The grumpy thread

[meggersdog]

 Somehow I lost my house keys...Bugger. Always, always put house keys in the centre console of any car I'm driving at the time.Spent ages looking for them in the end called an emergency locksmith.Be there before 8pm so I've lifted the carpets turned the car inside out nothing.Locksmoth arrives but couldn't pick the lock as it's too rusty.I rarely use the front door but knew there was a spare key in the house.The back door opens into a passageway then the kitchen door. So to gain entry would mean first a mortice  then a yale which is why I chose the front door. He had to destroy the old lock and fit a new one.As soon as I got in I found the spare front door key the yale key for the kitchen took a bit longer but I cannot find a spare key for the back door. Strange as the back door was replaced almost ten years ago so there would be atleast one spare.Maybe the spare was on the key-ring with all the others.

[richardmorris]

  On 18/08/2019 at 18:07, Split_Pin said:

Car show know-alls. I was parked next to a 172 Phase 1 in the same colour as mine which is a Phase 2. Quite a rare occurence indeed. 

However the pal of the owner, whoever the fuck he was, proceeded to pick holes in mine.  He ripped his knitting over the fact that the nylon on my front damper top mount bolt was just clearing the thread. Been like that for years, risk-based approach says its fine. He then indicated that I might want to clean my inlet manifold and so it went on. 

In the end I told him that unless it stops the car Going Like Fuck then I'm not really likely to carry out these suggestions. 

I'd only opened the bonnet to clean things up a touch and check the levels because I was a bit bored!

Why can't people understand the difference between giving advice when it's asked for and keeping out of things that dont concern them!?

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Such is the way car club bores. Knowing ALL the history of my fiat is quite fun in this respect. Staying quiet is difficult though,

2cv meetings aren’t quite like this though, unless someone is selling a car as “new” and restored for many thousands,  in which case everyone will descend to pick over the carcass.

[chaseracer]

  On 18/08/2019 at 20:53, richardmorris said:

2cv meetings aren’t quite like this though, unless someone is selling a car as “new” and restored for many thousands,  in which case everyone will descend to pick over the carcass.

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Depends how far north the 'restoration' was done... ?

[Slowsilver]

  On 18/08/2019 at 20:43, richardmorris said:

So a modern car still has drum brakes? 

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Modern to me is 20 years old.
1999 Zafira A, owned by me for the last seventeen years. First registered ln June 1999, only two months after the model's introduction in April 1999, so probably the oldest surviving Zafira still on the road and in daily use.
Discs on the front but still drums on the back.
Needless to say I strongly disagree with the "All Vauxhalls are sh*te" mantra perpetuated on here.
And the A models don't catch fire!
 

[Wack]

Fuck me I'm getting old , I just watched Mars Attacks on netflix , utterly gobsmacked when I looked at the credits 

It's 23 years old , I thought it was a typo but no , I was 35 years old the last time I watched it , where has that time gone 

[Tamworthbay]

  On 18/08/2019 at 21:27, Wack said:

Fuck me I'm getting old , I just watched Mars Attacks on netflix , utterly gobsmacked when I looked at the credits 

It's 23 years old , I thought it was a typo but no , I was 35 years old the last time I watched it , where has that time gone 

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It was on normal telly a few days ago, it hasn’t aged that well and my daughter was less than impressed by the effects. I am getting old....

[Cavcraft]

  On 18/08/2019 at 21:07, Slowsilver said:

Modern to me is 20 years old.
1999 Zafira A, owned by me for the last seventeen years. First registered ln June 1999, only two months after the model's introduction in April 1999, so probably the oldest surviving Zafira still on the road and in daily use.
Discs on the front but still drums on the back.
Needless to say I strongly disagree with the "All Vauxhalls are sh*te" mantra perpetuated on here.
And the A models don't catch fire!
 

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Despite some H8RZ trying to say different, those 'Mk1' Zafiras are just about bullet proof.

[andy18s]

  On 18/08/2019 at 21:27, Wack said:

Fuck me I'm getting old , I just watched Mars Attacks on netflix , utterly gobsmacked when I looked at the credits 

It's 23 years old , I thought it was a typo but no , I was 35 years old the last time I watched it , where has that time gone 

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Watched 2001: A Space Odyssey  a few nights ago

Hard to accept its 51yrs old......

[SiC]

Until the petrol ECUs shit themselves internally (don't get me started on the 2.2 petrol issues). Or the diesel injection pump fails. Or brake pipes rusting out. Or fan ECU soaking and dieing. Or just killing your back with the awful seats. 

Admittedly they're better long term buy than the generation after. 

I always wanted an Astra G. After owning one (wasn't shagged out either), I was very glad to see the back of it. Zafira A? If I had to have a MPV, I'd much rather have a Scenic. 

[Slowsilver]

  On 18/08/2019 at 21:56, SiC said:

Until the petrol ECUs shit themselves internally (don't get me started on the 2.2 petrol issues). Or the diesel injection pump fails. Or brake pipes rusting out. Or fan ECU soaking and dieing. Or just killing your back with the awful seats. 

Admittedly they're better long term buy than the generation after. 

I always wanted an Astra G. After owning one (wasn't shagged out either), I was very glad to see the back of it. Zafira A? If I had to have a MPV, I'd much rather have a Scenic. 

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This is a 1.6 litre petrol model. 70,000 miles covered in 20 years and apart from tyres, brakes and exhausts it has only had two new front brake pipes as a result of an MoT advisory (after 15 years) and a replacement alternator. It has never let us down, although when the alternator failed we just made it home on the battery and all the instruments went out as we pulled on the drive. I was also puzzled as to why the power steering failed at the same time, resulting in much arm-wrestling, until I discovered that the power-steering pump is electric and to stop it running when the engine is switched off it is powered from the alternator output, not the battery. Replacement alternator fixes dead power steering. Magic.
I have never had any problem with the seats and no passengers have ever commented about them. Yes the back pair are a bit cramped for adults, but we have regularly carried seven adults in relative comfort, bearing in mind that both of these seats are not even fitted to most cars.
Scenics are made by Renault. Enough said.
 

[Mrcento]

  On 18/08/2019 at 18:07, Split_Pin said:

Car show know-alls. I was parked next to a 172 Phase 1 in the same colour as mine which is a Phase 2. Quite a rare occurence indeed. 

However the pal of the owner, whoever the fuck he was, proceeded to pick holes in mine.  He ripped his knitting over the fact that the nylon on my front damper top mount bolt was just clearing the thread. Been like that for years, risk-based approach says its fine. He then indicated that I might want to clean my inlet manifold and so it went on. 

In the end I told him that unless it stops the car Going Like Fuck then I'm not really likely to carry out these suggestions. 

I'd only opened the bonnet to clean things up a touch and check the levels because I was a bit bored!

Why can't people understand the difference between giving advice when it's asked for and keeping out of things that dont concern them!?

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Partly why i stopped taking my cars to shows.

Firstly, i was really last involved in the Fiat scene and the cars went from Cinqs, Seis, Classic Pandas, Unos, Mk1 and Mk2 Puntos, Mk1 Bravos, Mareas, Coupes to 1.2 and 1.4 Grande Puntos and 500's on Arnold Clark finance... It stopped being about cars and ended up with people just seeing who got the best deal on their monthly repayments.

Secondly, everyone just started to get more critical about everyones cars.

The last one i attended with the Cinquecento, i'd just parked up and had barely got out the car before this bloke started with the whole "That car isn't as Fiat intended, look at the wheels.... i had one 10 years ago... PRISTINE, you don't see ones anymore like i had".

[Mrcento]

  On 18/08/2019 at 21:46, Cavcraft said:

 

Despite some H8RZ trying to say different, those 'Mk1' Zafiras are just about bullet proof.

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It appears so. For some reason, they seem to have outlived the car they were based on. Even though there were far less of them sold than the Astra, there's probably more of them now still on the road.

I actually have a bit of a soft spot for the Astra after that, the H. They have their quirks and issues but they've aged very well. Do seem a bit of a lottery though, they're either bulletproof or "justscrapitmate"

I reckon the Fiat engined 150 cdti in 5dr SRI trim would be a cracking do anything daily, as long as maintenance was kept up on and the gearbox had been replaced at least once, preferably with a non chocolate one.

[dozeydustman]

I got up an hour ago, had shower etc, got work clothes on and there's a ticking coming from downstairs.

Water leak from the ceiling in the downstairs loo.

Arses.

[BorniteIdentity]

  On 18/08/2019 at 20:43, richardmorris said:

So a modern car still has drum brakes? 

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Plenty do. In fact I think my wife’s 500 has drums at the rear. My Avensis does too. 

[BorniteIdentity]

  On 18/08/2019 at 21:07, Slowsilver said:

Modern to me is 20 years old.
1999 Zafira A, owned by me for the last seventeen years. First registered ln June 1999, only two months after the model's introduction in April 1999, so probably the oldest surviving Zafira still on the road and in daily use.
Discs on the front but still drums on the back.
Needless to say I strongly disagree with the "All Vauxhalls are sh*te" mantra perpetuated on here.
And the A models don't catch fire!
 

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I happen to think the Zafira A is maturing nicely and I already make a point to perv over them. 

Sadly, most have had a relentlessly hard life including young occupants with crisps and crayons and owners with more financial pressures than Northen Rock. I would love to see a nicely preserved one like yours.

Respect.

[Slowsilver]

  On 19/08/2019 at 02:20, Mrcento said:

It appears so. For some reason, they seem to have outlived the car they were based on. Even though there were far less of them sold than the Astra, there's probably more of them now still on the road.

I actually have a bit of a soft spot for the Astra after that, the H. They have their quirks and issues but they've aged very well. Do seem a bit of a lottery though, they're either bulletproof or "justscrapitmate"

I reckon the Fiat engined 150 cdti in 5dr SRI trim would be a cracking do anything daily, as long as maintenance was kept up on and the gearbox had been replaced at least once, preferably with a non chocolate one.

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I'm sure it is a bit of a lottery. With virtually any make and model of car some people swear by them and others swear at them.
 I do wonder if the very early Zafiras, though based on Astra mechanicals, were built with a bit more care as they were a new model and needed to get a good reputation for reliability. They are certainly far better built than the later models where the cost cutting really shows.
The Zafira was significantly more expensive than an equivalent Astra back in the day and probably appealed more to private buyers with families who would treat them better than an Astra, a large proportion of which were probably company cars wihch  were used and abused then scrapped.

 

[bramz7]

My parents ran a shop in Slough in the early 2000s and some armed robbers stole my dads mates Zafira A. They did actually get it back with just a smashed side window. That's unfortunately how I'll always remember them though. 

[dozeydustman]

  On 19/08/2019 at 05:16, dozeydustman said:

I got up an hour ago, had shower etc, got work clothes on and there's a ticking coming from downstairs.

Water leak from the ceiling in the downstairs loo.

Arses.

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Emergency plumber has replaced the overflow pipe in the upstairs bog.

Also I have the pleasure (?) of a new ballcock.

Celebrated with a trip to Argos to buy a new loo seat. EML came on again on way home. Gah!

[danthecapriman]

  On 18/08/2019 at 18:07, Split_Pin said:

Car show know-alls. I was parked next to a 172 Phase 1 in the same colour as mine which is a Phase 2. Quite a rare occurence indeed. 

However the pal of the owner, whoever the fuck he was, proceeded to pick holes in mine.  He ripped his knitting over the fact that the nylon on my front damper top mount bolt was just clearing the thread. Been like that for years, risk-based approach says its fine. He then indicated that I might want to clean my inlet manifold and so it went on. 

In the end I told him that unless it stops the car Going Like Fuck then I'm not really likely to carry out these suggestions. 

I'd only opened the bonnet to clean things up a touch and check the levels because I was a bit bored!

Why can't people understand the difference between giving advice when it's asked for and keeping out of things that dont concern them!?

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Sadly you get that sort everywhere nowadays. Armchair experts! They absolutely must have their say at any cost and they absolutely must make themselves/their things out as the bestest of ever. Often at the expense of other people. You just can’t beat making yourself feel top dog by trying to destroy other people!

Cunts, basically! One of the reasons I don’t go to car shows.

[Slowsilver]

  On 19/08/2019 at 05:49, BorniteIdentity said:

I happen to think the Zafira A is maturing nicely and I already make a point to perv over them. 

Sadly, most have had a relentlessly hard life including young occupants with crisps and crayons and owners with more financial pressures than Northen Rock. I would love to see a nicely preserved one like yours.

Respect.

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Don't know where you are in the world but if you are ever in or near Buckingham (FoD one day maybe) feel free to PM me and you would be welcome to come round for a gander and maybe even a ride.
In the meantime here are some quick pics to sate your automotive appetite. Note the original dealer plates and even the original wheeltrims.

 

 

 

[chaseracer]

They're not ALL shit m8 ?

[purplebargeken]

I like Zafs. Think they are pretty cool.

[Noel Tidybeard]

  On 18/08/2019 at 21:07, Slowsilver said:

Modern to me is 20 years old.
1999 Zafira A, owned by me for the last seventeen years. First registered ln June 1999, only two months after the model's introduction in April 1999, so probably the oldest surviving Zafira still on the road and in daily use.
Discs on the front but still drums on the back.
Needless to say I strongly disagree with the "All Vauxhalls are sh*te" mantra perpetuated on here.
And the A models don't catch fire!
 

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1600 comfort? is that butterybiscuit bASe for a zaffy?

 

*edit*

satin red FTW

[Slowsilver]

  On 19/08/2019 at 16:33, Noel Tidybeard said:

1600 comfort? is that butterybiscuit bASe for a zaffy?

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No, they did a Zafira Club which was the entry-level model. Not sure of all the differences but I'm pretty sure that it didn't have the roof rails or electric front windows. May not have had the electrically adjustable mirrors with the driver's side one heated when the heated rear window is on. I think the Comfort is the next model up, which still has keep-fit rear windows. Mine had a radio / cassette player fitted originally but I swapped it for a radio / CD player from a posher version. That, and the reversing sensors are the only after-market modifications done to it.
 

[Tamworthbay]

Drive is full, garage is full, secret storage at work is full so why are there so many cars for sale on here that I really want and some I could even vaguely justify buying (well as much as you ever can - Lancia for £300 ffs). Buggery  bollocks.

[Cavcraft]

Being asked three times for a 'phone number and telling them three times it's messenger only, the same person sent me his number and asked me to ring him. That. however, cannot possibly eclipse the question the next person sent, having seen this picture and seemingly very serious...

 

 

...'Is inside the tank ok?'

 

 

[Tamworthbay]

  On 19/08/2019 at 19:33, Cavcraft said:

Being asked three times for a 'phone number and telling them three times it's messenger only, the same person sent me his number and asked me to ring him. That. however, cannot possibly eclipse the question the next person sent, having seen this picture and seemingly very serious...

 

 

...'Is inside the tank ok?'

 

 

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How much MoT on it m8? This Xbox ain’t going to be around forever..........

[Slowsilver]

  On 18/08/2019 at 15:21, Slowsilver said:

After my dismal failure with Bob the Renault (see Renault 6 Rescue thread for the gory details) I decided I had had enough of old stuff and decided to do the routine yearly service on the Zafira.
Oil, oil filter and air filter changed. Easy.
Front brakes stripped and cleaned. No fluid leaks and plenty of disc pad thickness left. Good.
Offside rear brake drum removed. No fluid leaks and plenty of brake lining left. Cleaned out brake dust and reassembled. All good.
Last job. Nearside rear brake drum removed. No fluid leaks and plenty of brake lining left. Good. Start cleaning out brake dust and notice bottom half of front brake lining is no longer attached to its shoe. Not good.
Guess it is better to discover this at home than for it to part completely while driving, probably locking the wheel and need recovery.
But Sunday afternoon so nowhere open to buy a new set of linings, and Mrs. Silver needs the car tomorrow.

BUGGER!
 

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Oo'er. Don't know if you can see in the photo but about 2/3 or maybe 3/4 of the length of the lining has separated from the shoe.
Don't know how long these have been on the car, but the lining + shoe thickness is still 6mm and the new ones are only 7mm, so only 1mm worn away. But since they need to be replaced in axle sets, all four are scrap despite having loads more life in them. No maker's name on them, just a cryptic number, so I have no idea who made them or where they came from.
Still, new set obtained this morning for £25 ish from local motor factor and order is now restored. Let's hope they are better quality than the previous ones.
But this begs the question "how long has it been like this?". They haven't been looked at for 12 months so was I lucky to find this just after it happened, or has it been gradually parting over the last year? And how much longer would it have lasted before detaching itself completely? Presumably it was lucky that it was the trailing edge and not the leading edge that came away, otherwise it would probably have been ripped off straight away. Finding this sort of thing makes my blood run cold at the thought of what might have happened if it had let go at high speed with the wife and kids in the car. Just goes to show that even a well-maintained car can conceal potential nasties. They say that ignorance is bliss, but not in this case.
 

[meggersdog]

Before I left work today I put the car on the ramp lifting it about a foot off the ground.I then had another look for my missing keys.Went and got the super l.e.d. torch ,couldn't see anything under the seats with multiple l.e.d.'s switched to the single light on the end of the torch and spotted something shiney  poking out of the seat runner. Just a hint of roundness so with the flexible magnet tool I retrieved my keys.

Why the grump ? It took all of five minutes to find and retrieve my keys with the right tools. These tools are in the workshop six miles away  and my workshop keys were in the house I was locked out of. My assistants keys are, I know, hanging on a hook in the workshop. I've told her enough times to leave her keys in her car. If they were I could've got into work this morning without the panic of having to break into the house.Emergency locksmith on a Sunday night was not cheap.

[Lord Sterling]

  On 19/08/2019 at 14:52, Slowsilver said:

Don't know where you are in the world but if you are ever in or near Buckingham (FoD one day maybe) feel free to PM me and you would be welcome to come round for a gander and maybe even a ride.
In the meantime here are some quick pics to sate your automotive appetite. Note the original dealer plates and even the original wheeltrims.

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Loving it man. I've got a mad love for Zafira A at the moment. I briefly drove this around the block: