The new news 24 thread

[beko1987]

Can't you borrow a towbar and remove the back seats and rear interior?

 

Voila, a van that won't drive on its bumpstops when you have it loaded with shit and a trailer loaded with shit on the back...

 

Plus you can go all volksy on it when you put it back together afterwards!

[anonymous user]

Hold the presses, the laziest person in the world has worked on two cars today! Normally I spend the weekend sat on my arse being grumpy; the new happy pills must be working as so far I have mowed the lawn, been to a bootsale, got spare key cut for the Volvo, (as I don't like only having one key), removed the driver's door trim panel and tailgate trim panel on it to lubricate the stiff locking mechanisms, then changed the rocker cover and gasket on the A35. Unfortunately my enthusiasm has now waned so I am back on the sofa with a glass of wine. (I realise that others on here will have rebuilt engines and welded up cars in less time, but I am pleased that I have actually achieved something for once)

[Angrydicky]

I also "worked" on my A35 today, well I opened my grandparents garage to check it was still there. It was so I closed it up again.

 

The Somerset broke down just down the road so I pushed it into a space and walked home. Not sure what it is, possibly the condensor, as it's been cutting out and misfiring occasionally for the last week. There's plenty of petrol getting through so it's not that. Couldn't be bothered to fiddle with it by the side of the road so I'll get my dad to tow me home with the Rover when he gets back this evening, so I can have a look at it tomorrow.

 

The Maestro hasn't moved an inch in the last couple of weeks. I started it up, ran it to temperature and drove it up and down the garden a couple of times, before giving it a bit of a clean. Annoyingly the thermostat housing has started leaking again, which is yet another job that needs tackling. I'm hoping to go to the paint supplier on Canvey Island on Monday and collect a couple of litres of finest Champagne Beige for the Maestro's respray, and an aerosol of Island Blue to touch in the crusty bits I treated with rustkiller on the A35.

 

Atlantic, well it hasn't moved from its garage for a year. I sourced, very cheaply, a replacement fuel pump for it but the bit that bolts to the block is wrong, so I'm hoping I can just swap the top bit over onto the old base, which should at least get it running. Or maybe I should just fit an SU electric pump. Haven't decided yet.

 

Cambridge, all the welding is complete and it mainly needs paint preparation. Again, I just haven't had the time to work on it with being away at university, but now I'm finished for summer I'm hoping to get on with it after the others are sorted out. 

[vulgalour]

I really do hate the run up to moving house, possibly even more than the move itself.  So far, unless I can swap the Xantia for an equally good/bad van, it looks like the move is going to be a fairly drawn out thing however I do it and incur lots of expense I could do without, as usual.  I'll likely use the Xantia for everything bar a wardrobe that might not fit and just make several veg-powered trips to reduce the cost if not the time involved and do the whole move over the course of a fortnight, I've done that before and can do it again, just never done it over this distance before.

 

Other options are to hire a van but I don't really want to be restricted to 24 hours to do the whole move or to buy a van with 5 minutes T&T that I can scrap afterwards, but I don't want the additional expense of insurance on that one and any other issues a knackered old van is likely to have.

 

Final option would be to sell/frag the Xantia for quick cash that I put into the beige Princess and then hire a suitable vehicle for the big stuff while trundling everything else back and forth in the Princess with a trailer on the back (I have a towbar to fit) but again it doesn't really see me any better off than just using the Xantia.

 

Of course, all this is on the assumption that the application for the flat is approved.  If it falls through then we're back to square one again.

[phil_lihp]

I've just dredged the C'eed out of hibernation as the 220 is now heading east to its new home. It's in good hands.

[ruffgeezer]

Vulg, I've still got a pair of Xantia roof bars here if they would help?

[dollywobbler]

I've been working WITH my car today.

[vulgalour]

Vulg, I've still got a pair of Xantia roof bars here if they would help?

 

Probably would, I had forgotten you had those.

[HMC]

Fleet news:

I've fixed the Volvo brakes so it now rolls and stops

I've visited Cavcraft and said goodbye to the bx and hello to the weatherbeaten french peasant look 205

Proper roadtrip thread to follow

 

I shunted the cars around today and thought Id take a pic, ending up with an odd looking What Car? group test shot

 

 

 

The sun needed to be setting really but I couldnt be bothered messing about as a beer was waiting for me.

[Cavcraft]

/\

 

BEST CALENDAR PICTURE EVER.

[anonymous user]

I've been working WITH my car today.

If that's the 2cv in the distance, did you forget to put the handbrake on?

[dollywobbler]

I actually walked away from it for arty farty reasons.

[RobT]

I've just dredged the C'eed out of hibernation as the 220 is now heading east to its new home. It's in good hands.

Collected from Phil this morning who kindly met me at Taunton, so I'm now a two R8 household. The car was faultless and an absolute cracker on the long journey back via the A303. Sorry I'm crap at collection threads but will keep you all updated on the Autoshite Rover of Win! The responsibility to keep it alive now rests on my shoulders....Was a bit weird driving home as although the interior surroundings were familiar it's a totally different beast to the 416, more comfortable too. My only ache after 5 hours was at the top of my bum crack where I must have been tensing the old buttocks all journey, I put that down to new car uncertainty!

[phil_lihp]

Glad you got home safe and only set the alarm off the once   (apologies for forgetting to mention the door lock) - try doing that twice in a row at a busy petrol station!  Embarrassing. 

 

You can relax, the only times it didn't start with me was when the old, knackered and woefully undersized battery drained after long periods not being used.  Since the replacement was installed it's been 100%.  I am fairly chilled about reliability with old cars in general but this one in particular had my full confidence.  Not only that, but as I've said before, this is one of the most comfortable cars ever.

 

I'm really glad it's gone to someone who'll enjoy it, Rob's a top bloke and I could not have asked for an easier transaction or collection.  In fact, had he not reminded me, there's a high possibility I would have seen him drive off in it for free because I completely forgot about the exchange of money until he gave it to me...

[RobT]

I took it easy on the way home but it has my full confidence too, although old car niggles are all part of it aren't they. Saying that I couldn't resist slaying a few moderns on the dual carriageways just for a bit of fun.

[Cavcraft]

I've been working WITH my car today.

 

 

I was cycling round Cheshire this morning thinking how lucky I am to live there. Then I looked at your picture and got jealous.

[cms206]

Won a raffle.

 

Bet the prize is shit.

[phil_lihp]

I own an ACTUAL barn find.

 

 

Flattering picture, the paintwork on all but the brand new front mudguard is knackered and the engine's had a very hasty and shoddy rattle-can job but the bike will look a lot better with a damn good clean.  In a barn since 1997, I went to pick it up 5 minutes from Taunton station where I met RobT this morning to hand the 220 over.  It seemed like it was meant to be.  Logistics didn't work out for actually getting it home (my CBT is out, renewing it next weekend, plus it has no V5 so no tax until I get a new one) but a brand new MOT this morning with only one advisory for surface rust on the rear wheel rim and the seller's bringing it to me next week.

 

He started it up for me and I was amazed, I've never, ever heard a CG125 run as smoothly as this one does.  Revs smoothly and seems like a proper little gem, I'll run it around as soon as its taxed, iron out any little niggles and then it's taking me and a tent over to northern France for a few days' cheap road trip.  Anyone got any recommendations for where to go?  I've never been any kind of proper distance on a motorbike before so I'm really looking forward to it.

[trigger]

My sister is up from Cornwall for the weekend with her fella who's into old Fords (he owns a stunning Mk1 XR2) so I went down to Colchester in the Cortina this afternoon to show him, took him for a spin in it and spotted some old cars about, the best being a fucked Daimler 250 V8 that's sat in a garden 20+ years and is up for sale for £2500!.

 

Anyway I've done well over 100 miles today whilst getting thumbs up from random strangers everywhere and i've came to the conclusion that the suspension is utterly bollocked on the car, it skips about like a fish out of water and feels saggier than a nuns tits, I'm going to dig deep and buy a set of -1" lowering springs from Rallydesign and a set of Gaz shocks for it i think, hopefully that should improve the driving experience.

[panhard65]

I own an ACTUAL barn find.

 

 

Flattering picture, the paintwork on all but the brand new front mudguard is knackered but will look better with a damn good clean.  In a barn since 1997, I went to pick it up 5 minutes from Taunton station where I met RobT this morning to hand the 220 over.  It seemed like it was meant to be.  Logistics didn't work out for actually getting it home (my CBT is out, renewing it next weekend, plus it has no V5 so no tax until I get a new one) but a brand new MOT this morning with only one advisory for surface rust on the rear wheel rim and the seller's bringing it to me next week.

 

He started it up for me and I was amazed, I've never, ever heard a CG125 run as smoothly as this one does.  Revs smoothly and seems like a proper little gem, I'll run it around as soon as its taxed, iron out any little niggles and then it's taking me and a tent over to northern France for a few days' cheap road trip.  Anyone got any recommendations for where to go?  I've never been any kind of proper distance on a motorbike before so I'm really looking forward to it.

Touring France, try this site for interesting places to visit. It might get expensive though.

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/offres/pays_de_la_loire/occasions/?f=a&th=1

Alternatively the Normandy beaches are worth a look and the cider and calvados is pretty good as well

[dollywobbler]

Could it just be knackered dampers Trig? Can't see springs causing the symptoms you're having, but ineffective dampers certainly would. Even 2CVs feel skittish when the shockers are kaput.

[trigger]

Looking at the shocks they are very old and could even still be the original ones, if I'm going to the hassle of changing them I'll be daft not to change the old springs as well, It works out just over £300 for the lot which i don't think is too bad, especially if it's the difference between me going off the car or me actually enjoying it again.

[nacho man]

 

Me "take a pic of that golf"

Missus "why"

Me" because it's a L reg mk2 golf"

Missus "so"

Me "quick the lights are gonna change"

Missus "ok, but what for"

Me " to show some people on the internet"

Missus "you need to get out more"

[dollywobbler]

Looking at the shocks they are very old and could even still be the original ones, if I'm going to the hassle of changing them I'll be daft not to change the old springs as well, It works out just over £300 for the lot which i don't think is too bad, especially if it's the difference between me going off the car or me actually enjoying it again.

 

But lowering springs? Someone buy that man a pineapple!

[phil_lihp]

Touring France, try this site for interesting places to visit. It might get expensive though.

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/offres/pays_de_la_loire/occasions/?f=a&th=1

Alternatively the Normandy beaches are worth a look and the cider and calvados is pretty good as well

 

That's a great idea but I do intend to a) spend very, very little and come back on the bike!

 

Not that it hasn't occurred to me, my father wants me to bring an Acadiane back but has yet to offer to pay for it.

 

It seems from what I've read that France is quite welcoming to both campers and motorbikes which is good.  I may well check out Normandy while I'm there, I have seen shamefully little of France.

[trigger]

But lowering springs? Someone buy that man a pineapple!

 

 

[Ghosty]

 

Me "take a pic of that golf"

Missus "why"

Me" because it's a L reg mk2 golf"

Missus "so"

Me "quick the lights are gonna change"

Missus "ok, but what for"

Me " to show some people on the internet"

Missus "you need to get out more"

...What happened to the 'late registration madness' thread?

Also that looks like a GTD, double good spot!

[320touring]

Can Haz disurance on mah motah at bargain prices wif all mods declared

being an auld cont is braw

[wuvvum]

One of today's tasks was to try and cure the exhaust blow on the Innocenti.  It was a mixed success - two of the holes were on a relatively easy bit of pipe to get at and were soon bandaged up, but the third (and largest) hole was on the bit of pipe that is half hidden behind the bracing bracked that runs from the pipe to the silencer.  Trying to thread an exhaust bandage through the narrow gap 'twixt pipe and bracket without the bandage sticking to itself on the way through was interesting, to say the least.  It's definitely quieter than it was before, but I don't think it's quite there yet.  I'll stick it back on the ramps tomorrow and see if I can find where the gaps are, and then plug them with gun gum.

 

I also did a bit of work on the Spacy.  Besides tracing the oil leak, I also fixed the indicators, which had stopped flashing - suspected the relay was at fault, so once I'd found it I unplugged it and replaced it with the one from the Innocenti, and I now have flashing indicators again.  I think I might buy one of those electronically controlled fixed-flash-rate relays for the Innocenti, as the old bimetal relay seemed to struggle to cope when the electrics went all Italian.

 

Then I decided to fit an extra horn.  I'd bought it for the Delica, to try and improve on the embarrassingly pathetic squeak it gives at the moment, but I've decided I'm going to buy a BFO air horn for the Delica, so I shoehorned the disc horn I'd bought into the front of the Spacy, and it now has a two-tone horn.  Classy. 

 

It repaid all my hard work by snapping off one of its centre stand mounting lugs.  Typically, it was on the side where the spring is, so it's held in position when it's up, but any attempt to pull it down results in the spring yanking it out of place.  It was a fairly hopeless stand tbh, but it was better than nothing.  My current ingenious* plan is to temporarily replace it with a pushbike side stand I have lying around.  I've already looked and there's a place I can mount it, as long as I can find a big enough drill bit to drill the requisite sized hole.  That's another job for tomorrow, along with trying to find out if anywhere still sells that Petro Patch stuff to see if I can plug the oil leak with it.

 

The Solara was treated to a new pair of screen wash jets.  They're the single jet type rather than the original twin jet jobs - the screw thread on the twin jet ones in the motor factors was too fat to fit through the requisite hole.  So they're not quite as good, but they do the job.  I gave it some new wiper blades too.  Once it's been treated to the set of part worns that my mate has lying around, it should be ready for a test.

 

The Volvo now has working indicators again for the first time in years, thanks to a Cavalier flasher relay (four quid off eBay).  The hazards don't work, but I don't think a '72 car needs them anyway.  With its new screenwash pump it's now electrically ready for an MOT.  Now all it needs is some brakes.  And some welding.  And some suspension bushes.

[cort16]

Burton powers -1 springs are pretty reasonable I just bought some for mine. The do adjustable shocks too, can't remember how much but it wasn't terrifying .