The new news 24 thread

[grogee]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

Nokia

I had that Nokia. Haven't had another since. 

It did this thing where it filled up its internal memory with shite and then would be very flaky, freeze, not be able to answer calls etc. Even a factory reset wouldn't fix it. And it wouldn't let you move stuff onto the SD card to free up internal memory. 

[hairnet]

17 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Got a few bits done this weekend.  Fitted new cabin filters to the Getz in the hope that it will help stop the car misting up every time it's a bit damp.  It's been pretty dry all weekend here so haven't been able to tell whether it's worked or not.

Backed the Ampera up onto the ramps for a look underneath the back.  It's all solid under there but there's a fair bit of flaky paint.  I gave it a quick jet wash and then started to attack it with the wire brush attachment on the drill, but I obviously forgot to switch the charger on last time I "charged" the drill as the battery ran out after a few minutes.  So that's going to have to wait for another day.  I'm also going to order some more Lanoguard spray as the last bottle I bought has nearly run out.

I did a bit of light dismantling under the bonnet of the Merc and found the source of the minor exhaust blow.

That's the vibration damper bit on the pipe that runs from the turbo to the down pipe.  It's only a little short section but I've not been able to find the part number for a new one - there are a few used ones on eBay though for not too much money, although I have a feeling it might be a bit awkward to fit - the OM642 is rather shoehorned into the C Class engine bay.  It's going to need doing though as eventually the pipe is going to crack all the way round and then the slight whiff of exhaust in the cabin won't be a slight whiff anymore.

That's about all I did on the cars, I rarely get much done this time of year as I get up late and it gets dark early.  I have been having some fun with phones though.  Buoyed by my recent success in resurrecting the two ancient Siemens phones I found in a kitchen drawer that had lain untouched for at least a decade, I decided to dig out all the other old phones I have around the place and see how many of them were able to be brought to life.  This is the result:

23 working mobile phones, and three tablets (one of which I have absolutely no memory of buying).  Which amusingly means I have the same number of phones as el chapo 

 

[IronStar]

3 hours ago, wuvvum said:

The one directly above it is also an Android BlackBerry (a Priv), but that one has a slidey-out keyboard.

I actually prefer that setup as it gives a bigger screen and doesn't increase the thickness too massively, but the Priv runs a rather ancient version of Android and updates are becoming a challenge.

And the one to the left of that is a BlackBerry Classic, which runs the final version of the BlackBerry OS which is compatible with Google Play Store, so you can (or could when it was a bit newer) download Android apps onto it.

I remember how badly I wanted BB Priv when it was new, but couldn’t possibly afford it back then. Touch screens and keyboards have really come a long way since, and it’s much nicer to use that interface than small physical keyboard.

[holbeck]

I've been on holiday in LA,  I  didn't  manage to capture the best stuff but here's a few random shots

[holbeck]

[stuboy]

SiL says her micra automatic keeps randomly just 'over reving' , i not had a look yet, mk3 micra

[wuvvum]

12 minutes ago, holbeck said:

Remind me what those stairs are.  I know they're famous for some reason but I can't for the life of me remember why.

[alcyonecorporation]

Went to the NEHC in the Subaru. 

It behaved there and back. 

Good show. 

It'll be away when the gritters come out. 

[fotie by @seth, who saw the cab but whom I missed]. 
 

[richardmorris]

50 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Remind me what those stairs are.  I know they're famous for some reason but I can't for the life of me remember why.

Exorcist?

[holbeck]

32 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Remind me what those stairs are.  I know they're famous for some reason but I can't for the life of me remember why.

[Metal Guru]

On 07/11/2024 at 15:48, 2flags said:

£79,000 for an engine rebuild?????? WTF!!! I'd be terrified to drive it!

£15k for seats too. I know you can’t exactly shove in a £500 SCS sofa but still ….

[barefoot]

Whoops!

I finally got round to leaving a slightly negative review of that half arsed Rover specialist I visited back in February. The owner replied, originally saying that she couldn't find me. But when I suggested that she have a proper look as I wasn't making it up and nine months ago I'd have worded things a little more strongly, she confirmed that she had indeed said I'd have to leave the car with them until Xmas but it wasn't her fault because...

That was yesterday, today, http://www.mg-rovermobilemechanics.com/   ...appears to have vanished.

[Yoss]

Something I've not seen for a very long time. I came in to work this morning to see a brand new van in the yard. A proper red one, not just a white hire van. 

The thing that first made it stand out was the fact it has a Charles lll crest on the door. 

I know it will take more than one new van to solve our problems but it's still nice to see. 

[Lord Sterling]

My Vectra would have originally have come with a "letterbox" exhaust (Picture of when @Woody? owned it) you can probably see the square tailpipe in the pic.

When I got it, the letterbox was long gone.

As I am doing a light and running resto I thought that some nice tailpipes was required so I bought an Irmscher "D" piped backbox;

Except pretty much as soon as I bought it, a letterbox backbox was offered to me for a steal at £50!

Which is also an Irmscher unit. 

They always seem to come up at the wrong time. I just managed to scratch together the asking that day.

The guy I bought it off runs "Vauxspeed" in Walsall and has an ABDUNDANCE of Vectra Bs tucked away, he knows what he is doing with Bs so it'll be going to him for fixing the oil leak and power steering leak (if there is one, as it seems to be holding up well so far) he also has upgrade bits which I might also get as time goes on.

At least I've got it now. It'll live in the back of the car until I get it fitted.

Oh, also, whilst searching for one of those increasingly rare things, an ATM, I spotted this:

 

[artdjones]

Just finished filling the worst damage where I scraped the Doblo on a gatepost 2 years ago. There's still some depressions to fill, but I put some temporary primer and topcoat on. It looks way better ( from 10 ft away), and the final work will be easier, as there's no more beating out of dents from behind to do, so no sliding door removal necessary.

Of course if @triggeror @Peter C looked closely at it they would probably weep profusely, but I've always found bodywork more difficult than mechanical stuff.

[richardmorris]

11 minutes ago, artdjones said:

Just finished filling the worst damage where I scraped the Doblo on a gatepost 2 years ago. There's still some depressions to fill, but I put some temporary primer and topcoat on. It looks way better ( from 10 ft away), and the final work will be easier, as there's no more beating out of dents from behind to do, so no sliding door removal necessary.

Of course if @triggeror @Peter C looked closely at it they would probably weep profusely, but I've always found bodywork more difficult than mechanical stuff.

That’s reminds me about the black Mercedes I saw on the m40 this morning. Relatively new and the whole near side was wavy, a bit like father dougal had had a go at repairing it.

[artdjones]

14 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

That’s reminds me about the black Mercedes I saw on the m40 this morning. Relatively new and the whole near side was wavy, a bit like father dougal had had a go at repairing it.

It's looking a lot better than when I scraped it. I felt a bit sick after that.

[auntiemaryscanary]

My 17 yr old Dobl is starting to get a little crispy...

 

Nothing major yet. Still only got 73k on the clock so plenty of life left in the engine.

[richardmorris]

Rootes group theft from NEC.

[Zelandeth]

12 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Rootes group theft from NEC.

Shame to hear about that.  Not massively surprising sadly.  I attend a convention at the Hilton hotel next door to the NEC every year, and it's pretty much legend how poor the security in all the parking areas in the vicinity is.  Every year there are at least a few people who have their cars interfered with in some way.  Stuff just vanishes into the adjacent industrial areas and is never seen again.

It's something that really, really needs to be improved on.

[Peter C]

@artdjones

Looks good to me. I would have riveted a metal patch over the dent and sprayed it with underseal.

[artdjones]

26 minutes ago, Peter C said:

@artdjones

Looks good to me. I would have riveted a metal patch over the dent and sprayed it with underseal.

Leave it out! I might want to sell it in the spring!😁

[grogee]

3 hours ago, Yoss said:

Something I've not seen for a very long time. I came in to work this morning to see a brand new van in the yard. A proper red one, not just a white hire van. 

The thing that first made it stand out was the fact it has a Charles lll crest on the door. 

I know it will take more than one new van to solve our problems but it's still nice to see. 

I was going to tell you that I saw a 24 plate post office van the other day, think it was the same as this one. I was quite surprised! 

[stuboy]

Nothing exciting..  I was told the pressure washer didn't work... well I had too check it... lol and the galaxy need a bloody good wash..

[MrGTI6]

7 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

My Vectra would have originally have come with a "letterbox" exhaust (Picture of when @Woody? owned it) you can probably just make out theouquare tailpipe in the pic.

When I got it, the letterbox was long gone.

As I am doing a light and running resto I thought that some nice tailpipes was required so I bought an Irmscher "D" piped backbox;

Except pretty much as soon as I bought it, a letterbox backbox was offered to me for a steal at £50!

Which is also an Irmscher unit. 

They always seem to come up at the wrong time. I just managed to scratch together the asking that day.

The guy I bought it off runs "Vauxspeed" in Walsall and has an ABDUNDANCE of Vectra Bs tucked away, he knows what he is doing with Bs so it'll be going to him for fixing the oil leak and power steering leak (if there is one, as it seems to be holding up well so far) he also has upgrade bits which I might also get as time goes on.

At least I've got it now. It'll live in the back of the car until I get it fitted.

I won that very car from @w00dy in a Roffle in 2021(?) and this is how it looked when I had it:

[Lord Sterling]

1 hour ago, MrGTI6 said:

I won that very car from @w00dy in a Roffle in 2021(?) and this is how it looked when I had it:

Oddly enough, that was the image I was looking for to show it had the letterbox backbox on it. I knew I had the photo somewhere but clearly not.

I am just trying to tidy it up, slowly getting the parts and repairs it needs. Now I've met Steve Hucker at Vauxspeed in Walsall, I can look to get some serious work done on it as it's my everydayer.

[wuvvum]

The combination of roof bars and boot spoiler is an unusual one!

[Lord Sterling]

27 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

The combination of roof bars and boot spoiler is an unusual one!

Seems to be a fairly.commom thing amongst this era of Vauxhall estates. Although whilst all Vectra B estates, SRi/GSi will have roof bars and spoilers combined:

Only thr Vectra C GSI has spoiler/roof bars combo:

As my old C' SRi didn't;

Of course, by this point, the "SRi" (Sport Refinement Injection) didn't really mean anything anymore. 

Even on the Zafira A and B, were the roofbars an option or subtle:

I'm glad I've got mine, I even have a spare set. Never had to use mine but it's good know it's there if ever I need it. I have a couple of times had to transport stuff on the roof of a car without a roof rack etc...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I feel I need to apologise to @quicksilveron this thread, I inadvertently ruined his shot of a Scania yesterday by nipping round it i on the roundabout on the Buckingham Ringroad yesterday, I was the fool in white Iveco van. In my defence I’d been stuck behind since the end of the Tingewick Bypass.

Nice Popeye Doyle hat, by the way.

[beko1987]

18 hours ago, Yoss said:

Something I've not seen for a very long time. I came in to work this morning to see a brand new van in the yard. A proper red one, not just a white hire van. 

The thing that first made it stand out was the fact it has a Charles lll crest on the door. 

I know it will take more than one new van to solve our problems but it's still nice to see. 

Nice! 

Is it dented yet? 😂

I've always been curious what the average postie van milage is. I clocked a gander at my parcelforce blokes van a few months ago (bigger boxer iirc) and it was over 160k which didn't seem as high as I thought it might 🤔

We have little pug diesel vans now they replaced all the combos and their all quite battered and filthy