The grumpy thread

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Drove to Devon today from Kent.  Fuck me.  What an awful drive.  M25 totally fucking fucked so diverted through commuter belt Surrey, then the A303 was stop-start.  Eventually got past the Fleet Air Arm Museum and did the M5 for the last stretch rather than carrying on down the A30 over the Blackdown Hills because I'm not completely insane.  We left at 1026 and got to our destination at 1833.  Dog then pissed on the rug because she had been so distracted during our last break (less than an hour from destination) that she didn't go.

Miserable rain the whole way, dark and the radio had shit all of worth on apart from a glorious half hour early on when Radio 4 decided to play a documentary about the history of staircases.  Which was literally the only highlight of an otherwise terrible drive - which I do several times a year and is usually quite reasonable.

Mind you, we are getting a Bini out of it so I can't complain too much.

[Metal Guru]

  On 27/12/2021 at 23:08, wuvvum said:

Cats can apparently get pissed off when their hoomans go away for long periods, and the pissing and shitting everywhere is their way of expressing their displeasure. 

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Ours definitely gets annoyed when we are away and just has someone in once a day to feed him. He had access via his cat flap to our conservatory with a sofa to sleep on , so he’s not exactly roughing it, but he just goes around bad tempered for a week making sure you know it.

No mess though. 

[myglaren]

  On 27/12/2021 at 23:36, mitsisigma01 said:

Your grandchildren .... don't they listen to you...

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Of course they do.

Then go off and do what they please anyway.

[Pieman]

Cats hate humans and will do whatever they can to piss them off in any way possible, but they know they will get away with it because they're all fwuffy and cute and we wuv dem so much.....well I bloody don't, I see through their bullshit and avoid them as much as possible, the scheming horrible little twats.

[Mally]

  On 24/12/2021 at 21:56, Mally said:

Saab passed MOT last Monday.

Clutch went today!

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As there's nothing much to do between Xmas and New Year,

 

 

Will my next post be a grump or a grin? Place yous bets now, I'm about £300 in so far, and that gearbox is heavy.

 

 

[junkyarddog]

I ran out of welding gas today and the supplier is shut☹️🙄

[MikeR]

the EML is on again winging about the cat efficiency  ..

I have hid it behind the piece of paper reminding me about my blood tests and CAT scans ...

sort of hides one problem with a bigger problem .....

[meggersdog]

  On 28/12/2021 at 15:36, Mally said:

As there's nothing much to do between Xmas and New Year,

 

 

Will my next post be a grump or a grin? Place yous bets now, I'm about £300 in so far, and that gearbox is heavy.

 

 

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That's progress. I remember the Saab 900 was a bit like a Mk2 Cavalier where you pulled the clutch out of a cover in the bell housing. The clutch was on the front of the engine. Like the Vauxhall you needed someone to press the clutch pedal , the Vauxhall had three clamps to hold the pressure plate (came in the clutch kit) but the Saab didn't.You could get a special tool to hold the fingers in place but I used a bent wire coat hanger.

[robinmasters]

Cars with names. 

It's a thing, not a person, and it already has a name. Referring to your car as Archibald doesn't suddenly imbue it with a personality; it was dull as fuck before you named it, and it still is. If it is interesting, people who will realise it's interesting will recognise that from the model designation, 'Gertie' means nothing to them. 

I realise I'm not the first person to complain about this, but people are still doing this. Car namers, please stop being such fucking dicks. 

[PhilA]

I can currently be no further than ten feet away from a toilet.

[Yoss]

  On 28/12/2021 at 19:48, meggersdog said:

That's progress. I remember the Saab 900 was a bit like a Mk2 Cavalier where you pulled the clutch out of a cover in the bell housing. The clutch was on the front of the engine. Like the Vauxhall you needed someone to press the clutch pedal , the Vauxhall had three clamps to hold the pressure plate (came in the clutch kit) but the Saab didn't.You could get a special tool to hold the fingers in place but I used a bent wire coat hanger.

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The original Saab 99 had an engine derived from the Dolomite 1850 and a gearbox developed from the Triumph FWD. Sadly, for me, they were both developed sufficiently that you couldn't drop one in to a FWD Triumph. I seem to remember it was the other way round in the Saab.

But what they did both share was an easily removable clutch. All I have to remove is the heater blower, three bolts, to gain access th the clutch cover and a bit of carpet and a big rectangular plate inside the car to slide out the input shaft. 

It seemed for a while that manufacturers were thinking about this, not only the Vauxhauls but the six cylinder Landcrabs had a removable section to get to the clutch. But it was short lived. Why make it easier when you can charge three times as much by boxing it all in. 

[Out Run]

  On 28/12/2021 at 19:10, MikeR said:

the EML is on again winging about the cat efficiency  ..

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@Dick Longbridge cat has similar issues, ATM.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

  On 29/12/2021 at 08:45, Out Run said:

@Dick Longbridge cat has similar issues, ATM.

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Eh?

Edit: Ohhh! Yes, Martin the ginger tosser is sat outside the back door in the rain currently.

Sympathy level 1/10. 

[junkyarddog]

  On 29/12/2021 at 01:48, robinmasters said:

Cars with names. 

It's a thing, not a person, and it already has a name. Referring to your car as Archibald doesn't suddenly imbue it with a personality; it was dull as fuck before you named it, and it still is. If it is interesting, people who will realise it's interesting will recognise that from the model designation, 'Gertie' means nothing to them. 

I realise I'm not the first person to complain about this, but people are still doing this. Car namers, please stop being such fucking dicks. 

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My 205 picked up the nickname the Peashooter from when I used to collect my nephew from the school bus in it some evenings,all his mates used to slag him about it(he found it funny,and I didn't give a shit)and it sort of stuck.

🙄

[sierraman]

  On 29/12/2021 at 08:14, Yoss said:

The original Saab 99 had an engine derived from the Dolomite 1850 and a gearbox developed from the Triumph FWD. Sadly, for me, they were both developed sufficiently that you couldn't drop one in to a FWD Triumph. I seem to remember it was the other way round in the Saab.

But what they did both share was an easily removable clutch. All I have to remove is the heater blower, three bolts, to gain access th the clutch cover and a bit of carpet and a big rectangular plate inside the car to slide out the input shaft. 

It seemed for a while that manufacturers were thinking about this, not only the Vauxhauls but the six cylinder Landcrabs had a removable section to get to the clutch. But it was short lived. Why make it easier when you can charge three times as much by boxing it all in. 

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Yeah but clutches lasted a few winters then they were done. Car could easily do 100-150k on the original clutch now. It being easy to change isn’t a concern. 

[Yoss]

You make a fair point. 

[chaseracer]

  On 29/12/2021 at 01:48, robinmasters said:

Cars with names. 

It's a thing, not a person, and it already has a name. Referring to your car as Archibald doesn't suddenly imbue it with a personality; it was dull as fuck before you named it, and it still is. If it is interesting, people who will realise it's interesting will recognise that from the model designation, 'Gertie' means nothing to them. 

I realise I'm not the first person to complain about this, but people are still doing this. Car namers, please stop being such fucking dicks. 

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You seem inordinately vexed about this.  Other opinions are available...

[sierraman]

It seems a bit daft to me but each to their own. At a banger level it’s letting sentimentality cloud your judgement, ‘can’t kill Cyril the Fiesta off for the want of £700 worth of welding!’ A bit like a farmer with his cattle, he’ll look after it but at some point he’s going to have to put a bullet through back of its head so you don’t need unnecessary emotions adding to the problem. 

But if it makes people happy let them get on with it. 

[Timewaster]

Frankly I'd be embarrassed to admit calling my car a cutesy name in public. 

 

 

[cobblers]

  On 29/12/2021 at 01:48, robinmasters said:

Cars with names. 

It's a thing, not a person, and it already has a name. Referring to your car as Archibald doesn't suddenly imbue it with a personality; it was dull as fuck before you named it, and it still is. If it is interesting, people who will realise it's interesting will recognise that from the model designation, 'Gertie' means nothing to them. 

I realise I'm not the first person to complain about this, but people are still doing this. Car namers, please stop being such fucking dicks. 

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100% guarantee that any car with a name is absolutely shagged in on way or another. If somebody is mental enough to call their scruffy motorhome "betsy" they're definitely not going to do anything proper about the galloping rot in the sills and frame, and will just "drive around" the fact that it takes eight minutes to get it into reverse because the engine is falling out 

[MikeR]

  On 29/12/2021 at 17:58, cobblers said:

100% guarantee that any car with a name is absolutely shagged in on way or another. If somebody is mental enough to call their scruffy motorhome "betsy" they're definitely not going to do anything proper about the galloping rot in the sills and frame, and will just "drive around" the fact that it takes eight minutes to get it into reverse because the engine is falling out 

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in that case my Focus is well fucked ....   arnt you Nancy  ! ( derived from number plate letters ! )

[PhilA]

  On 29/12/2021 at 17:58, cobblers said:

100% guarantee that any car with a name is absolutely shagged in on way or another. If somebody is mental enough to call their scruffy motorhome "betsy" they're definitely not going to do anything proper about the galloping rot in the sills and frame, and will just "drive around" the fact that it takes eight minutes to get it into reverse because the engine is falling out 

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TV commercials that do this with the vehicle's model name annoy me.

Using the model as a descriptor- "You can buy the new Nissan D37 today! It's a car!"

Compared to "Buy D37 today! D37 has USB sockets! Nissan dealerships stock D37."

 

The latter mode of speech made it into American marketing in the seventies, vanished, and has come back again.

Irksome. I understand your internal reference but at the end of the day it's the D37, not just D37. 

Honey! Which car should I take to the store? 

Take D37, dear. It's got more fuel in.

 

Nope. Noooope.

[Out Run]

  On 29/12/2021 at 13:26, sierraman said:

It seems a bit daft to me but each to their own. At a banger level it’s letting sentimentality cloud your judgement, ‘can’t kill Cyril the Fiesta off for the want of £700 worth of welding!’ A bit like a farmer with his cattle, he’ll look after it but at some point he’s going to have to put a bullet through back of its head so you don’t need unnecessary emotions adding to the problem. 

But if it makes people happy let them get on with it. 

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Shhhh. Her eyes are closed, she's sleeping. 😂

Agreed with it being daft to assign a gender to and/or naming a vehicle. I guess people want whatever it is to feel more special.

Personally, I laugh when it is all 'she' this and 'her', that. 

[GMcD]

  On 29/12/2021 at 20:29, PhilA said:

 

TV commercials that do this with the vehicle's model name annoy me.

Using the model as a descriptor- "You can buy the new Nissan D37 today! It's a car!"

Compared to "Buy D37 today! D37 has USB sockets! Nissan dealerships stock D37."

 

The latter mode of speech made it into American marketing in the seventies, vanished, and has come back again.

Irksome. I understand your internal reference but at the end of the day it's the D37, not just D37. 

Honey! Which car should I take to the store? 

Take D37, dear. It's got more fuel in.

 

Nope. Noooope.

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It's one thing that annoys me when watching Harry's Garage. He does it all the time. (Also don't like his use of "etcetera", but I digress) 

[Andyrew]

Names dont bother me tbh, 

What I find odd is that people never complain about cars in film/tv/youtube having names. 

Binky, neighbour, leroy, general lee, christine, kitt, herbie, foxanne , bluesmobile, brown sugar, etc etc

Is it because the car itself is a character in a story being told or the just the name of the "project"? 

 

 

[High Jetter]

A car is a car. A wife is a...wife. No names required.

[mitsisigma01]

  On 29/12/2021 at 20:29, PhilA said:

Irksome. I understand your internal reference but at the end of the day it's the D37, not just D37

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Why the fk would you call it a D37 ... of all the words in the English language D37 was the best they could come up with 🤔

[Spurious]

The Jimny did its best 2cv impression tonight. Sudden loss of power going up a steep and narrow street. Actually no way of moving under it's own steam. Was very close to calling the AA for recovery

Annoyingly and amazingly it didn't throw a code either so it's a bit of parts roulette. 

It did sound like it was running on 2 cylinders, and one coil pack powers two plugs so that's number one culprit at the moment. 

It fixed itself about ten minutes later after leaving it off for a while. Thankfully I'd not made it onto the m62 at the time, would have been zero fun breaking down on the hard shoulder. 

 

[Spurious]

And nothing useful from the engine sensors either... 

[mintwth]

Saab has rewarded me for replacing the spark plugs and ignition cassette (coil packs) by snapping a rear spring..... 🙁