The new news 24 thread

[autofive]

 

i seem to have bought a 2.9i ghia X granada

 

and only 5 miles away

 

depending on condition, i might MOT it, or just break it and use the running gear for the Zephyr

 

 

You could start Autofives Shitetastic wedding services!

 

 

grounds for divorce our speciality

[Shep Shepherd]

Replaced The Volvo's sun-faded rear lights (which had only been on the car since 2005, when they replaced the foxed originals) this morning, which makes quite a difference to the look of the car:

 

 

Does anyone know how I can put some colour back into the red sections of the old lights, as they are going to be kept as spares, as apart from the fading (which looks naff), they are in perfect working order?

 

Still need to find a replacement offside headlamp lens, though. Hopefully, I'll be able to get one from the Volvo breaker on the A1 in Bedfordshire when I go there on Friday. If not, do any of you have one going spare?

[Felly Magic]

Something like clear red Humbrol?

[Shep Shepherd]

Something like clear red Humbrol?

 

I want something that doesn't leave brush marks. Can it (and other similar transparent/translucent paints) be applied with an air-brush?

[DSdriver]

Tamiya do an aerosol spray can of transclucent red: Tamiya 86037 PS-37 Spray Can 100ml Translucent Red

It is meant for model car light so is presumably meant to go on clear plastic so a bit of testing might be called for.

ebay is your friend or if you have a model shop near you go and try them.

They also do an orange. I was going to get some for my front indicators but picked up a new lens for the price of a pint at the DSM rally.

[Shep Shepherd]

Thanks for the tip I imagine that one can should do all the red bits on both units if I'm careful

 

Incidentally, I use brush-on glass paint sold under the 'Vitrail' brand name to create orange bulbs for TV2's indicators

[cort16]

This stuff is especially for tinting tail lights red. I recon it's just a coloured laquer.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330562947887?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

[Guest]

 

Today I went to where the 460 sits and topped the oil up. It was starting to sound slightly tappety at idle and as there's some kind of leak (I suspect from the rocker cover gasket) I thought I'd better top the oil up. I've been using all the performance too when it gets up to temperature. It's also had to put up with test drives from SCTSH_ANDY (no mercy whatsoever) and my other mate Danny (can't drive for shit, slips the clutch, bang shifts at 4000 RPM whether the car wants to or not). The latter thinks you put oil in 'when the light comes on', and somehow managed to spend £900 the last time his Superb was serviced.

 

I had loads of decent quality 10W\40 semi synthetic with a higher API rating than specified (I got 10L in a really good deal at GSF) so after checking the level (about a quarter full - so not long before the warning can illuminates) I lobbed a litre in to get the level back up to 3/4. I've done about 500 miles in it since purchase, some of it pretty hard going. Plan is to do some flushing through on a long trip somewhere, buy 2 or 3 OEM filters, get SCTSH_ANDY to fix the leak and then whang some high test Mobil 1 in there.

 

This next bit will read even sadder than the last two paragraphs. I finally tracked down the tax disc holder I wanted to use on the car, and swapped it over when coming back from Uni. I also replaced a blown sidelight on the C4.

 

In other news some RR \ V480 World bods have been helping me out with some tuning tips. It seems Rich Pruen (of Richmod fame) has a protege who's now selling upgraded ECUs that up the boost.

 

SADNESS AIRLINES, OREGON PLEASE.

[Negative Creep]

New wheels!

 

 

For a grand total of £22, however they do need 4 tyres and a refurb

[Shep Shepherd]

Very nice. Are they from a Primera?

[Lord Sterling]

Those are Primera rims. Fatha_Sterling has a set on his Primera.

[Negative Creep]

Yes they are. Now I know this is more a RR thing, but I'm having dirty thoughts about painting them an interesting colour..........

[ashmicro]

They do stick out rather a lot

[Tayne]

Get them refurbed in an anthracite colour, it hides the brake dust.

 

Faithful Steed by Tayne, on Flickr

[Craig the Princess]

Yes they are. Now I know this is more a RR thing, but I'm having dirty thoughts about painting them an interesting colour..........

 

 

There was a pogweasel pink mk4 Astra on the A14 last week looking mighty fine with bright red alloys

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Yes they are. Now I know this is more a RR thing, but I'm having dirty thoughts about painting them an interesting colour..........

 

Personally I love body colour wheels. Here I've done you a quick photoshop:

 

[dollywobbler]

Thanks for the LOLs Peter!

[MK5 Escort]

I've been off work today, so I took the Escort for a run down to Bridgemere and back today as it hadn't turned a wheel for two weeks. Once it had warmed up, I hung it in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears along both Tarporley and Tarvin bypasses from the roundabouts just to de-clog any crap which had built up.

 

When we come back out after a walk around about an hour later, to my surprise someone had parked a 1992 K plate burgundy red five door base model alongside it . In respectable enough condition and all nicely original too! Giffer owned judging from the tartan rug on the back seat and National Trust sticker in the windscreen...

 

I got back and gave it a good wash and wax, paying particular attention to the sills and arches as per normal at this time of year. Took it around the block to dry off the brakes and then put it back into the garage.

 

Given the price of fuel and now the cold winter weather is now starting to set in (wishing I hadn't started washing it after about five minutes when I lost most feeling in my hands), not to mention the imminent appearance of salt/grit, it'll probably be it's last 5+ mile run it'll get until the Christmas run down to Chelmsford.

[dollywobbler]

Have you got a thread for your Escort?

[Felly Magic]

Is that an SGL Bluebird?

[dollywobbler]

LUKEWARM NEWS - QUANDARY-SYNDROME SPREADS TO WALES

 

I knew meeting Pete-M was dangerous. I'm stuck with a quandary myself. It must be contagious.

 

I'm hoping that the Rover is going to sell tomorrow. Got a chap coming from Telford to have a look at it. Nearly half a tank of fuel should hopefully sweeten the deal... (exactly what it had in it when I bought it - karma). Problem is, I can't decide what to do next.

 

The shite-lover in me is naturally coaxing me towards the classifieds in the search for something grim, cheap and relatively disposable. However, having reduced my income quite considerably, I'm not sure another random purchase is actually affordable. Chances are, any bargain buy is going to need some work itself.

 

That would leave us with the 2CV, Mini and BX to get us through the winter. The BX is still pretty hopeless with much work needed and lots of rot. If I use it through the winter, there'll be nothing left come spring. Mind you, the 2CV and Mini both display plenty of signs of rot. The sills on one side of the Mini are bubbling up in a very alarming manner while the 2CV still needs front floors and some other bits. Having watched these two dissolve, I can honestly say that I will never get a car professionally restored ever again.

 

Bearing in mind that I've only got a single car garage (currently still full of bits of house) and that the BX is probably the car that needs to hide away in there (though the 2CV AND Mini can just about fit in there together) the 2CV is sitting outside in all weathers anyway, so perhaps it's best to just use it. I've only clocked up about 4000 miles in it this year, which feels pathetic. I should just live with the noise and shove the Rover cash into a welding programme. Or buy a welder and try and learn some patience and skill. That seems a bit boring when there's so much quality chod out there though...

[trigger]

I'd imagine with the skinny tires that the 2CV will be pretty good come the snow but not as good as the Land Rover or Range Rover you had, and you do live in rural Wales now, maybe find another cheap 4x4 to pass the winter months by?.

[dollywobbler]

The 2CV was ace last year, once I managed to dig it out of the garage... (the snow fell off the roof and it was about 3ft deep!). In fact, when we had to drive to Devon and Sussex over Christmas, we ended up going in the 2CV as the BX froze its heater matrix. Aircooled FTW! The 2CV was also light enough to get a shove from the wife to get it up the driveway - we've got a really steep section just before the road. After that, it was plain sailing as the roads had been ploughed.

 

I fear I may have left it too late to find a cheap 4x4 this year. Maybe I should just buy some proper snow tyres and/or chains for the 2CV...

[marcello-gandini]

You can get about in pretty much any car in the winter with the right tyres. 4x4s are for losers who usually end up driving too fast and understeering into a tree/ditch.

[andrew e]

Bollocks! Nothing is better than a 2cv, not even jesus on a Yamaha!

[andrew e]

Hurrah no more blindness by nob heads!

 

http://www.astraownersnetwork.co.uk/sho ... p?t=122493

 

Or just an easy nick by some nobber with blue tinted HID's? I like HID's but I dislike retina burn aswel.

[ashmicro]

^^. About time. Cops should also stop wankers who haven't fitted their halogen bulbs properly, and the thing wobbles about.

[Shep Shepherd]

All you need to know about HID headlights. From TEH GOV, no less:

 

http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/d ... lamps.html

[jonathan_dyane]

LUKEWARM NEWS - QUANDARY-SYNDROME SPREADS TO WALES

 

BX's are useless in the snow; invest some of the Rover money in a mig and a heater, get the Bx all nice and jacked up in the garage, and by Spring you'll be so mig-ed up doing the 2CV floors will be a piece of piss.

 

Welding isn't that hard once you get stuck in, but the BX will be better to learn on because the metal is marginally thicker than on the 2CV.

[Negative Creep]

Is that an SGL Bluebird?

 

 

SLX

 

 

Metallic brown could work. must be worth shite points as well...........