The new news 24 thread

[rantingYoof]

As someone who could quite happily watch hours upon hours of people who share a degree of interest in cars as myself review boring, mundane everyday tripe, I am hoping the new TG is as down-to-earth as it can be with the presenters chosen, and am looking forward to it.

 

All the hate is simply people fearful of unknown change to their Sunday night routine of being a couch-slob.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I admit that Chris Evans winds me up generally, but as I'm an old fart and haven't currently got a car with DAB, I find myself listening to him a lot.

Whenever he talks about cars, he winds me up even more. The recent last Defender radio programme was chock full of inaccurate rubbish, but as he's a petrolhead* everyone accepts it.

At least 2 of the gang of 3 were knowledgable and experienced car journalists.

 

Saying all that, I rarely watched Top Gear and doubt that will change , at least till its on Dave in a couple of years.

[plasticvandan]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C588137

heres one of the cars,in a pretty mint state,before their destruction of it

[oldcars]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C588137

heres one of the cars,in a pretty mint state,before their destruction of it

i saw that one one on Joe's site. He wanted good money for it. What a fecking waste. At least the other one was a bucket to start.

Why buy a good example to wreck it, there are plenty tatty ones about. 

 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/reliant/reliant-robin-3-wheeler-convertible-1-year-mot-drives-well-fundraiser-advertising/1133548120

[plasticvandan]

the bbc (and amazon) buy all their cars from him,apparently he now charges £2k each from them,and they pay it!

[oldcars]

Bet he is happy. Should have sold them a tatty one for 2k and saved the wee Rialto.

[plasticvandan]

its just business to him.he has the last unbuilt BN Robin rolling shell in his yard,been sat years now,will never get done.

[oldcars]

Do you know him? I spoke with him once he was great, very good advice given, which to be fare i should have listened to more!

Would love to see the BN 

[plasticvandan]

ive been friends with him from when he very first started,only about 15 miles away you see,there was a point where i was up there almost every week lol

[oldcars]

Cool. would love a wander about there bet there is lots of interesting stuff.

[Jazoli]

This has been hanging around our yard for ages it's the gaffers daughters (she don't want it). It's a 207 gt.

 

He wanted something daft like 1500 for it. It's the crap 1.6hdi donk. Is it worth a punt if I can get it cheap.

 

Here it is being jumped by the best van in the world.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

A mate has just paid nearly £4k for one of them  , how cheap is it? I 'd be tempted to buy it just to piss him off, they are ok, but I'd only buy it if it was very cheap as all of the alternatives are measurably better, apart from a megane of course

[plasticvandan]

Cool. would love a wander about there bet there is lots of interesting stuff.

Usually around 100 cars littered about,and several hundred in spares on the shelf!

[Bear]

I fixed something today. The Audi had a crossthreaded spark plug about four threads in, in first cylinder.

 

Obtained a tool called a Back-Tap (had to get the bugger shipped from America), dropped into spark plug hole, expanded the threads, and...

 

Repeated about 200 times trying to get the bastard thing to sit right because the Audi has all the crap possible around that cylinder and in uncommonly-shit engineering for American tools, they've got a tool that works anti-clockwise to clear a thread, but a knurled collar for the expander that works clockwise. Left-hand thread on the collar would mean the tool is engaged AND turned with the easiest bit to grip. It's not like a US firm to be so stupid on tools.

 

Anyway the plug doesn't cure the poor starting, though I decided on an easier route than cranking the bugger forever... but it sounds like an Audi five-pot should now.

 

 

 

[dollywobbler]

I nearly bought that car. Maybe I'm glad I didn't!

 

However, I just went for a drive in the XM. Oh dear.

 

I fear the love for this one has almost entirely ebbed away. That Prelude is a pain in the arse. I held up the XM as an example of how a car should handle. Then I discovered something a lot better - albeit not as comfy. But, I've driven 700 miles in the Honda this week, yet was still glad to jump back in it this morning. 

 

I may have to work on a new For Sale ad. One of them has to go. Perhaps I'll let fate decide which stays.

[Bear]

The Audi? It's not a bad car at all - goes very well, just needs "something" sorting with cold starting and the K-jet. I think it needs the MAF potentiometer cleaning, but I don't have the tools to test the other likely culprit of fuel pressure regulator; it's also reading 200mpg all the time, and it idles a little high when warm - 1050rpm or so rather than 750-850. All the other plugs behaved, so it has five new plugs, new leads, dizzycap/rotor arm, as far as I can tell it is running the correct advance (15°).

[dollywobbler]

Aye, I've always wanted one, but I wouldn't have fancied being stuck with it here in the middle of nowhere trying to get to the bottom of its issues.

[hairnet]

 

Anyone want to buy a hard top

yes please you can haz pm

[Bear]

Aye, I've always wanted one, but I wouldn't have fancied being stuck with it here in the middle of nowhere trying to get to the bottom of its issues.

 

That's okay. It's in my shed now. Issues will be chased away and then Keith will no doubt want it to go elsewhere, and this car is unusual in that I end up looking after it and NOT wanting it, because I've done five-pot Audis before and am not a fan, plus it's the bodystyle I don't like (no glamour of two doors and folding roof, no practicality of hatch or estate), and the colour that is officially my bad-luck colour (pale metallic blue).

 

I say it's unusual - I've also got a RR Classic Vogue SE visiting, and that's also done nothing except reaffirm my opinion that Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokees are better to drive, better made and considerably better value. It's also made me look at P38s with a new admiration.

[skattrd]

DW, if you think the Prelude handles nicely maybe you should try something that handles really well .... I'd suggest an Alfa 155

[twosmoke300]

Every Alfa I've driven always disappoints me in the handling dept . Maybe my expectations are too high from all the hype and stereotypes . Preludes do have a sweet chassis and the next model on from DW's one , while not a looker , is on my list .

[dollywobbler]

If you do go for a Prelude 5th gen, don't go for an auto. They sound utterly hopeless.

 

This is why I like to drive different cars though. It never pays to get too blinkered. But, one car has to go so I think I'll put both up for sale. I need the cash monies!

[Asimo]

Have Honda ever made anything that rides well?

 

Maybe not Ami / Ambassador / Renault 20 comfort, but at least bearable on British back roads.

[dollywobbler]

Have Honda ever made anything that rides well?

 

Maybe not Ami / Ambassador / Renault 20 comfort, but at least bearable on British back roads.

 

I did drive an S2000 the other day, and the ride in that seemed better than my Prelude. Not as good as an MX-5 though. They're remarkably supple for a sports car.

[anonymous user]

On my journey to work yesterday I experienced hissing from under the bonnet combined with less than usual retardation when pushing the brake pedal. The brakes do work but you have to push really hard. I cannot see a resident snake under the bonnet so assume that my brake servo has decided not to work,

 

I have just taken it very carefully to the garage and been provided with a newer Land Rover 110 station wagon as courtesy car, why does someone with four cars need a courtesy car?  Well the Smart is still not back, the TR7 has not turned a wheel in four years (not strictly true, it has been up and down my brother's drive a few times, but is 100miles away) and the ex-Station MINI is on loan to a friend.

 

The 110 is nice, but the last user left the sun-roof open so it's a bit damp in there and I have to remember that there's about another three foot on the back when parking on the drive.

[xtriple]

A while ago I lost one of the little covers on my front bumper. About two inches wide, about four inches long with a swage in the middle to match the rest of the bumper. It really is , nothing special and if I still had access to all my stuff, even crippled old me could knock one up in an hour that would cost fourpence! Bentley want £70 plus VAT and postage and then you have the wank of getting it painted (which we know from previous experience is going to be a fucking nightmare!

 

So I searched for Bentley breakers and found one - Westminster auto spares. They only do RR and Bs and list what they have in stock.... they had a 98 Brooklands R!

 

So I bought this little cover from them, £28 all in delivered. Result. Also, it turned up the very next day, impressive.

 

What was even more impressive was: it's green! Not the same shade as my car, but on a little bit like that, no one will notice (not even me and I am a right fussy old twat!). So I had a couple of goes at fitting it, in the rain while being blown out to sea and quit. It is a tad tricky to fit as it is rather thick and quite a complicated shape with a delicate twist in it and it is hook shaped at both ends so you are supposed to fit it on a narrower bit and then slide it into position.

 

Fine, but that involves taking the bumper off!

 

So I came up with a 'cunning' plan and thought I'd just give it a test, then take it off again, smear araldite under it (don't want to lose another) and fit it finally. Off course, it fitted on a treat but was soooooo tight, there was/is no way it is coming back off again without damage! So I gently prised it up a bit and injected (I have loads of used syringes kicking about) Araldite in instead.

 

This all begs the question: how the fuck did the old one come off?

[Lacquer Peel]

Have Honda ever made anything that rides well?

 

Honda Concerto with Rover-designed strut front suspension.

 

Their weird insistence on short travel double wishbone suspension ruined the back road ride of most of their cars.

 

Dolly, are you thinking straight? Maybe you've got out of the XM's groove by driving the Prelude for a while, the XM does nearly 50MPG and is a very practical car, the Honda is considerably thirstier and not practical.

[dugong]

I did drive an S2000 the other day, and the ride in that seemed better than my Prelude. Not as good as an MX-5 though. They're remarkably supple for a sports car.

MX-5s aren't sports cars. [runs].

[richardmorris]

Just been to an auction of tat/ valuable and rare parts at Collectors Car Parts in Thorpe. My friend Harp helps run it. Lots of junk and some new pieces for loads of BL era and earlier. Also things that people have mentioned here like a Volvo branded double DIN cassette and CD player, ten brand new Haynes manuals for the Hillman Husky and Imp, set of wood trim for a jag I think, w124 headlamps and indicators ( earlier face lift ones ) and two sets of chrome wheelarch trims for a w124 saloon.

 

Could be worth people going to the next auction which is Saturday 13th March at 12. Open from 10 for viewings.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Honda Concerto with Rover-designed strut front suspension.

 

.

I thought the Concerto had its own Japanese front suspension? Maybe I am thinking of the 213/216 rovers.

[dollywobbler]

They just had different damper and spring rates I think. Being built in the same factory, I doubt they'd want to fit different suspension entirely.