What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[dave21478]

ok, cut n shut is the wrong word to use - lets say large structural repairs, instead. It would still suck to find you had unknowingly bought such a car. 

Im not doubting his skills in any way.

[AMC Rebel]

ok, cut n shut is the wrong word to use - lets say large structural repairs, instead. It would still suck to find you had unknowingly bought such a car. 

Im not doubting his skills in any way.

 

On the whole, I guess I'd prefer to know, but I'd have no worries driving that.  On the other hand, I followed an 08 reg 3 series yesterday where the rear was crabbing like an old Mini - who knows what had been done to that, but the rear wheels had terrible looking camber - and not in a "stance" way - car looked standard and was being driven slowly by a giffer.

[wuvvum]

The Colin thread on the open forum.

[michael1703]

If like me it seems you may enjoy hours of watching videos of some Russian guy repairing heavily damaged cars then have a look at his youtube channel.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjnBWt549rQ

 

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpQ4XNSBA9jK4Iw_G_P0qWQ

There's a blue vw toerag that he has straightened, I went to view one in Felixstowe the other week in the same colour with a mate who was very suspicious of the Eastern European vendor, we left not buying it.

 

He slept on it and bought it last week, so I've sent him a link to the video with "apparently,he sold it in Felixstowe " in the message.

 

My phone will be ringing anytime soon!

[michael1703]

Fuck me, 30 seconds later my phone rings...

[Negative Creep]

[meggersdog]

When I was 23 I had a 2006 Citroen C4 HDi, a Volvo Amazon and a Isuzu Piazza Turbo with the worst located axle I have ever encountered.

you are watanabe and I claim my five pounds.

 

 

 

Yesterday I failed a car on it's MOT. The grin is the owner's reaction.

"I would think that a premium brand such as SAAB could not have a broken coil spring"

 

This on a 12 year old 9-5 diesel estate with 175k on the clock.

Made me smile anyway.

[MrDuke]

Extremely enjoyable cruise back from Manc in Mrs_Duke's new EK Civic hatch - advertised as an auto, but it's only a freakin CVT!!! Bit thirsty, but $hite-tastic waftiness.

 

Also happily bemused at the spec - heated mirrors & air-con but no dash dimmer or front fogs... Does have a dreadful Pioneer tape player though, which will probably end up for sale on here soon.

[xtriple]

My car looks fookin' ACE! Rich did a cracking job, template, measuring stick, picture of another car so equipped by his side. Got the call to go look about 5:00 and he was busy flooding everywhere with Waxoyl and, the car looks in brilliant condition behind the wheel arch covers and stuff, which is nice and a bloody relief to boot!

 

Also, one of the guys in there was cleaning up an Audi hatch back thing (sorry, no idea on Audi model numbers), quite a good looker, sporty, black and pretty much mint after he'd buffed and polished it. Interior spot on. Going to be up for sale soon with 12 months MOT for about £600, on a 'Y' reg. Is that good or salty?

[Ghosty]

Extremely enjoyable cruise back from Manc in Mrs_Duke's new EK Civic hatch - advertised as an auto, but it's only a freakin CVT!!! Bit thirsty, but $hite-tastic waftiness.

 

Also happily bemused at the spec - heated mirrors & air-con but no dash dimmer or front fogs... Does have a dreadful Pioneer tape player though, which will probably end up for sale on here soon.

 

1.6 ES then - you cold only get that spec 3 door hatch with a CVT for some reason, despite a normal auto being available on the 1.4 and some 1.5s.

The 3 door never got front fogs or dash dimmer, but the heated mirrors and a/c are pretty common options that appear mid-spec.

 

They're fantastic cars and I've never been in a car that's been more comfortable, relaxed and just a nice place to be (very airy cabin) than Old Man's old 1.4i SE auto. Bonus with ours is the rear seat was unused, so when I went places with my dad I took the passenger headrest out, put the seat forward, sat in the back stretched out, and just relaxed. The miles just floated away.

 

 

I genuinely miss it, it's on SORN now. I bet it's been taken off the road for the rear arches rotting out at the sill ends, it was starting to go there when we got rid. Either it was that or cambelt roulette - there was a job that would have been about £500 in labour coming up, that Old Man couldn't be arsed doing himself, so that and the rot meant he just PX'd it for a 5 door Civic instead.

It wasn't half the car and we got rid of it after 5 months.

[OwdChina]

Yay.............truck just passed California smog test without much of a protest. 

[dave21478]

My car looks fookin' ACE! Rich did a cracking job, template, measuring stick, picture of another car so equipped by his side. Got the call to go look about 5:00 and he was busy flooding everywhere with Waxoyl and, the car looks in brilliant condition behind the wheel arch covers and stuff, which is nice and a bloody relief to boot!....

 

[MiniMort]

Daniel Craig? Morris Minor Splitty? We all know James Bond is a Wolseley 1500 man

[cort16]

Aye cmon xtriple lets see some pictures of these fabled side vents.

[MrDuke]

 

1.6 ES then - you cold only get that spec 3 door hatch with a CVT for some reason, despite a normal auto being available on the 1.4 and some 1.5s.

The 3 door never got front fogs or dash dimmer, but the heated mirrors and a/c are pretty common options that appear mid-spec.

 

They're fantastic cars and I've never been in a car that's been more comfortable, relaxed and just a nice place to be (very airy cabin) than Old Man's old 1.4i SE auto. Bonus with ours is the rear seat was unused, so when I went places with my dad I took the passenger headrest out, put the seat forward, sat in the back stretched out, and just relaxed. The miles just floated away.

 

 

I genuinely miss it, it's on SORN now. I bet it's been taken off the road for the rear arches rotting out at the sill ends, it was starting to go there when we got rid. Either it was that or cambelt roulette - there was a job that would have been about £500 in labour coming up, that Old Man couldn't be arsed doing himself, so that and the rot meant he just PX'd it for a 5 door Civic instead.

It wasn't half the car and we got rid of it after 5 months.

Tis indeed a 1.6ES, complete with Econo dash light. I once had a 1.6 EK coupe with the same engine in manual flavour, and it felt seriously underpowered - I reckon it works really well as an auto though.

 

It is incredibly plush and smooth for a small car, especially after the crashy suspension and hard seats in the Fez. Doesn't wallow unduly in the corners though - I'd quite like to try a bigger engined one for giggles (if I could find a non-monged one)

[xtriple]

Aye cmon xtriple lets see some pictures of these fabled side vents.

 

I was just in the process of uploading said photographic evidence when Vicky from up the road appeared with a strange and unknown mutt. I have spent the last two or three hours fucking about, having this poor mutt throwing up on the carpet, phoning the council  where the chap was very nice but accepted that the council are fucking useless and could I hang on to the dog for a bit... Vicky drinking my coffee and hanging on to said mutt while Chester (who to be fair was brilliant with a strange dog in his house, especially when it was the spitting image of his arch enemy  Manson) tried to knob the poor thing. Again in the spirit of full disclosure: the other dog did start it - horny little bastard!

 

Finally we took the dogs out to try and spot someone looking for a mutt and, fuck me, we found the owner! Dogs name is: 'Rocko' and he lives next door but one to Vicky!

[philibusmo]

At 23 (ie in 2015) I had a 2003 Ford Fairlane BA 4.0 Ghia. There has been quite an unusual spread of vehicles so far.

[xtriple]

Right, pikturs...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn't seem a lot of product for the VAST sum they cost, but what the hell, I wanted them....

[Richard]

I've lost the place a bit- was that the guy who was originally booked to do them or the other guy who you thought would do a better job?

[catsinthewelder]

When I turned 23 I was living in a Student house with 3 girls and Ms C and had a Vauxhall Calibra and 3 motorbikes.

[alcyonecorporation]

Are those the expensive vents?

 

They look allot like the £16.99 ones from Halfords...

Don't sit on that fence, man.....tell us what you really think.

[MrDuke]

When I was 23 I had a mk3 Cavalier 1.6L. Living the dream.

[xtriple]

The second guy who I thought would do a better job. I really cannot complain, spot on Yes, these are the mega expensive £16.99 Halfords jobs just in a posh box from Crewe and called 'Mulliner wing vents'  and were a bitch to fit apparently. They look bigger in real life and are proper quality aluminium things (!) but no way worth the money that some daft c*nt paid!

 

Oh well. I like them which is what matters?

[Pillock]

23? VW 1600TA Type 3 Fastback

[Ghosty]

It is incredibly plush and smooth for a small car, especially after the crashy suspension and hard seats in the Fez. Doesn't wallow unduly in the corners though - I'd quite like to try a bigger engined one for giggles (if I could find a non-monged one)

 

That'll be the IRS then - they handle wonderfully. 

Biggest engine 3 door (and the only UK market one more powerful than yours) is the 1.6 VTi, with about 160bhp. Very rare and £££.

[Danblez]

The second guy who I thought would do a better job. I really cannot complain, spot on Yes, these are the mega expensive £16.99 Halfords jobs just in a posh box from Crewe and called 'Mulliner wing vents' and were a bitch to fit apparently. They look bigger in real life and are proper quality aluminium things (!) but no way worth the money that some daft c*nt paid!

 

Oh well. I like them which is what matters?

If it makes you happy who gives a stuff, your money your choices?

[MrDuke]

That'll be the IRS then - they handle wonderfully.

Biggest engine 3 door (and the only UK market one more powerful than yours) is the 1.6 VTi, with about 160bhp. Very rare and £££.

In that case I'll take one with an Integra Type-R transplant

Seriously though, you can tell it would take way more power. If they'd done a UKDM 1.8 or VTi, it would've done amazingly well.

[Snipes]

Lad I once knew had an EP or whatever with some weird 3-speed Auto - it was doing about 4500Rpm at 70mph!

[Jim Bell]

.

[Lord Sterling]

Found myself helping out at a local charity shoppe yesterday. Whilst sorting through the books I came across an old folder of the Chorley IAM advanced motorist handbook. With it came the Vauxhall Advanced driving book by Gordon Cole printed in 1986. Got given these as a thanks for helping out. Loads of pictures of 1983 suffix and prefix Astras, Cavaliers, Belmonts, an appearance of an Opel Manta, some Bedfords and other assorted non-Vauxhall shite.

 

Checked out a lot of the regs, some of the Vauxhalls having the similar regs: B*** UBM. Many of the vehicles seem to have lasted until 2000.