What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[Sloth in a bowl]

The latest purchase is a 51-plate shopping trolley. But is has a proper spunky, feisty soul. A modern car with actual character! Who knew?

Late registration madness Kia Pride?

[barmatt]

Spent the afternoon tinkering on the jeep in the new workshop, was so nice being able to use the pit rather than crawling around on a gravel drive..........

 

 

Pig in shit I is :D

[Sloth in a bowl]

Followed an Astra VXR part way to work today. The number plate read J15UUM.

[purplebargeken]

Spent the afternoon tinkering on the jeep in the new workshop, was so nice being able to use the pit rather than crawling around on a gravel drive..........

 

I would like to volunteer for the job of your bestest mate ever, in the whole universe even.

 

That isn't a workshop,that my friend is heaven. Oh yes. 

[phil_lihp]

Spent the afternoon tinkering on the jeep in the new workshop, was so nice being able to use the pit rather than crawling around on a gravel drive..........

 

 

Pig in shit I is :D

 

I have many, many jealouses.  

 

I'm also due to acquire a garage soon with the new flat, although it's a fraction of that size and so ropey it probably needs to be pulled down.  Not complaining though, much better than nothing!  

[barmatt]

 

 

 

I would like to volunteer for the job of your bestest mate ever, in the whole universe even.

 

That isn't a workshop,that my friend is heaven. Oh yes. 

 

It was a working garage until about a month ago but the guy had to leave for personal reasons, so I mentioned to a couple of mates that we could rent it for less money than you'd spend in a night in the pub. No brainer really.

 

To give you some perspective, that pit is about 18ft long.

 

and you're right, it is heaven or it will be when we've built benches all around and sorted the lights out, oh and got a beer fridge in there

[xtriple]

Had the Honda serviced today. I LOVE speedwell Honda!

 

They are the only main dealer I have ever dealt with who do exactly what they say, when they say and at the price they say. Got a free courtesy car, car serviced, valeted and washed, all the discs painted as they were going rusty round the bells and it annoyed me and all for £155!

 

Not one single item of 'extras'

 

It just doesn't happen like this in this day and age!

 

Also, just renewed the insurance with the same company as last year. Now, this is a first for me for a decade or two as they usually try to dry bum you on renewal but they were by far the cheapest (£165 fully comp, protected no claims etc) and apparently, they are trying to retain customers by giving extra discounts for 2nd year customers, and for the third, fourth...

 

I did do a 'compare the meerkats' thing and the company I'm with were about £35 dearer than doing the renewal. So, big 'up' to E-sure.

[KruJoe]

Late registration madness Kia Pride?

 

No, but very similar in some ways:

http://autoshite.com/topic/21022-seicento-sporting-hoon-test-verdict/

[explosive-cabbage]

Winning at life makes me grin.

 

I have spent the last 6 hours figuring out a fix for a problem in the engine bay of the 205 that has been in the back of my mind for a few months.

 

This picture shows the routing of the bottom hose after a test fit of the thicker radiator I re-built to aid cooling.

 

 

The hose is routed WAY too close to the belt, (within 5-8mm) and considering the engine moves under load it will all end in disaster. I cannot really move the hose, I don't have too much room or hose to play around with (oo-er)

 

I could either give up, leave it as it is or re-design the aux belt around the bottom hose - here is how I did it...

 

The XUD engines have dozens of variants, depending on application. This gives me a plethora of parts designed for the same job that will all fit onto the same engine using the same bolt holes, but at the same time unique because of slightly different sizes / designs/dimensions depending on the power / engine size / application of the engine.

 

So I used parts from various applications, some modified to suit the task, but all genuine original parts

 

205 1.7TD - (Radiator, coolant pipes)

205 1.7 non turbo - (coolant pipes, cooling fans)

205 GTi - (Temperature sensor, coolant pipes, wiring)

306 1.9TD early model - (Alternator, tensioner, pulleys, Aux belt)

LDV Sherpa Van 1.9 Non-turbo - (Coolant pipes)

Xantia 2.1 Turbo Diesel - (Oil cooler)

Xantia 1.9 TD late model with air con - (small diameter power steering pump)

Rover 218 Turbo Diesel - (Remote mount oil cooler, alternator tensioner device)

 

This is what I came up with

 

 

I fitted a power steering pump with a smaller pulley from a Xantia engine, took up the slack by re-routing the belt the other way around the tensioner and fitting an extra tensioner from a Rover engine.

 

 

 

 

 

This means that when it all goes back together I can make the cooling system much simpler than the current 306-based one, and also plumb in the original 205 oil/coolant heat exchanger to heat vegetable oil and a replacement extra remote oil cooler from the Rover engine.

It also means tensioning the belt will be easier due to better access. The lower pulley is smaller so less vunerable to being hit by road waste. The belt is routed further round all the pulleys so grips them better reducing slip, and also reducing vibration in the belt as it has less span to travel between pulleys, in theory increasing belt life.

 

Successfully adding cooling capacity with the thicker radiator means I can fit the more aggressive cam I liberated from an LDV van and also a GT15 Turbo from a late 306 / Vectra, or a TD04 from a Subaru Impreza Turbo / Pajero / Pug 2.1 TD

 

This is why I am GRINNING!

[Taff]

made me giggle. a note I stuck on the old MGF exhaust and left out with my empty bean tins

 

 

they didn't take it though...

[purplebargeken]

It'll be gone very shortly have no fear. It would last about 2 minutes round my way.

[seth]

This was yesterday evening and I'm still feeling a little bit giddy. Engine was fired for the first time since it was built in 1990. First drive of the car in 9ish years.  Combo of various clutch parts work. Combo of brakes work (need more bleeding) Massive 2" SUs on 1950s racing car manifold work.

 

 

 

[hairnet]

itll be done for a week on weds then

[Taff]

what motor is in it now, mate?

 

Can't believe it's 9 years since I saw it last, where the frig did that go?

[seth]

what motor is in it now, mate?

 

Can't believe it's 9 years since I saw it last, where the frig did that go?

 

Its a 'big bore' B series, so 1869cc, very balanced, very gas flowed, very cammed.  Sounds ace!

[purplebargeken]

This will make you laugh, the arse end of my 75 is parked under a tree frequented by a few bastard wood pigeons. Parking here is shite, so I am limited. After having to wash the arse end of the car about twice a day I have now covered the danger zone in cling film. Shit through that you feathered fuckers! Hah!

[oldcars]

Thought i had logged onto detailing world for a sec there 

[purplebargeken]

Haven't been on there for ages

[Bobthebeard]

Had the Honda serviced today. I LOVE speedwell Honda!

 

All the discs painted as they were going rusty round the bells.

Bit mystified by this TBH!

[320touring]

Bit mystified by this TBH!

low miles per year, much moisture and little brake heat. rusty bellends make for a grumpy boy;)

[richardthestag]

Rangie MoT passed.

 

Yes!

[Aston Martin]

I hate PanPan most of the time, but after a clean he looks alright. (The jobsworth council grass cutters will fuck me before the days over.)

[Ghosty]

Few days ago some white paint markers for hole filling appeared on our road.

 

Aha! I thought, got a can of white spray paint and added some of my own markers where the council haven't put them.

 

Contractors came along yesterday and filled them all in

[Timewaster]

I hate PanPan most of the time, but after a clean he looks alright. (The jobsworth council grass cutters will fuck me before the days over.)

 

I like the idea of a 100hp Panda. There is a dark blue one a few doors down from me that looks pretty funky.

 

Not sure what the reality of living with one would be like.

[Vladimir Putin]

The jobsworth council grass cutters will fuck me before the days over

 

Explain please - this is good thing or bad thing for you?  I put into Google Translate, but very not helpful.

[Vladimir Putin]

low miles per year, much moisture and little brake heat. rusty bellends make for a grumpy boy;)

 

Still not understand.  Hope better soon though.

[Aston Martin]

I like the idea of a 100hp Panda. There is a dark blue one a few doors down from me that looks pretty funky.

 

Not sure what the reality of living with one would be like.

They're annoying.

 

 

Explain please - this is good thing or bad thing for you? I put into Google Translate, but very not helpful.

In the background you can see one of them, I park close to the fence. Last time I had 4 feet of grass on the front end after they were done.

[AlabamaShrimp]

Sort of grin, I applied for a job in a scrap yard (dismantlers) late last night and they've rung today asking can I go do a days trial tomorrow.

 

OK might not get paid but it's something to do and it might lead to a job. Only thing is on searching for the place on Google it threw up a few reviews saying the place was shit. OK so the reviews are old but then someone from the yard has replied with shitty answers.

 

Eill go and have a see still but I'm not holding my breath

[Lacquer Peel]

^Dream job, apart from dealing with the odd people that tend to run scrap yards.

[anonymous user]

I have run quite a few open-topped cars over the years and have always been conscious that as well as looking a berk, it also can reveal my poor and sometimes incongruous musical taste if I'm in traffic with the roof down.

 

Today I was at a set of lights when a car pulled up alongside me and I could hear what sounded like Shirley Bassey blasting out "I who have nothing" the car, being driven by a smart looking older lady, was a blue Bentley GTC with the top down. I thought, well you're not doing too badly.