The grumpy thread

[oman5]

Buildings like this stand un-used on the Wirral and Liverpool - they become more and more decrepit until they become too dangerous and are boarded off. The council then hire shady arsonists to burn it down. Council then gives planning permission to developers (during Masonic meeting). 'Luxury apartments' fly up in two weeks.

pec

All the old buildings round here get set on fire and then flats get built on the grounds. It has to all be connected.

On a similar note it always seems peculiar that so many seaside piers seem to spontaneously combust. 

 

I actually quite like the looks of the DS3 as well. Wouldn't buy one but I do quite like them.

 

I'm in a might-buy-a-new-car situation although if its brand new it'll probably be a Dacia. Quite like the Sandero Stepway but the trouble is the petrol is a 900cc 3 pot turbo which might be great but the idea leaves me a little underwhelmed or a 1.5dci and I'm not sure the complexities of a modern diesel is something I really fancy either. If they fitted a nice 1.4 16V chucking out around 100bhp I reckon I'd be down there like a shot.  First world problems and all that...

Try one! The 900tce sandero goes like stink (for a 900cc 3 pot anyway) with a pretty amusing almost-a-porsche-flat-6 engine sound when you cane it. I was expecting it to be shit, but it really isn't. It seems somehow wrong that such a tiny engine produced so much power.

We have the diesel one.  we took out the extended warranty just in case as we are planning to keep it for its whole life-it will probably be the only new car we ever buy. to drive they are as good as any modern diesel, plenty of grunt, ludicrously economical if you take it steady and free road tax.

[tooSavvy]

^^^^ shirley this is a 'Clio 1.5 Diseasel' 

 

TS

[Parky]

Get Ryan's ex girlfriend round with the crayons............

Now there's an idea!

[Mr Lobster]

 

Try one! The 900tce sandero goes like stink (for a 900cc 3 pot anyway) with a pretty amusing almost-a-porsche-flat-6 engine sound when you cane it. I was expecting it to be shit, but it really isn't. It seems somehow wrong that such a tiny engine produced so much power.

We have the diesel one.  we took out the extended warranty just in case as we are planning to keep it for its whole life-it will probably be the only new car we ever buy. to drive they are as good as any modern diesel, plenty of grunt, ludicrously economical if you take it steady and free road tax.

 

I suppose I should just try one. Once I'm ready I'll probably go and drive a couple but as far as new cars go they do seem pretty good value. Had a sit in one and liked it so i'll probably have one at some point.  I'm also of the thought that I'd keep it for its whole life so the extended warranty sounds like a decent idea.

[Lacquer Peel]

Not ready to buy a Dacia til they fit some old tugboat diesel to one.

[DVee8]

I to may be in the market for new to me wheels.I have an eye on a Skoda octavia vrs in petrol turbo flavor,but not for a couple of months as mrsV8 has spent a lot of cash

[Bobthebeard]

Had a totally unprovoked and unnecessary bollocking this morning from a lycra clad pushbike chap.

Parked my car, looked in mirror and saw (distant) cyclist. Opened door, got out, closed door and walked away, as you do.... Cyclist draws level with my car, stops and starts to rant. 'You almost got me there with your door you wanker, better luck next time bastard'.... WTF? I was at that point stood on the pavement about 25 feet away from the car! He was at least 50 feet away when I got out!

As I do ride a bike I always check before opening my door. Was temporarily speechless.

[alf892]

Had a totally unprovoked and unnecessary bollocking this morning from a lycra clad pushbike chap.

Parked my car, looked in mirror and saw (distant) cyclist. Opened door, got out, closed door and walked away, as you do.... Cyclist draws level with my car, stops and starts to rant. 'You almost got me there with your door you wanker, better luck next time bastard'.... WTF? I was at that point stood on the pavement about 25 feet away from the car! He was at least 50 feet away when I got out!

As I do ride a bike I always check before opening my door. Was temporarily speechless.

Follow his advice........go back.......get the twat next time!

[cms206]

I don't often have an issue with Volvos but they're all trying my fucking patience. Just had a Gumtree fella come from Airdrie with readies and the cunting gastasticspastic 940 wouldn't fucking start. I took it to work today deliberately to make sure it was A-OK and the fucker lets me down like this.

That and some twat in the residents car park behind my house is moaning that I'm not a resident and not entitled to use it because I have a driveway and he's threatening to report the Montego - taxed and insured - as an abandoned car.

 

Fuck it. The Montego's going as well. Any interest here before it heads bayward?

[oman5]

^^^^ shirley this is a 'Clio 1.5 Diseasel' 

 

TS

I believe so. the underpinnings of the body are based on the last model clio/arse car, whilst it has the same engine (dci and tce) as the current one. 

 

and don't call me shirley.

[oman5]

I don't often have an issue with Volvos but they're all trying my fucking patience. Just had a Gumtree fella come from Airdrie with readies and the cunting gastasticspastic 940 wouldn't fucking start. I took it to work today deliberately to make sure it was A-OK and the fucker lets me down like this.

 

That and some twat in the residents car park behind my house is moaning that I'm not a resident and not entitled to use it because I have a driveway and he's threatening to report the Montego - taxed and insured - as an abandoned car.

 

Fuck it. The Montego's going as well. Any interest here before it heads bayward

something to do with the gas system maybe? shouldn't be that had to get sorted

[cms206]

something to do with the gas system maybe? shouldn't be that had to get sorted

Nah, it was stone dead. Jumped it off the brother in law's car and it fired on half a turn but the fella had lost interest. The sodding engine was still warm from when I'd driven it home from work at 5. Aaaaaaaaaargh! Just really irritated. I'll get over it. First world problems and whatnot!

[hairnet]

Follow his advice........go back.......get the twat next time!

id have chinned him there and then - how about that - got ya now

[Station]

I like the look of those new Citroens, but wouldn't like to live with a new one!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Had a totally unprovoked and unnecessary bollocking this morning from a lycra clad pushbike chap.

Parked my car, looked in mirror and saw (distant) cyclist. Opened door, got out, closed door and walked away, as you do.... Cyclist draws level with my car, stops and starts to rant. 'You almost got me there with your door you wanker, better luck next time bastard'.... WTF? I was at that point stood on the pavement about 25 feet away from the car! He was at least 50 feet away when I got out!

As I do ride a bike I always check before opening my door. Was temporarily speechless.

 

If that happens again just remember to proffer a friendly wave and a cheerful 'YEAH THANKS FOR THAT, HOPE YOU DIE SOON" 

[MrDuke]

Just as there are many drivers (mostly urban) who take pleasure in terrorising cyclists, there are also many cyclists who see it as their 'duty' to be aggressive towards any and all drivers, with or without provocation. As someone who is passionate about both driving and cycling, I'd be totally OK with decking members of both the above groups.

[Negative Creep]

Idiots in all forms of transport but certainly seems like cyclists are all the more visible. Saw one te other day shouting at an overtaker (who was close, but not that close) thenn go straight up onto the pavement and down a one way street.

 

My grump is 2 years of successfully navigating the ultra tight work car park ended this morning when I reversed into a metal post. Only left a tiny scuff though

[Wilko220]

I've never been abused by a cyclist while driving but I have on a couple of occasions received similar "unprovoked bollockings" from Lycra-warriors as a pedestrian. A generalisation of course, but in London at least they seem to be an incredibly angry and self-righteous breed.

[dugong]

I don't often have an issue with Volvos but they're all trying my fucking patience. 

 

Tell me about it. 

 

Amazon came to a shuddering halt this evening about a quarter of a mile from home, puking fuel out of the float bowl and all over the manifold. 

 

It's turning into a sulky mard of a thing. Nothing is straightforward with it. Nothing. 

 

In all probability it's the fuel pump, but I simply cannot spend another £30 on the bloody thing. I am out of money. 

 

I actually mentioned the controversial 's' word in its presence tonight. Right now all my patience has gone with it. It fights me every step of the way. It's hard to love a car that you're a four figure sum down on and the ungrateful piece of shit won't even run properly. 

 

I ask you this. How in God's name is it possibly for a car to run worse when the engine and the carb have been rebuilt? How? How is that even possible?

 

If anyone's got any suggestions on how I get it to run properly, speak up now.

I'm tired of the rows at home and the bills this thing is generating. I have other things to sort out. 

 

I'm not even enjoying it any more. I waited a year for it to come back, put up with all the nonsense from the restoration place, finished off half of it between family and friends and I can't even go out and drive it. 

 

If I can't sort it within the next few days it's getting dragged on to a low loader and dumped back in my gran's garage in Wales until I muster up the will to look at it again. 

 

I feel a Watanabe-spec rant coming on. Talk me out of it. 

[Inspector Morose]

Cars are like cats. They just plain don't care about the love, money and attention you might invest in them. If they feel sick, they stop working but when they feel good they will reward you in their own specific way. What you've got to do is stick with it through the shitty times like now. The good times will come. They will, I'm sure of it. If I was closer I'd be up there to give you a hand but, well, you know how it is.

[seth]

Amazon came to a shuddering halt this evening about a quarter of a mile from home, puking fuel out of the float bowl and all over the manifold. 

 

Its got an SU hasn't it?  If fuel is coming out at the top of the float chamber (probably near where the fuel inlet pipe attaches then it is more than likely that the needle valve has stuck open.  This is the valve that the float should close when the fuel level reaches the right height. If the valve sticks open and the float doesn't shut it then fuel keeps getting pumped in to the chamber until it is overful and it comes out the breather hole at the top. The engine will be running very rich at this point because of the high fuel level which is probably why it shuddered to a halt.

 

Take the top off the float chamber and blow the valve through from both directions and you'd hopefully get it unstuck enough to get you home. You might need a new needle valve and there are a couple of alternatives. Burlen would be the best place to get one (and advice)

[dugong]

Its got an SU hasn't it?  If fuel is coming out at the top of the float chamber (probably near where the fuel inlet pipe attaches then it is more than likely that the needle valve has stuck open.  This is the valve that the float should close when the fuel level reaches the right height. If the valve sticks open and the float doesn't shut it then fuel keeps getting pumped in to the chamber until it is overful and it comes out the breather hole at the top. The engine will be running very rich at this point because of the high fuel level which is probably why it shuddered to a halt.

 

Take the top off the float chamber and blow the valve through from both directions and you'd hopefully get it unstuck enough to get you home. You might need a new needle valve and there are a couple of alternatives. Burlen would be the best place to get one (and advice)

 

Sounds like the right symptoms Seth, but my car runs a Zenith. 

[seth]

Zenith Stromberg like an SU shape thing?

[phil_lihp]

Cars are like cats. They just plain don't care about the love, money and attention you might invest in them.

Not 5 minutes after you wrote this my landlady's cat came through the cat flap, wolfed down a huge pile of food from his bowl, sauntered into the living room and noisily threw it up on the coffee table. Whilst I was cleaning it up he took my seat on the sofa. So this comparison is spot on.

 

I'd say put it to one side for a few weeks until you're in a better position to finish it off. Perhaps you just need a holiday from it.

[purplebargeken]

If all else fails, douse it in petrol, strike a match and walk away, just walk away*

 

or just let it continue to bleed petrol onto the hot fanimold and walk away, get straight onto the insurance company to say my car just exploded, give me money you bastards.

 

Or you could just leave it until you have calmed down and sort the problem out in your own sweet time. 

[seth]

Never mind Dugong. Just noticed your other thread. 

[dugong]

Zenith Stromberg like an SU shape thing?

 

No, a Zenith 36 VN.

[dugong]

[DeeJay]

Check gasket is good and bolts are tight. Is fuel pipe on properly?  

Dave.

[drum]

The carb has just been rebuilt.

The carb us pissing out fuel.

 

These occurrences could be connected.

 

My fleet of shite is causing me some grief too, as follows -

The roadworthy* 109" hasn't started for months due to air in the fuel system which has resisted my half arsed attempts to fix.

The roadworthy* 88" is haemorrhaging EP90 from both rear hubs only 1000 miles after I fitted new (britpart) hub seals.

The disco has sprung a leak of heavy flow proportions of steering fluid from a very inaccessible steering pump and it's dashboard is lit up like a Christmas tree.

The wife's alfa generates shitty problems with such regularity it must be consuming All Bran by the bucket load.

I've got three project land rovers rotting away, untouched for months.

 

Thankfully the £200 maestro is running sweet although I do have to sponge a gallon of water out of the boot and driver's footwell most mornings. Once they stop salting the roads, I'll get the allegro dusted down.