What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[eddyramrod]

The "Holy Grail" Sierra thread.

 

How unloved and unlovable does a car have to be for ME to hate it?  Yes, the Sierra achieved that status, more or less immediately upon launch.  30+ years of rose-tinted specs and having custody of two examples has done nothing to change that.  They were both 2.0GL hatchbacks, one pre-facelift, one post, so they should have been ok, you'd think.  Er, no.  Heavy, claustrophobic and difficult to place are the kinder things I can say about them.

 

But this place, etc!  Where else would a bunch of random strangers club together to buy an overpriced, beaten-up example of a pov-spec model of a car that really isn't up to much, just to preserve it as-is?

 

Pure delight.  Well done to all concerned.

[EssDeeWon]

Had a lunch time beer with some colleagues today  (they drive moderns with bluetooth and balloon payments the size of Canada)  in Fitzrovia, central London WC1 - Most streets round there are lined with modern £££££ stuff. Anyway we stood outside having a beer and a chat when I thought I could hear a V6 cologne somewhere, so put the pint down and looked over to see a really scruffy maroon coloured MK3 Granny Ghia coming down the road, briefly forgetting who I was with I called 'OH YES LOOK AT THAT' as this tatty granny goes smoking past......colleagues all looked round, said nothing then gave me strange looks like im abit odd.

 

Well, yes your right I am 

[bub2006]

Link please, I can only see a grim looking L spec 1.6 3 door

The grey grim looking one? I thought it was a base as had no clock and looked like a grey grill. Ill try get item number

[bub2006]

Item number 252336889901 I could be wrong but I thought L trim had a clock and I'm sure that's unpainted grill

[fordperv]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sierra-3-Door-1600-4-Speed-Spares-Repairs-/252336889901?hash=item3ac073602d:g:UdUAAOSwgApW-rc-

 

Definitely an L, there's chrome around the window's, it's got a rear wiper, material inserts in the doorcards, it has sidetrims along it, it's got an L on the back but I never believe badges

 

I think the reason you didn't think it had a clock is because they are set back and the angle the photo is taken on

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Going to Budapest for a dirty weeke......, I mean cultural city break ,tomorrow.

So with my usual forward planning, I'm just looking at guides etc.

Anyway ,found this

 

It's mental. A fully grown 50 seater coach that just drives into the Danube and ,hopefully, floats

Definitely having go on this £20 ea. including booze! But then you'd have to be a bit pissed.

[MarvinsMom]

train tickets bought for a piss up trip out to york at the weekend, plus a days holidays tomorrow!!

 

no work, and beer too!!

 

life is gr9.....

 

also, the a/c in the jaguar is still blowing lovely chilly cold, which is nice. had it on all the way home this afternoon. so no hot ickky-ness for me in the car.

[greengartside]

Was at lunch earlier and sat in my car and a Bickers Action Vehicles Chevy Silverado went past with a golf cart on the back - maybe something to do with Top Gear as that company arrange a lot of the camera/stunt work?

[bub2006]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sierra-3-Door-1600-4-Speed-Spares-Repairs-/252336889901?hash=item3ac073602d:g:UdUAAOSwgApW-rc-

 

Definitely an L, there's chrome around the window's, it's got a rear wiper, material inserts in the doorcards, it has sidetrims along it, it's got an L on the back but I never believe badges

 

I think the reason you didn't think it had a clock is because they are set back and the angle the photo is taken on

Yes I see it now ,sorry for any excitement caused

[fordperv]

Yes I see it now ,sorry for any excitement caused

I am still excited by a ropey 3 door L, i probably wouldnt have seen it if I hadn't of seen your post

[Noel Tidybeard]

bizarely early sierrors had an digital clock and went analogue later (maybe for mk2)

[fred]

I was rather amused this evening following some uber lowered Beemer 3 series with huge noise, and 45 degree angled wheels driven   by some young sort.

 

Who went over the silly assed speed bumps at 1/2 mile an hour , then after clearing it spun rubber for 100 yards till hitting the next one.

 

I took over him on the third ''Hump'' which he saw as a ''challenge'' and whizzed passed me before I over took him again at the 4 th, he again whizzed up to me, and wound his passenger window down and shouted, ''Spend all this fuckin money making it cool and  Bloody speed humps fuck me up eh?''

 

I just laughed and , ''gave him a major thumbs up''

 

At least some kids have a tad of philosophy about em, made me smile hugely , and thus remained behind him for the rest of said speed humps in a old bloke flat cap sign of respect for a good young Un 

[castros_bro]

After lots of swearing about French rusty cheese brake £25 new compensator hens teeth components finally got the ex Siggie Freud Renner Magane Veg Burner MOTd, but then there's insurance.    Pissed about, when I should be working,  trying to get the lowest possible insurance, tried adding the Pope as an additional driver but failed because the drop down menu for "title" didn't have "Pope" and frankly calling him/her  Mr. Pope would be wrong,  Howevers... the Postal Office have a "over 50 beat your renewal quote by £50" with lots of small print.  Today I got the letter and the PO will refund the difference so now have a years sub £100 insurance.  With the savings off to Bookers for 20l of chip fat for Â£12.99. 

 

[MikeKnight]

 

 

 

For the last one.. sorry not sorry. 

[andy18s]

 

Getting the welder back into its Sweet Spot after the usual April 1st "Japes"........

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[bub2006]

bizarely early sierrors had an digital clock and went analogue later (maybe for mk2)

I've only seen mk1 except ghia with analogue,mk2 with digital clock and a mk2 diesel which had an analogue clock with the glow light above it.

[Pillock]

[DVee8]

o Emocion

Honda today unveiled plans to introduce EMOJI registration plates for car buyers in the UK, releasing images of the world’s first official emoji number plate on the Honda Civic Type R.

Honda’s plans for emoji registration plates are in response to demand from younger car buyers across the UK, and initial talks are planned with the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency in an endeavour to exclusively launch the new plates in early 2017.

In research conducted with UK consumers earlier this year, 96% of respondents aged under 30 indicated a preference for emoji plates over the traditional car license plate. 97% of those questioned admit they now use emoji faces as their main method of expressing an emotion or idea in texts and instant messages.

 

[greengartside]

All this talk of Sierras has got my sentimental head on.

 

 

I was brought home from the hospital in FATHA's Sierra pictured (rather blurry) here. Was a 1.6L Mills-o-matic with dangly mirrors. Lasted until 1996 according to the DVLA. Maestro next door was a VDP. A very very badly made one.

 

Also I've stumbled across another Mk1, in red - this time it's an estate. It's parked up in a garden about a minute's walk from mine. Pictures to follow!

[daveb47]

Got a new geni for workshop,wondering if i have overdone it.......

 

[Cavcraft]

Round one in my (minor) RFL war with the DVLA a success, round two to hopefully follow soon.

[Eddie Honda]

I was walking past R J Gough's (tools) in Dublin city centre this morning and popped in to see if they sold individual Imperial spanners.They replied "what size?" (First grin). "1/4" AF". Duly served and after parting with 3 yoyos, I go on my way.

 

Outside I look at the no-name spanner:

 

 

(Second grin). "W GERMANY". I love shops that time forgot.

[fordperv]

It's raining and generally a shitty day so I can't do anything outside, usually this would be a grump but I've been sat watching the wildlife that visits my garden, it's a hive of activity today the various visitors are taking it in turns to visit my feeders which is nice to watch

 

[Ratdat]

Just saw a white Jaguar in my village with the registration number Y 6 MPG  

 

Vehicle make:  JAGUAR

Date of first registration:  28 September 2012

Year of manufacture:  2012

Cylinder capacity (cc):  5000cc

 

[greengartside]

Also I've stumbled across another Mk1, in red - this time it's an estate. It's parked up in a garden about a minute's walk from mine. Pictures to follow!

 

It's slowly been piled high with junk - been there for absolute years....

 

[fordperv]

The rain stopped so I popped to a mates to fit electronic ignition and a new coil to his mk3 cortina, i had a jolly good drive out in it to test it.

[Stanky]

Today, me and a chap I used to work with went to the Hovercraft museum in Lee-on-Solent and ha da facinating afternoon looking at all sorts of modes of obsolete mass- and personal transportation. Well worth the £7 entry fee with loads of knowledgable and enthusiastic volunteers on hand to talk to without having information forced down my throat.

 

Here are some highlights:

 

Gas Turbine Engine

 

Austin 3 litre?

 

Original Portsmouth - IOW hovercraft

 

 

Coupe

 

Windmill

 

Interservice Something-or-other. Nice man told me lots about it.

 

Twinny 2-stroke deathtrap

 

Also gr8 way to kill yourself

 

Suck this VTEC boys. Redline at 20,000 rpm

 

They bought all the sundry gauges from halfords

 

This one runs apparently

 

Shite smiley transit and vectra engine donor for hovercraft (seriously)

 

Scrapheap challenge hovercraft

 

Engine rape a mini for its engine to fit in a Metro City X, then do this with the shell. Win at life

 

For Sale, £5k earth pounds.

 

Very tidy, runs, though handles like a bar of soap apparently.

 

A Reliant Scimitar had one, you know (???)

 

Military one, the floor was awash with diesel for reasons unclear. I still smell of it.

 

Don't make me use the 'very pistol' on you, you'd regret it.

 

Hope its not too pic-heavy, I'd really recommend going as they are being threatened by developers as it occupies some very lucrative real estate on the seafront and its very interesting. Would be worth a visit by the Solent Shiters and can arrange if anyone is interested, plenty of free parking and open 10-4 every saturday this year, instead of practically never as in previous years. I wish I'd gone earlier as I only got 2 hours (its way bigger than I thought) and had to rush past a few things.

 

A shame I didn't get a pic of the Vauxhall Ecotec powered shite-r-craft which is capable of 52 knots (!) apparently.

 

[skattrd]

Today I drove a variomatic Volvo (oops forgot to take pics) Mk1 Espace and an Accord Aerodeck ... Each one made me grin.

[The Moog]

Who needs an espace!

 

[Matt]

Who needs an espace!

 

 

Too bad they've got an absurdly high loading height. How bodged are the parcel shelf strings on yours? Had the joyful task of replacing a rear bulb yet?