The grumpy thread

[michael1703]

Took an engine apart four years ago in the pits at a racetrack,lots of bits in boxes,brought home,moved from van to house to workshop,its only just going back together and....... I've found theres a bit missing only a cam box seal but it will take me a while to find one

[HillmanImp]

I nearly posted this on Skattrd's Saab FS thread

 

That is lovely like. I would love it myself really but no, not until I have sorted out some of my other cars.

 

This is bugging me. Do you fancy a sort of swap? I will give you my Audi Coupe with 5.5m tax and 8 months MOT. However, I really like the Audi and am not sure if I want shot of it, so am thinking maybe a 1 month swap and then see how we both feel? Bit cheeky but is it anything you might consider?

 

 

But looking at the pictures of the Audi, I can't do it. IMO its the best looking car Audi has ever made. However as I have decided I like it so much it is almost certainly going to go Ka-boom in the morning for no reason. That's how cars and me work.

 

Sorry Skattrd (if it would have floated your boat).

[Alexg]

You don't have to 'discredit' your previous employer, that would be you calling him a wanker in your interview (defo NOT recommended), I would suggest just telling them the facts of the matter as you see item, in a reasonably succinct 'un-emotional' manner and let them decide. They will read between the lines and decide if you are credible or not. If your previous employer has told them you stole £2m off him and dismembered his pet dog, he will sound like the lunatic out of the pair of you and it will work in your favour.

 

That's the best advise - just be sure not to use words like psycho, nuts and knob head. If you do this a I'm sure it'll gain a sympathetic response but questions like "really!? - You're joking - what did you do?" will crop up and it'll give you a chance to show you can deal with stressful and emotional situations in a calm, sensible way with intent on defusing the problem. If they even bother writing to him for a reference I have no doubt the response will show the bloke's a fruit cake.

[skattrd]

I know what you mean Mr. Imp, I wrote an advert advertising my Galant Sapporo last year ... then sat in it to take pics, and instantly decided against selling it.

It would have been a no on the trade anyway, as I really need to cut down on the number of cars I have. I want to get rid of anything that isn't a "keeper" so I can concentrate on a few nice motors, instead of lots of ok ones.

[Jimcit]

Humpfles.

 

Battery light has come on on the Golf. It does go off occasionally. The starter also sticks sometimes when I go to start it.

 

I'm not sure how to attack it. Various people saying I need to change alternator, change belt, tighten belt, change the regulator, change bushes, check wiring is ok.

 

The alternator looks original - so it's 26 years old and I wouldn't blame it if it's given up the ghost.

 

Also heard a twang and the drivers seat changed shape slightly, however it appears to have increased lumber support, so I'm not complaining about that.

 

Finding the Golf to be a bit boring, which means even the smallest niggles cause me to glare at it with disdain.

[dollywobbler]

Not got a multimeter Jim? Absolutely essential for things like that. Belt tension could indeed cause it. Run the engine for a bit and see if the belt has got warm through slipping. They don't always squeal. Far more likely that the brushes have worn - which can sometimes be replaced.

 

Reminds me. My multimeter has died after the battery went flat. Can't see how to get the sodding thing apart to change the battery so might have to get a new one. Perhaps I'll get one that also does dwell angle this time...

[Jimcit]

No multimeter, probably should invest and learn how to use one, I usually avoid electrics at all costs (we don't get on).

 

Will take it for a spin at lunch and give the belt a fondle.

[SambaS]

Thanks everyone for the advice. That's the interview over and done with now I just have to wait and see.

 

They didn't delve much into my last job, but went into a lot of detail about things I achieved whilst at school.

 

I just hope I did enough.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks everyone for the advice. That's the interview over and done with now I just have to wait and see.

 

They didn't delve much into my last job, but went into a lot of detail about things I achieved whilst at school.

 

I just hope I did enough.

 

Best of luck!

[vulgalour]

Outlook why must you be so shit? What was wrong with Hotmail exactly? Stupid free stuff. All I want to do is get in touch with this chap that has a rather gorgeous little MG so I can write up a little article about his car but noooooo, every time I get halfway through a sentence CRASH! START AGAIN! Why can't things just be left alone? MSN was FINE until they started to merge it with Skype which is a great big pile of steaming doo-doo. Photobucket was FINE until they made it all Mybook/FaceSpace and now navigating my own pictures is a nightmare and makes blog updates a chore... *sigh*.

 

If it aint broke, don't fix it until it is.

[Cavcraft]

Good luck SambaS.

[messerschmitt owner]

gumtree - your text message with my pin so I can put my advert up hasn't arrived -and it's now two hours later! Sort it!

[vulgalour]

FFS, today is not my day for internetting. 2 of my Brooklands posts have been EATEN by some sort of internet something and now I have to rewrite them. Stupid thing posted the Allegro - the potato of cars - and Minor Legion post but not the other ones. Bumhats.

[HillmanImp]

I know what you mean Mr. Imp, I wrote an advert advertising my Galant Sapporo last year ... then sat in it to take pics, and instantly decided against selling it.

It would have been a no on the trade anyway, as I really need to cut down on the number of cars I have. I want to get rid of anything that isn't a "keeper" so I can concentrate on a few nice motors, instead of lots of ok ones.

 

I know that feeling. I just need to keep the Audi, sell the Lancia & GT6 and get the Imp finished. I probably need to get some stuff for my house too as its well past due decorating but that can wait till after the cars are sorted.

[Richard]

Outlook why must you be so shit? What was wrong with Hotmail exactly? Stupid free stuff. All I want to do is get in touch with this chap that has a rather gorgeous little MG so I can write up a little article about his car but noooooo, every time I get halfway through a sentence CRASH! START AGAIN! Why can't things just be left alone? MSN was FINE until they started to merge it with Skype which is a great big pile of steaming doo-doo. Photobucket was FINE until they made it all Mybook/FaceSpace and now navigating my own pictures is a nightmare and makes blog updates a chore... *sigh*.

 

If it aint broke, don't fix it until it is.

 

Tell me about it. I'm sure everybody has heard the urban myth about Bill Gates and GM http://www.snopes.com/humor/jokes/autos.asp . One thing that the automotive and computing industries do have in common is that any improvement in performance and economy must be accompanied by enough bloat to wipe out any benefit.

[trigger]

I've just been to post a parcel containing a model car that I've sold on ebay which weighed sod all, It came to £2.70 1st class which was alright but the lad in the post office has just informed me that from the beginning of next month all the postage prices are changing and will now be based on the size instead of weight mean my £2.70 package will cost £5.50 next month. What a rip off!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

That is a rip all right, I will have to make sure I include a decent sized lump of Osmium in anything I send by the post office in future, just to piss them off.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I just paid £1.68 for sending a LETTER. Second class, but signed for. It used to be under a quid as recently as a couple of years ago.

[HereHareHere]

A guy who breaks 406 koops very kindly agreed to sell me 16 osmium-weight wheel nuts for a tenner, delivered. They arrived this morning and I noticed the post alone had cost him £10.30.

 

Because I'm less of a wanker these days, I just paypalled him another tenner.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I paid £62 for a PO Box in 2006. The price currently is £222. That's a 258% increase in eight years. You pay that much for them to not deliver mail to your house, but instead leave it on a shelf in the sorting office.

[retrogeezer]

So how in future are you supposed to give estimates on how much something will cost to post?

 

At the moment, bung it on some scales - job done.

[autofive]

So how in future are you supposed to give estimates on how much something will cost to post?

 

At the moment, bung it on some scales - job done.

 

ditch royal mail and use a courier

 

e.g.

 

http://www.interparcel.com/quote/courier-quote1.php

[RedSparrow]

I'm sure they'll bring out some indecipherable measuring guide. It's still shitty though, another nail in their trying-to-be-a-business coffin.

 

I hate couriers. The one advantage of Royal Mail is local depots to pick stuff up if you're not in when they try to deliver. With couriers in my experience it gets hugely complicated if you miss their delivery 'attempts'.

 

Google image search for 'Viz waiting for a fucking parcel'.

[Mr Lobster]

I've just been to post a parcel containing a model car that I've sold on ebay which weighed sod all, It came to £2.70 1st class which was alright but the lad in the post office has just informed me that from the beginning of next month all the postage prices are changing and will now be based on the size instead of weight mean my £2.70 package will cost £5.50 next month. What a rip off!

 

Unless you had it in a massively oversized box then he's talking out of his arse.

 

They are changing 1st & 2nd class to become 24 or 48hr (though they don't guarantee it'll arrive in that time....).

 

If the box is under 16x16x16cm then the price should stay roughly the same but over that there is a charge for oversize parcels. I haven't read all the stuff they sent us about it yet but thats how I saw it after a quick skim through. Price certainly isn't going to double.

[HillmanImp]

B4 we get all the Royal Mail slagging can I just put this here again:

 

What they do is mega cheap at the mo. With the pension to plug and pressure from the government they simply need to become profitable. I bet they are still cheaper, easier and provide better customer service than couriers in 99% of cases. For big items, there may be more specialist companies who can help but for day to day stuff I cant see anyone else who can do what they do.

[Mr Lobster]

^ This x 1000000000

 

A lot of people like slagging off Royal Mail but they are in general very, very good. Big stuff is best left to couriers but for normal sized parcels Royal Mail are unbeatable. Most 1st class stuff gets there next day regardless of whereabouts in the UK its going and on the sort of stuff I send they are still vastly cheaper than couriers.

[M'coli]

People forget that the RM is not meant to be a business, but a service. It would help if punters used the postcode properly, and used a decent size of writing for the sending address, and wrote the retrn address smaller and preferably, not on the fromt of the packet. Oh, and if you send something squashy like a garment such as a jumper wrapped in single-ply brown paper, do expect the packaging to have burst by the time it's been through 4 or 5 stages of sorting and had anything up to 70kg on top of it.

 

Oversize parcels are a pain in the arse to sort, too.

[richardthestag]

+1

 

Btw i found the best way of guaranteeing next day delivery by hand is not to fix any stamp at all. and even if you reimburse the recipient it still works out cheaper than special delivery including the OMFG penalty probably

 

Well it does when mrs thestag accidentally forgets to fix a stamp !

 

Also delivery to north devon both 1 st and 2nd class postage takes exactly the same time.

[retrogeezer]

if something can be sent to me from Hong Kong for less than the RM would charge to take it a couple of hundred miles I can't see how it is good value!

[Mr Lobster]

 

Theres many and varied reasons why you can get stuff sent very cheaply from Hong Kong / China but the fact that something can be sent from there for a quid doesn't represent what the operation actually costs. Try getting something from Europe, USA, Canada and Australia and they are all comparable or more expense than Royal Mail.