What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[dome]

I've had a shitty week with a broken car and 2 broken bikes but I'm sitting in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow waiting to see Underworld. Last time I saw them was 20 years ago at T in the Park. Tonight I'm drinking tea. Bring it on!

[dome]

Well I got cracking

But after spending 2 hours replacing loads of capacitors on the main PCB as well as the connector and sorting out a load of bodges (just so I could comfortably turn it on without expecting sparks and fire) I powered it up and:

Revcounter LCD totally dead, Some segments dead on fuel/Temp LCD.

The culprit was scratches on the gold deposited tracks on the glass:

 

There were a couple of breaks visible under a magnifying glass, so I thought I would get it under the DINOSCOPE and see if I could bridge them with a bit of conductive paint on a needle (it works on LCDs because they are very high impedance, so an extra 200 ohms doesn't bother them.

 

I tried, I really did. For ages. Sadly, it's fucked. What look like minor scratches are really complete breaks in the tracks, as well as the obvious massive breaks in the tracks you can see.

 

It would probably be doable with a steady hand (the tracks are 0.3mm wide) but whatever held the gold onto the glass to start with doesn't hold it on there anymore, so even the slightest touch just wipes it off completely.

Cobblers any recommendations on where to send my Mercedes comand 2.0 unit for repair? The screen flickers in and out but mostly out.

[D Spares & Tyres]

what made me grin not too long ago was a Renault Megane on the hard shoulder with loads of smoke coming out the exhaust and a lady of a certain age running away from it

 

I assume it was the usual Renault running on engine oil trick

[D Spares & Tyres]

and in my trucking days (until 3 years ago) I used to enjoy seeing Rovers on the hard shoulder with steam coming out of them. In their hayday you would see between 2 and 5 on a long journey       Trucking allows you to be amused by simple things.like other truckers

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Did you do that trick of pissing in a coke bottle and lobbing it on the hard shoulder???

[skattrd]

What other forum can boast news like this:

 

one thing we know is that on the day I get an UMM, Panhard gets not one but two Renault Fregates.

 

Umms and Fregates a plenty

[Ghosty]

From time to time things I say spark old car memories in the Old Man.

Cars I knew he had are a mk2 Escort L, Scimitar, Capri Laser, Mk2 Fiesta, 190E, Prelude, Civic x2.

 

There's a lot I never knew: he briefly owned a Sierra bought off a colleague, promptly traded for a Capri Laser, for one.

He had an Acclaim, a Toledo coupe, possibly a Velox/Cresta of some description... all sorts.

 

What I didn't know up to now is that for some reason in the '80s, he bothered putting lowering springs on the Mk2 Escort L???

:grin:

[D Spares & Tyres]

Did you do that trick of pissing in a coke bottle and lobbing it on the hard shoulder???

no I can`t get my cock in a coke bottle, milk bottles were much easier

[Cavcraft]

I placed an accumulator bet earlier, all three teams to win. Then I checked my bet an hour later and realised two of those teams were playing each other in the same game.

I get the idea I'm a tit.

[PhilA]

I was amused that some horrible old commie crapwagon a: made it as a model and b: is for sale here, probably because nobody has any idea what it is.

 

 

So, naturally, I bought it. The panel gaps are remarkably good.

 

--Phil

[MrDuke]

RIP Mr Pratchett

 

This is in the grin thread because his books made me inordinately happy. And still do.

 

 

 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

[vulgalour]

Spectacular.

[bub2006]

Sold the metro

[nacho man]

I saw a tigra up the arse of a new 911 this morn and a z4 behind having a little razzamataz up the a52 doing a good 100mph.

 

I hope the tigra was flashing the 911 to get out the way and let the superior car past.

[Negative Creep]

Probably on the Vauxhall Forum now "OMG totally destroyed a 911 today, was doing over 100 and he couldn't pull away from me"

[Bobthebeard]

Probably on the Vauxhall Forum now "OMG totally destroyed a 911 today, was doing over 100 and he couldn't pull away from me"

Wonder what was on the Porsche 911 forum?

OMG got beasted by a Tigra today..... Going to get a Vauxhall.

[steve_earwig]

Racing for driving licenses?

[Louise2cv]

Yo gang not sure where to put this but just a quick heads up about some TV shite, ITV advertising a new drama which I guess is about Colin Pitchfork, "code of a criminal" or summat with John Simm as the DNA pioneer...

 

Anyhoo, I caught a glimpse of some boxy thing, maybe a fiat? And with it being set in the 80's it might be good for chord spotting.

 

Similarly I am still trying to find time to watch a welsh drama about the miners strike, the 10mins I did catch had some pretty cool street dressing in the background, maxis and the like.

[Station]

Probably on the Vauxhall Forum now "OMG totally destroyed a 911 today, was doing over 100 and he couldn't pull away from me"

Unless it had a Saab engine in it. Doubtful like.

[fordperv]

Unless it had a Saab engine in it. Doubtful like.

Well what fits in a corsa b will fit in a tigra

[cort16]

Just bought a set of fishnet recaros for the cortina off gumtree. I love the look of those seats.

[skattrd]

Its the weekend, so I'm going to play with my Umm.

[skattrd]

Partridge ... have you got a small aircraft?

 

[Ghosty]

Got a pretty easy conditional offer for a transfer from Uni of Wolverhampton to Man Met for the rest of my course, so two months' work and I'm studying from home next year.

Fuck. Yes.

[vulgalour]

I'm off on a shite adventure tomorrow incorporating collection of a complete Renault 6 exhaust, a pair of Peugeot front seats and delivery of a Transit seat which also involves shiters TheMoog and Krujoe.  Should be a fun day out.

[KruJoe]

..and Mike_Knight

[catsinthewelder]

Similarly I am still trying to find time to watch a welsh drama about the miners strike, the 10mins I did catch had some pretty cool street dressing in the background, maxis and the like.

pride? Watch it, it's really good and I would be very surprised if Fred wasn't involved somehow.

 

 

You know how anything involving Only fools and horses is usually a grump on here

 

https://twitter.com/BeingBoycie/status/576039221280022530

 

[Louise2cv]

Not Pride, but I really want to see that, its out on DVD soon I think?

 

This was an S4C one off drama about the miners strike told from the point of view of a high school age daughter of one miners, or something. Stuff like this on S4C tends to be very, very well done.

 

(Why BBC 4 doesn't show any S4C stuff with subtitles is beyond me. I have seen some great telly since learning Welsh).

[Angrydicky]

Heading back home from Kent in the Maestro, I'd not long joined the M2 and was coming up to the Faversham junction, when I saw what I thought was a Montego in the distance!

Obviously I put my foot down to catch up with the car, which turned out to be a very tidy, gold, B reg Rover 213!

As I passed the Rover I bipped my horn and waved at the driver, who gave me a wave back, although he was an older chap, so I'm not sure if he was an enthusiast or a long term owner. It was in fantastic condition though, no rust at all that I could see.