The grumpy thread

[jakebullet]

Been chopping the bastard privet. Thanks to 15 years of who gives a fuck? from the housing association tenants next door the fucker is 6 foot wide and 15 foot high in places.

So I have a lot of bastard privet.  Ma goes and fetches idiot's dog, which likes biting things. Ma, don't let it bite the privet, for all we know it's poisonous. It's only playing! ~googles~ big surprise, it is poisonous. So have to wait and see if it's got a big dose and is dead in the morning, or a small dose and is shitting for England.

[RoverFolkUs]

This is a sad

Focus went through a flood this morning, it's hydrolocked and absolutely dead. 

It wasn't even very deep water

It's curtains

RIP 😞

[High Jetter]

With that and the Insight out, you're not having a lot of luck. Anything incoming?

 

*See what I did there?

[RoverFolkUs]

6 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

With that and the Insight out, you're not having a lot of luck. Anything incoming?

 

*See what I did there?

You're confusing me with @Rust Collector.

Anyway, we're colluding as the sussex shiter vehicle killers 🤣

[High Jetter]

Oops yes, tis confusing for an old codger like me!

[Rust Collector]

57 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

You're confusing me with @Rust Collector.

Anyway, we're colluding as the sussex shiter vehicle killers 🤣

I can't wait* to find out what we're going to destroy next! 🤣

[RoverFolkUs]

6 hours ago, RoverFolkUs said:

This is a sad

Focus went through a flood this morning, it's hydrolocked and absolutely dead. 

It wasn't even very deep water

It's curtains

RIP 😞

Jesus fucking christ

I've done a good job of it and bent at least 2 conrods 🤣🤣

For those of you who don't know what you're looking at, cylinder 1 + 4 should be equal and cylinder 2+3 should be equal. 

Look at the tape line on the stick and look at the difference between 1+4 and 2+3 🤣

[cobblers]

19 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Jesus fucking christ

I've done a good job of it and bent at least 2 conrods 🤣🤣

 

Maybe I'm guilty of trying to find the tasty bit of a dogshit sandwich, but at least you are 100% nailed on sure that it's fucked and won't waste money and time trying to fix it to have it bite your arse!

[twosmoke300]

Good going hydrolocking a petrol - were you wide open throttle?

🤣

[RoverFolkUs]

1 minute ago, cobblers said:

Maybe I'm guilty of trying to find the tasty bit of a dogshit sandwich, but at least you are 100% nailed on sure that it's fucked and won't waste money and time trying to fix it to have it bite your arse!

Yes that's very true

I've gone against what you should do and just put it in 4th gear rocking it forwards and back to try to free things up for shits and giggles. It will spin over when it wants to but just locks up again. 

I'm sort of thinking of doing an Autoshite engine rebuild, spoke to the friendly machine shop who said they probably have a few second hand piston assemblies lying around for an old Duratec, and it might make interesting reading for the viewers of this parish if nothing else. 

Considering the prices of second hand cars, I'd guess I could probably get it back up and running for £3-4-500 ish which is significantly less than another car to replace it. 

I think it could just about be worth a repair but it depends on how much time I want to put into it 

The natural thing to do would be a second hand engine but they're a complete unknown quantity so I'd rather rebuilt this one myself if I can. 

Totally bonkers, but this is Autoshite and that's the spirit here! 

13 minutes ago, twosmoke300 said:

Good going hydrolocking a petrol - were you wide open throttle?

🤣

I got it confused with the amphibious variety I've got locked away in a barn "worth a fortune m9" 🤣

[MrGTI6]

46 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Jesus fucking christ

I've done a good job of it and bent at least 2 conrods 🤣🤣

For those of you who don't know what you're looking at, cylinder 1 + 4 should be equal and cylinder 2+3 should be equal. 

Look at the tape line on the stick and look at the difference between 1+4 and 2+3 🤣

Oh no!!! If it's any consolation, I don't think you were the only one to do that this morning. Got to be worth sorting it for a few hundred quid. As you say, that won't buy you a lot these days if you were to replace it. 

Lots of flooded roads round my way too this morning. I've had the 306 for years so know that the intake is very high (seems to be a French thing!). Really pushed my luck today though! 

I had to go into the deepest part to get round a stranded Mitsubishi Outlander, at which point the water was coming up over the front of the bonnet. The fan belt started screeching, the battery light came on and the power steering went. The exhaust was spluttering where it was completely submerged. I thought I'd finally killed it!

Got out the other side unscathed by some miracle, just as the police were shutting the road! 

[Rust Collector]

10 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

The natural thing to do would be a second hand engine but they're a complete unknown quantity so I'd rather rebuilt this one myself if I can. 

That's part of the excitement mate. Nothing beats the suspense of that first fire up of a £50 motor which someone had lying in their garden for a few years... Will that death rattle go away? Will the smoke clear up? Should I have just spent the £100 on bus tickets? Only one way to find out!

[sdkrc]

@RoverFolkUs, will we see you in a Rufford Ford YouTube compilation any time soon?

 

[Eyersey1234]

55 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Jesus fucking christ

I've done a good job of it and bent at least 2 conrods 🤣🤣

For those of you who don't know what you're looking at, cylinder 1 + 4 should be equal and cylinder 2+3 should be equal. 

Look at the tape line on the stick and look at the difference between 1+4 and 2+3 🤣

Is it Focus 1 or Focus 2 that has died?

[RoverFolkUs]

3 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

@RoverFolkUs, will we see you in a Rufford Ford YouTube compilation any time soon?

 

I hope not 🤣

It was only a little above kerb height but I think it splashed just enough in to fuck it 

2 minutes ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Is it Focus 1 or Focus 2 that has died?

Focus 2. It's a GHIA as well, not that any of the equipment is much use now! 

[RoverFolkUs]

8 minutes ago, MrGTI6 said:

Oh no!!! If it's any consolation, I don't think you were the only one to do that this morning. Got to be worth sorting it for a few hundred quid. As you say, that won't buy you a lot these days if you were to replace it. 

Lots of flooded roads round my way too this morning. I've had the 306 for years so know that the intake is very high (seems to be a French thing!). Really pushed my luck today though! 

I had to go into the deepest part to get round a stranded Mitsubishi Outlander, at which point the water was coming up over the front of the bonnet. The fan belt started screeching, the battery light came on and the power steering went. The exhaust was spluttering where it was completely submerged. I thought I'd finally killed it!

Got out the other side unscathed by some miracle, just as the police were shutting the road! 

Yes it was definitely a nasty flash flood

After half an hour, all of the water had drained away. And by the time recovery had arrived it was more or less dry! 

There's a separate grump about recovery, a big one, which will come a bit later when I've stopped seething about it. 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Yes it was definitely a nasty flash flood

After half an hour, all of the water had drained away. And by the time recovery had arrived it was more or less dry! 

There's a separate grump about recovery, a big one, which will come a bit later when I've stopped seething about it. 

Coincidentally (or maybe not?) I heard of this happening to another sad car today, this one in Horam. It took one of my sister's work colleagues over an hour longer to get to work because of it.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I would go for it if you can.  It's a nice car, with plenty of life and the bits would be relatively cheap I'd imagine?  You have the know-how and equipment...

[RoverFolkUs]

1 hour ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

I would go for it if you can.  It's a nice car, with plenty of life and the bits would be relatively cheap I'd imagine?  You have the know-how and equipment...

It's not proving easy to find new conrods but there are a few second hand options. Or find a donor engine to take bits from. I'm sure I'll make something work 

I know I said it's curtains, but I'm now 80% leaning towards trying to fix it, at least stripping it to assess the damage and if it's all bolt on parts then I'll go for it. 

If I find a rod has punched through the block then it might be a different story. But we'll see. I wouldn't be surprised if that's happened due to the extent of the difference between the pistons, but again, we'll see

It'll definitely be a long haul.. but I don't need the car, thankfully there's a very useful Citroen Picasso waiting on standby for this very purpose! 

[Wack]

red Letter days

just tried to book using a voucher I've had 2 years

these are the choices for 27/29 june for the whole of england, a tuesday and wednesday when the kids are at school

a best western in Bradford , having been to bradford i'll pass

a pub that looks OK but when you call it's unavailable

rowley manor whose trip advisor reviews are ALL 1 star and I suspect that's only because there's no stars

and I'm not sure when Ayrshire became part of England

 

absolute shit, would not recommend

if I change the dates to a tuesday and wednesday in october the choice doesn't change much, a time when you'd thing every hotel would be available

 

They're calling the voucher a memorable break , the last one looks like it'd be pretty memorable

 

[155V6]

22 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

just had the cat put to sleep

r.i.p Sid

Really sorry 😢

[Eyersey1234]

On 6/19/2023 at 10:25 PM, Noel Tidybeard said:

just had the cat put to sleep

r.i.p Sid

I'm sorry to hear this, it's never easy when a much loved pet dies. How old was Sid?

[fairkens]

14 hours ago, cobblers said:

Maybe I'm guilty of trying to find the tasty bit of a dogshit sandwich, but at least you are 100% nailed on sure that it's fucked and won't waste money and time trying to fix it to have it bite your 

See, the reverse psychology worked! 😄

[goosey]

Today I rescued 2 stray dogs and took them 2 the Vet, unfortunately my car now smells of dog as do I. 

[Remspoor]

20 hours ago, Wack said:

red Letter days

just tried to book using a voucher I've had 2 years

these are the choices for 27/29 june for the whole of england, a tuesday and wednesday when the kids are at school

a best western in Bradford , having been to bradford i'll pass

a pub that looks OK but when you call it's unavailable

rowley manor whose trip advisor reviews are ALL 1 star and I suspect that's only because there's no stars

and I'm not sure when Ayrshire became part of England

 

absolute shit, would not recommend

if I change the dates to a tuesday and wednesday in october the choice doesn't change much, a time when you'd thing every hotel would be available

 

They're calling the voucher a memorable break , the last one looks like it'd be pretty memorable

 

Never ever trust TA reviews.

There is no guarantees the reviewer has every stayed/slept in the property.

What were they expecting a 5 star hotel but only wanting to pay peanuts for that experience. thus it does not for-fill the hopes thus gets on star review.

Use other sites to find a balance in the reviews,

[Ghosty]

Auction houses clogging up eBay with classified ads, for cars going to auction that you CAN'T BUY, with the guide price as the price.

Just fuck off. If you're going to advertise something, it has to be buyable for that price.

[Wack]

2 hours ago, Remspoor said:

Never ever trust TA reviews.

There is no guarantees the reviewer has every stayed/slept in the property.

What were they expecting a 5 star hotel but only wanting to pay peanuts for that experience. thus it does not for-fill the hopes thus gets on star review.

Use other sites to find a balance in the reviews,

Plenty of photos of shabby rooms put me off , managed to book somewhere , was a bit of a faff but calling direct , confirming availability then applying the voucher worked

[MikeR]

Attacked by horse flies today , one knuckle on my right  hand like massive grape , dam flying teeth  things should be eradicated ..

[Wack]

13 hours ago, MikeR said:

Attacked by horse flies today , one knuckle on my right  hand like massive grape , dam flying teeth  things should be eradicated ..

7 years ago I was a bit short of work, a company I worked for had been quoted £350 to knock down 6ft high weeds on an overgrown area at the side of the factory because it was seeding  farmers crops in the field next door, I had a petrol strimmer so thought easy money

 

It was July, hot, I was in my mid 50s , started off OK at 8am, by 11am I was absolutely fucked , then the horse flies started, they were like a squadron of stukas lining to to dive bomb me, fucking massive they were,

 

I had to go in the factory, get one of those paper spraying suits and tape it all up , wear gloves and a slit for my eyes

 

in the end it took me 2 days and was the hardest £350 I've ever earned in my life

 

next year they asked if I wanted to do it again, did I fuck

 

[Talbot]

On 6/20/2023 at 3:18 PM, RoverFolkUs said:

Jesus fucking christ

I've done a good job of it and bent at least 2 conrods 🤣🤣

For those of you who don't know what you're looking at, cylinder 1 + 4 should be equal and cylinder 2+3 should be equal. 

Look at the tape line on the stick and look at the difference between 1+4 and 2+3 🤣

That is a massive discrepancy in heights of pistons.  Are you sure you've not snapped the crank?