The new news 24 thread

[Lord Sterling]

Today I went to visit the Merc and once again proved that Steve doesn't actually listen. I told him I'd be in in the morning but out after midday, he thought it was the other way around so thought I'd turned up too early.

 

Anyway, after a bit of investigation we noticed that the Merc ran Ok when the mass Air flow plugs were unplugged, but when plugged in, the engine ran erratically. This seemed to be down to the engine loom which was probably cross wiring, I understand that these era Mercs do suffer from engine loom problems, blasting water into the engine bay didn't help.

 

there is still a tiny bit of oil dropping through and no more coolant is leaking so at least it's more or less been sorted.

 

There seems to be a bit of Karma shared from the Citroen/Volvo crew on this in that Chaseracer has just got his Merc fixed wereas mine is now broken!

[richardmorris]

Most problems with the biodegradable engine looms seem to be with the engine I have ( quelled surprise!). The earlier ones are ok.

[richardmorris]

Have a bonus shot of the GHETTO_PHONE_CHARGER in action:

I can't help thinking that that looks like the sort of thing you're trying to explain to your insurance company after your left with a smouldering shell.

[DeeJay]

That's what you have to do when Viagra doesn't work. 

[DeeJay]

Jump start.

[Angrydicky]

Oil and filter change completed on the Maestro. These things are so simple to work on, it took all of ten minutes apart from the inevitable hunting for tools (a 19mm spanner and a funnel). 5400 miles covered since the last change 12 months ago. Lovingly filled up with Castrol GTX 10W/40 (it was on special offer at Asda) and I chucked on a NOS Champion filter.

Took the Victor out for a spin after adjusting the seat back. I managed to get it a bit more comfortable, then noticed something that probably has a lot to do with it - the drivers seat diaphragm is quite tired and saggy, it's pretty noticeable compared to the passenger one. I don't fancy my chances of finding a replacement, sadly. Annoyingly, the engine is still pissing out oil somewhere as well.

[cort1977]

I have used para cord to reinforce a knackered seat diaphragm in the past, just made a cats cradle arrangement using the existing hooks. Worked well as it still has a bit of 'give'.

[Richard]

You might find you can make a SAAB one fit. They had issues with diaphragms splitting so they replaced them with an arrangement of wires and springs.

[michael1703]

They remake diaphragms for old seats such as mini and minor so you could have a measure up and see if they would fit

[dave21478]

Sold the C15 the other night. My brother in law has been using it for the past couple of years and I hadnt driven it for most of that time. I took it for a blezz and it was completely ruined....I am actually at a loss for words. It was fucking filthy in and out for a start with piles of junk and rubbish everywhere. Mechanically, jesus.....The back right wheel would lock up while reversing so obviously something tragically wrong with the brake shoes and the rattling, clunking, groaning and thumping from the suspension was incredible - Every single bush and balljoint must have been shagged and the way it was bouncing and weaving all over the place suggests the shocks were knacked too. And the fucking choob wonders why it wears out tyres pretty fast?

 

Anyway, I advertised it and that night a pair of the shadiest looking soap dodgers you could imagine turned up in a brand new beaver-tail Transit. So new it didnt have numberplates......

Anyway, they prodded the C15 a bit and made an offer that wasnt too offensive, which I accepted just to get rid of it and them. There was confusion as to why the mileage was different to the advert. I explained that it was a UK van and the counter worked in miles and I had put the equivalent in kilometres in the add.......They were confused. Like "a dog watching a card trick" confused. I re-explained a couple of times but might have well been trying to explain quantum string theory to them so changed tack and just said I must have made a mistake and wrote the numbers down wrong and its actually lower than I thought, which pleased them.

A possible reason for their incomprehension came to light when we did the paperwork and it turned out that neither of them could read or write. So I filled out the forms....the dude wanted it registered in his wifes name, who had an odd-sounding name. I asked how it was spelled and he just listed off a load of letters like Carol Vorderman pulling out the blue cards on Countdown....it didnt spell any kind of word or name, but whatevz.... He put an "X" in the signature box. Aaalrighty then...good luck with that guys....goodbye.

 

 

tl:dr -

1- rigger-booted, hi-viz pikeys bought the C15 and took it away on a very obviously stolen beavertail.

2- My brother in law is a fucking nobber who is on the point of being told to FROAD.

 

 

[dave21478]

re seat diaphragms - I repaired a Frontera with a small ratchet strap which I wound back and forth across the frame to support the foam and cranked it tight.

[cms206]

Just added some stuff to the garage section to see how it worked. Seems pointless but it's nice to see what folk have got.

Also, if Kazunori Yamauchi is watching, can we have whatever is in there as a download for GT5 please? It'd be like the best* racing game of ever.

[Craig the Princess]

I thought the garage section was pointless but as more cards are added it is like shiters' digest showing what cars are on here.

 

I like it.

[scruff]

Sold my trailer and the bloke came to get it today in a V6 Rover 75 estate 

 

Loading was painless.

 

[dollywobbler]

A good test of reversing skills. U CAN HAZ DEM.

[Slappy]

just filled up the tank at Bagshot bp next to this guy,

 

http://www.rbs6nations.com/en/england/squad_profile_master.php?player=19575&includeref=dynamic

 

They're staying down the road at penny hill park.

 

Best day of my life ever was staying at Penny Hill the same day as the England boys beat Scotland 3 years ago. Had breakfast the following morning with Charlie Hodgson who had scored the winning try to win a fairly scrappy game in the queue behind me at the buffet. Stuart Lancaster kept himself to himself as I recall, but Graham Rowntree was fairly chirpy.

 

Cars in the car park: not many extremely flash motors, a couple of Club sponser cars (new Sciroccos were popular), as were the BINIs that the RFU have a bunch of

[barrett]

That's the first time I've seen a trailer carrying a trailer. Would it not have been easier to trailer the second trailer and eliminate the need for the first trailer? TRAILER.

[Six-cylinder]

That's the first time I've seen a trailer carrying a trailer. Would it not have been easier to trailer the second trailer and eliminate the need for the first trailer? TRAILER.

 

This is how I collected my farm trailer round the M25!

 

[twosmoke300]

Those wheels on the trailer are really far apart aren't they? Nice and stable I suppose but must scrub like hell when turning

[Six-cylinder]

Those wheels on the trailer are really far apart aren't they? Nice and stable I suppose but must scrub like hell when turning

 

Yes very stable and great when towing with a range Rover but cars did not like reversing it. Unfortunately the car trailer was stolen from me, it was a great trailer rated to carry over 2 tons.

[JohnK]

Just popped to the hospital visiting and was greeted with this - appears somebody forgot to put handbrake on!

 

[Six-cylinder]

Those Passats had electric handbrakes!

[dollywobbler]

More likely that the handbrake just failed - they do that. A lot! Never leave one in neutral...

[Alfamale]

75% bought a new car from the eBay thread. It's a long way back in the thread though. 75% as it's not a bid or BIN but I've bought a one way train ticket and have a wallet full of wedge ready.

 

Live collection thred coming on Sunday if I can figure how to add pictures on my phone.

[wuvvum]

I appear to have scored a NOS offside front brake caliper for the 164 for 50 notes.  Not exactly a bargain, but pretty good when you consider that the only spares place I've found that stocks them wants 300 notes for a bare caliper (I have the less common ATE brakes, with vented front discs - needless to say this is the most expensive combination).  The one I've bought comes with pistons, pads, sliders etc.  This is good, because it also means I can now make one good caliper out of the two old front ones, which I should be able to do without having to buy any new pistons.  Once the old crate can stop again it's going to be a lot easier to get it back on the road.

[gordonbennet]

Yep, those Pissants have form for the electric parking brake being useless and the car buggering off on their own when the discs cool.

[Lacquer Peel]

The parking brake on Ms._Peel's stepdad's Passat seized on, requiring a new caliper at £££. Pot luck.

[messerschmitt owner]

all modern carz are shite - etc!

[Pillock]

More likely that the handbrake just failed - they do that. A lot! Never leave one in neutral...

Aye, Mrs_Pillock has a Touran (same platform) with a manual handbrake. Came out of work to find it had attempted a bit of car-on-car action with a friends Volvo, handbrake was on but had just relaxed grip. Sadly it was at a school, at lunchtime, so witnessed by hundreds of kids that found it hilarious

 

I also once pulled into a pub carpark to find a Leon slowly reversing towards me..... With nobody in. Lept out, held the car and sent someone into the pub to find the owner. He'd caned it down the road, brakes got hot, handbrake on, brakes cooled and let go.

[Skizzer]

Driving shite has cured me of using handbrakes forever (apart from hill starts), even on moderns. Shitefucius he say, never park with handbrake on because it may be months before you get the engine to start again, by which time brakes will have seized on.

 

Also, electric handbrakes are the work of Beelzebub.