The new news 24 thread

[worldofceri]

Another fineish day yesterday and I got off work dead early so decided to wash the Saab, partly because it hasn't been cleaned for months and also to give me a better idea of whether I've made the sunroof leak better or worse or made no difference.

 

 

Had to share this picture as the light conditions and my photography skillz* have conspired to flatter the paintwork immeasurably.  It really looks nowhere near as smart as this in real life, unless you're stood at least twenty feet away and severely short sighted.

 

Note also the ==BACKFLASH==!  A birthday present from Mrs_WoC.  (It was my birthday in September, but this is the first time it's been clean enough to make it worth taking a picture since then!)  True to form I very nearly ballsed up the application of the decal completely but in the end I managed to finish with it only slightly cock-eyed (for that authentic 80s boy-racer look, I like to think).

 

[fatharris]

 

Just dropped Herman off for MOT, has a couple of torn dust covers that I don't think are letting in dirt, but I don't think the thermostat is closing correctly either.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[fatharris]

Clean pass first time, lovely.

 

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[richardmorris]

Need to get my merc mot done before the end of Jan. Hopefully it'll be fine- I certainly don't know of any issues. Out-accelerated a new merc this morning at wentworth. not too shabby up to 3500rpm, but after that wha hey! And that was in economy mode.

 

Off to north wales tomorrow for new year, am chauffeur for my godmother again so no drinks- only fair though as she did give me her X1/9.

[dollywobbler]

All of my cars are damp and full of condensation today. So, I started ramming stuff into socks. The XM got rice.

 

And it works! You can just about see condensation on the passenger side of the windscreen. The whole windscreen was like that before I lodged my old sock in there. 

 

The Volvo got unused wooden cat litter, but that doesn't seem very effective. Nor does the sawdust I used in the Nippa. Better than nowt, but has only cleared a few inches of windscreen. 

 

Speaking of the Volvo, I'm driving it to a village with the wonderful name of Caersws (care-zeus seems to be close) tomorrow for a rendezvous with Pandamonium - the completion of our utterly stupid double Volvo adventures!

[greengartside]

Went to a new-to-me breakers yard earlier and to say I was like a kid in a sweet shop is an understatement. There must have been at least 8-10 Sierras, a handful of Mk4 Escorts and a mk2 Fiesta there, however I did find this gem of an XR3i that's been off the road since 1999.

 

 

It did yield a few goodies such as the owners handbook and some tax discs from 1991-93, the '91 disc being issued at the post office in the village where I work. Small world, eh.

[Craig the Princess]

Love the Backflash WoC, looks class.

 

Just been out playing with the Rover 414, the old battery held charge for 3 days and it started up to move out of the garage, tyres pumped up (looks like the rear right is an original 1993 tyre!), lights and electrics work bar one tail light, needs wiper blades, rear and mid section of exhaust, a mud-flap reattached, the front bumper properly attached and possibly a tickle with the welding stick on the back of the passenger sill (maybe ok). the windscreen has two cracks, neither in the swept area, one right at the bottom in the middle, on at the top of the passenger side. Plan is to try and get an MoT early Jan and rest the coupe while I work out what is making it eat distriputor caps.

Also need a bonnet cable, took the catch off as it was totally seized. Freed up with WD40 and a big screwdriver. The cable has a broken outer and big kink in two location.

 

Relaxed dog says relax, it is now all free

 

Brown Metro has an alternator and two fan belts to be collected tomorrow.

[Pillock]

DW, clumping cat litter does better than wooden. I just bought a bag, opened the top and left it behind the front seat 24/7 and got no condensation issues at all.

[dollywobbler]

DW, clumping cat litter does better than wooden. I just bought a bag, opened the top and left it behind the front seat 24/7 and got no condensation issues at all.

 

Yup, I imagine it is. Didn't have any to hand sadly, but may well acquire some. Better than using FOOD to dry cars out!

[fordperv]

Went to a new-to-me breakers yard earlier and to say I was like a kid in a sweet shop is an understatement. There must have been at least 8-10 Sierras, a handful of Mk4 Escorts and a mk2 Fiesta there, however I did find this gem of an XR3i that's been off the road since 1999.

 

 

It did yield a few goodies such as the owners handbook and some tax discs from 1991-93, the '91 disc being issued at the post office in the village where I work. Small world, eh.

Where is this heavenly place?

[R9UKE]

Went to view this old girl this morning.

 

 

 

Up for £975 and advertised with MOT until April and no pics. Real eccentric guy, owned for ten years and losing storage.

 

Unfortunately it was too similar to the one I sold last year for £350. Running equally as badly, the usual bits of rot on the bodywork and the bonnet cable snapped and stuck shut. Add to this some home made wood dash inserts - I pretty sure I sat on that as a kid in primary school assembly. Plus a new issue Belfast number plate which completely ruins the look of an old car IMO. Apparently the old plate is worth £2k :/

 

 

 

[hairnet]

wrong part of europe

[Lord Sterling]

What a day.

 

Had a distress text from BL_hoarder_Steve in Cradley. He needed a hand moving stuff out of a storage unit as he losing it at the end of this month, he still has a few cars in there a load of parts. I thought why not, either I sit in my nice warm home using more electricity or go out, play with a few old cars and parts.

 

I got almost soaked and had nowt to eat all day which did affect me towards the end, by 4pm I'd had enough, he asked if I was coming back the next day, I offered a few hours and he offered money which I turned down but he insisted, it helps I guess.

 

My back feels strained, my feet hurt and I got rained on/walked through puddles. But at least I've helped someone.

 

The R-reg 820i he has looks tastily tidy but on the other end of the scale is a Mini van that looks like its being held up only by its paint.

[worldofceri]

This Steve sounds like a right case. He's losing storage at the end of December and leaves it until 30 December to ask for a hand moving his stuff? I'm no stranger to procrastination, but strewth.

[Bear]

I just put a deposit down on another car. Jesus. It's because I decided I would buy no more cars in 2016 I bet. Like "ONE MORE IN BEFORE LAST ORDERS!"

 

And by one more, I mean "a shot of everything. Which I am going to down before rushing out into the fresh air".

How could this possibly, ever, remotely go wrong...

 

[320touring]

What a day.

 

Had a distress text from BL_hoarder_Steve in Cradley. He needed a hand moving stuff out of a storage unit as he losing it at the end of this month, he still has a few cars in there a load of parts. I thought why not, either I sit in my nice warm home using more electricity or go out, play with a few old cars and parts.

 

I got almost soaked and had nowt to eat all day which did affect me towards the end, by 4pm I'd had enough, he asked if I was coming back the next day, I offered a few hours and he offered money which I turned down but he insisted, it helps I guess.

 

My back feels strained, my feet hurt and I got rained on/walked through puddles. But at least I've helped someone.

 

The R-reg 820i he has looks tastily tidy but on the other end of the scale is a Mini van that looks like its being held up only by its paint.

Is that the same bloke as wot had the e30?

[Negative Creep]

Me and Colc have done a swap, my 406 coupe for his Rover 75. Had it 18 months and had proven a great car, but just fancied an auto for a change

[twosmoke300]

He got a good deal I reckon . The 406 was lovely

[fordperv]

I've been getting water creeping into the drivers footwell in my saph, at first I couldn't find the entry point but luckily it is a simple fix as it's getting in past the door seal, a new genuine one bought for £40 can't wait for it to come now

[andrew e]

Dollywobbler, cream clean the glass - Cif, pound shop stuff, autoglym pale blue stuff, etc works wonders for demisting prowess.

[fordperv]

^ I found the autoglym stuff helps my windows mist up

[Angrydicky]

On Monday I went to Oxfordshire to meet up with a few friends with old cars. I took the Vauxhall Victor, we had a meal at a country pub then drove to Nuffield House (which was closed) and ended up at West Wickham Hill, where we all swapped cars and pretended we were on The Sweeney. Had a great laugh, including a drag race between the Marina Coupe ('big block' 1.8 ) and my Vauxhall, which I lost. Dammit. 

 

The Rover Sterling Coupe was a bit different to the other cars there. The owner is a young chap with three P6's who had just bought the Sterling for £300. Having never driven one before, I was impressed especially considering it was a manual and I've always been of the impression that Rovers need to be automatics! Fantastic interior too, the cream leather and dashboard with claret carpets.

 

The Marina is a 1973 SDL Coupe. I had driven this before, but not for some time and it felt very different to the Victor, definitely lighter and nippier where I guess the Victor is better at speed. The owner uses it as his main car going backwards and forwards to university in Huddersfield from his home in Hemel Hempstead, and it's been very reliable for him.

 

The 1100 belongs to the chap I bought my Vauxhall from. It's a 1967 MK1 Morris, so has the MK2 A40 style instruments as opposed to the strip speedo in the Austin. Now, I used to own a 1966 Austin so I was happy to get back behind the wheel again! I still think these little cars are very affordable and fantastic fun to drive. The only reason I sold mine was because it had a blowing exhaust and the usual leaky bulkhead (which this one also suffers from). I regret it now of course.

 

Me taking the baby Morris for a spin!

[Lord Sterling]

This Steve sounds like a right case. He's losing storage at the end of December and leaves it until 30 December to ask for a hand moving his stuff? I'm no stranger to procrastination, but strewth.

Yeah, but to be honest he has been trying since last week. He did communicate that he was moving but didn't specifically ask for help, I offered but didn't get an answer.

 

Is that the same bloke as wot had the e30?

Indeed he is.

 

Also, whilst on the way back from Steves, I was a small twisty road leading from Merry Hill to Stourbridge, it was dark and a 4x4 had stopped in front of me to turn right. I noticed some headlight fast approaching behind, it was a Peugeot 206 and whoever was driving must have just noticed we'd stopped and just avoided smashing into my car as the braked sharply and stopped at an angle.

[Tam]

On Monday I went to Oxfordshire to meet up with a few friends with old cars. I took the Vauxhall Victor, we had a meal at a country pub then drove to Nuffield House (which was closed) and ended up at West Wickham Hill, where we all swapped cars and pretended we were on The Sweeney. Had a great laugh, including a drag race between the Marina Coupe ('big block' 1.8 ) and my Vauxhall, which I lost. Dammit. 

 

The Rover Sterling Coupe was a bit different to the other cars there. The owner is a young chap with three P6's who had just bought the Sterling for £300. Having never driven one before, I was impressed especially considering it was a manual and I've always been of the impression that Rovers need to be automatics! Fantastic interior too, the cream leather and dashboard with claret carpets.

 

The Marina is a 1973 SDL Coupe. I had driven this before, but not for some time and it felt very different to the Victor, definitely lighter and nippier where I guess the Victor is better at speed. The owner uses it as his main car going backwards and forwards to university in Huddersfield from his home in Hemel Hempstead, and it's been very reliable for him.

 

The 1100 belongs to the chap I bought my Vauxhall from. It's a 1967 MK1 Morris, so has the MK2 A40 style instruments as opposed to the strip speedo in the Austin. Now, I used to own a 1966 Austin so I was happy to get back behind the wheel again! I still think these little cars are very affordable and fantastic fun to drive. The only reason I sold mine was because it had a blowing exhaust and the usual leaky bulkhead (which this one also suffers from). I regret it now of course.

 

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Me taking the baby Morris for a spin!

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The Rover driver sounds like young Adam? 

[Ghosty]

Went with the mother to the Bini dealer yesterday as Old Man was suspicious that our er, Bini was burning oil. It isn't, and is well within specified tolerances (0.25l/1000km, where tolerance is 0.7l).

 

We also asked them about something else - last week the Bini went over a bump (pothole?) and as it did the dash went *bing* and threw up a windscreen washer symbol.

Filled it with water, doesn't go away. Won't reset manually either. So the   light on the dash is constantly on now.

Turns out the washer bottle is near a suspension component of some sort, and evidently the sensor or bottle's had a knock - you have to go to through the wheelarch to replace the offending part. Warranty job luckily.

 

My aunt was visiting for the weekend and she's now expressed interest in a Bini of her own, too.

Kind of unusurprising, her and my mum have a history of buying the same cars (Metros, several Fiestas between them, mk2, sad face, 2003...).

[Angrydicky]

The Rover driver sounds like young Adam? 

Certainly was!

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, but to be honest he has been trying since last week. He did communicate that he was moving but didn't specifically ask for help, I offered but didn't get an answer.

 

 

Indeed he is.

 

Also, whilst on the way back from Steves, I was a small twisty road leading from Merry Hill to Stourbridge, it was dark and a 4x4 had stopped in front of me to turn right. I noticed some headlight fast approaching behind, it was a Peugeot 206 and whoever was driving must have just noticed we'd stopped and just avoided smashing into my car as the braked sharply and stopped at an angle.

 

Here's a tip. Always keep an eye on your mirrors in such situations, and give the brake pedal a few taps to flash your brake lights. I hate being the last car in a queue! Especially if you're stopped somewhere that folk don't expect it. Use hazards if in a particularly dangerous place, but a flash of the brake lights does make them more visible.

[loserone]

^^ WHS.

 

Also; tyres and tarmac!

[Bucketeer]

that rover looks terrible.

 

someone please put it out of its misery with some matches and petrol.

 

why, oh would anyone want to do that to a 75!!!!

 

ugh, just horrid.

 

Why? Because not everybody has the same tastes, the world would be a very dull place if that were the case. Also, it's basically a worthless car that somebody just wanted to enliven. Bravo I say. It's not like it's a mega rare Horsey Horseless GTI  or owt is it.

Just because something isn't how you like it, doesn't make it wrong.

[LC Torana]

...suspicious that our er, Bini was burning oil. It isn't, and is well within specified tolerances (0.25l/1000km, where tolerance is 0.7l)..

That seems an enormous oil consumption figure. Sure you haven't made a mistake? I assume Binis are rated for annual oil changes, and if you do, say, 8000km in a year, that's 5.6 litres of oil top-up needed through the year. Don't know how big the Bini sump is, but given the target market for these cars, I'd be surprised if the bonnet is ever opened. If that figure is to be believed, you ought to top up the oil with every tank of fuel, like a 1930s car. Can't be right, surely?