The new news 24 thread

[Noel Tidybeard]

I rarely say no. 

you shall have to shout up next time you're in birminghamshireton and see the renner and mebbe try an honda i-shift for shits n giggles

[Shep Shepherd]

Successfully reset The Saab's service indicator last night after it came on yesterday morning (exactly 12 months after the car was serviced and MOT'd by a Saab specialist), and was pleased to discover that after doing so, the spurious brake light failure warning message that the SID unit gave me every time that I started the car since I've owned it went away and hasn't come back. Saab synchronicity?

[tooSavvy]

Today I learned that the garage needs to get the internet and at least one computer sorted for this online MOT bollocks. I shall also need to teach my non-tech savvy mechanic how to use the new system, which I haven't seen yet.

I'm Savvy

 

... perhaps a little tooSavvy [hopefully, diet engaged ]

 

 

TS

[Mr Lobster]

So now to try find a BX with nice seats in a breakers. I can see that being an easy* straightforward* job.

[Negative Creep]

been able to go through the insurance to sort my smashed window. Autoglass have fitted a clear sheet so at least it won't get wet, but being pillarless doors it means I have to get in via the passenger side. They're waiting on Peugeot to say when they can fit the glass, and it's hardly the most common car in the world. Excess was £75, so just have to hope the mother agrees to pay

[darkfour]

Made a promise to myself to work on the Plymouth in the evenings after work. The steering rack issues and alignment are still troubling me and my initial idea to make a bracket from 2" angle iron and 1" steel bar has been slow to materialize. I mocked one up but it was pushing the inner tie rods forward and I think that would mess with the steering geometry. I decided the best way to correct it is to remove and re-center the steering rack and then make a new exhaust downpipe.

 

Basically the steering rack mounting needing moving to the other side of the support. So I spent the weekend with a dremel and angle grinder removing the front part of the exhaust, removing the existing mount, shortening the steering shaft and getting everything back to where it should be.

 

 

Now I need to re-route the exhaust down and over the steering rack, avoiding the transmission cooler lines and dipstick tube on the right and the red cable transmission shift cable on the left. The car currently has a 2" dual exhaust which is a but puny and really should be 2 1/4" or 2 1/2" but that's for the future.

 

 

Here's work in progress of the down pipe. Mandrel bent J tubes are GR9 and cheap too at only $15 each.

 

[stuboy]

just found out my company have sold site i work in....bugger

goosed out of work 16th october

[Cavcraft]

I went to the local Dacia dealer again today. I don't know why I bothered, as they clearly don't want to sell anything. Is it really so difficult to have more than two cars available? I fancy a scan at one of those horrible looking non-body coloured bumpered £5,995 things, but I CBA anymore. 

[stillOrange]

Was standing behind a very basic (white with black bumpers, no wheel trims) Duster on a 14 plate.

On these, last bits of exhaust system are pretty much all on show.

It was so corroded that I would be very worried about going for an MOT with it.

[captain_70s]

Speaking of which, I finally got a new downpipe fitted to the 1300 so it has an exhaust. What a carry on... Parts that didn't fit and needed returning, manifold studs that fell apart and needed replacing, running with no exhaust for a month...

 

Spent the best part of £300 on this heap of junk and all it does to reward me is drink a litre of oil on a daily basis!

[catsinthewelder]

Just dropped the Disco off at a local Landrover Specialist/ breaker to sort out the cooling system.  We think it is radiator related so shouldn't be too spendy and will be back by the weekend if all goes well.

 

I've spent the last few years doing everything on the cars myself and the result has had me wanting to scrap the lot.  The plan is to spend a good chunk of the camper proceeds on getting the other three into decent working order,  I just need to find somewhere sensible to keep the third one as the new house only has parking for two.

[dollywobbler]

So now to try find a BX with nice seats in a breakers. I can see that being an easy* straightforward* job.

 

Most BXs have already donated their seats over here. Very popular with 2CVers looking for an upgrade. Still loads lurking in scrapyards in France though.

[dollywobbler]

Just dropped the Disco off at a local Landrover Specialist/ breaker to sort out the cooling system.  We think it is radiator related so shouldn't be too spendy and will be back by the weekend if all goes well.

 

Sorry. Probably my fault. I was infuriated when the cheap rad I scored on Ebay turned out to be a bloody Britpart one. 

[skattrd]

I just made a slight miscalculation and appear to have won an ebay auction for another car I don't need .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201389036756

Fleet reduction failure 

 

On the plus side I should be starting a new job next week so might be able to pay for it.

[Ghosty]

Worth it.

Looks dash-ing

[320touring]

I just made a slight miscalculation and appear to have won an ebay auction for another car I don't need .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201389036756

Fleet reduction failure

 

On the plus side I should be starting a new job next week so might be able to pay for it.

will it be running at Crail?

[wuvvum]

I went to the local Dacia dealer again today. I don't know why I bothered, as they clearly don't want to sell anything. Is it really so difficult to have more than two cars available? I fancy a scan at one of those horrible looking non-body coloured bumpered £5,995 things, but I CBA anymore. 

My local Dacia dealer didn't have any base-spec models either.  The best they could do is to offer me a drive in a top-of-the-range DCi Lauréate to get a feel for the car, and then a 1.2 Clio to try out the engine. 

 

I've also heard rumours online of the base-spec white cars being less well finished than the more expensive models (thinner paint etc), and getting surface rust quite early on.

[barrett]

So now to try find a BX with nice seats in a breakers. I can see that being an easy* straightforward* job.

There's a guy near Heathrow with a field full of BX breakers and warehouses full of bits. No doubt he has several sets of seats, but I have no idea how to get in touch with him or how expensive he is. Can make enquiries if you really want but I am really lazy so no guarantees

[dollywobbler]

There's a guy near Heathrow with a field full of BX breakers and warehouses full of bits. No doubt he has several sets of seats, but I have no idea how to get in touch with him or how expensive he is. Can make enquiries if you really want but I am really lazy so no guarantees

 

I think I've been there. I think I decided that, like many of these types, it's impossible to actually buy anything. Definitely one of 'that' breed. Tons of useful stuff sitting around just going to waste.

[barrett]

Sounds about right. In my limited experience, excluding people on this forum, BX people are morons and I have very little time for them. This bloke did half-assedly start advertising stuff on the Facebook page quite recently though but even I couldn't be bothered trying to deal with him despite him probably having everything I need to restore mine to concours spec

[dollywobbler]

I think that's why I went there, as he had 2CV stuff. Thought maybe I could find a half decent project. Everything was knackered. Truly knackered. Made for some lovely pictures mind.

 

Full set

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.571266856344051.1073741840.362329277237811&type=3

[vulgalour]

[cort16]

I heard this story about cars being hacked and thought meh but having seen this video it looks like the car is seriously compromised. By the looks of it they're connecting to the vehicles entertainment system then sending particular commands through the CANBUS to make the car do certain things. The more things hooked up to CAN then more things they can control including disabling the brakes.

 

 

I think my Cortina is safe mind you.

 

http://video.wired.com/watch/hackers-wireless-jeep-attack-stranded-me-on-a-highway

[tooSavvy]

^^^ ha! My Savvy comes with a 'BigBen' spec wind up key & lifetime warranty on the clockspring ... [as if].

 

 

TS

[oldcars]

I heard this story about cars being hacked and thought meh but having seen this video it looks like the car is seriously compromised. By the looks of it they're connecting to the vehicles entertainment system then sending particular commands through the CANBUS to make the car do certain things. The more things hooked up to CAN then more things they can control including disabling the breaks.

I think my Cortina is safe mind you.

 

http://video.wired.com/watch/hackers-wireless-jeep-attack-stranded-me-on-a-highway

Though someone had hacked the reliant this morning, turns out i have pulled the heater cable rather than the choke.

[JohnK]

RAFFLEIT.jpg

Perfectly sums up Autoshite I think!

[xtriple]

My beloved 'Onda has been playing silly buggers today. No idea why. No electric motors working, then, woooossssh and it's got full assist. Feels like a REALLY badly behaved turbo motor.

 

It will 'probably' be fine tomorrow as it has these little foibles! If you want a car with 'character' buy a hybrid!  

 

 

 

It really is a most odd car and no chance of ever getting bored of it as it drives differently every day. Today was it's first episode of no boost/full boost with no warning but some days it wants to be electric most of the time and others it has bugger all electric power and spends the complete journey charging itself.

[vulgalour]

It really is a most odd car and no chance of ever getting bored of it as it drives differently every day.

That sums up exactly what I like about a car.

[Asimo]

My beloved 'Onda has been playing silly buggers today. No idea why. No electric motors working, then, woooossssh and it's got full assist. Feels like a REALLY badly behaved turbo motor.

 

It will 'probably' be fine tomorrow as it has these little foibles! If you want a car with 'character' buy a hybrid!

 

 

 

It really is a most odd car and no chance of ever getting bored of it as it drives differently every day. Today was it's first episode of no boost/full boost with no warning but some days it wants to be electric most of the time and others it has bugger all electric power and spends the complete journey charging itself.

These batteries do not like periods of little use, they self discharge at quite a high rate. As they are a stack of small cells in series, the performance of the battery is limited by the weakest cell in the chain. When the assist and or/ charge indicator dissapears, as you describe, it will be because the battery controller is "re-calibrating" to try and find either the maximum or minimum charge condition. I think you have said your weekly mileage is very low: take it on a cross country thrash and all will be well.

I don't understand why Honda hybrids don't have connections for a trickle charger. The one I have fitted to my Mk1 Insight is well worth the trouble and has completely overcome these weird "charge calibration " issues.

[The Moog]

Decided to do a couple jobs on 9-5

 

First off the exhaust is blowing again. I thought that the flange had broken again. The garage welded the exhaust for MOT so it looks like it has held.

 

 

Instead covered it with Gungum.

 

Had a few issues with hot starts recently which googling leads to CPS.

 

Swapped a new one in which took a good 25 mins fiddling about with the bloomin small heat shield.

 

 

 

Bumhats- exhaust is definitely puffing out smoke. It is blueish and so think turbo is lunched. Would explain oil disappearing when I got it, if it hadn't got a new MOT I would sack it off.

 

Managed to find a brand new replacement for £130 off eBay, so will be fitting that next week.

 

Could have upgraded it for a TD04 from aero but would have cost double that.