The new news 24 thread

[Parky]

Ha ha, no not quite.

 

Before anyone gets the wrong idea it was a proper interview in a bank with walls and doors and secretaries and all the usual gubbins. Either that or it is an elaborate 200 year old sting designed specifically to catch me out.

 

Hard work, questions coming from 6 sides, knackered afterwards!

[Craig the Princess]

... but now he's emigrating to Switzerland...

 

 

I hope that isn't a euphamism.

[trigger]

Would explain why he sold it cheap I guess!

[Bren]

Replaced the heater valve on other halfs fiesta - it had seized and the heater was hot all the time.

 

Not good at this time of year.

 

Cost £25 from local factor - could have got one for £10 off ebay but unsure of quality and a PITA if it is no good and has to go back.

[Honey Badger]

Think I might leave the idea of the 2001 Rover 75 having just found out it falls into the new tax bracket so circa £300 a year to tax, sod that I sold my BMW to avoid these high running costs. Thought the higher tax bands kicked in Sept 2001 not March 2001   Me iz stupid but iz refusing to pay £300 a year tax.

 

Seems like your cutting your nose off to spite your face, the 75s had all the important jobs done and your quibbling over what might be an extra £70 a year.

 

You might get one a year older to save on the tax then have to spend considerably more on it to get it to the same standard, to me it makes sense to pay the extra couple of quid a month to get a good 75 with a known history.

[Inspector Morose]

I'm a extreme tight wad and very poor but given the option, I'd go for that 75. Look, it's had all the expensive bits done so the extra money paid in RFL won't cover for that for the length of the life if the car with you anyway. It's an itch. Scratch it.

 

In BX news, I did something silly and poke the fuel pipes under the drivers door. There was a slight leak there and DW did mention the possibility of rotten fuel lines. Well, he was right, the return line was rotten to the core and split when looked at in a concerned manner. A while was passed while I replaced said tubular ferris oxide with finest 8mm plastic. Result? Leak free so far! Yay! I'll get round to the feed one day but it isn't leaking so, meh.

 

A little more tinkering with the settings on the pump has improved drivability a bit but there is still a little driveline shunting at times but much reduced. I've decided to leave it as a 1.9 N/A as I like the challenge of making it more efficient as it can be without serious modding and the engine belies it's 155000 miles so why change? (As a note I did this with a 2cv and got quite wonderful results, relatively speaking so I have a track record doing it his way.)

 

I do have a quirk in the fact that I like the look of the mk1 front. I'm toying with the idea of converting the front to mk 1 spec as I've got to replace one front wing so... Probably won't come to anything though.

 

Other than that, I love it. It's slowly getting better mechanically if not visually and it still does everything I ask of it. Hey, it's even been on Facebook now!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

if this 75 was a year older the tax would still be like £240 or whatever. The tax being £300 is no biggie surely, one extra tank of pez over the course of a year?

[wuvvum]

I appear to have managed to get the rear brakes on the 164 working on the pedal.  I wish I hadn't bothered.  They are a) shit and b ) now binding on (which I should have expected really given that they haven't been used for several years), which means that I can no longer push the car around on the driveway by hand (at least not without almost rupturing something).  This means that every time I need to move the car I'll have to nick a battery off something else and start it up.  Still, at least I've now got the fuel pump working on the ignition (by plugging it into the coil feed north of the ballast resistor, so it gets the full 12.5v, rather than the 8.5 it was getting when it was wired onto the coil itself - I don't know WTF I was thinking when I fitted it).  I've also ordered one of those electronic flasher units that are supposed to give a constant flash rate with anything from 0.2 to 20 amps - the car has now fried two bi-metal relays.  I've found somewhere which sells bits for the ATE brake calipers that my car is fitted with - most of the bits on eBay are for the more common Girling calipers.  A seal kit is 15 quid a side; a full rebuild kit is 42 quid a side, which includes four new pistons.  I haven't ordered yet as I need to get the pistons out first to find out if they're saveable or not.

 

My intention this afternoon was to get some bits done on the Corsair.  The main jobs were to bleed the clutch up and plumb the fuel tank back in so it's no longer running from a can under the bonnet.  I didn't get very far with either - the bleed nipple was seized solid, and although I got the fuel lines from the tank reconnected OK, I then couldn't get the fuel cap open to fill it.  Either the lock is knackered or I've not been given the right key.  On the plus side, my mate gave me a blow torch attachment thingy which screws onto a butane canister - I'm going to try and pick up a canister tomorrow, and hopefully it'll help free off the bleed nipple (as well as the Volvo calipers, and maybe even the exhaust bolts on the Rover of Doom).

[cort16]

Looks like you're looking for an excuse not to buy it essdeewon. It sounds like about the most sorted 75 you can get for sub 1000 quid money. As said above an extra 70 quid is nothing really in the year of car ownership. Just buy it WCPGW right???

[dollywobbler]

A little more tinkering with the settings on the pump has improved drivability a bit but there is still a little driveline shunting at times but much reduced. 

 

Believe me. Having driven a few of these things, it can only be engine mounts. I replaced one of them, but the lower could well be an issue and I assume there's one on the gearbox side too. They don't shunt normally.

[EssDeeWon]

Seems like your cutting your nose off to spite your face, the 75s had all the important jobs done and your quibbling over what might be an extra £70 a year.

 

You might get one a year older to save on the tax then have to spend considerably more on it to get it to the same standard, to me it makes sense to pay the extra couple of quid a month to get a good 75 with a known history.

 

This I agree with and im not ruling it out completely just yet, however I cannot buy the car for another week anyway because the owners are not getting the new car until 6th August so wont part with the Rover until this date! I will keep my eyes peeled and if nothing else nice/local/cheap pops up between now and then I will probably still get it.

 

I love the car, it just pizzes me off weighing in 300 quid a year tax, I only use it 1/2 days a week and its not even parked on the bloody road.

[EssDeeWon]

Looks like you're looking for an excuse not to buy it essdeewon. It sounds like about the most sorted 75 you can get for sub 1000 quid money. As said above an extra 70 quid is nothing really in the year of car ownership. Just buy it WCPGW right???

 

Your all right! After sleeping on it i still wanna buy it, if I had an excuse it would be the three hour train journey into deepest Kent to collect it, Ive not seen the car in the flesh yet anyway and the owners wont sell until 6th Aug so for the time being there is not a lot I can do.

[saucedoctor]

I love the car, it just pizzes me off weighing in 300 quid a year tax, I only use it 1/2 days a week and its not even parked on the bloody road.

 

Same as my X Type. It's OK to buy something just because you want it, though.

[Angrydicky]

Your all right! After sleeping on it i still wanna buy it, if I had an excuse it would be the three hour train journey into deepest Kent to collect it, Ive not seen the car in the flesh yet anyway and the owners wont sell until 6th Aug so for the time being there is not a lot I can do.

I still think you should enquire about that B reg SD1 that guy in Leigh was trying to sell on Ebay! It's still sitting there, went past it today. 

[EssDeeWon]

I still think you should enquire about that B reg SD1 that guy in Leigh was trying to sell on Ebay! It's still sitting there, went past it today. 

 

I did last year he said he wouldnt sell it, then he had it advertised on Car&Classic a few months ago for over £4k! Not for me at that money im afraid.

 

This time next week I will know more about the black 75 situation once the owners return from holiday in it.

[trigger]

This Merc is costing me a fortune already and i haven't even collected it yet! £57 at ECP today buying air, oil and fuel filters, 4x NGK plugs and 5l of Helix 10/40 oil, annoyingly it's £5 cheaper on their website as they have a sale on...

 

Also bought 5l of Anti freeze for it too, I haven't even driven the bloody thing yet so for all i know the gearbox could be shagged, to say I'm a bit worried (and quite excited) about collecting it Saturday is a understandment!

[the judge]

All well spent,it will be reliable now.

[cort16]

I've a feeling you won't like it. When you get it you'll enjoy the solid feel and appreciate the way it's put together but when you start to drive it you might find it a bit numb.

I had exactly the same thing with a 5 series E28 I had. It was really cracking metallic blue 525e auto. With a little work it would have been one of the best out there but after a few weeks of driving it I was a bit meh. It felt extremely compitant it just didn't feel much fun.

 

I hope I'm wrong though.

[trigger]

To be honest, for what it's costing me if it doesn't turn out to be all that and works out expensive to run i won't lose any money, I might even make a few quid on it.

 

Considering I've been looking at Sierras which are more money, I don't think I've done too badly really.

[Rocket88]

Just bought a rust free [if a little battered]  fully functioning Pug 205 for £60...............

[sporty-shite]

This Merc is costing me a fortune already and i haven't even collected it yet! £57 at ECP today buying air, oil and fuel filters, 4x NGK plugs and 5l of Helix 10/40 oil, annoyingly it's £5 cheaper on their website as they have a sale on...

 

Also bought 5l of Anti freeze for it too, I haven't even driven the bloody thing yet so for all i know the gearbox could be shagged, to say I'm a bit worried (and quite excited) about collecting it Saturday is a understandment!

Guy at my local ecp will tip me off if online prices are cheaper. Then I just go outside, order on my phone then go back in with reference number. Result!

[Parky]

Just bought a rust free [if a little battered]  fully functioning Pug 205 for £60...............

[Inspector Morose]

Believe me. Having driven a few of these things, it can only be engine mounts. I replaced one of them, but the lower could well be an issue and I assume there's one on the gearbox side too. They don't shunt normally.

Aye, it's probably the mount I haven't looked at yet! I've checked (with a FO pry bar) the lower one (the one that's in the spares stash) and it's nice and firm and dry(!) so that leaves the one under the battery tray. It's not too bad so I'll put it on the when I have a mo list.

 

Sorting out the various mechanical rattles has quietened things down nicely (no chance with the interior, it's a BX!) but there is something going on inside the induction box on top of the engine that makes one hell of a rattle like something's broken free inside. Any ideas? And anyone got one going spare? (Some chance, but I'll ask anyway)

[Wackeldackel]

Trigger - is the aerial sorted on your 190? Might be that aerial has stuck due to lack of use, mine had erectile disfunction and only 2 sections popped out. 1000 grit sandpaper sorted it out and the motor and flexi drive is easy to get to and grease. Might also want to replace that plastic thermostat cover with a metal one, ECP do a febi bilstein one for about £8. The plastic ones are well known for cracking.

 

Congrats on the purchase, I want a 190d 5 speed manual when I come back to the UK, awesome motors!

[cort16]

To be honest, for what it's costing me if it doesn't turn out to be all that and works out expensive to run i won't lose any money, I might even make a few quid on it.

 

Considering I've been looking at Sierras which are more money, I don't think I've done too badly really.

It's defo a good car for the money you can't really go wrong. My speciality is being wrong about things so you'll probably love it !

[DVee8]

Just bought a rust free [if a little battered]  fully functioning Pug 205 for £60...............

You carn't come out with comments like that without more details and PHOTOS.

I may have to call custard.

[Rocket88]

I will do snappage tomorrow...........doom blue 4 door....'88 with 11something or other 00 cc engine manual choke 4 speed.....sunroof, giffer spec seat covers....drives well, apart from clutch pedal being high..but doesn't slip.............

[trigger]

 

 

Trigger - is the aerial sorted on your 190? Might be that aerial has stuck due to lack of use, mine had erectile disfunction and only 2 sections popped out. 1000 grit sandpaper sorted it out and the motor and flexi drive is easy to get to and grease. Might also want to replace that plastic thermostat cover with a metal one, ECP do a febi bilstein one for about £8. The plastic ones are well known for cracking.

Thanks for the advice. I haven't picked the car up yet so still don't know what the problem is although I have a feeling that it's snapped off. There's repair kits on ebay for £15 where you feed the tooth wire into the motor so if it is broke I'll order one of those.

[Skizzer]

Me iz stupid but iz refusing to pay £300 a year tax.

You are Norm and I claim my $5

 

Goddammed Gubbermint.

 

 

Get on and buy the Rover! It's worth it. And think of all the nurses' pensions you'll be paying for.

[HMC]

I will do snappage tomorrow...........doom blue 4 door....'88 with 11something or other 00 cc engine manual choke 4 speed.....sunroof, giffer spec seat covers....drives well, apart from clutch pedal being high..but doesn't slip.............

sounds just like mine minus the sunroof and clutch thing...

(foliage optional)