The new news 24 thread

[Yoss]

18 years ago I still owned the above Triumph and a Škoda Felicia so not much changes does it. I also had a Routemaster bus but not the one I still consider mine, but RM 2213. I had not long sold my last Landcrab, a Damask red Six auto, but didn't know it would be the last. It still might not be but prices are getting a bit silly on them now. That's something that has certainly changed in 18 years, they were almost free back then. 

[chadders]

26 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Even when I'm not in a Škoda I seem to attract other Škodas. 

 

I know it's been said many times before about the size of modern cars but these are just about the smallest modern cars you can buy, yet it towers over my Triumph which was considered a medium sized family car at the time. A Herald is smaller than this. 

I must admit if I ever have to move in to the 21st century I quite like the idea of one of these. Not necessarily a Škoda but any of the Up! family. 

I'd certainly recommend one.

We've got a 2012 Up! that we've had since new and a 2017 Citigo for about 5 years. They can comfortably take us and our 2 sons, 6ft 1 or so and 6ft 5 plus.

They've been the most reliable cars that we've ever had.(Cue various mechanical disasters soon).

[captain_70s]

48 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Speaking of anniversaries...

18 years ago today

18 years ago I didn't have a car, or a driving license. because I was 14. The family cars were a 2002 Citroen C5 2.0HDi estate and a 1999 Ford Explorer 4.0 V6.

I may have been present on the Practical Classics/Popular Classics forums by that point. I was quite interested in buying a 1960s car as roadworthy examples of an A35/Minor/Herald could be had for under a grand. I wasn't particularly interested in cars newer than that.

Weird to think how the landscape of motoring has changed, the SUV/crossover craze hadn't really started, electric cars weren't a thing. Rovers and Protons were still everywhere. A Series Land Rover was a commonplace workhorse and not a £10k car. 

[Supernaut]

7 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

A Series Land Rover was a commonplace workhorse and not a £10k car. 

I resemble that remark.

I got my license in 2005 and drove a series 3 in precisely that sort of condition. My dad bought it in 2000 for £1k and it didn't have a straight body panel on it. It towed well though.

 

I only joined in 2015, but when I was trundling about in the Megane the other day I had a thought. Back in 2011 I was driving a 14 year old diesel French hatchback. A 1997 Peugeot 306.

I remember seeing Mk3 Meganes when they were brand new.

Now I'm driving a 2011 one of them because it's become my type; a diesel French hatchback entering its teens.

[hairnet]

fuck sake dave

400 cars in 18 years?

not had 40 in 40 years

 

[danthecapriman]

18 years ago… I had a mk2 Capri, a Volvo 740 and a Volvo 244… with the exception of the 244, some things don’t change! 
I might possibly of had a smiley Transit too thinking back.

Although technically the 740 is not the same one.

It seems like an age ago now. So much has changed, and very little of it for the better either unfortunately.

[Spottedlaurel]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

Speaking of anniversaries...

18 years ago today I was sat at home idly browsing eBay when I received a message from a user going by the moniker Mouseflakes.  He said that he'd noticed I was bidding on a lot of the same cars as him......................

IIRC I joined in May 2006 and I recall the discussion about approaching you. I think I'd put two and two together and realised that you were the person with a load of random stuff parked-up in a Norwich housing estate that I'd stumbled across in late 2003. Were you buying or selling an Alfasud at the time Mouseflakes contacted you?

Trying to think what I had when I joined. At least one Datsun 240K GT, a very manky D-reg Laurel as my daily driver and maybe the bronze Starlet? 'Proper' family car driven by Mrs SL was a P-reg Carina E, which back then was a sensible, roomy, fairly modern car for ferrying around two pre-school children who are now 21 and 19 and both driving with their own cars.

In some senses things haven't moved-on much, as I still have a Laurel and a P-reg Carina E (just different ones) and the kids are driving AS-worthy Toyotas that are older than they are.

[Yoss]

1 hour ago, chadders said:

I'd certainly recommend one.

We've got a 2012 Up! that we've had since new and a 2017 Citigo for about 5 years. They can comfortably take us and our 2 sons, 6ft 1 or so and 6ft 5 plus.

They've been the most reliable cars that we've ever had.(Cue various mechanical disasters soon).

A friend of mine collects them. He's had all sorts over the years. Was buying them new and chopping them in every two or three years. Now he has a standard Up! in that nice pale blue for his Mrs, an Up! GTI for himself and a ten year old Seat Mii just because it was cheap and he'd never had a Seat one until then. 

[wuvvum]

38 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Were you buying or selling an Alfasud at the time Mouseflakes contacted you?

Could be, that was probably about the time I bought my first 'Sud, the white 1.5 Ti.

This was the Jetta.  KKY815W if memory serves.

[MikeR]

the old sx200 printer scaner has finally bust , despite new inks it proceeded to print in only black and red ...

£50  quid I paid for it 15 or so years ago , been hammered by various kids school and uni work  ..

they dont build them to last ??? 😂

[IronStar]

18 years ago I didn't drive as I was 12.

Family had a '99 Skoda Felicia 1.9D and '70-something Lada 1600 special.

Felicia was still a relatively new car, Ladas have been commonplace, as were many others now next to extinct cars. 

I remember seeing a magazine article about Brera about then and seeing the first 159 in person with my jaw hitting the floor. At about that time, my neighbor bought a brand new Swift in red with all the boxes ticked, and I was staring at it for like 15 minutes. Brand new cars were very very very uncommon here and this one stuck in my head for ages.

[JJ0063]

18 years ago I owned a 50cc Peugeot Vivacity! I got stopped by the police for having some sort of dodgy comic sans type front number plate on it. Got a £60 fine which at the time was a lot on my McDonald’s wages!

[Lord Sterling]

18 years ago I was a member of the AROnline forum back when it was a forum like this, a 'phpbb' based forum rather than a Facebook page or whatever its become. 

I may have been driving my Mum's K11 Nissan Micra and was on my way to saving up for my first Rover 800, a 1989 Rover 827Si.

(Soz about the no plates thing, that was way back when I wore a tinfoil hat) 

The Micra is still with us today, albeit in a garage and needing some minor crash repairs.

The 827Si was crashed a couple of years later as I was on my way to a job interview.

I hadn't yet joined Autoshite, that would be about 2 years later in 2008. I can't remember how I found it although it must have been through searching for Rover 800 related stuff. I was a lurker for a little while, maybe a year or so and had a lot of laughs as I loved people's dry senses of humour, especially from members like @Mr_Bo11ox, @Hirst (Made Under Licence) et al...

Since then, I have met and made a lot of friends and aquintances here. There are people who have helped me out considerably, yet (I feel) I've done little in return. My life has honestly changed for the better being here. I've gone from being a wet-behind-the-ears 25-year-old to being slightly life-battered 41 year old. There are people out there who were newly born when I joined this forum to probably just passing their GCSE's and are now about to enter into the big bad world of responsibility. 

As @wuvvum has said, this forum has changed a lot over the years. I've watched it go from being a tiny corner of the Internet concerned with old rammle to being the bigger forum it is today. It's had its ups and downs and big changes. We've lost members and gained new ones. This forum really has had a life of its own.

Both AROnline and the Rover800.info forum I migrated from have not managed to survive to now, both forums taking a fall into obscurity and finally being boarded up and locked up for good as the members dwindled.

Let us remember the good old days and the how it all started:

Courtesy of; waybackmachine.com

(Not sure why the last picture has all of the writing blurry, but see the link below if you want to check out some of the names that used to frequent here a lot)

https://web.archive.org/web/20080403022804/http://autoshite.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1

[Cavcraft]

This (1.6 petrol VTR+) sort of temporarily became a thing yesterday.  Can't think of the last time I saw one.

Can't think of the next time I want to see another one.

 

[Spottedlaurel]

1 hour ago, Lord Sterling said:

Note the Renault 15 top right, which I think belonged to one The Management. And now we have one on the forum again.

[wuvvum]

12 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

This (1.6 petrol VTR+) sort of temporarily became a thing yesterday.  Can't think of the last time I saw one.

Can't think of the next time I want to see another one.

 

Don't let @alcyonecorporation hear you say that, he loves these.

[andyberg]

36 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

This (1.6 petrol VTR+) sort of temporarily became a thing yesterday.  Can't think of the last time I saw one.

Can't think of the next time I want to see another one.

 

Now, see I really liked these when they first came out and I would still have one now. This has the funky steering wheel with the stationary centre?? Yes I like these very much. 

[lesapandre]

9 minutes ago, andyberg said:

Now, see I really liked these when they first came out and I would still have one now. This has the funky steering wheel with the stationary centre?? Yes I like these very much. 

Yes. They weren't too much fun to drive IMHO. Just 'an car'. Bland - I drove one new.  Not a VTR which may be better.

[Cavcraft]

They look quite snazzy, but they're less interesting* when the MOT is coming up and you CBA with welding and wheel bearings.

[richardmorris]

18 years ago i had a CX DTR Turbo as my daily car up until October then swapped it for a C5 exclusive when the rear subframe and longerons parted company with the rest of the body.

[tooSavvy]

My arrival coincided with the MintyNew Savvy.

2007

.... I've been a 'pie in the face/ripe tomato dodger' pretty much ever since 🤣

If it wasn't for @Station I'd never have had the delightful ToMM.

IF.. I had known a Z18XER/H-Mills Est was as good [..then = 07] who knows 😶‍🌫️

I really like this place *SPECIAL MENTION to @DirtyDaily.... Mukka 😉

🚙💨

[stuboy]

On 24/11/2024 at 09:45, stuboy said:

For 2 months I've been tell er'indoors I think the battery is dying but ignored (typical female not listening to the man/expert [ joking before the soap boxes get took out the cupboard ] and now suddenly she's taking notice and saying think there something wrong )..

 

today leaving work miss stuboy had a FTP, thankfully local resident had a jump pack and got her on her way, as a christmas is coming ive ordered her a new battery............

 

[lesapandre]

2 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

They look quite snazzy, but they're less interesting* when the MOT is coming up and you CBA with welding and wheel bearings.

One of those cars that's just disappeared even in France. Can't recall seeing one. Whereas Peugeots of the same era still seem about.

[artdjones]

15 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

One of those cars that's just disappeared even in France. Can't recall seeing one. Whereas Peugeots of the same era still seem about.

The cars about seem to vary by region. I didn't see very many Mégane 3s in Brittany this summer, even though it was a big seller. 

[BorniteIdentity]

[KanyeMode] 18 years… 18 years… [\KanyeMode]

2006 I was 23 and knew I wasn’t quite right. I’d get a funny, fizzy feeling in my willy whenever I saw an undesirable car. My boss and I nearly went halves on an Xr3 cab for a grand but in the end I spent £400 on this from Wuvvum Country. 

What I struggle to comprehend- even as someone who does fiddly maths every day - is it was only 32 years old at the time. The same age as the Sierra, give or take, when I took that on. 

2007 was when the shite bug bit. I sold that capri for a modest profit and bought a Volvo 340 for £80. It was absolutely BOB on - the young fella sold it to me cheap as he knew I loved them. The Clio was a bit of fun as my ex wife had one as her first car; I still love them now. 

Yes, things have changed a bit here. My greatest frustration is that everyone’s standards seem to be a bit boojie these days. For me, the only standard I set (for the toys) is it must be better than walking. 

I don’t care that it’s now MK2 Foci and Laguni - but I do care that so few are willing to take on a basket case or a risk. 

The fact that I couldn’t despatch a running car for £100, I think, reinforces that. 

Anyway, here’s to the next 18 years. I hope to still be complaining about rot in Sierra doors and extolling the virtues of 90s Toyotas. 

[meshking]

5 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

18 years ago I was a member of the AROnline forum back when it was a forum like this, a 'phpbb' based forum rather than a Facebook page or whatever its become. 

I may have been driving my Mum's K11 Nissan Micra and was on my way to saving up for my first Rover 800, a 1989 Rover 827Si.

(Soz about the no plates thing, that was way back when I wore a tinfoil hat) 

The Micra is still with us today, albeit in a garage and needing some minor crash repairs.

The 827Si was crashed a couple of years later as I was on my way to a job interview.

I hadn't yet joined Autoshite, that would be about 2 years later in 2008. I can't remember how I found it although it must have been through searching for Rover 800 related stuff. I was a lurker for a little while, maybe a year or so and had a lot of laughs as I loved people's dry senses of humour, especially from members like @Mr_Bo11ox, @Hirst (Made Under Licence) et al...

Since then, I have met and made a lot of friends and aquintances here. There are people who have helped me out considerably, yet (I feel) I've done little in return. My life has honestly changed for the better being here. I've gone from being a wet-behind-the-ears 25-year-old to being slightly life-battered 41 year old. There are people out there who were newly born when I joined this forum to probably just passing their GCSE's and are now about to enter into the big bad world of responsibility. 

As @wuvvum has said, this forum has changed a lot over the years. I've watched it go from being a tiny corner of the Internet concerned with old rammle to being the bigger forum it is today. It's had its ups and downs and big changes. We've lost members and gained new ones. This forum really has had a life of its own.

Both AROnline and the Rover800.info forum I migrated from have not managed to survive to now, both forums taking a fall into obscurity and finally being boarded up and locked up for good as the members dwindled.

Let us remember the good old days and the how it all started:

Courtesy of; waybackmachine.com

(Not sure why the last picture has all of the writing blurry, but see the link below if you want to check out some of the names that used to frequent here a lot)

https://web.archive.org/web/20080403022804/http://autoshite.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1

Whoa! That’s a trip down memory lane! I think that was when I found this place, didn’t post much then (nor now tbh) but has some great laughs courtesy of this for over 16 years. God I feel old.

[Split_Pin]

15 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

so few are willing to take on a basket case or a risk. 

I'm not sure about that.

I took on my E46 and spent £950 in total replacing the gearbox.

Battled an A8 on the drive all summer

Bought a broken Saab and drove it home

Had a Clio 172 with a Rover 75 as a backup car.

Look at the number of Rover P4s on here

And not excepting yourself with the Sierra, Mini and the Freelander!

I think the place is as great as ever for car shenanigans.

[BorniteIdentity]

21 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I'm not sure about that.

I took on my E46 and spent £950 in total replacing the gearbox.

Battled an A8 on the drive all summer

Bought a broken Saab and drove it home

Had a Clio 172 with a Rover 75 as a backup car.

Look at the number of Rover P4s on here

And not excepting yourself with the Sierra, Mini and the Freelander!

I think the place is as great as ever for car shenanigans.

Maybe you're right. I just don't feel like I see the big adventures any more. A bit of 'faux jeopardy' with people buying what are actually perfectly sensible and serviceable cars, but little seems to be stupidly daft or being run on a shoestring or risking marriage/marital harmony etc.

I enjoy the place nonetheless.  

I should probably be the change I wish to see. If anyone wants to drive some old liabilities to Italy next year then I'd be keen to hear from them!

 

[alcyonecorporation]

5 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Don't let @alcyonecorporation hear you say that, he loves these.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[IronStar]

On 23/11/2024 at 21:48, IronStar said:

I left 156 sitting outside without driving it for a bit too long. Went to pick something up from it the other day…oh, no remote unlock. Right, nevermind I’ll just jumpstart it

Nope. Battery completely flat. 
Left it like this for 5 minutes, tried to start. Nope. Try locking with no cables. Nope. Tried a few more times. Nope.

So I set there idling for half an hour, and the result is it can lock and unlock on remote. Took the battery out, plugged in Lidl charger expecting it to say no as usual. It’s actually detected and charging! 
Let’s see if it actually gets charged to start the car.

Left it charging for 48h, it still didn’t go to 4 bars (IDK, me neither 🤷‍♂️)  but voltage went up. Took it to the car, plugged it back in, and it fired right up! Threw a scary MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE warning message with fans on full blast, but turns out I forgot to plug a sensor that was in the way back in. Took it for a spin, drives like a dream. I really need to use that car more often.

Lidl’s charger delivers! 🙌