The new news 24 thread

[Split_Pin]

17 hours ago, JohnK said:

I’ve been using the new A4 for work over the last couple of days and I’m really happy with it. It’s in great shape for its age and mileage with just some minor body imperfections and a bit of bolster wear on the drivers seat being the key points to note.

I still find it extremely hard to believe this is a 30 year old car. I’m still in the mindset of 30 year old cars being late 70s/early 80s stuff.

Ive had a load of these B5s over the years (and also the Passat equivalents) starting with an S reg Avant back in 2007 which, I still considered a fairly new and up to date car back then. This is the first petrol one I’ve had though, so not having the diesel chug is taking some getting used to.

Incidentally, the B7 Convertible I bought from davehedgehog back in April is still going strong and I’m really impressed with how competent that is as a daily. Been an absolute god send in the recent weather too. However, the oil leak is starting to get a bit more progressive (you’ll see the stains on the road in front of the green one) so I really do need to get on and sort that, especially now I’m not having to particularly rely on it as a sole daily driver now.

In the spirit of keeping things rolling, I may or may not be eyeing up a T plate Avant that’s come on the radar today. Watch this space….

Glad the A4 Cab is serving you well, my Mrs and I had over a years faultless motoring out of it. I've still got the oil stains on my drive, I left it because the subframe is like new as a result!

Dibs if you move it on pending Avant viewing. 

[mercedade]

6 hours ago, beko1987 said:

Just set it to 95 then stick a comical 2 sticker over the 9?

Set it to 2014! Job jobbed

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/repeating.html

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, mercedade said:

Set it to 2014! Job jobbed

https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/repeating.html

Nice! It should be fine in the 2030s too looking at that chart 👌

[Lord Sterling]

On 01/07/2025 at 22:05, wuvvum said:

Yeah, I don't think this junction is going to be reopening any time soon.

I spot a private-playes Rover 800 in that picture:

[EightMegs]

Changed the downpipe gasket on the Carina for the MOT on Monday, I think I got my money's worth from this one.

[artdjones]

A clean pass for a year.

[JakeT]

Well, I've been a little quiet here recently. I was promoted to customer from my job at the beginning of May, which while not how I'd have liked to have left, wasn't really a surprise. Not to mention I'd lost the love for it. I did a little soul searching, applying for jobs and have had a few interviews at a new firm which have been positive, so we live in hope. Otherwise, since then I've mainly been...

 

Servicing the car (227,000 miles here. Brake fluid, oil, filter, and pollen filter)

Took it on holiday, as we'd booked and paid for the holiday in March, in the event that unemployment did loom... We went from home (West Berks) up to Norway and back. Was a grand trip, and I'll probably do a report of that in the thread for my own car, save cluttering up here with my love of Norwegian drinks and such.

Spotted a Minor in Denmark (the car), which is a country renowned for poor car spotting.

Saw a tree made of 6 million lego bricks.

Shared a ferry with a load of cyclists (they were going to Norway for some event, and had poor sea legs)

Saw a big recovery truck as seen on the television (Ice Road Rescue)

'Accidentally' upgraded a ferry cabin to one larger than some flats I've lived in

Saw an old Swede, in Sweden

Fulfilled my goal of seeing a DIN plated German car every time I visit Germany

Saw an old tram in Amsterdam

Marvelled at the lawn I seeded in April (it was a patch of bare dirt where conifers had killed it), and got annoyed at the crap fence, made worse by the neighbours kids kicking a ball at it

Replaced said fencing, and the neighbours agreed to move where their sons football goal is (and dropped some beers round)

Went to Belgium with some friends for Ciney Truckshow, stayed in a lovely little cabin, and saw some very shiny trucks

 

And fixed the oven (fan element had failed)

 

I've also done some other ods and sods like decorating, and did some bits on a friends car, as it had some oil leaks that needed tending to. Otherwise, that's about it! Car is now on 231,000 miles, too.

[alcyonecorporation]

On 30/06/2025 at 17:49, bramz7 said:

Sold the A4 last week, as you all probably know. 

Still not replaced it. Enquired about 2 cars, no reply to either. 

Nothing is bowling me over online, I saw a nice Giulia and considered it, but someone got there first. Probably for the best.

Seemingly torn between carrying on with low price 'bangers' or just committing actual money to something. 

It's too hot today. 

😂

What about the alfa you spent pyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyahhhh money on? 

[bramz7]

1 hour ago, alcyonecorporation said:

What about the alfa you spent pyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyahhhh money on? 

It doesn't have commuting on the insurance. 

Anyway, I went the cheap route this time and spent £475 on this MiTo.

An absolutely horrible drive back from Cambridgeshire yesterday, not because of the car but traffic and diversions. 

It's a 1.6 JTDM, which also means it has the M32 of doom gearbox. There isn't any movement or popping of gears but it is definitely whining above 20-30. Am I going to fix it? No. It's quite a horrible thing to drive tbh. Incredibly firm ride, unbelievably cheap inside and out, it's just pretty terrible overall and I say that as a dyed in the wool Italian car person. But the air con works and it did 69mpg average on the drive back...so it'll do for now. And it does handle pretty well. 

[alcyonecorporation]

Well now you can be an insuffrable alfa twat and call it your 'baby 4C'. 

4Cs are hopeless, by the way. You could stand in front of one that you don't own and claim you design an entire magazine. 

[bramz7]

I'd rather fall through the floor of a rusty 147 than call a MiTo a baby 4C

[Rustybullethole]

On 02/07/2025 at 16:57, richardmorris said:

Rained this morning. Now the car looks like I’ve parked in the desert.

Mines the same though less visible because silver. 

Driveshafts are here. 

Not fitted as yet though shall at least move them into the Berlingo as a if i have them I won't need them preventative measure.

The bike has been mega vibey on the road which i've convinced myself is down to the rim lock unbalancing the wheels massively. Seems worse on the rear with it's bigger, heavier rim lock. It vibes through the seat and I can see the swing arm oscillating on smooth roads. Had originally put this down to knobbly tyres though am convinced its now balancing. We shall see.

Wheels off to do a proper job though haven't time for that right now. Weight added opposite rim locks fore and aft in a rather unscientific fashion. Luckily I had some proper leaded solder kicking about.

Slow on the carvan had turned i to a fast!

Wanged a liquorice stick in that and seems to be holding. The tyres although far from bald are showing signs of cracking so the rears may get swapped out before they are skidded out. 

The Russian patches ran out years ago though the box is still going strong and brings back fond Ural memories whenever I use it. 

[wuvvum]

19 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

I spot a private-playes Rover 800 in that picture:

Yep, that's the one I posted a photo of a few weeks back.

[hairnet]

19 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

2cv doh

 

[hairnet]

must try harder

 

[Rustybullethole]

3 hours ago, richardmorris said:

 

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti | Cliveden House 2025 | RM Sotheby's

Got to love a Reg of Grimsby ordering a new Daytona!

 

First registered on 29 October 1973, the Daytona Berlinetta was delivered to its first owner, Mr Reg Mansbridge of Grimsby,

What a lovely thing. Seems crazy that since good old Reg bought it in '73 its done less miles than my Berlingo in the last two years. 

Saying that Id be happy to sit and look at it too. 

[IronStar]

6 hours ago, bramz7 said:

It doesn't have commuting on the insurance. 

Anyway, I went the cheap route this time and spent £475 on this MiTo.

An absolutely horrible drive back from Cambridgeshire yesterday, not because of the car but traffic and diversions. 

It's a 1.6 JTDM, which also means it has the M32 of doom gearbox. There isn't any movement or popping of gears but it is definitely whining above 20-30. Am I going to fix it? No. It's quite a horrible thing to drive tbh. Incredibly firm ride, unbelievably cheap inside and out, it's just pretty terrible overall and I say that as a dyed in the wool Italian car person. But the air con works and it did 69mpg average on the drive back...so it'll do for now. And it does handle pretty well. 

Alfa licker reporting in for duty!

I hate M32s with passion.

A fluid change and gearbox oil stabilizer tend to greatly extend the lifespan, even when it starts whining. It’s cheap and easy thing to do, so well worth the effort. 

[Ghosty]

206 failed its test. 

> fog light inop - loose bulb
> rear dampers f* - replaced them
> droplinks - one was loose after replacing a driveshaft and wishbone (ns CV boots were advised last year), the other doesn't seem to have anything wrong with it but it was listed as being 'loose' so both replaced.
> headlight aim - someone had managed to fit an H7 90 degrees off?!

No mention of rust, and having had a look  - there's a decent amount of life in it before that rear quarter gives up. It's pretty solid and treatable IMO. 

I'll chuck it in for a retest this week, then it'll be available for sale. 

£800 firm to a shiter.

[bramz7]

2 hours ago, IronStar said:

Alfa licker reporting in for duty!

I hate M32s with passion.

A fluid change and gearbox oil stabilizer tend to greatly extend the lifespan, even when it starts whining. It’s cheap and easy thing to do, so well worth the effort. 

Maybe, but it needs to earn any expenditure first. 

I stuck it in D (Dynamic) earlier and it makes it a right beast on boost. Not overly enjoyable though! But the silly little boost gauge is fairly amusing. 

[artdjones]

That stolen Silver Ghost has been recovered intact:-

https://archive.ph/WoTw5

 

[artdjones]

12 hours ago, richardmorris said:

I think the berlingo would have cost a tiny fraction per mile of the daytona.

It cost £8938 in 1973, around £98k now. But it's worth £500k. So it's made a good profit per mile. 

[Joey spud]

I've been fitting out my comfy area of my workshop and thoughts have turned to what speakers to rig up. I dug out a pair of mission jobbies that I used infrequently in the lounge of my last house only to find they really sound poorly.

Ah there's your problem. 

So I have now reverted to using (for now) a pair of 70's Solavox items that Google tells me were Comet own brand and a bit awful.

[grogee]

5 minutes ago, Joey spud said:

I've been fitting out my comfy area of my workshop and thoughts have turned to what speakers to rig up. I dug out a pair of mission jobbies that I used infrequently in the lounge of my last house only to find they really sound poorly.

Ah there's your problem. 

So I have now reverted to using (for now) a pair of 70's Solavox items that Google tells me were Comet own brand and a bit awful.

Not dissimilar to these JVC ones I'm using for my TV - catalogue specials I think, but they sound better than the shite in the TV itself. 

[Joey spud]

Is it really progress making speaker cones from degradable plastic ?

Although thinking about it they were 25+ years old.

[stuboy]

I'm off too look at this tommorow..

74k short mot.

.hopefully nothing too bad.

 

[Jazoli]

11 minutes ago, stuboy said:

I'm off too look at this tommorow..

74k short mot.

.hopefully nothing too bad.

 

Check for rust, and then check again, and once more to be sure, most are as rotten as a pear.

[J-T]

25 minutes ago, stuboy said:

I'm off too look at this tommorow..

74k short mot.

.hopefully nothing too bad.

 

We had one of these about 10/12 years ago now, the auto box and engine combo suit it. Because they stopped making the 3dr after this, the autos in particular are one of those strange anomalies that hold their value particularly strongly. Ours got written off and we got more for it than we paid 3 years earlier. People still ask £3-4k for them now.

Only issue ours ever had was a lambda sensor that sometimes put the EML on but was working well enough to pass the MOT. That and I ended up getting the alloys refurbed as they were badly corroded and kept losing air.

[vulgalour]

Today I put the first fresh bit of steel back in, so that's good.  Unfortunately to do that I've had to remove the whole rear axle assembly and the fuel tank, for access.  An MoT wouldn't have saved me on this one either, the rust is pretty old and this has definitely been an issue since at least the last MoT the car had, just totally hidden from view because the only way to see all of it was to dismantle the car.  I only became aware of it once the problem had crept into areas you could more easily see.  Being able to pull off the chunky axle support bracket with my hand was kind of scary since that's all that holds the driver's side of the axle to the car.

I've since gone rot hunting while everything is off and found a few other areas that weren't obvious and will all be addressed before the axle etc. goes back on.  I'll also be cleaning up and painting everything that's off while it's off, it'd be rude not to really.  Quite a big job this one, and not one I wanted to have.

 

If anyone knows how to successfully remove the pivot shafts from the suspension arms then please let me know.  I've never successfully managed to do it and the ones on my car are, like most Princesses, completely stuck.  I'd like them not to be so they can be properly greased and serviced.

[Burnside]

A few photos from Lichfield at Cars in the Park today.

If it doesn't pee it down tomorrow I might go back, as usually there more vehicles on display Sunday.

Got talking to the D reg 205 GTI owner. He told me the car was a recent purchase from Mathewsons and it will feature in the next series of Bangers & Cash. 

He also owns a MK1 Escort and a Montego DLX estate, which will appear as well! 

[D.E]

I am, again, impressed with the sophistication of a steam engine. This White is over 120 years old and it ran with just some soft, gentle puffing sounds and few visible vibrations. It's easy to drive too, apparently, compared with the average petrol cars of 1904...

At the same event: