The new news 24 thread

[Lord Sterling]

My dad took my Astra Estate to it's fate, £150.00 better than dealing with the cheap car idiots I suspect by trying to sell it.

 

Bloody 'ell, must that time of year or something. Two Vauxhalls in my street have been scrapped only this week. First one was a local lads T-reg Astra due to headgasket going, he has a works van now. Then was my next-door neighbours X-reg Agila which gave up the ghost due to absolutely no maintanance whatsoever, the lad just drives cars into the ground, rather worryingly it has been replaced by a rather tidy looking Rover 200 bubble with a smart leather interior. I'm not looking forward to seeing that being driven into the ground

[SambaS]

Well today I went for an interview for a college course in Scunthorpe. I've been accepted on the course which is "Accident Repair and Paint Principles Level 2". I'm unusually happy, it seems my life may actually be on some kind of track after 25 years. This is something I should have done straight from school clearly as I'm mad about cars, but instead got a job at IBM which was nice untill they outsourced our team to Bangalore... so onto McDonalds it was

 

Anyways, it is a 180 mile round trip to Scunthorpe from my home, 2 sometimes 3 days a week. So I may have to find a diesel, my current plan is to get the Samba running perfect and see how many MPGs that does, I think 35-40... but I could really do with 60ish. I'm already thinking the criterior is that it must be a Talbot Tagora Diesel. However I can't see that happening, so possibly a Horizon Diesel.

 

Also it would be nice to have cruise control so I can sit back and read the paper whilst driving home (or whatever it is your meant to do whilst it's engaged). Although I don't think that was ever available on the Horizon?

 

They said I could work on my own stuff whilst there. Which makes me unbelievably happy as I rile having to fork out £2500 for a paint job... 10k to sort my 4

 

They have a jig so I can finally find out (and rectify) the extent of the damage to my XR after I may or may not have put it though a hedge a bit a few years ago, before repairing it and wondering why the rear right hand tyre wears down so fast.

 

Polonez - 25ish MPGs which translates to 25p per mile cost per week in petrol alone: £135

Something 55MPGs - 11p per mile: £59.40

[vulgalour]

I had forgotten, but I just remembered a thing I learned about the Princess. Thanks to the interesting suspension set up, I didn't notice that a) the front tyre needed pumping up (leaky rim perhaps, it's taken a month or so to go down) or that it was as low as 3psi by the time I got to my parents' place. This either means the suspension is fantastic at levelling and compensated for the very flat tyre, or I've just got used to how shite a driving experience she can be. If I had 3psi in any other car** I'd've noticed it immediately!

 

**except maybe some French cars, now I think about it.

[Lord Sterling]

Well, I finally took the wings I picked up from Oxford last week and chucked them in the loft, I was going to take them to my garages but battling the rush-hour traffic and my stomach+arse=toilet problems put paid to that.

 

As well as the new wings, up in the loft is an assorted collection of yet more car parts, including another 3 wings/wheel trims/boxes of asorted bits and so on, then in my cupboard is this:

 

 

Spot the shitey wallpaper in the first pic. In that cupboard which is ever so slightly depper than your coventional wardrobe are a pile of floor mats nearly waist-high, rear lights, centre console, speakers, wheels trims, headrests and a few small hand-boxes of bits such as trim/trip computer badges.

 

Out in the back are Ford Pepperpot alloys + a few single alloy wheels/bikes/a load more wheel trims and other assorted crap (all covered by a tarpaulin). I think I have far too much stuff, though I'm guessing this is pretty miniscule compared to some I have seen and other who can definiately beat this lot.

[dollywobbler]

Ugh. New alternator belt fitted to the Mk1. Even that 'simple' task is a pig of a job that requires you to scrabble around under the car, then get above to try and hook the belt onto the alternator, then back below because by now it's fallen off the crankshaft pulley, then above, trying not to let it fall off again. Car is nice and quiet now though! The knackered bearings explain why it was squealing slightly on tickover. It's much nicer without the squeak!

 

Got a shot of the BXs together (to follow later) so treated the neighbours to the sound of two XUDs on cold idle. Beautiful. Was about to start stripping the hub on the 'Safari' so the wheel bearing can be replaced but ran into problems straight away. I don't have a socket that fits the driveshaft nut. Now to see if I can blag/borrow one from a friend.

[Craig the Princess]

Allegro club national rally this coming weekend. The Applejack Allegro will be defending it's runner-up in best series 3 class that it won last year (I won't add that there were only three series 3s last year and one turned up late with series two bumpers so it didn't look like a series 3). Over the weekend we decided to patch up a few blemishes

 

Back of the wheel arch hasn't been touched but the front of the wheel arch was similar and I forgot to take a before shot

 

Mrs the Princess did most of it, therefore it is a very high standard, baby skin smooth.

 

The Halfords paint was a terrible colour match, Holts paint was far better. Still a shade out, but it's not the only bit of the car to suffer that.

 

A T-cut and polish tonight doesn't look too bad, still not right though, it can wait until after next week.

[Cavcraft]

Actually got the Fronterror out of the garage for the first time in yonks on Monday night. Charged battery, lobbed it on and it fired up almost immediately. Seemingly the power steering leak is coming from the steering box and new seals are available and cheap. So I was told anyhow.

 

Really must get round to sorting the Aldi out, I can see my spying my arse with it one day and just weighing it in or something if not sorted soon.

[Cavcraft]

That's the danger mate as that's exactly what happened as you rightly point out. The trouble is when it's locked away in the garage it's easy to forget about it. Now it's locked away but also I use the garage it's in quite a bit so the bastarding thing is out of site AND in the way, if that makes sense?

 

Weird car that Audi, I want to like it (economy, space, tow bar, veg oiliness, reasonable speed, looks fairly old skool) but it's only here for the economy and is yet another VAG I can't get on with.

[sporty-shite]

Billy, phone me before you weigh that Aldi. I quite like it, and could use some money-saving economy.

[dollywobbler]

BX work is on hold, due to a lack of parts (turns out the wheel bearing that was meant to come with the car hasn't and I'm still waiting for the right socket to take the driveshaft nut off). So, demolished bits of garden and loaded up the trailer with crap for the tip. We were cutting it fine to get to the tip before it closed, but that's alright. Nowt was going to go wrong on the journey was it?

 

Clunk, clunk, clunk. "Shit. Is that a puncture?" Sounds like it. Pulled into a petrol station. No puncture. Drove a bit further. "Hmmm. That's really bad." Get out and do the wheelnut check. "Oh look! I can turn these by hand!" ARSE! Reversed into a car park and was glad to see a builder at work right next door. Managed to borrow a socket set and got the nuts done up. Not to full torque but more than I could do with fingers. Now too late for the tip though, so off back home we went.

 

Got my big bar out and went around all the nuts. Some were loose on one of the rear wheels too. Setting is 130Nm but I don't have a torque wrench that goes up that high. Looks like I might have to invest in one as this is the second time I've had nuts come loose. It's not a nice feeling but is a good reminder to stop for horrible clunks!

[Pete-M]

Watching an auction on eBay. 40 mins to go and it's right on the edge of my spending budget. Arrgh. I hate this bit.

[vulgalour]

Scariest moment of Princess ownership yet happened tonight. On the way back from the monthly club meet I could smell petrol, which I initially dismissed as the petrol station I'd just passed. Because the smell only got stronger I pulled in quick-sharp, opened the bonnet and saw a wisp of smoke coming off the exhaust manifold.

 

THIS CLOSE to an engine fire thanks to a new fuel pipe going soft and porous. While I didn't have my recovery details with me, Dad did have his RAC card. My phone was out of credit so we had to knock on a door, but the chap that answered very generously let us use his phone and gave us the RAC eta when required, top bloke for helping us out there. RAC man arrived, fitted a new rubber pipe, checked all was well and passed favourable comment on the car and the fact it was an easy engine to fix. Got home safe and sound with no more drama. I had terrifying visions of all our hard work going up in smoke and I'm so pleased with myself for paying attention and managing to avert a disaster.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Close call there.

 

I noticed one of my rubber fuel hoses rubbing on the metal air filter yesterday, not long after reading about that nice Cortina going up in flames. I've sorted it for now but the fuel line takes a torturous route and needs re-routing round the other side of the engine asap.

[SambaS]

I know how you feel! I didn't realise I'd had a fire until days later when I noticed all the paint had burnt off around the lip of my rocker cover.. I took some friends to Yarm in the snow and followed some tracks I believed led into the carpark and BANG the car grounded out. Turned out the tracks went over a high kerb that the deep snow had disguised. Well strong smell of petrol after that but I couldn't see anything amiss. But I observed my petrol guage go from 3/4 full to empty in 10 miles then broke down. Luckily I had a can of petrol in the boot that was enough to get me home where I left the car until the snow cleared.

[rml2345]

"Leyland" Yaris is booked into the garage to have timing chain and a few bits and bobs done. Expecting massive expense/beans on toast for 3 months but it needs done.

[dollywobbler]

BX 'Safari' now has fresh oil and a new filter. There wasn't much oil in there and what came out was horribly black. Happily the oil filter came off by hand though. I was concerned at how damp the underside was, and assumed it was engine oil. However, I think one of the front strut return pipes probably has an issue - ironically, this BX had exactly the same issue when I first bought it in 2009.

 

Really is striking how much smoother this engine is compared to the Mk1. Some of that is due to better sound-proofing, but it also sounds quieter with the bonnet open. Still waiting for the socket and a few other service items and I can get this one back into use and have a proper attack of some of the Mk1's issues.

[cobblers]

Second year in a row I've got these consecutive phone calls off my mum:

 

"Dave, when does my MOT run out?"

"I've no idea, it's not my car!"

"Oh, right. I'll see if I can find the certificate"

 

then 2 days later

"Dave, my MOT ran out two months ago can you sort it I need the car tomorrow"

 

We got lucky last year and it only needed a split pin in a TRE. It'll deffo fail this time I reckon.

 

I've been driving the car all week while my van has been in bits and got followed by the filth a few times, surprised it didn't pop up on the ANPR.

[Cavcraft]

Pissed about getting Frontesticle out of garage twice recently to 'really keen' buyers. First one spent about a nano-second looking at it, glanced at the filler cap and told me the headgasket had gone. It hasn't, it's condensation and I'm quite happy to borrow a pressure tester thing and prove it.

 

Second one 'really interested' offers me fifty quid under what we want, and agrees to the price I suggested as he loves the car. His mates (who agreed it was a very good price) are asking him if he's going to to the bank there and then or leaving a deposit. 'No, it's alright, I'll come back tomorrow with the money and get my mate to run it back, will call you and arrange something'.

I knew this was a sign that I should not sit by the phone and guess what? Checked it a few minutes ago and not a sausage.

[dollywobbler]

A combination of the thread I started in 2009 about the BX on BX Club and the MOT status checker has allowed me to recall when the cambelt was last changed on the BX Safari. Yay! It also pointed out that the MOT runs out a week Saturday. Doh!

[Polystratus]

Got my big bar out and went around all the nuts. Some were loose on one of the rear wheels too. Setting is 130Nm but I don't have a torque wrench that goes up that high. Looks like I might have to invest in one as this is the second time I've had nuts come loose. It's not a nice feeling but is a good reminder to stop for horrible clunks!

 

Suprised you dont have a torque wrench with a high value, especially with the rear hub nut on the 2cv is that something you not had to do?

[cort16]

I'm after a new gearbox oil filter for my 740i. I checked euro carparts and it was £45 quid. I thought I'd try BMW so called the local main dealer and it was £40.50p inc VAT.

This is the 2nd time I've found BMW cheaper than eurocarparts for these kind of bits.

[MonsterMaster]

Last wednesday i took the old Master campervan to fuel up at the local shell, all went well till i tried turning the key to move off. Key barrel wouldnt turn, steering lock was off and id blocked off 4 out of 8 pumps!. Commence 35 mins of trying turning the key different ways, poking things down the lock and flashing hazard lights to no avail. Thankfully i have AA cover! Another 45 mins later matt turns up and spends 30 mins muckin about till he pulls out some lockpicking tools and frees her up Still goin strong with a bit of duck oil in the barrel and never failed on my weekend trip to kelburn. 7 Quid a month aint bad

[cms206]

Had a local bloke recommended for mechanical stuff after my mate got his Blingo van's steering rack done for not a lot of coin. Senator going in tomorrow lunchtime for a checkover and serpentine belt replacement as I am a ham fisted moron. I'm working Saturday so I may well end up Senatorless all weekend whilst chappy does his thing.

 

This means that I will have a 1995 Van Hool bodied Volvo B10M outside the house over the weekend again. My neighbours will bloody love me...

[skattrd]

Bollocks, looks like I've won the auction for the R25 on ebay linky... Not taxed at present, so can't collect until I get that sorted, collection next weekend seems likely

[dollywobbler]

Absolute bargain. Nice one. Can they not tax it for you at cost or is it uninsured?

[skattrd]

Absolute bargain. Nice one. Can they not tax it for you at cost or is it uninsured?

 

I just spoke to the guy and he's cashed the tax in and transferred the insurance on to another car.

Sounds like a nice old chap, only getting rid as he's got arthritis and needs an automatic. I'll be popping by this week to pay for the car and collect the paperwork. Then prob catching the train up to collect it sometime next weekend.

[vulgalour]

Just found out my better half's Dad has just bought a pricey Mig welder for the classic car restoration business he's planning to set up and been told I can have a play with it... probably. Bit of a turn up for the books as I want to learn to weld better and both of my cars need welding. Shall have to see what comes of that.

[DSdriver]

Bollocks, looks like I've won the auction for the R25 on ebay linky... Not taxed at present, so can't collect until I get that sorted, collection next weekend seems likely

Ace, I am envious. If I wasn't up to my armpits in DS alligators and failing to drain the swamp I would love one of those having driven a hired one in France for a weekend.

Are you planning to replace, panel beat or wob the denty door?

[pompei]

WOW, that R25 looks lovely. I should be typing this in green.

[skattrd]

The buyer for the XT seems to have disappeared, so I may actually have to write an advert and put it up for sale properly. I stuck it in for an MOT today, and after a new bulb, some fettling with brakes and couple of bits of new brake pipe it passed. The XT will now be for sale with 10 months tax and 13 months MOT.

 

As for the R25, I was after an automatic Citroen (BX or XM) but hey ho a manual Renault is close No plans for it atm, insure it, tax it, collect it, run about in for a bit then decide whether its a keeper or not. There's a Renault breakers near Accrington? I need to get in touch with for a door for my GTA, so I may see if he has a white R25 one as well ... If I do decide the cars not for me it'll be offered here first.