The new news 24 thread

[hairnet]

would have lhd sided wipers even on rhd car so they flipped the pic as said

[anonymous user]

Apart from my complete lack of knowledge regarding Mk1 Golfs today has been a nice day. I had my annual trip dispensing good cheer to West Wales, due to not having the Smart back I went in the Land Rover (it's a good job petrol is under £1 a litre). Just outside Haverfordwest, struggling up the hill towards me, I saw what I think was a Trojan van/minibus type thing, never seen one before so I will be away to google images to see if I was right. Also saw some older cars out on the road including a very nice Stag.

 

I must give the garage a call tomorrow to see how they are getting on with the Smart, when I last spoke to the garage I was told there were no signs of water ingress to the SAM unit and the auto-electrician had cleared the codes and got everything working; however, they aren't happy that it won't happen again so were going to replace the unit under warranty anyway.

[scaryoldcortina]

First thing I spotted was the sump being on the wrong side, so either flipped pic or VTEC_YO conversion....

 

 

Edit - notice how they went to the trouble of shopping out the filler cap?

[vulgalour]

That UK* Golf numberplate is pretty lazy, it's not even the correct font let alone that stupid blue bar.

[Richard]

No pineapples?

Seriously, Mk1 was launched in 1974 but in RHD it wouldn't have been in this country till 1978/1979 ish?

 

** scaryoldcortina has already answered correctly so I could just delete my wrong guess or just leave it here and make myself look like a complete plum - guess what I have decided

 

I'm pretty sure they were in the UK almost from the start, my primary school teacher had GSL717N. I think they had RHD wipers too, it was the early Mk2 that didn't.

[doobietoo]

Driving up the A34 towards Oxford I saw an orange boat being driven the other way......There are times when the world makes no sense.... it wasn't even raining...

[r.welfare]

It was the GTI that didn't become RHD until '79. Same time that the bumper corners got longer.

[hairnet]

fair few p reg pineappled golfs about at shows

[Six-cylinder]

Driving up the A34 towards Oxford I saw an orange boat being driven the other way......There are times when the world makes no sense.... it wasn't even raining...

The speed limits on rivers and canals are very low so it is quicker by road!

[doobietoo]

No a boat...with three wheels and a driver errrr driving piloting driving it...

[scaryoldcortina]

[meshking]

would have lhd sided wipers even on rhd car so they flipped the pic as said

This is the first thing I noticed. It's what put me off owning a mk1 when I was younger, I bought a mk2 Polo instead. To replace my yellow/black 2cv that today is worth far more.

[artdjones]

I certainly wouldn't put the mk1 Golf down as a great survivor of rust. After 1980 when VW started wax injecting them yes,before that they were right rustbuckets like all 70s VWs.The Micra1 dissolved pretty easily as well.

[Christine]

I had a 1/4 pounder with cheese in McDonalds in town at midday . I've still got indigestion..

[wuvvum]

Got a few bits done today, taking advantage of the ridiculous weather conditions that are currently prevailing in Norfolk (I was outside in fugging shirtsleeves and sunglasses).  Gave the LDV a badly-needed wash, and it now looks a bit more respectable (although still a bit battered, like most Maxi). 

 

The main job though was to try and stop the alarm sounding on the Golf.  So I stripped off the plastic covers from the bulkhead, only to find that the beeper wasn't where teh internetz said it'd be.  Going by my recollection of the sound it made, the only other place I could think it'd be was inside the nearside front wing, behind the wheelarch liner.  Unfortunately most of the Allen bolts holding the liner in place didn't seem at all interested in coming undone.  I'd previously disconnected the battery so I could work on the car without the alarm going off every time I opened a door, so I reconnected it to make the alarm go off so I could pinpoint its location a bit better, at the risk of pissing off the neighbours.  Except it didn't go off.  Also, the central locking started working again.  Obviously disconnecting the battery has reset whatever it was that was causing the problem.  I love self-fixorating cars!

 

Next job was to have a look at the MGF to see where the gears had disappeared to.  A bit of poking around underneath revealed that the forward-and-back cable was loose - it'd already had a Taff-style jubilee clip bodge, and the clip, which had held on fine in normal use, gave up when I was a little more enthusiastic with my gear changes whilst not racing a Celica.  I tried to refit and tighten the clip, but it turned out to be seized solid, and I didn't have another one the right size, so that's going to have to wait til another day.  At least I know what's wrong with it now though - and it should only cost 79p to fix, which is good.  In the meantime I sprayed some brake cleaner over the end of the cable as it's covered in oil which might make it hard for the new clip to grip properly.

 

Most of the rest of the day was taken up with housework - my parents are arriving on Tuesday and I've been busy getting the house more presentable...

[purplebargeken]

Good call on the cars, pure misery on the housework.

[purplebargeken]

Winter solstice today! 

[dollywobbler]

First thing I spotted was the sump being on the wrong side, so either flipped pic or VTEC_YO conversion....

 

 

Edit - notice how they went to the trouble of shopping out the filler cap?

 

Yup. Well done. That's what alerted me to the flip too. Stupid thing is, this image was circulated with other photos that clearly show it to be a left-hand drive car! I was amazed. I've seen magazines do that before, but not a manufacturer.

[ruffgeezer]

In "You can't have that week off" news;

 

A golf radiator to replace (done bar the refill I believe, my sulky colleague has be doing it)

Diagnose a steering box leak on a shogun sport (on order)

Diagnose a knackered clutch cable on the world's shittiest Berlingo van (ooooww much mayete?!?)

 

It could be a long week.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Are some makes of tyres much more puncture prone or is this just random Khama catching up?

 

I've found that soft tyres with a very aggressive tread pattern are the worst for punctures : nails etc. can easily pass through the large gaps between the tread blocks and go through the bottom layer of the tread and the soft belts.

[rml2345]

Les Tin des Bisquites is finally in to get welded. Fingers crossed they don't find any more nasties in there...

[D Spares & Tyres]

Went to my local atm this morning.....

[beko1987]

Someone got there first!

[vulgalour]

uh oh, looks like the bread biddies have upped their game!

[ruffgeezer]

This is fucking unreal, I couldn't have this week off "just in case" but now sulky cow orker gets to go home at lunchtime, in spite of the fact he has no leave to take.

[vulgalour]

Fire him.  By which I mean set him on fire.  That'll learn him.  If anyone asks, tell them he was reading the Daily Mail on purpose, they'll understand.  It is the _perfect_ crime.

[oldcars]

most folk request a new pin when they forget theres. JCB must be the next option.

 

In other news  my 75 is painted! Popping down to collect it tomorrow night 

[DodgyBastard]

Stagecoach 52667 PIB9211 by barry.young10, on Flickr

 

Mrs FOAD passed her bus test today!

[fordperv]

Please tell me mrs foad is Nessa from gavin and Stacey

[Pillock]

Mrs_Pillock had a go in a wheezy old double decker on a lady drivers charity day (yeah, right, she got sponsored to drive all sorts of cool stuff), loved it. Seriously considered doing the tests and doing a career swap.

 

Congrats Mrs_FOAD!