The new news 24 thread

[derskine]

Drove to see the nisFOAD allegro today in the 18.

Anyone ever experienced not one, but both windscreen wiper blades flying off on a very rainy motorway?

Not a pleasant experience!

[cort16]

I went to this this Avantime this morning. The seller wasn't there, which is sometimes good as they're not trying to distract you as you look around.

 

It's a 2.0T manual with half leather. It's got a years mot, timing belt done about 20,000 miles ago. It's in very nice shape on the outside and it looks well cared for but the inside's not quite a nice.

Everthing works but the drivers seat is stained and split. I also don't think the aircon is working.

When I started it up from cold there was a pretty healthy puff of blue smoke, which I'm guessing it's valve stem oil seals or likely turbo seals. It runs fine though and there's no smoke when its running but I couldn't take it out for a spin to see what it's like underload. It does have the feeling of a car thats been well polished but not driven too much. The front subframe and wishbones looked pretty rusty but it's got a fresh ticket. I dunno if this is a soft spot on these or not?

 

I do like it but it's up at nearly 1600 quid already and I'm not sure if I want to go much more than  2 grand.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I finally got round to replacing the fan switch of my MX5, which I had managed to break during a crescendo of hamfistedness.

 

I topped up the coolant, started her up and was mortified to hear a nasty top end knock !!! Considering that the car had recently eaten its cambelt, I started having visions of bent valves etc. So I did what every Autoshitter would do : I got in and took her out for a all-or-nothing, flat-out Italian tuneup.

 

To my great surprise, this worked excellently and she's now running like the proverbial well-oiled sewing machine !

[Rocket88]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^    not unusual with stuff that's been stood for a while..........oil drains from hydraulic tappets, hence the castanets when you first start up

[nacho man]

My 306 dizzler failed it's mot this morn, but only on a ball joint and a wheel bearing, and only 1 advisorie for a chip in the screen. It's a bit of a grump but prob about 30 in parts she will be right as rain for another years motoring.

[dollywobbler]

First chance I've had to get a photo of both of my shonky old beasts. Mrs DW not brave enough to have a drive in the van yet. She opted to drive the 2CV in the pouring rain last night instead. 

 

Tomorrow, the mission is to drive to the Heritage Motor Centre. Last time I did that trip, I was in a Jaguar X300. I'm willing to bet the Maestro uses rather less fuel!

[EssDeeWon]

I went to this this Avantime this morning. The seller wasn't there, which is sometimes good as they're not trying to distract you as you look around.

 

It's a 2.0T manual with half leather. It's got a years mot, timing belt done about 20,000 miles ago. It's in very nice shape on the outside and it looks well cared for but the inside's not quite a nice.

Everthing works but the drivers seat is stained and split. I also don't think the aircon is working.

When I started it up from cold there was a pretty healthy puff of blue smoke, which I'm guessing it's valve stem oil seals or likely turbo seals. It runs fine though and there's no smoke when its running but I couldn't take it out for a spin to see what it's like underload. It does have the feeling of a car thats been well polished but not driven too much. The front subframe and wishbones looked pretty rusty but it's got a fresh ticket. I dunno if this is a soft spot on these or not?

 

I do like it but it's up at nearly 1600 quid already and I'm not sure if I want to go much more than  2 grand.

 

 

 

Bloomin lot of car for £1600, didn't realise these were that cheap! But I imagine everytime you go out in it you need to keep all your fingers and toes crossed something doesnt go wrong!?

[richardmorris]

Rerouted the ipod/cassette player cabling so that the cabling is now hidden and comes up through a little hole in the bottom of the centre console glove box rather than trailing wires over the walnut. A small job that has taken two years to get round to doing!

[trigger]

Not every exciting but i went to my dads this morning to fit the wheel bearing on the Acclaim which it failed it's mot on, the bearing was £10 of ebay and i had to slip the local mechanic £20 to grind out the old bearing and press the new one in, we had a little issue when dad over done the hub nut which make the wheel squeak when turning but we loosened it and used a torque wrench instead which sorted that out.

 

[stuboy]

well i did it, drove 510 miles in 9.5 hours ashford kent to Llandrindod wells,.

[trigger]

I got given a load of  NOS car stickers and badges the other day, I'm struggling to place a couple of them though.

 

Team GB i'm guessing is just genetic sticker from the 2012 Olympics?.

 

 

 

Olympic sticker, Mk2 Fiesta?.

 

 

and these Plus stickers, i have a few and all different colours, some kind of dealer special edition maybe?.

 

 

 

[richardmorris]

Probably generic rather then genetic

 

In other news, just fitted a little on/off switch to the electric aerial in the merc. so I can stop it going up when I have the ipod on not the radio. Works perfectly so am very likely to fit one to the fiat as well. Had to buy a new one from maplin as the chrome toggle one I found in my parts box exploded (as in "what was that crucial part that flew past my shoulder") when I took it apart to clean it up.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Because, cleverly, the demo they had was the same 0.8 litre 3 cylinder device that she already had and was a cracking little tool. No one had a 4 cylinder demo but we were 'assured' that it drove just the same... but better!

 

It didn't. It was a hateful little heap with none of the charm of the triple. The thing that REALLY got on your tits was the throttle pedal pulsing under your foot in traffic, it was horrid! We trusted the dealer and the car as we'd (she'd) had two of them before. Didn't expect such a disaster from them.... You live and learn.

there is a free performance mod for the 3 pot- just take the restrictor out of the air-box instant powah!

[r.welfare]

You could get an Escort or Orion GL 'Plus' in '88 IIRC, not sure if the stickers looked like that though

[Cavcraft]

I've just bought a new car!

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you were...

[cms206]

Back box fell off the 940 this morning. Drove 90 miles or so before collecting it on the way home. Couldn't think why it was no louder with it missing until I picked it up - I think the phrase is "getting your monies worth"... oh well, off to Dingbro tomorrow

[richardmorris]

Hmm  - I think every last penny was wrung out of that.

[spike60]

I'm surprised you bothered to pick it up, in my experience the one's that drop off are past the best before date!

[ruffgeezer]

Ma Ruff has managed to put a crease in the front wing of her Badermagic Corsa B, so if anyone happens to have a silver Corsa B for breaking, please pm me.

[dollywobbler]

Van is still working very nicely after a 3-hour drive to Gaydon. Now in Birmingham berating myself for leaving my mobile at home. Good to meet Angry Dicky for the first time in ages and other Maestro folk. There was the same number of Maestro vans at the BMC BL day as there were Leyland P76s. How rare?!

 

Pics will have to follow as we're currently trying to work out what to do with our BBQ plans. It was sunny, then it was thundery and very rainy. Only one day into this road trip though. Tomorrow, Bedfordshire. Not sure what I'm going to do all day. 

[cms206]

I'm surprised you bothered to pick it up, in my experience the one's that drop off are past the best before date!

My motor factors are halfwits; if I can wander in with a fucked one I've a better chance of getting something like it

[RobT]

I had to call for breakdown recovery today as the immobiliser on the 220 was doing it's job too effectively. Was in a multi-storey car park and got towed home as despite having the owners manual on me, the code thingy wasn't in there. Can't seem to find it anywhere at home either which is a pisser. Fob has a new battery so it 'aint that.

 

Bloody sodding Rover alarms, I hate them! But this is my first proper breakdown in over three years so not doing bad really for someone who just drives old shitters.

[Shep Shepherd]

Just come home from a weekend in Southwold in Suffolk, a nice town for nice people, with a fantastic brewery at the heart of it:

 

 

The Wentworth survived the drive there and back, although I will need to replace the car's coolant expansion tank at some point in the very near future, as the bottom outlet on it has gone all crumbly due to heat/age, causing it to leak a bit; I noticed this when I replaced the coolant the other week, but I thought that I'd get away with it if I did the outlet hose's Jubilee clip up tight...

[Pillock]

I got given a load of NOS car stickers and badges the other day, I'm struggling to place a couple of them though.

 

3 is from a Ka.... Even got the template!

Swing is Corsa B

Expression was definitely Cavalier, maybe Astra too?

Not sure about Classic but I know some Fiestas were called that when the smiley one replaced them

Finesse was also a Fiesta, special edition.

Ford Motor Company was used on the laughable Mk5 Escort Mexico, on the rear door corners.

[trigger]

I think the Classic badge might be from the run out Cavaliers, around a N reg?. That Plus badge is a strange one though?.

 

I've had a email from the potential Dutch Civic buyer who has now pulled out as he feels that he has too many cars already (he has 2 Citroen Tractions and looking at buying a 3rd) so I've decided to buy some new tyres for the car instead, well the rears are 30 years old and the front's 24 years old so it's about time, esepcially as I'm taking the car to North Norfolk for a long weekend next week now and there's a 70's car show on at Woxham Barns which should be excellent.

 

Any one know any good deals on new 155R12 tyres? I'm guessing they are the same as 155/80/12's?.

[Cavcraft]

Thought is vaguely rang a bell, Trig.

 

 

 

 

http://www.cavalierandchevetteclub.co.uk/cavalier_mk3_special_editions.htm

[Sigmund Fraud]

Any one know any good deals on new 155R12 tyres? I'm guessing they are the same as 155/80/12's?.

 

155R12 are essentially 155/82R12, so 155/80 is good enough.

 

Not sure if you can find any good deals, in fact I'm not sure you'll have many tyres to choose from in the first place ! Big manufacturers no longer bother with obsolete tyre sizes, so unpronounceable ditchfinders are all you can get.

[Cavcraft]

Saab flat battery looks like a knackered alternator.

[EssDeeWon]

I had to call for breakdown recovery today as the immobiliser on the 220 was doing it's job too effectively. Was in a multi-storey car park and got towed home as despite having the owners manual on me, the code thingy wasn't in there. Can't seem to find it anywhere at home either which is a pisser. Fob has a new battery so it 'aint that.

 

Bloody sodding Rover alarms, I hate them! But this is my first proper breakdown in over three years so not doing bad really for someone who just drives old shitters.

 

Sure the car battery is good? Last Monday my GF's old Nissan was dead as dead the ignition was showing no signs of life, we initially thought the alarm or immobiliser was to the blame but turns out the actual car battery was duff so the immobilser stays on (apparently) anyway RAC came out and diagnosed and cured it. ....but I assume Mr Recovery checked all that out for you Rob??

[EssDeeWon]

Not sure about Classic but I know some Fiestas were called that when the smiley one replaced them

 

 

They did a late MK3 Fiesta Classic, i had one years ago on a 96 N reg (last of the MK3's) although I know a few P plates slipped through on those...