The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

Gave the Renault 6 a bit of a service this weekend - oil and filter change and a new set of spark plugs (Bosch this time).  I stuck a can of engine flush in it beforehand, having seen when I took the rocker cover off to do the valve clearances that it's a bit* gungy in there.  How much good it's done I have no idea but it was worth a go.  I also gave the brake pipes their annual check over - still all looking good, but I did give them a good spray of wax this year in an attempt to help keep them that way.  One has to be a little bit careful with a single circuit braking system.  I'm glad they didn't need replacing though as there's a surprising amount of pipe for such a small car - the front to rear pipe runs up the offside sill, then across the rear axle to a load sensing valve on the nearside, which then sends another pipe back across the axle to join up with the offside flexi.  #BecauseFrench.

I also did an oil and filter change on the Merc today.  I wasn't sure how old the oil was (it was black but that doesn't mean anything in an ageing turbodiesel) but it had also been overfilled so I thought I might as well do it anyway.  I used my shiny new Lidl special oil pump for the first time.  It did a pretty good job, other than when the outlet pipe popped out of the catch can and started depositing used engine oil over the driveway .  Fortunately I was still by the car at the time so it only spilled about a mugful, but that made enough of a mess.  I hate to think what had happened if it had waited until I'd gone inside to make a coffee - I would have come out to a full gallon of oil running down the drive.

That wasn't the only mishap - when I was fitting the new filter it was a bit of a tight fit in the housing, so I gave it a good shove and it suddenly popped home and splattered the oil that had been in the bottom of the housing all over the engine and, more annoyingly, all over my face.  Fortunately it had more or less cooled down by then...  I tipped about 7 litres of 5w30 in - the last two litres were some Tesco own brand stuff I had on the shelf in the shed which is semi-synth rather than full, but I can't imagine it'll do too much harm.  Capacity is supposed to be 8.5L so I don't think the pump managed to get all of the old oil out, but it'll do.

I had another look at the power steering motor on the BMW, having acquired a few more tools.  I'm now nearly able to get to the bolts, but I need a longer 3/8" extension and also a universal joint, so I'm going to order those and hopefully have another crack next weekend.  The job is complicated somewhat by the contortions required to get to the bolts which are above the steering column deep under the dash - with me being as broken as I am I can't stay upside down in the footwell for more than a few minutes at a time so it's going to be an awkward job anyway, but at least I know how I'm going to attack it now.

I also had a more thorough go at polishing the roof on the Innocenti.  It's actually come up reasonably well - it's far from perfect but then so is the rest of the car, so I'll probably leave it as it is.  The bonnet needs rather more work - I'm still hesitating whether to wrap it or attempt to paint it.  Finding a colour match is probably going to be a challenge but a bonnet is something that I might be able to achieve an acceptable finish on with rattle cans, especially if I remove it from the car - I'd have no chance painting a roof.

The Toyota is booked in for an MOT on Friday, so the next job is to tidy that up and give the exhaust its annual Gun Gumming.  When I went to the garage to book it in I also asked about the auxiliary belt on the Merc, and they said it wasn't actually that bad of a job once the plastics are out of the way - which I'm hoping means that if I do give up and farm the job out to them the bill won't be too horrendous.  I've ordered the tensioner and alternator pulleys anyway, so one way or another it'll get done.  It's also going to need front springs at some point - they're fine but they're the wrong ones for the car, it has sport suspension and someone has fitted non-sport springs so it sits far too high.  Oh, and it's showing a fault code for the offside MAF sensor being out of spec.  It's going to end up owing me rather a lot of money by the time it's fully sorted, but it should also be rather a nice car...

[Zelandeth]

15 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Gave the Renault 6 a bit of a service this weekend - oil and filter change and a new set of spark plugs (Bosch this time).  I stuck a can of engine flush in it beforehand, having seen when I took the rocker cover off to do the valve clearances that it's a bit* gungy in there.  How much good it's done I have no idea but it was worth a go.  I also gave the brake pipes their annual check over - still all looking good, but I did give them a good spray of wax this year in an attempt to help keep them that way.  One has to be a little bit careful with a single circuit braking system.  I'm glad they didn't need replacing though as there's a surprising amount of pipe for such a small car - the front to rear pipe runs up the offside sill, then across the rear axle to a load sensing valve on the nearside, which then sends another pipe back across the axle to join up with the offside flexi.  #BecauseFrench.

I also did an oil and filter change on the Merc today.  I wasn't sure how old the oil was (it was black but that doesn't mean anything in an ageing turbodiesel) but it had also been overfilled so I thought I might as well do it anyway.  I used my shiny new Lidl special oil pump for the first time.  It did a pretty good job, other than when the outlet pipe popped out of the catch can and started depositing used engine oil over the driveway .  Fortunately I was still by the car at the time so it only spilled about a mugful, but that made enough of a mess.  I hate to think what had happened if it had waited until I'd gone inside to make a coffee - I would have come out to a full gallon of oil running down the drive.

That wasn't the only mishap - when I was fitting the new filter it was a bit of a tight fit in the housing, so I gave it a good shove and it suddenly popped home and splattered the oil that had been in the bottom of the housing all over the engine and, more annoyingly, all over my face.  Fortunately it had more or less cooled down by then...  I tipped about 7 litres of 5w30 in - the last two litres were some Tesco own brand stuff I had on the shelf in the shed which is semi-synth rather than full, but I can't imagine it'll do too much harm.  Capacity is supposed to be 8.5L so I don't think the pump managed to get all of the old oil out, but it'll do.

I had another look at the power steering motor on the BMW, having acquired a few more tools.  I'm now nearly able to get to the bolts, but I need a longer 3/8" extension and also a universal joint, so I'm going to order those and hopefully have another crack next weekend.  The job is complicated somewhat by the contortions required to get to the bolts which are above the steering column deep under the dash - with me being as broken as I am I can't stay upside down in the footwell for more than a few minutes at a time so it's going to be an awkward job anyway, but at least I know how I'm going to attack it now.

I also had a more thorough go at polishing the roof on the Innocenti.  It's actually come up reasonably well - it's far from perfect but then so is the rest of the car, so I'll probably leave it as it is.  The bonnet needs rather more work - I'm still hesitating whether to wrap it or attempt to paint it.  Finding a colour match is probably going to be a challenge but a bonnet is something that I might be able to achieve an acceptable finish on with rattle cans, especially if I remove it from the car - I'd have no chance painting a roof.

The Toyota is booked in for an MOT on Friday, so the next job is to tidy that up and give the exhaust its annual Gun Gumming.  When I went to the garage to book it in I also asked about the auxiliary belt on the Merc, and they said it wasn't actually that bad of a job once the plastics are out of the way - which I'm hoping means that if I do give up and farm the job out to them the bill won't be too horrendous.  I've ordered the tensioner and alternator pulleys anyway, so one way or another it'll get done.  It's also going to need front springs at some point - they're fine but they're the wrong ones for the car, it has sport suspension and someone has fitted non-sport springs so it sits far too high.  Oh, and it's showing a fault code for the offside MAF sensor being out of spec.  It's going to end up owing me rather a lot of money by the time it's fully sorted, but it should also be rather a nice car...

I'm always wary of flushing agents in grimey engines.  Always the potential for some chunk of gunge breaking free and blocking off some critical oil way or the pickup strainer.  I'd be far more inclined to use some diesel spec oil of the correct grade instead, as that generally has a higher detergent content than petrol oils.  So will just gently clean things rather than aggressively scouring the innards of the engine.

[Bear]

I really should have tried one of these when they were new

[goosey]

5 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Why? Those wheels look right.

My Son wants a sort of OEM plus look, and one tons are probably the coolest wheels ever fitted to a Landrover 

[24vdiamond]

17 hours ago, Joey spud said:

Wayside adhesives off that eBay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371107119311?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=EsU-jmmZRSm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=LUEY6lLiSBS&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Nice easy to use product much recommended.

Thanks very much, ordered! 👍

[Stinkwheel]

14 hours ago, richardmorris said:

A lot of unnecessary arsing about. And not a lot of 1963 in evidence.

 

I know a couple of the guys in the video assisting - Joe and the best matcs teacher ever fairly well. good guys and 2CV through and through, have known them both 20 yrs, as you say though, some of that car is very 1963, other bits not so much, I do wish it was made clearer what was right and what was wrong about the car (Having said that, I dont much mind people modding their cars to how they want)

[EightMegs]

I just had to pick up a Mercedes Vaneo with intermittently broken power steering, a dead starter motor, and every warning light on the dash lit. Apparently the starter motor either needs you to drop either the engine or the subframe for access so this one's been written off. We'd already given up on the power steering issue because even the Merc specialist couldn't figure it out. I'm trying to convince my manager that it's worthy of a for sale thread but he's convinced that it's worth "£1500 in parts alone".

[artdjones]

31 minutes ago, EightMegs said:

I just had to pick up a Mercedes Vaneo with intermittently broken power steering, a dead starter motor, and every warning light on the dash lit. Apparently the starter motor either needs you to drop either the engine or the subframe for access so this one's been written off. We'd already given up on the power steering issue because even the Merc specialist couldn't figure it out. I'm trying to convince my manager that it's worthy of a for sale thread but he's convinced that it's worth "£1500 in parts alone".

Don't bother, I had one on hire in Germany once. Low geared, heavy on fuel, and not nice to drive. And I got my only speeding ticket ever rushing around trying to find a petrol station before returning the thing.

[Lankytim]

Browsing the local charity shop, who was it that’s into old vacuum cleaners? 

[loserone]

@beko1987

 

 

[loserone]

Here's one on eBay 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326003169498?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=tuPc0anhQ2m&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=_DrQZiLTSn2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[24vdiamond]

Passenger side leg/wing assembly fully welded on the Carlton, starting to look like a car again!

 

[HMC]

They were filming a bbc crime drama right outside my window today and we let them use our conference room as the “Green room” between takes.

I had the opportunity to park the p4 up where the  pink and white citroen is, but the leaky fuel sender would have caused an environmental spillage risk at that angle.

Still, the cork gasket arrived today so i can sort that pretty soon.

Was an interesting day with celebrities/ actors going up and down the stairs. They were all very polite and friendly despite one scene needing about 6 takes.

[beko1987]

6 hours ago, loserone said:

Here's one on eBay 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326003169498?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=tuPc0anhQ2m&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=_DrQZiLTSn2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Aaah kirbys! Depreciation of a modern Mercedes, and that ebay one is overpriced for the condition! 

I've got a 1984 Turbo, g4 and sentria 2, all with the full kit and the Heritage and Sentria are fully refurbished and still not worth that much! 

They are fucking good though if you've got lots of carpet. That G5 is mid 90s

And if it was a car it'd be in the 'fuck me just scrap it m8' thread 😂 Terrible value especially with no tools. That charity shop one is a much better price and the aluminium looks cleaner too! Always full toolkits and shampoo sets for £20/30 on ebay never used too

[richardmorris]

6 hours ago, Lankytim said:

Browsing the local charity shop, who was it that’s into old vacuum cleaners? 

@beko1987

[junkyarddog]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

They were filming a bbc crime drama right outside my window today and we let them use our conference room as the “Green room” between takes.

I had the opportunity to park the p4 up where the  pink and white citroen is, but the leaky fuel sender would have caused an environmental spillage risk at that angle.

Still, the cork gasket arrived today so i can sort that pretty soon.

Was an interesting day with celebrities/ actors going up and down the stairs. They were all very polite and friendly despite one scene needing about 6 takes.

Looks like kris Marshall.

[richardmorris]

5 minutes ago, junkyarddog said:

Looks like kris Marshall.

Beyond paradise or has that finished?

[HMC]

7 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Beyond paradise or has that finished?

Yes series 3 apparently. He had a long lie down on the sofa between takes.

[richardmorris]

6 minutes ago, HMC said:

Yes series 3 apparently. He had a long lie down on the sofa between takes.

Watching tv or film being made is incredibly boring whilst being a little bit glamorous. In our last work site at englefield green most of the series Misfits was filmed there after the university closed to students and the ray winstone bill drury biopic was done just before we left.

[stuboy]

7 days not driving due too surgery thought id go check my mota's are ok, they covered in bird poo and sandy rain rubbish, did ask miss stuboy  to take the mondeo out but came up with excuse can see out the back, reverse camera upside down etc etc... i said dont worry guess ill sort it when driving again next week 

[richardmorris]

15 minutes ago, stuboy said:

7 days not driving due too surgery thought id go check my mota's are ok, they covered in bird poo and sandy rain rubbish, did ask miss stuboy  to take the mondeo out but came up with excuse can see out the back, reverse camera upside down etc etc... i said dont worry guess ill sort it when driving again next week 

I washed the 2cv after the storm on Friday. Since when it has seemingly been strafed by a passing albatross with severe intestinal problems. 

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Beyond paradise or has that finished?

Wifey will be traumatised if that trite shite is over. Midsomer in heat.

[Lord Sterling]

Watching below the "Momentous Legacy of Goodness Gracious Me" on YouTube and behind the lady being interviewed, there.is, for reason a large picture of a drawing of a Mk3 Astra!

Which appears to be this picture:

Someone on the show either loves Astras or trying very badly to make the window look like there is a car outside. 

[Joey spud]

Now showing 176,856 kms and nearly 29 years old the Toyota has just walked yet another MOT.

You've got to admire Toyota's engineering skill.

[Yoss]

I've been doing MOTs too. I had shite company when I arrived too. 

 

I'm always relieved when this bit goes to plan. I won't have to mess about with any brakes then. 

Spot on. 

 

So it's a shame he poked a hole in the back of the sill! The other side was almost identical. 

But on the plus side it's small, on a flat surface and easy to get at so it could have been worse. And the Mondeo needed welding too. To be expected I guess. It's the third MOT in my ownership and the first time I've had any welding, so again I can't complain. 

[taxi paul]

Spotted this sports car in Whiston village today. Didn't get reg because I was at the  lights and no time sadly. It did have the go faster grille on the rear window. He was probably at the motor factors getting some new points. Or whatever. 

[IronStar]

38 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I've been doing MOTs too. I had shite company when I arrived too. 

 

I'm always relieved when this bit goes to plan. I won't have to mess about with any brakes then. 

Spot on. 

 

So it's a shame he poked a hole in the back of the sill! The other side was almost identical. 

But on the plus side it's small, on a flat surface and easy to get at so it could have been worse. And the Mondeo needed welding too. To be expected I guess. It's the third MOT in my ownership and the first time I've had any welding, so again I can't complain. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again. That colour! Those wheels! The whole package! 😍😍😍

Makes me want to go out and buy a Favorit. 

[Yoss]

2 minutes ago, IronStar said:

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again. That colour! Those wheels! The whole package! 😍😍😍

Makes me want to go out and buy a Favorit. 

Thanks. I think you might have enough on your plate with your Zastava though. 

[IronStar]

Just now, Yoss said:

Thanks. I think you might have enough on your plate with your Zastava though. 

Which one out of 3? 😂

[Yoss]

1 minute ago, IronStar said:

Which one out of 3? 😂

Ah. I've just been following the trials of the new one. What are the other two? I assume at least one will be what we call the Yugo 45?