The new news 24 thread

[Gaffer]

9 hours ago, stripped fred said:

I've not looked yet but I intend to soon. The mechanic who checked it had a trainee mechanic with him so I'm wondering if they were being particularly picky. I'm tempted to try and fix it and I don't need it immediately. I think the sills are the main concern so we'll get the covers off and see how bad they are. Also, get it up on the ramps for a look underneath  I don't see it as a long term ownership proposition but would be nice to get two or three years out of it. I also don't like to give up on a car, which can be dangerous!

Without wanting to piss on anyone’s parade any further than what’s already happened, but out of that list I reckon I’d be most concerned about that exhaust leak.
 

The 3.0 in the Discovery 4 (same engine) has EGR pipes and the main crossover pipe which are all prone to splitting and leaking exhaust into the cabin. I’ll caveat this by saying I know nothing about Jags, but to change either pipe in a disco is a body off job as they are right at the lower rear sides for the EGR’s and across both banks at the rear for the crossover. I’d imagine if it’s anywhere near similar dressed in a Jag it’ll be engine out. Fingers crossed I’m completely wrong and it’s a dead easy fix 🤞

[wuvvum]

The Innocenti failed its MOT today, on a binding rear brake.  Which is a pretty decent result really - I'll have a crack at freeing it off tomorrow, I had to do the other side a couple of years back and it was an easy enough job.  (It also failed on headlights not working, but that was the tester not having the master switch in the correct spot - it is a bit fiddly.)

Emissions were ridiculously low again - no carbon monoxide at all and 16ppm HC.  Almost defies belief for a 32-year-old car with a carburettor.

[auntiemaryscanary]

Family holiday in the north east. Youngest dtr (14) was stunned we spent that much on a week away - she didn't think we had that much money. 

The place it self is lovely, large, immaculately clean etc. We were out in in the garden - grass cut but the rest not loved and had a peek in the garage. The rear garage door was unlocked so we opened it. Dtr got in problem but I had to squeeze my gut in...

Oh...

F me, it's unlocked 

[auntiemaryscanary]

Just now, auntiemaryscanary said:

Family holiday in the north east. Youngest dtr (14) was stunned we spent that much on a week away - she didn't think we had that much money. 

The place it self is lovely, large, immaculately clean etc. We were out in in the garden - grass cut but the rest not loved and had a peek in the garage. The rear garage door was unlocked so we opened it. Dtr got in problem but I had to squeeze my gut in...

Oh...

F me, it's unlocked 

Initially I thought it had been stood a year or 2. Yes, the filler cap is going but they were doing that at 4 years old. The tyres are well down but not flat. Somebody has/does love it but 

What's the value of a genuine 90's XR2i?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

4 hours ago, Stinkwheel said:

Today was operation wash the dyane & 306. All achieved fairly easily with elbow grease and a pressure washer, then I went for a drive in the GS, only about 25 miles but also treated it to some super unleaded as its now being a good car (crossed fingers REALLY hard) 

It seemed to confuse all the moderns at the petrol station, which is nice

Brilliant to see this one back on the road! 

[stuboy]

Well finally the part came in, and I could fit it, all went well bar..

1.i had to take the chip out the old key and into the new key, I hope as still need old key for c/l and doors, it would pick up chip as on same keyring...but nope.

2. I've not snapped the snap bolts yet even though I did them up.

 

3. When refitting the coweling I can't get it flush.. maybe snap bolts causing this..( cable ties for temporary measures)

 

4. I could not get screws in too secure the bottom cowling... hence cable ties.. but driving home from tescos( other shops are avaliable) it seems the new ignition uses machine bolts.

Wanna see a fat sweaty man...here u go..

 

 

[richardmorris]

4 hours ago, reb said:

Sorry... Shit.

I do think it’s overrated.

[Zelandeth]

4 hours ago, reb said:

Travel update:

Tebay is shite.

Glad it's not just me.  A motorway services I want to be in, grab something simple I don't need to think about but will provide me with sustenance and get back on the road as quickly as possible.  Tebay is too expensive and too complicated.  

[wuvvum]

I like Tebay, but then I so rarely go that way that it's a bit of an event in itself when I visit.  If I was up and down the M6 all the time I might be more jaded.

[Metal Guru]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

I like Tebay, but then I so rarely go that way that it's a bit of an event in itself when I visit.  If I was up and down the M6 all the time I might be more jaded.

Use Westmorland services at J38 instead if you need fuel. Access from N and S bound.Normal prices not stupid motorway prices. However, if you want overprice pretentious middle class food , you know where to go.

[Split_Pin]

11 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Glad it's not just me.  A motorway services I want to be in, grab something simple I don't need to think about but will provide me with sustenance and get back on the road as quickly as possible.  Tebay is too expensive and too complicated.  

Its also too shut when others are open. Ive been a few times and I can't understand what the hype is about.

[reb]

4 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Its also too shut when others are open. Ive been a few times and I can't understand what the hype is about.

Mum reckons it used to be better.

Personally I hate all motorway services.

 

Though I did meet a cool dog at Abingdon. I said hello to it, and was mortified when its owner started making conversation as I'm bad at that at the best of times and I was very hungover and sleep deprived 

[Split_Pin]

A delivery driver at Mrs_Pin's work knows I am into cars, told her there is an Austin A30 needing a new home. The owner is terminally ill and can no longer look after the car, and wants it to go to someone who will take it on. 

All I know at the moment is that it requires some wiring and a bit of paint. Being an A30, I'm going to assume its the mid 50s type that everyone knows.

Its located in Central Scotland.

I've passed my name and number onto the driver and have volunteered to go and see the car to assess it further and take some pictures and of course a price. I'll wait to hear back and then compose a full advert here.

[Supernaut]

28 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

A delivery driver at Mrs_Pin's work knows I am into cars, told her there is an Austin A30 needing a new home. The owner is terminally ill and can no longer look after the car, and wants it to go to someone who will take it on. 

All I know at the moment is that it requires some wiring and a bit of paint. Being an A30, I'm going to assume its the mid 50s type that everyone knows.

Its located in Central Scotland.

I've passed my name and number onto the driver and have volunteered to go and see the car to assess it further and take some pictures and of course a price. I'll wait to hear back and then compose a full advert here.

Have trailer, will travel.

[reb]

[reb]

Can't be getting the eggs all beany

[Popsicle]

14 hours ago, wuvvum said:

I like Tebay, but then I so rarely go that way that it's a bit of an event in itself when I visit.  If I was up and down the M6 all the time I might be more jaded.

As someone who is up and down the country of this fair isle every day, this sentiment rings true with me. I tend to stop were there is a Maccys, £2 for a Latte that will taste alright and on my way again. The usual suspects charge £5 for a large latte on the motorway's now.

However, as Mrs P occasionally rides shotgun, I will indulge her and stop at the posher Tebay, Gloucester or Cairn Lodge services for an overpriced meal.

[Metal Guru]

1 hour ago, Popsicle said:

As someone who is up and down the country of this fair isle every day, this sentiment rings true with me. I tend to stop were there is a Maccys, £2 for a Latte that will taste alright and on my way again. The usual suspects charge £5 for a large latte on the motorway's now.

However, as Mrs P occasionally rides shotgun, I will indulge her and stop at the posher Tebay, Gloucester or Cairn Lodge services for an overpriced meal.

Same here. Maccy’s coffee is ok and one of the few reasonably priced things at motorway services. 

[stuboy]

BiL wanted to go look at the bmws at the car themed pub...  some M car collective... well 98% looked the same.. but these stood out...

[Burnside]

Just been unloading some parts for my Brother's Punto. Had a near 300 mile round trip yesterday in my Stilo, to a scrap yard just pass Bury St Edmunds. 

Stopped along the way at a services on the A14 and saw this rarity. 

A 1983 Toyota Celica Avon convertible.

Apparently the original press photo car, they were on the way to a Toyota meet in Leeds today. 

After a brief chat with the owners, we headed onwards towards our destination.

Normally they remove the parts, but as we had our own tools and probably due to the hot weather. They let us have the 'fun' of removing the parts. I was even allowed to drive my car though the yard to cart our purchases away. 

Look at this heap, oh wait that's my car! 

Although someone wanted to buy it, while I was there apparently!!

Shame I didn't have more time to look around this place, they had a real mix of vehicles from a modern smashed up Ferrari to a 90's Honda Concerto. 

Also talking of my old motor, we were just down the road from the original dealership.

So thought I'd take the opportunity to pay a visit and grab a photo, as may not get another chance. 

They have stopped being a Fiat main agent recently, but it still has Fiat signage around the back. I had no history with this car, so who knows when it last visited here. 

The fact it's still on the road 19 yrs later is a miracle, considering the life it's had.

Was wrote off at 4 yrs old. Then battered by it's previous owner, who treated it like a skip and added more dents. Was almost scrapped before I brought it. Got vandalized by some scum bags and broken into twice. 

Yet this tatty old thing just keeps wanting to live, so who am I to deny it. One day these will be as rare as a Regatta, Tempra, Marea is now.

[17-Coffees]

Having a rather odd issue with my Corolla...It's dead, absolutely no power at all.

The battery is charged, getting readings with a multi-meter across the terminals, tried earthing it elsewhere...even hooked up the battery of my Civic in to see. What's most odd is you don't even get a spark when connecting the negative to any battery! Checked fuses and even swapped some relays over from an LS400 (Fun* fact, they have the exact same part numbers!) and everything seems good on that front. 

 

Honestly stumped as never had anything like this with any vehicle before. 

 

[dome]

13 minutes ago, 17-Coffees said:

Having a rather odd issue with my Corolla...It's dead, absolutely no power at all.

The battery is charged, getting readings with a multi-meter across the terminals, tried earthing it elsewhere...even hooked up the battery of my Civic in to see. What's most odd is you don't even get a spark when connecting the negative to any battery! Checked fuses and even swapped some relays over from an LS400 (Fun* fact, they have the exact same part numbers!) and everything seems good on that front. 

 

Honestly stumped as never had anything like this with any vehicle before. 

 

Has it got a fuse built in to the positive cable somewhere?

Or has it got an inertia switch somewhere that's popped?

[Dyslexic Viking]

11 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Have trailer, will travel.

Hope you will collect it with the Land Rover.

[reb]

I have just had a kebab from a takeaway that has donner and chips on the kids menu.

[Marina door handles]

2 hours ago, 17-Coffees said:

Having a rather odd issue with my Corolla...It's dead, absolutely no power at all.

The battery is charged, getting readings with a multi-meter across the terminals, tried earthing it elsewhere...even hooked up the battery of my Civic in to see. What's most odd is you don't even get a spark when connecting the negative to any battery! Checked fuses and even swapped some relays over from an LS400 (Fun* fact, they have the exact same part numbers!) and everything seems good on that front. 

 

Honestly stumped as never had anything like this with any vehicle before. 

 

Possibly a knackered alternator? Try unplugging it and see if you get any life back? 

[dollywobbler]

I awoke from a strange dream but it was actually true. 

[Ghosty]

Two and a half years with the Civic now. Longest I've ever kept a car, and through some of the darkest times in my life. 

Not long after I fitted the D15 VTEC last year, it pressurised its cooling system. Didn't seem to do much harm, and I thought I'd dodged a bullet, but I did wonder if it had a slight misfire and as time went on it took slightly longer than before to build oil pressure from cold. 

The vac advance distributor was modified slightly to fit to the engine, and I always thought it sealed badly and pissed oil, as if the input shaft was slightly too small. 

Lately the oil leak had got worse and nothing I did seem to be fixing it. To the point of 1l/100mi or so.

Turns out it wasn't the distributor, oil was leaking from the an oil gallery on the side of the head. The misfire worsened.

Decided to draw a line under the car as sometimes the right thing is to move on. And for many reasons, it was. 

Parts were very quickly scattered to the wind among enthusiasts that have helped me with it along the way, and there's a deposit down on the shell - a young lad will be taking it away soon to rebuild it into something new. 

I've spent enough time in 'hell'...



Time for a fresh start.

There's a sticker of a ghost on the driver's quarterlight. I won't be removing it. 

I've already added a few personal touches, but like fuck am I going down the engine swap rabbit hole again. 

In fairness, I don't really need to, as I've already got the whole SOHC VTEC drivetrain in this one. 

At some point in its life, it was registered to Jeff Wayne's company! 

[stuboy]

1 hour ago, dollywobbler said:

I awoke from a strange dream but it was actually true. 

knew id seen the design before...........

[High Jetter]

5 hours ago, Burnside said:

Apparently the original press photo car, they were on the way to a Toyota meet in Leeds today. 

That looks rarer than a rare thing

[wuvvum]

Today was a brakes day.  Always my favourite...

Got the offside rear drum off the Innocenti to investigate the binding.  The cause was easy enough to spot - the cylinder was partially seized on one side and wasn't retracting fully.  I was able to free it off, but unfortunately while I was removing the brake shoes the lining fell off one of them, so that's scuppered my plans for a quick fix and retest.  I've ordered a new set of shoes - a tenner from GSF so not the end of the world, although fitting drum brake shoes is one of my least favourite jobs on a car (those fucking springs 😡).

Next was the rear brake pipe on the Volvo, which was actually a piece of piss to do  - I'd got the pipe length pretty much spot on (at the second attempt admittedly), everything came apart OK and the new pipe went on easily enough and without too much fluid spillage (the Volvo's master cylinder is pretty much airtight with the cap on so very little fluid is lost beyond what was in the pipe already).  The brake pedal even feels a bit firmer now so I think there might have been a bit of air in the system before.

The union is rather longer than it needs to be but they didn't have any short 3/8 AF unions in stock - it does the job anyway.

The Mobylette was next.  I'd been hoping to move the screw-on nipples up the rear brake cable a bit to take up some of the slack, but it was proper welded in place (unsurprisingly having been untouched for at least 30 years).  Luckily the screw adjusters had a bit more to give so I now have a reasonable amount of braking again.  I then took the handlebars off (having finally worked out how to get to the mounting nuts) to see if I could tighten the headset bearings at all as there's a fair bit of play.  The top nut (a strange 8-sided 32mm job) did screw down a fair bit but there's still play, so I'm going to have to order a replacement bearing set.

The other job on the list was to check that the carb slide was opening fully on full throttle.  It was (or as near as makes no difference) but while playing around with the carb I noticed that with the fuel tap on and the engine not running, the float bowl is overflowing.  So I've taken the carb off and I'm going to have to take it to bits again to find out why the needle valve isn't shutting off.  It might explain why the bike was conking out at low speed anyway.

I still haven't got round to checking the front brakes on the Rover, which have been squealing intermittently since last September - they only do it on a long run and they're not binding noticeably so it's more of an annoyance than anything else but will need looking at at some point.  I did manage to fit the aftermarket replacement undertray I bought for it, although as usual with aftermarket parts it's a less than perfect fit in that several of the mounting holes don't line up.  It's on there securely but it'll need more fettling at some point.  I got the replacement front tyres fitted though (Uniroyal RainExperts), so it now has the same size tyres all round and stands half a chance of going round a corner in the wet.  I still need to get the tracking done, but then it'll be more or less done for now.

The other job I didn't get round to doing was the distributor cap on the Toyota.  I got as far as painting timing marks on the distributor body and engine block so I know roughly where to put things back together, but I didn't want to risk buggering anything up before the MOT tomorrow morning, so that's another job for next week.