The new news 24 thread

[clayts450]

43 minutes ago, Popsicle said:

I'd deffo run a car if your customer is happy for you to. Cheaper to buy, tax and insure, they tend to be comfier and quieter too, less CAZ charging zones as well.

I always thought a 1.6 cdti Astra estate would be perfect, free tax and a claim of up to 90 mpgees.

I must admit to being really surprised how economical the Passat seems, its looking like 7.5p nett per mile in fuel, I struggle to get under 10p a mile in the Caddy.

I'd snap your arm off for 10p per mile. Usually around the 12-14p range

[320touring]

Got a couple of Grand Thrift Auto ( @Skizzer's YouTube channel) long sleeve t-shirts for my birthday - look good and fit well (yes, I know I should have ironed it!)

Would recommend buying some if you are looking for cool car related clothes!

Available here:

https://grandthriftauto.teemill.com/

FYI @Skizzer didn't ask me to do this - just thought I'd mention they are good, well impressed with them.

[Split_Pin]

I've never seen you look so happy 😂

[Split_Pin]

I really should sell this now it's running well but I have been enjoying driving it too much 😂

The new idle control valve has transformed the driveability of it and it's definitely faster now.

 

[Royale80]

Gave Sierra a clean in preparation for MOT next week.

[Jazoli]

As is tradition gave the car a spring clean and ceramic coating

Probably should be in modern shite tbh.

[meshking]

27 minutes ago, Jazoli said:

As is tradition gave the car a spring clean and ceramic coating

Probably should be in modern shite tbh.

Looks good! What ceramic coating did you use? I need to do the same to my modern

[catsinthewelder]

I just throw tea cups at mine 🥴

[SiC]

6 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I really should sell this now it's running well but I have been enjoying driving it too much 😂

The new idle control valve has transformed the driveability of it and it's definitely faster now.

 

🤞🤞🤞🤞 You can get some miles out it now problem free.

I don't really want to tempt fate (as I'm using my 330i tomorrow) but my banger BMWs haven't given me any real grief or needed any work for a good 6 months or so now. (I do need to change the fluids and sort the 330i auto gearbox tho)

I was out in my M54 powered Z4 and that's been stress free for a long time now. Pretty dependable even though it's tatty as hell and about to top 180k miles. 

[bunglebus]

Got wind of an old school car meet up in Southend. It was absolutely rammed, with some really lovely cars and everyone just enjoying themselves. Unfortunately Essex Police decided to put a dispersal order in place, blocked both ends of the seafront and generally pissed on everyone's chips. I saw more silly behaviour after they did this than before, as it just jammed half of the town solid. 

Anyway, cool cars, these are  just a few of hundreds there

[High Jetter]

Some qwality there

[Joey spud]

I think it must of been those three spoke alloys on the BMW that attracted the rozzers down to the seafront. They really are a crime against good taste.

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Full Onslow spec.

Nice.

[Lord Sterling]

Noice! I could tell it was an Essex meet without reading your post just looking at all those FOWDZ MAYTE DAHN BOIY THA COAWST, NAA' AA MEYN SAHN!

[Split_Pin]

What a shame the feds dispersed the meet, that looked like a lot of fun there 😕

I've never seen so many Autoplas rear window louvres in my life!

[EyesWeldedShut]

18 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

doorkey

How retro.

[BorniteIdentity]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

What a shame the feds dispersed the meet, that looked like a lot of fun there 😕

I've never seen so many Autoplas rear window louvres in my life!

Some silly cunt started doing burnouts in his Cozzeh and had it seized! People on Facebook then start blaming the crowd for egging him on, rather than the amoeba behind the wheel. 

Unfortunately, these events have been going on in Southend since time began and every time there’s some monolithic stroker who wants to be the centre of attention and ends up fucking it up for everyone. 

I love the idea of a car meet on the beach under the lights- but night time will always attract the sort of cunt I spend my entire life trying to avoid. 

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Some silly cunt started doing burnouts in his Cozzeh and had it seized! People on Facebook then start blaming the crowd for egging him on, rather than the amoeba behind the wheel. 

It took about 30 officers to remove it, flat towing as the owner refused to turn the immobiliser off. Not condoning the behaviour but to say it was heavy handed is an understatement. I'm not exaggerating the numbers either, it looked like a high vis funeral procession behind the car

[cort1977]

13 hours ago, Joey spud said:

I think it must of been them three alloys on the BMW that attracted the rozzers down to the seafront. They really are a crime against good taste.

So period correct though.

That Nova is doing well to keep the original plate, presumably DVLA not aware or done before the current points system for radical mods?

[Six-cylinder]

15 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Got wind of an old school car meet up in Southend. It was absolutely rammed, with some really lovely cars and everyone just enjoying themselves. Unfortunately Essex Police decided to put a dispersal order in place, blocked both ends of the seafront and generally pissed on everyone's chips. I saw more silly behaviour after they did this than before, as it just jammed half of the town solid. 

Anyway, cool cars, these are  just a few of hundreds there

Back in the early 1990's I used to take my young kids to Southend for a Saturday night out, fish and chips, a few turns on the rides and the highlight was the cars parading round the town!

The kids thought they had been to Disneyland, but in truth money was tight and while it was 190 mile round trip with a fully expensed new company Cavalier CDi it was a cheap family trip.

[DoverShark]

SmolDovershark city bug acquired. Buying a first car seems the easy part compared to booking lessons and arranging insurance.

Collection from two roads away so poo count 0 train count 0 and breakfast was eggs

First time I’ve actually paid the asking price on a car. 

 

[stuboy]

Decided to risk leaving the house as climbing the walls and too go up the car themed pub...  but only if I had a chaperone...lol so missus brother joined me... took a chance too see what's up there...  holed jeans and vapours, but they seemed OK.. 

 

[62 Austin]

On 21/03/2025 at 03:54, Dyslexic Viking said:

Thanks, And no, I haven't used the trailer hitch yet. I've been thinking about getting a small caravan, but I think the car is a bit too tired for that.

Have you seen any of those teardrop caravans? New, they're $$, but I like the looks of the T@B trailers. I think this is the original, a 320 (2,069 lbs.) & there's a 400 (2,900 lbs.) that's longer. I saw a long sales video from a UK distributor...so it must be possible to get one there if you throw enough quid at them! Weight is low enough you could pull it with anything except a Reliant Robin.

No that's not a dartboard over the door.

 

 

[Dyslexic Viking]

31 minutes ago, 62 Austin said:

Have you seen any of those teardrop caravans? New, they're $$, but I like the looks of the T@B trailers. I think this is the original, a 320 (2,069 lbs.) & there's a 400 (2,900 lbs.) that's longer. I saw a long sales video from a UK distributor...so it must be possible to get one there if you throw enough quid at them! Weight is low enough you could pull it with anything except a Reliant Robin.

No that's not a dartboard over the door.

 

 

I've also always liked these but unfortunately they are expensive, the cheapest used one in Norway is about £10,700.

[Ghosty]

6 hours ago, bunglebus said:

It took about 30 officers to remove it, flat towing as the owner refused to turn the immobiliser off.

From FB:

[320touring]

Been out and done some stuff on the Oxford.

New 60a fuse fitted to feed for alternator 
New connection for Exciter wire/dashlight made
Brake light connectors properly fixed
Waggly wires causing stalling issues fixed
Coolant topped up after heater hose replacement.

Results:
14.2v at idle
Lukewarm air through the dash vents (big improvement!)
Functional brake lights 
No stalling despite much wire waggling.

New issues identified:
Wipers not working (and no obvious drain when the switch is used. Skooshers work ok)
Flat tyre on front left. Will need to get it swapped with the spare

 

[S2000]

And found the lubrication orifice….

 

[dozeydustman]

205 is booked in for MoT this coming Friday, new torque wrench purchased as mine is so out of calibration it's not worth getting adjusted, plus it didn't go up high enough for hub nuts on any of our cars (tops out at 150lb ft, I've just bought one that does 200lb ft).

Spent the day ensuring I can work on it in the garage by clearing out a big chunk of the old shite from in there that should either live in the shed, or the greenhouse, or be taken to the tip. I'm keen to eliminate the clonking but I need to press out a wheel bearing.

Anyone within an hour or so of Chichester/Bognor got a bearing press I can borrow for 10-15 mins to push out the old and press in the new?

[Mat.T]

Last week's commuting vehicle, Its bigger than my house. (Customers car trying to resolve various running/active ride issues)

[SiC]

Went to the Practical Classics restoration show at the NEC today. First time I had been since COVID. Honestly doesn't feel as busy in foot fall nor as many trade stands as when I last went. Even former big names like Moss weren't there. A lot of stuff I'd considered as modern like Focus MK1 and similar era. Think it's just me getting old...

I can't see this sort of show carrying on for much longer if this is the sort of turn out overall. Hopefully the November big show is busier. 

Didn't look at the auction cars apart from the outside. This Dolomite sold for £16k (bottom end of estimate) and I could easily play spot the filler. Whether under the bonnet or the dulled swage lines.

Anyway here are the rest of some of the photos I took.

I really like the colour of this Allegro. Any ideas? Tahiti blue maybe?

P7 prototype I believe @N Dentressangle (or was it just the sign at the side and this is a P6?)

These were weird looking things. I've forgotten what they were. 

Fuel injected 1500 Midget. Pulling a decent 115bhp. Imagine if BL had the development budget in the 70s to upgrade their existing lumps to meet emissions regs rather than the wheezy carb setups the Americans got.

996 cut in half

I definitely want something pre war sometime soon. 

 

I always wondered what the earlier windscreen looked like on these Sprites.

Someone crammed a Jag I6 in a MGB. Impressive.

A few moderns. I quite like these GTVs

I know these are classics now but I struggle to find interest in an old Focus that was a bit shit even when new against the competition.

I didn't realise these came with what looks like a factory sunroof.

An Italian Spridget 

A bunch of old Alvis's

Weird Suzuki thing in the auction lots

Finally to finish off with an ADO16. I so want another one.

Mrs SiC remarked that a 1100 looks like my face sometimes and other times a Frogeye Sprite. Maybe I need both in the garage was my response...

There is something about the M5 trip up to Birmingham that I get really good fuel economy with. This is pretty damn good for an auto I6 3.0 engine. Admittedly almost all motorway miles.

Bought a few bits. Mostly a decent standing block that I can hook up to a Henry hoover and reduce the amount of dust I create in the garage. Also watched a talk on how to do body filler. Got a good bunch of notes written down that hopefully will make me a bit more effective than my usual efforts!

Had a chat at a local (to home) sand blasters. Did a brief quote of £1200 to collect, fully blast my Midget and paint it in primer. Thought it was quite a bit but no idea what really to expect.