The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

Had another rather unproductive weekend.  In fact the only thing I managed to do was get a bit further with tidying up the arches on the Perodua, and strip some more paint off the A35.

 

The Volvo has decided to reward me for actually spending some money on it for the first time in years by slowly but surely falling to bits.  After losing its nearside lights two weeks ago and then its indicator stalk last weekend, today I lost all dash lights and the fuel pump packed up.  It still starts on the key though - or at least it did until the fuel in the carbs ran out.  Of course this also meant that I couldn't pull it off the drive, so I had to do the Perodua out in the car park.  I think I'm going to order a proper mechanical fuel pump this time rather than the crappy universal ticker pump I fitted before - mech pump is more expensive but will probably last longer.

 

I got one of the starter motor bolts out of the Rover of Doom with no problem at all, but the other bolt is an absolute twunt to get to - I don't see how I'm going to get at it without dropping the exhaust manifold, which I really don't want to do.  I've borrowed a couple of long extension bars off a mate - I'm going to see if I can make up an extension long enough to run right across the back of the engine so I can get the breaker bar on the other side where there's more room.  I've ordered a second hand starter motor off eBay - 23 quid delivered, so not too bad really.

 

I took the little Subaru van for its first drive on an A road yesterday.  Ironically the Sunday drivers were out in force so, far from being run down by speeding juggernauts as I'd feared, I was actually getting held up most of the time.  It did get me pondering though why the thing is so much slower than the (nominally) similarly powered and slightly heavier Innocenti.  Not necessarily in terms of top speed - that's more to do with the gearing, at 55 in fourth the thing is doing over 5,000 rpm so it's never going to have much more in the way of top end - but the acceleration is hopeless above about 35.  Some investigation revealed that with the accelerator all the way down, the throttle butterfly at the carb is only about 2/3 open.  The accelerator is prevented from being pushed down any further by a metal bracket underneath - presumably a crude way of governing the power from the factory.  I'm not sure how I'm going to get rid of said bracket - it's too thick for the tin snips to get through, I can't get a grinder in there without removing the brake pedal, and the angle's all wrong for a hacksaw.  The only way would be to remove the pedal, but the pin holding it in is seized solid.  So I've saturated it in penetrating oil and will have another go with the lump hammer next weekend.

 

The Spacy's headlight continues to baffle me.  I've ascertained that the motor hasn't burned out, and that there's power getting to the motor assembly.  I've tried swapping the "timer unit" with the one from the spares bike, but still no dice.  I reckon there must be something wrong with the little circuit board that controls the motor - and I'm not about to start pissing about with that, so I'm just going to have to wind the headlight up manually and then disconnect the motor so it stays there. 

 

Even the Cagiva was ganging up on me today.  I hadn't had a chance to ride it since I bought it back from my mate, and as it was ideal biking weather today I thought I'd take it for a spin.  Except I'd forgotten that the fuel cap isn't watertight and needs to be covered when it rains.  So now the petrol is full of water and I need to drain the tank before the bike will run again.  GR9.

[vulgalour]

I'm going to have to remove the front screen from the 6 when I replace the headlining.  I'm quite nervous about breaking it and the problems that might arise when trying to find a replacement.  I know it's different to the 4 but could it be a match for the 5?

 

I'm hoping it's not one of those unique-to-6 items.

 

 

If anyone knows for definite that would be great, if not... well, we'll have to see I suppose.

[Noel Tidybeard]

if a new rubber seal is obtainable just sacrifice the old rubber and cut windscreen out with a sharp knife

[Mr_Bo11ox]

YO LS, this guy sounds like a right twit, I hope you didnt give him the £120. He sounds like one of these characters who takes their 'hobby' (described as such cos they havent made it to 'professional' level of skills/facilities and thus remain amateurs, but on a semi-professional scale) a bit too seriously and just end up cheesing off most folk it brings him into contact with.

[wuvvum]

Pretty sure it's unique to the 6.  So be careful.  I've got a spare rear screen but not a front.

[Ghosty]

Coach shite: I had my first ride in a Bova Futura today. Was nice, you can tell it was an '80s design - this one was an 02.

[Semi-C]

Yesterday, Pa & I headed over to Northants for the Rushden Cavalcade.

 

 

What a place..!

 

There was so much to take in, vehicles of all persuasions, caravans, fairground organs et al.

 

I managed one photograph before my cellphone ran out of electricity, this is it,

 

 

My Dad's boss had a considerable amount of his classic lorries in attendance, my Dad got the job of driving a brace of them back to Bury.

 

 

This is the outfit My Dad and I came back in, what a treat!

 

 

The one I would have taken home with me...if  I had the chance

 

 

The "Warrior" sure did move!

 

I had to go home after round one of the vehicle collecting whilst my Dad headed back to collect a Streamline Scania 143, lucky facker.

[Shep Shepherd]

The chance to drive trucks like those is one of the reasons why I want to get my HGV licence at some point. The Ford tractor unit and the Guy Big J tipper look particularly great

[alf892]

I went on Sat and Mon......

 

Your Dad's firm certainly had loads of stuff there! There was a Volvo F86 in lovely nick too

 

Pics to follow

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I bet those F10's didn't hold up much traffic on the motorway.

 

Even now after years of speed limiters I find myself pulling into lane 3 when approaching gaggles of lorries,expecting one of them to overtake. Then I feel a bit daft when I remember the poor fuckers are stuck in a 55mph train.

[messerschmitt owner]

watched a Northern ireland police thing where they drove a truck with the limiter switched off- it was still pulling at 100mph

[vulgalour]

Which is why truck racing was such an amazing sport.  I miss watching truck racing on the tellybox, and I never had the opportunity to see it in person.  Must have been immense.

[Slappy]

Here you go Vulg.

http://btra.co.uk/

 

Sadly, nothing up at Croft, I guess the nearest 1 to you would be Donny.

 

There are some Youtube links on the website too, and mention that the Highlights from Brands Hatch will be on Motors TV tomorrow night at 6.23 pm (randomly!)

[vulgalour]

I thought truck racing had just sort of died out or been banned or something.  That's excellent news!

[Volksy]

Just done a quick tour of some old friends in the Jag of much beige, up to Leeds from Sheffield, then down to Birmingham and Gloucester. Returning to Sheffield yesterday afternoon. 

It's been my first long run in it since I bought it, and it's a bloody lovely way to get about. Even got some admiring looks in traffic followed some odd ones when they see who's driving it. 

 

Only faults seem to be that the A/C needs a regas, and the tracking could do with a tweak - it doesn't pull, but the steering wheel is slightly off centre. The cruise control is a joy when you hit the endless 50mph zones that seem to litter every motorway now. The stereo is Gr9 and it's so bloody comfortable!

 

It managed a respectable 29mpg over around 370 miles, which for a heavy V8 isn't bad at all.

Would recommend A++++++

[JohnK]

What Jag is it Volksy?

[dollywobbler]

That is impressive. When I toured the south of England in an X300 last year, I was staggered by the comfort. As a Citroen fan, I had to admit it trumped them, even with tired suspension. 25mpg was a struggle though.

[Volksy]

It's the ex-H.Imp XJ8, a '98 3.2 Swb as seen below. 

 

 

[JohnK]

That's good. I have an S reg XJ8 3.2 and I'm pleasantly surprised by how little fuel it uses (compared to the stereotypes). Everybody thinks I'm lying when I say it though! But at least it isn't just me.

[JohnK]

I'm now sat at my local garage whilst the 190E is in for MOT. First time ever that I haven't done any prep or checked anything out. Fingers crossed!

[JohnK]

Breezed it with a clean sheet.

[FakeConcern]

I saw a Spitfire wearing invasion stripes put on an impromptu display over Tenterden Kent yesterday. My little camera didn't do a great vid, but worth it for the sound! On a Spitfire theme, I saw a powder blue GT6 for sale in Northiam on the way home. Does it belong to someone on here?
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know why the youtube picture is blank, any ideas?

[Shep Shepherd]

Discoverred today that to supply and fit a new combi boiler costs almost as much as I'd normally pay for a car! I'm glad that I wasn't the one paying for it.

[jonathan_dyane]

I bet those F10's didn't hold up much traffic on the motorway.

 

Even now after years of speed limiters I find myself pulling into lane 3 when approaching gaggles of lorries,expecting one of them to overtake. Then I feel a bit daft when I remember the poor fuckers are stuck in a 55mph train.

 

Gorgeous waggons!

 

I very much enjoyed overtaking an immaculate 1970s Scania artic on the M62 at the weekend which had a load of vintage tractors on the trailer. It was in lane 2 storming past a load of modern trucks

[M'coli]

I saw a Spitfire wearing invasion stripes put on an impromptu display over Tenterden Kent yesterday. My little camera didn't do a great vid, but worth it for the sound! On a Spitfire theme, I saw a powder blue GT6 for sale in Northiam on the way home. Does it belong to someone on here?

 

 

 

 

I don't know why the youtube picture is blank, any ideas?

Sounds like it's Griffin-powered - nice!

[wuvvum]

A lot of trucks can hit surprisingly high speeds if the limiters are removed.  Here's an old Kamaz (?) getting a serious shift on.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KsZ3DK6PmY

[wuvvum]

How do you embed videos?  I used to be able to make it work but I can't remember how.

[Richard]

You just paste the link in but I think it has to be in "youtube" form and not "youtu.be" or any of the other variants.

 

[HillmanImp]

I desperately miss the Shaguar. MASSIVE mistake getting the Shitroen Xantia and selling the Shag for so little. Ended up several hundred pounds down with a shit car with a dodgy MOT and no Shaguar.

[Lord Sterling]

What a day

 

The sale of my 827 Coupe was due to take place in Worcester, but sadly this cannot happen now. So, whilst trying to find out where I had a job interview today as the company never sent me the e-mail they were supposed to, I phoned up Steve and arranged for him to drive my Coupe back to my street where a mate will keep it on his driveway until Saturday.

 

I eventually found out exactly where they were and as my job interview was not far from where Steve is located, when it finished I went straight to Steve's and we got the Coupe over here through rush hour traffic, I then dropped him off and went back toward Birmingham to pick motherly_one up from the train station. So, Coupe is still on for being sold, Merc part has arrived and payday will be on a Friday from work/end of dole and Saturday from car, hopefully.

 

BIG Kudos to Ma's K11 Micra, it might get bullied on the road but its a right soldier of a car. I love it!