The grumpy thread

[mrbenn]

Bloody hell, Ghosty. Between what happened to you and the video you posted up recently of your mate being robbed I think I'm going to stay inside and keep the doors locked.

 

Glad you're here to recount the tale and the Civic is still in your possession.

[purplebargeken]

Bub, that was only down the road, you should have given me a call mate.

[Saabnut]

It is raining.

 

For the 10th consecutive bloody day.

 

That is all.

[purplebargeken]

sat at home, wearing a fleece, wrapped in a furry blanket, central heating is on and I am still fucking freezing. 

 

I do however, have 3 warm cats nearby and some gaffer tape. Hmm. Here kitty, kitty.....

[John F]

purplebargeken, on 27 Nov 2018 - 11:15 AM, said:

sat at home, wearing a fleece, wrapped in a furry blanket, central heating is on and I am still fucking freezing. 

 

I do however, have 3 warm cats nearby and some gaffer tape. Hmm. Here kitty, kitty.....

 

I hope you're not going to do what I think you're going to do...!

[Guest Hooli]

For the first time in living memory, I bought food for that big holiday that's coming up, early so the fridge and freezer are full.

 

Yesterday, said F/F decided to start 'gurgling' incoherently and the inside of FF was no longer the chilly place it should be. Phoned up a few repair places, apparently, 'gurgling' is BAD news! So I have just had to buy a new fridge freezer at vastly inflated effin price 'cos seller could/would deliver it today and no other bugger can get one here before next week by which time everything will be ruined. Some stuff may already be fooked so the dogs are praying for a merry pre-Christmas nosh up!

 

I, on the other hand, am fookin skint like big time skint and the last thing I needed at this time was a new fridge freezer.

 

AO.com, cheap(ish) and next day delivery.

[Guest Hooli]

Leave mates house.

Drop other mate off 500yd down the road.

End of road, turn right, look, clear.

Some fucker on a moped blitzes out of nowhere and I have to slam on the brakes. Guy stops, gestures 'what'. I do too and drive off.

 

He's following me.

 

OH FUCK RUN.

 

tl;dr the Civic can hustle, and apparently I can do handbrake turns. Thank fuck I knew the streets cause I just bombed around, when it was clear I wouldn't shake him I just elected to stay in the car. Stopped eventually for a red light and the fucker tried to pull me out of the car. Drop thr hammer, speed like fuck back to mates house, lean on horn. Opens door, I mouth 'help' and he comes out with a baseball bat, eventually the guy leaves.

 

What fun.

 

You have all the fun!

[Wack]

One of you is stuck in a dreadful dull shit hole just east of Greenwich Meridian.

 

The other is on here with probably too many cars.  

 

I know who I think the winner is.

Agreed , I have no idea why anybody would go there on holiday , unless watching rich people drive expensive cars is your thing

[drum]

The following grump may be considered offensive to Hyundais.

My daily is a 56 plate Santa Fe. This summer I spent money on it - new discs on the back, two new wheel bearings on the front, four new tyres, full service etc. I bought a new wheel bearing for the rear but couldn't fit it as I didn't have the correct spline bit and couldn't be arsed as I had the wife's golf and daughter's polo to fix.

Its mot is up so I booked it in to a local garage, telling them to replace the bearing and fix a couple of brake pipes that were badly corroded. The two inches before entering the flexi that, for some reason, doesn't have the protective coating the rest of the pipe has.

I was dropping it off in the morning, but on the way there the battery light came on. Marvellous.

I asked the garage to investigate while it was there.

Sure enough, the alternator was goosed. While fitting a new one, they noticed coolant leaking from the water pump. Super.

Mechanic recommends new water pump and timing belt. 5 hour job apparently.

It also needs new front discs and pads, a ball joint, a TRE and a drop link for the mot. Fabulous.

If I hadn't already spent money and now had the alternator replaced, I may have bodged it through an mot and auctioned it off at Morris Leslie's. As it it, I've told the garage to fix it.

Being miserable, I'll now need to keep it for a couple of years to try and get my money's worth out of it. Bum.

The bill was huge.

I've had a count up and I've spent £2k on this thing this year. At 11 years old and 126k miles, it needs to be trouble free for the rest of it's life, or I fail my bangernomics exam catastrophically.

 

Today on the way to work it shat its turbo.

[320touring]

Offft. Bastard

[D Spares & Tyres]

To be fair it was trouble free for the rest of its life.

 

It's just that the the rest of its life wasn't very long

[drum]

2nd hand turbos on eBay for £200. Would that be a straight forward swap job?

 

And will it ingest itself one the way home in a runaway diesel engine fashion?

[chadders]

Found out earlier today that a lass I used to work with 7 years ago, who did exactly the same job as me and is only a year or so older than me, has just been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of our Dubai operation.  Complete with relocation to Dubai and commensurate salary increase.  Meanwhile I'm still just a lowly drone in the Norwich office,  Makes me wonder where the f*ck I've gone wrong - not that I'd actually want to move to Dubai, it holds no appeal for me whatsoever, but it's the principle...

 

There's nothing wrong in being a 'lowly drone', especially in a nice part of the world.

 

Sometimes promotions are not promotions - they're a way of getting rid of people without sacking them. Or it could be no one wanted to work in Dubai so she was the least worse choice of those willing to live a red hot sandpit.

[Jazoli]

Bought a replacement alloy off eBay for one on the avensis that has pothole damage

Received this piece of shit, did they honestly think I'd fit that to my car? fucking muppets, return postage is going to be expensive for them as I used the label provided by eBay and it must weigh 10 kilos

 

[panhard65]

I just had something similar an supposed motor trader sold me a brand new Toyosports cat and front pipe for my lads Bini. Did he really think I wouldn't notice that there were no internals in the cat. Ebay didn't supply a returns label though so thats a tenner out of pocket.

[purplebargeken]

^^ Wankers

[The Moog]

Redundancies at work again. The third time in 4 years, org needs to save £3m due to lack of recruiting students.

 

So 3 months of uncertainty, followed by less people in the organisation to do the same amount of work. Need to do the sums to see if I want to stay or not. 

[chaseracer]

I like to think my mediocre career is because I don't care enough and because I'm a bit lazy and have just failed to reach my potential. Rather than that those people at the top are generally nasty manipulating cheating bastards who have freiends and family in the right place and have back stabbed and slept their way to the top.

 

This, and... 

 

I looked further up the greasy pole and decided it was not a place I wanted to be.  There are more important things in life.

[ruffgeezer]

My electric power saw has just gone bang big time. Cutting a piece of 4x2 and it jammed, jumped about an inch in the air and spat its guts out. The gear that connects the motor to the blade has disintegrated and punched itself out the housing. I was cutting across a knot but that shouldn’t have killed it, can only think there is a hidden nail or something in there. I was going to sell it after this job as well but will end up buying a new one now to finish it.

I was cutting some wood to take to the tip, I mist have hit a knot or a nail as when I turned the saw off, I'd broken one of the windows on the garage door.

[Pillock]

Need to sell a laptop to Cex.

 

Spent all morning resetting it. Let it get to 90% and then just put it on the back seat of the car so it can finish on the way (used to do this loads when I was a field trainer, up to 8 laptops formatting whilst I bomb down the motorway)

 

Got to town. Realised it's restarted and now doing something else, involving shite like Windows Essentials and PowerDVD. It's on 9 out of 61 different packages. Sigh. Sit in car watching it rain for 40 minutes whilst it finishes.

 

Battery goes flat just as it's on 61/61. Realise the power supply is sat at home. Gaaaah. Drive home. Try again tomorrow.

 

 

In other Cex news, the keyboard I bought that was faulty and got taken back, is back in the window for sale. What? I'm tempted to just keep buying it and returning it, as that's the same trick they pulled with some faulty memory they sold me.

[oldcars]

The bill was huge.

I've had a count up and I've spent £2k on this thing this year. At 11 years old and 126k miles, it needs to be trouble free for the rest of it's life, or I fail my bangernomics exam catastrophically.

 

Today on the way to work it shat its turbo.

Nightmare. I had a 54 plate one. Great for years then at 98000 it shat itself completely. Still i had 60k out of it for not much money.

[drum]

Managed to nurse the High 'n' dry home without it completely lunching itself, although the uphills were 2nd gear 20 mph.

 

I'll investigate turbo removal and replacement while pressing the ex Carlo/loserone Volvo into daily service. Really glad I have it now otherwise I'd be dailying the Olds through the winter.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The bill was huge.

I've had a count up and I've spent £2k on this thing this year. At 11 years old and 126k miles, it needs to be trouble free for the rest of it's life, or I fail my bangernomics exam catastrophically.

 

Today on the way to work it shat its turbo.

 

 

'Twas ever thus.

 

A 56 plate car is verging on being scrap. 12 or 13 years old, rusty brake pipes, rusty underneath, everything just about to fail and just one big bill away from being bridge fodder. 

 

Cars are our servants not the other way around. Fuck 'em off when a big is approaching.

[twosmoke300]

The man he speaks the truth !

[mercrocker]

'Twas ever thus.

 

A 56 plate car is verging on being scrap. 12 or 13 years old, rusty brake pipes, rusty underneath, everything just about to fail and just one big bill away from being bridge fodder. 

 

Cars are our servants not the other way around. Fuck 'em off when a big is approaching.

 

Yes and no. 

 

190E is in for a misfire.  I suspected dizzy cap but was reminded it had one 2 years ago.  Yeah, OK but it will be that.  It was.  

 

Just does it, every two years.  Regardless of whether its Indian Merc OE, Brazilian Merc OE, Bosch or a GSF wrong'un.   They just give up after 2 years. 

 

Not a biggie but I asked them to have a gander underneath as the MOT is due after Shhhmas.... 

Broken rear coil spring, fucked ARB bushes, marginal rear exhaust box, cracked headlight (ain't holed, its staying...) ya da ya da. 

 

The only change I will get out of a grand is getting me some chips on the way home.  

 

Car is worth about that plus a ham sandwich.    Should fuck it off, right?    Mebbes... 

 

 

Only have two other options - buy another 190E (its Mrs Rocker's favourite car of a 50 year driving career of admittedly shite stuff)  I like it too.

OK - then we spend at least a grand buying it and sure as eggs are fried it will need coil springs, dizzy cap, ARB bushes and more than likely the top end rebuild that mine had last summer.  

 

Buy another car.  One that is as simple as the Merc, rides nicely, parks nicely for Mrs R.  makes me not throw up when I look at it and cry when I realise its mine.... 

 

You see where I am going?   I had feeble thoughts about a C Class, a Jeep Cherokee, a Toyota Avensis, a Saaaaab.   None of these seem worth buying for less than 2K and I am already over the budget for the Merc repairs.    

 

Downside is, I had about a grand earmarked to upgrade my Winter Fezzer to something lusher.   Guess I better get that fucking cambelt done now, then....

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Yes and no. 

 

190E is in for a misfire.  I suspected dizzy cap but was reminded it had one 2 years ago.  Yeah, OK but it will be that.  It was.  

 

Just does it, every two years.  Regardless of whether its Indian Merc OE, Brazilian Merc OE, Bosch or a GSF wrong'un.   They just give up after 2 years. 

 

 

 

 

Then it has an underlying fault. Distributor caps last years and somewhere you will find a Merc from 1990 with the original cap. I replaced the Bosch cap (Motronic) on my 730i ten years and about 80'000 miles ago, still good.

 

Tbh, the 125 quid a month brand new Dacia Duster is looking like an increasingly good idea.

[BorniteIdentity]

Yes and no.

 

190E is in for a misfire. I suspected dizzy cap but was reminded it had one 2 years ago. Yeah, OK but it will be that. It was.

 

Just does it, every two years. Regardless of whether its Indian Merc OE, Brazilian Merc OE, Bosch or a GSF wrong'un. They just give up after 2 years.

 

Not a biggie but I asked them to have a gander underneath as the MOT is due after Shhhmas....

Broken rear coil spring, fucked ARB bushes, marginal rear exhaust box, cracked headlight (ain't holed, its staying...) ya da ya da.

 

The only change I will get out of a grand is getting me some chips on the way home.

 

Car is worth about that plus a ham sandwich. Should fuck it off, right? Mebbes...

 

 

Only have two other options - buy another 190E (its Mrs Rocker's favourite car of a 50 year driving career of admittedly shite stuff) I like it too.

OK - then we spend at least a grand buying it and sure as eggs are fried it will need coil springs, dizzy cap, ARB bushes and more than likely the top end rebuild that mine had last summer.

 

Buy another car. One that is as simple as the Merc, rides nicely, parks nicely for Mrs R. makes me not throw up when I look at it and cry when I realise its mine....

 

You see where I am going? I had feeble thoughts about a C Class, a Jeep Cherokee, a Toyota Avensis, a Saaaaab. None of these seem worth buying for less than 2K and I am already over the budget for the Merc repairs.

 

Downside is, I had about a grand earmarked to upgrade my Winter Fezzer to something lusher. Guess I better get that fucking cambelt done now, then....

Ultimately, cars cost a fixed price (by and large) each year. Once you accept that fact, you then have a choice of renting a car at £150 pcm (£1,800 a year) - buying a car in another price bracket (depreciation equalling about £1500 a year) or gambling in the bangernomics market. Here you might not lose actual cash, but you will almost certainly lose time shopping once or twice a year and lose chosing exactly what car you’re piloting.

 

Spunk a grand on your 190e and I’d be amazed if we’re having the same conversation this time next year. A decent one is very hard to find for less than a thousand pounds so, if that is the marque and model the good lady desires, I’d stick not twist. I personally value knowing where I am with a car with regards to maintenance etc blah.

 

One other thing. Beru ignition parts. People always go for Bosch - but you will likely have less drama with Beru.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Old cars are like old people.

 

They leak and they smell, with decreasing reliability.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The basic one is £79 a month. Seventy nine pounds a fucking month for a new warranted car made in a modern factory.

 

This looks okay for £109. You could probably wangle it down to a grand deposit and another 30 quid a month...?

 

Even so:  Drive it, clean it, get it serviced. 

 

 

 

 

 

[drum]

'Twas ever thus.

 

A 56 plate car is verging on being scrap. 12 or 13 years old, rusty brake pipes, rusty underneath, everything just about to fail and just one big bill away from being bridge fodder. 

 

Cars are our servants not the other way around. Fuck 'em off when a big is approaching.

If I'd known what was coming I would have sent it to the mercies of the auction house.

 

The bills sneaked up on me. First wheel bearings, then brake discs, four tyres, then the mot and while driving there the alternator died, and while fixing that they noticed the water pump leaking......now the turbo and I haven't Iain the last bill yet.

 

Bangernomics works best if you have the time and skills to fix things yourself. I have a go at most things but took the easy option this time.

 

It has:

New timing belt and water pump

Recent clutch and DMF

New wheel bearings

New discs and pads all round

New brake pipes

New alternator

New tyres

 

eBay have turbos for £200. What else will it cost apart from time and skinned knuckles? Genuine question, I've never changed a turbo before.