The new news 24 thread

[Supernaut]

9 hours ago, IronStar said:

We went the full circle boys and gals.

Is it bad that I’m considering building this for one of my cars? Paging ex BB members to insult me out of this idea. 😄

You drier a skip wanker

[Schaefft]

59 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

Doesn't look like good news on the Delta. 

And they say it needs an £1800 gearbox rebuild too. 

Hmmm, probably won't do that. 

 

 

Rear axle mount bushes might be the biggest pain to replace in that list. What makes them say it needs a gearbox rebuild?

[bramz7]

No idea, a test drive I think as they've only had it since yesterday. Probably don't want to do it. 

[Schaefft]

It's not worth rebuilding the gearbox on it. You wouldn't rebuild it either as a used replacement from a low mileage car would make much more sense economically. The real question is how much it would be to do the mot fails. Some of it can be done at the same time to safe labour. Realistically Deltas aren't worth all that much though.

[New POD]

On 14/10/2025 at 18:35, beko1987 said:

He did have the aa out to the office. It was the coil pack. His next message was that they changed it for a new Delphi one and charged him for it 😬 I was braced for a big figure but he said he's found the same Delphi one for £106 online and the Aa charged him £160 all in, I dont think that's too awful. It's not the £25 used ones I was sending him links for but also he wouldn't have had it fixed ready to drive home 🤷

Aa chap pulled the plugs too and said they were fucked. Colleague declined those from him but on my direction is picking up 4 tomorrow from the gsf around the corner from his house and I'll fit them Thursday for him at lunch. If the plugs are fucked that won't be helping the coil pack at all

The number one cause of coil pack failure is plugs i reckon. 

[grogee]

1 hour ago, Schaefft said:

It's not worth rebuilding the gearbox on it. You wouldn't rebuild it either as a used replacement from a low mileage car would make much more sense economically. The real question is how much it would be to do the mot fails. Some of it can be done at the same time to safe labour. Realistically Deltas aren't worth all that much though.

M32 box? 😬

[bramz7]

It's not the M32, apparently it's another GM gearbox. C350 or something. 

The symptoms are a whine in third and above, from 2k revs and up when warm. It sounds more akin to a transmission noise from an older car, rather than sudden death in the bearings. I had hoped it was due to the oil being out of spec or something but I guess not. 

 

I really have to stop buying such left field choices. I never thought I'd say it but I'm absolutely sick of car buying now. 

[Schaefft]

They won't have investigated anything properly either, the diagnosis is only based on what they think is likely. Different oil might make a difference, especially for how long this car will most likely have left should you do the mot work, so I'd take that gearbox completely out of the equation.

[grogee]

17 minutes ago, bramz7 said:

It's not the M32, apparently it's another GM gearbox. C350 or something. 

The symptoms are a whine in third and above, from 2k revs and up when warm. It sounds more akin to a transmission noise from an older car, rather than sudden death in the bearings. I had hoped it was due to the oil being out of spec or something but I guess not. 

 

I really have to stop buying such left field choices. I never thought I'd say it but I'm absolutely sick of car buying now. 

It won't be any consolation but I feel like I've dodged a bullet. I did really fancy a Delta but after my Alfa 159 being quite needy and this story - it's put me right off.

There's a lot to be said for commuting to work in a diesel Toyota, especially considering I don't get paid if I don't turn up (contractor scumbag). 

[Dyslexic Viking]

Some of you may remember the little Zetor 2511 I fixed up for my dad a few years ago. It's still going strong and hasn't needed much in these years as it's a reliable old thing.

Here it is today transporting some trees.

 

And the 1,6 2syl diesel is still running good.

 

[beko1987]

3 hours ago, New POD said:

The number one cause of coil pack failure is plugs i reckon. 

I've just changed them, sadly that's another doom blue Zafira B staying on the road 😂

Old plugs were pretty shit. Apparently the aa guy said to replace them ASAP but 'not from him' which seemed reasonable as I bet plugs from the aa cost a fortune! He'd left the 2nd from the left very loose though 

[barefoot]

1 hour ago, bramz7 said:

It sounds more akin to a transmission noise from an older car, rather than sudden death in the bearings.

 

52 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Different oil might make a difference,

I certainly wouldn't consider this the death knell, and TBH I'd barely worry about it. Both my Scirocco & 944 play all kinds of interesting tunes though their boxes.

[bramz7]

@grogee

I've been scared of 159s after someone who I bought 156 bits off of said everything costs more and they don't drive like 'true Alfas', whatever that means. 

Overall the Delta seemed like a nice car, a lot of the issues are just normal with the mileage I suppose. Unfortunately the parts situation is quite iffy in the UK. Rear axle mounts will be Bravo and maybe even Stilo shared. I knew buying this car blind was a little silly so I'm the only one to blame. 

A friend of mine, who many of you know, thinks I should drive it to his local place for a second opinion. Suppose I've got nothing to lose by trying! 

In better news, the K11 is now better.

Best shallow end of the market purchase I've made this year. 

[Split_Pin]

This is how shiny the 75 is now!

[Joey spud]

The engine in Boris the Morris is a 1275cc jobby and had an Ivor Searle tag fixed where the original number used to reside. It was a bit loose so I took it off and put it somewhere safe then moved house.

I found it again the other day (3 years later) and thought I would email Ivor Searle who are a well respected engineering company going back decades to see if they could give me any information about my/their engine and I got a reply back the same day.

That'll do me squire. It's certainly the quietest running A series I've heard in years.

[goosey]

bah 

at least it’s only one glow plug

 

this is still one of the best things I’ve ever bought 

[IronStar]

2 hours ago, bramz7 said:

@grogee

I've been scared of 159s after someone who I bought 156 bits off of said everything costs more and they don't drive like 'true Alfas', whatever that means. 

Overall the Delta seemed like a nice car, a lot of the issues are just normal with the mileage I suppose. Unfortunately the parts situation is quite iffy in the UK. Rear axle mounts will be Bravo and maybe even Stilo shared. I knew buying this car blind was a little silly so I'm the only one to blame. 

A friend of mine, who many of you know, thinks I should drive it to his local place for a second opinion. Suppose I've got nothing to lose by trying! 

In better news, the K11 is now better.

Best shallow end of the market purchase I've made this year. 

Alfista bore, reporting for duty!

159 costs double in maintenance compared to  156. Now as a statement, that sounds very expensive, but in reality 156 has maintenance costs of Punto rather than anything upmarket. 

It doesn’t drive like a real Alfa though. It’s more akin to Audi, both in way it drives but also in a way it’s built. Proper Alfas make you drive like you stole them all the time, everywhere, and you’re one of”oh shit” how much away from a speeding ticket. 159 is much much much more sedate experience. It’s no slouch, but doesn’t want to be driven like you stole it 100% of the time.

[bunglebus]

Finally got time to do a bit of welding on my friend's 9000 Carlsson, had this crusty on the inner arch subframe attachment thingy

Forgot to take pics but I cut out the grot then got to take apart the donor cut that had been sourced, which was absolutely rust free inside and out. Spot welds drilled out and seam split, apparently this isn't up to MoT standard 

section trimmed to size, bish bash bosh 

Looked even better with a lick of paint but I was putting my tools away by then 

[Alusilber]

Puzzlingly, SWMBO’s car returned from the bodyshop yesterday with one light grey wheel bolt cap on each wheel. Turns out the caps for the security bolts are a different kind of plastic to the other ones (Nylon-6 versus polypropylene) and go all peculiar when attacked by whatever hardcore wheel cleaner the bodyshop used when they gave the car a complementary wash. 😕

[paulplom]

On 15/10/2025 at 07:23, paulplom said:

The boy's C1 failed it's mot quite severely yesterday. Anyone with any thing cheap to insure give me a shout plz.

He's gave me a quote of £900 to fix. I've give him the go ahead.