Ask a Shiter

[panhard65]

C3 Pluriel... Has anyone had one ? Are they as unreliable as people say ?

 

mixer.jpg

 

I've always liked their quirky styling and versatile roof, and they're now available for shite money !

Yes it was fucking awful. Whatever you do don't get the auto with the stupid flappy gearchange, the poxy thing never knew what gear it wanted to be in. The roof is shit and unlikely to work and a pain in the arse if you take the rails off as there is nowhere to store them in the car. Mine had been a cat c but still made more money breaking it for spares than selling it as a going concern. I love French cars but would avoid the pluriel like the plague

[Pillock]

Well the woman in the picture is clearly lobbing a bit of concrete in the back before she takes hers over the bridge.....

[willswitchengage]

Why are some French numberplates yellow, some white, and some red?

[dave21478]

yellow - old style

white - new style

red - export plates. Temporary registration to drive a new car out of the country.

green - Diplomatic / consul registered car.

[Matt]

So the 200 quid Alto died and has been hastily replaced with... OH GOD, A RENAULT ('04 Clio). I'm just looking through the old MOT's online and back in 2007 the tester put down an advisory that has me totally stumped.

 

"Both front and nearside rear tyre are low on cosmetic tread"

 

Cosmetic tread? Can anyone decipher that? 

[320touring]

So the 200 quid Alto died and has been hastily replaced with... OH GOD, A RENAULT ('04 Clio). I'm just looking through the old MOT's online and back in 2007 the tested put down an advisory that has me totally stumped.

 

"Both front and nearside rear tyre are low on cosmetic tread"

 

Can anyone decipher that?

for mot its tread on central 3/4 of tyre that needs to be above 1.6mm

 

stuff on the shoulders can be below that..

[billyboy406v6]

What is a "pineapple" as in VW speak, and I may be a "giffer" how do I confirm/deny this affliction ? thanks, Bill.

[Richard]

Years ago somebody posted a picture of a rat look VW that had a pineapple among the shit on the roof rack. It stood out as being ridiculous even by the standards of rat look roof racks and became Autoshite shorthand for the rat look scene, eventually broadening to the entire VW scene.

[HH-R]

Giffer = 80s/90s car with 12,000 on the clock kept garaged and polished every Sunday, where it is taken to the garden centre for a cuppa before being put back. Reversed out of said garage at 4000 RPM and 2 MPH, then driven at no more than 38 MPH through 20 and 30 zones, topping out at 45 on NSL roads and dual carriageways. Period aftermarket accessories relating to making life easier/saving money installed. Usually wait at side streets until you're 10 yards away then decide to pull out very slowly, totally oblivious.

[Alan_Green]

Question. Why are Hilux Surfs so cheap when 4x4 pickup Hiluxes are so expensive the world over and which Surf is the one to buy?

[dollywobbler]

Question. Why are Hilux Surfs so cheap when 4x4 pickup Hiluxes are so expensive the world over and which Surf is the one to buy?

 

I think the Surf now has an image problem, being attractive to the sort of people who like far too much jewellery and a stupid, aggressive dog. 2.4s have also gained rather a reputation for being a bit K Series when it comes to coolant. The gaudy interiors on some of them don't help. I'd quite like one.

[Pillock]

Straight out of the autoshite handbook.

 

"Negative point about car. Negative point about car. Negative point about car. Negative point about car. Negative point about car. I'm hunting for one on eBay"

[Sigmund Fraud]

Yes it was fucking awful. Whatever you do don't get the auto with the stupid flappy gearchange, the poxy thing never knew what gear it wanted to be in. The roof is shit and unlikely to work and a pain in the arse if you take the rails off as there is nowhere to store them in the car. Mine had been a cat c but still made more money breaking it for spares than selling it as a going concern. I love French cars but would avoid the pluriel like the plague

 

I've done a bit more homework on them, which confirms that they're a massive world of pain... Build quality that would shame a late-1970s BL worker, pointlessly complex multiplex electrics, poorly engineered roof that leaks like a sieve, asthmatic engines, thoroughly bland driving experience.

 

Naturally, there's already a couple of them on my ebay watchlist...

[billyboy406v6]

Giffer = 80s/90s car with 12,000 on the clock kept garaged and polished every Sunday, where it is taken to the garden centre for a cuppa before being put back. Reversed out of said garage at 4000 RPM and 2 MPH, then driven at no more than 38 MPH through 20 and 30 zones, topping out at 45 on NSL roads and dual carriageways. Period aftermarket accessories relating to making life easier/saving money installed. Usually wait at side streets until you're 10 yards away then decide to pull out very slowly, totally oblivious.

Hooray !!!!! I am defo not a giffer,thank fuck for that ! And I also understand what a pineapple is, what a weekend I am having !!

[skattrd]

What is a "pineapple" as in VW speak, and I may be a "giffer" how do I confirm/deny this affliction ? thanks, Bill.

 

Pineapple = scened, see ratluk, slammed, stance, roofrack with assorted crap on it, including possibly a pineapple

Giffer owned cars  may also come with many small dents skillfully* touched up, a tartan blanket and of course a bag of werthers original.

 

Here's a link to a thread you may find useful http://autoshite.com/topic/13953-autoshite-lexicon/

[willswitchengage]

Question. Why are Hilux Surfs so cheap when 4x4 pickup Hiluxes are so expensive the world over and which Surf is the one to buy?

 

Question. Can all questions from now on begin with the word 'Question'? It just reminds me of that Destiny's Child song.

 

[Lacquer Peel]

Is it possible to do this without the special tools? http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/repair-206/206/info/gb/b--g00a3.htm

[Pillock]

 

 

Question. Can all questions from now on begin with the word 'Question'? It just reminds me of that Destiny's Child song.

Shoes on my feet, Alf Garnet - I depend on meat.

 

http://www.rathergood.com/alf

[dave21478]

Is it possible to do this without the special tools? http://www.peugeot206cc.co.uk/repair-206/206/info/gb/b--g00a3.htm

 

I didnt even know there was special tools or a "setting hole" for that.

 

I just used a square tool that fit into the tensioner and wanged it on at "feels about right" tension.

 

The square things I have are a bunch of 3/8" sockets with various square male ends for sump plugs, tensioners etc. Also, iirc in a pinch once I managed to make something from a bit of square bar from a house door handle....or maybe that was a timing belt tensioner somewhere? I forget.

[The Moog]

Rear caliper is sticking on civic. Is it worth rebuilding them or just replacing them?

 

Can get a rebuild kit including pistons for about £40 whereas caliper said are going to be £200

[D Spares & Tyres]

Just free it all off, clean the sliders and piston. Usually works!

[The Moog]

Cheers Tom, will have a look later on in the week.

[stephen01]

Why are some French numberplates yellow, some white, and some red?

 

was thinking the same the other day, now I know.. 

[Lacquer Peel]

I didnt even know there was special tools or a "setting hole" for that.

 

I just used a square tool that fit into the tensioner and wanged it on at "feels about right" tension.

 

The square things I have are a bunch of 3/8" sockets with various square male ends for sump plugs, tensioners etc. Also, iirc in a pinch once I managed to make something from a bit of square bar from a house door handle....or maybe that was a timing belt tensioner somewhere? I forget.

 

Thanks for that, most of the tensioner is totally invisible on a DW8 Berlingo. I think you can use a 3/8 drive extension to release it, according to the internet.

[Sigmund Fraud]

I didnt even know there was special tools or a "setting hole" for that.

 

I just used a square tool that fit into the tensioner and wanged it on at "feels about right" tension.

 

The square things I have are a bunch of 3/8" sockets with various square male ends for sump plugs, tensioners etc. Also, iirc in a pinch once I managed to make something from a bit of square bar from a house door handle....or maybe that was a timing belt tensioner somewhere? I forget.

 

^ WHS. Just use the 90 degree rule for tension, especially if it's just* an ancillary belt.

[Lacquer Peel]

I forgot how shit PSA cars are to work on at the cambelt end. INNER WING/CHASSIS RAIL Y U HERE?

[gm]

Is this sort of thing a guaranteed mot fail ?

 

 

The hanger broke loose and left a dirty great hole in the centre section

 

 

 

I'd have a go at welding a patch over it but having spent the afternoon practicing with the mig, it turns out that I am shit at welding and the chances of getting anything remotely gas tight are pretty slim.

 

I did fix* the hanger though

 

[dave21478]

If its gas-tight it should pass.

[scaryoldcortina]

Reasonably gas tight and otherwise still supported should be OK. Looks from the pic to have plenty of hangers left

 

Small leaks are an advise but do have a habit of playing havoc with the emissions even if they aren't bad enough to fail because they pull fresh air into the exhaust and the computer thinks the lambda value is off.

[twosmoke300]

A friendly * tester would never* put a bit of rag over the end of the exhaust to make the lambda ok to get a pass . Or at least to be able to do a fasttrack retest !