What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[barrett]

that wee brown thing hidden behind the sign.

 

Datsun 510!

[DSdriver]

I've been puzzling about the grey car at the bottom of the pic, is it a Corvair or something Italian?

edit: Or is it the Volvo as I can't find that anywhere else.

[trigger]

Look at the size of that Celica compared to the Yank tank next to it!

[Lankytim]

For those shiters watching in black and white the green Volvo is between the white sedan and the red coupe.

[DSdriver]

Lankytim

Tayne aha my monitor is uncallibrated it must be grey-green or green-grey (not a break by the way) and as Mr D. Wobbler said about the Safari, it is also dwarfed by the septic metal.

 

Actually the Safari no longer looks large in the UK either with all the Chelsea tractors about.

[dollywobbler]

Winter tyres have been making me grin today. We've had a pretty nasty mix of hail and snow during the day, leaving the roads very slippery indeed. As I revealed in the News thread, the Peugeot was not exactly superb in these conditions. At least it wasn't as bad as Audis though! They really seem to struggle.

 

There's a very mild hill in the village, and an Audi A4 was at a standstill, with the front wheels spinning away merrily. They eventually gave up, but I'd had to bring my bus (VW LT46) to a stop. It only has winter tyres on the back, which makes braking interesting (ABS ahoy!) as the brake pedal soon ressembles a rampant rabbit on its highest setting. Still, I didn't crash so perhaps it's ok. Anyway, it managed a standing start on a road surface of largely ice and I got past the stricken Audi with a little wheelspin. Winter tyres are not an instant cure to winter, but they do keep you going!

 

I swapped buses this evening for a Merc Sprinter (4-pot disappointingly) which has a full set of six winter tyres on it. Very impressive. Conditions are better now, but there was still enough to get the traction control blinking if I gave it a bootful - which I only did as I was testing grip. I wasn't seriously trying, but I couldn't get the ABS to kick in. It just slowed down. Perfect.

[Pillock]

Got a decent pay rise today.

 

Without asking

[John F]

Got a decent pay rise today.

 

Without asking

 

Woohoo!

 

The calendars are on Pillock

[Pete-M]

Snow. A great excuse to dig the Jeep out. It's quite good at it. Surprised me.

[kinkersaab]

Not at all car related, but after the shitest of shitty years ever, I have met a jolly nice young lady, been out a few times and its all going very well indeed. grinning is far better than sulking! :) :)

[morris_ital_lover]

Was just aimlessly looking out of the window and a Citroen SM shoots past it was the first time I'd seen/heard one in the flesh, I'm smitten!

[DSdriver]

Not at all car related, but after the shitest of shitty years ever, I have met a jolly nice young lady, been out a few times and its all going very well indeed. grinning is far better than sulking! :) :)

Fantastic, I do hope it works, not only for your sake but I am hoping we can start an autoshite wedding cars thread. We need plenty of notice cos there's going to be loads of pages of prospective old rammel for you to choose from

[warren t claim]

Not at all car related, but after the shitest of shitty years ever, I have met a jolly nice young lady, been out a few times and its all going very well indeed. grinning is far better than sulking! :) :)

 

Pictures please!

[warren t claim]

This makes me laugh.

 

http://www.youtube.com/simonscat

[Felly Magic]

Simon's cat always reminds me of my evil bundle of fur!

[eddyramrod]

Yay, kinkersaab, great news! Best of luck!

[ChinaTom]

I can't imagine there are too many stretch Hummers in pink, but it did make me smile to see one being winched onto a recovery truck at 05:15 this morning on the hard shoulder of J20, M25. I usually feel sorry for folk in such circumstances - especially when it is -2 degrees, but pink stretch Hummers...

[ashmicro]

Our dishwasher went pop last night, tripping the RCD. Further investigation shows that the heater element is U/S. Given that they're £120+VAT, a new machine is on the cards. I was hoofing the machine out into the garage in the wheelbarrow, with a view to taking it to the tip over the next few days. At this point, my next door neighbour came over and said "Dishwasher fucked, eh? I've a spare one, you can have it if you like"

 

WIN!

[myglaren]

Our dishwasher went pop last night, tripping the RCD. Further investigation shows that the heater element is U/S. Given that they're £120+VAT, a new machine is on the cards. I was hoofing the machine out into the garage in the wheelbarrow, with a view to taking it to the tip over the next few days. At this point, my next door neighbour came over and said "Dishwasher fucked, eh? I've a spare one, you can have it if you like"

 

WIN!

 

Who quoted you that price for an element?

 

If you have a mind to repair it, the average price seems to be around £50.

I recently replaced the element in my daughter's cooker for £33, the thermostat for £37 and the thermocouples in her tumble dryer (element tested OK) for £22.

[ashmicro]

I had a look on the espares site, and the cheapest one I could find on eBay was £93. It's a fiendishly complex looking beastie, which doesn't look like any element I've ever seen. I think I'll buy another Bosch machine, though as that one lasted for 9 years, and it's usually on twice a day.

 

What amazed me was that someone actually had a spare dishwasher!

[Craig the Princess]

At this point, my next door neighbour came over and said "Dishwasher fucked, eh? I've a spare one, you can have it if you like"

 

WIN!

 

Result!

 

Will the old one be going round the oval?

[retrogeezer]

YaTube! Users.

 

Watch this video ( you only have to watch the last minute and a half) and then read all the comments about how fat James May is.

 

 

 

Why are there loads of comments about the sound editor??

 

And look how few people are there in the 'audience'. There is a massive waiting list now I believe.

[retrogeezer]

Music over V12 engine note and crap recording over clarkson and Hill talking over coffee.

 

ah, I only watched the last 90 seconds so didn't see that bit!

[Cavcraft]

we need photos

 

Somewhat late soz but here you go...

 

[autofive]

thanks for pic

 

[greengartside]

Not sure if its a grin or not but I've been offered a 2004 MGZR 1.4 for very little money. Obviously its not all plain sailing as it requires an engine and a gearbox to get it rolling again but I plan to make it a very long-term project so I'm not in any hurry for it to go on the road.

 

The more worrying thing is that it has been in a frontal collision at one time and has been poorly repaired and thus requires re-jigging of the O/S chassis leg to make it good again. I have had a look and its bent, but only slightly but enough to misalign the engine mount I think. Now before I even contemplate getting the keys, is it really a worthwhile thing to do? Im not worried about engine and gearbox side of it, just the fact that it needs its chassis leg realigning and that it will cost hundreds to do. If that is the case then I'd rather not bother. Has anyone had past experience of using a jig or had their chod jigged?

[Felly Magic]

Run away, seriously. If it's been badly repaired in the past, let it co over the bridge. For quite possibly a little bit more, you could find one with HGF and no accident damage. Jigging will be a few hundred quid at least to do it properly, so not worth it. You cannot bodge things like chassis legs as it could severely effect how the car handles.

[ashmicro]

I had my MG Metro jigged after a twunt in an Uno drove out in front of me and I hit him. Metro was bob on after repair. However, I wouldn't bother with the ZR mentioned here unless it's less than weigh-in money. The interiors can be worth a few quid BTW.

[outlaw118]

It needs to be properly cheap.

This one:

is currently on fleabay for £1235, classified.......

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-MG-ZR-Pe ... 336f89bf59

 

So, whilst I have no knowledge of the jigging type thing, surely you need to allow a couple of hundred for that; engine:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-ZR-ROVER-2 ... 20bf528fed

is £230, gearbox more still.....

 

If it's cheap enough, fair do's but it may just be worth buying to break......

[Felly Magic]

Also with any second hand K series lump, before fitting, you must do the head gasket to be on the safe side. Another cost to think of. You are talking the cost of the car, then say £250 for the engine, say another £150 at least for the box, then at least another £250 minimum for the jigging, and about £100 for the head gasket to sort (kit available from Rimmers of Lincoln), and no doubt other sundries to get the car running. These cars arent worth much even in mint nick, so give it some long, hard thought, and price all the costs up. I personally think if it has been bodged after a prang, what state is the rest of the car going to be in? You could be budgeting for new brakes and suspension too. It does sound like its been on 3rd party insurance, and it has been twatted by a chav, and bodged by some back street cowboy.

 

By the way, there is one on the bay of eee's MOT'd & taxed that is a 2004 pre facelift for under a grand classified, that is MOT'd & taxed, and has had its cambelt & waterpump recently done.