The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

I've got bad news. For some stupid reason, despite the fact that we're going to see 2CV friends tomorrow, I decided to do some more work on tidying her up after the welding work. We'd only had time to coat all the bare metal in zinc primer before time ran out last time.

 

Took the rear wing off, then hosed down the inner wheelarch. Got a bit worried as the gentle pressure of the hose began removing underseal. A quick session with a screwdriver and wire brush and it looked like this.

 

It's actually pretty solid, but corrosion was rampant beneath the underseal. I did make a couple of holes though, so gave up. Dispirited, I drove the 2CV back into the garage and set about bodging the BX's exhaust again. More repair paste and several wraps of aluminium tape. If it lasts the weekend I'll be happy.

[gordonbennet]

Hope it goes well Richard.

 

Part time at the mo?  a chap trying to get himself established as a full time indy then presumably, good luck to him.

[messerschmitt owner]

Just about to order a new distributor for the 126. It's £200 inc vat and postage from Germany. Was recovered yesterday evening with dead ignition system and Knackered distributor.

[Ghosty]

Today, Old Man and I went out looking at cars - two, to be exact.

 

The first was a 90k miles 2001 Civic Coupé - with no view to buy, just to see what they're like as he was interested in them (he has a Civic now, likes it but it's too slow). He found it bland and bigger than expected - as he's already had a Prelude 2.0i a couple of years ago, he's not going there again, he said.

The second was an 85k miles Impreza 2.0GX wagon - but it was fucked. Unwashed, dirty engine bay, scuffed bumpers, stonechips down both sides, holed seat bolster, pedal rubbers worn off, a few rust bubbles in one door shut, and a little bleb by the filler cap. The dealer rather openly admitted he was using it a daily too, and was offended when Old Man said it was too rough!

 

As a result he's not interested in those, as pretty much all of them are gonna have been ragged at some point.

He wants something he can work on himself but is also fun and practical/smallish, preferably a coupé or fast 3 door hatch - with less than about 80k on it, and in good condition, for under £2500... And he won't consider private sales. Picky bugger.

 

A colleague of his has a mk1 MX5 that in a couple of weeks he'll be able to borrow.

Pending this he might end up buying one of those  if he likes it 

[Richard]

I've been e-stalking my car. This is it in 2012.

 

 

[Shep Shepherd]

^

 

Not sure about those lights

 

In other news, I collected The Wentworth this morning, which made the 90-odd mile journey home without a problem, although one of the headlights got cracked by a stone on the M25 

 

Here is is before I started to clean it up:

 

 

It's not perfect, but it's perfect for me, at least for now. Full collection report and driving impressions coming soon

[Richard]

^

 

Not sure about those lights

 

 

They are hideous, thankfully the car came to me with standard lights and grille. I can't help feeling a bit indignant that somebody did that to my car- even though it wasn't mine at the time and it's been undone since. I strongly suspect that owner of sticking the horrible plastic trim all over the dashboard too.

[twosmoke300]

Ghosty , a 96 to 01 civic 3dr vti

[Ghosty]

Ghosty , a 96 to 01 civic 3dr vti

Yeah, we've thought about that. 1.6 VTis are hard to find, especially in a condition he'd be satisfied with - 1.8 5drs are easier to find but they all get knackered by OMGVTEC types.

He currently has a Y plate 1.4i SE of the same shape as you suggested.

[twosmoke300]

The most reliable cars ever made . Esp the 1.4

[Ghosty]

Agreed!

[gordonbennet]

Best kept secret Civic IMO is the 03 to 05, so facelift, 2.0S type.

 

Its the same engine as the typeR but in detuned form, so full VTEC,  sits on proper springs, usually on 195/65 x 15 tyres in a full 5 door shell.

 

My daughter's on her second, the first one she thrashed the living daylights out of the poor bloody thing and it never missed a beat, she took that from 80k to around 140k miles.

I found another identical low mileage 1 owner full history jobbie, and she's running that a lot steadier, and has put about 20k on that too.

 

I do her normal servicing and they really are a delight to work on, even got adjustable tappets, oddly enough the only awkward thing to change is the oil filter, it sits behind the engine and you have to remove the OSF wheel and small splash guard to get to it, even then its still a pain in the arse and i expect would be a bloody nightmare without a good chain grip filter remover.

[twosmoke300]

Type s are a good car. Had a few with issues when i was at honda.

Sad but true that swindon hondas just arent quite as well made as jap ones.

 

Geek time.

Chassis numbers starting jh are jap built , s is swindon built , 1 is america and L is china (later jazz mk1 circa 07 to 08 )

[cort16]

I drove a 1999 Aerodeck Civic with the 1.6 vtec from Glasgow to Barcelona and back and it was really hard work. It's slow until you rev the knackers, buzzy on the motorway and bloody awful on fuel. It got us there and back mind you.

I recon I'd be on the look out for a Corolla of some kind. Something like this t-sport that's got 190bhp!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/03-03-Toyota-Corolla-1-8-VVTL-i-T-Sport-190-/291112084314?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43c7a1e35a

[twosmoke300]

The aerodeck would have either had the sohc (diet) vtec or the 1.8 dohc.

The neither are that quick tbh and the 1.6 dohc is much better.

[cms206]

Just been offered an A-reg Ford Orion 1600 Ghia auto...

Do it!

More info acquired... It's a 1600 Ghia Auto in moonstone? blue, genuine 40k-ish on the clock, it's a car I unwittingly have known since 1999. New 1/1/84 so pretty early and it spent most of its life on a cherry plate. It's been off the road for about three years and "needs some welding, but she stopped driving so I didn't bother".

 

SWMBO says she'll leave me if I get it, so I'm organising a viewing and getting my sleeping bag ready for dossing in the Volvo.

[cort16]

It was defo a 1.6 and had vtec plastered all over the boot. It probably have been okay for pootling around town but it was grating on a pan european blast. I drove a 1.8 one too but didn't get on with it either even though it was a flying machine.

We did get shit loads of drink in the back of it coming back though.

[Lacquer Peel]

My mum's Accord is a 1.8 VTEC job, it's thirsty *and* gutless. What is point?

[trigger]

It sounds worth a viewing, I'd like to see photos of it if nothing else! They aren't worth much, especially being a auto but they are still nice cars. Buy it cheap, weld it up and knock it out for £6-700.

[catsinthewelder]

My Dad got one of those ^ Corolla's in 55 plate 1.6 pez flavour to replace the Megane he gave me 8 years ago.  He went all over the place in it and never had any bother so when it was getting a bit long in the tooth to remain as the main family steed it replaced a far lower milage Clio as the 2nd car.

 

If I needed a modern then I'd be looking at something similar.

[Ghosty]

Thanks for the suggestion re Corollas, Cort! Old Man thinks one of those is ideal - as long as it's not red. There's one 16 miles away on Auto Trader, 64k, service history etc. £1800.

It's red...

[r.welfare]

My mum's Accord is a 1.8 VTEC job, it's thirsty *and* gutless. What is point?

Not Honda's finest hour but, if my experience is anything to go by, they're long-lived.

[Shep Shepherd]

The Volvo will love me tomorrow; The Wentworth came with an almost pristine grey load cover (not mentioned in the eBay listing) which obviously doesn't match its black interior. However, The Volvo has a grey interior, so the load cover will replace the one fitted to the car, as the carpet on it is going bald in places, due to 24 years of exposure to sunlight

[EssDeeWon]

Whats a Wentworth? Any Pics?

[EssDeeWon]

^

 

Not sure about those lights

 

In other news, I collected The Wentworth this morning, which made the 90-odd mile journey home without a problem, although one of the headlights got cracked by a stone on the M25 

 

Here is is before I started to clean it up:

 

IMG_20140418_143630.jpg

 

It's not perfect, but it's perfect for me, at least for now. Full collection report and driving impressions coming soon

 

Ah I see now

[Cavcraft]

Whats a Wentworth?

 

 

About fifty quid less than a came?

[Shep Shepherd]

Whats a Wentworth? Any Pics?

 

A Wentworth is a special edition 940 which Volvo offered for a few years in the 1990s, due to their sponsorship of the PGA golf goings-on at the Wentworth club. Basically, the model is a 940 GL fitted with a turbocharger, aircon, an LSD and a 'Wentworth' badge. In some instances, they were fitted with alloys, leather seats and rear electric windows, which were available as part of a 'Wentworth Pack'. Not mine, though.

[cms206]

A Wentworth is a special edition 940 which Volvo offered for a few years in the 1990s, due to their sponsorship of the PGA golf goings-on at the Wentworth club. Basically, the model is a 940 GL fitted with a turbocharger, aircon, an LSD and a 'Wentworth' badge. In some instances, they were fitted with alloys, leather seats and rear electric windows, which were available as part of a 'Wentworth Pack'. Not mine, though.

My understanding is that the Wentworth was just a 2.0 940SE (at that time B200FT powered anyway - 155bhp ftw!) with aircon, no sunroof and a spoiler on the saloons. Mine had a live rear end IIRC and only had cloth trim. Apparantly they were aimed at the company car market but how true that is I don't know.

[Shep Shepherd]

My understanding is that the Wentworth was just a 2.0 940SE (at that time B200FT powered anyway - 155bhp ftw!) with aircon, no sunroof and a spoiler on the saloons. Mine had a live rear end IIRC and only had cloth trim. Apparantly they were aimed at the company car market but how true that is I don't know.

 

The insurance people list The Wentworth as a 940SE Turbo, which isn't strictly correct, as that model had a 2316cc engine and a full pressure turbo

 

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Wentworth was some sort of tax-break special, as up until the mid-1990s cars with an engine capacity of less than 2000cc were exempt from the long-defunct Special Car Tax. The 740SE came about for the same reason

[derskine]

18 back up and running.

All wheel bearings changed - weird noise from rear still there, not as concerned though.

Wing albeit multicoloured looks good.

Clutch also not slipping now and is much better to drive but will need to go for a razz tomorrow to decide.