The new news 24 thread

[barefoot]

Can I suggest Humbrol enamel paint followed by a cellulose varnish.

That should give you a 'crackle' finish as they react.

 

In other news, taxed the T2 yesterday, (following the MOT pass) & obviously

it failed to start - battery gone a bit soft, quick trickle & we're off.

[trigger]

I've been busy today!, drove up to Loughborough this morning to collect these Cortina seats, Left at 9.30am and didn't get home until 3.30pm with a 1/2 hour stop at the owners house whilst collecting them.

 

I'm quite happy with them i guess, They are in very good condition, especially the rear seat, the front's needed a bit of repair to the hinges and they are missing the plastic that covers the hinges, I've painted them and the handles in black hammerite now.

 

Sadly though they are from a L spec and are a darker blue, My XL model has much nicer seats originally, the front had chrome adjusters and fancy plastic trim and the rears are bucket seat style with a arm rest but these new ones will tide me over, If i can get £70 back for one I've found replacements then I'll be happy.

 

Todays purchuse by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

I might see how much to get the old rear seat retrimmed is and set blue leather Alfa front seats if i can find some.

 

Oh and don't try and make a textured effect pattern on a parcel shelf with wood undercoat paint and then paint over with blue primer aerosol... it reacts.

[tonedepear]

Can haz working wipers on the Vauxsaab turd-box.

 

Only about a pint of blood spilled and two hours hard labour.

 

Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

 

Spot the new bit!

[wuvvum]

I've been having a raft of flat batteries recently on the more modern stuff. In fact the only post-1993 member of the fleet that hasn't flattened its battery in the last few weeks (apart from the Rover which I use every day) has been the Metrocab. This evening I was due to go and visit a mate and I decided I'd take the Carina for a run, but the battery was too flat to start it. I couldn't be arsed to go and get the Rover and the jump leads, so I jumped in the Solara and went in that instead. It didn't do too badly considering that it hasn't been further than Tesco's for the last several months, but it is spluttering a bit on a light throttle, so I suspect there may be a blocked jet somewhere.

 

Also found out today that one of the people I regularly speak to through work (his day job is as a claims adjuster for a Lloyd's syndicate), and who I'd always pictured as a quite small, slightly plump man, is actually 6'4", 19 stone and had a bit part as one of Voldemort's giants in the last Harry Potter film. Funny how people are almost never how you first imagine them.

[Negative Creep]

Still trying to get my new set of alloys on. Went down yesterday and they couldn't find the bolts, went down today and it turns out the bolts are the wrong type (I need those stupid allen head ones) so now they won't be on until next week, and 2 of those mangy ones on there at the moment are losing air at a rapid rate.

 

Also think the clutch is slipping. Put it in 3rd at around 35mph and it will rev quickly before picking up any speed

[Cavcraft]

They're going to look a billion times better in your Cortina, Trig. Top work.

 

Yesterday my lad's Corsa C failed the MOT on 'dangerously imbalanced' front brakes, a wiper blade and a centre exhaust pipe. Not too worried about this, they reckon strip/clean the front brakes and they'll be right and an exhaust is only about £49.00 new inc. delivery.

The only pre-MOT work we'd done was to fit a new tyre a couple of months ago and I 'repaired' the rear fog light by No-More-Nails-ing into the bumper and using the tried and trusted 'belt and braces' repair of gaffa tape too.

[dollywobbler]

Attacked the Mini and Maverick with some T-cut scratch repair stuff today. Thought it'd do well to touch it but it has improved things massively. There's one very deep scratch on the Mini that'll need some actual paint, but overall I'm very pleased. Was going to take some pics but then it rained.

 

Maverick is a bit patchy as I've only done the bumper, both front wings and the driver's door so far. Have treated it to the colour-matched scratch repair, then a dose of Turtle Wax Ice. Seems to work nicely. Not like all of the scratches have entirely disappeared but they're a lot better.

[Lankytim]

If you want to really make a difference to your shitter you have to try a clay bar. I thought it was all bollox but they really work! Clayed the bonnet and roof on the Volvo and they are now as smooth as glass!

[Timewaster]

try a clay bar. I thought it was all bollox but they really work! Clayed the bonnet and roof on the Volvo and they are now as smooth as glass!

 

Plus as an added bonus, your neighbours will think you are rubbing your car with soap and probably conclude that you are a loony and to be avoided

[vulgalour]

I am now off call. My brother, his young family and their friend had to go down to Portsmouth (from Bolsover, Derbyshire) today, borrowing Dad's Carina for the trip. On the return journey, the recently fitted front wheel bearing collapsed on the motorway. They managed to get as far as Oxford where they were stranded for 4 hours, the RAC apparently unable to get to them for at least 3 and keeping them waiting an extra hour just for the fun of it. About half an hour ago, my brother, his girlfriend, their baby and their friend all got back home, all very tired and very stressed but with the car and themselves no more harmed than when the bearing collapsed.

 

Tomorrow, the car needs first to go back to Dad's and then to the garage that replaced the bearing. It's suspected that the bearing was not fitted properly and now, having collapsed at speed, it's mullered the hub. Compensation by way of repaired car is on the cards at the very least. You're probably wondering how I come into all this. I'm the only one with a working car that's available at Crap O'clock because of my working hours so it would have been my job to get my brother home tonight had he delivered the car to Dad, but my brother has been very sensible and decided he's too tired to drive there, what with being awake for 24 hours straight now.

 

So tomorrow we limp the Carina over to Dad's and I'll at the least bring my brother home and at the most, follow/take Dad and my brother to the garage and ferry them home if the Carina can't be repaired on the spot. On the plus side, if the weather is fair enough I'll get my exhaust fixed at Dad's tomorrow since I have all the stuff to do it, but have been holding off until my steering gaiter arrives to replace the split one on the Princess so I could do both jobs at once. It will be interesting to see what the garage make of this mishap, apparently they've always been good in the past so it sounds like this is probably an honest mistake that thankfully didn't have costlier expense.

[barefoot]

attached RSW pedal cycle to back of T2, after an hour or so tyre had gone flat.

valve breaking away from inner tube.

Bought new inner tube and spent several hours searching for imperial spanners & tyre levers.

replaced inner tube - crisis over

[dollywobbler]

Decided I didn't like the look of the BX's belt tension so re-set it. Might have cured the iffy steering. Will test thoroughly over the weekend. Off to Derby in a bit. Think I've also found the air leak that's causing the drop off in power. Looks like the fuel filter primer thingy is to blame. Progress!

[Lankytim]

Removed the Allegro's engine and box to allow the engine bay to be painted, quite a pleasant job, apart from the oil slick all over the place when the engine fell over . Blew the hydragas up to make the agg easier to move about the workshop....POP---fizzzzzzzzzzzz. Yep, I blew out a pipe! The long passenger side one had corroded and popped under the pressure- bollocks! Pipes are NLA so I was looking at having one made up, which would have cost ££££'s. I vaguely remembered removing a nearly new pipe from an allegro shell I scrapped a few years ago.Aggs have two pipes, N/S and O/S. One pipe went to another Allegroist who had had a similar hydragas disaster and I had the other as a spare. After a bit of rummaging about I found it and... it was the correct side! Yay! Just need to fit it now.

[Cavcraft]

Took one of the rear hubs off before to clean the brakes up on the Corsa. Guess what? The bastarding wheel cylinder is leaking slightly so that's more time and expense. If I wasn't significantly mentally retarded I might start ranting about what a fucking pain this Vauxhall has been to get right.

[Craig the Princess]

Removed the Allegro's engine and box to allow the engine bay to be painted, quite a pleasant job, apart from the oil slick all over the place when the engine fell over . Blew the hydragas up to make the agg easier to move about the workshop....POP---fizzzzzzzzzzzz. Yep, I blew out a pipe! The long passenger side one had corroded and popped under the pressure- bollocks! Pipes are NLA so I was looking at having one made up, which would have cost ££££'s. I vaguely remembered removing a nearly new pipe from an allegro shell I scrapped a few years ago.Aggs have two pipes, N/S and O/S. One pipe went to another Allegroist who had had a similar hydragas disaster and I had the other as a spare. After a bit of rummaging about I found it and... it was the correct side! Yay! Just need to fit it now.

 

If the rest of the pipe is ok you can replace the blown part with central heating piping and compression joints for about £5.

[Lankytim]

I was thinking of doing that but can't find any info on it online. It would probably be easier to do than replacing the whole pipe but seeing as I have a spare pipe in the garage I may as well use it.

[Craig the Princess]

I was thinking of doing that but can't find any info on it online. It would probably be easier to do than replacing the whole pipe but seeing as I have a spare pipe in the garage I may as well use it.

 

I'll check with Peter (our housemate) when he gets back tonight, he has done it a few times.

[Pete-M]

Jeep has had a weird vibration from the rear at speed for a while, until tonight when the n/s/r tyre exploded at 70 on the M62. The sidewall appears to have vanished. Proper blow out it was.. I know the pressure was correct as I'd checked them all 10 miles earlier as I had just set off on a trip to Dahhhn Sahhhf.

 

Spare fitted and it's happy again. New to get a new tyre now though. Grrr

[catsinthewelder]

Scary stuff, glad you're ok Pete

 

Had some tinkering time with the BX yesterday, steering has been notchy and gearchanges iffy lately so I was expecting major issues and much expense. Fixed it in 30mins by rerouting the clutch cable. Cost 1 second hand cable tie

 

I do need to change a CV boot as well though, parts are now gathered just hoping I can do it without knackering balljoint boots etc.

[meggersdog]

Today this is coming back into the fold.

 

The chap who owns it has molly-coddled it,fitted new front wings,had some paintwork done and keeps it in a heated garage.I haven't seen it in two years as it only gets used on high days and holidays.He has bought an SL and wants me to either buy it back or sell it on for him.I don't sell boomerangs but we will see this afternoon when it arrives.

[Craig the Princess]

Got the first piston out of the Marina

 

 

Now for the other three and to learn how fit the rings and to put pistons back in.

[skattrd]

Fitted a suitably crap stereo in the Mitsubishi yesterday and decided it needed a bit of a run before Chumley next week. It drove 80 miles to Norfolk with no issues, so I got drunk with my brother and had a lazy drive back this afternoon. Auto box & cruise control are fantastic for when you're a tad hungover.

[Craig the Princess]

Picked up a car for the housemate yesterday. The LDV 400 had just had a new front part of exhaust fixed and promptly blew a hole in it's manifold and was a loud bastard for the whole 6 hour trip.

 

Still some pics

 

Spent today cleaning and polishing it (after swapping plugs and leads to make it run properly)

 

Also got the pistons out of the Marina to change the rings, then realised that the ring set is for 3 rings a piston and the piston is 4 rings per piston. Back to buy more tomorrow

[dollywobbler]

Excellent Allegro purchase! That one was really tempting me. Such a stunning colour. Glad it's in good hands.

[Craig the Princess]

Excellent Allegro purchase! That one was really tempting me. Such a stunning colour. Glad it's in good hands.

 

It was going to be broken this week (if you believe the seller, and seeing the breaker's yard they has I believe them). One patch of welding near the rear jacking point will hoepfully see an MoT. Probably not a keeper in the long term though.

[Lankytim]

That Marina is the bestest colour of all time!

[outlaw118]

Tried to get some charge into Escort Cab's battery during the week, but despite being left on slow charge for 48 hours, it faiked to proceed. so got another and fitted it today.

Bearing in mind the engine has not been started since end July last year, i was expecting some churning, but no, 1st turn of the key, it burst into life, with olny a bit of a ticking noise, which quietened down once it warmed up.

Result!!

Next job is to take the garden furniture cushions out of it, and reverse it out of the garage and clean it.

 

Well, did two out of the three, it has rained all day, so as it's just dusty as i gave it a decent wax before i put it away, I decided Mother Nature can clean it for now.

 

MoT Tuesday 845am, then it'll be for sale again. Should pass, has done less than 10 miles since the last one....

 

Anybody want it?

[Craig the Princess]

I was thinking of doing that but can't find any info on it online. It would probably be easier to do than replacing the whole pipe but seeing as I have a spare pipe in the garage I may as well use it.

 

Apparently you can use a piece of 10mm copper pipe and two compression fitting, cut-out the popped section of the pipe and Bob's you uncle. He managed to get a piece of pipe from a builder at a builder's merchant as they would only sell in in 10 meter lengths so they asked one of the trade customers to give him a small bit and they guy didn't even charge

 

And, yes Applejack is the most awesome colour

[wackywacerwill]

Bit of a stiff neck after all the crawling around on the floor but the cortina is back on it's wheels for the first time in a long time and I'm a happy man.

Needs the shocks refitting which should be easy now it has some weight on the springs plus a bit of tightening and adjusting here and there, bleed up the brakes then a quick once over before getting it in for test. Looks like the fiesta will be moving on some time soon as I'll need the insurance swapped back to the tina once it's ready to roll.

[myglaren]

Following the destruction of the C5's tailgate, I opted to buy a C5 saloon from a fellow FCF member.

Paid with an internet bank transfer – that failed to arrive in his account.

This was me cleverly transposing a couple of digits in his account number. Had to pay again (the money was eventually recovered by the bank).

 

Got my son to drop me near Hartlepool from where I got a lift to the X-Rally in Stamford with another FCF member in his superb XM, far nicer than the C5.

Met up with Mr Wobbler of this parish, nice to put a name and face together

Hitched another lift in a very impressive C6 to somewhere near Buxton, after a lot of rather amusing dancing around attempting to connect with the owner of the replacement C5, who's satnav had gone completely psycho.

Eventually met him in a McDonalds and drove him back home to Buxton, then attempted to return home (Washington).

 

Followed signs for Manchester, as I had cleverly left the satnav in the old C5. Went well 'til the signs ran out.

Followed signs to Newark instead. Same thing

Headed for Stoke on Trent instead. In some obscure place came to an interesting multi-exit roundabout with only local exits, Stoke having been removed from the map.

Was running out of diesel and all the filling stations I had passed were closed, fortunately found a Shell station and filled up. Asked the guy where I was and how to get out.

Directed back the way I had come, to Derby and the A35, turned out I was in Leek. Never heard of it.

Made it to Derby but the roads around there are horrendous, every few hundred yards the speed limit changes and the cameras there are breeding like rabbits.

Had a heart stopping moment entering a 30 from a 40 zone and was right on top of a camera when I braked, missed getting Gatsoed by a gnats whisker.

Got it home but it isn't as good as the estate, feels sloppy and has no go at all.

Pushed the driver's seat back yesterday and it stuck there. Did manage to get it moved back today but driving around perched on the edge of the seat wasn't much fun.

 

Took both cars to my local Tyrespot today to swap the tyres over (prefer the wheels on the new one but the tyres are a mixed bunch of crap).

Bought some new axle stands to take advantage of the Citroen method of raising the wheels off the ground for wheel changing. Naturally, they are too big to go under the cars with suspension at full height so ended up using a variety of jacks instead. The guy swapping tyres faster than I could remove the wheels.

Discovered that my quite new Kumhos on the rear were badly worn on the inner edge, that would be buggered trailing arm bearings then. They will last until the next MOT but disappointing as they have only done about 5000 miles.

Also the rear callipers have done the Citroen trick of twisting away from the trailing arm and wearing the pads wedge shaped, another fun job to tackle.

 

There was an 'older' (forgotten the reg) Firebird next door, in for an MOT.

When the owner started it up it sounded like the proverbial bag of hammers. Mr Tyrespot said that he brings it there every year, no tax or insurance, MOTs it then takes it home again until the next year, hasn't been used on the road for four years.

Hadn't my camera and the phone was playing silly buggers so no photo unfortunately.

 

MOT man nearly spoiled his and my day. I heard my 'new' car start up and went to see what the craic was. Mr MOT about to drive it into his garage – only three wheels on it though .

He'd been expecting a C5 and presumed that was it.

 

 

Re: the BT Broadband thing – I'm on BT and have a home hub. Wireless has been hopeless this week so have decommissioned one and replaced it with one of a couple of 'spares'. This one is a wireless hotspot, fortunately no-one around here hops on to it, they are mostly Sky users.

 

My phone has been having loads of problems with the other one but hopped straight on to the new one. Then ran it's battery flat and wouldn't charge up either from the computer or the car charger.

 

Started to post this using Flock, which nicely crashed three times. Binned now