New members, introduce yourself here.

[stuboy]

4 hours ago, cjlawrence75 said:

Hi, I’m a lifelong car enthusiast with a particular soft spot for Fords. I passed my driving test at 18 and, like many of us from that era, my first car was a Mini — a black bad boy 1984 Austin Mini Mayfair with 6x10 Minilites and a chequered roof. (only had a 1L engine, but looked the part)

Since then, I’ve owned everything from a Fiesta XR2i to a Nissan Micra, a Metro with knackered suspension, and several Fords — including a Ka Collection, a C-Max, two Kuga's (the current one being a fully-loaded ex-Ford manager’s ST-Line in Stealth Grey), and currently a Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost, which I use as my daily (and yes, the wet belt's still holding!).

Now that I’ve hit 50, I’m want to have a go at restoration. With a budget of under £500, I picked up this red Ford StreetKa as a little passion project (my mid life crisis as the wife states) — with lacquer peel, typical rust under arches but not too bad, and all. I wanted something to learn welding and painting on, this fits the bill. Ideally, I’d have loved another Mini, but I reckon this StreetKa has real future classic potential.

looks good, and be a great project

[cjlawrence75]

2 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Welcome. No garage so a driveway restoration? Perfect!

Thanks, those photos are on the previous owners drive, but yes it will be a driveway resto as the garage is full. Its now since been washed and hardtop fitted. She's happy in her new location.

[Wibble]

On 15/06/2025 at 21:05, stuboy said:

yeah , whats the power on st170 like, 

 

and is there a thread for them yet?

It felt pretty sprightly when he took me for a spin but @Chalky is notoriously shit for checking messages!

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, cjlawrence75 said:

Thanks, those photos are on the previous owners drive, but yes it will be a driveway resto as the garage is full. Its now since been washed and hardtop fitted. She's happy in her new location.

🤣

Walsall has a posh part? 🤣 (Not taking the P, my wife hails from Willenhall)

[cjlawrence75]

11 hours ago, stuboy said:

looks good, and be a great project

Cheers👍

[cjlawrence75]

20 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Walsall has a posh part? 🤣 (Not taking the P, my wife hails from Willenhall)

🤣 Yep, well spotted, no Walsall is still rough round the edges. there’s no room on my drive thanks to the caravan! So all the work’s happening over on the old mans drive’ in Sutton Coldfield. plenty of space.

[TMP_319]

On 18/06/2025 at 19:41, TMP_319 said:

Hello all, I've lurked around without an account for a while and thought that I'd better make an account to contribute a bit.

I generally potter about in a MkIII Fiesta. I also recently ish acquired the only LDV Pilot I could find that wasn't a camper van and didn't have any large holes in it. I'll post a few pictures of my rapidly disintegrating chariots when I get a chance to upload the photos to my computer.

I must admit I don't really have much mechanical knowledge, so I'll probably end up cap in hand asking for advice on fixing the LDV when it inevitably explodes.

In the meantime I'll probably mostly post in the eBay tat thread to satiate my addiction to looking at things I can't afford on the internet.

 

As promised/threatened the other day:

The Fiesta, which I've had since I got my license a few years ago and is about as standard as a 30 year old Fiesta can get. It comes in handy because it's small enough to parallel park easily, and it's (mostly) reliable enough to take the abuse I give it. Slowly turning the classic shade of Ford Racing Pink on the top, and Cheap 90s Steel brown on the bottom.

 

 

And the LDV, which is none of those things except the gradually turning pink and rusty part. (The HMM in the reg is the noise you make when you see it).

I bought this godawful thing, by proxy, off an old boy on Facebook Marketplace. Predicably, it's full of bodges and what I think the residents of this forum refer to as "Giffer Mods" (correct me if I'm wrong). I do intend to reverse most of the modifications, which is partly because I'm one of those nerds that likes things standard, partly to avoid the funny looks I get from the RPU, partly because some of them are actively hindering my ability to use the van, and most importantly because it lets me pretend that I'm fixing something so I can procrastinate fixing the fact that it leaks coolant everywhere.

Unfortunately I feel obliged to keep it around at great personal expense because it's hilarious to drive.

[Yoss]

2 hours ago, TMP_319 said:

As promised/threatened the other day:

The Fiesta, which I've had since I got my license a few years ago and is about as standard as a 30 year old Fiesta can get. It comes in handy because it's small enough to parallel park easily, and it's (mostly) reliable enough to take the abuse I give it. Slowly turning the classic shade of Ford Racing Pink on the top, and Cheap 90s Steel brown on the bottom.

 

 

And the LDV, which is none of those things except the gradually turning pink and rusty part. (The HMM in the reg is the noise you make when you see it).

I bought this godawful thing, by proxy, off an old boy on Facebook Marketplace. Predicably, it's full of bodges and what I think the residents of this forum refer to as "Giffer Mods" (correct me if I'm wrong). I do intend to reverse most of the modifications, which is partly because I'm one of those nerds that likes things standard, partly to avoid the funny looks I get from the RPU, partly because some of them are actively hindering my ability to use the van, and most importantly because it lets me pretend that I'm fixing something so I can procrastinate fixing the fact that it leaks coolant everywhere.

Unfortunately I feel obliged to keep it around at great personal expense because it's hilarious to drive.

That's lovely, very jealous. I drove these for years at Royal Mail and loved them. My last one was Y833TDA. I was quite annoyed when I came in one morning and I was told to take it to the workshop and pick up my new van, a 55 reg Transit. I had no prior warning, then it was gone. 

I was annoyed but everyone else preffered the Transits. They had no soul of course. They probably were a better van in every measurable way but they weren't fun like the Sherpa (they were still called Sherpas whatever LDV might want us to call them). The way you could get the back end to step out at little more than walking pace never got boring. 

[Chalky]

On 15/06/2025 at 21:05, stuboy said:

yeah , whats the power on st170 like, 

 

and is there a thread for them yet?

I think the power is good but it is also my first car with power. 

[Heavyspanners]

Long time reader, first time poster here - although you may have seen my thread about my semi-derelict garage and the semi-derelict cars in it over on the blue forum.

From time to time I trawl the internet for Sherpa content , because you never know when some Sherpa Wisdom will crop up. I saw AS had a new Sherpa thread, so I came here to say "I've got a Sherpa!" - and I'll do that, on the thread, in a bit.

This is the Sherpa. 1985 Freight Rover 255, ex-BT box van, converted into a pickup by a farmer. Presented in farm-quality Ford Tractor Blue. It's a very rare interim model, although that doesn't make it worth more money. It does, however, make the spec interestingly at odds with anything in the Haynes manual. Runs, drives, very little rust - but it was in a barn for years, so needs recommissioning.



Also in the garage: 

1956 Rover 90 - the family heirloom. Bought by my dad, a bangernomics pioneer,  in the early 1970s. Our family car up to 1987, when it failed its MOT on rust. My dad then gave it to me. Thanks, dad...I think. It runs, it drives, but it's been off the road since '87 and that rust hasn't gone anywhere.

1976 Mini Clubman Estate. Bought by me for £300 in 1996. My daily driver up to 2001, when - stop me if you saw this coming - it failed its MOT on rust. I started a restoration (translation: I started taking it to bits), but I got turfed out of my rented lock-up because the landlord wanted to sell. I had to find a new lock-up at short notice, and I couldn't find anywhere suitable for work, so the resto stalled. It runs, it drives - but it's still in 'not quite started project' condition. At least it won't get evicted from this garage, because the landlord is me.

1967 Land Rover Series 2a. Bought by me in 2008, and my daily driver and all-purpose builder's truck until - well, just recently, when the engine finally said "Enough! No more!" It's been through 10 owners before me, and some of them were absolute bodge merchants. The engine is a motley assortment of Series 2 parts loosely assembled onto a moon-mileage Series 3 block. It's massively worn, and one cylinder has lost all compression. It runs and drives, and is still taxed and theoretically on the road, but driving it would risk something really bad happening. So it's having a little break at the moment.

1980 Austin Maxi. Possibly a recognisable car - it's been around a bit. Bought by me last year as a quick way of getting a fully-functioning motor vehicle (although, if truth be told, I just wanted a Maxi). Then I discovered the rust. It runs, it drives, it's on the road. But...there's rust.



I've never owned a modern car. The Sherpa was the first vehicle I've ever owned with disc brakes (new fangled things, they'll never catch on).  I would actually like a pre-war car at some stage. I think I'd get on quite well with that kind of vehicle. After all, the Land Rover is very pre-war in many aspects of its design, so I think I've already done the training course.

I'm also interested in electric cars built in the lead-acid battery era. Something like an Enfield 8000 would be a genuinely useful machine for around-town driving. Just recently one of our cats has had to go to the vet on a fairly regular basis (he broke his toe - not serious, but it needs constant re-strapping because he has a hundred cunning ways to take the bandage off). As I'm a little short of functioning motor vehicles at the moment, it's been minicabs there and back every time, and it's costing a fortune. That's the kind of trip a small, old, lead-acid powered electric car could do for free.

Unfortunately Enfield 8000s are rare things these days. Anyone know of a Reva G-Wiz for sale...?

[Scott Chegg]

Hi all. I've been lurking for a couple of years now and thought it was time to finally sign up. Thanks for making the work days go a bit quicker 😁

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, Scott Chegg said:

Hi all. I've been lurking for a couple of years now and thought it was time to finally sign up. Thanks for making the work days go a bit quicker 😁

Welcome. I find AS leads to less work in the working day. 😀

[Snake Charmer]

7 hours ago, Heavyspanners said:

1980 Austin Maxi

Good grief, just checked and BL were making them up until l left school in 1981. 🫤

 

[stuboy]

On 11/07/2025 at 15:58, Scott Chegg said:

Hi all. I've been lurking for a couple of years now and thought it was time to finally sign up. Thanks for making the work days go a bit quicker 😁

welcome too the pleasure dome........

[stuboy]

On 11/07/2025 at 11:19, Heavyspanners said:

Long time reader, first time poster here - although you may have seen my thread about my semi-derelict garage and the semi-derelict cars in it over on the blue forum.

From time to time I trawl the internet for Sherpa content , because you never know when some Sherpa Wisdom will crop up. I saw AS had a new Sherpa thread, so I came here to say "I've got a Sherpa!" - and I'll do that, on the thread, in a bit.

This is the Sherpa. 1985 Freight Rover 255, ex-BT box van, converted into a pickup by a farmer. Presented in farm-quality Ford Tractor Blue. It's a very rare interim model, although that doesn't make it worth more money. It does, however, make the spec interestingly at odds with anything in the Haynes manual. Runs, drives, very little rust - but it was in a barn for years, so needs recommissioning.



Also in the garage: 

1956 Rover 90 - the family heirloom. Bought by my dad, a bangernomics pioneer,  in the early 1970s. Our family car up to 1987, when it failed its MOT on rust. My dad then gave it to me. Thanks, dad...I think. It runs, it drives, but it's been off the road since '87 and that rust hasn't gone anywhere.

1976 Mini Clubman Estate. Bought by me for £300 in 1996. My daily driver up to 2001, when - stop me if you saw this coming - it failed its MOT on rust. I started a restoration (translation: I started taking it to bits), but I got turfed out of my rented lock-up because the landlord wanted to sell. I had to find a new lock-up at short notice, and I couldn't find anywhere suitable for work, so the resto stalled. It runs, it drives - but it's still in 'not quite started project' condition. At least it won't get evicted from this garage, because the landlord is me.

1967 Land Rover Series 2a. Bought by me in 2008, and my daily driver and all-purpose builder's truck until - well, just recently, when the engine finally said "Enough! No more!" It's been through 10 owners before me, and some of them were absolute bodge merchants. The engine is a motley assortment of Series 2 parts loosely assembled onto a moon-mileage Series 3 block. It's massively worn, and one cylinder has lost all compression. It runs and drives, and is still taxed and theoretically on the road, but driving it would risk something really bad happening. So it's having a little break at the moment.

1980 Austin Maxi. Possibly a recognisable car - it's been around a bit. Bought by me last year as a quick way of getting a fully-functioning motor vehicle (although, if truth be told, I just wanted a Maxi). Then I discovered the rust. It runs, it drives, it's on the road. But...there's rust.



I've never owned a modern car. The Sherpa was the first vehicle I've ever owned with disc brakes (new fangled things, they'll never catch on).  I would actually like a pre-war car at some stage. I think I'd get on quite well with that kind of vehicle. After all, the Land Rover is very pre-war in many aspects of its design, so I think I've already done the training course.

I'm also interested in electric cars built in the lead-acid battery era. Something like an Enfield 8000 would be a genuinely useful machine for around-town driving. Just recently one of our cats has had to go to the vet on a fairly regular basis (he broke his toe - not serious, but it needs constant re-strapping because he has a hundred cunning ways to take the bandage off). As I'm a little short of functioning motor vehicles at the moment, it's been minicabs there and back every time, and it's costing a fortune. That's the kind of trip a small, old, lead-acid powered electric car could do for free.

Unfortunately Enfield 8000s are rare things these days. Anyone know of a Reva G-Wiz for sale...?

you have a thing for british wonderfullness

[Beerbellykelly]

Greets , in 1985 I bought a brand new motorcycle , it was my first new thing that out accelerated everything on the streets.

i took it to Santa pod and it was destroyed in the quarter mile by the same machines that had additives, i have bought old shit ever since .this place looked like fun, and having taken about a month to get let in ,I can see it is a decent place where fettling shoite is more important than staring at a screen.

i simply hope to learn more about 4 wheeled shoite ( I’m a biker ) and maybe score some shoite,sell some shoite and chat some shoite.easy now.

[tooSavvy]

Well, M9..... First piccies "a right pile'o $hyte!"

You'll do 😉👍

🚙💨

[vtec-e]

Long time lurker,  who should have signed up long ago. I live on the edge of ULEZ, which restricts what is economically worth owning, and lead me to scrap my 25 year old Honda Civic with starship mileage (it did need a lot of work and money spent for the next MOT). My current daily is a 15 year base model Clio 1.2 complete with skinny tyres and plastic wheel trims, ideal for pottering about and parking anywhere. Also in the garage are a 13 year old Hyundai  and a 6 year old Astra.  I've been driving, tinkering, fettling and nattering on about cars for nearly 50 years. I look forward to joining in on the fun, and continue to learn about all things motoring!   

[Hawkal]

Hi All,

Thanks for the add, I’m Alan from Tipperary, Ireland.

I currently have 2 early 90s Suzuki Escudos, these are basically JDM Vitara’s with all the extras you would expect, I need to perform an engine swaparoo on these. 

A 1995 Diesel Commercial P38 which needs some suspension work and general tidying. 
 

Had some other shite over the years including an early E30 and a not so shite Corolla Gti-16 which I should have never sold and a Sprinter Trueno also with digi dash. 

I also love French stuff as my parents have ran Renaults exclusively for over 50 years, I had a Kangoo van for many years and would love a 5 GT Turbo, Clio 16V / 182 at some stage.

[Eyersey1234]

20 minutes ago, vtec-e said:

Long time lurker,  who should have signed up long ago. I live on the edge of ULEZ, which restricts what is economically worth owning, and lead me to scrap my 25 year old Honda Civic with starship mileage (it did need a lot of work and money spent for the next MOT). My current daily is a 15 year base model Clio 1.2 complete with skinny tyres and plastic wheel trims, ideal for pottering about and parking anywhere. Also in the garage are a 13 year old Hyundai  and a 6 year old Astra.  I've been driving, tinkering, fettling and nattering on about cars for nearly 50 years. I look forward to joining in on the fun, and continue to learn about all things motoring!   

Welcome to the madhouse, the kettle and biscuits are in the corner. There were some chocolate digestives but I believe @2cvspecial finished them off

[Eyersey1234]

7 minutes ago, Hawkal said:

Hi All,

Thanks for the add, I’m Alan from Tipperary, Ireland.

I currently have 2 early 90s Suzuki Escudos, these are basically JDM Vitara’s with all the extras you would expect, I need to perform an engine swaparoo on these. 

A 1995 Diesel Commercial P38 which needs some suspension work and general tidying. 
 

Had some other shite over the years including an early E30 and a not so shite Corolla Gti-16 which I should have never sold and a Sprinter Trueno also with digi dash. 

I also love French stuff as my parents have ran Renaults exclusively for over 50 years, I had a Kangoo van for many years and would love a 5 GT Turbo, Clio 16V / 182 at some stage.

Welcome to the madhouse 

[vtec-e]

5 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Welcome to the madhouse, the kettle and biscuits are in the corner. There were some chocolate digestives but I believe @2cvspecial finished them off

Thank you. Shame I missed the choccie digestives, but I'll stick on the kettle on !

[SiC]

44 minutes ago, Hawkal said:

Clio 16V / 182 at some stage.

 

https://autoshite.com/topic/64149-2002-52-renault-clio-172

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, vtec-e said:

Long time lurker,  who should have signed up long ago. I live on the edge of ULEZ, which restricts what is economically worth owning, and lead me to scrap my 25 year old Honda Civic with starship mileage (it did need a lot of work and money spent for the next MOT). My current daily is a 15 year base model Clio 1.2 complete with skinny tyres and plastic wheel trims, ideal for pottering about and parking anywhere. Also in the garage are a 13 year old Hyundai  and a 6 year old Astra.  I've been driving, tinkering, fettling and nattering on about cars for nearly 50 years. I look forward to joining in on the fun, and continue to learn about all things motoring!   

Welcome. You're only as old as the woman car that you feel 😀

[High Jetter]

59 minutes ago, Hawkal said:

Hi All,

Thanks for the add, I’m Alan from Tipperary, Ireland.

I currently have 2 early 90s Suzuki Escudos, these are basically JDM Vitara’s with all the extras you would expect, I need to perform an engine swaparoo on these. 

A 1995 Diesel Commercial P38 which needs some suspension work and general tidying. 
 

Had some other shite over the years including an early E30 and a not so shite Corolla Gti-16 which I should have never sold and a Sprinter Trueno also with digi dash. 

I also love French stuff as my parents have ran Renaults exclusively for over 50 years, I had a Kangoo van for many years and would love a 5 GT Turbo, Clio 16V / 182 at some stage.

Welcome. You're only as old as the woman car that you feel 😀. To be sure.

[Wibble]

1 hour ago, Hawkal said:

Hi All,

Thanks for the add, I’m Alan from Tipperary, Ireland.

I currently have 2 early 90s Suzuki Escudos, these are basically JDM Vitara’s with all the extras you would expect, I need to perform an engine swaparoo on these. 

A 1995 Diesel Commercial P38 which needs some suspension work and general tidying. 
 

Had some other shite over the years including an early E30 and a not so shite Corolla Gti-16 which I should have never sold and a Sprinter Trueno also with digi dash. 

I also love French stuff as my parents have ran Renaults exclusively for over 50 years, I had a Kangoo van for many years and would love a 5 GT Turbo, Clio 16V / 182 at some stage.

Welcome aboard, my family roots are Dublin and Donegal.

[Hawkal]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

 

https://autoshite.com/topic/64149-2002-52-renault-clio-172

Thanks, I just can’t seem to open the link

[stuboy]

On 14/07/2025 at 21:47, vtec-e said:

Long time lurker,  who should have signed up long ago. I live on the edge of ULEZ, which restricts what is economically worth owning, and lead me to scrap my 25 year old Honda Civic with starship mileage (it did need a lot of work and money spent for the next MOT). My current daily is a 15 year base model Clio 1.2 complete with skinny tyres and plastic wheel trims, ideal for pottering about and parking anywhere. Also in the garage are a 13 year old Hyundai  and a 6 year old Astra.  I've been driving, tinkering, fettling and nattering on about cars for nearly 50 years. I look forward to joining in on the fun, and continue to learn about all things motoring!   

located anywhere nice?

[stuboy]

On 14/07/2025 at 22:01, Hawkal said:

Hi All,

Thanks for the add, I’m Alan from Tipperary, Ireland.

I currently have 2 early 90s Suzuki Escudos, these are basically JDM Vitara’s with all the extras you would expect, I need to perform an engine swaparoo on these. 

A 1995 Diesel Commercial P38 which needs some suspension work and general tidying. 
 

Had some other shite over the years including an early E30 and a not so shite Corolla Gti-16 which I should have never sold and a Sprinter Trueno also with digi dash. 

I also love French stuff as my parents have ran Renaults exclusively for over 50 years, I had a Kangoo van for many years and would love a 5 GT Turbo, Clio 16V / 182 at some stage.

welcome aboard to good ship autoshite

[vtec-e]

1 hour ago, stuboy said:

located anywhere nice?

A fair way from Ashford, on the other side of ULEZ land on the Bucks/Middx border.