RichardKs wanderings: The Box

11,716 · July 11

The lights in the garage really don't help, but one fuse tap into E1 later and...

Screen saver/clock

Menus

Need to see if I can customise the graphics in the firmware - I could make this look 2002 high-tech I think.

Another "no RDS/text" situation for the radio though.

11,716 · July 12

Added an in-dash voltage display and PD charger, developed a new hate for that doghouse engine cover and the dashboard construction...

25,317 · July 12

Getting the dog house in/out without removing the passenger seat (it just slides forward off the rails) is a proper pain.

The one clip being broken doesn't help either. I did spend quite a while trying to find replacements for that, but apparently they always break, so the few I managed to track down being broken already either had them missing or they were already similarly broken. I'd always had replacing the plastic clips with the metal type that you see used on flight cases for audio gear and similar but it just never made it to the top of the to do list.

I do reckon the smaller screen unit looks better in the Boxster, though that's entirely my opinion.

Find myself tempted to buy one of those because they just seem ludicrously cheap for what you get - but I really don't NEED one, and this (and last) month is slated to be an expensive one.

11,716 · July 15

Weekend, words later!

Drive to Portsmouth. No dramas apart from a funny noise after overtaking a lorry - I think the washer bottle moved and started rattling on the master cylinder.

In dash navigation and unobstructed massive windscreen is very nice.

Return trip spots...

Return to find house smells of durian but all the durian is in the van fridge still... the cat has knocked a box, which knocked a box of towels, which spilled gearbox oil 😕

Decided to "upgrade" the £20 head unit

Quite a recent revision of this generic MP5 player

RISC-V core

Very recent bluetooth chip version

Added some heatsinks

Tested the radio with a drive - looking good

New bumper really does improve it

Interior is worth taking care of!

Radio working well - a little noisy with interference though, there's no shield on the RF input.

This is naff.

Better.

Considered this also.

Tried hacking it to enable RDS - the radio display changed, but no RDS yet.

Spot the difference?

Fixed the clock stalk with the repro pieces.

This isn't a trim cover, it's designed to hold a microphone! Very neat.

11,716 · July 16

More progress. Thankyou @mat777 - the window regulator does appear to have fixed both the rattle with the window down, and the lack of drop when opening the door - I have yet to adjust with the roof up, or clean my mess, or stop crying about the tiny mark I made on the door trim because the airbag screw cover just would not pop out of the trim easily!

Old regulator is missing a stop, and the one it has is loose... It's set for a 911 I think.

I wish it were easier to add door speakers than "find a set of door trims with speaker modules in the same colour as the rest of the trim" - but I need to go trim shopping for a couple of broken clip items anyway.

3,212 · July 16

I'm still in shock that you overtook something in a Merc 208!!!

11,716 · July 16

44 minutes ago, bezzabsa said:

I'm still in shock that you overtook something in a Merc 208!!!

It can do 75.

Downhill.

After slipstreaming a lorry.

1,195 · July 17

15 hours ago, bezzabsa said:

I'm still in shock that you overtook something in a Merc 208!!!

Sounds like my incredulity at reading the roadtest report for my Land Rover Series 3, which stated that "it will run up to 85mph".....

15 hours ago, RichardK said:

It can do 75.

Downhill.

After slipstreaming a lorry.

...... my similar thoughts on the 85mph Land Rover were "off a tall cliff, maybe...."

11,716 · July 17

Some lead, some follow...

It seems quite good at leading...

And a bit of attention seems to be lifting the overall look - got some more headlight cleaner stuff.

More important, the Boxster hasn't given me a check engine light since I changed the air filter – and it's been shoved into Chesterfield's rush-hour roundabout chaos, bounced off the rev-limiter in 2nd when playing on same bit of A61 (most of the time it's burbling about at 2-3k RPM and never gets to sing), and feels solid as a rock now I fixed the window mechanism. My ankle isn't appreciating the clutch in traffic, which is predictable anyway, and I'm still not entirely sure what shape of human it's designed to fit as there seems to be far less legroom than the SLK. Comfortable enough, but that foot/pedal interaction is hard to get exactly right.

I'm still looking across at it when it's parked, and still finishing going over each panel with clay bar and cheap ceramic-claiming wax. After seven years of new cars, and a lot of cynicism, I'd put the Boxster into a rather generic box of 'expensive German sportscar bought for the badge' and I'm starting to think that there's something quite special about them really, and the low prices of early models (pretend I remembered to link to HMC's £1,999 one) don't reflect the car's qualities, whereas the low values of R170 SLKs do reflect the rather banal driving experience that is – because the SLK is – not much different to a Merc saloon with a bit missing in the middle.

(SLKs are still great in my eyes, with a huge list of positive attributes, but they are baby GTs, a true successor to the original 190SL. Not a sports car. I think that becomes most apparent when you get the Brabus/AMG models and they're not like razor-sharp tiny supercars, they're more like miniature muscle cars. Which is just as awesome, but different).

I'm getting a lot of the satisfaction that I thought would come with an Elise or VX220, but without the fragility or drama or lack of usability, And this is before I've put the new front tyres on and had a proper alignment sorted out... If the year picks up with some work and income, I'll seriously consider refreshing the suspension as I think (from driving newer 911, Taycan, Cayman) that the factory setup will probably have the same suppleness and control a Mk2 Elise offered - at the moment i'm still gritted-teeth nervous of small bumps and things, when aside from the alignment/pull, the Boxster already handles them with less rattling and drama than the X3 does!

(And Thursday, I do a thing I haven't done for years. I am paying a garage to look at the X3 - specifically, to quote for fixing what is NEEDED on the front suspension rather than me replacing the lot, and to change the front diff fluid because I just cannot deal with the horrors under there without a lift).

11,716 · July 18

22 hours ago, mat777 said:

Sounds like my incredulity at reading the roadtest report for my Land Rover Series 3, which stated that "it will run up to 85mph".....

...... my similar thoughts on the 85mph Land Rover were "off a tall cliff, maybe...."

My 109" Series III van 2.25 petrol once hit 70mphish, on the A68. The front started to hop like the axle just couldn't keep up with the shove from the back.

That same shove - plus ROCK HARD TRACTOR TYRES (how I didn't die driving that thing is beyond me) - span the thing pulling out of the Gattonside road at Tweedbank. Full 180-degree 'why am I facing the junction I just left' hilarity.

I nearly did the same thing in a 911 GTS Targa almost 30 years later, but in that case I was being a twat with my rapper/boy-racer son in the car. I think had I not caught it, a kerbed wheel would have been several times the amount I paid for the Land Rover in '93-4 ish (which was paid for by flogging my Amiga 1200 system after realising that no, the anti-aliased fonts did not mean it was a suitable substitute for a Mac IIx for DTP).

7,103 · July 18

5 minutes ago, RichardK said:

My 109" Series III van 2.25 petrol once hit 70mphish, on the A68. The front started to hop like the axle just couldn't keep up with the shove from the back.

Bit lighter in weight - I had a Ser2a 88" with the five bearing 2.25 petrol out of the Series 3. FWH + Fairey overdrive out of a 109 Safari - that thing could hold 70 mph if you could stand the noise* - so long as the FWH were out. If they were in then it would display the same behaviour as yours and was bloody lethal in the wet.
Occasionally (rarely tbh) I wonder about getting another but then realise that was then and now I'm better in something wafty that has ATF lubed gearbox.

*had a set of industrial -over-the-head type ear defenders for long journeys - you'd get some weird looks on the motorway.

11,716 · July 18

9 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Bit lighter in weight - I had a Ser2a 88" with the five bearing 2.25 petrol out of the Series 3. FWH + Fairey overdrive out of a 109 Safari - that thing could hold 70 mph if you could stand the noise* - so long as the FWH were out. If they were in then it would display the same behaviour as yours and was bloody lethal in the wet.
Occasionally (rarely tbh) I wonder about getting another but then realise that was then and now I'm better in something wafty that has ATF lubed gearbox.

*had a set of industrial -over-the-head type ear defenders for long journeys - you'd get some weird looks on the motorway.

One of my friends used to drive a V8 lightweight everywhere and had the same ear defenders.

Freewheeling hubs used to confuse the hell out of me. My old L200 pickup had them, with 'drive in reverse' or something instructions - and I seem to remember having a Vitara FatBoy or something similar which just had slots and a thing to turn to lock the hubs, like a giant coin-cell battery compartment if you had a coin the size of a hubcap. Too early in my driving experience for me to have really understood what I was doing with that stuff so while I now understand the 'why', I haven't used them – and I didn't know what my Landie had on it, so for all I know I'd left something set that was doing it no favours at all. It never went properly off-road in my ownership as I had a Panda 4x4 at the same time, which was essentially unstoppable.

My favourite 'Landy as a student' story was a FOAF who went from Arbroath area to Bristol for Uni.

Their vehicle of choice? FC101 V8.

They'd get onto the motorway, remove a critical part of the ignition system, then call for a yellow taxi to their destination... because it was cheaper than the fuel...

(I've never driven an FC101 and would love to, but the Range Rover has added to the XJS, MGF etc. in confirming that British cars and my brain are not compatible, so I'd never want to own one).

7,103 · July 18

1 minute ago, RichardK said:

Their vehicle of choice? FC101 V8.

Had the privilege* of being 'navigator' in a few of those back when the Ambulance Service were out on strike and the RAF/Army provided cover. I'm still not sure which was the most terrifying - V8 101 or a 6 cylinder 109 - neither stopped well and most of the drivers had buggerawl response training. There was at least one fatal (FC101) crash down in Sth. London where the plod navigator died - never bothered us at the time, looking back - jings - we were young and stupid.

(Actually - thinking about it - the worst things were the Green Goddesses during Fire strikes - those were truly awful. Fortunately they could not really get going that fast - imagine tootling along Oxford Street on the old 'blues and twos' and not being able to catch up the #15 RouteMaster in front? Awsome :-( )

1,195 · July 18

1 hour ago, RichardK said:

My 109" Series III van 2.25 petrol once hit 70mphish, on the A68. The front started to hop like the axle just couldn't keep up with the shove from the back.

That same shove - plus ROCK HARD TRACTOR TYRES (how I didn't die driving that thing is beyond me) - span the thing pulling out of the Gattonside road at Tweedbank. Full 180-degree 'why am I facing the junction I just left' hilarity.

57 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Bit lighter in weight - I had a Ser2a 88" with the five bearing 2.25 petrol out of the Series 3. FWH + Fairey overdrive out of a 109 Safari - that thing could hold 70 mph if you could stand the noise* - so long as the FWH were out. If they were in then it would display the same behaviour as yours and was bloody lethal in the wet.
Occasionally (rarely tbh) I wonder about getting another but then realise that was then and now I'm better in something wafty that has ATF lubed gearbox.

*had a set of industrial -over-the-head type ear defenders for long journeys - you'd get some weird looks on the motorway.

The front axles in Series LRs use Universal Joints, which dont like changes in angle (ie, trying to steer) during high speed rotation. My S3 has FWH, which have to be engaged every so often to ensure lubrication of the swivel bushes, and with them in the steering is noticeably "odd" at speed, the wheel feels heavier and more rumbly. Luckily however the radial ply XZL tyres, whilst still tall and knobbly, grip and flex predictably compared to the old zigzag tread crossplies they came on originally.

I thoroughly agree on the noise front though, I drive mine maybe twice a month and it always feels like a chore after being used to my modern SUV daily. Country road bimbles are nice, but anything involving a motorway leaves me with a dead foot from holding the accelerator, sore kidneys from the bolt-upright seat, and ringing ears from the overdrive scream!

48 minutes ago, RichardK said:

One of my friends used to drive a V8 lightweight everywhere and had the same ear defenders.

Freewheeling hubs used to confuse the hell out of me. My old L200 pickup had them, with 'drive in reverse' or something instructions - and I seem to remember having a Vitara FatBoy or something similar which just had slots and a thing to turn to lock the hubs, like a giant coin-cell battery compartment if you had a coin the size of a hubcap. Too early in my driving experience for me to have really understood what I was doing with that stuff so while I now understand the 'why', I haven't used them – and I didn't know what my Landie had on it, so for all I know I'd left something set that was doing it no favours at all. It never went properly off-road in my ownership as I had a Panda 4x4 at the same time, which was essentially unstoppable.

My favourite 'Landy as a student' story was a FOAF who went from Arbroath area to Bristol for Uni.

Their vehicle of choice? FC101 V8.

They'd get onto the motorway, remove a critical part of the ignition system, then call for a yellow taxi to their destination... because it was cheaper than the fuel...

(I've never driven an FC101 and would love to, but the Range Rover has added to the XJS, MGF etc. in confirming that British cars and my brain are not compatible, so I'd never want to own one).

The Japanese stuff has, essentially, "auto freewheeling" hubs where they provide drive in one direction but freewheel on the overrun to remove the mechanical drag of the axle. Kinda of like a giant ratchet spanner, though dont ask me how they work when reversing.

The Vitara sounds like it has the traditional, Land Rover style where you manually lock the hubs by getting out and twisting them. No overrun mechanism to go wrong, but its less fun if you unexpectedly have to get out and put them in having hit a mudhole halfway across a field, for example.

I've been in a 101 once, and absolutely loved the insanity of it, but then I would say that as a Green Goddess owner 😅

36 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Had the privilege* of being 'navigator' in a few of those back when the Ambulance Service were out on strike and the RAF/Army provided cover. I'm still not sure which was the most terrifying - V8 101 or a 6 cylinder 109 - neither stopped well and most of the drivers had buggerawl response training. There was at least one fatal (FC101) crash down in Sth. London where the plod navigator died - never bothered us at the time, looking back - jings - we were young and stupid.

(Actually - thinking about it - the worst things were the Green Goddesses during Fire strikes - those were truly awful. Fortunately they could not really get going that fast - imagine tootling along Oxford Street on the old 'blues and twos' and not being able to catch up the #15 RouteMaster in front? Awsome )

It could always be worse.... as slow as the GG's are, the bigger problem was the lack of any baffles in the water tank, as they were originally designed as a static pump rather than an emergency appliance. Add several tons of free-to-move water to a keen young squaddie covering an emergency shout during the strikes, and several GGs were known to "take a nap" on roundabouts and s-bends......

Anyhow, apologies to Richard for the thread derailment!

8,507 · July 18

15 hours ago, RichardK said:

Some lead, some follow...

It seems quite good at leading...

I'm still looking across at it when it's parked, and still finishing going over each panel with clay bar and cheap ceramic-claiming wax. After seven years of new cars, and a lot of cynicism, I'd put the Boxster into a rather generic box of 'expensive German sportscar bought for the badge' and I'm starting to think that there's something quite special about them really, and the low prices of early models (pretend I remembered to link to HMC's £1,999 one) don't reflect the car's qualities

Very much approve of the rear numberplate surround 😎

@HMC’s old one - that would be this:

Basic 2.5, had all the usual 986 issues. Same as you, I was very cynical about Boxsters (and was never really been a Porsche fan anyway) but when @HMC decided to sell I figured I had nothing to lose by trying it.

Took all of 5 minutes ripping across Dartmoor on the drive home to begin to understand Porsche, and the 986 - it was huge fun, sounded great, went well despite being the poverty model, handled brilliantly and just felt like a great little sports car. I did a fair bit of work tidying it, whilst having a lot of fun driving it, and it completely changed my opinions on 986s and Porsche in general. I’d really like another one day.

11,716 · July 18

On 11/07/2024 at 17:51, mat777 said:

I'm incredibly sorry the badge appears to be incorrect! It was a genuine badge from a Porsche specialist, if you like I can send you the invoice and you may be able to get them to swap it for whatever the correct one is? I do think the "S" part is flatter than the rest of the script in general because the font is thicker.

This is the badge that was ordered:

https://www.reasonporsche.com/product-page/porsche-s-badge-chrome

Yeah, if this is what they sent when selling you a Boxster "S" badge and using that picture on the advert... I'd be firing it back for a refund.

The proper item... some fake suspense from the sealed packet...

Okay, so... when I thought that specialist had short-changed you, I wasn't expecting this...

Very different profile and finish.

And... size.

The proper one was £29 from Design911 so it's not like they were hugely undercutting the badge cost, either 😂

18,276 · July 18

On 16/07/2024 at 17:42, bezzabsa said:

I'm still in shock that you overtook something in a Merc 208!!!

ill have you know, that it actually goes pretty well, with @Zelandeth behind the wheel :mrgreen: this is when we went over the Dartford crossing in it

3 hours ago, RichardK said:

My favourite 'Landy as a student' story was a FOAF who went from Arbroath area to Bristol for Uni.

Their vehicle of choice? FC101 V8.

They'd get onto the motorway, remove a critical part of the ignition system, then call for a yellow taxi to their destination... because it was cheaper than the fuel...

@Talbot? :mrgreen:

3 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

(Actually - thinking about it - the worst things were the Green Goddesses during Fire strikes - those were truly awful. Fortunately they could not really get going that fast - imagine tootling along Oxford Street on the old 'blues and twos' and not being able to catch up the #15 RouteMaster in front? Awsome )

I feel the need to tag @Yoss cuz Routemaster, I would have loved to have seen a video/picture of that a Routemaster and a green goddess in a high* speed pursuit :mrgreen:

7,103 · July 18

Size matters (so they say) ;-)

2 hours ago, 83C said:

I’d really like another one day.

*cough clickbait link * no idea what the reserve may be (or what's possibly wrong with the thing such that it's ended up going for auction)
Last Boxster I saw go through there was last year - on a T reg - £3100 ish plus commision - not to far from your neck of the woods I think?

3 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

I feel the need to tag @Yoss cuz Routemaster, I would have loved to have seen a video/picture of that a Routemaster and a green goddess in a high* speed pursuit

Nothing ever went at high speed around the West End (plus ca change eh?) . Only fatal accident I saw in five years there was a tourist who stepped off the kerb after looking the wrong way outside Bond Street Tube. Routemaster:1, Foreign Johnny: 0.

16,801 · July 18

1 hour ago, LightBulbFun said:

@Talbot?

?

I've never owned a FC101. Driven one, but not owned.

You might be mistaking for the IIB FC I used to own a long time ago. Utterly different vehicle, and in my case one that would do about 35mpg (due to Perkins 4.203 swap)

101FC:

Which came with a 3.5 V8 and gearbox from the original 70s range rover, six-stud axles (unique) and a very restricted driving position. Also the only vehicle I've ever known where you can top up the brake and clutch fluids while you're driving. 15mpg is doing very well. 8mpg is more like it.

Series IIB FC

Which came with the same petrol and diesel engines as a Series 2A (2.3 petrol, 2.3 diiesel and 2.6 6-cyl IOE engine) and used mainly 1-tonne Series running gear and axles, but with 9.00x16 wheels/tyres and is the only series vehicle to come with an anti-roll bar (front axle only)

The series IIB pre-dates the 101FC by a fair margin, and was out of production when the 101FC was being made.

18,276 · July 18

6 minutes ago, Talbot said:

?

I've never owned a FC101. Driven one, but not owned.

You might be mistaking for the IIB FC I used to own a long time ago. Utterly different vehicle, and in my case one that would do about 35mpg (due to Perkins 4.203 swap)

my apologies! you are indeed correct I had gotten muddled up! but its interesting to learn of the fine detailed differences

It still maintain however it sounds like something you would of done mind if that was you mind :mrgreen:

11,716 · July 18

It was worth the mental energy caring about it...

11,716 · July 18

So it's the BMW's turn. The report is in from the garage...

I sort of wish it was the transfer case @Robson3022 mentioned, but it's more a cumulative list of things that need considering.

First surprise. CV boots. three of them.

Second - a wheelbearing with excess play, on the front. Not sure how I'd have noticed given the suspension rattles.

Not a surprise - the front suspension needs all the links. We knew this.

Annoying surprise, but suspected - the rear differential, which had supposedly been done a couple of owners back, is the source of the noises.

Not too much of a surprise - but unwelcome. The reason I took it to a garage was to get the front diff oil changed as it's a pig of a job.

It also wasn't oil anymore, it's more just metal shavings in a suspension of former lubricant. They changed the oil anyway, but the front diff is what needs fixing.

Also numerous oil seals and things.

So... I guess I need to figure out what I do with it. I like it, so fixing it makes sense, but I don't know if I can handle a diff replacement and my past experience of CV boots is that We Are Not Friends.

It's all wear and tear stuff, but the nearside front suspension seems to have taken the brunt of whatever happened to the car, and was never fixed correctly.

On the plus side, the suspected transfer case needing replacement is fine

2,284 · July 18

10 hours ago, mat777 said:

The front axles in Series LRs use Universal Joints, which dont like changes in angle (ie, trying to steer) during high speed rotation. My S3 has FWH, which have to be engaged every so often to ensure lubrication of the swivel bushes, and with them in the steering is noticeably "odd" at speed, the wheel feels heavier and more rumbly. Luckily however the radial ply XZL tyres, whilst still tall and knobbly, grip and flex predictably compared to the old zigzag tread crossplies they came on originally.

I thoroughly agree on the noise front though, I drive mine maybe twice a month and it always feels like a chore after being used to my modern SUV daily. Country road bimbles are nice, but anything involving a motorway leaves me with a dead foot from holding the accelerator, sore kidneys from the bolt-upright seat, and ringing ears from the overdrive scream!

The Japanese stuff has, essentially, "auto freewheeling" hubs where they provide drive in one direction but freewheel on the overrun to remove the mechanical drag of the axle. Kinda of like a giant ratchet spanner, though dont ask me how they work when reversing.

The Vitara sounds like it has the traditional, Land Rover style where you manually lock the hubs by getting out and twisting them. No overrun mechanism to go wrong, but its less fun if you unexpectedly have to get out and put them in having hit a mudhole halfway across a field, for example.

I've been in a 101 once, and absolutely loved the insanity of it, but then I would say that as a Green Goddess owner 😅

It could always be worse.... as slow as the GG's are, the bigger problem was the lack of any baffles in the water tank, as they were originally designed as a static pump rather than an emergency appliance. Add several tons of free-to-move water to a keen young squaddie covering an emergency shout during the strikes, and several GGs were known to "take a nap" on roundabouts and s-bends......

Anyhow, apologies to Richard for the thread derailment!

The Vitaras do (I think).

When I was a child, my parents and I lived in Australia for a bit. We had a variety of vehicles of our own* out there, but also hired a Suzuki Sierra - which is, I believe, the Antipodean version of the SJ Jeep thing - for a holiday where off-road driving was required. My dad spent much of the time grumbling about the need to get out and lock the front wheels. Can't remember if he had to employ a spanner or whether the task was accomplished by turning a knob or similar, but it required manipulation of some part of the hub.

I didn't understand what he was doing at the time and still don't - off roaders have never been my thing. Not convinced he understood either!

*best was a hired Ford Falcon with air conditioning. Most interesting was a Hiace camper van. Worst was some awful, small, seventies Datsun.

1,883 · July 18

4 hours ago, RichardK said:

So it's the BMW's turn. The report is in from the garage...

I sort of wish it was the transfer case @Robson3022 mentioned, but it's more a cumulative list of things that need considering.

First surprise. CV boots. three of them.

Second - a wheelbearing with excess play, on the front. Not sure how I'd have noticed given the suspension rattles.

Not a surprise - the front suspension needs all the links. We knew this.

Annoying surprise, but suspected - the rear differential, which had supposedly been done a couple of owners back, is the source of the noises.

Not too much of a surprise - but unwelcome. The reason I took it to a garage was to get the front diff oil changed as it's a pig of a job.

It also wasn't oil anymore, it's more just metal shavings in a suspension of former lubricant. They changed the oil anyway, but the front diff is what needs fixing.

Also numerous oil seals and things.

So... I guess I need to figure out what I do with it. I like it, so fixing it makes sense, but I don't know if I can handle a diff replacement and my past experience of CV boots is that We Are Not Friends.

It's all wear and tear stuff, but the nearside front suspension seems to have taken the brunt of whatever happened to the car, and was never fixed correctly.

On the plus side, the suspected transfer case needing replacement is fine

Bummer sir! Sorry it’s not as straightforward as hoped.

I have these wheels here but I’d suspect they have fallen right down the list at this point!

11,716 · July 18

35 minutes ago, Robson3022 said:

Bummer sir! Sorry it’s not as straightforward as hoped.

I have these wheels here but I’d suspect they have fallen right down the list at this point!

Possibly not the highest priority, but if I do manage to get everything done, I'll still want to get the car as close to original as I can!

It was never going to be straightforward, and if it were just one diff (or a transfer case) it wouldn't be a big deal at all - the suspension was always on the cards and I knew I'd have to replace something transmission related. The CV boots are just things that wear out too. Just... which thing to do first! Suspension is easy, now they confirmed it's all had it, but half the front diff job is removing suspension. Maybe the front diff can be ignored for a little while now it has oil instead of cutting compound

11,716 · July 18

1 hour ago, Missy Charm said:

The Vitaras do (I think).

When I was a child, my parents and I lived in Australia for a bit. We had a variety of vehicles of our own* out there, but also hired a Suzuki Sierra - which is, I believe, the Antipodean version of the SJ Jeep thing - for a holiday where off-road driving was required. My dad spent much of the time grumbling about the need to get out and lock the front wheels. Can't remember if he had to employ a spanner or whether the task was accomplished by turning a knob or similar, but it required manipulation of some part of the hub.

I didn't understand what he was doing at the time and still don't - off roaders have never been my thing. Not convinced he understood either!

*best was a hired Ford Falcon with air conditioning. Most interesting was a Hiace camper van. Worst was some awful, small, seventies Datsun.

I vaguely remember a tool like a spanner but a sort of C-shaped thing, or a circle with a notch out of it, in one of my 4x4s. Looked like something for changing mower blades.

11,716 · July 23

I know, I did that thing everyone hates and deleted a for sale thread. The camper sold (again) within hours of going up on Facebook again, and for the asking price on the ad...

Lovely buyers and enthusiasts, but of course since I am not working and now have funds in my account that allow for several options, the lure of a Chevy Astro has become the doubt of "should I even buy anything right now", and instead do a couple of bits on the C6 to deal with my immediate car issues. ARGH.

I hate being sensible.

Not helping is gf dislikes the grey Astro and pointed out a white one in Hastings for £3250, with zebra seats and a bodykit. But her argument is that if I got a VAN, I could do some work while looking for work, logistics for the food stalls etc.

Still defeated by the C6 height reference points. I really need a way of getting safely underneath this bastard thing if I have any hope of fixing the handbrake or getting the suspension heights to programme.

All my cars are now black with private plates.

11,716 · July 24

Airport run, then paying ULEZ to go and exhume a mystery car from a 15 year slumber...

The mystery car is RWD and mid-90s.

Warning light bingo is just a couple away from a full house or whatever you call bingo things.

July 24

6 hours ago, RichardK said:

Airport run, then paying ULEZ to go and exhume a mystery car from a 15 year slumber...

The mystery car is RWD and mid-90s.

Warning light bingo is just a couple away from a full house or whatever you call bingo things.

is the number plate a sign of things to come 🤔

17,354 · July 24

3 hours ago, 666jjp said:

is the number plate a sign of things to come 🤔

RichardKs wanderings: The Box

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