The grumpy thread

[sporty-shite]

Grump about the Sterlings HGF ....

 

Well, I woke up bright and early this morning to check out what the hell is going on with this car. The bloody thing starts to run ok-is whilst I investigate other possible causes, I topped up the coolant which now doesnt look so gunky but nevertheless water is topped up, I switch it back on when it starts to run rather grumbly again, lots of white smoke pours out of the exhaust, I try and smell for burning coolant and I can't deny there is a touch of coolant about the smoke, I also remember the same symptoms happening on old White Sterling that got scrapped a couple of years back.

 

I took it for a drive when the temp got to normal operating temperature, still lots of white smoke hanging about despite me driving, so that's it, as far as I am concerned, I am 95% sure the headgasket is on its way .

 

This is fucking shit and fucking me right off. I love this car and have taken much precaustion to ensure it doesnt suffer the same problems as the old car, and this is how it repays me. Thanks a lot Rover 800.

 

I feel like bridging the fucking thing right now, I dont care what anyone says now about the V6 Honda units, they are not as robust as simple people like to think. I shant be scrapping it though, there are a few engines out there going for not a lot, so an engine swap might be in order. It'll give me an opportunity, possibly, to try out other cars too, but remains to be seen.

 

 

Thick white smoke? Could it be the master cylinder leaking fluid into the servo? Gets sucked in through the vac hose and burns a thick white smoke.

 

Just a thought, like. And a sight easier to change than a head gasket.

[Lord Sterling]

Cheers Sporty, I shall hopefully be getting it looked at tomorrow.

[M'coli]

Graduate recruitment schemes can fuck right off. It's only a fucking graduate job, ffs, why do I have to spend a whole fucking day filling in the shit that you want? It does sort-of tell me that they are looking for over-confident snidey cunts who are too full of their own shit and really need to be taken down a fucking peg or 10.

[vulgalour]

Just found out the Bolsover house I was forced to leave due to the unpleasantness that was 2012 has been broken into and stripped of all the pipes, boiler and other bits of worthwhile metal. The garage has been broken into and cleared and the drive gates have had all the wooden panels stolen. What the hell is wrong with people?

[whitevanman]

Thats Bolsover for you......

[M'coli]

Are you sure it was broken into, or was it just made to look like a break-in?

[dollywobbler]

OMGHGFKAOSETC

 

You won't know for sure until you get it 'sniffed.' If it's not overheating, that's encouraging. If it has gone, I wonder whether there was an airlock after all the expansion tank shenanigans?

[cobblers]

Are you sure it was broken into, or was it just made to look like a break-in?

 

 

Aye, was the heating ropey? its a cheap way to get a new boiler in to sell the house.

[vulgalour]

From what I've been told, it sounds like a proper break in. We'd had some attempts while I lived there and the house was obviously empty when I moved out. However, I was under the impression the landlord had new tenants ready to move in - admittedly from the less desirable side of the estate - so I don't know what's gone off. All I can say is that I'm happy I'm not there now and that I feel gutted for the Landlord if the house has been pillaged because that'll cost a fortune to put right.

[sporty-shite]

Beetle brake update.

 

Didn't do the brakes, and also pulled my back whilst failing to do the brakes. It's going in to have them done tomorrow.

 

Not happy.

[Tayne]

watanabe said:

.

 

 

[warren t claim]

It's gone midnight and I've just had a phone call about the 406 I'm selling from someone in Manchester who not only disturbed my beauty sleep but insisted that they come and view it at 6am tomorrow! FFS!!!

[Danblez]

Just had to bag up my 5 chickens I found dead. Some headless and footless. Not a good start to the day

[Wilko220]

Just had to bag up my 5 chickens I found dead. Some headless and footless. Not a good start to the day

 

Feel for you there, mate. Although as a former hen owner myself, sadly I know that it seems to be a case of "when not if"...

[Guest]

It's gone midnight and I've just had a phone call about the 406 I'm selling from someone in Manchester who not only disturbed my beauty sleep but insisted that they come and view it at 6am tomorrow! FFS!!!

 

ROLF, it worked. My Russian accent is really coming on.....

[Bobthebeard]

Have just been attempting to fit some storage shelves in my garage. The garage is one of the pre fab types with concrete panels bolted to concrete post type of things. Was re roofed last year and is secure, totally dry, has power and lighting etc.

thing is, how do you drill into the walls without the panels 'exploding'? Tried three times now. Drill goes in easily, but a massive chunk just blows off the outside! Have used masonry bits, hammer function on drill turned off etc.

Just need a few shelves to store my tools, parts, oils etc. a simple job I thought... Garage not big enough for floor standing racking etc.

Grrrrrr....

[RedSparrow]

Have just been attempting to fit some storage shelves in my garage. The garage is one of the pre fab types with concrete panels bolted to concrete post type of things. Was re roofed last year and is secure, totally dry, has power and lighting etc.

thing is, how do you drill into the walls without the panels 'exploding'? Tried three times now. Drill goes in easily, but a massive chunk just blows off the outside! Have used masonry bits, hammer function on drill turned off etc.

Just need a few shelves to store my tools, parts, oils etc. a simple job I thought... Garage not big enough for floor standing racking etc.

Grrrrrr....

 

I don't think you can really. I had a similar experience once, ended up undoing the structural nuts, securing corner pieces of shelving metal on the bolts and then worked from there. Worked for me.

[Bobthebeard]

Glad it's not just me then.. Thanks.

Hadn't thought of using the existing structural nuts/bolts!

[hennabm]

When my garage was installed about 6 yrs ago, it is of the prefab type and I was told in no uncertain terms never to drill the walls as they don't like it.

 

I lined the walls with plasterboard and then attached stuff to the boards in the usual manner.

[Bobthebeard]

When my garage was installed about 6 yrs ago, it is of the prefab type and I was told in no uncertain terms never to drill the walls as they don't like it.

 

I lined the walls with plasterboard and then attached stuff to the boards in the usual manner.

 

Sounds a good idea. Thing is how do you get the plasterboard to attach to the walls? Can't screw batons on etc.

Adhesive? Can you use the dot and dab stuff?

[richardthestag]

plaster board on both walls and then wedge them in place with battons going across the garage at various levels

 

seriously though when I did this my garage supplier sold me metal brackets that go to the existing bolts, used them to support scaffold board shelves. I also drilled through the brackets and bolted battons to them which I fixed plaster board to in a vain effort to cut down on the condensation issues.

 

the brackets were a bit like this

 

 

except the vertical bit was made out of angle iron and had holes on the side bit. undo nut on prefab section, attach the bracket and do the nut up again. the bracket was held up by the nut/bolt and braced against the concrete wall. I used to put a fait bit of weight on em without too many issues.

 

make them yourself with a bit of old angle iron from b&q etc

[Bobthebeard]

plaster board on both walls and then wedge them in place with battons going across the garage at various levels

 

Perfect solution!

An unusable garage due to the cats cradle of bits of wood hammered in across the garage to hold the plasterboard on...

Only on Autoshite!

Made me ROFL.

The bracket idea sounds good though! Ta!

[Micrashed]

Why in the name of all that is HOLY do new computers take a fucking ice age to set up - new lap top - powered up at 1700 hrs, still going through its bloody set up - updating 105 out of 124 and has been at this for about 2 hours now.

And currently cant get the bastard thing to accept my serial number for Office 2010.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Tell Microsoft to get stuffed. Get Opel Office or Lada Libreoffice instead.

[beko1987]

The last thing I said to my missus before she went out to park her cast in central Oxford was `remember your tax disk`. Just seen it on the side, old one ran out yesterday...

 

Meh, I'll claim out was in the post, and carry on eating biscuits and watching storage wars in peace and quiet! (Baby is well asleep)

[beko1987]

Why in the name of all that is HOLY do new computers take a fucking ice age to set up - new lap top - powered up at 1700 hrs, still going through its bloody set up - updating 105 out of 124 and has been at this for about 2 hours now.

And currently cant get the bastard thing to accept my serial number for Office 2010.

The updates take the piss. Pulling the power, swearing at the bastard then turning it on again might work.

[Ben_L]

Sent the Cavalier over the bridge today.

 

Wept slightly at getting £130 back for a car that owed me after totting up the receipts, £2500!

 

But was getting fucked off driving 80 miles around trip to go and meet the new buyer, three times, who never showed.

 

I cut my losses and told him to poke the £200 he offered me and bridged it... I shamelessly drove along ripping bits out as I went thinking of eBay!!!!!

[Spiny Norman]

Post Offices and their clientèle.

 

Already on a minor grump having to tax a car that doesn't work, I went to tax the Saab today and having already beasted the plastic this month I had to do it the old fashioned way and use good old cash, the first time in years I've not taxed a car online.

Had to wait about 20 mins behind some bint who wanted to send a parcel to Ulan Bator recorded delivery on her AmEx card, then could she exchange £271.46p into Mozambique Sheckels, then could she have some stamps, no, not those stamps, the prettier special edition ones that weren't actually out yet and.....

 

Then it was my turn.

Question...don't the PO have the facility to check insurance online? My Reminder only said to take in the MOT and the jobsworth behind the desk was adamant I wasn't getting tax until I produced an insurance certificate as well.

She didn't half look disappointed when I remembered the crusty folded up one I keep in my wallet.

[Richard]

Question...don't the PO have the facility to check insurance online?

 

I don't think so, and I don't think they have the facility to check if the MOT is genuine either.

[Cavcraft]

They sure do ref. MOT.

I say this because I taxed my car yesterday, told the lady the test cert was there and she replied: 'Oh, we don't need that now, we know if the car is MOT'd or not'