The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

Depends on the car. Perodua and 2CV have such tiny fuel tanks that there's no point not filling them up. XM's tank is so huge that filling it is like carrying another rather large person around, so I tend to half-fill (which still gives about 300 miles of range).

[richardmorris]

I just filled the 2cv up- needle hadn't moved and had done 190miles. Just about squeezed 19litres in it. Ready for drive it day tomorrow, as I'm not going out in the fiat as the forecast is terrible.

[Lacquer Peel]

I try to fill my cars to the brim with vegetable oil and almost always end up spilling about a litre down the side of the car when it overflows. WHY I DO THIS?

[panhard65]

I finally have managed to fix the fuel gauge in the Rolls, it is down to half a tank after 120 miles. I used to keep it full topping up every 150 odd miles (£70) I hate stopping to fill up so always fill my cars unless it is a right piece of crap that may not last long enough to get through a tankfull.

[EssDeeWon]

Talking of petrol, are there far fewer proper petrol stations now than there was say, 10 years ago?

 

Aside from the supermarket which fuel I refuse to use there are hardly any petrol stations round this way anymore, I can think of at least 7 that have gone in recent years.

[dollywobbler]

Oh definitely. Rural petrol stations have been dwindling for some time. Every village used to have one around here. Now there's one on a main road 4 miles away, or you have to drive another 12 miles. With a 2CV, this can be an issue as it only has a 200-mile range. Therefore, when it's low, it really is low! I remember struggling to find a petrol station in the Scottish borders, and having to seriously hypermile (as in neutral, engine-off down hills) to try and get to a petrol station.

[dave21478]

Yes, rural stations are closing and in-town stations have all been replaced  by blocks of luxury* appartments.

[brickwall]

There is a petrol station here manned by volunteers.

[Pillock]

It might be extra weight if you fill it, but how many people take out all the crap they don't need from the boot, have a shit before driving, and wear lightweight shoes? Also consider unless you're passing loads of petrol stations (see above re fewer station) you're going to have to hunt one out more often, so your fuel usage goes up.

 

See also: people driving 30 miles out of their way to save £0.02 per litre.

[bub2006]

I live just out of Ripley. Whichever direction I go I find one. 5 within 3 mile. I see what you mean though about folk living in the sticks. Go up derbyshire dales and I always make sure I've got around half a tank.

[danthecapriman]

I tend to put a fair bit in all my cars, none are particularly good mpg wise so if I fill them up it means I don't have to keep visiting the petrol station.

Besides that if I put a tenners worth in the yank I doubt it'd even be enough to get the car off the forecourt!

[vulgalour]

Work has got underway on the bodywork of the Lancia Flavia today and now I look like I've been involved in some sort of flour/cocaine explosion.  Remarkably, there's a lot of metal underneath the filler and apart from some weird repairs like the section that looks like someone used an adze to panel beat a dent out and another that looks for all the world like a small recreation of that episode of Father Ted with the Rover 214, it's all very restorable.

 

I'm going back in after I've had something to eat to see if I can get the other arch cleaned back and in primer and I'll get some pictures for those interested.

[Skizzer]

Pah.  You people with working fuel gauges don't know you're born.

 

 

 

(This would have made more sense on the previous page.  Nothing to do with Flavias or Father Ted.)

[HillmanImp]

They predicted rain today.

 

Rain? What rain?

 

[Vin]

When I started and moved the 4x4 and 126 the other night I noticed that the 750 was leaking water. It was seeping from the left hand side of the engine and an inspection revealed that it was coming from the water pump. It seemed to be coming from hole in the pump body where it leaks out when the impellor seal has gone...

 

Thinking about it, I remembered I had a spare somewhere. Luckily it was in the boot of the 4x4, which meant I didn't root around in the shed or the loft...

 

Well I replaced it this morning. I got the new pump on and have left it as it is for now as I ordered a new cambelt and tensioner which should arrive next week...

 

Thursday evening...

 

This morning...

 

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Look at all that space in there! And what a fine fleet.

[fordperv]

I popped out to get some dog food earlier and saw 2 allegro's on a hiabbers truck in banger livery

 

 

I was amused by the numberplate on the red one

 

 

[dugong]

Y U GO DERV?

[barrett]

Had the chance to buy that red Allegro recently, shame to see it like that as I don't think it was actually too rotten

[Richard]

I think more than one person on here would have paid good money for the wings. They'll be shit on the track too.

[HillmanImp]

Aye, I recognised the ROT number plate too. Seemed to remember it being up for sale recently.  

[crapcarcollector]

Banger racing at Chesterton, that's where the Allaggro was headed. I saw a Triumph 2000 headed there earlier.

[fordperv]

I figured as much as I was on the a34, a mate showed me a picture of a frilly manta A series covered in dulux that was taken at loomer road

[crapcarcollector]

Literally just seen the remains of a Granada Coupe, Princess and GTV 105 being carted off by the HiAB brigade. I know they can't all be saved, but still boils my piss.

[captain_70s]

Allegro was up for sale for ages on the Allegro FB page, sold for something like £150. I'd have loved it and bought it purely to have a rusty car with a ROT numberplate, but it may as well have been on the moon...

[trigger]

My Mk1 Cortina has been kicking out oil from of the oil cap since I've bought it and there's sign of rusty water coming out of the head gaskets so today I went to my dad's and we made a start stripping it down.

 

In less than 30 minutes we had a removed head on the work bench ready for stripping.

 

 

 

In fairness we couldn't see anything that could be causing any problems, it had a rebuilt head fitted last year, everything was clean and tight but there was a little pitting on the new exhaust valves so we wonder if they weren't lapped in probably.

 

Dad dug out a 50 year pot of lapping paste and I bought a stick which we connected to a cordless drill and spent a while grinding them in.

 

 

The pistons and bores seem all good too with no scores or play so gave them a good clean and clean oil down them.

 

 

We managed to get the breather pipe off after a lot of swearing and gave that a clean with petrol, it seemed pretty good to be fair so we are hoping it's just the exhaust valves which were causing this oil leak, it didn't smoke or blow out of the dipstick.

 

We started to assemble it but I had to leave early, we got it torqued up and i left dad doing the valves gaps so hopefully another hour spent on in should see it running again, fingers crossed!

[coalnotdole]

I try not to fill the Scimitar up more than 3/4 full as the MPG seems to be worse when I do... I suspect this is because when the tank is full, the petrol is forced out of the filler cap under hard acceleration...!

 

I've had an unproductive week, work has really got in the way of my projects recently. The van carpet re-trim is taking longer than I'd wanted as I just dont seem to be finding the time to get the work done...

 

That said Its progressed a bit it now has all the stuck down carpets fitted, and the over carpets have been cut,

 

This photo shows the overcarpets cut to size with the heel pad test fitted.

 

 

 

The gearbox tunnel carpet has been glued into place, Its in two sections with the main section being edged in vinyl. This is a deviation from how Reliant did it as they created gearbox tunnel carpets but stitching 3 sections together with seams along the edges of the tunnel. Edged carpets seem to be an easy way to create a factory look to non standard carpets, There are one or two mistakes made but on the whole I don't think its turned out too badly.

 

 

 

The photo above also shows a new stainless smiths heater vent (currently hanging loose!)

 

I've also stitched the edges of some other sections of carpet for neatness and longevity, eg this bit just above the seat-belt mount. I did these bits but I must confess I outsourced the stitching of the overcarpets to a professional seamstress! I'll get to those later...!

 

 

and on the other side:

 

 

I've trial fitted this rear bench seat, It was an optional extra on the van though this van never had one originally. The original load floor had been cut up by another owner I thought about replacing the plywood load floor but have decided to fit the rear seat as I've got one available.

 

 

 

The backrest section is a bit damaged but I'm probably not going to do anything about it as its too much hassle to pull the seat apart, bearing in mind this is a van I use to move engines, car parts and other assorted tat. I'll keep an eye out for a set of period seat covers which will hopefully cover a multitude of minor and major imperfections in the upholstery.

 

 

The overcapet edging was finished today and I was able to get them fitted in place, The carpet lifts around the brake and clutch pedals to allow access to top up the master cylinder's.

 

 

Passenger side:

 

 

Rear footwell:

 

 

The next step will be to refit the seat supprorts, and bolt the drivers seat in again. I've ordered the fabric for the rear side panels and the rear seat needs some hinges making before it can be fitted. once thats in the rubber matting for the load area can be glued in. I've got s new set of door cards to go in too. If its quiet enough after all that I can think about fitting a period radio....!

 

 

[cros]

Y U GO DERV?

HP

[dollywobbler]

Drive It Day then. Thought I'd take the 2CV for a drive in the sun. Up my driveway. First, additions.

 

Ok, that was just for the photo, but fragile she certainly is! Basking in the sun.

 

Exciting* in-car footage.

https://t.co/nWj9hBAtyJ

[twosmoke300]

Would have been better if it was fraggle ( rock) tape