The grumpy thread

[sdkrc]

PROTIP: instead of going to TGI Friday's and spending £70 on a meal, simply sit down next to a bin for 60mins and then pay a tramp to fart in your mouth.

[Lacquer Peel]

41 minutes ago, sdkrc said:

PROTIP: instead of going to TGI Friday's and spending £70 on a meal, simply sit down next to a bin for 60mins and then pay a tramp to fart in your mouth.

 

[barefoot]

1 hour ago, 3VOM said:

A picture paints a thousand words:

 

You can probably get a replacement door from PM Sportscars in Shardlow. 01332 799217

[Rust Collector]

On 10/02/2024 at 21:26, Rust Collector said:

I'm applying for a job in the council. The application process is doing my head in.

I can't remember the last time I had to write so much when applying for a job. I really hate writing, and I really hate self promoting, so producing about 6,000 words about myself to address every point in the person spec (not how I'd normally do it, but their specific request) has been torture. I feel like just fucking it off so that I can have a rest, after picking away at it in the odd spare moments I get over the past week I'm sick of the sight of the fucking thing.

Well, after all of my pissing and moaning I did complete the application over the weekend. I definitely didn't* misread the guidance and I absolutely didn't* have to rewrite most of it on Sunday.

I've had an email today to invite me to an interview, so I guess it was worth the effort.

If I don't get the job then I have at least saved everything that I had to write, and I can rehash this to apply for other similar council and NHS jobs with minimal effort.

The interview is on Microsoft Teams, I've only ever had face-to-face interviews before so that will be a new experience.

[3VOM]

36 minutes ago, barefoot said:

You can probably get a replacement door from PM Sportscars in Shardlow. 01332 799217

Company who did it will be first in line for an explanation and reparations.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

I've had an email today to invite me to an interview, so I guess it was worth the effort.

Hurdle 1: Aced. Good luck on the day.

[Rust Collector]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

Hurdle 1: Aced. Good luck on the day.

Thank you, I’m simultaneously trying not to get my hopes up whilst trying to stay confident.

The interview is scheduled for 6 days before my partner’s due date for child number 2.

What could possibly go wrong.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Rust Collector said:

Thank you, I’m simultaneously trying not to get my hopes up whilst trying to stay confident.

The interview is scheduled for 6 days before my partner’s due date for child number 2.

What could possibly go wrong.

Child No2 arrives 7 days early 🤣

[New POD]

4 hours ago, barefoot said:

You can probably get a replacement door from PM Sportscars in Shardlow. 01332 799217

I've dealt with them ref being experts in mx5s.  

[barefoot]

Paul & Mike's sports cars. 

[Zelandeth]

Ah, this is going to be one of *those* weeks.

Having narrowly avoided losing a wheel on it yesterday, the Trabant has decided to reward me by blowing a head gasket today.  At least that's what my ears are telling me is going on.

They're like £5 each so not the end of the world, but annoying when it's less than 48 hours after you last ordered other parts.

[Supernaut]

Limp mode in the Astra is getting more frequent and more violent.

Tame mechanic isn't replying to messages.

Plugging in my own diagnostic dongle shows no stored codes.

 

Fuuuck's sakes.

[EyesWeldedShut]

On 13/02/2024 at 15:27, Zelandeth said:

Whoever last worked on the rear wheel bearings on the Trabant never bent over the locking tabs for the hub bolts. 

Been doing La Sproglette's Ungrateful B'stad Bini today - neither hub nut on that was staked into the driveshaft - maybe it's a 'thing'?
Looks like both wheel bearings are fecked plus the centre support bearing on the longer driveshaft.  Joy*

[artdjones]

On 13/02/2024 at 14:38, 3VOM said:

A picture paints a thousand words:

 

Awful, but at least it's confined to one bolt on panel. If it was the quarter......

[Saabnut]

Should have been a grin as it is the start of my last trip offshore. Early flight so taxi booked for 0630 from my friends place 40 minutes away so leave home at 0530 so no rush. About 2 miles from home the AX had a puncture, the first one on a journey to or from the airport in over 35 years. Tyre is buggered so decided it was quicker to drive home and swap cars than try changing the wheel in the dark. 
Discovery started fine, arrived at my friends at the same time as my taxi. Now at the airport drinking coffee 

[EyesWeldedShut]

Why do I always end up picking the mornin scab that is the BBC News website?

British phone booth? WTF.

Box.

We had boxes not feckin' booths. That was Betty. Next thing you know we'll have Superman stripping off in one.
Bollox, off on the morning commute (16 stairs and turn left on the landing - not cocked that up - yet)

[horriblemercedes]

This morning my car is slammed at the front. The other day it was fine 

[24vdiamond]

18 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Limp mode in the Astra is getting more frequent and more violent.

Tame mechanic isn't replying to messages.

Plugging in my own diagnostic dongle shows no stored codes.

 

Fuuuck's sakes.

What part of the country are you? Ive got the GM Tech 2 diagnostic thingy but im North Lincolnshire

[Supernaut]

28 minutes ago, 24vdiamond said:

What part of the country are you? Ive got the GM Tech 2 diagnostic thingy but im North Lincolnshire

I've managed to get a P0170 code from it. Fuel trim.

Unplugged the MAF and it drove a lot better, so I've sprayed contact cleaner into the MAF for now.

 

I'm 30 miles north of Aberdeen by the way. 🤣

[horriblemercedes]

3 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I've managed to get a P0170 code from it. Fuel trim.

Unplugged the MAF and it drove a lot better, so I've sprayed contact cleaner into the MAF for now.

 

I'm 30 miles north of Aberdeen by the way. 🤣

That sounds like how the MAF sensor deteriorated on my various Vauxhalls. More and more frequent limp modes and worse and worse, until eventually it was permanently in limp and MAF disconnection solved it.

 

I'm afriad to say that I would imagine MAF replacement is the only good solution. I would make sure to buy Bosch rather than random eBay special. From experience, it really is worth the extra unless you plan only to keep the car for another couple of weeks.

[Supernaut]

2 minutes ago, horriblemercedes said:

That sounds like how the MAF sensor deteriorated on my various Vauxhalls. More and more frequent limp modes and worse and worse, until eventually it was permanently in limp and MAF disconnection solved it.

 

I'm afriad to say that I would imagine MAF replacement is the only good solution. I would make sure to buy Bosch rather than random eBay special. From experience, it really is worth the extra unless you plan only to keep the car for another couple of weeks.

Hmm.

I have seen a Delphi one for about £50-odd.

Worth bothering with, or just go for full three-figures Bosch?

 

It's an otherwise good car.exe. Surprisingly keen for a 1.6 and decently frugal. I.e high 30s mpg being relentlessly thrashed around muddy back roads.

It even has actually sensible gear ratios so it does just a smidge over 3 grand at 70 instead of screaming its head off.

[horriblemercedes]

Just now, Supernaut said:

Hmm.

I have seen a Delphi one for about £50-odd.

Worth bothering with, or just go for full three-figures Bosch?

 

It's an otherwise good car.exe. Surprisingly keen for a 1.6 and decently frugal. I.e high 30s mpg being relentlessly thrashed around muddy back roads.

I would happily have a go with Delphi. I just remember when I was searching, for my cars it was either Bosch or eBay special. I never had that engine though

[Supernaut]

Just now, horriblemercedes said:

I would happily have a go with Delphi. I just remember when I was searching, for my cars it was either Bosch or eBay special. I never had that engine though

Oh aye.

Autodoc is full of MAXGEAR and other tripe.

No cheaper than the Delphi one I found (admittedly on ebay) either.

[Saabnut]

Beware the "Delphi" box printed in china with chinesium contents. Ask me how I know......

[PicantoJon]

The old man is currently in intensive care after having his knackered atrial valve replaced. Even though I know he's in the absolute best place, I'm still worried shitless. 

Not sure I'll be sleeping tonight. 

[junkyarddog]

51 minutes ago, PicantoJon said:

The old man is currently in intensive care after having his knackered atrial valve replaced. Even though I know he's in the absolute best place, I'm still worried shitless. 

Not sure I'll be sleeping tonight. 

My old dad had this done in 2016,he's still here.

Worrying times though.

Hopefully he'll be ok.

[High Jetter]

I'm sure they know what they're doing, hang in there.

[Zelandeth]

Who failed to notice one of the fuel hose clips had bound up on itself rather than tighten properly at some point in the past on the Rover?

That would be me.

Discovered when it dumped an unknown but not insubstantial amount of fuel overnight.  I was alerted to this fact by the entire house absolutely reeking of petrol when I woke up this morning.

Oh what fun.

[vulgalour]

Yesterday I began getting calls from unknown mobile numbers.  Today it's started with an unknown London number.  I wonder how long it'll persist before they give up.  I don't answer unknown numbers, as a rule, because of scam callers.  If I answer an unknown number I don't say anything, this usually results in them immediately hanging up, presumably because they think they've connected to an automated system or another scammer.  I've searched the numbers online and nothing specific is coming up beyond the London number doing nuisance calls from the start of this February, the mobile numbers don't bring anything up so are probably burner phones.

Best thing to do is nothing really.  Your data is always being traded for other people to make money off without your permission, that's the modern world, so someone somewhere has sold a list of phone numbers with mine on it, and someone else has bought it to try and sell stuff or scam people or both.  If you engage, answer the phone, get angry with them, etc. then you demonstrate there's a person there that could be taken advantage of so it's best to say nothing and ignore them.  Save yourself the stress too, no point getting angry at strangers.

What is interesting about it this time is it's my old phone which I haven't been using to sign up to any new things for a while now.  If I were going to get spam calls I would have expected them on my new phone since that's all internet connected and infected with Google and all that.  Only a matter of time I suppose.

[Talbot]

On 13/02/2024 at 17:05, Rust Collector said:

The interview is on Microsoft Teams, I've only ever had face-to-face interviews before so that will be a new experience.

ProTip:  when the interviewer asks you about your background, they mean your work history, not what can be seen behind you in shot...