The new news 24 thread

[Cavcraft]

Blakeney is a lovely place. So lovely, in fact, my Vectra decided to have a bit of a prolonged stay there earlier. Luckily, after deciding to break down on the narrow high street, it decided to unbreak down again 20 minutes later.

Dave Lee Cartland was happy though, we got to walk back to the partially sunk Zafira in the car park and he was actually so happy he crapped on someone's doorstep. Quite probably the doorstep of the only people who were at home. And looking out of their window.

[cort16]

I'd been looking at 4.0 v8 disco 2 on eBay so googled for engine problems. Fuck me they'd be more robust if they'd cast the blocks out of fudge and used wowwy pops as liners.

 

Liners breaking loose, corroded blocks and holes in the castings to name a few things.

 

http://robisonservice.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/all-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-land.html?m=1

[Alfamale]

On hols up in Cumbria and this is in the news:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-33809702

 

£11k for 5 cats? Is someone having a giraffe? Or are they charging themselves £OMGANALRAPE for labour prices on the insurance?!?

[stuboy]

Changed front droplinks

[vulgalour]

Does anyone know if Richard Grant or similar did a Tailblazer/Heckblende for the Rover 200/400?  I'd like one, but I have this feeling it doesn't exist.

i think the world had moved on by then- you could always look for the body coloured panel rover did later on

Had a look on eBay to see what was available.  Reflective tape can be bought but typically I'll have loads left over because it's sold in metre lengths and my back panel needs 1.1 metres.  Top bar (orange) needs to be minimum 80mm width, bottom bar (red) needs to be minimum 90mm width.  Comes out at £25 doing it this way which seems a bit pricey for two bits of tape.

 

I want to get another set of rear lights and another rear panel so I can swap out what's in at the moment but revert to the current look if I want to.  That adds more expense for quite a frivolous thing.  I don't know, I'm undecided on this one, I like how the car looks now but I do want to try this idea out to see if it looks the same in the real world as it does in my head.

[Craig the Princess]

Back home after 133 miles and 3 3/4 hours.

 

 

A Rover Metro 1.1S! The best supermini offering of 1990 (with in built kettle) for the cost of just £185.

 

Needs a service, a tiny patch of welding on the reader is a sill and the radio, fuel gauge and washer pump to work.

 

Didn't over heat in awful traffic leaving Reading, at one point about 40 minutes into traffic-agehedon put the hearer on hot and full but I think that was more paranoia about the k series).

Sat comfortably at 70 when able, very refined composited to A series ones.

[EssDeeWon]

Changed front droplinks

 

Were these Ok to do DIY? The ones on my 75 are a right PITA because the bottom of the coil spring gets in the way.

[EssDeeWon]

Nice one Craig. Thats an early Rover Metro there...

 

Win.

[twosmoke300]

Rover 75 drop links are indeed a toss bag to so because of the spring retaining plate

[Ghosty]

 

Had a look on eBay to see what was available.  Reflective tape can be bought but typically I'll have loads left over because it's sold in metre lengths and my back panel needs 1.1 metres.  Top bar (orange) needs to be minimum 80mm width, bottom bar (red) needs to be minimum 90mm width.  Comes out at £25 doing it this way which seems a bit pricey for two bits of tape.

 

I want to get another set of rear lights and another rear panel so I can swap out what's in at the moment but revert to the current look if I want to.  That adds more expense for quite a frivolous thing.  I don't know, I'm undecided on this one, I like how the car looks now but I do want to try this idea out to see if it looks the same in the real world as it does in my head.

 

 

Would the rear panel from an R21 be any use? (yes I appreciate it being potentially elusive, but...)

 

 

You need a rear window louvre.

[EssDeeWon]

Blakeney is a lovely place. So lovely, in fact, my Vectra decided to have a bit of a prolonged stay there earlier. Luckily, after deciding to break down on the narrow high street, it decided to unbreak down again 20 minutes later.

Dave Lee Cartland was happy though, we got to walk back to the partially sunk Zafira in the car park and he was actually so happy he crapped on someone's doorstep. Quite probably the doorstep of the only people who were at home. And looking out of their window.

 

You could always upgrade to this? I saw this and thought of you, an SD1 in Chester

 

WCPGW??

 

SPARES OR REPAIRS

1979 2.6 litre. Driven between 1985 and 2000 - 100,000 miles plus. Been garaged in a lock up since , Condition now unknown, but probably either a major fix up or spares. Area - Chester

Contact : Geoffrey Pitchford

[vulgalour]

@Ghosty:  red/tint is the wrong way around... and other issues, but yes that would be the sort of look I'd like.  I want a window louvre for the Princess especially since finding out they made them!  But not the Rover.  A red backflash might fit the style though, have it say KETTLE or something similarly amusing* rather than the more predictable ROVER.

[EssDeeWon]

Rover 75 drop links are indeed a toss bag to so because of the spring retaining plate

 

I'm leaving them to the garage. They quote 30 mins labour on a good day, in reality more like double that. Apparently its mission impossible getting to the nut at the top (under that spring plate) Especially after 15 years of rustage if their original.

[Cavcraft]

You could always upgrade to this? I saw this and thought of you, an SD1 in Chester

 

WCPGW??

 

SPARES OR REPAIRS1979 2.6 litre. Driven between 1985 and 2000 - 100,000 miles plus. Been garaged in a lock up since , Condition now unknown, but probably either a major fix up or spares. Area - ChesterContact : Geoffrey Pitchford

Is the 2.6 the facelifted 'Mk2' type? I just cannot like them, it's only the early/Mk1 types that float my boat.

[EssDeeWon]

No, a 1979 car will be a series 1 car through and through 

 

Only difference between a series 1 2600 and a 3500 is the exhaust note and rear badge with the engine size.

[stuboy]

Were these Ok to do DIY? The ones on my 75 are a right PITA because the bottom of the coil spring gets in the way.

 

yeah.. was easy as a pork pie... just me did it 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

No, a 1979 car will be a series 1 car through and through 

 

Only difference between a series 1 2600 and a 3500 is the exhaust note and rear badge with the engine size.

And the wheel width,hub cap materiel,fog lights and tinted glass. Plus a couple of interior bits and bobs , don't think 23/600 had central locking or electric windows as standard.

I think I might have spent far too much of my early teenage years obsessively memorising SD1 and Granadas specs.

[drum]

Good news - I finally cured the pas fluid leak on the disco. It was the gasket between the two halves of the pump. I put a new pump on and it passed its mot yesterday.

 

Bad news - I didn't torque the bolts on the pulley up properly so the pulley became loose, the drive belt slipped off and lodged behind it. It was jammed up good and proper. All I had was a pair of pliers so resorted to hacking through the belt with them and nursing it the couple of miles home with no water pump, brake servo etc. Hoping I can get away with just putting a new belt on.

[fred]

Been having grand above my limit thoughts about putting a BX uppy downy suspension into a Princess - although talking to my mechanic he just told me to fuck off

Been in my mind for a while, the engineering would be pretty epic mind - but could it be done? I know of a donor BX!!!!!!

[vulgalour]

I've had similar thoughts and it is possible.  It's also a FUCKTONNE of work, which is why I haven't done it.  There's a lot to understand and make and test and nobody will want to help you do it.

[Pete-M]

Use Mercedes S210 PAS pump and two pairs of rear spheres?

[fred]

I've had similar thoughts and it is possible.  It's also a FUCKTONNE of work, which is why I haven't done it.  There's a lot to understand and make and test and nobody will want to help you do it.

Aye Vulg - I have had nothing but 'Fuck off' in my discussions about said conversion, but by the gods if you did it it would be bloody biblical

[Sloth in a bowl]

Military really isn't my style though. I'm a bloody hippy. It needs flowers, anti-nuclear stickers and some vomit-inducing tripe about giving peace a chance.

 

 

So you won't be going for the 75mm recoilless rifle accessory pack then? You could stick some flowers in the end of it.

 

[dollywobbler]

I do like that one. Scratch-built replica of a military version that only vaguely existed.

 

Anyway, I definitely have not acquired a pair of lovely, large-font number plates for the Dyane.

[Taff]

Been having grand above my limit thoughts about putting a BX uppy downy suspension into a Princess - although talking to my mechanic he just told me to fuck off

Been in my mind for a while, the engineering would be pretty epic mind - but could it be done? I know of a donor BX!!!!!!

 

 

I've had similar thoughts and it is possible.  It's also a FUCKTONNE of work, which is why I haven't done it.  There's a lot to understand and make and test and nobody will want to help you do it.

 

me and a mate kicked the idea about a few years ago. The BX shares a close-enough wheel track and width to a Mk2 Zephyr that we considered a body swap, the idea beaing that we would end up with a Mk Zeph body on the BX floorpan, giving us diesel power, 5 speed g/box, off the shelf spares and the ability to lower the car at the flick of a switch. Getting it registered correctly might have thrown up a few issues, though there are a few body-swapped cars kicking about quite legally.

 

Probably be quicker and easier than fitting the BX bits into a princess.

[vulgalour]

Agreed.  Princesses have the useful habit of rotting their floors out while BXs have the useful habit of rotting their tops out.  It's a perfect match, really.  The uppy-downy Zephyr would have been ace.

[dollywobbler]

Agreed.  Princesses have the useful habit of rotting their floors out while BXs have the useful habit of rotting their tops out.  It's a perfect match, really.  The uppy-downy Zephyr would have been ace.

 

I reckon the straight-six, leaf-sprung BX would have been better.

[EssDeeWon]

And the wheel width,hub cap materiel,fog lights and tinted glass. Plus a couple of interior bits and bobs , don't think 23/600 had central locking or electric windows as standard.

I think I might have spent far too much of my early teenage years obsessively memorising SD1 and Granadas specs.

 

Yeah alright smart arse

 

Yes you are right, the fog lights are an optional extra, the hub caps look the same but are not stainless steel. I think electric windows and central locking would also be an optional extra on the six cylinder. Infact I think the passenger side door mirror was an optional extra on early cars !!

 

In Other News - My primrose connie passed the MOT today, just needed rear pads and the brake pipes cleaning up and smearing. No advisories.

[Asimo]

Is it just the novelty or is this not a really stupid name for a car?

[vulgalour]

That's just GROVEL backwards.  That's a STUPID name for a car.