The new news 24 thread

[Parky]

How the hell are they going to flog them on? Unless Seb Vettel had the hump about having to leave them behind?

[Parky]

Checked my tyres today and all were down by about 8 psi.

 

Now either all four wheels have gone porous overnight or the sudden plunge in temperature has done it. Surprising what a difference the outside temperature can make

[philibusmo]

Today, along with the various Princess based mucking about, I have also fitted Osram Nightbreakers to the Lancia to try and improve the tiny flickering candles that are the standard set up. I also fitted the winter wheels to my Mums Fiat 500, so it's now running comfy 15" steels rather than bone jarring 16" alloys.

[phil_lihp]

Not very autoshitey but, since it was a nice day, I treated the grubby 940 to a wash and decided to attack the rough, flat paintwork with my new clay towel.  The paint had virtually no shine to it and felt very gritty and rough when touched.  I've never used a clay bar or towel before, in fact it's been a while since I've used any polish on a car at all, but my word what a difference.  I could feel the paintwork's roughness resisting against the towel but a bit of scrubbing and lots of soapy water made it wonderfully smooth and brought back some shine.  

 

I would not have wanted to try doing the whole car with one of those little clay bars, it would have taken hours but the towel made it hardly more taxing than washing it with the sponge.

 

I clayed the glass as well, it's definitely clearer and cleaner but it has also shown up every last little scratch so I'll have to dig out some glass polish.  With rain starting I only had time to put some Super Resin polish on the front wings and bonnet and treat the front bumper to some linseed oil but I'm staggered at what a difference a couple of hours has made.  

 

 

If I get time and the weather stays dry I'll try and finish the polishing and get some wax on it in the next couple of days.  It'll never be particularly smart, the wheels are scabby and it's been keyed down both sides but I don't really want an immaculate car, its job is to be a comfortable workhorse and I don't have to worry about scuffing it if it's already got some battle scars.

 

I think I'm going to have to put some better tyres on it, at least on the back.  They've all got a decent amount of tread but the rears are some unknown brand, one is looking quite perished and I've found that with no weight in the back it's surprisingly tailhappy on junctions and roundabouts - good fun, don't get me wrong, but when the cold weather lands for proper I'd rather have some decent boots on it.  Might swap the decent-looking Pirelli that's in the boot, the alloy's in better condition anyway and it's got plenty of tread but I'll have to see how old it is.  

[RobT]

That looks very smart Phil, clean cars drive better, FACT! I can recommend Uniroyal Rainexperts as the ones I've got on the 220 grip well, although I'm sure the SVM can offer guidance on what suits these big old barges.

[cms206]

That looks very smart Phil, clean cars drive better, FACT! I can recommend Uniroyal Rainexperts as the ones I've got on the 220 grip well, although I'm sure the SVM can offer guidance on what suits these big old barges.

I don't hold with this clean car stuff.

 

Maybe SVM Dave can help with proper tyres, I've done about 10k on Kingpin remoulds on the 940 and they're GR12.

[The Moog]

Brakes on civic bled with missus moogs help.

 

Top tip is to buy a suitable magazine for the person manning the brakes. She had a trashy woman's comic thing I bought her especially and commented how quickly it got done.

 

To celebrate I added the stage 1 performance kit

 

Took the chance to work out why the pug has started to wander and found knackered track rod ends. Had a look on ebay and found the perfect ones for me

 

EDIT: Does anyone know how to replace rear subframe bushes on 405? I have jacked car up but I cant see how I would be able to drop it down enough to get them off.

[cort16]

It's bad when the company making spare parts for your car names them self after you.

[derskine]

Make it easy, make it Moog!

[beko1987]

Checked my tyres today and all were down by about 8 psi.

 

Now either all four wheels have gone porous overnight or the sudden plunge in temperature has done it. Surprising what a difference the outside temperature can make

My fronts look a little bit soft I noticed today. Will pump them up in time for the MOT in the week...

[HMC]

Back in Devon; after over 1200 miles, 4 countries, 2 tanks of diesel (at around 54 mpg) and barely and oil/water. What it lacks in character (I had a good look but couldn't find any) it makes up for in steady dependability. It cost very little to buy and run and has demanded little in return, although its now filthy inside and out, the rad is weeping a bit more and a service is now overdue. Plus a Belgian stone has cracked the windscreen enough I would think to worry the MOT man (which is up at the end of the month)

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

I decided that having a cold nob was not a good thing at this time of year

 

 

So pinched this one off the mazda

 

 

Much better

WIMP

[Mike D]

I had a productive couple of days this weekend shite wise.. First off my mate helped me wire up some more lights in the garage so you can actually see to work in there now..

 

 

Next I bribed more friends with some beer and home made bbq pulled pork, and we set to work attacking the MX5. Some of it was a right swine, it's looking a bit lighter weight now mind!

 

 

 

I also found some monies!

 

 

That can go towards more beers

 

I also know why MX5s rot now, there was loads of wet mud and dusty grot falling out from all over the place as it was persuaded* apart

 

 

All swept up and ready for another attack one night in the week

 

 

Cheers Shiters!

[phil_lihp]

I don't hold with this clean car stuff.

 

Maybe SVM Dave can help with proper tyres, I've done about 10k on Kingpin remoulds on the 940 and they're GR12.

 

I'd rather drive a car than clean it but that said, it has been quite satisfying and another good reason to be outdoors in decent weather.  Had a couple of hours this morning in gale-force winds so finished the polishing and linseed-oiling (messy) and even got a coat of wax on it.  So smooth!  So shiney!  Almost seems a shame to get it dirty.  Combined with the recent servicing work it certainly looks and runs a lot better now than it did when I got it, several years of neglect are rapidly being undone.

 

I know the arguments for/against them but I just can't get comfortable with the idea of remoulds.  I'll probably look for some decent part-worns unless I can get a particularly good deal on new ones.  

 

Mike, I am seriously jealous of your garage.

[Luckythirteen]

Ditto: that looks a good place to work.

[darkfour]

I posted in the Grump thread yesterday about a car that I'd seen that had come up for sale. The grump was no space to store it and getting Mrs DF on board. 

 

Well yesterday I went and looked at the car and today I made an offer that was accepted. I'm now the proud owner of a 1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe 2 door.

 

I've sorted some storage at a friend's house across town, it's outside but that's not a really problem. I'm collecting it next Saturday on a trailer.

 

Mrs DF is seething and not speaking to me at the moment except via text message, she's currently out shopping.

 

I figure it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission.....and I'm now testing that theory

 

 

[vulgalour]

 

Just learn what that actually is and you can win Mrs DF over, no worries.

[rml2345]

It's been a busy week of fettling at RML towers. Or at least busier than normal.

After taking Swampy21's Volvo to my fave local garage to be checked over, it was time to attack the burst door handle on said shiter's Mitsoobeeshee Carisma*. Helpfully the door child lock was on so it was out with the hammer and chisel* to get in, which also made getting the old bits out easier. Then it was time for a swearfest;

 

 

The gap between the window channel and the outer door skin left just enough room for my fists of ham but not quite enough to reach the bolt nearest the door lock. Eventually it went in but it bloody hurt and new swear words required invention.

 

 

I'm sure you'll remember earlier when I repaired* the rear light cluster that was busted due to reversing like an oaf. Anyway, a good used pair were sourced from Dave2000 of the SVM in exchange for dinner and were also fitted this week.

 

 

Much better.

 

 

As alluded to in the "Most Autoshite things you've done recently" thread, I'd bought a blind to make a load cover. The one currently fitted is genuine Volvo, rescued from Upullit for not a lot. Unfortunately it's also genuine broken so was basically used as a sort of tarp and I'm fed up having to dump it at the other end of the boot during shopping trips or whatever because it's so hard to wind up.

So I measured the space, bought a blackout roller blind set and about fitting it. Everything was going well until it came to final fit and the 5ft blind that should have fitted perfectly... Didn't. As it turns out the 1.5m/5ft blind (as labelled) is 4ft 11 1/16ths.

So I had a bit of a sulk, took it back to the shop and returned with one that'll need trimmed. Hopefully it'll be done this week along with the auxiliary belts I've ordered. If it doesn't snow that is...

[hairnet]

Brakes on civic bled with missus moogs help.

 

Top tip is to buy a suitable magazine for the person manning the brakes. She had a trashy woman's comic thing I bought her especially and commented how quickly it got done.

 

To celebrate I added the stage 1 performance kit

 

Took the chance to work out why the pug has started to wander and found knackered track rod ends. Had a look on ebay and found the perfect ones for me

 

EDIT: Does anyone know how to replace rear subframe bushes on 405? I have jacked car up but I cant see how I would be able to drop it down enough to get them off.

 

 

It's bad when the company making spare parts for your car names them self after you.

 

 

Make it easy, make it Moog!

 

[gm]

Mike D : is the mazda being rebuilt or has the tinworm done for it ? It's a flipping shame how many of these end up scrapped for rust when the mechanicals are so robust. Nice garage you have there, I'd love something like that, working outside is great in the summer but that can only be politely described as 'brief' round these parts

[andy18s]

Gave the Disco a mini service over the weekend after a small fluff of a missfire appeared.

New plugs, filters and oil have turned it into a lovely smooth V8

Took it up the local garage for a test run/fill and find that they've knocked 10ppl off lpg!

Bonus!

[320touring]

Gave the Disco a mini service over the weekend after a small fluff of a missfire appeared.

New plugs, filters and oil have turned it into a lovely smooth V8

Took it up the local garage for a test run/fill and find that they've knocked 10ppl off lpg!

Bonus!

Nice work! We paid 55.7p/litre for lpg for the 335 yesterday:)

[Mike D]

gm the MX5 is getting demolished for parts for my 'sports beetle'.. the body is toast, it's full of holes and it has nasty repairs and terrible paint. I only want the oily bits anyways

 

Cheers on the garage comments, it has taken a while to get it all sorted!

[DVee8]

All this tyre pressure talk,i have just gone to check mine and yes all down from 32psi 3 tyre's at around 20 and 1 down to 10 psi.

 

Could it be the cold weather?

[saucedoctor]

Went for a spin in my mate's new car. It's nice, fast, has loads of kit etc etc, but £66k for an A4 estate? He must have had a knock on the head.

[derskine]

Shittest day, woke up late, took 15 mins to defrost car, sat in traffic for 20 mins, went to get diesel, lost fuel cap key for Renault, got home, found key in footwell and to top it all off now I've got to strip as much as possible off a shitheap piss smelling 340 before it gets scrapped tomorrow, it's going to be a shit night too.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Got a fan bypass switch fitted today. Very happy with it, but, when the bonnet opened it was creaking when closing. As it's a front tipper thought it was just being a git.

 

Was all over the place when closed. Turns out one hinge had totally sized and the other partially. The fully stuck one started to peel from the bonnet. Both had to heated up and then hit to get it back in place. Not amazing but then it wasn't when I started. With help it was all sorted and put back. Good job this happened at college as I would have been knackered at home

 

Forgot to take and pictures

[dugong]

Weekend was a load of balls.

 

Felt rank on Saturday; rest of the day was a write off.

On Sunday I needed the KNOB VAN for an engine recovery mission later in the week, asked Junkman to drag it out for me. Aimed to take in Leek Christmas market on the way there and fart back in the KNOB VAN.

 

Get within an hour of Junkman_Towers and VAN_DISASTER occurs. Miss most of Leek Christmas Market and drive straight back to Cambs. Clean Mazda as consolation prize. MX-3 scrubbed up quite well when stale Pringles, dog hair and three parking tickets were removed. MX-3 not happy - suspect dead shock or bush. Psychotic driving on the A52.

 

Get in C4 to go to work and tyre explodes as I pull out of the street. NICE ONE. Now needs a new CV and a new tyre. CHEERS.

 

WAT_REOCCURANCE.

[fordperv]

Got a fan bypass switch fitted today. Very happy with it, but, when the bonnet opened it was creaking when closing. As it's a front tipper thought it was just being a git.

 

Was all over the Ace when closed. Turns out one hinge had totally sized and the other partially. The fully stuck one started to peel from the bonnet. Both had to heated up and then hit to get it back in place. Not amazing but then it wasn't when I started. With help it was all sorted and put back. Good job this happened at college as I would have been knackered at home

 

Forgot to take and pictures

 

 

i had the same problem a few months back with my mk1 sierra tailgate, a fully seized hinge ripped the mounting steel of the tailgate, so off it had to come to be welded and strengthened

[barrett]

I took the BX to a local Citroen specialist to see about doing some jobs to get it through an MoT. Turns out it needs quite a bit more than I'd imagined...

After a lot of discussion about the best way to proceed, I've agreed to go ahead and get it all sorted. He has quoted me a price which is virtually a month's wages, and I really can't afford to chuck a big sum at a car right now, but he has agreed to fit the work in around other jobs to keep the cost down as much as possible.

 

I really love this car and would hate to see it scrapped, and hopefully with a bit of money spent it will soldier on for a good while yet. I know we're used to making illogical car decisions here, but I really am letting my heart rule my head, something I never do.

 

We can rebuild him!