The new news 24 thread

[EssDeeWon]

After a couple of hours of swearing and skinning my knuckles, the cause of the hairdresser special's recent failure to proceed was confirmed :

 

FullServiceHistory.jpg

 

The car had just two owners before me and the service book was fully stamped by the supplying Mazda dealer and an independent Mazda specialist. Unsurprisingly, the cambelt was still the one fitted in Hiroshima back in 1997. Dishonest cnuts 

 

 

Ouch! No receipt for the apparent new cambelt or it didnt happen! Thats my view anyway. Still done quite well to be on there since 1997, but if a so called 'Specialist' has claimed to have fitted one I would name and shame them, thats bad! Do you 100% know its the original belt thats just snapped?

[The Moog]

It's one of the easiest cars to reach the heater motor.

 

- Undo the carpet cladding underneath the passenger side of the dashboard

- Remove three screws

- Heater motor drops on the floor.

 

However, it is advisable to change the entire unit.

Now, instead of buying a new one for 90 quid, or a used one for 45, the smart bassa gets a LH one out of a P38 Range Rover for 10 quid,

because it is exactly the same.

The blower just randomly stops working then once in a while starts again. Will drop it out, hoping it is a loose wire as cba if it is too much more.

 

Fan relays are for the front cooling fans. Ordered but taking forever to come.

[Lankytim]

I bet it's the brushes in the motor.

[Junkman]

Newfangled shit, so if you try to open the motor, you destroy it. Guess how I found out, and guess how I know that the P38 one is the same.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Ouch! No receipt for the apparent new cambelt or it didnt happen! Thats my view anyway. Still done quite well to be on there since 1997, but if a so called 'Specialist' has claimed to have fitted one I would name and shame them, thats bad! Do you 100% know its the original belt thats just snapped?

 

It is most certainly the factory belt, clearly a quality item as it has almost managed double the recommended 60K mile replacement interval ! Those MX5s are really built to last !

[Asimo]

I'm trying to sell/swap my petrol 18 and have been offered a classic mini with a few* bits missing.

I wouldn't mind a hefty project though, and it's tax exempt.

The only slight issue is it's at the bottom of England, and I'm not.

 

*Most things

 

Classic Mini? vile little things.

Have you ever driven one? The Renault 18 is a better road drive than most any Mini, although Minis are good fun in multi-story car parks and (allegedly) on the racetrack.

The missing bit is most likely the steel sheet part of the bodyshell.

[derskine]

Classic Mini? vile little things.

Have you ever driven one? The Renault 18 is a better road drive than most any Mini, although Minis are good fun in multi-story car parks and (allegedly) on the racetrack.

The missing bit is most likely the steel sheet part of the bodyshell.

 

 

Not driven one, but I'll still have an 18 should I wish to drive one.

Minis are also easier to sell, even in that state.

[richardmorris]

Dropped the 2CV for its service and MOT this morning. Have a P reg ZX 1.9D SX spec. five door as a courtesy car. A new acquisition for the garage mainly for its engine to drop in their ZX estate which snapped its cambelt last month. Apparently it was only 40,000 miles since it was done but seems to have degraded the rubber as it's all soft and floppy. The same cannot be said for the clutch in this car which almost needs two feet planted to move the pedal  - one of the main reasons the customer sold it to them. Clutch has done 130,000 so about time for a change.

[dugong]

Classic Mini? vile little things.

Have you ever driven one? The Renault 18 is a better road drive than most any Mini, although Minis are good fun in multi-story car parks and (allegedly) on the racetrack.

The missing bit is most likely the steel sheet part of the bodyshell.

Right. 

 

Have you actually driven a decent Mini, or just a wobbed-up pile of crap?

Please note, I am not a classic Mini or BINI fan. 

[dollywobbler]

He has a point. Minis are pretty vile on anything but billiard-table-smooth surfaces. I've driven quite a few. I've never driven a Renault 18 though.

[Shep Shepherd]

Drained, flushed and refilled The Wentworth's cooling system today. All good

 

Also effected the tried and tested Volvo enthusiasts' way of keeping the blanking plug on a Volvo 940's radiator from coming out on its own:

 

 

It never occurred to me that the plug could come out of its own accord until it did. I'd rather not have it happen again.

 

May swap the silver cable tie for a black one when I can find one of a suitable size, as it will look less obtrusive. I think that the fitters at work will have one

[derskine]

He has a point. Minis are pretty vile on anything but billiard-table-smooth surfaces. I've driven quite a few. I've never driven a Renault 18 though.

 

18s don't handle well, they stick to the road but suffer from body roll.

Though I should think it's not quite as a bad as a 2cv!

You wouldn't want to drive an 18 fast though.

[panhard65]

I had an 18ts as my first decent car back in about '85. It was far superior to a mini and used to beat most of my friends cortina's and escort's when it came to racing round the back roads. Yes they are very softly sprung but in their day they did handle and go well. (mine did have a twin choke webber carb though). I even frightened a guy with a 3.0 capri. He was amazed that it was just a 1.6. I have never really been into mini's they are just too small I can't get comfy. The only one I did like had a pair of datsun 100a seats bolted in and the rear seat removed so they could be mounted far enough back. Still a crap car compared to the 18

[CortinaDave]

18s don't handle well, they stick to the road but suffer from body roll.

Though I should think it's not quite as a bad as a 2cv!

You wouldn't want to drive an 18 fast though.

 

I got 100 out of the raggy diesel 18. It sat at 90 quite happily. In fact I didnt actually notice how fast it was going and shat myself as I looked at the speedo as I was approaching a camera.

[dollywobbler]

As I'm fed up with Twitter being filled up with shots of posh stuff from Goodwood Festival of Speed, I've started the #festivalofshite hashtag and am attempting to fill Twitter with awful cars.

[Asimo]

When I was driving Minis they were new and went with the job. Vans, Clubmans, saloons, 850, 998, 1098, even a pickup. Unless the road is dead smooth speed is limited by the tolerance of the driver to the vertical jerking motion. (The hydrolastic ones are said to be better but I havn't driven one). The brakes are unbelievably bad by todays standards: they can fade to nothing at all incredibly quickly. They do feel as if they can pull a lot of G whilst cornering, this can lead to trouble and when they crash they offer no protection at all. They are noisy like being inside a blender is noisy and are a sod to work on.

The steering is Really good for a FWD car and they are a lot of fun to thrash around an industrial estate for ten minutes but no thanks.

I would happily go on a road trip in a R18 tomorrow however, espec. a GTX Auto!

[HillmanImp]

Finally got round to taking the GT6 in for its MOT today. Did not go quite as planned. Its the first time I have ever had a fail sheet with P.T.O on it:

 

 

Most of them are okay. The hazard lights sometimes work sometimes don't so as they did not work then, I will now have to play safe and get a new switch for it. The seat mechanism works, they just could not figure it out and I saw them knock the battery strap off by accident (but it can't have been on properly to come off so easily) but there are a couple of painful things on there particularly the broken rear leaf spring. This sounds like an arse to do. 

 

It was running like a total bag of shit too. It seemed fine on runs backwards and forwards over a couple of miles but doing a 32 mile round trip to the test centre and back proved otherwise. When it was warm, it was running far too fast but was really low on power and backfiring constantly. It would only run right (well better) with the choke out slightly but was then overfuelling like shit which meant that fuel was pouring out of the fucking carb. Defo needs a carb rebuild, I think it had previously been set up to take account of the jet head I freed and as such it now starts on the button but runs like poo as it drove fine not long ago until I 'sorted' that out. 

 

A mate however just pointed out to me that there is a Triumph spares place about 400 metres from where I live now. Great big place. He only noticed as he stopped for a burger at the van outside it last weekend and wondered over to take a look. Going to head down there on Saturday morning and get the parts I need.

[Skoze]

 

birds are the absolute worst. livid. 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Its the first time I have ever had a fail sheet with P.T.O on it:

 

As long as they don't write "P.O.S." on it!

 

Which Triumph spares place is that?

[richardmorris]

MOTd the 2CV with no work needed or advisories.

[EssDeeWon]

Ouch Skoze!! Is that a job for T cut? Never had a bird shit mark that bad before from recollection..

 

Got loads here your welcome to if you want to try.

[HillmanImp]

As long as they don't write "P.O.S." on it!

 

Which Triumph spares place is that?

 

I think that they wanted to. I went to get some money out after dropping it off and it conked out shortly after I walked away. Came back 10 mins later to them still trying to start it. Knowing the car I got it running in a few secs like but I don't think it put them in a good frame of mind.

 

Parts place is Moss Europe in Shipley. They don't list the GT6 but I think* its the same part for the Spitfire which the do list. 

 

http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/

 

*need to look it up to check the part numbers are compatible. 

[Angrydicky]

As I'm fed up with Twitter being filled up with shots of posh stuff from Goodwood Festival of Speed, I've started the #festivalofshite hashtag and am attempting to fill Twitter with awful cars.

Is it worth me joining Twatter? Most people I know seem to be on it now, but I think it looks mostly shit. I've never used a hashtag in my life, which must be quite rare for a 23 year old. However, that does sound fun!

[rml2345]

What is Twitter actually for? I joined up a while ago but couldn't find a use for it so stopped bothering.

[HillmanImp]

There is a lot of porn on there but there is a lot of porn everywhere online. However, you can send abusive tweets to celebrities or at least to the people running their account for them. I like to '#AskCrofty if he has ever felt the touch of a man' or if '#AskCrofty Do you find Pastor Maldonado attractive' etc when i am watching early morning F1 races and am still slightly pissed from the night before.

 

Quite rightly I just get ignored but it passes the time whilst i wait for the race to start.

[Richard]

What is Twitter actually for? I joined up a while ago but couldn't find a use for it so stopped bothering.

I've never worked it out either. Same goes for Facebook.

[beko1987]

Apologies for the wanky shit 0.003mp picturez but the XM passed its MOT!

 

Advisories are for the passenger rear tyre which is due a change, there's another hole in the centre silencer that I'll try to stick some wob on and the oil leak that's been there since before I bought it but doesnt seem to loose any oil. My mate said he was struggling to find things to advise on, although the front drivers side strut leakoff pipe snapped and pissed lhm everywehre on the ramp. Luckily I pulled the broken bit off the pipe it goes on and pushed it back on slightly shorter! They are slightly perished tbh

 

 

Barely fucking scraped the emissions though thanks to the bloody hole. It had a 2500-3000rpm test for 45 seconds which did the trick in the end!

 

But a pass is a pass. Shame I cant afford tax this month for it

[320touring]

What is Twitter actually for? I joined up a while ago but couldn't find a use for it so stopped bothering.

I agree with David Cameron on one thing, and one thing only.

 

That is 'too many tweets make a twat'

[Sigmund Fraud]

What is Twitter actually for? I joined up a while ago but couldn't find a use for it so stopped bothering.

 

I'll support the Junkman school of thought by stating that I fail to find any use for most stuff invented after 1986... Autoshite being one of very few notable exceptions !

[Cavcraft]

The Kangoo has definitely has NOT got ABS. Sorry about that, hedge just off the A51. The 'feels like it might tip over' ultra light steering and general 'handling' don't seem to be helped by it having commercial tyres fitted to the front.

I opened the rear side windows coming home the day I got it and struggled to shut them again. This was only because the car has rusted away around the rear side windows though.