Ask a Shiter

[pompei]

I rememberTiff Needell flying round in one with Clarkson & Wilson on board on an old TG. I think they voted it their car of the year, or best handling/most fun car etc. It's on Youtube somewhere I think.

[myglaren]

Workmate of mine is just divesting himself of one that he's had about a year.

I've driven it a few times and enjoyed it but wouldn't like it for everyday use.

I thought my daughter might have been interested and while she found it fun to drive she liked her SAAB better, then went for the Rover 75 that she loves.

Wise choice in the long run, IMO.

[kinkersaab]

is the whole GR1 - Gr9.9999999 thing only used on here? I think it's gr8, and have started pissing friends off by using it in a piss take manner, no one else i have ever spoken to has heard of it, surely its too good to have been invented on here?

[eddyramrod]

Easily the best part of the Puma was the Bullitt ad.....

[Father Ted]

Induction kits....

 

Any good? I want to try and squeeze a bit more power out of the Micra. Short of trying to find a 1.3 to fit, I thought about replacing the air filter with an induction kit. Might look pretty and make me think its going a bit faster.

But are they just so much snake oil?

[pompei]

I have me doubts FT. When I had my CRX, there were all sorts of mods being done with cold air intakes and washable filters and the like and then gradually people started re-fitting the original spec units because they were better. I can't help thinking if it were that easy to get a few more horses then the manufacturers would have done it.

[scaryoldcortina]

I'd agree, and go further and say that flat paper filters are probably better at flowing air into your engne than a max power branded K&N filter. For pov-spec improvements in flow/noise you should be drilling holes in the bottom of the standard air box

[CreepingJesus]

The better brands, K+N, Ramair etc, are worth a couple of horse, tops. They do sound nice, and will save you a bob or two in the very long run.

All this M*x P***r tosh about mega gains was, and is exactly that. Tosh.

[andrew e]

My fatherinlaw was working in Fords at dunton, and confirmed the best all round cvh/VV carb aircleaner was the one it left the factory with apparently. His personal theory was a new VV was better than a new webber...

[scaryoldcortina]

My fatherinlaw was working in Fords at dunton, and confirmed the best all round cvh/VV carb aircleaner was the one it left the factory with apparently. His personal theory was a new VV was better than a new webber...

 

Maybe, but the weber stayed in tune for 15 years where the VV fucked up within 15 miles......

[andrew e]

Poor man's SU scary!

[scaryoldcortina]

^ something else I'd swap for a weber given half a chance......

[andrew e]

I bet you wouldn't swap a webber for a solex.

 

And a fire extinguisher obviously.

[scaryoldcortina]

Only way I'd fit a solex is if the OEM carb was a pierburg

 

seriously though, my personal preference is for closed loop managed EFI.

 

FUCK carbs.

[Negative Creep]

On the subject of carbs, cold starting. As I'm sure we've all experienced you can get it to idle yet after blipping the throttle or backing off it will stall instantly (GR8 4 approaching junctions). Why does this seem to be so common and what causes it?

[barefoot]

Its the auto choke cutting off/back too soon (on my T2).

[Station]

Solex on the Whizzkid lost fuel supply on corners. Not sure if the engine was developed for a longitudinal position, but I heard everyone does this. I didn't have a problem starting it though, even when the wheels were frozen in blocks of ice during 2009 winter.

 

I have a classic insurance question - would I be able to get my mk3 Astra LSi 1.4 which was first registered in 1992 (on a K-reg) insured on a classic policy. It's almost embarrassing as a) I know it's not a classic car, and I only want to do it because it's about 1/7 of the price on normal insurance.

[barefoot]

Why do some folk on here blur numberplates & some don't?

 

It's never occurred to me to do it as I suspect you could find out who I really am, easily enough without having to resort to tracing me through my car.

Am I not getting something?

 

What is the correct form/protocol please?

 

& why?

[Negative Creep]

I think its mainly to stop cloning. Doesn't bother me since my reg is in full view of the hundre of people who drive or walk past it every single day

[AnthonyG]

Solex on the Whizzkid lost fuel supply on corners. Not sure if the engine was developed for a longitudinal position, but I heard everyone does this. I didn't have a problem starting it though, even when the wheels were frozen in blocks of ice during 2009 winter.

 

I have a classic insurance question - would I be able to get my mk3 Astra LSi 1.4 which was first registered in 1992 (on a K-reg) insured on a classic policy. It's almost embarrassing as a) I know it's not a classic car, and I only want to do it because it's about 1/7 of the price on normal insurance.

 

On the Astra, there's a good chance of classic insurance when it hits 20 years old, next August or whenever. Most classic insurers have a 20 or 25 year old starting point , some are picky and have 30. You may be able to already get some sort of limited miles policy on it already (as a 'normal' car). Comprehensive can also sometimes work out cheaper than TF &T, due to mysterious insurance mathematics/statistics.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Is it sensible or stupid to put a pair of winter tyres on the rear wheels of a RWD car while leaving summers in the front? I've been thinking of buying some for the Scorpio. There's a 10-page thread on PenisHeads that supposedly deals with the topic, but is mostly people swearing at each other and talking about fictional insurance scenarios as opposed to whether it makes any difference (for better or worse) to the safety aspect. Any ideas?

[Albert Ross]

Where Series 2/2a/3 Land Rovers are concerned, there are various types of carb. From the earliest... Solex PA40 (1958-1967/8 approx). The ultimate for low down power, (best for the 2286 unit, biggest venturi) Then the Zenith 36IV, 1968-1985 (sometimes badged as a Solex strangely) which whilst adequate, wears quickly, and the bodies can warp, leading to internal leaks. Then the aftermarket Weber 34ICH... well. Originally designed as a Ford crossflow replacment unit, woefully inadequate, strangling at higher revs, and prone to icing and jet blockage. SoI would go Solex above Weber. Every time.

[imothepixie]

I have hundreds of bolts with 88 on the head (Most seem to!) I've just got some with 48 on the head! Will they snap or sumat??? Quality of the steel or what? Are there any bolts with other figures?

[andrew e]

Is it sensible or stupid to put a pair of winter tyres on the rear wheels of a RWD car while leaving summers in the front? I've been thinking of buying some for the Scorpio. There's a 10-page thread on PenisHeads that supposedly deals with the topic, but is mostly people swearing at each other and talking about fictional insurance scenarios as opposed to whether it makes any difference (for better or worse) to the safety aspect. Any ideas?

 

Who knows? But I've been doing it with a pair contiwintersports for 6 weeks now that cost £40 the pair because I needed the new summer conti money to take on holiday

 

 

I'm not dead, I've done nearly 2500 miles, and they grip better than new woosung ditch finders. There E marked after all. I was worried about them getting hot at motorway speeds, but nay bother. Just stick something good on, like contis or pirreli sotto zeros, both work well on heavy rear wheel drive cars. Pretty good in the snow too.

[oldford]

Is it sensible or stupid to put a pair of winter tyres on the rear wheels of a RWD car while leaving summers in the front? I've been thinking of buying some for the Scorpio. There's a 10-page thread on PenisHeads that supposedly deals with the topic, but is mostly people swearing at each other and talking about fictional insurance scenarios as opposed to whether it makes any difference (for better or worse) to the safety aspect. Any ideas?

 

I had a look in the handbook for the Sierra, the manufacturers recommendation is to have all four wheels fitted with winter tyres. It makes sense in that the front wheels handle the steering and most of the braking, so being able to stop and change direction is as important as getting the car moving in my opinion.

[andrew e]

Don't get me wrong, I have another pair of winter tyres (well 3 actually) in the garage, but its not 0 degres and trying to snow yet. And yes in those conditions you need them all round. But at the moment I think your safe*.

[Des]

Ferrodo, is the company still around or is the name merely applied to generic tat these days? The reason I ask, put new discs and pads, Mintex ones, on ooold Rangy about 2 years ago, brakes were excellent, really so, the one thing Landrover got absolutely spot on. Few months ago the pads had worn thin so nipped out for a set, choice of cheap crap or decent, I selected decent, and fitted the Ferrodos front and rear, crappy wooden feeling brakes but of course they'll need a chance to bed in, many miles on and there's barely any improvement. These pads are shit. Does anyone know if Ferrodos are being forged, or has the name been bought by some Chinese knicker factory who are knocking them up from chipboard and dogpoo.

[Pete-M]

I have hundreds of bolts with 88 on the head (Most seem to!) I've just got some with 48 on the head! Will they snap or sumat??? Quality of the steel or what? Are there any bolts with other figures?

 

As far as i can remember carbon steel bolts and setscrews are graded to tensile strength from something like 3.5 to 12.5, so the higher the number stamped on the head of the bolt the stronger it is.

When i worked at the local Caterpillar dealer many years ago, Grade 8 bolts were the norm.

 

The numbers stamped on the head of the bolt are referred to the grade of the bolt used in certain application with the strength of a bolt. High-strength steel bolts usually have a hexagonal head with an ISO strength rating (called property class) stamped on the head. And the absence of marking/number indicates a lower grade bolt with low strength. The property classes most often used are 5.8, 8.8, and 10.9. The number before the point is the tensile ultimate strength in MPa divided by 100. The number after the point is 10 times the ratio of tensile yield strength to tensile ultimate strength. For example, a property class 5.8 bolt has a nominal (minimum) tensile ultimate strength of 500 MPa, and a tensile yield strength of 0.8 times tensile ultimate strength or 0.8(500) = 400 MPa.

 

Tensile ultimate strength is the stress at which the bolt fails. Tensile yield strength is the stress at which the bolt will receive a permanent set (an elongation from which it will not recover when the force is removed) of 0.2 % offset strain. When elongating a fastener prior to reaching the yield point, the fastener is said to be operating in the elastic region; whereas elongation beyond the yield point is referred to as operating in the plastic region, since the fastener has suffered permanent plastic deformation.

 

Mild steel bolts have property class 4.6. High-strength steel bolts have property class 8.8 or above.

 

The same type of screw or bolt can be made in many different grades of material. For critical high-tensile-strength applications, low-grade bolts may fail, resulting in damage or injury. On SAE-standard bolts, a distinctive pattern of marking is impressed on the heads to allow inspection and validation of the strength of the bolt. However, low-cost counterfeit fasteners may be found with actual strength far less than indicated by the markings. Such inferior fasteners are a danger to life and property when used in aircraft, automobiles, heavy trucks, and similar critical applications.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Ferodo is spelled with a single 'r'. The Chinese are known for small 'spelling alterations' of well-known brand names.

 

Ferodo are owned by Federal-Mogul, who also own the Champion brand of wipers and service parts. I'd wager that they are a decent mid-market outfit as opposed to shit or particularly high-performance.

[M'coli]

Ferodo's reputation should really be without contempt unless the parent company's decided to cheapen the brand. This is the company that supplied the brake pads for every F1 champion from the mid 60s until carbon brakes took over in the early 1980s.