The new news 24 thread

[Jazoli]

Got round to replacing the Puma battery, all is well again, but MOT is only a month away, rust may be an issue, but I'd like it to last another year. I may have to learn the art of derustification this summer.

 

Also assumed that the gearbox oil level was low as reverse is a sod when cold and you get a bit of bearing whine (I now think it is probably the clutch release bearing). Gearbox oil is fine so it is just that the box is a bit old and knackered.

 

However it was good that I checked the oil levels as the engine oil level was low, so topped back up, used about .5l in 2000 miles I would guess.

 

My Puma is beginning to bubble on the rear arches ever so slightly which means the previous owner didn't fix it properly before respraying it its also showing rust at the bottom of the front wings which I'll have to sort but its too cold to be crawling around on the floor today.

 

On a happier note the AC on my focus has never worked and seeing as Halfords have a 3 for 2 on I bought the recharge kit, stop leak and trigger and its worked perfectly, I now have ice cold ac (digital thermometer was actually showing -1) which is brilliant, plenty left in the can to recharge other cars in the household too, I'm a happy bunny today

 

 

[RayMK]

A few years ago (10+?) I remember looking at a Reliant website which had photos from past rallies (of the gathering variety).  The website name escapes me at the moment.  I had a vague idea it may have been "North(something) Online" i.e. it was not a mainstream Reliant Owners Club Site or 3Wheelers.com.  Anyway, the registration of your van looked familiar and I recall seeing a 1980s photo of a van of that model and possibly that reg on a trailer at a rally in the South West somewhere .  Unfortunately, the Reliant forum in which I mentioned the sighting folded a couple of years ago.  I'll look on my old back-up discs to see if I filed the photo anywhere.  

 

Plasticvanman, does this ring any bells with you?

 

Drawn a blank.  I found the revamped website "Northmead Online" which was established in 1998.  It used to have a strong Reliant bias, but although three wheelers do still appear in quite a few of the photos, I can't find any of the old Reliant rally photos in the archives.  I have yet to find a CD drive to hook up to interrogate my back-up discs.

 

Value wise, very few of these come up for sale, so success depends entirely on attracting a Reliant/three wheeler/microcar enthusiast who has some cash.  My estimate for the van would be £1500-£3000 depending on whether it is running, original and has a good chassis. Reliant owners are notoriously tight.  That's why they drive the things .

[barrett]

Okay, I figured it must be at least £3000 if it's all up and together. A girder fork van sold for around £4k at the same sale. I guess I'll find out how much it needs on Tuesday and report back. Oh, any idea what the steering wheel should look like and whether a 3/25 item will fit straight on? This one has a silly little sports job that needs to go in the bin asap

[catsinthewelder]

The Cherry has just departed to a Premium grade shitter,  after a bit of tinkering it is driving but not quite right.  I'm happy that it's gone to a good home.

[dollywobbler]

The clutch on the XM seems to have recovered from its diesel bath the other day. Last time I drove it, it was still slipping a bit. Went for a run today, including several fords (thanks Welsh bank holiday weather!) then went up the 'test hill' at pace. No slippage! Hoorah!

 

On the downside, I tried treating the Michelin wiper blades with Vaseline yesterday to stop them juddering. WARNING - you must let the blades air dry before using them, so you don't smear Vaseline all over the windscreen. Anyway, this trick worked! For about two miles. I'm so fed up I'm considering going for aero blades, even though I hate the look of them.

[RayMK]

Okay, I figured it must be at least £3000 if it's all up and together. A girder fork van sold for around £4k at the same sale. I guess I'll find out how much it needs on Tuesday and report back. Oh, any idea what the steering wheel should look like and whether a 3/25 item will fit straight on? This one has a silly little sports job that needs to go in the bin asap

 

Regarding the steering wheel, my parts list for the MK3-6 sidevalve Reliants shows number 4608 with (small type) in brackets.  Pictures in the owners manual for MK 3-6 show a two spoke wheel but diagrams in the same manual show three spokes.  The later OHV Regal (i.e. 3-25 and 3-30) have a three spoke wheel but I do not have a parts list to see if it's the same number as the earlier wheel.  Your van is a MK2, according to my limited info on the bookshelf.

Extensive searching for suitable photos on the net or a visit to a museum that has the same model may be your best bet unless Plasticvanman can advise.

[saucedoctor]

Got given another snow foam lance, a kosher Linntec one this time. Great job. I've washed the Jaaaag and Volvo, next door's 3 cars and the downstairs windows of my house.

[RayMK]

Barrett:  The wheel on this one may not be standard, but it's nice.  They get everywhere!

[plasticvandan]

Cream two spoke,I believe same as standard 8/10.

Value? If original and roadworthy,2500-3000 is on the nail.

I think it sold for 2200 when I saw it last.

[Fat_Pirate]

Bought a CV boot kit from GSF, and of course it's SHITE.  Rather than being made of rubber, it's plastic and obviously from the same production line that makes the lids for McDonalds cups.  I doubt it would last long enough to get through an MOT.

[cms206]

My pal's wedding is today. He arranged for us all to go up to the venue in a 1976 VW camper. It showed up, rust stains down the windows. No demisters. Wipers gave up shortly after, but not before second gear fucked off. Came out the Clyde Tunnel smelling very, very warm indeed and knocking it's cunt in, then chucked it on the Clydeside Expressway and wouldn't restart. Fucked about, got it going. Knocking got worse. We ended up only with third gear left. It eventually expired 200 yards short of the venue.

 

Nerves: shot.

[Barry Cade]

 

 

On the downside, I tried treating the Michelin wiper blades with Vaseline yesterday to stop them juddering. WARNING - you must let the blades air dry before using them, so you don't smear Vaseline all over the windscreen. Anyway, this trick worked! For about two miles. I'm so fed up I'm considering going for aero blades, even though I hate the look of them.

Do they only judder in one direction?

[dollywobbler]

Do they only judder in one direction?

 

Mostly, though they seem to generally chatter away. Have tried tweaking the arms to no avail.

[Cheggers]

Do they only judder in one direction?

No, they hate all boy bands...

[chodweaver]

I wish this weather would eff right off. I have one of the Voyager brake drums in bits in the gutter and could really do with putting it back together. It was only supposed to be an exploratory strip down to see if I need to buy cables, pads, shoes etc...

 

This country... etc. etc.

 

Sent from my GT-S5830i using Tapatalk 2

[twosmoke300]

Michelin wipers are like Lucas ones - cheap tat using an old name to make them more sellable .

Std Bosch wipers are good as are Valeo . I've had trico ones on my van for two years as well and still good

[Bren]

Just behing a mazda 5 that smoked like a Kuwaiti oilfield after Saddam had been through.

 

Are all modern mazda's pish?

[dollywobbler]

Michelin wipers are like Lucas ones - cheap tat using an old name to make them more sellable .

Std Bosch wipers are good as are Valeo . I've had trico ones on my van for two years as well and still good

 

I have sadly discovered this fact! Lucas ones don't appear to be too bad by comparison. May resort to Halford own brand. That's what I had fitted for the previous year, with no issues. You get a spoiler for the driver's blade and everything.

[twosmoke300]

I carried Lucas premium blades in stock but I think they have changed manufacturer recently as I've had loads of customer complaints about them

[MarvinsMom]

had to go to the shops this morning cos we had now't to eat in the house, and as a nice treat and cos its easy to park we took the Metro, we managed to get maybe a mile from home and i thought we were on for a FTP, as the car started to splutter, cough, splutter and generally play silly buggers. 

 

maybe 200 yards further up the road and Marvin has sorted his self out, running like nothing had happened. and incidentally ran home and around town this afternoon with no issues what so ever.

 

the filler pipe is horrid and i think there must be some crud floating about in either the tank or carb. which hasn't been off the car in 26 odd years!

 

the symptoms would certainly point to fuel starvation, and given the basic nature of an A+ engine, it is normally either ignition or carburation that are at the root cause of any problems running.

 

alternatively Marvin could have just been having a minor paddy as i managed to lock the keys inside yesterday and was all for busting a window with a hammer or something, though SWMBO managed to do the old feel some bailer twine stuff though the door seal and pull up the button instead.

 

little bugger......

[Kiltox]

Scenic reminded me earlier that 2 trouble free weeks is pushing it - stalled immediately after starting the engine which is the dephaser pulley on the way out

 

Bastard.

[Richard]

I have sadly discovered this fact! Lucas ones don't appear to be too bad by comparison. May resort to Halford own brand. That's what I had fitted for the previous year, with no issues. You get a spoiler for the driver's blade and everything.

 

The Halfords blades I fitted to the 850 just after you drove it are lasting well, I think they are as good as any. I tend to replace wipers after about a year anyway, or a week for Bosch ones.

[dugong]

Halfords blades are made by Valeo.

[twosmoke300]

Are they now ? Should be ok then

[dollywobbler]

The metal parts had gone quite rusty after a year, but I do live in Wales.

[barefoot]

For a while, I've been chatting to an old girl I keep bumping into the supermarket. She drives a newish Polo with my initials on her numberplate - BFT 5, they're not really those letters,, but you get the idea.

I asked about the plate and she said her husband has some more...

Yesterday, I saw BFT 4 on an E type and today bumped into Margaret again, asked her if thart was hubby in the e type, she confirmed that it was.

I said, 'it's a model late E type isn't it?'

Apparently, it's actually the last but one, the final one was retained by Jaguar and put into a museum!

And there's more...

'We've BFT 1 as well you know'.

I asked her what that's on?

'A beautiful peacock blue Rolls Royce, we've had it ages....'

'We bought it new!'

[HH-R]

I've not had much bother with wiper blades, even the cheapest of the cheap. Usually buy Wilko ones but the last one I bought was shit (Can't remember why, or even if I changed it!). My wipers and the arms look like they have been at the bottom of the ocean. I thought about painting the arms up over this weekend but last time I did it I ended up snapping one and having to pay £40+ for a new one so they can stay rat look.

[trigger]

A quick question to the (un)wise, what a 1980's Audi 90 2.2 10v's like? Do they make good dailies? I'm guessing mpg will be around the 25-30 mark and do they have a cambelt?.

[Kiltox]

Bought a bunch of "trupart" wiper blades (there's an eBay shop that sells them, I bought a load direct from the guy that runs it)

 

Perfect - long lasting and silent.

 

Worst I've ever used is "VistaPro" from euro car parts - a set fell apart in about 10 miles

 

Need a set of blades for the Scenic but it's some stupid proprietary fit flat blade bollocks

[Jerzy Woking]

Not had the W124 running since Christmas as the battery died. I bought a new one a couple of weeks ago which was immediately lent to my mate to get his motorbike fixed.

 

Got it back today and put it in the W124. Fired up instantly. Not all Mercedes are shit-cant wait until I take it for a run on Monday.