The new news 24 thread

[richardmorris]

[richardmorris]

[comfortablynumb]

The RAC 

Apparently now you can't ring them up if you break down, you have to go online.

That's only going to end well!

Last time we tried to use them, it was MK1 son in his series landie, he broke down( injector pump failure) on the main A10/A1122 junction near Downham market.

He rang them, told them he was not in a place of safety, and needed urgent assistance.

He then rang me.

I was in Lowestoft. At this point, with the aid of the police he actually got it off the roundabout and into a nearby layby.

In the time he waited for them to show, I finished what I was doing there, drove back to Downham, checked and agreed what the fault was, went another 10 miles home, took another pump from a spare engine, returned to him, fitted and timed the pump, and he drove home.

We didn't bother to tell the RAC, thought we'd wait and see if they contacted him at all.

They didn't.

He's now with brittania rescue, like me.

And it's going online? 😱

[juular]

9 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

The RAC 

Apparently now you can't ring them up if you break down, you have to go online.

That's only going to end well!

Last time we tried to use them, it was MK1 son in his series landie, he broke down( injector pump failure) on the main A10/A1122 junction near Downham market.

He rang them, told them he was not in a place of safety, and needed urgent assistance.

He then rang me.

I was in Lowestoft. At this point, with the aid of the police he actually got it off the roundabout and into a nearby layby.

In the time he waited for them to show, I finished what I was doing there, drove back to Downham, checked and agreed what the fault was, went another 10 miles home, took another pump from a spare engine, returned to him, fitted and timed the pump, and he drove home.

We didn't bother to tell the RAC, thought we'd wait and see if they contacted him at all.

They didn't.

He's now with brittania rescue, like me.

And it's going online? 😱

On all of my recent breakdowns, and there have been a few, I've had an atrocious signal where I could barely make a call. Internet signal was always non existent.

I reckon this is purely to reduce the number of callouts they get.

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, comfortablynumb said:

The RAC 

Apparently now you can't ring them up if you break down, you have to go online.

That's only going to end well!

Last time we tried to use them, it was MK1 son in his series landie, he broke down( injector pump failure) on the main A10/A1122 junction near Downham market.

He rang them, told them he was not in a place of safety, and needed urgent assistance.

He then rang me.

I was in Lowestoft. At this point, with the aid of the police he actually got it off the roundabout and into a nearby layby.

In the time he waited for them to show, I finished what I was doing there, drove back to Downham, checked and agreed what the fault was, went another 10 miles home, took another pump from a spare engine, returned to him, fitted and timed the pump, and he drove home.

We didn't bother to tell the RAC, thought we'd wait and see if they contacted him at all.

They didn't.

He's now with brittania rescue, like me.

And it's going online? 😱

I gave up on the RAC 2 years ago because they took 7 hours to come out to me after updates saying they were on there way. Next time it took so long I gave up and had @Slowsilver help me.

My experience was so terrible with the RAC that I would recommend everybody look elsewhere for breakdown cover.

[stuboy]

13 hours ago, Snake Charmer said:

Can you easily check to see if it has a tiny air bleed hole in the back side of the diaphragm housing? If that hasn't been drilled or is blocked then it will need high vacuum. Could also have a stronger spring than the old one. 

no idea its one like this..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261203521649?chn=ps&_ul=GB&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1S6D2RiylQvSdVCH5hZ9m_A23&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=261203521649&targetid=2340006585303&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9045114&poi=&campaignid=19090194174&mkgroupid=169936178361&rlsatarget=pla-2340006585303&abcId=9303860&merchantid=101725354&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxcX7vIu-iAMVGZtQBh0rWw3nEAQYAyABEgJgFvD_BwE

was thinking i could modify it so uses a fuel tap.. only down side would be turning it on/off

Edited September 12, 2024 by stuboy
forgot the link and im stupid

[captain_70s]

4 hours ago, comfortablynumb said:

The RAC 

Apparently now you can't ring them up if you break down, you have to go online.

I phoned them in July when the Dolomite died, but they do try to push you towards using the app instead at every opportunity.

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 20/08/2024 at 23:49, Ghosty said:

I have the 1250a one. Can confirm, they're bloody good. They work as a USB-C power bank too.

i have the GBX45 and got the 65w charger which is fookin fast

[artdjones]

This was parked up outside a hotel in Dinan today.

Edit:- I looked the car up, it started as a 3 litre saloon scrapped in 1947. Apparently the chassis was "recovered" in the 1960s, and fitted with the cliché Vanden Plas replica tourer. After that it was "converted" to a 4½ litre. 

I'm not sure what makes this bitza any thing other than a money making replica, rather than a real Vintage Bentley.

[Snake Charmer]

1 hour ago, stuboy said:

no idea its one like this..

Ah, not the type I was thinking of, doesn’t come apart.

[wuvvum]

53 minutes ago, artdjones said:

This was parked up outside a hotel in Dinan today.

Edit:- I looked the car up, it started as a 3 litre saloon scrapped in 1947. Apparently the chassis was "recovered" in the 1960s, and fitted with the cliché Vanden Plas replica tourer. After that it was "converted" to a 4½ litre. 

I'm not sure what makes this bitza any thing other than a money making replica, rather than a real Vintage Bentley.

Still better than a Sherpley mind...

[artdjones]

5 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Still better than a Sherpley mind...

I suppose a lot of parts are Bentley parts. Which is more than can be said for a lot of "vintage" Bugattis, which are sometimes almost complete replicas, with bits from one car spread across several vehicles.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

This was parked up outside a hotel in Dinan today.

Edit:- I looked the car up, it started as a 3 litre saloon scrapped in 1947. Apparently the chassis was "recovered" in the 1960s, and fitted with the cliché Vanden Plas replica tourer. After that it was "converted" to a 4½ litre. 

I'm not sure what makes this bitza any thing other than a money making replica, rather than a real Vintage Bentley.

I like the look of it. I suppose it depends on the valuations of this versus a genuine car. £100k v £1 million?

[Yoss]

58 minutes ago, artdjones said:

This was parked up outside a hotel in Dinan today.

Edit:- I looked the car up, it started as a 3 litre saloon scrapped in 1947. Apparently the chassis was "recovered" in the 1960s, and fitted with the cliché Vanden Plas replica tourer. After that it was "converted" to a 4½ litre. 

I'm not sure what makes this bitza any thing other than a money making replica, rather than a real Vintage Bentley.

I'm not sure any of that matters. If its still made of Bentley bits albeit lots of different ones it's still better than it being scrapped in 1947.

I have a Triumph 1300 TC with a 1500 gearbox and, subframe, radiator and starter motor, Dolomite front suspension and Sprint wheels and front seats. And a Landcrab washer bottle. All done deliberately by me. The purists would hate it but I don't care. Its all bits of old Triumph and it's all over 50 years old. 

[Split_Pin]

13th September, I think this is the earliest I have ever seen a frost:

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

Same here, I had minus 1. Autumn came early this year so I am afraid that winter will do the same.

[artdjones]

9 hours ago, Yoss said:

I'm not sure any of that matters. If its still made of Bentley bits albeit lots of different ones it's still better than it being scrapped in 1947.

I have a Triumph 1300 TC with a 1500 gearbox and, subframe, radiator and starter motor, Dolomite front suspension and Sprint wheels and front seats. And a Landcrab washer bottle. All done deliberately by me. The purists would hate it but I don't care. Its all bits of old Triumph and it's all over 50 years old. 

You're not expecting to make a ton of cash out of your activities, and you're not stamping fake chassis numbers on the various components to make your car more valuable. Plus I'm sure your car has always remained in existence. If they tried to reregister the Bentley now it would have a Q plate.

[comfortablynumb]

I gave up on 'originality' some time ago, it's my car(s) and I'll do what I want with it/them

If it needs something which a part from an alternative source will do, then that's what it gets.

I frequently get asked ' what year?' on my RRC, the stock reply is ' what bit?'😁

[beko1987]

10 hours ago, Yoss said:

I'm not sure any of that matters. If its still made of Bentley bits albeit lots of different ones it's still better than it being scrapped in 1947.

I have a Triumph 1300 TC with a 1500 gearbox and, subframe, radiator and starter motor, Dolomite front suspension and Sprint wheels and front seats. And a Landcrab washer bottle. All done deliberately by me. The purists would hate it but I don't care. Its all bits of old Triumph and it's all over 50 years old. 

Sounds no different to how bl built them new when they could get away with it anyway 😂

Having had a xantia with pug 405 front seats fitted Im on board with it! 

[Yoss]

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

You're not expecting to make a ton of cash out of your activities, and you're not stamping fake chassis numbers on the various components to make your car more valuable. Plus I'm sure your car has always remained in existence. If they tried to reregister the Bentley now it would have a Q plate.

Yeah, all fair points well made, I'm certainly not making money out of it, quite the reverse. I wasn't thinking about it in a commercial sense just that it's better that it exists than it doesn't and I'd quite happily give it a go. 

[richardmorris]

[richardmorris]

[Datsuncog]

Pretty chilly here this morning too.

No frost, but 4°C showing on the car thermometer and it felt like it.

We're coastal here, but apparently down the road at Katesbridge the temperature was recorded at -1°C overnight, which is the coldest September night for a long time.

Katesbride records coldest early September since 1986 - BBC News

Was just thinking the other day how early autumn is this year - there's piles of yellow leaves filling the pavements already. In my mind that's what September ought to be like, but generally the leaves don't start turning, let alone falling, until we're well into October.

May indeed be an early winter on them way - and as such, I really ought to get a load of outside jobs finished over the next few weeks...

[SiC]

3 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

13th September, I think this is the earliest I have ever seen a frost:

 

I'm off to Vienna next week for work and checking the weather, they have snow warnings already. 😬

[richardmorris]

[richardmorris]

28 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Pretty chilly here this morning too.

No frost, but 4°C showing on the car thermometer and it felt like it.

We're coastal here, but apparently down the road at Katesbridge the temperature was recorded at -1°C overnight, which is the coldest September night for a long time.

Was just thinking the other day how early autumn is this year - there's piles of yellow leaves filling the pavements already. In my mind that's what September ought to be like, but generally the leaves don't start turning, let alone falling, until we're well into October.

May indeed be an early winter on them way - and as such, I really ought to get a load of outside jobs finished over the next few weeks...

6 this morning but bright in Surrey. 

[Coprolalia]

23 minutes ago, SiC said:

I'm off to Vienna next week for work and checking the weather, they have snow warnings already. 😬

Fuck I'm in Vienna too at the tail end of next week (research conference) and hadn't even thought of that. Better dig out my ski gear.

[320touring]

More work on the Oxford today:

First up, time to try my hunch re the switched Live I found the other day.

 

This is extremely temporary - merely a proof of concept.

With the wire attached, I had an ignition light!

I fired up the car and the ignition light dimmed but did not extinguish.

Thinking about this, I'm a bit confused. 

When the dynamo failed way back, it wouldn't provide any charge.

When the initial alternator has it's regulator go wonky, it was over charging, not undercharging.

The current one doesn't charge at all - the car shows about 11.9v when running.

This did not change, even with the exciter wire attached.

Can anyone offer an explanation as to what's going on? @SiC ?🤣

 

@Asimo will be pleased to know that a replacement bracket has been ordered to mount the new (new) alternator. When it arrives I'll get the new one properly mounted and make up a wire so it has a feed to the exciter.

 

[320touring]

Things then escalated on the Oxford:

I'd taken @blackboilersuit's sage advice to heart - "You're going to have to work on making it BETTER, not less worse".

To this end, I have started to replace the heater box hoses as they were both very brittle and cracked. The jubilee clips didn't look the greatest either.

This is the return from the heater - top jubilee was fine, but the bottom one was totally gubbed. So much so, even removing the screw fully didn't get the clip to loosen 

Thankfully I have enormous reserves of stubbornness, a screwdriver and a hammer..

Handily, this pipe routes through a clip at the bottom of the heater box

It pulled out fine once the clips were removed.

The feed from the heater valve was no less cantankerous.

This time, it was the upper clip that was at fault 

Eventually I was successful.

I made up the new pipes ready for fitting

Taping them together meant I was able to get the correct length and hold the old pipe in position so I could cut it.

 

However, again with @blackboilersuit's words ringing in my ears...

Look at the state of that heater box

Absolutely honking.

And here's me got it stripped... What to do?

Ah yes, a drill mounted wire brush..

Heater box and bulkhead wire brushed and coated with rust converter.

This was left to dry and then 2 coats of primer were applied

This was followed by 2 cans of Matt black.

This has now dried and looks bloody great.

A replacement heater feed hose will be ordered and I,'ll get the other side of the bulkhead done.

 

[D.E]

Seen today in Beesd. What a glorious behemoth!