The new news 24 thread

[twosmoke300]

Vag cars seem to always scrape on speed bumps etc

[bub2006]

Thought that was just the pineapple brigade?

[Lord Sterling]

Today I went back to Mahmoud's garage armed with the Merc wing and some money for brake pads change. My car only got seen to last minute as the garage was understaffed and overworked, and once car was seen to, the brake pads were wrong. Mine has sensors. So nothing was changed. Not a problem though, Mahmoud did acknowledge and apologise. I don't mind, at least I did some stuff around the garage, drove a few different cars like a very revvy 56-plate Corrola (where one rear "leather" seat had bits fallen off it) an SLK and a Renault 21 and generally felt a bit more useful.

 

Better than sitting at home any day.

[barrett]

Garage came to pick up the BX today. Hopefully get it back in the new year with most of the major woes sorted and a full year's ticket.

 

This leaves me with no fully functional /legal cars and totally broke. So obviously I'm making enquiries into some prime French chod that's a million miles from any ferry with an advert with virtually no details.

[CreepingJesus]

That's a pity Lukas, that one was a long time coming. But it'll be better that it's sold, than sitting there feeling unloved.

[CreepingJesus]

Turns out the gear linkage is at fault, the new one we just fitted, because it's bent and has a weak weld.  Back to GSF with that then.

Even by GSFs standards, that's bad. They usually get to the end of the street. No further, just the end of the street.

[stuboy]

took my friends friends car for its mot, neither have a licence at present..

unfortunatly failed on hole in back box, wheelbearing and bugger all brakes from n/s/r

[DS20]

I love Cavaliers - great cars, much nicer to drive than their successor.

[Rusty_Rocket]

I see you use Oliver's too Stuboy.. best Mot garage EVER 

[AlabamaShrimp]

^^^^love that garage above! Nice to see it still as a garage and have working petrol pumps

[daveb47]

Just done the 1000th Autoshite site backup since i took over running it.

Hopefully never needed but there just in case.

[The Moog]

Track rod ends fitted now getting the tracking done.

 

Kwikfit have a funky toy which shows what they are doing on the tracking machine.

[EssDeeWon]

Rover 75 Update*

 

Owned this for two weeks now, and I love it. *former Wilko and PBK Rover 75 Connie V6

 

The first job was to get it cleaned up, then ditch the 17" Meteor alloys for the standard 15" Crown alloys, it rides much better on the 15's and looks better IMHO

 

Sorry for the not great pics, but its a nightmare for photographing outside today given the strong low sunlight.

 

Here is the 75 parked outside the local golf club

 

 

Slightly better light

 

 

The interior is more or less spotless

 

 

Now vanity aside, another really important thing to check on these is the plenum drains, not much sign of debris but they did need some unblocking to be on the safe side using a pipe bending spring. The black box at the bottom of the picture is the ECU, so imagine what happens if the plenum drains get blocked and the plenum chamber starts filling up with rain water! Ouch. But this one was fine I am pleased to report 

 

 

 

All in all a lovely car.

[Shep Shepherd]

^

Looks great!

[HillmanImp]

You've left your foglights on.

[Cavcraft]

Currently sat at the side of probably the busiest roundabout in town in my Vectra, which has just 'done a Vectra' and stopped working.

[HillmanImp]

Currently sat at the side of probably the busiest roundabout in town in my Vectra, which has just 'done a Vectra' and stopped working.

 

And I think we all know why that is don't we children. Its because all Vauxhalls Ã¯ shit.

[EssDeeWon]

Currently sat at the side of probably the busiest roundabout in town in my Vectra, which has just 'done a Vectra' and stopped working.

 

Must be something in the air today.... I saw an 06 reg Zafira broken down on a roundabout earlier.

[Sigmund Fraud]

 

DIY precision* machining imminent...

[Bren]

Track rod ends fitted now getting the tracking done.

Kwikfit have a funky toy which shows what they are doing on the tracking machine.

Does it also have a screen displaying "dampers knackered" "brakes knackered"and "exhaust knackered"?

[Bren]

Must be something in the air today.... I saw an 06 reg Zafira broken down on a roundabout earlier.

In the air every day if you own a bastard vauxhall.

[dugong]

Does it also have a screen displaying "dampers knackered" "brakes knackered"and "exhaust knackered"?

And a 'we can't let this go because we'll be done for manslaughter but might be able to fit you in today and do the job for just £5769436230.30' button too, presumably.

 

The 'Ford Ka exhausts only come in one piece' setting must be just out of shot, too.

[dollywobbler]

To be fair, they did a grand job of transforming my Rover R8 with their clever tech, topped up the screenwash for free and didn't try to book me in for any further jobs. Had to go back to get a tyre re-sealed though. I did find myself cringing a bit when they were dealing with other customers too. It's terrifying just how clueless some people are.

[dugong]

To be fair, they did a grand job of transforming my Rover R8 with their clever tech, topped up the screenwash for free and didn't try to book me in for any further jobs. Had to go back to get a tyre re-sealed though. I did find myself cringing a bit when they were dealing with other customers too. It's terrifying just how clueless some people are.

It's a sad one. Like many dealerships, it's not the people working there, more the stultifying bureaucracy above them.

[richardmorris]

Visited mercedes ascot this morning to get the rescue assist codes fitted. Slightly annoyed that I didnt realise that they'd use the opportunity to find something wrong for them to fix as part of a visual safety check. That took an hour in all. Still free coffee, and they couldn't find anything wrong with it! The woman signing it back over to me said it was lovely, and she had a 2.6 190 and really liked the styling of this era of mercs.

[Cavcraft]

And I think we all know why that is don't we children. Its because all Vauxhalls ÃÂ¯ shit.

 

And...although this time it stopped mid-use (actually at the effing roundabout) we left it where it is*, got taken to our destination in another car (Vauxhall, of course) when I returned to the Vectra it started first time.

It hasn't done this in ages but it is about the 4th time it's happened, the YLOD lights up, as does the EML, then you just have to leave it 20-60 minutes or something and it goes again like nothing's happened.

 

It was either punishment for taking the 206 out ahead of it earlier, or just because every time my lad comes to my rescue the bastard thing starts again. I don't care too much, it started again and it still goes well when you nail it.

 

 

 

*Not actually on the road at the roundabout, but a small road next to it.

[richardmorris]

Saw the perfect reg. for Mr DW this afternoon too -M10 DLW. Unfortunately on a newish Audi estate.

[drum]

I wrestled the starter off the perkins lump in brass monkeys degrees. I thought I'd fixed it when the earth from piggy back solenoid to motor casing was shot. I wired it back up and it worked once. So hauled it back off again and it appeared to work ok on the bench by shorting across the spade connectors. Manhandled it back on again (it really is awkward as hell), but the damn thing wouldn't work.

 

Three times I had to take off and refit the fecking thing and all I had to show for it was frozen toes.

 

I did a roadworkuk into the bargain

[EssDeeWon]

And...although this time it stopped mid-use (actually at the effing roundabout) we left it where it is*, got taken to our destination in another car (Vauxhall, of course) when I returned to the Vectra it started first time.

It hasn't done this in ages but it is about the 4th time it's happened, the YLOD lights up, as does the EML, then you just have to leave it 20-60 minutes or something and it goes again like nothing's happened.

 

It was either punishment for taking the 206 out ahead of it earlier, or just because every time my lad comes to my rescue the bastard thing starts again. I don't care too much, it started again and it still goes well when you nail it.

 

 

 

*Not actually on the road at the roundabout, but a small road next to it.

 

My dad used to have a J-reg Carlton 1.8 GL that did exactly that, dont think he ever did get to the bottom of the issue, but it always started again, sometimes after 10 minutes or sometimes after an hour, then run good as gold until the next time...

[richardmorris]

My dad used to have a J-reg Carlton 1.8 GL that did exactly that, dont think he ever did get to the bottom of the issue, but it always started again, sometimes after 10 minutes or sometimes after an hour, then run good as gold until the next time...

To quote Winston Churchill, this Is the kind of nonsense up with which I shall not put.