What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[greengartside]

Had to chuckle just now.

 

If the draw for BorneiteIdentity's Fiesta had gone ahead tonight then I would have just won the bugger as I was going to choose number 43.

[Richard]

Interesting looking new film on netflix

 

FINDING.png

 

Snatch was a massive disappointment, I'm not falling for that again.

[dollywobbler]

ok where is it?

 

I'm trying to think myself now. On a BX, it's on the underside of the steering column, therefore absolutely impossible to see. Logical.

[richardmorris]

The X1/9 lets you adjust the dash lights from dim to dying glow worm.

 

To get the 2cv dash brighter you remove the dash and replace the 2w cap less bulb with a 5w one.

 

The c5 had quite a neat trick that let you turn off everything apart from the speedo at night- ie radio, heater controls, Rev counter etc.

 

Oh, and if you don't occasionally fiddle with the brightness control on the w124s then one night you'll get in and nothing will be lit up at all!

[michael1703]

They're a bit dodgy though, I had one catch fire in a Bedford ca so I tend to leave them on brightest setting.

[myglaren]

 

The c5 had quite a neat trick that let you turn off everything apart from the speedo at night- ie radio, heater controls, Rev counter etc.

 

 

Mine has a bit of a mind of it's own - different every time it is used (not often and only to see what it does "this time").

[twosmoke300]

Basically stole Saabs night panel then

[robinmasters]

So, in the almost two years I've had my car one of my annoyances was how crap the dash illumination was. I put this down to a combination of (a) French, (b) old and (c) electricity. I always meant to look into changing the dash bulbs.

 

 

Until tonight, fumbling around under the steering column for the bonnet release, I came across a little spinny wheel thing I hadn't noticed before:

 

 

MY EYES!

 

In my defence, I've not had a car new enough to have this sort of technological wizardry before. Although that didn't stop me mercilessly taking the piss out of my friend when he did exactly the same thing with his Mercedes. Still, at least I haven't been driving around with a torch clamped between my teeth for six months like him...

I've bypassed the rheostat on mine. The choice seemed to be a) bright enough to see b ) not bright enough to see in varying degrees. And I kept knocking it onto b ) by accident.

[LC Torana]

Ye olde Lucas dash rheostats have a proper detent to hold the control in the short-circuit position.

[fred]

I had to phone my old dear to say I was late today

 

''Sorry Ma, my girlfriend has a puncture, be running late''

 

''Son, I thought your inflatable Girlfriend stage was done with, get a real one will you''

 

I Have no words

[michael1703]

http://www.abigailburdess.co.uk/Blog/Entries/2016/3/23_4_Common_Relationship_Mistakes_And_How_To_Avoid_Them.html

[Pillock]

My Astra GTE had two settings for the dash illumination - Off, and Flicker on for half a second when you go over a bump.

Made worse by being a digital dash model, so you sort of need the lights to see anything at all.

 

Also when turning the rheostat, flaky bits of crud used to come out.

[vulgalour]

Got the Rover immobiliser FIXED for FREE and GRATIS (cheers Mikeknight).  Took it for a thrash, got following a very modified Honda Civic and got a big fat thumbs up from a driver of a prestige vehicle (first time I've ever had a thumbs up in the Rover) and then I only went and passed the friggin retest!  Full details in the Rover thread shortly.

 

HAPPY DAYS

 

Oh, and this is my drive right now.  I seriously couldn't be happier.  Today is the best Thursday EVER.

 

[michael1703]

Mega like, well done!

[dave21478]

What was the immobiliser fix?

[vulgalour]

Resoldering the battery cage where the old solder had cracked.  Over the moon it was such a simple and FREE fix.

[Cavcraft]

I've just played darts against my sporting hero, Sir Eric of Bristow.

[richardmorris]

Who won?

[anonymous user]

Today I repaired the Land Rover in the work car-park. It has not been a nice day weatherwise (or workwise come to that, but this is the grin thread) and I had the lights on coming in. Well I thought I had the lights on, but the gate chap told me I had a headlamp out. When I parked I checked the lights and found that it wasn't so much a headlamp out, but only one headlamp working out of all the lights that should be on. Now I knew they were working a few days ago as I had checked them when replacing the other tail-light, so I checked the fuses. All the fuses were fine, but did seem a bit dirty, so I gave them a scrape with my pocket knife and a wipe over. Checked the lights again and now they were all working again, I will give them a proper clean up over the weekend.

 

Another minor grin, yesterday when paying for petrol there was a lady at the counter slightly panicking, she had put fuel in and then her car wouldn't start. The counter staff were asking if she had misfuelled, but apparently not. The car was a 16 plate small Kia. Being a nosy helpful chap I asked if I could help and discovered that she had only had the car a few days, I asked if it was one of those where you have to dip the clutch to start (been caught out with those myself) to be told it was an auto. I walked out with her and said I'd have a look and if necessary push it off the pumps for her.

 

I did look to check it was in park (it was) and said to try it, I did wonder if an imobiliser had set and that the locking and unlocking would have reset it. I watched her try to turn the key and nothing happen. So I said "let me try" and as I turned the key gave the steering wheel a wiggle, and as the steering lock released the key turned fully to start the engine. I had a thank-you from the lady and a thumbs up from the counter staff.

[Cheggers]

Thanks to Easter I've been paid 4 days early

 

Including my annual bonus

 

Which I underestimated

 

I feel a thoroughly unsuitable car coming on...

[richardmorris]

Paid early too. Unfortunately as it's month 12 it's less than usual despite bonus as director tax applies.

[catsinthewelder]

 

 I watched her try to turn the key and nothing happen. So I said "let me try" and as I turned the key gave the steering wheel a wiggle, and as the steering lock released the key turned fully to start the engine. I had a thank-you from the lady and a thumbs up from the counter staff.

 

We get a good few panicked phone calls at the van hire caused by steering locks.  The standard answer now is 'foot on the clutch, right hand on the key, shake the steering wheel like you are trying to break it and..... It's started,  excellent'.

 

 

[seth]

We had new neighbours move into the rented place next door several weeks ago.  Obviously we haven't spoken to them because London.  They're involved in building and had done a load to improve the property before moving in.  Vans always parked outside but they've been pretty quiet.  Assumed from overhearing foreign conversations (without taking much notice) that they were from Eastern Europe somewhere.

 

I was just shifitng the cars about when he came back in a van earlier today and he came up to say hello.  And asked if my car was a Peykan and wondered if I had imported it. 

 

They'll be Iranian then.

[Cavcraft]

Who won?

 

 

I let him, it was his big moment.

 

 

More truthfully, he went first and you had to match his score and if so, you won a pint. My mate managed it, then later on got highest score out of about 7 people and won 6 pints. It was ace, there were a few Dutch people over for the Premier League of darts (we didn't have tickets ourselves) in Liverpool and it was great fun. 

[Aston Martin]

I rented a Hyundai Iload... Nice van, however fuck Hyundai's obsession with indicators and wipers the wrong way around and the clutch starting is stupid.

[danthecapriman]

Just bought these for my mum, dad and sister for Easter. Thought I'd treat myself to one too of course!

 

Giant Thorntons Easter eggs, 850g monsters! I'm going to enjoy this. Look how tiny the normal Easter egg is!

[doobietoo]

Alarm set for 530am as we are off to wheels day.... yep showing the PT ...... haters etc.  why the grin? I have been going to Wheels day for more years than I care to remember and still get excited the night before..... and to think my dear departed Dad said I would grow out of the "car thing"...

[Vin]

I rented a Hyundai Iload... Nice van, however fuck Hyundai's obsession with indicators and wipers the wrong way around and the clutch starting is stupid.

 

Technically*, for an RHD market, they are correct. Everybody else is wrong...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Just got in after seemingly sitting in traffic jams since 5 this morning.

How is this a grin? You might ask.

Well,even at 10 tonight the M1 was crawling from the M25 up to j15 and its pissing down.

Just passed j12 a Porsche Boxster cuts across in front of me from lane one ( I'm lane 2, doing about 50) straight across into lane 4........

 

The M1 at this point is only 3 lanes!

Lots of noise,sparks and flying gravel followed. Amazingly he regained control and didn't hit anyone else. Didn't even brake ,although everyone else did.

Shouldn't laugh at others misfortune but it cheered me right up seeing him get his come uppancecfor driving like a twat.

[gm]

Some years ago, we had a bet on wether or not we could persuade the girls in thorntons to write rude slogans on the eggs - it appears that I won