Ask a Shiter

[cort16]

Guerilla polishing.

 

Does anyone else get the urge when they see a car with flat and faded paint to t-cut and polish just one patch. Just to give the owner a benchmark?

 

I did this to my bosses Mazda 6. He had it for years and never washed it once so one day U waited until he was in a meeting and washed, mopped then polished only his passenger door.

It was so clean it squeaked when you dragged your finger over it. He was pissed off as he was going to pick family from the airport that weekend and had to pay to get it washed so it vaguely matched. When ever it rained after that the whole car was dull but the passenger door still beaded.

[TimothyClaypole]

A Royal Mail van today, Pog Weasel pink and not that old either, must paint them with cheaper red paint or something.

 

 

My dad's ramp "lore" is two old planks of wood placed onto the 3rd or so rung then drive up those onto the top of the ramps.

[Shep Shepherd]

My dad's ramp "lore" is two old planks of wood placed onto the 3rd or so rung then drive up those onto the top of the ramps.

 

Another method worth trying. Thanks!

[M'coli]

The planks are ace, it also lessens the gradient slightly, which saves on clutch wear.

[Albert Ross]

My Grandfather's tip from many many moons ago. Rope tied to the bottom rungs, long enough to go under the rear wheels. (Driven axle back then) as you drive over them, the ropes stop the ramps moving forwards. You need to lay the ropes out before you drive the 15 feet onto them, obviously.... Not good for tight parking spots (He had land, I remember the back yard had a 1966 Humber Sceptre, similar aged Singer Vogue, and an Arrow range Sceptre, all left to fester, and loads of kids used to play in them....!!! (He ran a Children's Home) Yeah, try that today!

[eddyramrod]

Tip for Trigger: when you've got your shiny new alloys on the car, make sure you keep 4 nuts with the spare wheel that match it, otherwise you'll be trying to fit a steel spare using alloy-wheel nuts. At midnight, on Sunday, 45 miles from home, in the rain, in your best suit.

 

*Or bolts, as applicable.

[trigger]

Good thinking batman, thanks!

[DSdriver]

My Grandfather's tip from many many moons ago. Rope tied to the bottom rungs, long enough to go under the rear wheels. (Driven axle back then) as you drive over them, the ropes stop the ramps moving forwards. You need to lay the ropes out before you drive the 15 feet onto them, obviously.... Not good for tight parking spots (He had land, I remember the back yard had a 1966 Humber Sceptre, similar aged Singer Vogue, and an Arrow range Sceptre, all left to fester, and loads of kids used to play in them....!!! (He ran a Children's Home) Yeah, try that today!

 

I was going to suggest something similar but not quite as sensible: If the car was rear wheel drive and had a live back axle (Triumph 2000 and others), tie a rope to the ramp and put a couple of turns around the half shaft. The car should winch itself onto the ramps. Don't blame me if it all goes horribly wrong though. This idea was based on personal experience of trying to tow another car with a Triumph 2000 by tying the tow rope to the axle. We got about five feet before the two cars were bumper to bumper and the Triumph stalled.

[barefoot]

Tip for Trigger: when you've got your shiny new alloys on the car, make sure you keep 4 nuts with the spare wheel that match it, otherwise you'll be trying to fit a steel spare using alloy-wheel nuts. At midnight, on Sunday, 45 miles from home, in the rain, in your best suit.

 

*Or bolts, as applicable.

 

I have two cars with alloy wheels & steel space saver spares - I only have the one set of bolts, do I really need another?

[Cavcraft]

What is the nearest colour in rattle cans for the average (silver) alloy wheel please? Intend to arse about practising on some of my stock pile to see if I can tidy them up.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Lufthansa-Terminal]

If your not allowed to grumpy about how it is here recently and say why ( EG Proton threads x6) - why is there a grumpy old man thread?.

[ashmicro]

What is the nearest colour in rattle cans for the average (silver) alloy wheel please? Intend to arse about practising on some of my stock pile to see if I can tidy them up.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

MG Rover Silver Sparkle is great looking stuff, but hard to get. Maybe Halfords could mix some for you? I tried silver aluminium paint (with wee flakes in it) on some alloys, but it ended up looking like smooth Hammerite as the lacquer reacted with it.

[Cavcraft]

Thanks Andy, I'll give it a bash.

[TimothyClaypole]

I test anything you get as a lot end up looking like stuff normally used on Transits that have been tarted up for selling and has wheels looking totally out of place with the rest.

 

 

While not bright silver I like the Halford's Steel Wheel spray myself.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Are those Universal Cooling Fans on eBay as terrible as their sub £25 price would suggest?

[trigger]

U-Pol Silver wheels paint is good stuff if you can find any, that's what i done the Escort wheels with and they looked like new.

[Des]

If your not allowed to grumpy about how it is here recently and say why ( EG Proton threads x6) - why is there a grumpy old man thread?.

You have every right to be grumpy in the grumpy thread, and it should be encouraged, however, you must respect the right of others to be grumpy about your being grumpy, and be grumpy abou them in return if you so wish. Are we not as Englishmen only happy when we're miserable?

[cort16]

^^ I refer to this a beal spiral. A never ending spiral of bealing, which causes bealing about bealing.

 

Anyway, can anyone tell me a suitably clever way to remove a half shaft? I've tried using my slide hammer but it broke the slide hammer, then I tried hitting it with a hammer hammer and it had no effect.

[scaryoldcortina]

^^ bolt an old steel wheel to the hub end and belt the living hell out of the rim with a 14lb sledgehammer. Sometimes it's the only way.

[outlaw118]

Been having all sorts of aggro getting tax for The Moose online, via DVLA site.

Seems that it's coming up as uninsured, despite me having renewed the policy on Tuesday 20th. Just rang Aviva and bloke confirmed that it's insured, renewal paid for and MiD has been informed.

So, my question is: Is there any point ring DVLA tomorrow, and telling a real person the problem, and if not, can you pay by credit card @ a DVLA office, or is that only available on line.

 

Cheers. O-118 aged 42 and 5 months.

[Morgan84]

What is the nearest colour in rattle cans for the average (silver) alloy wheel please? Intend to arse about practising on some of my stock pile to see if I can tidy them up.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Comma do a large ( 400/500 ml ) aerosol of wheel silver;one can can do 5 average wheels,and looks the sort of finish you would get on a 80's Ford or Vauxhall wheel once given a clear laquer top coat

[Cavcraft]

Cheers!

[barefoot]

What is the nearest colour in rattle cans for the average (silver) alloy wheel please?

 

Fuck that, What is the actual colour for a VW P slot alloy wheel or else I'll paint it really, really badly.

[CreepingJesus]

Been having all sorts of aggro getting tax for The Moose online, via DVLA site.

Seems that it's coming up as uninsured, despite me having renewed the policy on Tuesday 20th. Just rang Aviva and bloke confirmed that it's insured, renewal paid for and MiD has been informed.

So, my question is: Is there any point ring DVLA tomorrow, and telling a real person the problem, and if not, can you pay by credit card @ a DVLA office, or is that only available on line.

 

Cheers. O-118 aged 42 and 5 months.

 

You can. In fact, on the basis of the excellent service I've had from my local office (Edinburgh), I'd recommend it. The halfwits in Swansea still haven't sent me the V5 for a car I've owned since last June, but the staff at E.L.O have been dead helpful. No showdowns, not a living thing wrong with their service. If you're lucky, a sweet talking woman will check all your details by strange magic there and then. Much better than talking to an evil woman on the telephone line, and hoping the tax disc turns up out of the blue.

And they'll take cash, credit, or debit. Unlike the pillock at Swansea I've emailed more than any of my friends or family in the recent past, who only takes the piss. I sincerely wish he'd turn to stone.

 

Cheers. CJ (closet ELO fan) aged 38 years 10 months and 2 weeks. Ish.

[KruJoe]

Another suggestion for Billy; try Hammerite silver SPRAY cans, it sticks to owt (except for primer, weirdly) and is acceptable without any laquer over it, and smart but not too bright.

 

Neil, are you the same "CreepingJesus" as is the moderator on that folk music forum?

[CreepingJesus]

Neil, are you the same "CreepingJesus" as is the moderator on that folk music forum?

 

No, but I think I know that chap from a couple of guitar forums.

[KruJoe]

Ah, never mind, I've signed up, I'll start a thread there. There's one song I've been trying to track down - it's driving me mad!

[CreepingJesus]

Good luck with that! Other than listening to Iain Anderson's show on Radio Scotland, I'm not too clued-up on folk.

[M'coli]

What's the song, KruJoe?

[KruJoe]

Don't know the song's name, or the 'act'. It's a choral folk number, mostly acapella with a fast tempo, not hyper-obscure because I've heard it ont' wireless, possibly Bob Harris's programme, and it has been on more than once.

All I can remember is that several lines in the song end with the words "... love and affection." But that's not the name of the song, google has found me half-a-dozen other songs with that title, and dozens of others containing those words. It's driving me mental!