The new news 24 thread

[vulgalour]

 

Processed the pictures for today and the above is really all you need to know about the Flavia.  It's had a replacement arch on the passenger side but the driver's is miraculously the original.  They do need attention to the return lip, but overall there's a lot more metal than any of us expected under the bubbling and cracked paint. 

 

To counteract the surprisingly good arches was the lower section of the rear driver's wing where there was just filler and filler and... I just grabbed hold and yanked a sheet of 1"+ thick filler off because there was nothing behind it.  What should be there is a enough metal to hide those pipes you can see hanging in the air. Very skillfully crafted by a previous owner, I must say, because it really was quite a surprise and there was no metal on the back of the filler for it to be bonded to so I'm not entirely sure how they managed it.

 

I'm sure it'll have more surprises in store for us yet.

[Pillock]

I left my rucksack (containing an iPad) under a table in the McDonalds at Waterloo station this morning... didn't realise until around 4pm. Went back, and somebody had handed it in! Faith in human nature restored

I handed a five pound note I'd found in at the supermarket. Woman behind the desk looked at me like I had two heads, told her if nobody claims it to stick it in the charity box.

 

I wonder what I'll spend my karma on?

Had a fiddle about with the Golf just now. Found one of the HT leads was a bit loose… tapped it down snug on top of the spark plug and all seems well. Took it for an Italian tune-up down the treble-four and no repeat of the running issue from this morning. I AM DIAGNOSTICS GENIUS!

 

EML is still on like - though steady now, not blinking - so as I've booked it into the garage I'll still let them take a look even if they just charge thirty quid to reset the light.

After I sorted an EML fault on my Leon, it took about five days of driving for the light to go off. Might save you £30 if you can wait.

[cms206]

Have you found out where the water's going CMS?

In a word... no. Will be collecting a new heater matrix tomorrow which will be Saturday's task if I can get it over the pit to effect a coolant flush at the same time as I suspect that is the issue. Will find out soon enough...

[panhard65]

Sold the Hotchkiss today and now have cash burning a massive hole in my pocket. Just put an offer in on this so might be heading North at the weekend. Should I do it ????

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A979LLN-/161465497758?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item259817f89e

[nacho man]

/\/\ silly question. Of COURSE you should.

[cort16]

blimey, that looks nicer than you could hope for for 2 1/2 grand.

 

 

The fuel gauge reads empty all the time.

 

I don't think that's a fault.

[phil_lihp]

Blimey, never thought you'd sell the Hotchkiss.  Old Roller = definitely.  Bit concerning that there's no pictures of the interior, though.

 

Tonight's entertainment was reviving my housemate's VW T4 camper after the alarm flattened the battery.  As the old proverb goes, he who owns old Volvo will bring light where once there was darkness. 

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

If it breaks down on the way home,it'll save you £200 in petrol, win/win !

 

Incidentally ,It's probably been mentioned during my sabbatical ,but I saw your Hotchkiss in C&SC this month . Wonder which shiters car will be in next month ?

[panhard65]

That sounds like a plan drive it down the road pull a few random fuses and call the breakdown company. It wasn't as hard as I thought selling the Hotchkiss I even made money on it which is rare for me. I hadn't planned on getting rid but after losing more storage including where my spare chassis lives it seemed a good idea to get rid. At least I will get some of my workshop space back after clearing all the spares out. It is off up to Sheffield so I might be able to arrange delivery at the same time I collect the Rolls.

[Richard]

In a word... no. Will be collecting a new heater matrix tomorrow which will be Saturday's task if I can get it over the pit to effect a coolant flush at the same time as I suspect that is the issue. Will find out soon enough...

 

I think the heater valves are prone to leaking.

[cms206]

I think the heater valves are prone to leaking.

Normally yes; this one has been bypassed...

[AlabamaShrimp]

OMG I can't stop driving the Frontera. It costs loads in petrol and has a broken exhaust but it's so nice, all vauxhalls are shit, so it's a good job this is an Isuzu in disguise

[Angrydicky]

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but the Maestro's heater matrix split while Gary had it and all the coolant got dumped into the footwells. Took quite a while to get it all dried out when I got it back! I would have thought the Volvo would have soaking wet carpets and steamed up windows if this was the case.

[Lord Sterling]

Well, my 827 Coupe has been up for sale for a week or so and so far I've only had one email asking me if I want to swap for a Rover 45 1.8. I don't really need another csr, however, I do like 45s and if it's in good condition I reckon I could clean it up and make some ca$h.

 

I could become the Corsaviour of Rovers, Rovsaviour?

[stuboy]

realized yesterday own my car 8 years

[mat_the_cat]

Earlier this year I built a new wood shed, to supplement/replace the caravan shell we'd used previously. As it's some distance from any power supply and I CBA to put one in, if I need to split some wood after dark then a headtorch is the only option. Until now...ye olde gas light now fitted.

 

 

And seeing as it was rather cosy, I dragged out a spare car seat to sit on if the job became too arduous.

 

 

Man cave!

[plasticvandan]

Nice, i had the same issue in my new pad,shed is miles down the garden,so behold,one 40 year old tilly lamp

 

not only does it kick out a hell of a lot of lovely yellow light,it also heats the shed up as well,double bonus

[worldofceri]

Well, my 827 Coupe has been up for sale for a week or so and so far I've only had one email asking me if I want to swap for a Rover 45 1.8. I don't really need another csr, however, I do like 45s and if it's in good condition I reckon I could clean it up and make some ca$h.

 

I could become the Corsaviour of Rovers, Rovsaviour?

 

I reckon a 45 could be more saleable than an 800 coop so could be a good deal if the 45 has some mot.  Especially if it turns out you can't get the Merc mot'd straight away.

 

realized yesterday own my car 8 years

 

I know modified motors aren't everyone's cup of tea on here, but I quite like your Mondeo - I'm inexplicably fond of those Morette-style headlight conversions.  Not so much the bonnet grilles though.  Are they functional?  If not I'd get rid if poss; it'd clean up the lines loads I reckon.

[cobblers]

I know it's not as romantic or owt, but if you've got an old car battery lying around you can charge it off a solar panel (£30) and use it to power a 10w led light (£ and it'll light the whole room really bright. I used a similar setup in the shed back at my mums place, even in winter, a days sunlight would give you about an hour or so of light, but obviously if you weren't in there every day the battery would get nice and full and you'd have ages in reserve.

[mat_the_cat]

True, and if I'd been buying stuff to light it that's pretty much what I'd do. But this was all free, and I have several gas bottles which now have no other use, so win-win!

[The Moog]

Arsebiscuits - It seems early GM900 Convertibles had the rear window bonded in and will only get replaced with the total hood. Unsurprisingly the windscreen cover doesnt extend to soft tops.

 

Fitted price for new hood is £840 plus I would need to source the glass from somewhere.

[DS20]

^ Dislike. That's a bastard of a situation to be in; surely, it must've crossed the designers' minds that it might be necessary to replace the glass separately from the whole hood?

[cobblers]

 designers' minds 

 

GM

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Well, my 827 Coupe has been up for sale for a week or so and so far I've only had one email asking me if I want to swap for a Rover 45 1.8. I don't really need another csr, however, I do like 45s and if it's in good condition I reckon I could clean it up and make some ca$h.

I could become the Corsaviour of Rovers, Rovsaviour?

Well,the last man to have that title turned his initial £10 into several million.

[The Moog]

They changed it after two years. Absolute joke. If it was my car I would tape it up and live with it for the next 6 months. My GF wont though and thrown toys out of pram.

 

So I need to find a cheap auto with a bit of poke in the next 48 hours to keep her happy. Just missed out on Mr Welfares automotive luxury

 

And she doesnt want a big car (otherwise a Volvo would have been perfect)

[Lukas]

Earlier this year, I bought this

 

 

because I liked it. It´s a 89 Pajero V6 3000 with all options (AC, cruise control, etc.), but no §57a (Austrian MOT). I drove it to a friend of mine who has a garage to get it prepared for the §57a and have some small things repaired.

 

Last week, I got these pictures from him:

 

 

 

 

While dismantling it, more and more problems (rust, rust, rust, clutch, exhaust, timing-belt, brake-lines, fuel-lines, brakes, rear-diff, oil-leaks, ...) turned up. And it´s getting very expensive now. Time to re-think what´s happening to it, I guess.

[barefoot]

I got my renewal for the RAC in the post this morning.

£90 odd for me & the fair lady barefoot, but it came with a special Silver membership card to reward loyalty.

Phoned up to cancel and woman said she could make it cheaper.

I told her it was a shame that they didn't reward loyalty with their best price from the off instead of silver cards.

Cancelled and took out with cover with Auto-aid.

Anyone had any experience of this lot?

£40 me & the wife and 4 motors going back to '72.

Apparently it is an insurance based contract, they arrange for recovery, you have to pay for it at the time but cost is refunded. 

Seems worth a punt.

[Shep Shepherd]

Tested my £15 eBay-sourced Blaupunkt 'Canberra' head unit in The Volvo today:

 

 

At some point, I intend to fit the unit to The Wentworth in lieu of its factory one; I would have liked to have left it in The Volvo and fitted its Blaupunkt 'Melbourne' unit to the former car, but the car's CD changer wiring plug isn't compatible with it, which is a pity, as I think it looks really good in the car.

 

Now, to find a reasonably-priced Volvo 940 dashboard DIN adaptor and ISO wiring kit on eBay...

 

[The Moog]

Squeaking from rear of 405 has got worse over last two days. Covered 600 miles in that time.

 

I hhave found recon ones for £420 delivered but I bet they are a world of pain to fit with rusted nuts etc.

 

Are the bearings likely to go soon if they are squeaking or can i ignore them for a bit?

[saucedoctor]

Got talking to a guy today at work who bought a Mercedes "Signature" approved used S Class. 2011 car, low mileage, eleventy hundred point check, the usual bollocks. In the 10 weeks he's owned it:

 

• Water pouring in through the passenger side inside of the bulkhead. Fixed, twice, but it's doing it again
• Battery keeps going flat. Unresolved.
• Starts when it feels like it. Unresolved, unrelated to the above.
• Driver's seatbelt catch won't stay in.
• Heated seats u/s now
• Chews through AdBlue (they all do that, sir)

Makes me glad my Dad talked me out of the one I was looking at. M-B need to give their dealers a massive kick in the hole for not checking these things, and Mercedes themselves need to stop pissing about with active suspension experiments and make the cars not "be shit".

 

Dealer name and shame : Isaac Agnew Mercedes, Belfast.