The grumpy thread

[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.

[Lord Sterling]

Wow, despite having access to British Television Channels, I still didn't realise Tony Benn had passed on. Sad to hear of his passing.

 

He was probably the only politician I ever agreed with and who saw thing as they actually were, not how they 'should' be seen.

[Mr Livered]

Yes, he was unbelievable. I asked to see him once (late 90s, when he was still an MP), so he invited me to his room in the House of Commons and sat there puffing his pipe telling me about all sorts of stuff. He was a legend, I was a nobody but he treated me completely as an equal.

 

I expected to be given about ten minutes of his time but I was still there two hours later; I shall never forget that afternoon.

 

If everyone thought like he did, and was as thoughtful and generous as he was, we would be living in a completely free and egalitarian society that never experienced war or corruption.

[Wilko220]

^ We'd probably be living in the Soviet Union. But I'm sure his heart was in the right place.

[philibusmo]

I worked on the Lancia today, about 30 seconds of which I was using the grinder with safety goggles on.

 

I've just been down to a&e with a scratchy eye with a black spec just visible on the iris. Now I have to go to a bigger hospital to see the eye doctor to remove the shard of rusty Lancia embedded in my left eye.

[chaseracer]

^ We'd probably be living in the Soviet Union. But I'm sure his heart was in the right place.

 

 

[KruJoe]

 

 

Anyone had this happen before?

 

Yes, a N/A Impreza did that to me. Also a leaf spring on a Panda 4x4.

My RAV came with a broken front spring (which was grinding against the inner wing), and this week's latest, the Justy, has the top coil broken from both springs on the back, but symptoms aren't as drastic. 

 

[hairnet]

insurance - coonts

 

gone up 100 quid from last year

 

solution - put value of car down 400 quid and the ins goes down 120

 

woot

[Tetleysmooth]

Why do car seller's think something found in a barn, where it has sat quietly seizing up and disappearing under a mound of whatever shit, IS SO EFFING DESIREABLE?

[Tetleysmooth]

insurance - coonts

 

gone up 100 quid from last year

 

solution - put value of car down 400 quid and the ins goes down 120

 

woot

That always beats me.

 

The less of a risk you are, the more you have to fork out.

 

The whole idea is on its head.

 

We're starting to pay for storm and flood damage now.

 

Predictable.

[phil_lihp]

I worked on the Lancia today, about 30 seconds of which I was using the grinder with safety goggles on.

 

I've just been down to a&e with a scratchy eye with a black spec just visible on the iris. Now I have to go to a bigger hospital to see the eye doctor to remove the shard of rusty Lancia embedded in my left eye.

Ouch, that's not good, hope it's not too serious.

[Richard]

In my experience (based on a sample of one) A&E are hopeless at picking stuff out of eyes but the eye specialists are good. You might find it hard to sit there and let them do it though- that wasn't a problem for me because I'd been going to the eye clinic every few months for 20 years anyway.

[Wilko220]

Yes, a N/A Impreza did that to me. Also a leaf spring on a Panda 4x4.

My RAV came with a broken front spring (which was grinding against the inner wing), and this week's latest, the Justy, has the top coil broken from both springs on the back, but symptoms aren't as drastic. 

 

 

 

Blimey. Maybe we both take speed humps too quickly!

 

/

 

Sorry to hear about your eye, Philibusmo - hope they can sort it without too much pain. At least it's a fragment of a stylish and classy vehicle in there and not something rubbish anyway...

[EssDeeWon]

Stupid bitch in one of those Bini's reversed into my E46 outside the Fish and Chip shop last night, I mean FFS do people not look before reversing? whats more frustrating is the silly bat didn't even need to reverse as there was no one in front of her.

 

Of course her Bini was a pile of dirty never washed shite so she was very blasé about it all 'Oh its only a little knock it looks fine' to which I replied ' I don't think so come back here while I inspect my car' the number plate survived the knock but she left a large chip off the corner of the number plate holder which will touch up with a tab of touch up paint so got a tenner off her. Found the correct stuff paint code 317 for about a fiver. Even so its still been knocked and I wish these people would use there effin mirrors!!!  

[Wilko220]

I mean FFS do people not look before reversing? 

 

 

 

Why on earth would anyone bother to actually look when their hideous bloated "retro" car is fitted with parking sensors? Aren't they supposed to render eyes redundant?

[philibusmo]

I'm back, my eye is still functional which is a bonus although painful and I can't stop crying from just the one eye.

 

The main fragment they managed to get out with some fancy glue stuff and a cotton bud but it had apparently 'rusted quite a lot considering it has only been there over night' and they had t use a tiny little grinder for a fair while to get rid of all the oxidization. It shouldn't affect my sight and should be healed fully by Tuesday which is good but it has put a stop to more welding happening today which is a shame because it's a lovely day for it.

[mattblack]

 'rusted quite a lot considering it has only been there over night' 

 

Oh, the eye-rony.

[trigger]

I hope your eyes ok mate, a friend of mine last summer was looking up a tree when a conker in it's shell fell out and landed in his eye. He ended up having 4 needle pins removed from his eyeball at Moorfields eye hospital in London.

[EssDeeWon]

Why on earth would anyone bother to actually look when their hideous bloated "retro" car is fitted with parking sensors? Aren't they supposed to render eyes redundant?

 It was an early 51 reg Bini so not sure it has parking sensors? My 2002 BMW does have them but this thing obviously didn't.

[dollywobbler]

I'm back, my eye is still functional which is a bonus although painful and I can't stop crying from just the one eye.

 

The main fragment they managed to get out with some fancy glue stuff and a cotton bud but it had apparently 'rusted quite a lot considering it has only been there over night' and they had t use a tiny little grinder for a fair while to get rid of all the oxidization. It shouldn't affect my sight and should be healed fully by Tuesday which is good but it has put a stop to more welding happening today which is a shame because it's a lovely day for it.

 

I stupidly did a bit of grinding on the BX's exhaust yesterday without wearing eye protection (other than my normal glasses). Felt a spark hit my face scarily close to my eye. Your experience is a firm reminder of  my stupidity.

 

Incidentally, if you change the spelling to stupidit-eye, you sound like a yam yam.

[cort16]

I always use goggles but don't always do them up tight enough but stuff like this reminds me I should always make sure.

[alf892]

Going to hossie with bits of metal in your eye is horrid..

 

First time I went I had just 'touched' a lump of shit out of a caliper. Felt it go in but it got worse thru the evening. Trip to casualty where I sheepishly admitted to wearing no goggles. Doc then fished the offending bit out with a hypo needle.......

 

Next time I had been wearing goggles but it happened any way. Casualty again but they couldn't see it. Next day a trip to the eye clinic where they clamp your head in some medievil looking device and out with the hypo needle again and they scratch it off. Nasty........the reason they clamp your head is so you don't cause more damage as you instinctively flinch when the nedle gets close.

 

 

Just thinking of this makes me reach for a very well fitting pair of goggles

[HillmanImp]

I worked on the Lancia today, about 30 seconds of which I was using the grinder with safety goggles on.

 

I've just been down to a&e with a scratchy eye with a black spec just visible on the iris. Now I have to go to a bigger hospital to see the eye doctor to remove the shard of rusty Lancia embedded in my left eye.

 

Hey, hope its sorted. My mate has done this several times hence why I wear an S10 military gas mask.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-RUBBER-S10-gas-mask-Gummi-Rubber-/291103027198

 

I know I have said this before, but it really is something I could not do without when using my grinder.

[Wilko220]

Ok - but that's enough about your sex life, HillmanImp...

 

[Mr Lobster]

Ouch, hope the eye is ok.

 

My grump for today -

 

A beautiful sunny morning and I'm driving along the M62 near Leeds through the camera'd bit at about 70. Approaching from behind is the familiar sound of a boxer engined Subaru with a big exhaust. It's a tatty looking Legacy estate in green. It passes us and then a couple of cars in front before the drivers window opens and the grunting mong within ejects an empty plastic water bottle onto the carriageway. Seriously, do these people not have any brains or thought for anyone other than themselves.

 

Hopefully he stopped at the next junction whereupon one of the oversized dogs in the back proceeded to rape the driver to death.

[Mr Lobster]

Also, the east side of the Pennines had a beautiful, sunny not a cloud in the sky day. Back over on this side it's friggin miserable, cloudy, damp and cold.

[Pillock]

Had my Focus serviced by a main dealer. Didn't realise it was a major service so paid quite a lot, but it has got full main dealer history and it's not something I could do myself since it knackers the warranty unless it's a VAT-registered garage. And they wash it.

 

This morning, find a massive pool of coolant under the front. Well, it tastes bitter - coolant? Not happy. Pay through the nose and seemingly some chimp can't be arsed to do the bottom hose back up properly.