The grumpy thread

[D Spares & Tyres]

I don't know what it is, but so far in the last few months I've had 2 cars of which one was crashed into and one recently failed. On each occasion there has been people banging on about "ditching/ridding of" these cars, namely the Micra and BMW. Yet I see other threads where people have problems with their cars and there seems to be more enthusiasm for repairing them and keeping them going. What is this about exactly?

Yes, I know I am financially poor and I constantly bang on about having no money and so on because it frustrates me, but I do have some help. I know my situation far better.

Would people rather I walked/bus/trained it to work or something for a few years until I can "afford" to buy or repair one of my cars? Would people rather Ma_sterling go out and buy a HP'd New car? I mean seriously man, where is the enthusiasm? I'm not trying to turn all retro-rides here but some enthusiasm might be nice. Lighten up. Thanks.

I was one of the people who said 'ditch the BMW'

 

You are always moaning about having no money, wife needs cash etc.

 

People are just trying to help, it's far easier to 'help' from an outside perspective. You're alright Mo, you're a good egg but it's frustrating to see you pissing all your wages away on shite and shite storage whilst moaning about having no cash.

 

But I retract my 'ditch the BMW' comment. I should have learned this from my relationships. I should have just listened, nodded and said 'yes that's awful, I understand, etc' you know, just listen to your problems rather than try to fix them. THen we could have a cuddle.

[Wack]

Just watched the spaceX launch recording on YouTube , 2 pictures streaming , one the spacecraft the other the stage one coming in to land

 

Well until it started spinning where they cut the picture immediately so you couldn't watch it fail , I imagine Elon Musk in an office with a big lever on his desk CUT

 

We still had audio so you could hear the oooos and aaahhhs from the control room , it sounds like it did a controlled landing but in the sea

[Fumbler]

Just watched the spaceX launch recording on YouTube , 2 pictures streaming , one the spacecraft the other the stage one coming in to land

 

Well until it started spinning where they cut the picture immediately so you couldn't watch it fail , I imagine Elon Musk in an office with a big lever on his desk CUT

 

We still had audio so you could hear the oooos and aaahhhs from the control room , it sounds like it did a controlled landing but in the sea

According to the Scott Manley it did. And it did it in such a way all proprietry equipment was out on display for everyone!

[Lord Sterling]

I was one of the people who said 'ditch the BMW'

You are always moaning about having no money, wife needs cash etc.

People are just trying to help, it's far easier to 'help' from an outside perspective. You're alright Mo, you're a good egg but it's frustrating to see you pissing all your wages away on shite and shite storage whilst moaning about having no cash.

But I retract my 'ditch the BMW' comment. I should have learned this from my relationships. I should have just listened, nodded and said 'yes that's awful, I understand, etc' you know, just listen to your problems rather than try to fix them. THen we could have a cuddle.

You're probably right. You certainly right about my constant moaning and money troubles and I completely understand where you are coming from.

 

But you know yourself from the rear quarter of the 306 you repaired some time back, pretty much everyone was saying; scrap it/ditch it/get rid. I remember you got a bit frustrated with said comments yet you pursued your with your plan to weld it up and did an excellent job on that car.

 

I haven't decided on the fate of the BMW yet. I want to know exactly the problem and take it from there, I don't intend to spend a lot anyway, I haven't done thus far. It just doesn't help with all and sunder going on at me to 'get rid' then what? Buy another shiter from auction that may well blow up spectacularly? Even if I had no storage to speak of and no other cars, I wouldn't have much more money.

 

Everyone has thier own opinion and if there is one thing I've learned; not to always air my frustrations, it doesn't always help.

 

I think I'll ditch the money moaning, it doesn't get me anywhere, I'll also shelve anymore updates on the BMW for now. I think it might just be a bit easier all round.

[Noel Tidybeard]

how hard would it be to shove the Microbe back onto frontline duty? even if only temporarily

[Lord Sterling]

Micra need regigging. From the back, new bumpers ect... Also, it's my Mum's car, not mine so that's a no go.

[catsinthewelder]

Around 20 miles west of Inverness, Not ideal!

 

Think i might contact the seller and see if something can be worked out (or if there's something to scare me off sufficiently to think it's not worth the extra hassle).

 

Ms C spends half her time about 10 miles west of Inverness but typically has just got back to Shropshire till after Christmas.  She probably isn't much use for checking a car over though.

[somewhatfoolish]

Ms C spends half her time about 10 miles west of Inverness but typically has just got back to Shropshire till after Christmas.  She probably isn't much use for checking a car over though.

She can undoubtedly operate a camera/phone, so she could review* a car for shite purchasing purposes.

[Mrcento]

Ms C spends half her time about 10 miles west of Inverness but typically has just got back to Shropshire till after Christmas.  She probably isn't much use for checking a car over though.

 

It's not so much of an "Ebay tat" car, more of a "low cost high liability" car, to be honest i don't even trust myself and a hired specialist to look it over competently!

[Zelandeth]

Xantia is still in the damn garage.  Been a week now

 

Fairness to them, they have been trying to fit me in around other stuff and the delay has mainly been due to the fact that the ball joint *has* decided to be a pain to remove.  The fact they're having issues has made it clear that I made the right call.  Will be a case of hub off and in the vice to deal with it.

 

Just really wishing I had my car back!

 

Also seriously raging at the bloody mess in my garage.  It's a tip.  Only myself to blame, really do wish I didn't have so much trouble chucking stuff out.  I really do need to have a dig through the pile of lighting crap at the back and thin out some of that as I'm sure there's a lot of stuff there that doesn't need to be.

[vulgalour]

Why can I suspend my disbelief for aliens dressed as Nazis but not a late model 2CV in a WW2 setting?  It's the very worst thing that happened in Voyager.

[chaseracer]

Bloody Charleston too, IIRC...

[Wack]

Why can I suspend my disbelief for aliens dressed as Nazis but not a late model 2CV in a WW2 setting?  It's the very worst thing that happened in Voyager.

I watched a cop drama set in the 60s a few years ago , it wasn't 20 minutes in when I saw modern CCTV cameras outside the police station , 5 minutes later they had a meeting under a bridge and another one was right in the shot as big as the actors head , turned it off after that because it wasn't the 60s any more

 

I've watched fantasy films all the way through but they're not pretending to be something they're not

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Just watched the first episode of Mrs Wilson on I-player, at first I couldn't work out when it was supposed to be set as the cars were a it all over the place . But settled on 1960 after mention of 20 years since they met .

Then a main character turns up in a metallic silver Imp and a DS420 hearse is used!

Don't know if I can bring myself to watch any more .

[Ghosty]

It was all downhill from Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes. Mostly good (and they made a point of filming on period analogue equipment then digitising it), but with the odd inconsistency here and there.

Since then everything else has been a bit half arsed.

[Ghosty]

Nothing is as confusing as Lock Stock or Snatch for period though. It's not obvious when they're supposed to be set at all, the variety of cars and period aesthetics is so wide.

[timolloyd]

Just watched the first episode of Mrs Wilson on I-player, at first I couldn't work out when it was supposed to be set as the cars were a it all over the place . But settled on 1960 after mention of 20 years since they met .

Then a main character turns up in a metallic silver Imp and a DS420 hearse is used!

Don't know if I can bring myself to watch any more .

I spotted a 1980s taxi too

[Aston Martin]

Shaking and not in a good way. It's a rough morning at work today.

 

(Haven't walloped anybody, I'll update later)

[Guest Hooli]

People who think they know better than you, but don't, and argue the toss about it.

 

Well if you won't listen...

[Aston Martin]

You know that feeling when you're doing 56MPH on the M62 and three vans surround you flashing hazards and beeping their horns?

 

No, well I do.

 

 

Wheel bearing failed, ripping the wheel off destroying the axle in the process.

[Guest Hooli]

Oh, bugger. Have you found your wheel yet?

[DeeJay]

Lucky the road was empty.

[cort16]

I was out the door early this morning raring to get going in fixing the Z4. The battery is flat and a trickle charge for 5 hours didn't do it so I jump started it (fine) then I drive it out the drive. It doesn't feel right.

Ah bollocks one of the front tyres is flat. I go down to my garage to get my jack to take the wheel off. All the wheel nuts are done up to 100,000 nm of torque so after wrestling with that for a bit I find my jack is too tall to go under the car and I don;t have another jack to do jack acrobatics or a compressor . The z4 doesn't have a spare wheel so has no jack of it's own.

What a load of shite, I've just put it back on the drive until i figure something out. Good job I didn't take the day off. Oh wait.

I think I'll go and tinker with the allegro for a bit to make myself feel better.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

and it does look pretty out there

[Saabnut]

I was out the door early this morning raring to get going in fixing the Z4. The battery is flat and a trickle charge for 5 hours didn't do it so I jump started it (fine) then I drive it out the drive. It doesn't feel right.

Ah bollocks one of the front tyres is flat. I go down to my garage to get my jack to take the wheel off. All the wheel nuts are done up to 100,000 nm of torque so after wrestling with that for a bit I find my jack is too tall to go under the car and I don;t have another jack to do jack acrobatics or a compressor . The z4 doesn't have a spare wheel so has no jack of it's own.

What a load of shite, I've just put it back on the drive until i figure something out. Good job I didn't take the day off. Oh wait.

I think I'll go and tinker with the allegro for a bit to make myself feel better.

 

Drive the flat tyre on to a piece of wood (4" x 2" is ideal. This will lift the car sufficiently to get the jack under it. It is the method I use on the Cobra.

[BorniteIdentity]

I've found a car i want.

 

Of course, it's somewhere nigh on inaccessible.

 

 

I'd say what's your excuse, considering I'm going to the South Downs for my T5 on Monday 

 

With respect, Ghostrider - you dispatched Bram Van 3000 to scout out that Ovlov first before you took the plunge.  Plus it's in the south; the respectable half of England.  I'd not be mad keen on hiking across less inhabited parts of Scotland for a motorcar.  (Unless it was another mythical Sierra Base - natch)

 

We really could do with a proper map that's editable by users when they register, so we know who's where.

[oldcars]

Spent the day at work just trying to get through, streaming with cold.

 

Got home to the Mrs' lastest trials in vegan cooking - a pasta bake with fake cheese on.

 

Nobody eats it willingly but her, and she admits it's not pleasant. I try not to point out that feeding 2kg of it to the hens will not have improved our environmental impact.

 

Eldest also full of cold and has spent the day screaming. This resumes 10 minutes after going to bed. Mrs has had this all day and has lost patience, so I'm on the sofa with a snotty nosed two year old who finally went to sleep after some toast and Calpol twenty minutes ago.

 

I could have gone to sleep at 7pm, but I'm still up, still streaming, and will have both the kids from silly o clock because the labour party is an essential escape. Apparently.

 

I know this is trifling compared to the various events above and on previous pages, and I'm grateful for what I have, but I'd just like some sleep please.

Toast and Calpol? Reminds be of davenumbers and the toast and toothpaste. Did it work?

[GrumpiusMaximus]

You know that feeling when you're doing 56MPH on the M62 and three vans surround you flashing hazards and beeping their horns?

 

No, well I do.

 

 

Wheel bearing failed, ripping the wheel off destroying the axle in the process.

 

 

Well, if it's any consolation it happened at the best possible time with the least damage possible to life or limb.

 

My grump this morning.  Fucking pheasants.  Driving to work on a fast NSL hill, on a right turn.  Two right in the middle of the road.  Somehow I didn't hit them or cause any distress to anybody.  They're fucking stupid animals and only exist to outwit the inbred upper classes.

 

It's just a good thing the Golf has good brakes.  I've *touchwood* never killed any animal on the road in 12 years.

[loserone]

Toast and Calpol? Reminds be of davenumbers and the toast and toothpaste. Did it work?

I hadn't thought of Calpol on toast, I'll remember that for next time and get back to you.

[Aston Martin]

It happened at 6:25 and traffic was busy. Highways agency were fantastic, but they said any idea where the wheel is?

 

Nope, a van driver said he thinks it flew over guard rail and traffic didn't stop so it couldn't have bounced into the central reservation.

 

Trailer repairer strapped the axle up and as I'm about to set off. Highways closed the road and said theyd found it about half a mile back.

 

Had it just been the wheel due to loose nuts... Or if it had been offside.... Or in the middle of town. Then I'd be a different scenario entirely.