Ask a Shiter

[Station]

I've found someone in California that is willing to 'ship' me a fuel tank for the Starion.

Does anyone have an idea on how to go about this, I know it's difficult as it's a fuel tank, not too bothered about cost as rust free tanks over here are non existent.

[twosmoke300]

Pack it full of Coke I reckon . Stop damage and will help fund repairs

[John F]

Station, on 17 Oct 2014 - 10:17 AM, said:

I've found someone in California that is willing to 'ship' me a fuel tank for the Starion.

Does anyone have an idea on how to go about this, I know it's difficult as it's a fuel tank, not too bothered about cost as rust free tanks over here are non existent.

 

Pay them the requisite cash monies and send them your address, then they send it to you. It might be a fuel tank to you, but it's just a piece of metal to a shipping company (assuming it's not still half full of fuel).

 

You'll probably have to pay an amount in customs duty since it's coming from septicland. This is usually fairly straightforward & is payable to the carrier.

[drum]

I sold (actually gave for free) a Land Rover fuel tank to someone in Englandshire. He arranged courier and told me to say it was a water tank if asked. I made sure it was dry and vented in case it exploded and killed lots of nuns with puppies - ooer.

 

No body died but maybe I was lucky.

[Largactil]

I would go for the new carb a lot of these old french solex carbs wear and rebuilding it will last a month or 2 then it will play up again. If it is a proper new carb for 150 that isn't a bad price

 

Currently trying to find out if a PBISA 11 would fit in place of a PBISA 12 - The 11's are much more plentiful, so I could have a crack at rebuilding my carb and still stay mobile.

 

(That said, I still might just buy a new one when I get paid at the end of the month, for piece of mind).

 

Matt's point did make me think about the ethos of autoshite - We all like crap cars; some of us are skilled mechanically, and pour hours and hours into undesirable chod, repairing things for minimal outlay.

 

Others (like me) have no real mechanical skills, so have to pay someone to work on aforementioned undesirable chod, sometimes having to take the 'easy' option of fitting an expensive new part in order to minimise the risk of potential breakdowns (that the mechanically skilled would be able to fix at the roadside, but would mean calling out recovery for me). 

 

I've already had a few friends ask why I'm pouring money into an unfashionable old car, when I could have at least bought a decent example for the same total outlay; not sure there's a sensible answer to that, but it makes me happy knowing that I'm keeping one of the few left going, when it would be deemed non-viable to most people... 

[mat_the_cat]

Pack it full of Coke I reckon . Stop damage and will help fund repairs

 

I wouldn't want to open it after it's been shaken around a bit - it'll fizz everywhere!

[Richard]

This is how you make a petrol tank safe. The choice of music is important.

 

[alf892]

Our local radiator repair place (called Wobbly Bob because he had one leg shorter than the other) -  used to do them like that - used to leave his diesel astra van chugging into to them for a few hours.

 

Given that he is still alive it must work OK - although the tanks probably had a good bit of soot in them once done.

[KruJoe]

In case anyone didn't know, that's our own M.Bo11ox with the ex-Bo11ox 220, in a Reg_Bo11ox cinematic production.

 

 

About Largactil and his carbs, if he bought a new one, would it be way out of tune straight from the box? Or would it at least start and run to a local "man who can" set it up for him?

[phil_lihp]

^ I'm glad it'd had a new starter motor fitted by times I had it!

[willswitchengage]

Is the current Audi A4 front or rear wheel drive?

[DS20]

^ Front wheel drive, with four wheel drive an option.

[KruJoe]

(As per all generations of A4.)

[Richard]

Have Audi ever made a RWD car?

[Lacquer Peel]

Aye

 

[worldofceri]

Which - if any - iterations of VW Passat are/have been RWD?

[cobblers]

All FWD (some AWD models though). Earliest ones had longitudinal engine though, as do later ones.

[Lacquer Peel]

I wonder if there any other models that have switched to and from longitudinal and transverse engine layouts twice.

[Lacquer Peel]

Also, are any Minis RWD?

[spike60]

Also, are any Minis RWD?

I think there was/is a twin engined 4wd one done some years back.

[Asimo]

  RWD Audi

 

Transverse Passat

 

 

[Lacquer Peel]

Aren't all Audi R8s four-wheel drive?

[Asimo]

^^^^^^Doh!

[Richard]

I don't think VAG have ever done a front engined rear wheel drive car for Europe, though they did do a rehashed Talbot Avenger for South America.

[Des]

Which - if any - iterations of VW Passat are/have been RWD?

The old ones with the engine in the arse end were RWD, so of course when they put the engine where it should be they went with wrong wheel drive. Stupid Krauts.

[Station]

VW have never made a FR car, much like Saab.

 

Remember they pretty much used the same chassis for 40 or so years until the 70s.

[Richard]

[Skizzer]

I wonder if there any other models that have switched to and from longitudinal and transverse engine layouts twice.

 

Don't know about that, but in a similar vein didn't Renault 21s come in longitudinal and transverse flavour at the same time, depending on the model?  I know the estates had a longer wheelbase, and seem to remember four possible combinations of wheelbase and engine direction in one range.

[Richard]

The Renault 21 had a transverse engine in 1.7 and 1.9D flavour and a longitudinal engine in 2.0 and 2.1D versions. I think they also had different wheelbase left and right, as was traditional on Renaults, as well as the transverse and longitudinal versions having different wheelbase.

[Asimo]

Yep, different front wings for Transverse and InLine R 21s. Visas and LNAs also available with in line or transverse as the customer prefferred.

 

Choice eh? Those were the days!