The grumpy thread

[mercrocker]

Still having motivational problems regarding shite fixage and its slowly eating into the fleet.....Minor has barely turned a wheel since a fuck ton of welding back in June.  I have ordered and got the new master cylinder and associated piping but I know the old one will be a cunt to extract.   Basically, the bolts are held in by the torsion bars to stop them "falling" out, so replacing what is after all basically a service item should* involve suspension dismantlage.  It won't - it will involve a big fuck off pry bar.  Will still be a cunt, though.   

 

So, I greased the Cowley yesterday which thankless task was fully rewarded with finding a split in the offside steering rack gaiter wider, blacker and greasier than Janet Pulborough's fanny at Tech college.   So that's more steering-related dismantling.  Not by me, though, its going in for that - splitting 60 year old ball joints is no longer on my list of day-off pleasures. 

 

I got the Fiesta Ghia back out of the lock-up to use for work until Cowley fixage occurs and remembered that the fucking ABS light hasn't gone out for about 120 miles and the MOT is due next month.  Which is now only 12 days away.    And I have just waved Mrs Rocker off to her keep fit class only to hear the 190E aux belt fucking whinnying again.

 

I fired up Auto Trader this morning to have a gander at local shite for sale and that has finally destroyed my will to live.   Well, my will to buy another old car anyway.  What an unremitting parade of bloated fucking warning-light-ridden Mr & Mrs McDonald-munching dog-faced slopy-fronted resale-silver Halfords hub-capped cup-holding pig shit that was.   Where are all the £750 Dolomites, Granadas and Datsuns now?   

 

Even my previous route of buying another bit of old shite instead of fixing the first one now seems to involve £2000.  Which would seriously improve any one of the cars I do actually own, I suppose.   

[bramz7]

Getting frustrated at what to buy. Obviously, my recent track record has been very mixed. I decided to keep the 605 as it's comfortable and good on fuel. But it leaves a spare (or two) classic policy to fill, but I need something reasonably practical, entertaining and reliable (to a point).

 

I've also got a bit of a conundrum with the C5 as I have planned on acquiring something a bit silly and estate shaped, all being well, so it's potentially being rendered obsolete. 

 

But it's very tough trying to find something reasonably priced/not being flipped/FJ approve of at the current time. I fancied an R25 that just popped up but FJs infernal hatred of Renault barges derailed that. I considered the 760 in Stoke but it looks a money pit. I also saw a Dedra Turbo project being sold down in Gloucester but I tried a Lancia and that didn't end well....I've got a few decent saved searches so will probably end up with something, but my old car mojo is very low.

 

Essentially everything bar the 605 is for sale. 

 

 

AND THE 164 IS STILL HERE.

[dozeydustman]

Felt a bit seasick yesterday on the ferry coming back from IoW.

Still feel seasick 24 hours later.

 

I hope it's not shaken up my lugholes and brings the vertigo back.

[Tamworthbay]

Felt a bit seasick yesterday on the ferry coming back from IoW.

Still feel seasick 24 hours later.

 

I hope it's not shaken up my lugholes and brings the vertigo back.

It can take a while to clear, I didn’t have it for years but the injections I do weekly for my arthritis cause it really badly, it has taken the best part of week to clear completely before but that is within normal expectations apparently. For future reference I get prescribed these small patches called Scopoderm, they go behind your ear and last three days. Sort it 100%.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

….AND THE 164 IS STILL HERE.

 

Wha'?    Thought someone already bought it?

[dozeydustman]

It can take a while to clear, I didn’t have it for years but the injections I do weekly for my arthritis cause it really badly, it has taken the best part of week to clear completely before but that is within normal expectations apparently. For future reference I get prescribed these small patches called Scopoderm, they go behind your ear and last three days. Sort it 100%.

 

 

The annoying thing is I've been on cross-channel ferries twice, 2 flights and a friend's fishing boat in the last 18 months and been fine. Over on Thursday, felt great. Came back, solent like a mill pond, feel chunderous.

[Tamworthbay]

The annoying thing is I've been on cross-channel ferries twice, 2 flights and a friend's fishing boat in the last 18 months and been fine. Over on Thursday, felt great. Came back, solent like a mill pond, feel chunderous.

I can’t even survive a mile being driven now, nearly had a very nasty moment when I was first on it up at Gullivers Kingdom with the nipper. It was ride aimed at 3-5 year olds and I could barely walk when I got off. Another minute and I would have redecorated it. I felt like a complete dickhead. That time took the best part of a week to clear. It’s bloody horrible when it hits.

[bramz7]

Wha'?    Thought someone already bought it?

 

Yep, deposit sent 4 weeks ago.

 

I sent them a message via eBay yesterday saying 'You have to come get the car or it's going up for sale again.'

 

Today I got a text asking when I was free.

[Bobthebeard]

Spent most of yesterday with the MX-5 up on ramps wire brushing the surface rust off everything and then coating almost everything with Dynax UB. All went well and the underside now looks cared for and a nice waxy blackish brown instead of just orange rust. No actual rot was apparent although I initially feared the worst. A horrible job though.

Grumpy because I felt very peculiar whilst clearing up the tools/drive/ramps etc. Really exhausted and wierd thumping sensation in my chest.

My heartbeat was all over the place, fast, then slow with missed beats, talk about scary! Never happened before. It took around three hours to return to normal and was frightening.

Anyway, just out of interest I looked up the H and S data on Dynax UB....... Should have been more careful and worn a mask I guess. Too much exposure to fumes. One side effect being cardiac arrhythmia apparently. Be careful folks!

[Simonsays]

Spent most of yesterday with the MX-5 up on ramps wire brushing the surface rust off everything and then coating almost everything with Dynax UB. All went well and the underside now looks cared for and a nice waxy blackish brown instead of just orange rust. No actual rot was apparent although I initially feared the worst. A horrible job though.

Grumpy because I felt very peculiar whilst clearing up the tools/drive/ramps etc. Really exhausted and wierd thumping sensation in my chest.

My heartbeat was all over the place, fast, then slow with missed beats, talk about scary! Never happened before. It took around three hours to return to normal and was frightening.

Anyway, just out of interest I looked up the H and S data on Dynax UB....... Should have been more careful and worn a mask I guess. Too much exposure to fumes. One side effect being cardiac arrhythmia apparently. Be careful folks!image.png

Get yourself to the quacks for a service and MOT. Best not to prevaricate where the old ticker is concerned

[vulgalour]

Princess randomly conked out on me in the middle of a roundabout today.  Just... dead.  Cranked it over to try and get it go and managed to flood it.  Had a good poke around to try and find an issue while it un-flooded, tried to start again with foot to the floor and it shuddered back into life.  Limped it home and popped the distributor cap off after checking for anything loose and found the cap is nice and clean but the rotor arm is quite dark and the points have a sheen of oil on them with very dull faces.

 

So... I guess that means a seal in the distributor is leaking and oil is fouling the spark which is also what's causing the occasional misfire that manifested itself at the recent North Shields meet and so plagued Dollywobbler's attempts to drive it.  I can genuinely find nothing else amiss, once it's cooled down enough I'll pull the plugs and have a look at those but I'm not expecting anything untoward in all honesty.

 

EDIT:  cleaned up the rotor arm and the points and the misfire went away, then slowly started to return so I guess I'm on the lookout for relevant seals for the distributor now.  In before "fit electronic ignition, it'll save you loads of grief".

[alcyonecorporation]

Deeply pissed off with the DVLA, which sent a pre-dated demand for payment by second class post.

 

For a cock up it caused, then refused to back down about it.

 

Simple, boys, I don't have it. Not this month. Go and mither someone else. It's something else every fucking week.

[oldcars]

One of my wife's friends passes away yesterday. Really young as well. Got me thinking life's to short pissing about fixing old crap. New caravan on the way and i can see the 75 being binned too.

[iainrcz]

Tip

If your Washing machine stops working, and you live with a moron.

Check the drain pump for hair grips.

 

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Whilst having your knuckles sliced to fucking ribbons.

 

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[Supernaut]

Whilst having your knuckles sliced to fucking ribbons.

 

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Aye, cheers. Not like I wanted to eat any of that bolognese I've got simmering on the hob right now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nah, I grew up on a farm. Will take more than that to put me off my food. Still, what the hell did you do?

[DodgeRover]

Still having motivational problems regarding shite fixage and its slowly eating into the fleet.....Minor has barely turned a wheel since a fuck ton of welding back in June. I have ordered and got the new master cylinder and associated piping but I know the old one will be a cunt to extract. Basically, the bolts are held in by the torsion bars to stop them "falling" out, so replacing what is after all basically a service item should* involve suspension dismantlage. It won't - it will involve a big fuck off pry bar. Will still be a cunt, though.

 

So, I greased the Cowley yesterday which thankless task was fully rewarded with finding a split in the offside steering rack gaiter wider, blacker and greasier than Janet Pulborough's fanny at Tech college. So that's more steering-related dismantling. Not by me, though, its going in for that - splitting 60 year old ball joints is no longer on my list of day-off pleasures.

 

I got the Fiesta Ghia back out of the lock-up to use for work until Cowley fixage occurs and remembered that the fucking ABS light hasn't gone out for about 120 miles and the MOT is due next month. Which is now only 12 days away. And I have just waved Mrs Rocker off to her keep fit class only to hear the 190E aux belt fucking whinnying again.

 

I fired up Auto Trader this morning to have a gander at local shite for sale and that has finally destroyed my will to live. Well, my will to buy another old car anyway. What an unremitting parade of bloated fucking warning-light-ridden Mr & Mrs McDonald-munching dog-faced slopy-fronted resale-silver Halfords hub-capped cup-holding pig shit that was. Where are all the £750 Dolomites, Granadas and Datsuns now?

 

Even my previous route of buying another bit of old shite instead of fixing the first one now seems to involve £2000. Which would seriously improve any one of the cars I do actually own, I suppose.

ABS warning light not operating is pass and advise if it was to fall out.

[PhilA]

The last donut in the box.

 

Why do people consider that even remotely acceptable to do?

 

Phil

[alcyonecorporation]

Deeply pissed off with the DVLA, which sent a pre-dated demand for payment by second class post.

 

For a cock up it caused, then refused to back down about it.

 

Simple, boys, I don't have it. Not this month. Go and mither someone else. It's something else every fucking week.

Complaint rescinded.

Managed to get through to someone who was able to sort things out; on a payment plan to sort it out.

[BorniteIdentity]

Excuse me for asking if it’s personal, but how do you get on a payment plan with DVLA? Continuing to use a vehicle when a DD has failed?

 

Genuinely interested, but appreciate it might be something you wish not to discuss. I’d never heard of such a scheme.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I just imagined a DVLA payment scheme whereby you send them a cheque for £FUCKRIGHTOFF once a month for 10 years

[iainrcz]

Turns out BEKO washing machines are made out of metal so sharp you only have to catch your hand on it and you've got claret pouring everywhere. Good job Plenty kitchen paper is absorbent.

 

Still, it's fixed now. Probably until it happens again!

Aye, cheers. Not like I wanted to eat any of that bolognese I've got simmering on the hob right now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nah, I grew up on a farm. Will take more than that to put me off my food. Still, what the hell did you do?

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[anonymous user]

Turns out BEKO washing machines are made out of metal so sharp you only have to catch your hand on it and you've got claret pouring everywhere. Good job Plenty kitchen paper is absorbent.

 

Still, it's fixed now. Probably until it happens again!Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk

What you need is a couple of spaniels, when I cut my hand open with a secateurs they happily licked up the trail of blood as I stomped, swearing, into the kitchen. They sat looking up waiting for more of the tasty fluid to drop to the floor as I tried to staunch the flow. Not having a decent first aid kit I wrapped my hand with masking tape, winding it on until the blood stopped coming through, by which time my hand resembled a lump hammer. I left it for a few days before removing the tape to check it was healing up.

[iainrcz]

I used kitchen paper and masking tape.

No gaffer tape was to hand!

 

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[alcyonecorporation]

Excuse me for asking if it’s personal, but how do you get on a payment plan with DVLA? Continuing to use a vehicle when a DD has failed?

 

Genuinely interested, but appreciate it might be something you wish not to discuss. I’d never heard of such a scheme.

It wasn't that, and I'm not sure I like your presumption, to be honest.

 

I cancelled all the tax DDs before they bounced when I got battered for emergency tax in my new job. The only car I had taxed for that month was my Leon as I needed it to go to work.

 

I presume I was offered a payment plan because it was their cock up in the first place, but I don't know the exact reasons; it was a hands-free conversation in the car on the way to buy some fuggin bulbs for the Impreza that despite having the right part number still don't fit.

 

argh.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Turns out BEKO washing machines are made out of metal so sharp you only have to catch your hand on it and you've got claret pouring everywhere...

Probably part of President Erdogan's revenge on the decadent West, along with appliances that catch fire.

 

Interesting to see that Beko are a subsidiary of a Turkish group called Arçelik. Which ironically is what you have to do nowadays to stay on the right side of Erdogan.

[BorniteIdentity]

It wasn't that, and I'm not sure I like your presumption, to be honest.

 

I cancelled all the tax DDs before they bounced when I got battered for emergency tax in my new job. The only car I had taxed for that month was my Leon as I needed it to go to work.

 

I presume I was offered a payment plan because it was their cock up in the first place, but I don't know the exact reasons; it was a hands-free conversation in the car on the way to buy some fuggin bulbs for the Impreza that despite having the right part number still don't fit.

 

argh.

I couldn’t have asked my question more politely. I even acknowledged you might not wish to answer it, and that I respected that. It was genuine intrigue, as I’d not heard of any such schemes - and, as always, wanted to expand my depth of knowledge.

 

Sorry that I asked. Won’t happen again.

[alcyonecorporation]

Well, at least the puzzlement you're experiencing is akin to what I felt following the response I got from you when I told a car wash attendant to calm down.

 

So far you've outright called me racist and now you're implying I drive round in untaxed cars. Not on. Unfair. Uncalled for. Got it?

[BorniteIdentity]

Well, at least the puzzlement you're experiencing is akin to what I felt following the response I got from you when I told a car wash attendant to calm down.

 

We surfin' the same wave now, dude?

You told a migrant worker to, and I quote, “go home”.

 

Let’s be honest, my assumption above (to which you took offence) wasn’t a million miles out, was it? Still, true to form - you make a fuss.

 

Whatevs, as the young folk say.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Well, at least the puzzlement you're experiencing is akin to what I felt following the response I got from you when I told a car wash attendant to calm down.

 

So far you've outright called me racist and now you're implying I drive round in untaxed cars. Not on. Unfair. Uncalled for. Got it?

And they wonder why people feel like they're walking on eggshells.

[alcyonecorporation]

It's a delight, this forum, sometimes.