The new news 24 thread

[panhard65]

After doing my CBT I am now getting back into bikes nearly 30 years after riding my last one. I bought a cb125 superdream that has been great fun so now I have been looking for something bigger before taking my test. Collecting a Honda NTV650 Deauville on Saturday. Enterprise car hire will do a transit for the weekend for £43 bargain.

[nigel bickle]

Nice choice, good time fear to buy, too.

 

Collecting it in a van? Surely it's a bus ticket & bike it home, the shiters way?

[twosmoke300]

Agreed . or a tenner train ticket supplied by a shiter and a 300 mile ride home .

[xtriple]

Agreed as above but I think the fly in the ointment is the 'no licence yet' bit.

[xtriple]

I really miss my bikes. I'd love to have another (cheapy would be fine - I like cheap bikes they have character!) but there's no way. Enjoy mate.

[Jim Bergerac]

I was booted from the AR Online facebook page for pointing out how unreliable our car had been.

 

Apparently I'm supposed to support MG Motor rather than point our particular car was a wrong 'un.

How incredibly unfair of me.

 

There seems to be a section of people across all MG-related forums and FB groups (not Macd, obv but most other ones) that want to silence any less than glowing comments about the 3 and 6. Quite a few got kicked off the AR page but I'm surprised they booted you as you were at least speaking from experience of having to drive one regularly and one that had suffered some pretty serious issues.

 

I don't get it, in the real world some people are having problems with these cars. Clutches failing after less than 30,000 miles (usually on the petrol), replacement parts for accident damage taking 3 months to arrive, random electrical faults... The list goes on but seems some people want to be in denial and get their arses in their hands when any issues are pointed out.

[panhard65]

Agreed as above but I think the fly in the ointment is the 'no licence yet' bit.

Yeap thats the reason as the bike is in Brighton and I am in Somerset. I will have a go locally but that is a bit far to risk without the proper licence. The seller has now informed me it is misfiring as well. Hopefully this won't be anything much other than a bargaining tool.

[gordonbennet]

There seems to be a section of people across all MG-related forums and FB groups (not Macd, obv but most other ones) that want to silence any less than glowing comments about the 3 and 6. Quite a few got kicked off the AR page but I'm surprised they booted you as you were at least speaking from experience of having to drive one regularly and one that had suffered some pretty serious issues.

 

I don't get it, in the real world some people are having problems with these cars. Clutches failing after less than 30,000 miles (usually on the petrol), replacement parts for accident damage taking 3 months to arrive, random electrical faults... The list goes on but seems some people want to be in denial and get their arses in their hands when any issues are pointed out.

 

I suppose if they're worth only thruppence at three years old, those who have money involved (could hardly say invested) don't want any reports out in the ether that could shake that down to having to pay thruppence to take the thing away on a wrecker.

[Pillock]

That's like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, run across three counties, and ended up in a lasagne. I hardly think new MG would be the first name in reliability if it wasn't for pesky kids like dugong.

[Angrydicky]

Had a good Christmas day, went out to a restaurant for lunch with my family in the old cars. The Somerset broke down this morning just a mile from home while I was out testing the charging system, so I had to call my dad who came out in his Rover 600 and towed me back. Turned out to be a failed Intermotor condenser (which had done less than 500 miles), fortunately I was able to change it in under 5 minutes with the aid of the stubby magnetic crosshead screwdriver from the set of Halfords screwdrivers I bought my dad for Christmas. It runs really well now, just a shame it's still overcharging, so I had to disconnect the dynamo to prevent the system getting fried again. I really did miss driving this car, it is amazingly capable and relaxing to drive for such an ancient mode of transport.

 

The Maestro got a run out later as well, and among my presents I got a new washer pump for the rear washer which had packed up, so hopefully we'll get that fitted tomorrow. And I'd like to have a look at the bypassed heater as well, as driving the Somerset today has made me realise how much I miss having a working heater in my cars.

 

[dollywobbler]

Is your voltage regulator seeing a good earth Dicky? I ask because my 2CV friend its battery because the VR wasn't earthing. If the earth is duff, it can't 'see' the voltage accurately. 

 

I'd recommend going to points-assisted ignition to get rid of your condenser woes. I certainly wouldn't opt for fully electronic while charging is an issue or it'll just get friend. The post assisted set up on my 2CV survived enough voltage to cook a battery on the other hand! It's a Maplins kit.

[Richard]

The Volvo barely started this morning. I thought the battery (barely a year old) had expired but then I realised I'd left the interior light on overnight like a MASSIVE FUD. A run to the in-laws with the lights off seems to have restored the battery to full health.

 

When we got to the in-laws my wife's uncle's Hyundai was where I'd intended to park so I had to park up the drive. That turned out to be a good thing because somebody reversed into the Hyundai.

[Cavcraft]

Haven't most MG 'enthusiasts' always been like that? You can't knock their precious cars.

[dugong]

Haven't most MG 'enthusiasts' always been like that? You can't knock their precious cars.

 

 

What would I know about being an MG enthusiast?

Not that I've already had about 60 people tell me to 'just buy an MX-5' or anything. 

 

A persecution complex - yes, that's it. 

 

They are some twitchy, deeply paranoid people on that Facebook page. Not of all my views concurred with the tone of the page, but at least they were constructive. It reminded me of Retro Rides' at its jitteriest. 

 

All attempts to sound them out on the issue of me being reinstated have failed. I can't even get to the bottom of why I was slung because the moderators have blocked me. 

 

When I wrote my account of what happened with work's MG6 - it refusing to start after 500 miles and stranding me at the Beaulieu Autojumble - you may as well have chucked a grenade into a roaring bonfire. 

For the most part I was accused of being a German car industry shill and copying Clarkson's [negative] review 'word for word'. 

It's terrifyingly one-sided with no room for healthy debate, at all. 

 

The car apparently runs fine now. Whatever - I don't trust it as far as I could throw it. 

[Jim Bell]

I agree with Doubong.

I tried to drive an MG6 once and #CENSORED BY NORTH KOREA. BANNED. BEANNED#

[holbeck]

I just don't get the blinkered loyalty to this now Chinese brand.

[dollywobbler]

I once sat in an MG6, discovered that the 'key' is utterly stupid and the handbrake cheaper than what you find in Poundland Christmas Crackers.

[CreepingJesus]

After Messrs Green and Weigh's advice was weighed up, I came to a compromise for Monday's adventure. On the advice of the Apollo's own website, I parked round the corner in the King's Mall multistorey, enjoyed the gig very muchly and headed home having paid £5.50 for parking (pretty good really, the same in Dunfermline is only a quid cheaper).

Much less clever was my reliance on Google Nav. I had in mind to go to the end of the M1, hit the N Circular and scoot in from there. It ended up taking me an utterly bizarre route involving Edgeware Rd and most of the Borough of Brent. Good for shite spotting if nothing else.

It tried it again on the way out, but I ignored the fucker and cracked on out Great West Rd, up the N Circular, until I caved in and went up the A40 from Hangar Lane. Realising my mistake, I used the M25 (eerily quiet) round to the M1, and charged on northwards.

 

All told, that was 929 miles in 23 hours, on 110L of dino juice. In a 16yo V70 with 150,000 on it. Without missing a beat, and converted into a camper.

After last month's shenanigans getting it MOT'd, I was out of love with the big tank. Not any more...

[The Moog]

Finished the tank with Seafoam in it.

 

Mpg is up by about 10%, starts quicker and quicker to rev.

 

Going to run a tank of 50/50 through it as I am doing about 1k in next week, then can see if mpg improves anymore.

[vulgalour]

Determined to wash the car as today is the first opportunity I've had since it was back on the road.  Now have a white car again instead of a grey one and the feeling is returning to my hands.  Was a bit colder than I'd anticipated.

[HMC]

In between stuffing my face / drinking excessively I have been pulling the rover p4 cooling system to bits. Under a load of brown gunk I found a broken thermostat, and elsewhere mainly more gunk and silt in the radiator. Hopefully sorting all this will make the temperature gauge behave.

 

[dollywobbler]

Oh dear. The XM has blotted its copybook. The fact that Mrs DW required a bin bag to sit on is not a good sign. Where the hell is this sodding car leaking from?!

[320touring]

Oh dear. The XM has blotted its copybook. The fact that Mrs DW required a bin bag to sit on is not a good sign. Where the hell is this sodding car leaking from?!

Oh dear-never a good thing. The jag will be getting a good clean and check for leaking prior to miss 320touring getting anywhere near

[messerschmitt owner]

DW

have you checked the aerial mount above the interior light?

[dollywobbler]

I haven't actually removed it yet (dry days are in short supply) but it has been Cap'n Tolley'd. I'm running out of suspects though. Since sealing the sunroof, water has at least stopped pouring in via the interior light. In fact, given that the car is parked slightly downhill, I'm baffled as to how the passenger seat has got wet. The headlining is wet in the front left corner. Stupid cars. 

[Luckythirteen]

Clios are like Furbies. Leave two in close proximity, and they start giggling and acting up. I swear...

Bro's other half's 05 plate one decided not to start this evening. Assuming mine would be the paragon of virtue, I got the jump leads. Smugly.

Of all the things its' needed this year, a battery wasn't one. It could've asked Le Santa Voiture for one. But no. Two days out in the cold, and it takes the huff.

Both jump started satisfactorily off the Legacy, but I'll be keeping an eye on it. The battery is quite old, so maybe Halfords Jan sales will be explored.

[320touring]

Clios are like Furbies. Leave two in close proximity, and they start giggling and acting up. I swear...

Bro's other half's 05 plate one decided not to start this evening. Assuming mine would be the paragon of virtue, I got the jump leads. Smugly.

Of all the things its' needed this year, a battery wasn't one. It could've asked Le Santa Voiture for one. But no. Two days out in the cold, and it takes the huff.

Both jump started satisfactorily off the Legacy, but I'll be keeping an eye on it. The battery is quite old, so maybe Halfords Jan sales will be explored.

Her 172 has been paragon of reliability..apart from a clutch.

 

Taking the battery out and giving it an overnight charge sorted it right out.

[Luckythirteen]

I was tempted to stay another night, and get it charged on the trickle charger, but I had other commitments.

As I say, it's quite old, so I might have been flogging a dying horse. And my mate was following me up, so I had backup.

[steve_earwig]

In between stuffing my face / drinking excessively I have been pulling the rover p4 cooling system to bits. Under a load of brown gunk I found a broken thermostat, and elsewhere mainly more gunk and silt in the radiator. Hopefully sorting all this will make the temperature gauge behave.

 

image.jpg

A chisel, one, no two claw hammers and, is that wood glue? It's just like I keep saying, you really don't need any special tools to work on these old cars

 

Now, if only I can get the wife on board with this....

[Bren]

Just had the SD1 running in the garage - the fiesta battery started it up in 3* temp. Inflated the tyres.

 

However V8 engine + no cat + confined space = bastard of a headache.

 

I know how Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges felt when Bill Mc Kinney tried to gas them to death in his plymouth in thunderbolt & lightfoot.