The new news 24 thread

[R9UKE]

Bought another Renault Avantime!

 

UK car number 330, epic plate and LPG conversion included.

 

This will be the lady's daily drive when she's done with the Vel Satis (or it breaks)

 

 

 

 

 

[hairnet]

100% garlic munching madman

 

how bout ye

[vulgalour]

Took a look at the 6's engine today to see if I could get some movement and achieved very little.  Got the end plate off so see if I could turn the crankshaft and was met with a singular odour, signs of dried out emulsified oil and a completely jammed camshaft sprocket with no way of turning it.  Camshaft is fine and turns freely, chain still looks good.  After telling Mike of my findings when I got home we came to the conclusion it's possible that the engine has overheated (no temperature gauge on the 6) and blown the head gasket leading to stuck pistons.  It's possible to strip it down and clean it all up and repair it for not a lot, need to see what will come apart first.

 

I'm flat broke at the moment otherwise I'd be tempted to buy one of the many 6 engines I've been offered, one of which is even running and comes from a Rodeo.

 

Taking the engine apart should be easy but guess who hadn't drained the oil out before removing the engine from the car... thought it would be a simple matter of lifting the engine with the crane, popping the drain pan under it and letting it drain overnight.  Instead I managed to lift the engine, one strap slipped and the whole thing tipped gearbox oil, the thin oil we'd put in the bores, the horrible stinky emulsified oil and some quite black oil all over the floor and any attempt to right it just resulted in more mess.  Only just enough cat litter at the unit to create a dam so the unit didn't get covered in the gunk and I sacked the whole thing off as a bad job.

 

Today, I failed at engines.

[stuboy]

sanding in the dark..

[TagoraSX]

New welder advice please, what are the best brands?

 

Single phase MIG, something robust that will cope with working all day every day.

[wuvvum]

I went and had a play with the A35 this afternoon.  After a bit of a fiddle with the light switch (dodgy contact I reckon due to not being used for so long) the car now has one working sidelight and one working tail light.  Also the headlights both have power to them, as I was able to prove using the one semi-working sealed beam unit in the back of the car.  So two new sealed beam units and a couple of bulbs, plus a pair of generic Lucas-replica front indicators from the local motor factors, and she should be fully illuminated.  The panel lights work too.

 

I had it running, briefly, by tipping petrol down the carb.  It leaked out fairly quickly, but managed to hold enough for long enough that I was able to hear it running - it's slightly smoky (unsurprisingly), but sounded like a decent healthy A-series apart from that.  I don't know if the leakage will still be an issue once petrol is entering the carb through the float bowl rather than the air intake - I wasn't able to try it out as all the under-bonnet fuel lines are metal so I couldn't do my usual thing of running a pipe from a jerry can.

 

I didn't investigate the brakes, as there was quite a lot of rust flakes and assorted crap round the master cylinder, so I didn't want to take the cap off and run the risk of it all falling into the braking system.

 

I had a bit more of a poke round the bodywork, and found a couple more (smallish) holes, and some wob, and the nearside rear wing appears to have had a plate welded onto it (not particularly well) at some stage, but overall it's still not bad at all for a 56-year-old car.  Definitely less rot than the Renault 6...

 

Plan for next weekend is to rig up a fuel supply somehow or other so I can have it running for long enough to try out the gearbox - from winding it around on the starter yesterday it seems to jump out of first, and reverse didn't seem to be doing much, but until I can have the engine running and test it out properly I won't know for sure whether the gearbox really is tired or whether I was just having selection issues.

 

I took a few more pictures too.

 

 

Floorpan.  Plenty of surface rust (some of it loose - note to self: take dustpan and brush next time), but pretty solid.

 

 

Apart from...

 

Hole on join between floorpan and inner sill

 

 

And another near the handbrake

 

 

Boot floor looks pretty good, apart from a bit in the corner.

 

 

Dashboard is all present and correct, apart from the ignition barrel.  I'm going to need a gear knob at some point too.

 

 

Looks like the car's been lifted at some point.  Doesn't appear to have done any damage to the roof or the door shuts though.

 

 

This is probably the worst bit of grot I've found so far.

 

 

Bottom of nearside front wing, and somewhat tender door bottoms.

 

 

Other side.  These might be getting treated to repair panels in due course.

 

 

Bottom of nearside rear door.

 

 

Look at the size of that turbo!!!

 

Oh, wait...

 

 

 

More next weekend, when hopefully it won't be pissing with rain and I'll be able to pull the car out into the daylight.

[captain_70s]

Doesn't look too bad for an A35, I've seen a lot of properly rotten ones full of filler and brushed on paint...

[hairnet]

pagin dr seth - help him out will ya

[Barry Cade]

Using the poor mans Ferrari as a daily for a bit so need to have it turn key and reliable. Mostly electrical so far, but the list is nearly all ticked off. Headlights all sorted so I can go out in the dark, spot lights so I can flash,horn now beeps and I have music off my Ipod, which has been filled with 80's tunez. The white interior was complete and in good nick, but very very grubby. I tried all sorts of potions to clean it- flash liquid, Jif, meths and even brake cleaner, but nothing had any effect. I thought what the hell and tried a little thinners. WOW- it came up like new, didn't damage it at all and actually softened the vinyl.I've fed it with Amor-All and still amazed how nice it came up.

 

 

[Angrydicky]

Doesn't look too bad Wuvs.

 

The floors always go there next to the handbrake, that's because of the hinged drivers seat being lifted up and plonked down, over 50 odd years. A stress crack more than rust, I've had to repair the same area on mine.

Somewhere, I've got a rig I made for running A30/35s from a gravity feed, using an old lawnmower petrol tank, a flexible rubber pipe and the last 6" of the metal fuel pipe, complete with the union which you screw into the Zenith carb. I shall try to locate it.

Looks like it's still got sills, which is a good thing as sills for the four door are expensive. The main expense is going to be the brakes, if you want to keep it original you're going to need four new front wheel cylinders, a master cylinder and rear 'frame' cylinder. These are pretty much non-existent now, so your best bet is to join the club for £25 or so to give you access to the spares scheme. Even with the heavily discounted prices I'd budget on spending around £250 on replacing everything. Of course you may get lucky with the master cylinder or frame. The replacement parts are stainless steel sleeved so they should never need touching again, but they are on an exchange basis. Therefore be careful attempting to free off the seized wheel cylinders (if you do attempt it) as the clicker wheels need to be intact for exchange. Best way to free them is by screwing a grease nipple into the cylinder and pumping grease in, but the piston will go with a bang, so be careful!

Good luck!

[320touring]

Help with a quandry please chaps:

 

At start of last week both the Polo and the Jaag were working well.

 

The Jaag now has a fuel leak from the feed pipe attached to the floorpan, and will need welding come mot time in april.

 

The Polo backbox has failed, so now running with almost straight through system. New backbox is about 40quid.

 

Do i:

sack them both off and get something else

Repair the polo and sack off the jaag

repair them both

 

I'm at a loss and currently not feeling the old car love!

 

Cheers

[skattrd]

They both need fixing before you do owt with them or you'll be selling them cheap,so get them both fixed.

The polo exhaust is prob cheapest and easiest to get done, so I'd do that first.

[dollywobbler]

Jeepers. A rusty exhaust is hardly the end of the world! Though I must concede I had the one on the XM welded up... (just as a temporary fix you understand. Er, maybe).

 

As skattrd says, you're going to have to get the Jag sorted anyway, but they strike me as the sort of car that need a certain level of commitment to own. By which I mean deep pockets and a friendly garage! If you're not feeling the love, fix up and move on and consider it a box ticked. 

[320touring]

They both need fixing before you do owt with them or you'll be selling them cheap,so get them both fixed.

The polo exhaust is prob cheapest and easiest to get done, so I'd do that first.

I'm not too fussed about losing money on them.

 

Polo as had a fair bit of work-getting to the 'fix it sunday to drive it monday' stage.

 

That said it'll be mostly new once backbox is done. I may order one. Without it the exhaust has no hangers so it clatters about like buggery too.

 

Cheers for the insights chaps

[320touring]

Jeepers. A rusty exhaust is hardly the end of the world! Though I must concede I had the one on the XM welded up... (just as a temporary fix you understand. Er, maybe).

 

As skattrd says, you're going to have to get the Jag sorted anyway, but they strike me as the sort of car that need a certain level of commitment to own. By which I mean deep pockets and a friendly garage! If you're not feeling the love, fix up and move on and consider it a box ticked.

I'm just in the spot that i have some money saved to go towards a v8-as i fancy one. Spending it on jag welding and backboxes doesnt get me there.

[skattrd]

Instead of buggering about with a polo zorst yourself, see what th3 local places quote to supply & fit one, it might not be worth the hassle doing it yourself.

[darkfour]

The clocks changed here on Sunday morning so hooray to an extra hour's light in the evenings. Got the disc brake conversion 90% installed on the Plymouth, I forgot to bring the flexible brake lines with me so I couldn't complete the job. I also need to get some thinner spindle nuts and get the split pins installed. Then it's bleed the brakes and job's done.

 

 

I've got some issues to work out with the steering which looks like it will involve shortening one of the tie rods. I'm out of adjustment on the passenger side but I have both wheels pointing forwards at present yet I only have one turn of the steering wheel to the right and 2 full turns to the left! Should make for an interesting drive.

 

I stripped the interior and the floor pans don't look too bad. The carpet was in a bad shape but a vacuum and then a shampoo has made them serviceable for the time being. I'm not going to put them back in yet as the window rubbers leak like a sieve. I also gave the front bench seat a clean and polish and it's come up really well. It's back in the car now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not going to get much done for the rest of the month as I'm off on vacation to Italy in a few days.

 

[320touring]

Instead of buggering about with a polo zorst yourself, see what th3 local places quote to supply & fit one, it might not be worth the hassle doing it yourself.

It looks like a 2 bolt job to take the backbox off, and the hangers are ok. So i'd be happy to do it myself.

 

Just need to be arsed!

[trigger]

On the way back from Barnsley yesterday whilst popping into the services to meet the colonel I saw this well kitted out Swiss Range Rover expedition vehicle, It was stretched and boasting a 6.2 V8 Diesel.





In other news Mrs Trigger was talking to a lady down the park this morning whilst walking the dog and telling her about yesterdays fun when the lady says how they still have their mum's 1982 Ford Cortina in a garage that they have to pay for, mum's never going to drive it again and they don't want it so she doesn't understand why they haven't sold it instead of paying for the garage rent, Apparently her mum's had it from new and it's only around the corner from us.

Nothing may come of it but Mrs T sees her every morning so is going to give her my number tomorrow.

[dollywobbler]

I got paid last week. I'm already close to a shite-purchase. Even has Mrs DW approval! Further news on this story as it breaks.

[EssDeeWon]

^^Paddy Power are offering 5/1 odds on a Citroen AX

[dollywobbler]

^^Paddy Power are offering 5/1 odds on a Citroen AX

 

More fool them. No way a car with such a ridiculous pedal layout is going to feature on our fleet again. Even if you can store wine bottles in the doors (a feature popular with Mrs DW when she owned her AX).

[EssDeeWon]

What's the Manager's Special at CavCraft this week?

 

The headless 106.

[dollywobbler]

A 106 falls down for the same reason as the AX, even if this one's a slushmatic. Oh, hold on. That's it definitely ruled out, Hellmans head or not.

[tooSavvy]

.... Gosh!! I have seen 2x Savvy in the wild in 2 days.... both RED and helmed by GreyGhosts.

 

One was a 'Style' [spots + Allys (looking like poondland trims)] & the other had Poondland trims....

 

YaY

 

 

TS

[messerschmitt owner]

Ian

You want a fiat 126.

[Cavcraft]

This afternoon I was sitting in Morrison's car park in a 38 year old car, with half mast trousers (the seat angle makes them ride up, honest) wearing £1 shop glasses whilst eating 99p shop crisps and watching 'Come Dine With Me' on CH4 on my phone, looking utterly miserable and tutting to myself about peoples parking and annoying kids. 

[vulgalour]

"...and that, your honour, is when I decided I had to kill them all."

 

Yes?

[richardmorris]

This afternoon I was sitting in Morrison's car park in a 38 year old car, with half mast trousers (the seat angle makes them ride up, honest) wearing £1 shop glasses whilst eating 99p shop crisps and watching 'Come Dine With Me' on CH4 on my phone, looking utterly miserable and tutting to myself about peoples parking and annoying kids.

 

Living the dream!

[dollywobbler]

Ian

You want a fiat 126.

 

Here's one I met earlier (in the year).

 

Sorry but they don't half sound unrefined compared to a 2CV.