The new news 24 thread

[trigger]

I've spent a few days mopping a brown Allegro Estate that's been of the road 12 years. I feel like I've now peaked at life

[comfortablynumb]

9 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Year on year. Rainfall isn't likely to increase, the opposite is predicted. Has been for some time. 

Apparently we're getting a brand new reservoir/water park about 10 miles down the road which will rival Rutland water when it's complete.

I'll believe it when I see it

[barefoot]

At CamperJam last weekend, I found myself organising vehicle displays and judging the show n shine. Seeing that the entry list had only one T3/T25, I put myself down for that category only to see three of the bastards turn up. One a hand painted wreck, bought six months ago. The second a slammed rat look panel van that I'd seen a million times before and a high roof camper which the owner had spent 15 years restoring on only its third outing.

Why aren't all life's decisions as straightforward as this?

[Tickman]

1 minute ago, barefoot said:

decisions

Hand painted one?

[grogee]

@trigger that Allegro has come up lovely, well done. 

What's this thing? 

[New POD]

Hustler

[New POD]

Designed by William Towers ? Mini subframes and mechanics.  Greenhouse glass. 

[trigger]

1 hour ago, grogee said:

@trigger that Allegro has come up lovely, well done. 

What's this thing? 

It's a Hustler 6 Harrier, I don't know much about it but it's some kind of Mini or Metro kit car designed for mobility users, as if your life isn't difficult enough. It's pretty knackered though.

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, New POD said:

Designed by William Towers ? Mini subframes and mechanics.  Greenhouse glass. 

William Towns. Also did the Aston DBS..

[New POD]

38 minutes ago, trigger said:

It's a Hustler 6 Harrier, I don't know much about it but it's some kind of Mini or Metro kit car designed for mobility users, as if your life isn't difficult enough. It's pretty knackered though.

2 mini rear subframes. At least the glass is all intact.  

[New POD]

23 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

William Towns. Also did the Aston DBS..

Towns.  I knew that. (Once) 

Like a thinking man's scamp. https://www.scampmotorcompany.co.uk/home

 

[barefoot]

1 hour ago, ETCHY said:

William Towns. 

Brother of Colin Towns, who wrote the theme music for 'Pie in the Sky'.

 

Possibly.

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, trigger said:

It's a Hustler 6 Harrier, I don't know much about it but it's some kind of Mini or Metro kit car designed for mobility users, as if your life isn't difficult enough. It's pretty knackered though.

That one appears to be the even rarer Hustler 5.

[artdjones]

7 hours ago, wuvvum said:

That one appears to be the even rarer Hustler 5.

Mmm, sumptuous.  Makes an Invacar look good. Never thought I'd say that.

[trigger]

Honestly it's so miserable. I just can't get excited about it at all! The engine is seized and all the tyres are dry rotted

[High Jetter]

3 minutes ago, trigger said:

Honestly it's so miserable. I just can't get excited about it at all! The engine is seized and all the tyres are dry rotted

What's the plan with it?

[trigger]

It belongs to a mate, I think he's planning on getting it running and then putting it though the auctions. He's quite big in social media so he'll make some of money from doing some little videos on it and then he'll move it on again.

[Metal Guru]

7 hours ago, artdjones said:

Mmm, sumptuous.  Makes an Invacar look good. Never thought I'd say that.

Looks like a crap Popemobil , though more Vicar of Dibley.

[richardmorris]

M3 today.

[Semi-C]

One of the benefits of no current employment is the flexibility to be able to do anything that comes your way, this time being a day out to Santa Pod with my friend and his rear engined VW Caddy for some testing of it's evolution!

There were a couple of issues that had appeared in transit (all was fine before it was loaded up!) with the launch control button and a fuel pump wire but these were easily fixed by my friend, his recently fabricated charge cooler worked fabulously from the off, he's a right clever fella.

This is his final launch of the day and it proved too much for his offside driveshaft, shearing the custom chromoly shaft in twain.

Overall a good day, some things were proven to be spot on and the weak link exposed, he's already on the case of getting some tougher shafts made for it.

[Yoss]

22 hours ago, richardmorris said:

M3 today.

Ah, we were heading up the A34 yesterday and there were signs south of Winchester saying junction 3 to 4 was shut. This will be why. The signs were suggesting people should use the A34 to Chieveley then M4 in to London which helpfully* made the Winchester A34 junction even busier than usual. Whilst anybody with any sense or knowledge of the local road system would have taken the A31 to Guildford and the A3 in to London. 

Anyway, the reason we were heading that way was because we were on our way to little holiday cottage in the Cotswolds that accepts, or even actively encourages, XL Bullys. 

It's a small cottage but has a nice view. 

 

This is our parking spot. 

But what's that on the left behind the Isuzu pick up thing? 

Not bad. Looks nicely unmolested. 

The cottage comes with exclusive use of this paddock so we can let Chieveley off the lead to run around, and a summer house for us to sit in. But he's so lazy he just sits with us. 

 

I've set the Škoda up to make it Chieveley proof. I've used old Felicia door trims to protect the Favorit ones. He generally likes going in the car but doesn't understand the concept of traffic lights. Every time we stop he thinks we are getting out and starts pawing the door trims. He'd already scratched these when they were still in the Felicia so I thought I'd keep them to protect the Favorit ones. 

 

Out and about in Evesham. 

And after a morning touring the bakeries of Evesham and Pershore he is absolutely knackered and is still asleep under the dining table an hour after I took this. 

[richardmorris]

@Yoss

except that the a3 m25 junction was also undergoing closures. Timing eh!

[Yoss]

3 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

@Yoss

except that the a3 m25 junction was also undergoing closures. Timing eh!

Ah. Not good. It's almost as if they did that deliberately just to annoy people. 

[bramz7]

This is my new everyday car, the 147 I alluded to on my MiTo sale thread. 

First time I've ever had a diesel 147, and the first time I've ever had a 147 with two keys which is why my first one went sour! 

It drives really well. The JTD 120 (8v?) is such a good engine even at advancing age. I think the previous owner kept on top of the important stuff so it feels good for 142k. Obviously some Alfa foibles remain, the door glass rattles for example and both sills are like this:

The tyres are good on tread but quite terrible. I often wondered what tyres created bearing noise and it's these ones. Yuck. 

The interior is fairly good. I don't like the leather seats but they're ok on a shorter run. The ABS light is on but the cruise still works, which is very welcome.

It's only a stop gap, I'm planning on getting a newer (or new) car by the end of the year. 

[wuvvum]

Bloody good engine that, much more solid than the 16v.  Glow plugs are a bit of a twat though if memory serves.

[richardmorris]

6 hours ago, Yoss said:

Ah. Not good. It's almost as if they did that deliberately just to annoy people. 

 

[brownnova]

Only 222 miles until a great milestone for the 9000… 

With both the 9-3 and the XC90 playing up and trust only beginning to build in the TransSport the faithful long standing fleet member that is the Saab 9000 has taken on daily duties again over the last few weeks taking my 250 mile a week commute in its stride… until today when the key fob decided to pack up and nearly left me stranded at work as it’s required to disarm the immobiliser. Thankfully pulling the fob apart and poking bits with a biro managed to get it beeping and home was achieved. Having put it all together again it appears now to be working adequately… but tomorrow is a 12 hour day with a governors meeting… I think I’ll borrow the wife’s modern! 

[richardmorris]

3 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Only 222 miles until a great milestone for the 9000… 

With both the 9-3 and the XC90 playing up and trust only beginning to build in the TransSport the faithful long standing fleet member that is the Saab 9000 has taken on daily duties again over the last few weeks taking my 250 mile a week commute in its stride… until today when the key fob decided to pack up and nearly left me stranded at work as it’s required to disarm the immobiliser. Thankfully pulling the fob apart and poking bits with a biro managed to get it beeping and home was achieved. Having put it all together again it appears now to be working adequately… but tomorrow is a 12 hour day with a governors meeting… I think I’ll borrow the wife’s modern! 

So you’re not planning an overnight trip to coventry and back?

[richardmorris]

On 11/07/2025 at 23:34, Joey spud said:

While waiting for a new screen to be fitted to my phone earlier I popped into a close by micro pub I've always wanted to visit called the 10.50 from Victoria which is situated in a railway arch near to Strood station and I guess is actually under the London Victoria line.

Two tasty locally produced amber IPA's were enjoyed in the baking hot sunshine before having to leave and collect my phone.

Best of all when venturing back from the toilet I spotted a lovely metallic green P5B resting up in the shade of an adjacent arch 

All told I was really impressed by the decent beer the architecture and the friendly clientele that I'll have to suffer going into town more often to pay them further visits.

My CAMRA colleague has been there ( he says). They did a tour of Kent microbreweries last spring. He doesn’t remember a p5b though.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

My CAMRA colleague has been there ( he says). They did a tour of Kent microbreweries last spring. He doesn’t remember a p5b though.

Even in that colour?