not been down there in ages, they used to do some really nice grub.

Do they still put the grease covered pole across the canal on bank holidays to let the ladys have a pillow fight on?

[Bren]

Did the insignias' diesel filter.

A plastic cover hides the tank and the housing. I saw my arse when I realised I had no 36mm socket in my socket set - I messaged my mate to see if he had one - I found one I bought ages ago at the back of one of my roll cab's drawers.

Just glad I never bought another.

[Rust Collector]

2 minutes ago, Bren said:

Did the insignias' diesel filter.

A plastic cover hides the tank and the housing. I saw my arse when I realised I had no 36mm socket in my socket set - I messaged my mate to see if he had one - I found one I bought ages ago at the back of one of my roll cab's drawers.

Just glad I never bought another.

The only time my 1 inch socket set saw any use was when my neighbour was doing the fuel filter on his insignia and realised he didn’t have a 36mm socket!

[reb]

23 hours ago, grogee said:

I think I bought the same thing, the assembly method relies on tabs in slots but it's possible to misalign one tab, which might have lead to the 'falling apart' review. 

Was yours made of tinfoil? It arrived today, and christ is the metal flimsy.

I've had to take a break from assembling the first one because I'm getting so pissed off with things bending in ways they're not supposed to.

I know I'm a ham-fisted orangutan but this is ridiculous!

[SiC]

4 minutes ago, reb said:

Was yours made of tinfoil? It arrived today, and christ is the metal flimsy.

I've had to take a break from assembling the first one because I'm getting so pissed off with things bending in ways they're not supposed to.

I know I'm a ham-fisted orangutan but this is ridiculous!

I have Clarke machine mart ones. Went together fine but occasionally the tabs get on the wrong side. Definitely don't force them otherwise they'll bend the wrong way. Some of them I had to use a flat headed screwdriver to get them started on the right side first and some persuasion to make sure they go through both holes. 

[reb]

1 minute ago, SiC said:

I have Clarke machine mart ones. Went together fine but occasionally the tabs get on the wrong side. Definitely don't force them otherwise they'll bend the wrong way. Some of them I had to use a flat headed screwdriver to get them started on the right side first and some persuasion to make sure they go through both holes. 

The part that has gone the worst so far is the couplers between the halves of the legs. The first 3 have gone in ok (well, there's about a 2mm gap that looks like it shouldn't be there, but I'm sure it'll be fine if they're all like that) but the last one has got stuck with a 2cm gap.

Not to mention that when I was fitting them to the tops of the bottom halves of the leg I followed exactly what it said to do, and yet they still got all fucked up and bent!

[SiC]

The part that has gone the worst so far is the couplers between the halves of the legs. The first 3 have gone in ok (well, there's about a 2mm gap that looks like it shouldn't be there, but I'm sure it'll be fine if they're all like that) but the last one has got stuck with a 2cm gap.
Not to mention that when I was fitting them to the tops of the bottom halves of the leg I followed exactly what it said to do, and yet they still got all fucked up and bent!

Some of it needed a good few taps of the mallet to seat things home.

[reb]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

3 minutes ago, reb said:

The part that has gone the worst so far is the couplers between the halves of the legs. The first 3 have gone in ok (well, there's about a 2mm gap that looks like it shouldn't be there, but I'm sure it'll be fine if they're all like that) but the last one has got stuck with a 2cm gap.
Not to mention that when I was fitting them to the tops of the bottom halves of the leg I followed exactly what it said to do, and yet they still got all fucked up and bent!

Some of it needed a good few taps of the mallet to seat things home.

I will admit that it would probably be going slightly more smoothly if my "mallet" wasn't an old thermos flask.

[SiC]

Just now, reb said:

I will admit that it would probably be going slightly more smoothly if my "mallet" wasn't an old thermos flask.

Yeah I definitely would use a rubber mallet. Not only to reduce the damage but the weight of it gives a proper push down.  

[barefoot]

19 hours ago, Popsicle said:

Do they still put the grease covered pole across the canal on bank holidays to let the ladys have a pillow fight on?

I have no idea, when is the next bank holiday?

[reb]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

Yeah I definitely would use a rubber mallet. Not only to reduce the damage but the weight of it gives a proper push down.  

All of my tools are at my unit and I can't get there until probably saturday (maybe even not until next saturday) and I need/want to get these sorted by the weekend.

 

I think I maybe have a normal hammer somewhere, which would be both better and worse at the same time.

 

I can only assume the Halfords and other "proper" brands that sell what look to be identical shelving must actually be a bit better made

[grogee]

30 minutes ago, reb said:

Was yours made of tinfoil? It arrived today, and christ is the metal flimsy.

I've had to take a break from assembling the first one because I'm getting so pissed off with things bending in ways they're not supposed to.

I know I'm a ham-fisted orangutan but this is ridiculous!

Erm, I mean yeah it's made from Chinese pressed "steel" but it's man enough to support a load of tools and stuff. 

I seem to remember there was a knack, and a hammer was useful. 

[Wibble]

13 minutes ago, reb said:

All of my tools are at my unit and I can't get there until probably saturday (maybe even not until next saturday) and I need/want to get these sorted by the weekend.

 

I think I maybe have a normal hammer somewhere, which would be both better and worse at the same time.

 

I can only assume the Halfords and other "proper" brands that sell what look to be identical shelving must actually be a bit better made

I would use a piece of wood between metal and hammer if no mallet available.

[Mally]

23 minutes ago, barefoot said:

I have no idea, when is the next bank holiday?

They may get wet

Take some spare underwear.

[Mally]

7 minutes ago, Wibble said:

I would use a piece of wood between metal and flask if no mallet available.

FTFY

[Yoss]

Hey @wesacosa, just found a couple of pictures of your Fav when it was still in Southampton.

July 2017.

[wesacosa]

ah brilliant thanks. Those wheel trims and Felicia mirrors were binned off pretty quickly. Interesting how bright the coach lines are because when I bought in early 2019 they were really faded

[reb]

I found a lump hammer, and it made the process about 420% easier.

Taking a break now, then I have to move some stuff to put the first one in place, then I can put the second one together.

Though having just looked at the time I should probably do it tomorrow since I doubt my neighbours would appreciate loud hammering at 9pm.

[Popsicle]

2 hours ago, barefoot said:

I have no idea, when is the next bank holiday?

I think they used to do it on August bank holiday, I am going back to the 90's though!

[auntiemaryscanary]

3 hours ago, reb said:

All of my tools are at my unit and I can't get there until probably saturday (maybe even not until next saturday) and I need/want to get these sorted by the weekend.

 

I think I maybe have a normal hammer somewhere, which would be both better and worse at the same time.

 

I can only assume the Halfords and other "proper" brands that sell what look to be identical shelving must actually be a bit better made

No, they all the same quality. Fairly rigid when up. I increased strength with a screw into the wall on each back leg.

[egg]

Love this spot by a car spotter in Greece. Just sitting there.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4m3FvUIIvX/

[Stinkwheel]

22 minutes ago, egg said:

Love this spot by a car spotter in Greece. Just sitting there.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4m3FvUIIvX/

US spec bumpers as well

[Dyslexic Viking]

Wondering how difficult it is to buy and import a car from Greece.