Dollywobbler's Consolidated Tat Thread

[BorniteIdentity]

On 8/7/2020 at 8:55 PM, Zelandeth said:

Quick question for you, DW.

What is the setup you use for in-car video.  In particular your most recent one where you had TWC out?

I've been reading my hair out trying to get anything even vaguely resembling stable footage...despite having tried a plethora of different mounts.

The only one which seems to work reasonably well is the one with the Not-Actually-A-Go-Pro, but while the video is decent on that the audio is pants and it doesn't have a separate mic input.  I'd *really* rather not have to faff around dubbing audio into video from a separate source as ensuring everything was perfectly in sync sounds like it's going to be a massive post processing headache.

It’s really simple - just clap as you record on both sources, do that each time you start a take and it’s easy.  Watch your hands and line up the bang. You’re not constantly lining stuff up (especially if you’re using decent editing software)
 

Sorry if that’s sucking eggs stuff, but it’s the simplest trick I teach people. Or buy a clapper like movie directors in the 80s had! 

 

[SiC]

2 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

It’s really simple - just clap as you record on both sources, do that each time you start a take and it’s easy.  Watch your hands and line up the bang. You’re not constantly lining stuff up (especially if you’re using decent editing software)

If you have a microphone source on the camera (even a shitty one), doesn't most editing software line it up for you automatically?

[BorniteIdentity]

29 minutes ago, SiC said:

If you have a microphone source on the camera (even a shitty one), doesn't most editing software line it up for you automatically?

It will. It’s for when you use a separate (HQ) microphone source being recorded onto a different device. 

Content is king. If people like what you’re doing they’ll forgive you for tinny sound and a bit of shaky camera. However, I think that accepted standards are now climbing as “YouTubers” start taking things more seriously. More and more videos look better and better. 

[Lord Sterling]

On 8/6/2020 at 9:15 AM, dollywobbler said:

Actually out for a drive!

I've just watched the video of this now that I have one of those new fangled internet-on-tv boxes.

All I can say is well done. I think once you're in the Vectra club, its hard to leave. 

You probably know full well that I had the 2.2 Vectra B estate in diesel form for a small while:

I do strangely miss this car. It looked gorgeous, but it just drove very......meh......

Sometime last year I also picked this up from one member for another member:

In fact, when I first spotted you'd bought a Vectra, I thought it was this one.

Oddly enough, in lower power petrol spec I found this Vectra to be very acceptable to drive.

Much like the first Vectra B I ever drove:

It was also the first car I drove that started me thinking about having a cheap but more modern daily car to run along-side my classics. 

[dollywobbler]

13 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

I enjoyed the Invacar vs Mother Nature.

I drove down to Carmarthen yesterday from Liverpool through mid Wales and the last 50 miles or so was quite eventful with thunder and lightening.  Same on the return leg.

I have a four car transporter if you need help moving to your new unit.  I’m a fair way away however.

Cheers. Might struggle to access the new place in that case! Awaiting a quote from another Autoshiter.

[MJK 24]

This is the truck.  It’s the same length as an artic.

[Remspoor]

10 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

I've just watched the video of this now that I have one of those new fangled internet-on-tv boxes.

All I can say is well done. I think once you're in the Vectra club, its hard to leave. 

You probably know full well that I had the 2.2 Vectra B estate in diesel form for a small while:

I do strangely miss this car. It looked gorgeous, but it just drove very......meh......

Sometime last year I also picked this up from one member for another member:

In fact, when I first spotted you'd bought a Vectra, I thought it was this one.

Oddly enough, in lower power petrol spec I found this Vectra to be very acceptable to drive.

Much like the first Vectra B I ever drove:

It was also the first car I drove that started me thinking about having a cheap but more modern daily car to run along-side my classics. 

I am no fan of modern VXs. But that estate looks gorgeous.

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, MJK 24 said:

This is the truck.  It’s the same length as an artic.

A Quattroporte and three police cars.  Interesting combination. 

I've always wondered how a 7.5-tonner would handle with a tonne and a half of car that far above its centre of gravity.

[wuvvum]

10 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

You probably know full well that I had the 2.2 Vectra B estate in diesel form for a small while:

I do strangely miss this car. It looked gorgeous, but it just drove very......meh......

Why was the left side of the car painted a completely different colour to the right side?

[MJK 24]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

A Quattroporte and three police cars.  Interesting combination. 

I've always wondered how a 7.5-tonner would handle with a tonne and a half of car that far above its centre of gravity.

The truck above is a 10 ton and weighs 5,400kgs unladen so you’ve a fair bit of weight low down.  It was also specified when new with the ‘High Centre of Gravity’ pack which is essentially a rear anti roll bar as thick as your leg.

It is pretty stable but common sense is needed with loaded (heaviest car on the bottom) and driving the thing!

The Peugeot’s shown are sub 1,200kg so pretty light.  The top deck is rated at 1,800kg max load.

[dollywobbler]

It's tempting to ask for a price purely because I'd love to see my heaps on that wagon! 

In other news, some progress with the Sana today. Getting rid of the steering column lock and freeing off the rear brakes.

 

That will make life MUCH easier!

[Soundwave]

5 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

It's tempting to ask for a price purely because I'd love to see my heaps on that wagon! 

In other news, some progress with the Sana today. Getting rid of the steering column lock and freeing off the rear brakes.

 

That will make life MUCH easier!

I see a subliminal message in that bonnet grime...

[PhilA]

22 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Yeah, bit annoying when you see what Roadkill get away with in the USA. "Let's butcher a car body over a race car chassis and head for the road!"

The roads they're on are also hardly gridlocked like the UK send to have a tendency to get, particularly small rural roads that really shouldn't see much traffic at all but GPS determines it'll shave 33 seconds off the trip so picks that route.

Here, the traffic out of town tends to be a bit more quiet.

[Andyrew]

Just Watched the video on the Sana.  Look forward to that getting some loving. 

 

Why are people so obsessed with your hair!?

[St.Jude]

14 hours ago, Andyrew said:

Just Watched the video on the Sana.  Look forward to that getting some loving. 

 

Why are people so obsessed with your hair!?

Probably because they're struggling with their own combovers.

 

[dollywobbler]

Girlfriend who cut it is most miffed. Only her third ever haircut! She's had another go and it's a bit better now, as per the latest Mailbag video.

Today, I spent a very good £54. 

I just wish I'd done that in the first place. Flexi now welded into place. They had to drop the exhaust to get over the top, but that allowed them to sort another couple of niggles as well. Fault code cleared and it stayed off for most of the way home...

Car is nicer to drive now and certainly sounds less f*cked. I reckon I can hear the timing chain, but no point worrying about that. Either it'll stay the same or fail catastrophically at some point.

The seats are pure Vauxhall though. Bloody awful. Have a first long trip coming up and I'm slightly worried. Jumping into the GSA from the Vectra is like jumping from sitting on a washing machine to lying in a nice, warm bath. Albeit it's quite a noisy bath...

[beko1987]

I'd have thought this era had softer seats than the hard shit they got into in later cars. 

Would a nice omega seat bolt in easily? Or get yourself a Hubnut lower back cushion. @vulgalour could make you a cover in appropriate matching*fabric? 

[vulgalour]

I dunno, I never liked the Vectra seats and found Omega ones even worse because they promised soft plushness and delivered merely a velour covered piano stool level of comfort.

 

Sorry, what I meant to say was All Vauxhalls Are Shit.

[dollywobbler]

1 minute ago, vulgalour said:

Sorry, what I meant to say was All Vauxhalls Are Shit.

Certainly true of seats. Seem to recall I thought the same of a relative's Mk3 Cavalier. When I was a child.

I doubt this car is a keeper, but then so few ever are. I definitely need something of this ilk though. Large, peaceful and generally (hopefully) behaving itself. 

[vulgalour]

Weirdly, Corsa B seats while not very comfortable looking are some of the most comfortable seats I've sat in and you really wouldn't expect it looking at them.  They support in all the right places, are firm without being hard, and padded just enough to make sure long drives aren't tiring.  I guess that means you need to put Corsa B seat in the Vectra.

[Tickman]

On 8/11/2020 at 7:14 PM, BorniteIdentity said:

It’s really simple - just clap as you record on both sources, do that each time you start a take and it’s easy.  Watch your hands and line up the bang. You’re not constantly lining stuff up (especially if you’re using decent editing software)
 

Sorry if that’s sucking eggs stuff, but it’s the simplest trick I teach people. Or buy a clapper like movie directors in the 80s had! 

Thank you for pointing out what now seems common sense, now I know why they do that!

[Mrcento]

1 hour ago, dollywobbler said:

Certainly true of seats. Seem to recall I thought the same of a relative's Mk3 Cavalier. When I was a child.

I doubt this car is a keeper, but then so few ever are. I definitely need something of this ilk though. Large, peaceful and generally (hopefully) behaving itself. 

Certainly true of the lower spec models seats. The difference in the C between a Life/exclusive and an SRI  seat is massive. Yes, the SRI still firm but not overly so and it's pretty supportive.

Jump into a lower trim level standard seat and they're horrible. Hard, shapeless, half a step up from a park bench.

Was similar in Cavs, All the lower specs had hard uncomfy seats, get in a CDX  a and the seats were pretty nice. They felt really plump in comparison.

[Remspoor]

5 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Certainly true of seats. Seem to recall I thought the same of a relative's Mk3 Cavalier. When I was a child.

I doubt this car is a keeper, but then so few ever are. I definitely need something of this ilk though. Large, peaceful and generally (hopefully) behaving itself. 

There are loads to choose from. But seeing the G/F "likes" Fords then nothing better than a Mondeo Estate? 

[Noel Tidybeard]

coming from 2 montegos, 2 maestros & a 106 i thought Vectra B seats firm but i drove non stop from Birmingham to St Austell and got out feeling like i'd just nipped to the shops- something i would not be able to do in a 406 for example

 

did you do the front & rear intermitent wiper sync thing yet?

have you found the tyre valve cap tool on the fuel flap?

[dollywobbler]

I did discover the intermittent thing yesterday. Not sure I've got anything in the fuel flap, but then it's missing stuff like jack and manuals. Things go missing.

Yesterday involved driving 50 miles in the Vectra, then jumping in the 2CV to drive to Birmingham.

Purely because that's almost the exact spot where I bought the 2CV 20 years ago. Did a bit of sightseeing and drove home.

Jumping from Vectra to 2CV, the difference in comfort is staggering. The Vectra manages to make a smooth road seem jiggly. On the other hand, it is a lot quieter. A lot.

Also, first fill-to-fill on the Vectra came in at 40mpg. I'll take that.

[DrPaulCampbell]

Having owned a Vectra B 1.8 LS and now owning a Ford Mondeo MK3 1.8 Edge i can say the Mondeo i think is the better car, however i did like the fact the Vectra 1.8 did seem more peppy

[Noel Tidybeard]

yes but a vectra b should be compared to a mondingo 2 and a mk3 compared to a vectra c

[dollywobbler]

18 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

yes but a vectra b should be compared to a mondingo 2 and a mk3 compared to a vectra c

Surely it depends when they were built? My Vectra is a late one, so it was on the market and competing with the Mk3 Mondeo. 

Regardless of all that, I'm still waiting to move into my new unit. Big miffed, but progress is finally being made, and the previous tenant is slowly moving his Ford Sierra Sapphires out. He has a rally car and four complete spares cars. I wonder if he'd sell any of them?

[2cvspecial]

6 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Surely it depends when they were built? My Vectra is a late one, so it was on the market and competing with the Mk3 Mondeo. 

Regardless of all that, I'm still waiting to move into my new unit. Big miffed, but progress is finally being made, and the previous tenant is slowly moving his Ford Sierra Sapphires out. He has a rally car and four complete spares cars. I wonder if he'd sell any of them?

If he would sell one to you DW , miss DW would be happy as its a ford

[dollywobbler]

I really would like to make the comparison. In my mind, the Mk3 Mondeo is a better car in almost every way (apart from the utterly horrible diesels) but that is based on covering a LOT of miles in Mk3 Mondeos about 20 years ago...