The grumpy thread

[wuvvum]

I decided to take the Saab into work this morning as it hasn't been used much recently (the Innocenti does nearly double the mpg, y'see), and it rewarded my efforts by behaving like a complete arse, spluttering and farting and refusing to run on more than 1/4 throttle, conking out at idle, etc.. It barely made it through the usual rush hour queue to get into Norwich without dying completely, but it just about managed to kangaroo its way into my lockup, where I dumped it and walked the rest of the way. I have no idea what's wrong with it as it's never done anything like that before, and it wasn't smoking or overheating or knocking or doing anything else that would indicate impending engine implosion. I'm hoping it's something simple like leads or distributor cap, but as it's now almost dark by the time I get out of work I'm going to have to wait until Saturday to find out.

 

To give it its due though, it does have a bloody good heater.

[nigel bickle]

Wuz-my moneys on a damp distributor cap and/or a dirty rotor arm.

 

That time of year y'see.

[Rocket88]

They eat coil packs

[M'coli]

Wuz-my moneys on a damp distributor cap and/or a dirty rotor arm.

 

That time of year y'see.

Agreed - mine needed WD40 when damp until I changed the rotor arm.

 

They eat coil packs

GM 900s maybe, but I don't think the classic 900 does.

[Guest]

GMP are doing me for the heinous crime of doing 0 mph at a traffic light.

 

Erm, what?

 

Just requested some better photos because the ones on the public access site show a car that looks like mine stopped at a light and a white van in the middle lane jumping a red.

 

I could do without this shit TBH.

[The Moog]

To give it its due though, it does have a bloody good heater.

 

I miss my saab heater, The current Audi one would lose a game of blow football to an ashmatic fat gerbil who had run to catch his bus

[seth]

My feet are cold. Always happens this time of year. It'll probably be about April before they warm up.

[RedSparrow]

Just as I thought I had my debts sort-of on track to be paid off so I can leave this shithole country, I recieve a letter from the Inland Revenue saying I owe them £912. I work my arse off, I have 5 jobs, all as a casual employee and actually thought I was paying too much tax. All around me are scumbags who don't bother working and don't do anything all day which I am paying for. I don't live an excessive lifestyle, in fact my only extravagance is owning a few shitty cars (for which I pay road tax, fuel tax etc). I wouldn't mind being taxed heavily if I saw some results for it apart from people who are able to work sitting outside my house drinking all day.

 

I actually nearly cried when I opened the letter from the IR.

 

I am seriously pissed off.

 

Anyone want to buy my Beemer?

[M'coli]

Just as I thought I had my debts sort-of on track to be paid off so I can leave this shithole country, I recieve a letter from the Inland Revenue saying I owe them £912. I work my arse off, I have 5 jobs, all as a casual employee and actually thought I was paying too much tax. All around me are scumbags who don't bother working and don't do anything all day which I am paying for. I don't live an excessive lifestyle, in fact my only extravagance is owning a few shitty cars (for which I pay road tax, fuel tax etc). I wouldn't mind being taxed heavily if I saw some results for it apart from people who are able to work sitting outside my house drinking all day.

 

I actually nearly cried when I opened the letter from the IR.

 

I am seriously pissed off.

 

Anyone want to buy my Beemer?

Challenge it.

[Richard]

Challenge it.

 

Definitely. They do make mistakes, especially with non-standard cases like yours.

[RedSparrow]

Challenge it.

 

Definitely. They do make mistakes, especially with non-standard cases like yours.

 

I would, but it was me who asked them to check as I was convinced I had paid enough. When I got the envelope I was expecting a refund notice. Gutted.

 

I hate this country, can't get out soon enough.

[outlaw118]

Bummer RS. At the end of the day, if you're planning on clearing off, why bother? It's not a very PC attitude, but fuck it.

[Father Ted]

GMP are doing me for the heinous crime of doing 0 mph at a traffic light.

 

Erm, what?

 

Just requested some better photos because the ones on the public access site show a car that looks like mine stopped at a light and a white van in the middle lane jumping a red.

 

I could do without this shit TBH.

Let them take you to court, then claim expenses from them when the case is thrown out on its arse.

[chaseracer]

GMP are doing me for the heinous crime of doing 0 mph at a traffic light.

 

Erm, what?

 

Just requested some better photos because the ones on the public access site show a car that looks like mine stopped at a light and a white van in the middle lane jumping a red.

 

I could do without this shit TBH.

Let them take you to court, then claim expenses from them when the case is thrown out on its arse.

Wat, do you have legal cover on your car/house insurance, union membership, or similar? May be worth a phone call. Or failing that, a visit to the Citizens' Advice Bureau.

[chaseracer]

 

Aaarrrgh! That's a Solara under there!

 

(probably a good while ago, though...)

 

[ChinaTom]

^ cue captions like "Fred decides she cannot tolerate any more sarcastic "bump for a real thread" comments"

[seth]

I got grumpy this morning 'cos I realised I'd repaired a chain last night with the hook riveted on the wrong way round. Cue doing the job again this morning.

 

 

 

 

[Alexg]

I work my arse off, I have 5 jobs, all as a casual employee and actually thought I was paying too much tax. All around me are scumbags who don't bother working and don't do anything all day which I am paying for. I don't live an excessive lifestyle, in fact my only extravagance is owning a few shitty cars (for which I pay road tax, fuel tax etc). I wouldn't mind being taxed heavily if I saw some results for it apart from people who are able to work sitting outside my house drinking all day.

 

Thats the basis of your letter right there. It's totally bollocks, tell them to go swivel.

[Mr Lobster]

Some fucktard broke into our unit on Wednesday night and turned what should have been a quiet Thursday into a day full of arseache. They didn't get anything but its still caused a load of hassle.

 

Still, off to look at a bigger unit shortly thats a bit closer to home, very secure and bigger

[Angrydicky]

Sorry, another insurance rant from me.

 

I don't really want to drive the A35 through another winter, it needs a load of welding after last year and I hate to think what the underside will look like soon after the road salt goes down.

 

Yesterday I spotted a 1992 (K) reg Reliant Rialto van at a local classic car dealership. Very good, original condition, nice turquoise paint, galvanised chassis, fibreglass body, see where I'm going? Had a test drive today, great little thing, 1 owner from new, loads of reciepts and 45,000 miles from new.

 

I had made up my mind to sell my A35 (I would still keep the other two!) so looked into getting some insurance quotes. First of all I called Footman James, who I have been with for 2 1/2 years and have never made a claim. They kept me hanging on for ages, then:

 

"Sorry no, your policy only covers you for Insurance Group 1. The Reliant is Group 5".

 

Adrian Flux took my details, kept me hanging on for ages then I was put through to a completely different advisor who had to take the details again before ultimately saying, NO.

 

Sureterm Direct (Insurance from 19 years old according to Practical Classics) took my details and said they'd call me back in a couple of minutes, 40 minutes later I rang them back to get through to who I was sure was the same guy, but who claimed never to have taken my details.

 

He said he'd ask around the office to find out who dealt with me, and they'd ring me back.

 

They didn't.

 

Fuckers.

 

Seriously pissed off.

[Polystratus]

Sorry, another insurance rant from me.

 

I don't really want to drive the A35 through another winter, it needs a load of welding after last year and I hate to think what the underside will look like soon after the road salt goes down.

 

Yesterday I spotted a 1992 (K) reg Reliant Rialto van at a local classic car dealership. Very good, original condition, nice turquoise paint, galvanised chassis, fibreglass body, see where I'm going? Had a test drive today, great little thing, 1 owner from new, loads of reciepts and 45,000 miles from new.

 

I had made up my mind to sell my A35 (I would still keep the other two!) so looked into getting some insurance quotes. First of all I called Footman James, who I have been with for 2 1/2 years and have never made a claim. They kept me hanging on for ages, then:

 

"Sorry no, your policy only covers you for Insurance Group 1. The Reliant is Group 5".

 

.

 

Already started gritting the roads around here Group 5 seems a bit high for a Rialto van

[Mr Lobster]

Yep, Out gritting the roads here last night as well.

[Guest]

 

Already started gritting the roads around here Group 5 seems a bit high for a Rialto van

 

Dicky, they're taking the piss. There is no way an A35 is Group 5. My C4 is in Group 5.

Is there any kind of special deal you can get through one of the Austin clubs? When I was younger no one wanted to know about the Amazon (other than Sureterm) but I managed to get cover through the VOC's insurer.

 

Footman James have always been good with me. Like all insurance companies however, they seem to vary according to individual experiences. A lot of people swear blind by Adrian Flux, but it took them three attempts to get my policy documents out to me (the third time I had to pay for recorded delivery) and then they renewed the policy itself (and whacked up the tab by 300%) without phoning, texting or emailing me.

 

A lot of people say Brentacre are good. (http://www.brentacre.co.uk/), as well as Peter Best.

 

Let us know how you get on.

[Angrydicky]

Hi Jon, I'm already insured on the Austin with FJ through the Owners club scheme, but as far as I know the Reliant club doesn't have a similar scheme.

 

The strange thing is, they insured the 2CV no problem (£390), but just refused the Reliant. I hear what you're saying about the individual operator, I inquired a few months back about insuring the Maestro (1275cc) and while the first operator refused point blank, I rang back and spoke to a different one who gave me a quote for £1000 (which I declined, thank you very much).

[Louise2cv]

Hi Jon, I'm already insured on the Austin with FJ through the Owners club scheme, but as far as I know the Reliant club doesn't have a similar scheme.

 

FJ were quite happy to accept 2cvgb as my "owners club membership" when I insured the Allegro.

[Polystratus]

Try Lancaster as well, not had any problems with them.

[Angrydicky]

Hi Jon, I'm already insured on the Austin with FJ through the Owners club scheme, but as far as I know the Reliant club doesn't have a similar scheme.

 

FJ were quite happy to accept 2cvgb as my "owners club membership" when I insured the Allegro.

 

Likewise when I insured the 2CV! I was (still am!) a member of the Austin A30/35 Owners Club.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I bust the placca top hose pipe stub off the radiator of my Rover.

 

It was a clean break and I thought it would repair OK.

 

Mixed up some araldite, glued it, clamped it with a G-clamp, left it overnight in the warm, came back next day and snapped it straight off using all the power of a 2-day old foetus. CHEERS ARALDITE

 

Cleaned it up again, glued it with some of that glue that plumbers use for glueing PVC waste pipes etc. This time the approximate power of a Jack Russell puppy was enough to send it wanging off. CHEERS.

 

Cleaned it up again, this time I used loctite 'PLASTIX super glue specially designed to glue all plastic materials like a mutha'. clamped it, left it overnight etc, in this case the approximate heaving power of an 88-yr old lady was enough to generate the dull click of plastic coming away from plastic. CHEERS GLUE INDUSTRY IN GENERAL, I'M BOWLED OVER BY YOUR OUTSTANDING PRODUCTS.

 

FUCK IT I can smell the £60 'fine' I am going to have to pay for my own stupidity.

[Father Ted]

Gorilla Glue.

Fucking magic stuff, find it down the builders merchants.

[Timewaster]

I have bodged plastic things together before by "plastic welding" ie dabbing the join with a soldering iron to fuse the 2 parts together.

Don't put too much pressure on else you melt a hole.

 

If the rad is scrap anyway what is there to loose (except the price of a ruined solering iron!)

 

*DON'T BLAME ME IF THIS ENDS BADLY!"