The grumpy thread

[Bren]

I accept penny pinching but not to the point where what you are selling becomes useless shit.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

17 minutes ago, Bren said:

I accept penny pinching but not to the point where what you are selling becomes useless shit.

Seems to have worked for countless Chinese contractor factories......

[EyesWeldedShut]

Feckin' PSA HDi Diesels keep eating my tools......

OK, which Gallic design engineer thought he'd have a total feckin' laugh and built an engine with all the stuff you need to access on the left hand side. THEN fuck up the user by saying 'oops this has to go transverse cos now we have the front wheel drive era'. THEN the Germans buy out Mini and, in an unholy alliance of all that is not good plonk the HDi engine under the bonnet and call it a 'COOPER D'.

Every, single feckin object that drops down the back of that engine either gets wedged between the starter motor and the block (RESULT - you can fish that out with a magnet) or disappears to the side of the starter into NeverNeverLand. A well tarined gerbil may be able to get in there and find it but I can't and trying to get at it form underneath is just as bad (if you can be arsed getting the car up in the air).

Currently my 'favourite all time' 10mm short spanner is down there and I am truly grumpy. 

Even more grumpy as the owner of said vehicle (t'missus) seems to think that 'favourite all time' spanners grow on trees (or in Halfords).

And Another Thing - it's raining and I do not have a garage.

Feckit..... I'm off to the pub (mentally)

[Burnside]

WTF is wrong with people.  I live in a busy residential street with a 30mph limit. An have just heard, then saw 2 cars racing at 60mph + while the one over takes the other, barely missing having a head on with some park cars in the process to beat the other. 

I'm pig sick of it, the way these morons are going round here. Someone going to end up being killed.  I just hope it not some poor sod minding his own business.

[beko1987]

Got cocky earlier. 4pm and work was dead (I'm in limbo anyway atm as stuff gets taken away from me) so I pulled the car round to behind the gate, got changed and dropped the oil

Hadn't done it yet, and it wasn't going to do itself. Seemed quite healthy which is good. Nipped in, no emails. Good, back out. 

Just finished tipping the new oil in after doing the sump plug back up, then spotted the oil filter... And remembered I hadn't changed it. Bastard. Cheered myself up by fitting the new dipstick

Sod it, it's not rusty so can't be too old, will do it again later in the year. Fitted all the engine plastics so my mild oil weep turns into 'undertray prevented inspection) and emptied half a can of wd40 into the rear seatbelt mechanisms and perked them up a bit. 

Just got the new front seatbelt to fit on Saturday morning and she's ready for a test in the 24th. Or an extension but I won't take the piss and expect one, I'd present it now and expect a pass but with advisories

[paulplom]

Sad day. I've been a subscriber to car mechanics for twenty odd years. It's been going back hard over the last couple of years. The issue that came though the door today may as well have been printed on tracing paper. The quality is shocking. I'm not sure also if it's me, but the content over the last year or so has become very, very boring. I used to be looking forward to it every month. I'm still only half way through last months.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk

[Bren]

13 minutes ago, paulplom said:

Sad day. I've been a subscriber to car mechanics for twenty odd years. It's been going back hard over the last couple of years. The issue that came though the door today may as well have been printed on tracing paper. The quality is shocking. I'm not sure also if it's me, but the content over the last year or so has become very, very boring. I used to be looking forward to it every month. I'm still only half way through last months.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
 

I think it is a reflection of modern cars - less DIY friendly and getting less so all the time.

I like Mike Humble and Stephen Wards' columns but I have no intrest in hybrids or EV's because if I own one it will be decade's away.

[puddlethumper]

No more Classic Van and Pick-up. I am well pissed off. Really looked forward to it.

[vulgalour]

Sometimes, being a full-time artist is shit.  The majority of my paid work is by its very nature political, so to be told I'm "not allowed" to be political and that I "shouldn't post anything political" is fucking farcical.  You quickly learn as an artist that you're expected to produce the content for free and shut up, that the people who shout loudest about how you shouldn't be more than an art machine are the people who never pay for the art anyway.  The people that will repost your work on their own account, with no credit to you, for their own personal gain with likes etc.  Don't even get me started on the people that complain I have a watermark on images so people can find my gallery/shop/whatever.

I'm just a teensy bit cranky at the moment.  It's almost all 'political' so I can't really vent about it here.  Still, telling an artist, an artist whose paid work focuses pretty heavily on gay stuff, that they're not allowed to be political really annoyed me.  If you wonder why it's annoying, go check out which countries dish out the death penalty for being gay, or being suspected of it, which countries it's just still illegal in.  It was still illegal in the UK until 1967.  So yeah, it's fucking political.

 

[Stevebrookman]

2 hours ago, paulplom said:

Sad day. I've been a subscriber to car mechanics for twenty odd years. It's been going back hard over the last couple of years. The issue that came though the door today may as well have been printed on tracing paper. The quality is shocking. I'm not sure also if it's me, but the content over the last year or so has become very, very boring. I used to be looking forward to it every month. I'm still only half way through last months.

Sent from my SM-G975F using Tapatalk
 

I used to buy it religiously every month up until a couple of years ago. It started going downhill after Peter Simpson left. As you said, it started becoming very boring.

 

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, paulplom said:

Sad day. I've been a subscriber to car mechanics for twenty odd years. It's been going back hard over the last couple of years. The issue that came though the door today may as well have been printed on tracing paper. The quality is shocking. I'm not sure also if it's me, but the content over the last year or so has become very, very boring. I used to be looking forward to it every month. I'm still only half way through last months.

I used to get CM in the late 70s and 80s. Might* still have some around somewhere if you're interested. 

[paulplom]

9 hours ago, High Jetter said:

I used to get CM in the late 70s and 80s. Might* still have some around somewhere if you're interested. 

Sounds good. What sort of price?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

10 hours ago, High Jetter said:

I used to get CM in the late 70s and 80s. Might* still have some around somewhere if you're interested. 

Interesting. Are there any issues that featured the CX at all?

[Pieman]

People who put "asking for a friend" after every question they ask online.  It's not funny, it's not original, and just makes them look like a sarcastic childish dickhead.

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Interesting. Are there any issues that featured the CX at all?

Not sure, I'd have to go through them. 

4 hours ago, paulplom said:

Sounds good. What sort of price?

Let me have a root through to see how many I have and their condition, probably won't be till next week though as am busy stripping out a shop atm. 

[Supernaut]

53 minutes ago, Pieman said:

People who put "asking for a friend" after every question they ask online.  It's not funny, it's not original, and just makes them look like a sarcastic childish dickhead.

Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?

Asking for a friend.

 

Yes, I already know I'm a childish sarcastic dickhead.

[Tickman]

27 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?

Asking for a friend.

 

Yes, I already know I'm a childish sarcastic dickhead.

Thanks for asking for me...

[eddyramrod]

I'm feeling very frustrated at the moment.

A bit over two years ago I was beset by headaches.  Still we took Huggy to Portsmouth, and at one point Danthecapriman had to come out and rescue me because the alternator failed (and I'll never be able to properly thank him); we eventually completed our homeward trip on a trailer.  Then we found out what was causing my headaches and I had to have emergency surgery.  I got Huggy's alternator fixed eventually, then the brakes which were also playing up.  I haven't been able to work since my surgery and the moment my SSP ran out, I was "terminated."  I was frustrated with my Jag, because the garage I asked to weld it kept it 9 weeks and did very little; I had visions of it sitting there for 15 months and effectively becoming scrap, just like my Rover 213.  So I swopped it, then we got lockdown, worldwide.  I've had no support groups, nothing, for four months now.  And now Huggy is deteriorating faster than I can ever hope to keep up.  Not to mention the constant lack of funds.

VERY frustrated, with everything.  Literally everything.  Stuff I can control (which isn't much at all) and stuff I can't (everything else).

And now we've got Bloody Football back on telly, which means my peaceful Saturday night with Pointless Celebrities goes out of the window too.  Fucking thanks, BBC, what the fuck am I paying you for?

Like I said, very frustrated.  Grumpy?  Oh boy yes, professional quality.

[warch]

The day before yesterday I had a slight coming together with a car coming in the opposite direction down a narrow country lane, despite practically driving my car in the hedge, I was unable to avoid clashing mirrors, losing the plastic cover bit in the process. Oh well worst things happen at sea /insert trite old saying of your choice here/.

Yesterday I was driving to work down the same stretch of road and suddenly spotted my missing cover sitting at the side of the road! I pulled up and was amazed to see that it was unbroken and not even scratched. Result! But just as I opened my car door to get out to retrieve it someone scorched up behind me in an old Saab, swung out to pass me and obliterated the fucking thing. 

Yes I am well aware that I can buy a replacement cover for less than a tenner off ebay, but it was the sheer injustice of the thing that annoyed me. 

[High Jetter]

Was it a Saab nut?

[Minimad5]

3 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

I'm feeling very frustrated at the moment.

A bit over two years ago I was beset by headaches.  Still we took Huggy to Portsmouth, and at one point Danthecapriman had to come out and rescue me because the alternator failed (and I'll never be able to properly thank him); we eventually completed our homeward trip on a trailer.  Then we found out what was causing my headaches and I had to have emergency surgery.  I got Huggy's alternator fixed eventually, then the brakes which were also playing up.  I haven't been able to work since my surgery and the moment my SSP ran out, I was "terminated."  I was frustrated with my Jag, because the garage I asked to weld it kept it 9 weeks and did very little; I had visions of it sitting there for 15 months and effectively becoming scrap, just like my Rover 213.  So I swopped it, then we got lockdown, worldwide.  I've had no support groups, nothing, for four months now.  And now Huggy is deteriorating faster than I can ever hope to keep up.  Not to mention the constant lack of funds.

VERY frustrated, with everything.  Literally everything.  Stuff I can control (which isn't much at all) and stuff I can't (everything else).

And now we've got Bloody Football back on telly, which means my peaceful Saturday night with Pointless Celebrities goes out of the window too.  Fucking thanks, BBC, what the fuck am I paying you for?

Like I said, very frustrated.  Grumpy?  Oh boy yes, professional quality.

Hey Eddy.

You alright for covering bills / food and drink ?

Don't be afraid to ask, seriously.

[Wack]

Just reading about Pauldoubleyou's old lady golf purchase

 

 

 

 

Look at that engine , no I mean it, look you can see it , no acres of plastic crap trying to make it look pretty, it's an engine designed to make the car move and the mechanics life easy when it doesn't move

 

On the mustang forums they spend a fortune "improving" the engine bay , that washer bottle is ugly ,I'll spend £70 on a cover for it , I said to one guy mine came from the factory with a cover , he got all riled up , especially when I said if I wanted access to it there's a lever in the cabin I can pull

 

Mine didn't come with that , I'll be calling them tomorrow

 

I'm fairly certain it did mate

[eddyramrod]

26 minutes ago, Minimad5 said:

Hey Eddy.

You alright for covering bills / food and drink ?

Don't be afraid to ask, seriously.

I really appreciate that, thank you!  It isn't quite that bad yet, I'm just venting more than anything really.  They say it does some good.  I suppose I do feel better for it.  Good thing we have this space to share stuff eh?

Thank you?

[Crackers]

Second year running I've failed to get into an apprenticeship.

Last year it was because I didn't get good enough grades (my fault, fair and square, should have worked harder), and now that I've spent £8000 of somebody else's money on retaking college, every single apprenticeship I've applied for this year has turned me down. 

Phone rang last Tuesday morning, from the last company I was yet to hear back from. Would have been my dream job and a great career. Apparently they really liked me. But they liked someone else more so I didn't get the job.

Been a week and I still haven't told the parents yet, I haven't got the balls.

I should have just fucking gone to university,

 

[somewhatfoolish]

If you want to go for apprenticeships then that is what you go for; university simply because you don't know what else to do is a pretty stupid idea given how much it costs.

[Supernaut]

I went to university because I didn't know what else to do.

Now I'm 32 and I'm an apprentice.

[eddyramrod]

On 6/16/2020 at 7:52 PM, puddlethumper said:

No more Classic Van and Pick-up. I am well pissed off. Really looked forward to it.

I had a terrible feeling it wouldn't last long after Ted died.  He had been editor so long it was practically his own magazine.  I had a lovely big feature in there about Tomato, the red Metro van I brought back from Cyprus.

[dozeydustman]

I have been trying to give away half a dozen small logs for over a week. They’re nice and straight so ideal for turning; just need seasoning. Loads of where are you/too far away, no responses and impatient dicks who send a message at 2am and expect their reply by 2:02am.

Also today is the only day this week madam isn’t working to give me chance to change the coolant on the Toyota. It’s pissing down and the garage Fills with water like a bastard when it’s like this. So I now need to find something to do inside that isn’t hoovering. Or laundry.

2 week old kettle has also gone pop.

Also the capitalisation is up the creek on the mobile version of this site. New line and neither my phone nor kindle auto capitalise. Move the cursor and they auto capitalise the next word. Gets on my Hampton.

[dozeydustman]

Oh, and the front garden has become a turf war battleground between 3 neighbourhood cats. There’s bit of fur, dig marks, cat shit and a strong smell of cat piss in the corner of the wall where the hedge was, because these three cats are continually marking it as their territory.

What do my wife’s cats do? Stay indoors sleeping and not protect their territory the useless twats.

Cats can all just fuck off. Dog owners have to take responsibility for their pet’s actions, so should cat owners.

And someone keeps throwing fag butts in the garden as well. I expected this at my previous house with Wayne & Waynetta over the way; not where I am now. (I have a suspicion I know who is doing it, it’s catching them I need to work on)

[Minimad5]

9 hours ago, Crackers said:

Second year running I've failed to get into an apprenticeship.

What industry are you looking to get into?

Have you got any qualifications / pretty decent results?

Draft up a C.V and get using them feet, a friend of mine was able to finish off his final years of an apprenticeship by doing this, after the company he worked for went belly up. 

His new manager liked the way he "Got out and showed how much he wanted it" ... by that he openly admitted getting off his ass and physically handing in a well scripted C.V, showed he didn't just want to sit on his ass and fire a few Emails.

Show them what you have, and how badly you want it too ... Good luck,