What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[HH-R]

I can never get the new tax check thing to load. Just says "Waiting for *address here*..." forever.

[cort16]

I taxed a car that had been untaxed for a year and 'in trade' as far as the Dvla was concerned and didn't have any bother.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

  On 01/08/2014 at 20:18, Corsaviour said:

That website is ace for people buying cars when the sellers don't know when the MOT expires. I've seen a few (and bought a couple) that the owners thought had a short MOT, but actually had a fair bit.

 

That website's ace full stop. Much better than the old one, and could only be improved by incorporating a MID check.

 

Hell, the whole of gov.uk is great, I think they've done a wonderful job fixing the myriad of disconnected and confusing old government websites. 

[AlabamaShrimp]

  On 01/08/2014 at 19:13, dink said:

Most motor factor thermostats I've had come with a selection of gaskets for different applications.

Doesn't matter I made one out of cereal box. Got a pic so you can all marvel in it but it's on my other phone

[Jimcit]

  On 01/08/2014 at 19:36, vulgalour said:

Is it possible to get more images of this greenest of green machines?

I'm going up to retrieve it tomorrow so I'll take some pics. It's still frilly round the edges, but the general glow of the green hides it in photos.

[andy18s]

  On 01/08/2014 at 20:19, 320touring said:

I find it funny that I've bought the 735 as a "Sunday car" and it's done 400 miles this week. .

I've done the same with the T5

Bought to use when the weather is too shite for the bike but it's been used everyday so far....

Bit of a hoot tbh, pissing off the local chavs with a shity old volvo. .......

[Cavcraft]

Just scored a working arc welder for a tenner off a cracking old boy and he gave me some rods with it. I'll get a mask and some proper gloves later and have a practise if the weather picks up. 

[KruJoe]

I love playing with my little old stick welder. It's too powerful for bodywork repairs, but for heavier stuff it's great. It's also useful for getting serious heat into some stubborn problem, eg freeing off seized / sheared fannymould studs.

[chaseracer]

http://www.mixcloud.com/ginaachord/the-notorious-new-wave-show-show-66-august-1-2014-host-gina-achord/

 

This is cheering up a rainy Saturday morning in the Midlands.  And not just because Gina played my H17 request... 

[chaseracer]

  On 30/07/2014 at 18:06, forddeliveryboy said:

...Michelin 135s are superb. Except if you use them on the back of a standard car, snap-oversteer will occur, eventually, as the lightweight rear end rolls off the tread. I tried it, and went back to 125s on the back, XZXs on the front. No hints of oversteer at all - the round cross-section and very soft sidewall is designed to maintain all the tread in contact even at larger roll angles. The weight of the engine and box deforms the squarer-section XZX and all the tread grips...

 

This is the setup I've had on the Dyane for years.  Works well - as I recall... 

[myglaren]

Nice new MOT on the C5, only £80 - £40 for the MOT and £40 for the ball joint it failed on.

Was expecting far more as I suspected the trailing arm bearings failing, there has been a rattle from the rear for ages that no-one has been able to pinpoint.

 

Still rattled when I drove it home.  Bit the bullet and di what I should have done ages ago and checked the rear brakes.

As suspected it was a brake pad chattering.

Will fix that - one day.  Maybe today, who knows?

[Pete-M]

Escort now can haz UK reg.

[Skizzer]

^ That's an even bigger win than it sounds, isn't it Pete?  You were having a right ballache with this, as I recall.  Congrats.

[Pete-M]

It has been the most massive motorised ball ache of my life.

 

It's now ready to roll. Taxed and tested. Waiting for pressed steel plates and the tax disc from DOOVLA.

 

 

Then I'm selling it. I've driven it and enjoyed it. It's come from being a rot box to having a clean bill of health. It's alive.

 

My work here is done. Someone else can do the final bits and enjoy it.

[DodgyBastard]

My local motorfactors which has recently went into administration had an unofficial sale...

 

A good haul by srblythe, on Flickr

[DodgyBastard]

  On 02/08/2014 at 17:49, Pete-M said:

It has been the most massive motorised ball ache of my life.

 

It's now ready to roll. Taxed and tested. Waiting for pressed steel plates and the tax disc from DOOVLA.

 

 

Then I'm selling it. I've driven it and enjoyed it. It's come from being a rot box to having a clean bill of health. It's alive.

 

My work here is done. Someone else can do the final bits and enjoy it.

 

Are you sure you're not talking about my Allegro?

[Lord Sterling]

  On 01/08/2014 at 19:00, spike60 said:

Does the new DVLA website not show if scrapped or exported?

It's not a new website, it's just another DVLA site that has more info. Tye taxdisc.org site is still there. There is also another site that shows more detail about where a car was taken for MOT.

[AlabamaShrimp]

  On 02/08/2014 at 21:05, Lord Sterling said:

It's not a new website, it's just another DVLA site that has more info. Tye taxdisc.org site is still there. There is also another site that shows more detail about where a car was taken for MOT.

You got any links?

[Lord Sterling]

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status

[fordperv]

It's fordfair today

[NorfolkNWeigh]

  On 03/08/2014 at 04:16, fordperv said:

It's fordfair today

I'm just about to do a job from Northampton to Gatwick, I'll enjoy seeing my own rolling FordFair then.

I love Sunday morning jobs in the summer ,always loads of interesting cars on their way to some event or other.

[DodgyBastard]

Sold the all agro with a whopping £450 profit, probably the first time I've ever made a profit on a car. I also got the car for free...

[Wilko220]

Good. Every little helps, I suppose, 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28627165

[Jimcit]

As requested by Vulg, a few pics of the green Saab.  Although my pictures seem a bit washed out reducing the mild migraine that often occurs when you look directly at the vehicle.  I picked it up on Saturday after it spent quite a while away (the lady who welded it only does it in her spare time).

 

Good Side

 

Bad side (hopefully getting better):

 

Interior View:

 

It's so good to have back, there's lots of little details I'd forgotten about.  For the most-part it's very much a design by function car with quite an austere interior, but there are little flourishes here and there that I adore such as the little chrome ashtrays and the rear window catches.  I was quite sad and started taking photos of every little detail, the o/h was gardening and paused to stare skeptically so I stopped.

 

Also while it was away, the welder appears to have used the freewheel (I thought this feature had broken, but it turns out I was just inept). I like engine braking, so was quite surprised when coasting down a steep hill the car went silent and started to pick up speed.  I don't think I'll use it on the open road, but around town being able to change gear without a clutch is quite nice.   For the past few months I've been spending my time driving either an automatic or a 2cv, so the night before pickup I couldn't get to sleep practicing the column change in my head, however my fears were unfounded and it really does feel like a more natural way to change gear whilst freeing up floor space.

 

Since having it back I've topped up fluids, found the root cause of the inoperable windscreen washers (bunged up non-return valve thingy) and attached a replacement aerial.  The old aerial had been broken off and despite not having a stereo, I couldn't bear having the holes, so spent ages finding the same specific aerial (AUTA 360 KA) that didn't cost a ridiculous sum of money.  This is now attached and I'm happier, albeit still without music.

 

The original front riveted number-plate was wrecked by the previous owner in a mild car-ditch interface, so I want to order a new one, although the existing plastic replacement isn't that noticeable beneath the giant overhanging bumpers.

 

Overall I'm like a dog with two dicks and keep driving the long way round to get places.

[messerschmitt owner]

  On 04/08/2014 at 09:25, Jimcit said:

 I picked it up on Saturday after it spent quite a while away (the lady who welded it only does it in her spare time).

 

Is this lady a dancer by any chance? And did you see Grunt, her dog?

[Jimcit]

I've seen some pictures of her dancing on Facebook and there was a dog there.  I was too interested in her collection of 2cv porn, particularly a jaune cedrat Dyane waiting in the wings for recommissioning.  She's a bloody phenomenal welder, once painted I don't think you'll notice any work was done.

[jakebullet]

Boiler full of steams? Check.

Hungry? Check.

 

Engage egg boiling

 

[hairnet]

italian job on film 4 now

 

lorna when she finds out charlie was having extra curricular activities

 

the leather suit she wears <3

 

[andy18s]

 

1 of these sitting under a tarp literally 1 min away from me

Must try get a pic

[dollywobbler]

Good stuff JimCit. Or is that JimSaab?

 

I'm still buzzing after playing a gig on Saturday night. I've decided that being a Ceilidh band member is the best job in the world. You get to play music and watch girls dance (girl on girl quite often as there are never enough blokes). Then when you stop, the same girls bring you tea! Also amusing watching my wife trying to sweep unsuspecting folk of their feet. She does like to swing...

 

It has to be said, country dancing is a great way to meet girls. The lack of male competition makes you hot property. Oh to be young, free and single again! Why did I think I'd find the girl of my dreams in a dingy nightclub?