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Posted

Been a 'bit' of a day.

 

Picked the dollop up this morning, very pleased with the way she looks (though later saw a run in the back wing - job for Monday I hope) but when John put the car out on the road, he reversed up a kerb and got massive wheelspin on the drivers side rear wheel. I was mildly niggled, but nothing more...

 

On the way home, no speedo.

 

Cock!

 

Odometer is still reading and going up, cruise control is still working so the signal is getting out but not to the speedo. Having just spent another fortune on the bastard, I was less than chuffed at the prospect of having to have the car raved apart and the speedo re-built. Them I took the dogs out and saw that the speedo needle was the wrong side of the stop!

 

Turns out, when John got wheelspin in reverse, the needle jumped the stop and was now jammed. I dithered and did a bit of googling and thought 'Oh well'

 

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What a faff to get the dashboard out. But, quite straight forward! If you had done it before and knew the order the bits of dash/trim/and where the hidden fixings were, not difficult at all.But you basically end up with everything off to get the speedo and rev counter out and then it is held together with tiny little allen bolts, which I had! Actually removing the wood was scary! On slip and mucho dosh needed.

 

Anyway, put it half back together and took it for a run and the speedo worked! So returned and spent ages putting it all back together so that everything fitted properly. It's nice to work on to be honest.

 

But, then it wouldn't start!

 

Battery is as dead as a 2 year old corpse! Called the AA who jumped it and checked it out, no drain on the battery but it is Donald Ducked battery wise. No, they don't have one in the van. No, not interested in trying to find me one at 5:30 on a Saturday. Don't blame him to be honest.

 

No idea how old the battery is but it has a 'magic eye' thing which is showing very red which is bad. See if it starts tomorrow and see if Halfords have got one.I don't think it's anything special: 069 I seem to recall was quite common but Halfords don't even list Bentley or RR and I couldn't find a battery list on the site and they were declining to answer the phone with 15 minutes to closing time!

 

Oh, and while I was faffing, found quite a substantial run in the passenger side rear wing. No great shakes, I am sure John will sort it on Monday.

 

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That scruffy bugger is John the painter. Shame about the run, it's spoiled my 'buzz' :)

Posted

Yo, xtriple, have you got the Mazda to get to Halfords in?

I'm working tomorrow in Torbay hospital, but could come give you a jump/ lift?

Posted

Went down to West Wales today to see family and whilst at my brother's took a look at the TR7 with a view to getting it back on the road. Sadly the four/five years of disuse have not been kind to it. The paint has started to lift off the pop up light pods and there are a few rust spots on what must have been untreated stone chips, so it is now going to need paint, plus whatever else to get it MOT'd. I have asked my brother if he can get it running and MOT'd for me and then I will get the paint sorted. If we have a summer I would like to get a bit of use out of it, but it will have to go. I've dithered about selling it for the last few years and will now have to spend a fair bit on it to get it sellable; although I suppose I could do the classic ebay "barn-find" and try selling it as it is.

 

While in the shed I was surprised to see a Peugeot 306 convertible and asked whose it was, my brother told me it was his, he had bought it because he reversed his pick-up into it.

  • Like 2
Posted

Yo, xtriple, have you got the Mazda to get to Halfords in?

I'm working tomorrow in Torbay hospital, but could come give you a jump/ lift?

The Mazda is in the garage.... 2 miles away and I ain't walking! It's really kind of you to offer mate, but there will be someone here with cables or a jumper pack and then it's all down to Halfords. What are the chance of them having a battery?

 

Of all else fails, I will make the AA find me a battery... I am just that kind of a rebel :)

Posted

The Mazda is in the garage.... 2 miles away and I ain't walking! It's really kind of you to offer mate, but there will be someone here with cables or a jumper pack and then it's all down to Halfords. What are the chance of them having a battery?

 

Of all else fails, I will make the AA find me a battery... I am just that kind of a rebel :)

 

Halfords should have a battery suitable I'd have thought, especially if its an 069, unless Bentleys require special battery's filled with premium monkey jizz.

Posted

The 306 went tonight, which now means trying to get rid of the spares one. As absolutely horrible as it looks it'll be a shame when it does go, had a lot of fun in that car, but sentiments don't clear my garage.

Someone local making noises about being interested in my Laguna (not actually advertised it) so will see how that pans out, at the moment I'm actually enjoying using it.

Posted

Halfords should have a battery suitable I'd have thought, especially if its an 069, unless Bentleys require special battery's filled with premium monkey jizz.

It probably is! :)

Posted

Nice to see an Alvis keeping the Bentley company.

Posted

I spent most of the day at the ACA classic auction in Kings Lynn.  The usual comically overpriced tarted up crap and the usual irritating-voiced auctioneer, but there were a few gems, such as the collection of low-mileage Rover 25s and 45s, a lovely 75 V8, a tidy and quite sensibly-priced (or sensibly-estimated) CX Prestige, and a Gamma coupe with the bluest velour interior I have ever seen.  I wimped out of taking the Innocenti because of the weather, opting instead to blast down the A47 in leather clad 50mpg luxury* in the modern Saab.

 

Got back to Norwich and stopped by the garage to have another attempt at getting the Renner Six running - the battery didn't quite have enough life in it yesterday, but I'd charged it up overnight, and also taken a can of petrol with me to chuck a bit down the carb as the poor old mechanical pump takes a bit of cranking to pull fuel up from the tank when it's been stood a while.  With the addition of a charged battery and petrol, it started straight away, and I let it run for a while (fan kicked in and out as it should) then backed it out of the garage for the first time since last summer.  It has a slightly sticky front brake, but not enough to stop it being driveable; everything else seems fine.  I even took a couple of pictures - a bit rubbish because it was getting dark by then.

 

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Bonus Mobylette and 10th-birthday-present mountain bike in this one.

 

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Posted

Had a couple of days off and despite wanting to add a panda (or two) to the fleet I've decided to get what I've got sorted first.  The 4x4 seems to be starting ok,  I was going to fit a new dash with inclinometer as I found another light switch.  I tried the switch and only side lights are coming on.  So it's either a duff switch or a relay somewhere, I'll have another look one afternoon next week as I'm on earlies.post-17396-0-49354800-1460234148_thumb.jpg

 

I have three sets of alloys needing sorting, I loaded them up into the Colour (for inaugural run of year!) back arches were nearly touching.  Apparently the front and rear alloys are different offsets so I swapped them around, took the car up the road accompanied by a symphony of rubber on metal squeaking and grumbling, bugger.  

 

Backed the selecta up (still on skinny 13's) and loaded "Cecil" up.  I was parked on the brow of the drive over the footpath.  When I tried to start him up and refused to start, horrible knocking sound, can only presume the extra weight had beached the exhaust on the ground.  I had to push the car over the brow onto the flat and it started perfectly.  Such a great little car on the motorway, effortlessly keeps up with traffic and is totally comfortable to be in.  Round trip to York about 45 mins each way, record time!

 

Today I was determined to do two things, get the colour washed and taxed and have a run out.  Crappy shite RONCO* expanding hoses were connected and BOTH sprang leaks.

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Having lived with twisted, split, cack covered, kinked, never long enough, joins coming apart useless leaking bastard twatting hoses 4ever I bought this:post-17396-0-92916000-1460236990_thumb.jpg

 

Immediate disappointment as did't come with space hopper, and after struggling with trying to screw in the worlds tightest yet shittiest screws it was up.post-17396-0-23894700-1460237109_thumb.jpg

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So I could do this:

 

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Only for the rain to do this:

 

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Bugger.

 

I did get a run out after I taxed it - to bloody B&Q.

 

Despite it's 999cc engine it grips the road and accelerates well, ride is quite firm with lowered springs and fat 15" tyres - best enjoyed without anything in the boot!

Even had the front sun roof rolled up.

 

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So another car taxed and back on the road!

 

Posted

going to go to the meet at Locomotion in Shildon tomorrow. so i've been across to the FiL's to pick up the Metro.

 

only when i get there the battery is UTTERLY flat. no dash lights, nothing, it seems that the electric has all leaked away, and talking of leaks, the carpet on the passenger side is wringing wet again....

 

bollocks and other swears....

 

have brought the Jaguar home instead for tomorrow, will leave the Metro to consider its attitude....

 

was looking forward to going out in that car tomorrow though.

 

seems that what ever i do, the car seems to throw it back at me! i should just sell it all and take up a new hobby, intravenous drugs maybe?

  • Like 1
Posted

Oh forgot to mention, Y10 is running like a bag of spanners again, could hardly get it off the drive yesterday and then to add insult to injury the drivers window went down but won't go up again.  I had to put the car cover over it as the carport is a bit leaky.  Just as well, I don't want to look at it, has been an expensive ornament for too long now, I've no confidence in it anymore.  Were it not for what I've spent getting it solid I'd torch the awkward piece of wank.

Posted

oh goody! i'm pleased its not just me who is having all sorts of car trouble.

 

you have my sympathies.

  • Like 1
Posted

Went to sittingbourne, met up with friend at another friends house so we could change the clutch on his wife citrine mondeo.. after few hurdles we got it done..

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Posted

My spare time is at an all time low so I dragged Ms C out of her sick bed (don't ask) to drop the Disco off at a garage on Wednesday. The problem is a transmission oil leak that I couldn't fix when it was dripping six months back but has gotten worse.

 

The journey back was a little stressful as the fuel gauge in the 405 doesn't work.  I wasn't sure how much was left in but knew that the fuel light worked.  Obviously this came on in the middle of nowhere so I crossed my fingers and pressed on up a very steep (1st gear!) hill to take some tiny lanes back to Knighton where there was a filling station.  Knighton was reached and we decided to grab some stuff from Tuffins (local supermarket) first who have a tiny multi story carpark with about 6 spaces on each of 6 levels.

 

When we got back to the car it wouldn't start,  starter just didn't (I had been warned about this and have a spare starter).  Tried whacking the starter and rocking it in 5th but neither worked so we bump started down the ramp.  Now I was more worried about this than the fuel so decided to risk the 7 mile drive to Leintwardine where the petrol station is on a hill.  Got there fine to find a sign outside "No Diesel" FFS.  Hypermiled the 10 miles home and tanked the fucker,  started 1st time and has been fine since.

  • Like 3
Posted

I have overspent on cars this month and we're barely into week 2.  None of them work.

Posted

I have overspent on cars this month and we're barely into week 2.  None of them work.

The last 4 years of my life, summarised in a single sentence.

Posted

Fitted new uprated alternator on volvo,had to make new adjustment bracket but now showing charging at about 14 volt on crappy voltmeter was under 13 volt  before.

next job...oil & filter change using my new oil sucker-outer thingy for first time.

What oil do i need for 96 ovlov 940 ?

Posted

My spare time is at an all time low so I dragged Ms C out of her sick bed (don't ask) to drop the Disco off at a garage on Wednesday. The problem is a transmission oil leak that I couldn't fix when it was dripping six months back but has gotten worse.

 

The journey back was a little stressful as the fuel gauge in the 405 doesn't work.  I wasn't sure how much was left in but knew that the fuel light worked.  Obviously this came on in the middle of nowhere so I crossed my fingers and pressed on up a very steep (1st gear!) hill to take some tiny lanes back to Knighton where there was a filling station.  Knighton was reached and we decided to grab some stuff from Tuffins (local supermarket) first who have a tiny multi story carpark with about 6 spaces on each of 6 levels.

 

When we got back to the car it wouldn't start,  starter just didn't (I had been warned about this and have a spare starter).  Tried whacking the starter and rocking it in 5th but neither worked so we bump started down the ramp.  Now I was more worried about this than the fuel so decided to risk the 7 mile drive to Leintwardine where the petrol station is on a hill.  Got there fine to find a sign outside "No Diesel" FFS.  Hypermiled the 10 miles home and tanked the fucker,  started 1st time and has been fine since.

 

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Posted

My van hlight out thismorning (H4).

 

RAC branded (likely Ring) in orange pack = £1 @ poondies.

 

 

TS

  • Like 1
Posted

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My 940 once ran out as I was approaching the Cowdenbeath slip road on the A92. I had just enough momentum to coast to Morrisons and get 9 litres of their finest veg. My father in law was most impressed.

  • Like 3
Posted

I've spent the morning at the MAGICAL KINGDOM of Silverlake car spares near Southampton.  I didn't know such places existed down south - surely this land could be better used for exclusive executive apartments?  Anyway, you may remember I was moaning about having to potentially waste a couple of hours extracting an exhaust manifold from a breaker (and if not, why not?  I'm very important and it's imperative you keep up with my movements), but look!  Some kind soul had already pulled the front off a Picasso for me!

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They have a flat pricing scheme, so all manifolds are £20.  Most of the yard is post-2000 chod like that above, but there's some '90s Jap stuff too.  It's all very professional and if it had a themed onsite hotel, it could rival Disneyland for entertainment value.  

Posted

I'd been looking forward to this since...

 

since...

 

err...

 

About 4 months ago when I hit 166,666.

 

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Toyota Avensis 2.0SR

1999.

Very Purple.

  • Like 5
Posted

Just nabbed this in HellFrauds for €60, should be very handy for tinkering with the Fiesta with its almost endless rust issues.

 

 

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