Ask a Shiter

[cort1977]

Meh, engineering is over-rated. (see what I did there?)

 

DSC00107.JPG

 

Yes, those are as flimsy as they look.

Bloody hell, I looked at that and thought it was yellow painted steel at first

[D Spares & Tyres]

Is there anything that I should absolutely do / check on the silver Swift before taking it to it's MOT? It's sat for three years unmoved but I was able to shift it back and fourth a bit by hand but the deflated tyres, non running engine and the fact it was sunken into the gravel stopped me from properly moving it. It think I later moved in back a few feet without trouble once I had it running but I'll turn it around in the drive next time I'm there to confirm if memory serves correct or not. In any case the brakes don't appear to be frozen on. The tyres and rubber hoses all seem A-OK too.

Check all metal brake pipes and unions on the flexis, if there's any rust, sand it off and grease it.

 

If there's any oil weeping on shocks then spray or paint waste oil all over that area as a 'rustproofer'

 

Any stone chips on screen? Maybe you could adjust wipers so it isn't in swept area

[Matt]

Check all metal brake pipes and unions on the flexis, if there's any rust, sand it off and grease it.

 

If there's any oil weeping on shocks then spray or paint waste oil all over that area as a 'rustproofer'

 

Any stone chips on screen? Maybe you could adjust wipers so it isn't in swept area

 

Thanks, I'll be sure to do those. I was going along to check the underside out today but blue Swift FTP.

[Dave_Q]

So I declared my SP30 from the other month, and my insurance vultures (Co-op Eco )informed me that come renewal (14th January) my monthly payments will go up another 13 clams.  Which is fiendish tbh.  They already upped the ante by a tenner last month.

My MOT is this Friday.

And I'm FLEECED AS FECK AFTER XMAS!

So.  Now that my wee rant is over,

Can you guys suggest some cool-as-fuck* insurance peoples?

These things always come in flocks eh!

Cheers

C

 

I normally go through all the comparison sites in the order suggested by Martin Lewis (check this site every time as for some reason the order does change) 

 

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/car-insurance/

 

If your heap is over 20 years old maybe classic insurance could be cheaper, lots don't like it being your only car though.

 

I use Footman James for classics: http://www.footmanjames.co.uk/classic-car-insurance

 

There was also a thread on classic insurance recently: http://autoshite.com/topic/22893-classic-insurance/

 

This is probably a MEGA daft idea, but if your insurance is super expensive, could it be cheaper to buy a shit 50cc scooter and insure it for daily use, and get a classic policy for your car (if over 20 years old)??

[myglaren]

Does a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier carry nuclear-powered aircraft?

[D Spares & Tyres]

Patagonia?

[wuvvum]

 

Also, what's that vehicle in the middle?

 

Dacia Solenza.

[Richard]

I've been looking through my old pictures and came across this one. I didn't take it and I'm not sure why I'd saved it.

 

 

I think the man with his back to the camera is Nigel Bickle but who are the others? Are they still around?

[RustyNuts]

Where does it say you have to have the engine running to bleed the brakes? Is this on some weird forrin motor? Seems a good way of spraying brake fluid everywhere to me...

 

Btw they work by magic.

 

yeah its forrin alright.. see this thread

http://autoshite.com/topic/22576-renault-safrane-brake-bleeding-issues/

[trigger]

That's got to be a few years old Richard! I recognize Spottedlaurel and his boy harvey, Hirst, Retrogeezer and possibly MattT but with long hair. I'm not too sure on the others, the Datsun was Nigels which got stolen by banger racers IIRC.

 

That must be from 2007ish?

[320touring]

Old Saab 900s (80s/early 90s)

 

whats the consensus?

[wuvvum]

I've been looking through my old pictures and came across this one. I didn't take it and I'm not sure why I'd saved it.

 

 

I think the man with his back to the camera is Nigel Bickle but who are the others? Are they still around?

That must have been the meet at the bubble car museum?  I went up myself in the Renner Six - I'm not in the photo though.  Must've been 2008 I reckon as I bought the 6 in late 2007.

[Inspector Morose]

Old Saab 900s (80s/early 90s)

whats the consensus?

Yes.

[skattrd]

Old Saab 900s (80s/early 90s)

 

whats the consensus?

 

I lusted after 900s as a kid and always wanted one, several years ago I bought a 900 T16s and hated it. I kept it 3 years and drove it frequently, but I never liked it.

Gr9 engine the T16s, but the 900 had hideous jelly like handling, mine was a 2 door notchback, which are the stiffest of the lot and handle better than the hatchbacks as well.

Summary - no, unless you just want to drive in a straight line.

 

That said I'd have a 9000, as my thoughts are it should handle better, and maybe even a bit like my old Thema, which was eleventy times better than the 900.

[Inspector Morose]

I've had 5 900 turbos, including a couple of t16s and not one of them handled like the utterly fucked 9000 turbo I had.

 

But I still would.

[skattrd]

I've had 5 900 turbos, including a couple of t16s and not one of them handled like the utterly fucked 9000 turbo I had.

 

But I still would.

 

So even a fucked 9000 handles better than a  900?

[Richard]

That must have been the meet at the bubble car museum?  I went up myself in the Renner Six - I'm not in the photo though.  Must've been 2008 I reckon as I bought the 6 in late 2007.

 

The EXIF data says 2nd June 2007, I don't think it's the bubble car museum meet.

[Lacquer Peel]

So even a fucked 9000 handles better than a  900?

 

I don't agree, 9000s handle like crap. C900s handle decently - but I wouldn't put a load of power through either chassis.

[Asimo]

Old Saab 900s (80s/early 90s)

whats the consensus?

The last SaaB, untainted by Italy or GM.

A lot to like, definately a nice place to sit, love the view through that wraparound windscreen. I'd buy a new one.

[62 Austin]

If you owned a 1986 Jaaag, a 1992 Merc 600 SEL, a 1980's BMW that was a theft recovery, and a few randomly-selected American cars that didn't run (but worn-out, rusty and cheap), would you have covered the high points of the autoshite world? If putting together an autoshite museum/indoor junkyard, can people take you seriously if you don't have Yugoslavian, East German, French, and Italian cars of ill repute? 

[LC Torana]

If you owned a 1986 Jaaag, a 1992 Merc 600 SEL, a 1980's BMW that was a theft recovery, and a few randomly-selected American cars that didn't run (but worn-out, rusty and cheap), would you have covered the high points of the autoshite world? If putting together an autoshite museum/indoor junkyard, can people take you seriously if you don't have Yugoslavian, East German, French, and Italian cars of ill repute? 

 

Nope.

 

If you want credibility, you need to have owned a Marina, Allegro, any Hillman or Talbot, a Rhonda or a Renault Laguna.  Or something epically rusty.

 

I don't qualify either, by the way.

[steve_earwig]

Yugoslavian

Where? If it'll help you fill out your quota I can sweep up a Yugo and post it to you.

[The Moog]

Old Saab 900s (80s/early 90s)

 

whats the consensus?

Oooffff 

 

And 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 when time comes 

[sierraman]

Check all metal brake pipes and unions on the flexis, if there's any rust, sand it off and grease it.

 

If there's any oil weeping on shocks then spray or paint waste oil all over that area as a 'rustproofer'

 

Any stone chips on screen? Maybe you could adjust wipers so it isn't in swept area

I would say they'd just fail it if they saw the shockers covered in oil. If there was a fine mist on the other hand it might warrant an advisory. Not just that but it would make the task of replacing the shocker infinitely more messy as you attempt to remove it as you're hands are struggling to grip the thing through the oil you've pasted it in.

[Bobthebeard]

Pictured on location and possibly the only existing photo of the cast of Autoshite, The Movie.

At a cinema near you soon....

[egg]

I've got a front bumper for my Ford fusion (2002) to replace the current one (broken) - anyone know what clips I need assuming I'll break some taking the old one off? Thanks.

[cort16]

Are parts for Daihatsu's easy obtainable? I don't mean old ones I mean the ones they built just before they fled the country.

[62 Austin]

Where? If it'll help you fill out your quota I can sweep up a Yugo and post it to you.

Not me, some other chap who thinks he'll save money by buying junk cars and fixing them up. But if you buy random cheap used cars, sight-unseen on places like ebay, sell-and-run, plenty-of-crap, buymyPOS, etc., they all turn out to be autoshite. Then, if you're rich, you repeat the process. See Advert-Buy-Ship-See Car-Throw Up-Sell-Repeat. 

[skattrd]

Are parts for Daihatsu's easy obtainable?

 

Yes, parts for standard cars no problem.

 

I have a couple of contacts in Japan for harder to find parts for rarer cars. Then there's the cheap parts from Malaysia made for Peroduas.

I got my Daihatsu exhaust manifold from Malaysia and I'm about to place an order with a Japanese firm for Storia parts.

[Lacquer Peel]

My VAG VAN has a few grotty bits that I need to attend to. Really not keen on fiddly cosmetics but I want to nip it in the bud.

What's the easiest rust remover to use, that I can slather with white Hammerite when it's done?