The new news 24 thread

[cort16]

I was out for a night out in Glasgow a couple of years which is a city not un-customed to knocking the shite out each other when some tramp started knocking lumps out his girl friend on the street. Within a couple of seconds folk who you'd have written off neds had broken it up and helped the women to the side of the road and sat with her until the ambulance arrived. It doesn't mean one of them wouldn't stab another one later on. The world's an odd place!

[ashmicro]

Amen to that. Like the time the wee girl got knocked down, totally by accident at the set of traffic lights at the bottom (Republican) end of the Oldpark Road. We were manning a Vehicle Checkpoint (VCP) and being VERY alert. The child just walked into the road. Thankfully, the car didn't hit her that hard as the driver slewed and jammed on the brakes. It was a red mark 1 Fiesta. Net went apeshit, RUC arrived like the A Team, and we had Cosbies arriving in force as Bravo. The child had swallowed her tongue, and one of my UDR oppos fished it out and got her breathing. As the civilian ambulance took her away we got a round of applause from the populace. There were no Shamrock BRF (or Battlefield Recognition Flashes) in those days, and I remember one of our crew (who I didn't know personally) shouting to the assembled lot " WE'RE IRISH TOO"

 

Another round of applause, but as we all know, and sadly, that wasn't the end of it.

 

Nowt so queer as folk, as Pete M and other Yorkshiremen would say

 

only kidding Pete, I know you're from Manchester.

[TimothyClaypole]

You can PAYG with the BT stuff too, so I could buy an airtime credit and rock up outside anyone's house and download away.

 

And as a BT customer you can access them for free.

 

 

I'm just annoyed having to watch the smug students on tv in between watching the slideshows on YouTube, some idiot told me they were videos the other day, as if...

[Pete-M]

Well, it looks like my Czech Escort collecting trip will have to be postponed.

 

Just time wasters and messers with the 604, so that's that. I'll fly out to Czech next weekend, see how the car is doing, and fly back.

 

I am monumentally pissed off about this, I don't think I've priced the Pug unreasonably considering its rarity and the amount of work that has gone into it, it's just an unloved-by-the-masses car. 90 people watching it on eBay, 3100 hits, three phone calls and a few weird fuckers texting trying to swap shite for it.

 

There have been a few genuinely interested folks, but as they have until tomorrow to buy and they've not been in touch it looks like the old bus ain't going anywhere for a while. I'll have to find a nice V8 to chuck in it.

 

Fucking pissed off, I am.

[trigger]

That sucks Pete, The trouble is people haven't got the spare cash that they used too at the moment and there's even less people out there who want to spend the small about of savings they do have on a obscure 1980's french car which isn't a 2CV.

 

Make the best of a worse situation and bolt that V8 in, fit a tow bar and use that to drive over and collect the Escort in it!

[Pete-M]

That's tempting, Trig.

 

I'm just furious at the moment. When the 604 was being repaired the number of people who said "I'd love that, let me know when it's for sale", when I put it up for sale they all vanished to be replaced by knobheads. I'm losing a big chunk of money on it in order to try and get a quick sale, but it ain't happening.

 

Ah well, typical classic car folk.

[wuvvum]

Got a claim form through the post today in relation to the accident my mate had in the Saab over Easter. Two claim forms in fact - one direct from the insurance company and a badly photocopied one from what appears to be a claims management company, who also managed to spell my name wrong and seem to think that I was the driver at the time of the accident - so that one might be going straight in the bin.

 

Does anyone know if these are sent out as a matter of course following an accident (eg following a report from the police), or does this mean that the other party is trying to make a claim? There's no mention of a claim being brought on either covering letter (not that either letter is particularly informative) and last I heard the motorcyclist hadn't been heard from since the accident, but not having had a crash since 1998 I'm not really sure how these things work.

[Cavcraft]

Finally, finally got the second hand (good) door on the Corsa. Bit of fiddling about with awkward bits here and there (including the lock) then we offered everything up and all looked good.

Put it on and guess what? The sodding rubbing strip is different so removed both and now face an hour os so of fun using a heat gun to remove the double sided tape and putting the correct rubbing strip on.

Luckily I got a s/h Honda generator off my neighbour not so long back so we don't have to mess about with extension leads from the house.

[eddyramrod]

I'm losing a big chunk of money on it in order to try and get a quick sale, but it ain't happening.

 

Ah well, typical folk.

 

I'm suffering exactly the same woes Pete, so it's not just you! Had a bloke round today, he didn't volunteer to buy the Granada but seems convinced I'll sell it in seconds. It's been steadily reducing for 6 months already and I'm elbow-deep into on-paper losses with all three cars.

[Station]

Well, it looks like my Czech Escort collecting trip will have to be postponed.

 

Just time wasters and messers with the 604, so that's that. I'll fly out to Czech next weekend, see how the car is doing, and fly back.

 

I am monumentally pissed off about this, I don't think I've priced the Pug unreasonably considering its rarity and the amount of work that has gone into it, it's just an unloved-by-the-masses car. 90 people watching it on eBay, 3100 hits, three phone calls and a few weird fuckers texting trying to swap shite for it.

 

There have been a few genuinely interested folks, but as they have until tomorrow to buy and they've not been in touch it looks like the old bus ain't going anywhere for a while. I'll have to find a nice V8 to chuck in it.

 

Fucking pissed off, I am.

 

 

You should try it again, I hadn't noticed this before but people tend to spend at the end/start of the month when they've been paid. It's obvious but good timing.

[Cavcraft]

I know you didn't get it for that reason Pete and you should be applauded for saving something as cool as that, but sadly this is why I mostly buy cars with my head, not my heart.

[trigger]

I suspect the current poor weather isn't helping much also.

[retrogeezer]

This has never happened to me before while a car has been in my ownerships, I found it strangely exciting!:

 

 

 

Is that a Nissan Bluebird?

Or is there another car with two tripmeters?

 

Yep, my Bluebird:

 

 

[Pete-M]

I know you didn't get it for that reason Pete and you should be applauded for saving something as cool as that, but sadly this is why I mostly buy cars with my head, not my heart.

 

It just my bad timing that screwed up.

 

I've been using the 604 for the first time in a few days and it kinda wins me over everytime I drive it. I don't actually want to sell it as I am really tempted to V8 it and see how good it was meant to be as I feel it would be superb with a well sorted EFi V8. Ok, it wouldn't be a Peugeot engine, but a 3.9 Rover lump is about the right size and weight and would only improve it. It could be an epic tow car.

 

It's not bad with the V6, don't get me wrong, but the PRV lump isn't what I'd choose.

 

Just annoyed because I want my Mk2!!

[RoadworkUK]

 

I'm suffering exactly the same woes Pete, so it's not just you! Had a bloke round today, he didn't volunteer to buy the Granada but seems convinced I'll sell it in seconds. It's been steadily reducing for 6 months already and I'm elbow-deep into on-paper losses with all three cars.

 

It's a shame that print media is in such a shambles. A few years ago you might have convinced one of the classic car mags to fly out to Paphos, pick up the Granny and drive it back to blighty, documenting the associated misadventures en route. I'd have read that, might even buy my own copy.

[RoadworkUK]

 

It's not bad with the V6, don't get me wrong, but the PRV lump isn't what I'd choose.

 

 

.......twin turbochargers......

[dollywobbler]

I can sympathise Pete. As I know very well from experience, the problem with rare French stuff is that you can never sell it in a hurry. People would rather get all moist about Cortinas, Cavaliers and Capris - 'safe' cars. Herd mentality. There's also the nostalgia kick. Far fewer people can say 'my dad had one of those and now I want to buy one' with a Peugeot 604 compared to something like a Granada.

[cms206]

My boss has a sense of humour; minicoach off the road, hire comes in for a 24-seater.

 

Now do you say "sorry, not got a 24, can do you a 53 for fifty quid more?" or do you say "Aye, I can get you a 24 on Saturday."

 

 

Without mentioning that said 24-seater, at the time of the call (on Wednesday afternoon) was sitting over the short pit with half the floor missing, no seats from half way up the saloon, no boot, no emergency door fitted, covered in filler and rubbed down for repaint.

 

 

As a result, this morning I followed last Sunday's pink Merc marathon with a 167 mile round trip in this...

 

DJ International - M790 KBD by cms206, on Flickr

[eddyramrod]

A few years ago you might have convinced one of the classic car mags to fly out to Paphos, pick up the Granny and drive it back to blighty, documenting the associated misadventures en route. I'd have read that, might even buy my own copy.

 

That made me lol!

[dollywobbler]

Some archive news footage from 1995/6. My first car. Gawd I ruined the poor thing!

 

[trigger]

Vent time.

 

I spent a few hours this afternoon, once the monsoon stopped, cleaning the Cortina, I'm starting to lose my mojo with it a bit, the bodywork although very good for it's age really needs respraying to get it looking good again as it's covered it bad aerosol repairs, This wouldn't be the end of the world normally as i like a little project but coupled with the interior issues I'm starting to full out of love with it.

 

What kind of twat paints a perfectly good and rare rear seat?, The trouble is it's started to flake reviling the dark blue vinyl underneath and because it's tacky all your clothes fibers stick to it as well as our dog hair and dirt, It looks a total bastard now.

 

 

It doesn't look too bad here but trust me, it's a pig close up.

 

I've been trawling ebay and the Cortina forums since I've had it and not once has a Mk3 interior came up, The problem is the original seats had started to come unstitched and needed a repair so the last owner took them out and fitted these Alfa Momo seats which are cream and painted the rear seat to match, I've still got the original seats but all the blue cowling at the bottom is now broke from when they were rammed in the boot when i bought it.

 

I'm such a mug for paying over £2000 for it when it needs at least £2000 spent on it to get it looking good again, The twat who's well respected in Cortina circles only had it 3 months and bodged it so much in that time, I bet he made a killing on it from me.

[trigger]

And you and he share the same first name.

 

Yeah but he's more of a GEEZA then me, and a bit fatter!,

 

I haven't priced it up yet TBH, I did look at one local trimmers website and got the impression that I'd be looking at £500+ to get it retrimmed, There might be a way of cleaning them up, I'm currently on the look out for a pair of dark blue leather Alfa seats to replace the current front seats, I missed a pair a few weeks ago on ebay which sold for £95 delivered that I'm a bit narked about.

 

Once i get a pair of front seats I'll then tackle the rear, I'm just really pissed that the last owner painted it as there wasn't any need to.

[Cavcraft]

My neighbour has dealing with a bloke round here somewhere who does seat repairs at least, can try and find out if he does re-trims if you like?

[Timewaster]

the last owner painted it as there wasn't any need to.

 

Would you have bought a Cortina with Grey front seats and Blue rear seats?

Somehow I doubt it.

[trigger]

Thanks for the offer Billy but i wouldn't worry, I'd have to get them sent up north and the postage would be expensive, There's a place I've been told about in town that I'll try and get a estimate off, I keep hoping some second hand seats appear on ebay but Mk3 spares seem to be the hardest to get hold off out of all the Cortinas.

 

the last owner painted it as there wasn't any need to.

 

Would you have bought a Cortina with Grey front seats and Blue rear seats?

Somehow I doubt it.

 

 

I would have to be honest, The stitching's came undone on the original seats, it would have just be a case of having them restitched again and refitted.

[warren t claim]

You don't get much of a mk3 for £2000 these days. Tbh I think you got a decent deal and don't get downhearted over it.

[trigger]

Swings and roundabouts i guess, I've seen them sell a lot cheaper but needing a massive amount of welding, Mines never been welded or needs any and that's were the money goes, It's just a honest old car.

 

I think I've just annoyed myself because of the interior problems, and i shouldn't keep looking at the classic cars for sale on ebay!

[retrogeezer]

Get some leopard print furry seat covers and live with it Mike, not everything needs to minty mint and it looks like a good motor.

[retrogeezer]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rear-Car-Seat ... 2872wt_952

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GREY-OSCELOT- ... 332wt_1185

[trigger]

Hey Trigger, Why not call ScratchMasters in Colchester

 

That's not a bad call, I'll fire them off a email and see what they say, Thanks, I am warming to the ideal of leopard print seat covers, seriously!, I even told my wife i was thinking of buying a set earlier!