The grumpy thread

[dugong]

Don't you wish that sort of thing would happen when you have an aggressive and obnoxious tailgater hanging off your bumper?

Provided they didn't actually die, yes. 

[Bobthebeard]

The Amazon keeps finding new ways to break itself. Today it tried to bump FATHA_DUGONG off on the way to Wales.Today the offside sunroof catch failed and the cover plate tore itself off the car while still in the locked postion.I was doing 60 on the A55 at the time. It very nearly took FATHA_DUGONG'S BMW out who was following behind me. It bounced down the carriageway and landed on the hard shoulder.One lock is completely destroyed but the panel itself is one piece. The roof hasn't distorted either but I'm loathed to repair it given that Golde sunroof parts aren't exactly easy to come by.So now I have a car that's taxed, MoT'd and more or less runs (bar some dodgy timing) that I can't drive or leave anywhere because there's a sodding great hole in the roof.Luckily no-one was hurt - there could have been a major accident. The panel is almost the width of the roof and has a large quantity of bracketry attached. All I remember is massive bang and watching FATHA_DUGONG panic brake and swerve in the mirror behind me.Here's the hole it left, rather suddenly.The remaining nearside catch still in its locked upright position. I found the smashed remains of its opposite number in the roof cavity after a stiff breeze dislodged all the crap stuck in between the plate cavity and the outer roof skin.If (and that's the operative word) I can find spares, I'll have it reassembled with a different locking mechanism another seal. 5/1 odds I lose the will to live after three months and have it welded up.Sobering stuff.

It would seem that the car is suffering hormonal issues, being she is 'of a certain age'.

Mrs Beard sometimes behaves in a similar way. I have found that an evening in front of the log burner watching something soothing and non challenging (Last of the Summer Wine for example) with nibbles and Ovaltine often works in my case......

Although she has never actually chucked her sunroof at a following motorist.

[Barry Cade]

Well, that wonderful piece of quality German engineering has finally rattled it's last rattle. My daughters Golf, (if you've been following my rage filled posts)- a mint 1.4 16v. New gearbox, clutch,wishbones,cat,lambda sensor,full service,new locks, a full valet,fresh 6 months tax and what was a very happy teenager lasted all of 2 weeks.

 

Death rattle,oil light,oil buzzer,smoke and lack of power..its fooked. I said something to myself today after MOT'ing a couple,which made me chuckle, then giggle, then full on tears rolling down my face and doubled up gasping for breath. I said,to myself " I should have bought her a Clio or a 106".

 

Sad thing is, it's true. A cheap French hatchback, with non blue instrument lights is a FAR better car than a mk4 Golf,or Passat,or Leon,or Fabia.

 

Car take back is offering £140 for the Golf. Less than the cost of the used gearbox.

[dugong]

 

Car take back is offering £140 for the Golf. Less than the cost of the used gearbox.

Take the money and walk away, giggling. 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Sobering stuff.

 

Nasty  

 

How much repair work will the sunroof panel require?

[Barry Cade]

Take the money and walk away, giggling. 

Yup, normally I'd do it for the LOLZ, but daughter with a 2 week old driving licence isn't going to take very well to going back to the bus, and her admiration of me being an ace mechanic  (LOL) will take a nosedive. Already had earache from the wife about how much it's all going to cost and helpful suggestions from daughters boyfriend..whose MOTless MGZR I got him has cost him nothing and has been fault free. Daughter wanted a "Veedub". Why do I listen?? Get a reliable car- how about a Rover. (NOT tounge in cheek) I got laffed at. GRRRR Pesky kids.

[dugong]

Nasty

 

How much repair work will the sunroof panel require?

 

God knows, I've got to find the spares first. 

[Des]

God knows, I've got to find the spares first. 

Webasto?

 

 

Not grumpy but sad to hear of the death of Tony Benn, we're losing remarkable people lately and I'm not sure the voids will be filled.

[dugong]

Webasto?

 

 

Golde. 

[Bobthebeard]

Webasto?

 

 

Not grumpy but sad to hear of the death of Tony Benn, we're losing remarkable people lately and I'm not sure the voids will be filled.

Tony Benn.

From an era when politicians believed in themselves, stuck to those beliefs and didn't just do what the Daily Mail told them. We used to have politicians. Now we have media manipulated robots in suits.

[barefoot]

Grumpy?

 

 

I dont think ive been on this grumpy thread more than once or twice.

It'd make me far too irritated.

 

Tonight I feel obliged to vent.

 

Chap flogging Volvo 300 for about £200

 

Blah,blah,blah , blah,

 

I've forgotten the dramatic point i was about to make.

 

Moore wine and sleep await me....

[Bobthebeard]

Grumpy?

I dont think ive been on this grumpy thread more than once or twice.

It'd make me far too irritated.

Tonight I feel obliged to vent.

Chap flogging Volvo 300 for about £200

Blah,blah,blah , blah,

I've forgotten the dramatic point i was about to make.

Moore wine and sleep await me....

Errr....

Expand

[oman5]

Well, that wonderful piece of quality German engineering has finally rattled it's last rattle. My daughters Golf, (if you've been following my rage filled posts)- a mint 1.4 16v. New gearbox, clutch,wishbones,cat,lambda sensor,full service,new locks, a full valet,fresh 6 months tax and what was a very happy teenager lasted all of 2 weeks.

 

Death rattle,oil light,oil buzzer,smoke and lack of power..its fooked. I said something to myself today after MOT'ing a couple,which made me chuckle, then giggle, then full on tears rolling down my face and doubled up gasping for breath. I said,to myself " I should have bought her a Clio or a 106".

 

Sad thing is, it's true. A cheap French hatchback, with non blue instrument lights is a FAR better car than a mk4 Golf,or Passat,or Leon,or Fabia.

 

Car take back is offering £140 for the Golf. Less than the cost of the used gearbox.

wasn't someone on here flogging a 106 dizzler cheap? they're ace little cars

[Cavcraft]

Yup, normally I'd do it for the LOLZ, but daughter with a 2 week old driving licence isn't going to take very well to going back to the bus, and her admiration of me being an ace mechanic  (LOL) will take a nosedive. Already had earache from the wife about how much it's all going to cost and helpful suggestions from daughters boyfriend..whose MOTless MGZR I got him has cost him nothing and has been fault free. Daughter wanted a "Veedub". Why do I listen?? Get a reliable car- how about a Rover. (NOT tounge in cheek) I got laffed at. GRRRR Pesky kids.

 

 

a lot of people fall for the clever advertising/people who tell them VAG stuff is the greatest ever. My daughter has an elderly Cinquecento and loves it. Mind you, she's not tried driving it more then a few hundred yards on a private road so far, so that could soon change!

[Station]

I drove new mk3 golf gti in the 90s and even with my limited knowledge thought it wasnt special.

I remember the press gushed over it back then, but now reflect on how bad it was. you had 150bhp Escort RS2000s, Astra GSis, Peugeot Gtis Etc etc.

Or a 100bhp Golf GTi.

[Wilko220]

Tony Benn.

From an era when politicians believed in themselves, stuck to those beliefs and didn't just do what the Daily Mail told them. We used to have politicians. Now we have media manipulated robots in suits.

 

It's a shame to lose a character (and high-profile pipe smoker) like Tony Benn. Although, on the other hand, I have always thought that there were too many over-privileged, upper class ex-public schoolboys with vast amounts of inherited wealth in British politics...

[dugong]

Debit card's been cloned. Someone's tried to use it to pay a hotel bill in the States and top up a mobile phone. 

Thanks, yeah. Anything else?

I suspect it to be a cashpoint near to a charity event I went to - I only drew cash out because I won something in the raffle. 

[Barry Cade]

Well, for the 2nd time in my life, I've had to leave a car at the side of the road. Golf seized solid on the way home from work. Good.

[dugong]

Well, for the 2nd time in my life, I've had to leave a car at the side of the road. Golf seized solid on the way home from work. Good.

 

Hopefully it will be HIABed away.

 

Are Golfs any good at banger racing? 

[Junkman]

I thought German cars never break down and last forever?

[MrDuke]

wasn't someone on here flogging a 106 dizzler cheap? they're ace little cars

 

 

Not wishing to jump to judgemental conclusions, but based on BC's previous post I can't imagine said Young Persons wanting to be seen dead in a diesel hatch. Agree that they are awesome wee cars, though.

[Junkman]

Debit card's been cloned. Someone's tried to use it to pay a hotel bill in the States and top up a mobile phone.

 

Them damn immigrants.

[Jim Bell]

Debit card's been cloned. Someone's tried to use it to pay a hotel bill in the States and top up a mobile phone. 

 

Thanks, yeah. Anything else?

 

I suspect it to be a cashpoint near to a charity event I went to - I only drew cash out because I won something in the raffle. 

 

What did you win?

[dugong]

What did you win?

A signed Sale Sharks jersey for £30.

[ruffgeezer]

Not wishing to jump to judgemental conclusions, but based on BC's previous post I can't imagine said Young Persons wanting to be seen dead in a diesel hatch. Agree that they are awesome wee cars, though.

 

Heh, you might be surprised.

 

I bought, repaired and sold one a few years ago, the pas pump casing had cracked rendering it too expensive to repair, luckily I had a mate breaking one so got that for free. I tooled around in it for a week to make sure there were no other issues, noting only that one of the cv joints was getting noisy if you drove it like it was stolen.

 

Anyway, the sale goes through, young chap collects it and low and behold I get a message a little later "one of the CV joints is knackered". It wasn't, you were driving it like a twat.

[Jim Bell]

A signed Sale Sharks jersey for £30.

 

Ebay suggests you did well enough man. Barring the unfortunate identity theft.

[Wilko220]

Got in the C15 today and noticed a strange grinding sound coming from one of the front wheels. It sounded like a badly gone wheel bearing but that seemed strange because it had come on so suddenly.

Had a quick look and couldn't see anything obvious, so I jacked it up to find that, while parked up, the van had decided to OMG SLAM itself.

 

 

No rust to speak of and the van was MOTd only last week, so it must just be some kind of metal fatigue. Anyone had this happen before? I'm certainly glad it happened at 0mph and not at 70mph.

 

The noise was the jagged bit of spring rubbing against my almost new Matador budget tyre (which survived unscathed, miraculously).

 

Had to take a hacksaw to it to get the wheel back on.

 

 

It now has some SICK STANCE BRO but only on one side. 

 

Another job to find time to do...

[Lord Sterling]

The idiots who walk across the side-road junctions without looking.... It happens every so often at the end of my road, and I'm wary to it. Mentioned it to a friend who dropped me off after a gig on Monday night. Lo and behold on Tuesday it was a be-headphoned lad who didn't even so much as glance. Last night it was a granny with her shopping. I'm already making my manouvere when they start crossing, it's not like they're already halfway across when of course they have right of way. 50 points (or whatever) just going begging*

Saw this happen in the local city to us in France. I was following a van when some kid just stepped out in the road without so much giving a glance, the van had to brake hard to miss sending him flying, he knew he was in the wrong, put up his hands and carried on along the road, again without looking.

 

Driving in the local city is a haphazard game. Thankfully I don't live and work in the city.

[chaseracer]

...too many over-privileged, upper class ex-public schoolboys with vast amounts of inherited wealth in British politics...

Which adequately describes Tony's background!

 

However, he chose a different path, renouncing his title - and having to get the law changed to do it - so he could continue to sit in the Commons. A true socialist, he used his wealth generously as an 'enabler', supporting progressive organisations and campaigns throughout his life.

 

I was fortunate enough to meet him twice; he was a genuinely kind and surprisingly humble man. Many have said that we will not see his like again; perhaps not, but he will continue to inspire others.

[Junkman]

A signed Sale Sharks jersey for £30.

 

Pic or it didn't happen.