The new news 24 thread

[LC Torana]

Thinking this was a fluke result, I checked the removed rotor arm for continuity, evidence of tracking and security of the rivet.  It was absolutely fine.  I put it back in the car.  No sparks. Filthy rotor arm back in, normal running.  I did this a couple more times because I could not believe that there was anything wrong with the sodding rotor arm that gave no sparks.

 

Great reading.  I dips my lid to you for entrusting yourself to cars that need tinkering when walking is such a hassle.

 

That rotor button is a real head-scratcher.  The rotor is quenching the spark - that sounds like a shunt ground path. Check for a high-resistance path between the element on top of the rotor and the inside of the rotor where it pushes on to the cam.

 

Anything less than a megohm or so and there's your problem.

 

(I know you already know it's a duff rotor already, but I mean that's the likely reason why.)

[worldofceri]

Great tale, RMK. That Reliant is a beauty.

[bub2006]

The Autoshite Wikipedia page has been deleted...

Ah bugger. Any reason?

[trigger]

It's shit?

[bub2006]

I thought there was a fair bit of contributions input to it some research to keep it floating,that's all

[panhard65]

 I have a spare knackered engine with a totally worn out distributor.  I removed its filthy rotor arm and compared it with the reasonably pristine rotor arm on the car.  They were not identical, but all important features had the same measurements and orientation.  What the hell, I tried the filthy rotor arm anyway. Nuts.  Full sparking was resumed and the damned car started instantly.  Thinking this was a fluke result, I checked the removed rotor arm for continuity, evidence of tracking and security of the rivet.  It was absolutely fine.  I put it back in the car.  No sparks. Filthy rotor arm back in, normal running.  I did this a couple more times because I could not believe that there was anything wrong with the sodding rotor arm that gave no sparks. 

 

I found out many years ago to be wary of new rotor arms. When I restored my Jensen 541 they guy who I bought my parts from told me there were a lot of dodgy rotor arms about and always keep an old spare in the glovebox. One year I took it to Le Mans and about 10 miles down the road from leaving home it cut out. Jumped out and check for spark and found no spark at the plugs but a nice spark on the coil lead. Again my rotor arm looked pristine with no signs of tracking. Bunged the old one in and off it went and ran perfectly for the rest of the 600 mile trip.

[dollywobbler]

Can't say I'm too bothered by Wikipedia. I can't see that decision impacting on my life at all. Not like they've removed us or the forum is it?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah who gives a shit?

[oldcars]

For an occasional dose of terror, I drive my 1961 Reliant Regal around the local lanes.  This happens about once per month and surprisingly it has proved quite reliable for the roughly 12 trips x 35 miles per year.  That is, until 14th August this year.  It was a gloriously sunny day and my noisy steed was heading home, when the engine stuttered briefly then died.  Momentum was used to pull in to a layby, with the last 10 metres on the starter and 2nd gear.  Feeling confident that I could soon fix the thing and be on my way (I am after all a retired engineer, equipped with a full toolkit), I fiddled around checking ignition connections, continuity, gaps and functions.  All was fine, but no trace of a spark at the plugs or the king lead. Wondering whether the bright sunshine was preventing me from seeing the sparkery, I tried to start the engine.  Not even a cough. I checked for fuel flow.  It was fine. I removed jets and blew through them.  They were all clear anyway.  After an hour of checking and rechecking and confidence being eroded, I decided to phone for assistance.  My phone went flat as I dialled the last digit.  Now, Plan C was risky as it involved walking home.  I have arthitic hips and walk with two sticks.  Pace is thus agonizingly slow and range somewhat limited. I have also tripped over twice this year, causing much bruising, making me walk even more slowly and carefully.  Logic suggested that if I kept placing one foot in front of the other I would eventually get home.  A few hours later, and barely able to apply the logic I arrived home. The distance was about 2.5 miles. In due course,  my son was roped in to tow me home in the Reliant.  Fast forward to yesterday.  Some enthusiasm to fix the car returned.  I fitted a new condenser, cleaned all connections and renewed wires that looked iffy.  Still no sparks despite the ignition switch, coil and points all receiving 12V when checked.  Fitted the new coil I had ordered.  Still no fucking sparks. Bollucks. Maybe the new condenser was faulty.  Modified the distributor to carry an external condenser (new) raided from my Hyundai Stellar's glovebox.  Still no sparks.  Ran a lead direct from the battery to the coil. Still no sparks.  Somewhat baffled, I closely examined the points to ensure the moving contact was not earthing prematurely e.g. spring touching the body.  It was awfully close, so I tweeked it away. This of course made no difference to the lack of sparks, even though manually parting the points caused a normal looking weak spark. The same result was achieved after dismantling and cleaning/checking all of the HT bits - leads, terminals, carbon brush, spring etc.   I have a spare knackered engine with a totally worn out distributor.  I removed its filthy rotor arm and compared it with the reasonably pristine rotor arm on the car.  They were not identical, but all important features had the same measurements and orientation.  What the hell, I tried the filthy rotor arm anyway. Nuts.  Full sparking was resumed and the damned car started instantly.  Thinking this was a fluke result, I checked the removed rotor arm for continuity, evidence of tracking and security of the rivet.  It was absolutely fine.  I put it back in the car.  No sparks. Filthy rotor arm back in, normal running.  I did this a couple more times because I could not believe that there was anything wrong with the sodding rotor arm that gave no sparks.  A tentative drive around the block confirmed that all was working normally, so I did another circuit, successfully again.  Last night I went to sleep relieved that I had fixed the car but perplexed that I could not find a reason for its non sparkiness.  Today, reasonable weather beckoned, and I got in the Reliant, it started instantly, and drove around the block a couple of times.  This was my intention i.e. no trip, just a confidence booster.  The car ran so well that I thought "lets go through Silverstone village, up to Whittlebury, then Potterspury, on to the A5 then home."  All was fine until passing the racecourse (horse) near home - well about a mile.  The engine sputtered and died.  I used momentum to pull off the A5 into a residential street where I started poking about, thinking all my ignition fiddling may have caused a spade connector to fall off or whatever.  This time, all was well and full  sparks were present.  Further checking indicated that the fuel tank was empty. The gauge has not worked since I bought the car in 1992......that bit seemed to escape my refurbishment efforts.  Bum.  No worries, I carry 5 litres in the boot.  Ummm.  Yes, the can (plastic) was indeed there, but completely empty. I had  forgotten to refil it after the August drive when I had put a bit in the tank for good measure.  Another walk was undertaken.  Eventually I got home, drove my 205 to the Reliant, collected the petrol can, drove to the garage, back to the Reliant, shoved the fuel in, started it easily after re-priming, drove the Reliant home, sat on my mobility scooter, struggled with its 7 year old batteries to get up the hill (but just made it), dismantled it and chucked it in the Peugeot, drove home and had a coffee.  Bloody old cars      !  100_1398.JPG100_1401.JPG100_1400.JPG100_1390.JPG

Sorry to hear your tails. Lovely lovley Relient tho. Mines not enjoying the damp just now.

[dollywobbler]

I did enjoy that Reliant tale. So much amusement from someone else's misfortune. Sorry!

[Bobthebeard]

Just got home to find a card from the postman ' The item is too large for your letterbox, please collect etc..'

Am hoping it is the new rear spring for the Oldsmobile, but can't really imagine he would be actually dragging that round on his trolley.

[vulgalour]

Sometimes they don't drag large parcels around on their trolleys, they just take out 'sorry you were out' notes with them because most people aren't in to accept delivery.  Been caught out by this one a time or two.

[panhard65]

I was supposed to of been in France this week collecting a Vespa 400 microcar, but due to my mate who was buying it having to go in to hospital the trip got cancelled. The trouble is it got me looking at French bikes and obviously I ended up on ebay uk and found a Vespino !!!!. It's Spanish and had been brought home as a souviner by a local bloke a couple of years ago. As it was just down the road I went  and picked it up this afternoon.

The first time I have used the bike rack properly and it is shit and needs a few mods to make it work properly.

Now to get it running

[Negative Creep]

Finally got myself a dash cam today. Naturally, I shall soon be out trying to make something of complete non events, getting very angry, shouting out registration numbers, upload them to youtube, refusing to accept I did anything wrong then disable the comments when things don't go my way. It will be awesome

[worldofceri]

Today my headlights stopped working.

 

Pulled out relay and cleaned contacts; doused everything in WD40.

 

Headlights started working again.

[MarvinsMom]

reliant tale of woe above is sad, funny, but sad also.

 

its a sad state of affairs where nobody would have stopped to offer some assistance...

 

but a grin that normal service on little plastic pig has been restored! and it is such a wonderful looking machine. i'd really love having something like that living in my garage (cos it living outside would to me seem so wrong)

[RayMK]

reliant tale of woe above is sad, funny, but sad also.

 

its a sad state of affairs where nobody would have stopped to offer some assistance...

 

but a grin that normal service on little plastic pig has been restored! and it is such a wonderful looking machine. i'd really love having something like that living in my garage (cos it living outside would to me seem so wrong)

During the walk back home in August I tried asking for assistance at some industrial units at Woodburcote (i.e. about 30 minutes in to the long trudge home) a chap offered to give me a lift when he left work to collect his daughter from school.  It was a beautiful day and at this point I still felt able to complete the walk, so I thanked him for his offer and went on my way rather than wait for school finish time.  Yesterday, a gentleman asked if I needed a hand loading my mobility scooter into the Peugeot, also, some lads scouting around for scrap metal in a big old Volvo asked if I wanted to sell the Reliant.  I declined both offers.  I hope this restores your faith in the human race  .  I'm usually too proud/stupid to accept help anyway.  My Reliant does indeed live in the garage.  Photos do flatter it somewhat. 

[plasticvandan]

The number of useable side valve Reliant can be counted on less than 2 hands,she's lovely ray.

[MarvinsMom]

During the walk back home in August I tried asking for assistance at some industrial units at Woodburcote (i.e. about 30 minutes in to the long trudge home) a chap offered to give me a lift when he left work to collect his daughter from school.  It was a beautiful day and at this point I still felt able to complete the walk, so I thanked him for his offer and went on my way rather than wait for school finish time.  Yesterday, a gentleman asked if I needed a hand loading my mobility scooter into the Peugeot, also, some lads scouting around for scrap metal in a big old Volvo asked if I wanted to sell the Reliant.  I declined both offers.  I hope this restores your faith in the human race  .  I'm usually too proud/stupid to accept help anyway.  My Reliant does indeed live in the garage.  Photos do flatter it somewhat. 

that is good news about someone stopping, sorry if i've come abit strong or anything.... 

 

and i beg to differ with the reliant, ok i've not seen it in real life, but it looks ace in the pics both inside and out, even in the picture with it looking smug on the side of the road!

[plasticvandan]

Ray is modest,I have seen it a reasonable number if times in the flesh,its probably one of the best mk6 Regal left,not that it has much competition, most were scrapped in the late 60s.

[UltraWomble]

Sick time off work and eBay =

LETHAL

 

Whilst Im making a couple of quid ( and I do mean only a couple) buying and selling old razors Im also bidding on some outlandish shite:

 

Part of me really wants to win the Flexer and part of me is hoping against all odds Im outbid because I have no fucking idea how to tell teh wife Ive bought another vehicle even something that will quite happily live in the shed out of the way.

[UltraWomble]

I can't think of anything on Wikipedia less interesting than a page about Autoshite. This includes both the surprisingly detailed entry for former (.tv) presenter Richard Topping and the brief stub for TBH I ran with it because it was a tiny bit of fun, but I cant say Im arsed that its been binned off - I noticed a few days back when I looked out o idle curiosity.

 

Im of the opinion that anything that draws attention to us isn't that good anyway. I like being in a niche. Preferably with a buxom blonde - talking of which I went out for a coffee & catch up with a mate (also a nurse- also off sick with cardiac problems) and one of the interfering baggages who lives nearby took great delight in telling my missus she had seen me get into a red mini with a blonde woman.

 

Hmm, the nurse in question is quite definitely a chap and greyer than me.

 

Mind you she is due a cataract op soon.

[Bear]

Keith's Audi packed up right as I was on my way up to Nottingham in his C6, cue guilt! In between "hey, let me get this back to you" and my heading over, the news broke that the CCW team has lost one of the most vital members, James Forsyth who was responsible for wrangling the classifieds into a readable format. I'm sure anyone in the biz can see how mammoth a task that is, but the real loss is of course that a tragic accident took a loved human being, right before one of the most emotionally charged periods of the year.

 

From the CCW FB page:

"Tragic day for CCW. Last night, James Forsyth, the man did such a great job turning our classified adverts into English, died in a car crash. Liked by everyone who met him, and respected by us all in the office, James was the quietly spoken gentleman of the CCW team, performing an invaluable job in steering our engine room so capably.

His life was taken cruelly and too soon – and our thoughts and condolences are with James' wife Sarah, his family and friends.

Keith Adams – Editor"

Having returned the C6, the trip back was sombre and in the 315K-mile 525, now with slipping clutch, on soaking rush-hour A14.

Thought.

The A14 seemed a little scarier today, as belligerent, fragile humans in roaring tin boxes drive angry through the overwhelming spray, supernova lights racing past the galaxy of cats eyes and road-rash stars on the windscreen. There's a thud, a cough from the radio, "all I want for Christmas, is you". The rat race seems like such an inefficient way to get what we truly want.

 

Make time for your loved ones.

 

Take time.

 

For your loved ones.

 

 

Be safe, guys.

[vulgalour]

[dome]

New car pickup tonight. Friend of mine selling it as he's bought a van for work. He's had it for years, it's a 330D MSport touring. Not very Autoshitey so it's not getting it's own thread. It's getting used, fixed up and then I'll decide whether to keep it or the Merc.

 

[dollywobbler]

Sad news on CCW. Can't imagine what that's like especially amongst a Christmas deadlines.

 

In my news, off to a much respected Citroen specialist in Gloucestershire today for mild XM fettling. May also see if they can track down the right brake slider kit for less than the 50 quid Citroen want.

[Dave_Q]

New car pickup tonight. Friend of mine selling it as he's bought a van for work. He's had it for years, it's a 330D MSport touring. Not very Autoshitey so it's not getting it's own thread. It's getting used, fixed up and then I'll decide whether to keep it or the Merc.

 

2015-12-10 23.43.24.jpg

Your motoring is my concern sir.

I for one would be interested in hearing about your e46, ropey ones are pocket money now which makes them shite in my book.

[R9UKE]

I've just been given this beautiful* Polo.

 

Left hand drive German registered car. Belonged to a friend of a friend's son's German girlfriend who drove it here when she started uni. The German equivalent of MOT has lapsed and its going to need more work than it's worth to get through test here and bother registering it etc.

 

It was going to be cubed and I couldn't see that happen.

 

[cort16]

Remember to remove swirl flaps and change the breather filter thing on the side of the engineering before the enivitable happens.

[alf892]

New car pickup tonight. Friend of mine selling it as he's bought a van for work. He's had it for years, it's a 330D MSport touring. Not very Autoshitey so it's not getting it's own thread. It's getting used, fixed up and then I'll decide whether to keep it or the Merc.

 

2015-12-10 23.43.24.jpg

 

I had one of them for a while........went nicely but spring like a wheel barrow!