The new news 24 thread

[hairnet]

Mate drives a 185k-mile D-reg 205 diesel.

 

Mate's missus drives an 11-plate Corsa.

 

Corsa has just eaten it's timing chain at 55k-miles... ouch.

local place i use for mots has some kind of post 01 small vauxhall on a ramp most days

 

are they service items now

[dollywobbler]

Leak-off pipes replaced. Took a dim view of one of the others too, and had enough to replace that and make a new bung for the end one. Got the gunk out to clean things up again, mainly so I could spot any new leaks. INDUCTION ROAR while I had the manifold off. Neighbours unamused. A thoroughly mucky job, as XUDs are seemingly modelled on the BMC A-Series when it comes to actually keeping engine oil within the confines of the engine. May go for a more thorough degrease at some point so I can find out where it's leaking from.

[skattrd]

Went to the garage today to fix the broken drivers window on the Merc. I stripped the door down then operated the window to see why it was having issues rising, well it worked fine. Up and down, up and down, no issue whatsoever, so I greased the runners and put the doorcard back on.

 

As the Merc job was a pretty quick fix I thought I'd start on the boring turbo strip down. 2-3hours and the turbo and associated pipework is off. I was pretty chuffed, no major issues, the odd rounded nut etc, but everything came apart and is ready to go back on when I get a new turbo, well apart from the turbo oil feed pipe which was mullered, new one on order.

 

The old turbo off the boring is seriously fucked, I have never felt that much play in a turbo shaft before, it's no surprise oil was leaking in to the exhaust. This probably means the cat is full of oil ... I might have to "fix" the cat by putting a screwdriver through the innards.

[anonymous user]

Embarassment factor 10, today I was observed by a colleague whilst trying to get into a white Fiat Panda, I now drive a Suzuki Alto and have not had a white Fiat Panda for nearly two years. Having to be told "That's not your car", before realising what was wrong worries me slightly, I should have known straight away it wasn't mine because it was locked.

[HMC]

News in from an autoshite field operative. Apparently a shonky ex bt smiley ford transit is making its way toward London at the moment. At one stage our operative was stuck to the gaffa taped drivers seat but on the whole the journeys going well.

 

More to follow as and when.

[andy18s]

Embarassment factor 10, today I was observed by a colleague whilst trying to get into a white Fiat Panda, I now drive a Suzuki Alto and have not had a white Fiat Panda for nearly two years. Having to be told "That's not your car", before realising what was wrong worries me slightly, I should have known straight away it wasn't mine because it was locked.

I had this whilst I had the Disco

Called in at the local Motorworld for a bulb and while I was inside,an identical coloured Discovery pulled up beside us

I left the shop and went to get in the car.

As I started talking to someone else's wife,I noticed the lovely black leather seats that I didn't have.......

Once the penny had dropped and mucho apologising to the "surprised" passenger,I walked around to our Disco to find the Mrs had completely lost the plot with laughter.

When she managed to talk to me,she said she had been waving at me to get my attention as I walked over to the cars...........

[ruffgeezer]

Am arranging to see a 306 cabby tomorow with about ten minutes mot.

 

Anyone fancy the fugly Rover if I get it?

[Ghosty]

Worked out that the A4 doesn't actually have an infra-red key, it's just one of those weird VAG ones with a light in it. 

Starting to think that it's just the key battery causing the problems.

 

Last night it needed to be locked with the passenger door, but OM and I were going out today and when I tried to open it from the passenger side, nothing happened but the sunroof opened - and stayed open. That's odd in itself as the sunroof doesn't work on the switch - the tilt setting opens it, but then it closes again, and the slide setting just sticks. Closed the sunroof by putting it to the tilt setting and back to off again.

Ordered a 99p key battery, hopefully that'll sort the locking issues at least.

I wonder if it ever had a keyfob?

[stuboy]

went to dymchurch and spotted these on a car full of kiddy and a baby seats

[fordperv]

Because race car????

[phil_lihp]

Dropped the 940 in for its MOT this morning, had a chat with Bob the mechanic who does all my cars now and heard myself utter the fateful words 'I can't think of anything it would fail on' - oops.  In all honesty though, although the front tyres are a bit crap but legal (next thing on my list to change) and there's a small leak on a power steering pipe which was an advisory last year so will be again as I haven't done anything about it yet, otherwise it's pretty sorted so fingers crossed.  

 

 

Passed I didn't doubt it for a minute.

[RobT]

News in from an autoshite field operative. Apparently a shonky ex bt smiley ford transit is making its way toward London at the moment. At one stage our operative was stuck to the gaffa taped drivers seat but on the whole the journeys going well.

 

More to follow as and when.

 

Operative reporting in.  Transit collected from the south coast yesterday afternoon without incident, delivery to the Devon depot being arranged for this Saturday.  Considering how it looks it drives much better that it ought to.  Here it is parked behind some shit Vauxhall.  I reckon Essexman has surpassed himself with his latest purchase!

 

[phil_lihp]

That is exactly how a Transit should look, doesn't look like it'd take much to tidy up the paint either.  Was that photo taken midway through an emergency stop?

[hairnet]

all the weight is in the front

[cort16]

I was going to say that is it fitted springs rated for 15 tons or something?

[RobT]

Here’s a pic of a BT Transit when new, so I wonder if this one had beefier springs fitted at a later date?  From the amount of builders dust and fragments of misc crap in the back I imagine it's carried a fair bit of weight in the past.

 

 

 

[Jon]

Sod buying a set of base model wheels for your Granada Essexman, with that Transit's ride height you need to spunk some cash on a set of these:

 

 

Thus attaining the image of a divorced, failed hot rodder. In fact, I was in a charity shop today and happened upon a period correct BT engineer's grey harrington work jacket for $7 - about £3.50. I'd have bought it too if a) I wasn't already wearing an ex-service grey harrington jacket at the time and b ) it wasn't 2XL - I looked like Tom Hanks' character in BIG after he changed back to a child at the end. Quite what it was doing in a New Zealand charity shop, I've no idea.

[twosmoke300]

Unless its an ex aa van its prob got the wrong wheels on it . The swb smileys nearly always had 14" wheels with 19mm nuts as per the bt one above . You could special order a swb on hd suspension and the 15" wheels/24mm nuts combo . AA and RAC used to have swb low roof with this setup to be able to get into multi-story car parks but still have the axle/towing weights they needed.

[danthecapriman]

I love those old 'smiley' Transits, proper vans!

That one looks like it's had 190 or maybe 150 spec suspension added to it at some point. The clearance between body and wheel looks very similar to how my old 190 LWB used to look when unloaded. If it's been a builders van that would explain why it was done.

 

What spec is it meant to be? A 120?

I had a 120 SWB aswell, it had smaller wheels and the suspension was nowhere near as lifted as that.

[HMC]

Yeah, supposedly its a 120. Apparently bt used to spec them with a cabin/ engine pre heater so it will be interesting to see how much of that still survives.

[danthecapriman]

A neighbour a few doors down from me has had Transits right the way through from the mk1. He's had loads of smileys.

The last one he had was a T reg ex BT SWB. That one still had the heater system, and it worked too! Be interesting to see if this one does, I think most were ripped out when they were sold out of BT ownership.

His one had the same paint treatment as that too!

[doobietoo]

Mrs Doobietoos Yaris passed its mot again today needing no more than a couple of rear wheel cylinders....better get the earplugs out the bin then....

[catsinthewelder]

I've been a bit out of character today and booked the Discovery in to be fixed by someone else. Obviously I've gone for a random bumpkin with a shed rather than a proper garage but a main dealer has got money from me today too. As the Cherry is currently functional I'm not too keen to pull it apart to find out the sizes of the knackered seals so despatched Ms C to phoning round. Apparently Hereford Nissan were surprisingly helpful and are going to post me a pair next week after ringing head office to find out the part number.

[stuboy]

 

 

msg-5013-0-45944600-1435870502.jpg

 

i loved driving these mk5's

[saucedoctor]

Another Astra H coooooop has been bought. Exactly the same as the last one I got a few weeks back. Assuming the chap turns up to my mate's house tomorrow afternoon, I may be able to turn a few quid without ever clapping eyes on the car in the metal. Punters do seem to like em.

 

Anyone want a W221 Merc S350 AMG?

[RobT]

I'm about to head off on the Transit delivery mission down to West Devon, fingers crossed all goes well. It's too fuggin hot to sleep here so i may as well leave earlier than planned. Next stop is a Little Chef on the A303 for an Olympic breakfast, and next update will be when I arrive as I don't have a modern phone with internet.

 

The return leg will be in Essexman's mk3 Granada so it's gonna be a long day, but enjoyable one I hope!

[trigger]

Now that's a road trip that appeals, have a safe trip.

[Semi-C]

Ticket booked for next weekends acquisition retrieval outing...

 

A plane ticket!

 

"A blaaady plane ticket??"

 

"You've definitely changed chap..."

[HMC]

Grey van man update- Robt in the bt smiley transit blasting down the a303 with Banana Powah! The speedo has packed up, and some more gaffa tape has come unstuck but other that that all going well so far......

King of the road?

[Six-cylinder]

At last a car that has kept going for a whole week and 950 miles without problems.