The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

Thanks! Still got more video content coming up, including hopefully my first video collection caper.

[Richard]

The 850 is in your area this week if you want to do a road test video on it.

[dollywobbler]

The 850 is in your area this week if you want to do a road test video on it.

 

Could be handy. Email me at classichub at geemayle dot com. Thanks!

[vulgalour]

Chompy_snake plays the Car Insurance Lottery!  Identical details for both policies, just a different vehicle:

 

1.2 Corsa B Swing - £1300

1.9 turbo diesel Xantia estate - £780

 

 

 

There we were thinking that Nugget would be an ace little runabout for him.  If the gear change in the Xantia wasn't so difficult for him - he's broken in all sorts of interesting ways - and didn't break every time he got in it then he'd have bought that off me instead.

 

I'm now convinced insurers just pull numbers out a hat at random when it comes to working out the price of a new policy.

[stripped fred]

The replacement A4 headlights are H4 instead of H7, that's what's different. They've cleaned up well and look a lot better than the mismatched pair that were in, the whole front of the car stinks of low-budget accident repair. Brighter bulbs too!

Long term plans include a replacement bumper that's less deformed and a set of the projector light/indicator combination units from facelift A4s.

I had the projector type headlights on my old A4. It was a 2001 B5 facelift model. They weren't very good. Improved a bit with expensive bulbs but they are known for being a bit shite.

[ruffgeezer]

Hey Vulgs, I have a shit Rover here with his name on, well, once you sort out the stiff gear change.

 

How is Chompy doing anyhow?

[JohnK]

I'm on the hunt for a new daily. I'm just not getting away with this Civic. It's a great car don't get me wrong, is very frugal but ... It's just boring.

 

My head says that from an economy point of view I need to hang onto it as it's ideal for work and I have plenty more interesting cars to drive on an evening, weekends etc.

 

Time to have a look about and see what I can find I think!

[Ghosty]

I had the projector type headlights on my old A4. It was a 2001 B5 facelift model. They weren't very good. Improved a bit with expensive bulbs but they are known for being a bit shite.

 2001? 

 

 

You mean these, right? Just checking as there's overlap on 2001. Duly noted, anyhow.

[vulgalour]

Ruff:  Chompy's doing much better, he's just moved house to a couple of streets away from me with his little tribe, which is neat.  He's got no internets yet and life's kept him away from the forum for a while but he's finally ready to get back behind the wheel again.  We'd got everything sorted with the Corsa for him, he was really happy with it as a potential pootler until the insurance bullshit happened.  We're not sure what he's looking for now, insurance lottery will be the determining factor.

[JohnK]

He needs to enter the Rover raffle vulg^^

[320touring]

1500 faultless miles since joining the ranks at CMS_TOWERS for the Mighty Pride. It's not really stopped to be honest. Finally had some space in the workshop at work so some minor fettling between hires is the order of the day.

It stopped pretty fuckin well when it ran outta lecamatricity at tbe brutha_tourings carparks

[trigger]

I spent some more time on my project shitter today, new rear hose and pipework fitted, new rear CV boot also fitted, rear brakes adjusted and the brake fluid also replaced.

 

Then moved onto the front, cleaned all the brakes down, someone gave me a set of new discs which we fitted but the old pads just fell to pieces when we removed them so I've just ordered a new set of eBay for £8.95.

 

I also fitted some new number plates as the old ones were weather damaged, for £11.99 they will do for now just to get a mot on it and I changed the oil and fitted a new filter.

 

The next job will be to finish the front brakes, fit the cambelt and water pump and flush the coolent the it will be ready for welding and the mot! Yay!

 

 

[DVee8]

It is the Astra MOT at 08.30 in the morning

The guy that has tested my cars for the last 13 years retired at christmas.New kid on the block sometimes i hate change,but on the plus side newby used to work with my FIL.

[Bren]

Went to RAF Fairford for RIAT 2015.

 

 

What a sight.

 

Hard to believe it's the vulcan's last season - we noticed lots of people leaving as soon as the vulcan landed despite three hours left.

 

Hard to know what will take it's place at shows. Probably nothing.

[dollywobbler]

Went for an evening drive in the Nippa. Glorious scenes.

 

Though Mrs DW walked off and pretended she didn't know me while I papped this.

 

EDIT - in other news, I now have the reg number of the Dyane and can confirm it was last taxed in 1995. It has full service history up to 1987 though, so that's all ok. Last used my a Welsh farmer, who apparently used it as a runaround. Not sure if that was on the road or not, but it wears custom number plates that say HUGO at the moment. Collection Capers pending with DVLA likely to set the pace (replacement logbook needed).

[stripped fred]

2001?

 

 

You mean these, right? Just checking as there's overlap on 2001. Duly noted, anyhow.

Yes, mine was an avant in the same colour. Cracking car but the lights were pretty poor even with the best bulbs I could find. There's quite a bit on the web if you search. Some say they were designed to have hid bulbs but then they just installed normal ones for some reason. Here's a link:

 

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/a4-b5-facelift-dim-headlights.78456/

 

They may look better but I personally would stick with the ones you have.

[vulgalour]

After considering what we both wanted, and the insurance lottery, I've just sold the Xantia back to my brother for more than I paid for it in the first place.  I don't need as much car as the Xantia is and I've been umming and ahhing about parting with it for a while anyway.  It's going to a good home and will still be a feature as it will likely still be called upon to do EVERYTHING.

 

First thing I looked at to replace it?  Daihatsu Copen.  It's exactly the same price to insure and they are hilarious.  Watch this space to see what new thing I purchase with Xantia funds... unless I win the Rover auction obviously.

[vulgalour]

If he does I genuinely don't care.  I've never had such an awkward relationship with a car before and I'm actually relieved to not own it anymore.  It was never a bad car, but it was also never the right car for me.

 

That means that as of right now I'm without personal transport.  I'm either going to put the funds into getting the Princess MoT'd, buying a small 2 door saloon or something completely different.  I haven't decided yet and only have a Cat C Daihatsu Copen on my watch list.

[320touring]

I vote fpr princess on the road-even if only to keep Dome's newly acquired Scimitar company:)

[DVee8]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-DAIHATSU-COPEN-SILVER-Red-leather-heated-seats-metal-hardtop-convertible-/371388058260?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5678740a94

 

[Shep Shepherd]

The Saab passed its MOT this morning with only a couple of minor advisories

[HMC]

DVLA u turn...

 

First week of June v888 keeper history enquiry fee dropped- GREAT!

Last week of June v888 keeper history enquiry fee (£5) quietly reinstated...

 

Seems like a very rapid change of heart! I wonder if they realised the all the photocopying for free would run at a loss?

[flat4alfa]

I printer out a previous version so will pdf that and file

[Ghosty]

The A4 is on Street View in the hands of a previous owner in Luton.

It appears a few times behind the Street View car, and presumably it's this owner that didn't care for it much - they were taking it to a cowboy garage of some sort (first two owners were Sheffield-based and used Gilder Audi, third owner Luton, fourth a restoration garage proprietor in Denton, fifth Old Man - and somehow it's only on 78k!), and the centre portion of the lower bumper grill seems to be missing or damaged in the pictures you can see the front in. It also has (seemingly) pre-2001 plates in these photos so I'm quite happy I've got a set waiting to go on that match what it's had before.

 

There's an ever-growing list of things that need doing now...

 

[wuvvum]

I had a couple of firsts over the weekend - my first ever ride in a Pendolino (quite impressed, although the tilt mechanism in the (first class, if you please) carriage I was in made the occasional worrying clunking noise), and my first ever drive over the Cat & Fiddle - unfortunately for most of it I was stuck behind a dithering old twat in a Suzuki Alto, but still a spectacular road.  Reasonable amount of chod about too - Ford Classic (as in 315, not Sierra-that-costs-more-than-a-house), a couple of old American trucks grinding up the hill (Caterpillar- rather than Detroit-powered, sadly, but still sounded nice), and an absolutely ancient couple in a royal blue V-reg Talbot Avenger that they'd probably owned from new.  Zillions of bikes too of course, both motorised and not - I must try the pass on a (motor)bike one day.

[panhard65]

Took a deposit on the fregate domaines today so now on the look out for the next project. Looking for pre '73 priced up to a grand anyone got anything interesting. I already have a big old barge so looking for something small. I don't mind if it looks scruffy as long as it is all one colour and doesn't need urgent paintwork as finding a painter round here just hasn't happened.

[twosmoke300]

An unusually shite filled day for me today . Collected a rusty spitfire for a fiend ( using my Landy and dolly natch!)

Presented a jag a type for mot which turned out to have the integrity of a wet tea bag . Ho hum

[Sloth in a bowl]

I had a couple of firsts over the weekend - my first ever ride in a Pendolino (quite impressed, although the tilt mechanism in the (first class, if you please) carriage I was in made the occasional worrying clunking noise)

 

 

As I used to be a regular Pendolino traveler, I used to really notice the less compliant travel round bends on a normal 100mph train afterwards in comparison, however the Pendolino seats are still shite.

[Lord Sterling]

A mate of mine roped my into helping him buy a car. We went to see the car, a 2007 Suzuki Swift 1.2 Diesel. Now as dismal as it sounds I have to say it was actually quite an endearing car. Nicely set out interior, fairly comfortable and didn't pull too badly. I only drove it a short distance as said mate is yet to pass his test.

 

Mate_lad paid £1300 for it which is more than I've ever paid for any of mine, in fact, I've never paid a 4-figure sumfor a car ever. I intend to keep it that way...well...it won't be hard anyway.

[Inspector Morose]

The sideboard AKA my Rover 60 has had a bit of attention at last. Yesterday was spent in the cleaning department where I spent an extraordinarily long time giving it a good waxing. Five hours later (Christ, there's a lot of metal in these things) and it's looking a bit shiny so a parting feed of the leather concluded the day's activities.

 

Today was spent in the mechanical department. I know the 60 was the grossly underpowered member of the P4 family(and therefore qualifies for honorary shite status) but it really didn't go that well. Deciding to go back to basics meant setting the tappets, spark plug gaps, points and timing. Although complicated by a semi side valve layout, the fettling proceeded well and the resultant almost silent slow tickover showed things in a lot ruder health than when I started.

 

After filling the kingpins with oil I celebrated by coming home in it. I'm starting to slowly warm to it at last. Next on the list is brakes. With unserved drums all round to resist an inconsiderable Mass, they really are awful. They could do with being better so will be rebuilt.

 

Winter will be body. A possible change to all cream might be in order along with a bottom B pillar repair and a windscreen pillar repair will need to proceeded this though.