Ask a Shiter

[trigger]

I've just found that Cortina i looked at earlier on ebay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-CORTINA- ... 0556301751

 

It's comes with tons of history from new, It's plate was 65 GNM originally but it's had a plate transfer, the first owner paid extra for the Lotus steels, a lockable bonnet, wood trim and a centre consul and push button radio, It's all still there.

 

The only trouble was i wasn't "feeling it", The underside was too clean, and the car looked a bit too plain for £5000, It just seemed a lot of money for what it was when you consider what other cars are out there for that kind of money, and less.

 

I'm still thinking about wacking a bid on the yellow Mk3 Cortina that's on ebay, that seems to excite me more, and it's met it's reserve now at £2000 so it's much cheaper, I should really sell the Kadett first though...

[Albert Ross]

You'd do better to fuck the Mondeo off before it costs you any more......

[trigger]

I will do!, I've got to get my private plate off first and I have a holiday to Cornwall next month but after that I'm selling it for something much cheaper, £2000 Focus Estae, Volvo V40, Passat TDi Estate etc. as i need a boot to get the dog in.

[pompei]

I've sen a few buses around that have a kind of small circular display attached to the outer section of the rear wheel hub. Anyone know what they are?

[Cavcraft]

I need to get back from Lincoln via Worksop. For anyone who may know the area the journey involved going past Wilkinson's (aka Wilkos) distribution depot heading the other way (i.e towards Lincoln) then join the bypass at the new junction.

Unfortunately coming back that way the junction is permanently closed and my shat navs (both of the old bastards) tell me to turn off and I can't as they shut the junctioon off when they re-jigged the bypass.

 

 

How the sodding hell do I get back to Worksop now without piss-arsing about round mile upon mile of country lanes please?

 

*Pompei: sounds like the 'hubometer' which measures the mileage like a mileometer.

[Morgan84]

Can you still buy a Transit or Land Rover Defender with a petrol engine?

 

Are there any cars available new with vinyl seats, keep fit windows or power steering?

 

Is it still possible to buy a new diesel car without a turbo?

 

 

Mercedes MB TEX is a leather look material,and still available I believe

[Polystratus]

I need to get back from Lincoln via Worksop. For anyone who may know the area the journey involved going past Wilkinson's (aka Wilkos) distribution depot heading the other way (i.e towards Lincoln) then join the bypass at the new junction.

Unfortunately coming back that way the junction is permanently closed and my shat navs (both of the old bastards) tell me to turn off and I can't as they shut the junctioon off when they re-jigged the bypass.

 

 

How the sodding hell do I get back to Worksop now without piss-arsing about round mile upon mile of country lanes please?

 

*Pompei: sounds like the 'hubometer' which measures the mileage like a mileometer.

 

 

Right presume you came from Lincoln on the A57 then onto the A1 section - if your on that new redesigned junction where it meets the A614 you should be able to go off that new junction onto a roundabout that goes to the A614 and A57 - you should be able to get back on the A57 to Worksop (Its sign posted). Failing that go north on the A1 first turn left then right onto retford road B6079 towards worksop then left on B6040 then right onto the A57

[Cavcraft]

Many thanks, I shall write that down and keep it in the car.

[Negative Creep]

Could you get an engine to run backwards? I was told at RRG about an Escort with a Honda B16 engine in, which apparently is useless in rwd as it runs the wrong way. Except said owner has the engine running backwards so it works

 

Complete bs or possible?

[Albert Ross]

It's bollocks. Firstly, the oil pump would suck oil from the engine, into the sump......The cams will be lobed out of order, the timing belt will be tensioned incorrectly, the distributor is also incorrectly configured. Con rods will have the oil squirt hole for the thrust side lubrication on the wrong sides. Balance shaft will be out of balance!! Unless serious machining and bespoke parts were made, it's just utterly impossible. Imagine the kid from "Inbetweeners" that has a healthy imagination. That's your man there. Honda engine rotate the other way, and the gearbox the other side, for smoothness initially, and the RHD spec vehicles then have the servo in front of the driver (The real reason Honda do this). Mitsubishi (And Hyundai occasionally) have a similar physical configuration, but rotate the "Correct" way.

 

It's possible he's rotated the diff, but the gearbox would be meshing on the opposite sides of it's teeth!

[cms206]

I've sen a few buses around that have a kind of small circular display attached to the outer section of the rear wheel hub. Anyone know what they are?

 

 

Hubometer. Basically a mileometer which is accurate, measuring the rotation of the wheels. Due to the fact that buses tend to cover surprisingly huge mileages (one of our manual 1996-model Merc 709Ds has covered a genuine 809,700kms on it's original engine and gearbox, though more surprisingly our 09-plate Optare Solo is sitting on 119k miles) and the equipment can be quite temperamental, they pretty much are the only way of telling what the bus has actually done. The operator I work for fits a new one to each vehicle purchased as an accurate means of accounting for fuel, fuel duty rebate and MPG calculations.

 

They come calibrated for various sizes, though the most common size on buses nowadays are, IIRC, 245/80R19.5, 275/80R22.5, 11R22.5, 295/80R22.5 or 315/80R22.5. Merc minibuses tend to run either 16in or 17.5in wheels, but I can't remember the sizes.

[warren t claim]

Could you get an engine to run backwards? I was told at RRG about an Escort with a Honda B16 engine in, which apparently is useless in rwd as it runs the wrong way. Except said owner has the engine running backwards so it works

 

Complete bs or possible?

 

Commer 2 stroke diesels apparently used to have a habit of running backwards.

[garethj]

Could you get an engine to run backwards? I was told at RRG about an Escort with a Honda B16 engine in, which apparently is useless in rwd as it runs the wrong way. Except said owner has the engine running backwards so it works

 

Complete bs or possible?

 

Commer 2 stroke diesels apparently used to have a habit of running backwards.

2 strokes are a bit different because they don't have any of the valvegear to mess around with.

 

Back in the '60s there was a kit to make the Chevy Corvair flat 6 engine run backwards for certain applications, there was certainly a new camshaft in there, probably a new oil pump and probably a new distributor too. Dunno how long they lasted running that way.

[tonedepear]

Short term car insurance -

My insurance is up in a couple of weeks, and I'm going to need to re-insure the Proton, but likely only for a month or so. Literally the last* thing I want to do is renew/insure for a fresh 12 months, then have to run the gauntlet of trying to get some of my money back or get a half-bareable quote to switch cover to new carwhen it arrives.

 

Are there any decent short term cover options that aren't going to bum me for £££s for a few weeks cover?

 

*not literally

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

cooling off period is your friend.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Why do 80% of newish vans seem to be Sprinters (straw poll conducted during epic-fail 6.5-hour drive from Sheffield to SE London)? Are they that good, are MBUK giving them away with the aim of pissing off London's Russian oligarchs with Maytags (oops, that's a washing machine), or is it just a case of them emitting 1 less minimicronanoparticle of CO2 than their competitors thereby being entitled to massive tax breaks?

[warren t claim]

Why do 80% of newish vans seem to be Sprinters (straw poll conducted during epic-fail 6.5-hour drive from Sheffield to SE London)? Are they that good, are MBUK giving them away with the aim of pissing off London's Russian oligarchs with Maytags (oops, that's a washing machine), or is it just a case of them emitting 1 less minimicronanoparticle of CO2 than their competitors thereby being entitled to massive tax breaks?

 

It's because new Transits aren't exactly known for their reliability.

[dollywobbler]

They are bloody nice too. Well, the identical VW Crafters seem to be. Very nicely built, sounds good, goes well, handles well. Win really.

[warren t claim]

They are bloody nice too. Well, the identical VW Crafters seem to be. Very nicely built, sounds good, goes well, handles well. Win really.

 

New Transits do drive better than Sprinters and are a lot more driver friendly though.

 

Not so many years ago LDV held a 70% share in the 3.5t van market. How times have changed!

[worldofceri]

Winter Tyres:

...leaving them on all year round.

 

Stupid Q #1 - is this legal?

Stupid Q #2 - Is there any reall disadvantage to doing this?

 

Stupid Q #1 - Yes, although I believe it's not advisable to mix summer and winter tyres on a car as they generate different levels of grip in different circumstances, which is potentially danerous.

Stupid Q #2 - Winter tyres will give less grip and, in particular, wear much quicker in warm, dry conditions.

 

Supposedly, the proper thing to do is get a second set of wheels to fit your winter tyres to. Swapping them over when the weather changes should in theory give you the optimum tyres at all times and maximise their life. This may only be true if you keep the car for a number of years though.

 

I'm thinking of doing this for the Volvo this year, although by the time I get around to it it will probably be spring already.

[tonedepear]

cooling off period is your friend.

 

But then won't they arse-fuck me with loads of charges and stuff?

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

cooling off period is your friend.

 

But then won't they arse-fuck me with loads of charges and stuff?

 

No. The policies vary, but it won't be more than 30 quid plus a pro rata cancellation for days on cover. Just to be totally safe, I'd opt for not getting a no claims discount, because if you do have to make a claim they could accuse you of sharing one NCB between two cars. Also don't buy any add-ons (courtesy car, legal cover etc etc) whatsoever, as they often have different canx terms, and ideally try to make it as an upfront payment- or at least check that 'financing' the policy does not have extra terms attached.

[tonedepear]

I wouldn't take those add ons anyway, but no NCD would make it a fortune! Comfortably more then the cost of buying 3 cars and paying it in one hit is definitely a no-no, and from a quick web search, it seems most insurance companys rape you square in the face for the cost of a bit of pro-rata cover. So I'd basically be looking at spending £1500+ I don't have on a few weeks cover which I'd then have to fight tooth and nail to get some of it back.

 

Anyone know of any decent short term cover options that aren't going to bum me for £££s for a few weeks cover?

[warren t claim]

Collingwood used to do weekly insurance policies for any car up to a group 15 for about £25 a week. Don't know their phone number though.

[tonedepear]

Collingwood used to do weekly insurance policies for any car up to a group 15 for about £25 a week. Don't know their phone number though.

Ta very much, I shall have an investigate.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

After a couple of meetings with speedbumps in the smoke, the already fucked Scorpio exhaust has started blowing. Took it to a National Tyres place and they said it needs a front pipe and cat (of course, their quotes were stupid...400quid, and, on reading the printout later on, they'd priced up the 2.0 parts which may be different from/cheaper than the two-three).

 

Cats Direct (probably bookmarked by most owners of Chinese takeways) can offer me a "ceramic monolith" catalyst (2-year warranty) or one with a "heavy duty steel monolith" (3-year warranty) for 2.5 times the price of the ceramic. I suppose I'm safe with the ceramic one, but can anyone give me a quick idea of the difference between the two?

[jonathan_dyane]

Winter Tyres:

...leaving them on all year round.

 

Stupid Q #1 - is this legal?

Stupid Q #2 - Is there any reall disadvantage to doing this?

 

Stupid Q #1 - Yes, although I believe it's not advisable to mix summer and winter tyres on a car as they generate different levels of grip in different circumstances, which is potentially danerous.

Stupid Q #2 - Winter tyres will give less grip and, in particular, wear much quicker in warm, dry conditions.

 

Supposedly, the proper thing to do is get a second set of wheels to fit your winter tyres to. Swapping them over when the weather changes should in theory give you the optimum tyres at all times and maximise their life. This may only be true if you keep the car for a number of years though.

 

I'm thinking of doing this for the Volvo this year, although by the time I get around to it it will probably be spring already.

 

You can now get 'all weather tyres' which are supposedly a good compromise. Vredestein Quatrac 3 for one. I'm considering a set for the Merc, because I imagine that it will be dreadful in the snow otherwise...

[barefoot]

...I'm considering a set for the Merc, because I imagine that it will be dreadful in the snow otherwise...

 

Don't consider too long, from my experience last year,

By the time / If you need snow tyres - there won't be a set left in the country - buy now!

[Morgan84]

For how good a Mercedes is in slippery conditions,may as well run on under inflated baldies !!

[Station]

I'll be driving soon a car that has no rear seats (but seat belts), no working speedo dial (cable missing), a door colour differently to the rest, no ignition key (uses button starter), a (free) huge replacement exhaust and about three different keys for the locks.

Will this have an affect on the MOT - and will the testers laugh at me for such a heap, especially when they open the bonnet and see a tiny li'l 8v engine? I've really gone out of my way to spend the least money on getting it back on the road (£50 so far).