The new news 24 thread

[sporty-shite]

Get busy with the sewing machine, Trigster!!

[skattrd]

Just got a reply back from the seller about the Fiat 128 I posted in the ebay tat thread earlier ebay link

There is minor rust showing in the gutter area around the bonnet as in where the wings bolt from the top and on the edge of the bulkhead. there are a couple of small spots at the boot where the rear bulkhead is as well. These are not visible normally. it is totally solid underneath and at some point in the past complete sills have been done to a high standard. The photos are on my camera which I dont have with me just now. Exterior of the body is all very good and there is no discolouration of panels etc. There are some rust spots showing under the front edge of the bonnet. Myself and my partner drove it to Edinburgh a few weeks ago 360 miles round trip approx and everything went smoothly so 400 miles shouldn't be any bother.

 

So tempted, and the near 500 mile roadtrip home just adds to the want ... 2hrs to go and no bids, £850 start. If I was drinking it would be mine, but I'm sober and undecided, I may have a beer and think about it

[trigger]

Decision made, I'm buying tiger print seat covers!, I might even hire it out for weddings like this one!

 

http://lushmotors.co.uk/index.html

 

 

[vulgalour]

I've been feeling more and more burnt out by work at the moment so I think it's time for a break. I can't afford to go for a holiday, or even a daytrip, but I can take a week off. So, rather than visiting the seaside for a weekend or travelling into the Peaks for a day I'm going to immerse myself for a week starting on the 7th of May in getting as much cosmetic and mechanical stuff sorted on the Princess and the Polo in an effort to recharge my creative batteries and get both cars looking and performing that bit more respectably. A true Autoshite holiday.

[cobblers]

Saturday I was stripping the guff off a Mk3 Golf Gti engine loom for when I put the engine in my van. I properly wasn't expecting such a complicated radiator fan setup for a 1995 motor!

 

 

 

All these plugs just for the rad fan. Big square one goes to the actual fan, which is a 2 speed affair. This I can deal with. Most cars of the era would just have a 3 pin fan switch to deal with Hi and Low speed.

 

The connector above it goes to a 3 pin fan switch. Job done you'd think? No. Those other two plugs go to a "fan control module" that requires about 20 wires going all over the bastard place, connecting to the ECU, Air con and probably the boot light and rear electric windows. This fan control module doesn't seem to do anything other than click the fan on "low" as soon as you turn the air conditioning on, something you could do with a single wire from the AC clutch feed to the fan motor.

 

Oh well, it's more for the scrap pile I suppose

[rml2345]

Yaris has gone to my tame mechanic for a flush and an oil change. Can't do it here as I'd be shopped to the council by the neighbours

[dollywobbler]

This is actually a house update, but it involves gaffer tape. Conservatory roof is now 'repaired' after storm damage! Quality.

 

Need a driver's door mirror for a Mini now. Anyone got a spare?

[RobT]

Changed the points on the Metro at the weekend, as suspected it will no longer start despite numerous adjustments Will have another crack at it this evening. I also bought a new condenser and coil in the hope that it'll sort an intermittent misfire.

 

And the Montego's gearbox has started to make the odd grunching noise under load at slow speeds. An ATF replacement is on the steadily increasing To Do list. I think maybe buying that R25 will be bad timing at the moment!

[Shep Shepherd]

Just returned from a long weekend in Leeds in The Volvo. Despite not being driven more than 20 miles in one go since its overdrive solenoid failed in December (eventually replaced last month), it acquitted itself well, although the battery negative lead came loose during the trip up on Friday, leaving me stranded at Blyth Services for about five and half minutes (five minutes to diagnose the problem, half a minute to fix it)

[messerschmitt owner]

BX will have new MoT later - just the exhaust which I knew about and a cv boot, which I didn't!

[rml2345]

Result with the BX!

Yaris came home today... Still the same EML fault so it almost certainly needs the timing chain and tensioner doing.

Ho hum...

[SambaS]

I just want to drive the Polonez. Fuelly.com have added FSO for me. Last week I brimmed the tank so all's set for an MPG figure now. Just got to drive it, fill up again and write down the miles and litres (how sad am I).

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Got a call from my mum to say her car's not working can I come and look at it.

 

My car broke down on the way.

[cort16]

I've just had an email from my friend who's uncle's now wanting to sell his original J Reg Nova GSi with 32,000 miles on it. It's stock as a rock and totally mint having been kept inside all it's days.

He's asking me what it's worth but I've no idea. I see high mileage ones out there for £2500. That seems a lot for a Nova but there can't be many like this around.

Anyone any ideas?

[dollywobbler]

I'd say hold on to it! A non-chavved GSi will be a rarity for sure. Could try asking a bit more than £2500. You'd at least dissuade the OMG V6 brigade.

[trigger]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's worth over £3000 to the right person if I'm honest Cort, It's a sort after model with low mileage, "The doctor" would be getting £4000+ for it.

 

After my little wobble with the Cortina's interior on Sunday I was chuffed to find a someone on ebay selling a pair of front seats and a rear seat for a Mk3 Cortina in blue just like I'm after, I'm well pleased about this, I've spoke to the seller and have agreed on £70 for the lot, There isn't any photos sadly but he assures me they are mint.

 

So tomorrow I'm driving to Loughborough in Leicestershire to collect them, The only downside I've found out tonight is they they might be 'L' spec seats which are more plan looking, my rear seat is shaped with a arm rest and have squire patterns, these are striped with a more bench style rear seat i think...

 

Oh well, at least they are blue and will tide me over until a proper set turns up.

[Cavcraft]

I've just had an email from my friend who's uncle's now wanting to sell his original J Reg Nova GSi with 32,000 miles on it. It's stock as a rock and totally mint having been kept inside all it's days.

He's asking me what it's worth but I've no idea. I see high mileage ones out there for £2500. That seems a lot for a Nova but there can't be many like this around.

Anyone any ideas?

 

About £150 at best. However it's good news day, I'm prepared to whang round and GIV U £200 TOMOZ M8.

 

On a slightly less hopeful/more serious note I'd have thought about £2,750-£3,000 should be right. In actual fact a 'classified' on eBay at about £3650 with a submit best offer option automatically rejecting buds at under £3,250 probably wouldn't be a bad idea.

Failing that you could advertise somewhere like PNG (Performance Nova Group) and ignore 97.6% of the offers of 75p and a Kingdom bodykit for it.

[Mr Lobster]

Fleet news -

 

Seat Toledo Turbo - fresh MOT but a bit damp. Leaking door seals need sorting. Parking facing upwards as a temporary cure

 

Kangoo dci - rattly but then they all do that sir. 46ish mpg so not so bad. Possibly for sale soon

 

R4 GTL - New MOT, everything works and on eBay with a million watchers (RLY)

 

R4 van - All working, nothing to report

[cort16]

Cheers chaps I'll pass on your thoughts. He's been trying to buy it off his uncle for yonks and offered him 1800 quid for it a couple of years ago but the old buys obviously not daft.

Trigger that would be a right result if those seats turn out to be good. I bet if you wanged them Alfa seats and the old back seat on ebay you'd get some of your money back too.

[trigger]

Trigger that would be a right result if those seats turn out to be good. I bet if you wanged them Alfa seats and the old back seat on ebay you'd get some of your money back too.

 

I'll chuck the Alfa seats on, I'll be happy with £20 for the pair if I'm honest, mind you there's more to this story now...

 

I thought I'd nip outside tonight and remove the old rear seat in readiness for tomorrow plus i wanted to do some repairs to the parcel shelf, I was well please to find a set of unfitted rear seat belts under the rear seat!.

 

 

Looking at the brackets i don't they they have ever been properly fitted, There's no signs of them being removed from the rear parcel shelf as the original blanks were still in the shelf!.

 

 

Whilst the seats are out i decide to fill the tiny holes in the shelf where i think some speakers may have been removed from, one question though, the shelf has a rough texture to it, whats the best way of doing this as i need to cover the repairs before i repaint it again, am i best just dabbing a brush on it with some paint on or would stonechip work?.

 

 

Also even better news is that once the seat was out i MTFU and had a go at removing the paint with some cellulose thinners and it came off with damaging the seat!, result, It will take a while and it might not get it all of perfectly but at least i now know i can get it off!.

 

I'll fit these new seats temporary and refit the old seats again once i get it cleaned i reckon.

[warren t claim]

My family ran a fleet of mk3s back in the 1970s and almost every one had iffy rear parcel shelves that had to be restored with Radian Leather Dye. They all came up a treat though.

[trigger]

They are made out of that hardboard stuff, It's in pretty good knick really apart from the screw holes, I'll see if the local motor factors stocks a matt blue aerosol tomorrow, I just need to work out the best way to get that rough texture back where I've repaired it!

[warren t claim]

They are made out of that hardboard stuff, It's in pretty good knick really apart from the screw holes, I'll see if the local motor factors stocks a matt blue aerosol tomorrow, I just need to work out the best way to get that rough texture back where I've repaired it!

 

Is this going to be a long term fixture in your garage?

[eddyramrod]

I'll see if the local motor factors stocks a matt blue aerosol tomorrow,

 

If you have a pretty good model shop nearby that might be worth looking at. Humbrol (other paint suppliers are available) offer aerosols, but I'm not sure how much of the range they cover. Good work finding the blue set though.

[cort16]

plastikote do a satin blue spray paint. It's good stuff and about 7 quid a tin from B&Q.

[trigger]

Is this going to be a long term fixture in your garage?

 

How do you mean? Yes there's model shop just up the road but I think model paint cans are quite small? I have a hunt around either once i get back tomorrow or Thursday.

 

Plastikote, good call!

[warren t claim]

You need to PM Fred and get some screen work for this ASAP!

[trigger]

The thought has cross my mind!, The trouble is most filming is miles away from here and will end up cost a fortune driving it everywhere!.

 

Once the interior is sorted then it will look much more original though, I'm thinking getting the front end resprayed next but that will cost big £££'s

[warren t claim]

The thought has cross my mind!, The trouble is most filming is miles away from here and will end up cost a fortune driving it everywhere!.

 

Once the interior is sorted then it will look much more original though, I'm thinking getting the front end resprayed next but that will cost big £££'s

 

This is the look you should be aiming for....

Or maybe....

This is probably a bit too far...

[trigger]

And there was me thinking about going for this look!.

 

Ford Cortina Mk 3 by ta22man, on Flickr