The grumpy thread

[dollywobbler]

Sorry to admit it, but I like Strictly. Apart from Bruce. And Vanessa Feltz. I love the band, who learn a load of new songs every week. It's worth putting up with the sequins just for that. I've no idea why Bruce Forsyth is still involved. I can only assume that the Beeb are terrified of sacking him in case they're seen as ageist. No, it's not because he's old, it's because he's shit.

[warren t claim]

Bruce's yellow XJ6 appears on eBay regularly. Probably still has Anthea Redferns knickers under the back seat.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

All the sequins and flashing lights on Strictly really highlight the low bitrate. 

[Cavcraft]

VW Golfs are like The Beatles of the car world. Quite good, just not as good as people hype them up to be. And there is better.

 

 

I think I'd actually rather own a Golf than a Beatles record. They take the expression 'over rated' to a whole new level, and make putting your head inside a concrete mixer full of rusty nuts and bolts and uses syringes seem more entertaining.

[M'coli]

Superb, someone else whose opinion of the Beatles is similar to mine - it seems to me that in many people's opinion it's almost an offence to mention that you dislike/hate/despise them, as if it's an omerta.

[Barry Cade]

I think I'd actually rather own a Golf than a Beatles record. They take the expression 'over rated' to a whole new level, and make putting your head inside a concrete mixer full of rusty nuts and bolts and uses syringes seem more entertaining.

Agreed, they are less melodic than a slack timing chain on a Corsa.

[RedSparrow]

And John Lennon was actually quite an arsehole, despite how many people think he was great, music aside.

[cobblers]

There is a fire alarm somewhere in my house with a flat battery. Can I find it?

[tooSavvy]

There is a fire alarm somewhere in my house with a flat battery. Can I find it?

... try them all, the front door your key opens....Its yours.

 

tooSavvy

[cobblers]

I've put new batteries in every one that I can find, there's one hidden somewhere - knowing my luck plasterboarded over something, I can't pinpoint the noise at all.

[Cavcraft]

The seller of this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-RENAULT-MEGANE-SCENIC-AUTHENTIQUE-BRONZE-/200967132951?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2eca931717

 

and this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-FORD-FIESTA-GHIA-X-RED-TAX-AND-TEST-NON-STARTER-/290983636672?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43bff9eec0

 

who are probably the same people. eBay is littered with shit adverts from these two and their 'This car would be priced on a forecourt at £XXX and a trader would pay over £XX from an auction house' bollocks.

I always thought liquidators had to auction stuff, not sell at a fixed price, and on top of that I'f ducking love to find a car auction where dealers are paying £295 for a on-running, ancient Fiesta or the same for a Scenic with no MOT or tax, as I'd fill the place full of hopelessly shit cars and retire a few weeks afterwards.

[phil_lihp]

I don't get why sellers choose to write everything in a giant font either, it makes the whole thing unreadable.  That plus he really ought to try laying off the !!!! and proof-reading his script.

[wuvvum]

The Vectra has now developed a blow from one of the exhaust manifolds.  Predictably, it appears to be the rear one which is blowing, which means I haven't got an icecube's chance in hell of getting at it without putting the car up on a ramp.  Arseburgers.

[philibusmo]

I am in the middle of a mojo drought where it comes to old cars. Today it wasn't raining and it wasn't windy, yet I looked outside and considered doing a bit to the Lancia and despite it now not having a vast amount left to go, I just really couldn't sum up enough energy to go out and do something productive.

[Mr Livered]

Glad it's not just me^

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I know all about that, absolutley RAG ALL has happened to my Maser in about 6 months

[HillmanImp]

The GT6 has languished in my garage or on the drive for 2 years (although I have had several other 'projects' come and go in the meantime). Its taken less than a week to pretty much get it roadworthy and will hopefully be road legal in the next couple of weeks (depending on funds). But it's taken some motivation to get my ass out there to work on it. 

 

I am gradually warming to the idea of owning less cars as its seems that it was all getting on top of me a couple of years back when I had 7 on the go at one point. I own 3 now and would ideally like to get this down to 2 but probably wont. An everyday clunker which I can chuck money at and get someone else to repair for most things and 1 old snotter for me to bodge together with cable toes and run on sheer optimism. Not as much pressure but I suspect 3 will be the norm as I will have an itchy ebay finger from time to time. 

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Bought own brand diet cola.

 

Tastes like someone put week old flat Pepsi through a soda stream. 

 

Full of regrets. 

[wuvvum]

I've managed to cut down on the amount of my free time I spend working on cars by swapping the Range Rover, Espace and AX (all of which had issues) for a 1969 Ford Corsair.  The Corsair needs work, but there's no way I'll be putting it back on the road with winter approaching, so it's parked up under cover at a mate's where I can quietly forget about it and not spend all my weekends thinking I should be out there fixing it.  I spent most of yesterday evening with a mate fitting a new CV boot to the LNA, and then this afternoon I fitted a pair of steering rack boots, so now all it needs is the battery fixing in place and it's ready for a retest. 

 

I had been hoping to have a break after that, but I think the Vectra may have other ideas.   Still, at least with only one car at a time needing attention it's a bit easier to keep on top of.

[purplebargeken]

Bulging and dehydrated discs and arthritis of the spine really sucks. Really, really sucks.

[vulgalour]

Beige Princess has burst a sphere and now cannot be driven.  I knew a burst sphere was going to be a risk, but I really hoped it'd hold off doing it for just a bit longer, it's an expensive job to put right and while I could, I don't really want to rob a sphere off the HLS.

[Brent_Crude]

The seller of this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2001-RENAULT-MEGANE-SCENIC-AUTHENTIQUE-BRONZE-/200967132951?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2eca931717

 

and this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-FORD-FIESTA-GHIA-X-RED-TAX-AND-TEST-NON-STARTER-/290983636672?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43bff9eec0

 

who are probably the same people. eBay is littered with shit adverts from these two and their 'This car would be priced on a forecourt at £XXX and a trader would pay over £XX from an auction house' bollocks.

I always thought liquidators had to auction stuff, not sell at a fixed price, and on top of that I'f ducking love to find a car auction where dealers are paying £295 for a on-running, ancient Fiesta or the same for a Scenic with no MOT or tax, as I'd fill the place full of hopelessly shit cars and retire a few weeks afterwards.

 

I am also always wary of any company, eBay seller, website etc. with '4U' in their title. Because invariably, it is not 'for me' and it about some toe-rag trying to screw ME over with some horseshit about 'bargain' unroadworthy cars. Usually it is absolutely not 'for me'. 

[Brent_Crude]

Sorry to admit it, but I like Strictly. Apart from Bruce. And Vanessa Feltz. I love the band, who learn a load of new songs every week. It's worth putting up with the sequins just for that. I've no idea why Bruce Forsyth is still involved. I can only assume that the Beeb are terrified of sacking him in case they're seen as ageist. No, it's not because he's old, it's because he's shit.

 

It's worth tolerating just to see that lovely blonde sort from Countdown strutting around the dancefloor

[RichardMoss]

.Are there people out there that need this kind of guidance??

Sadly the answer is "yes". They are called "The Gullible" and "The Terminally Stupid" (the two terms often being interchangeable).

 

However, we must also be glad that they are there because they are the sort of people who fall for the saleman's patter in the car dealerships and buy crap like a 1L Ford Fiesta mk2 Popular, FSO Caro or mk1 Metro City - and without them we would be seriously short of shite 30 years later

[RedSparrow]

Hey that's a very good point. If everyone had a brain no-one would've bought a CityRover new for us to buy 5 years later for £300.

 

Imagine in a few years you'll be able to buy those MG3s and 6s for next to nothing secondhand.

[oman5]

Beige Princess has burst a sphere and now cannot be driven.  I knew a burst sphere was going to be a risk, but I really hoped it'd hold off doing it for just a bit longer, it's an expensive job to put right and while I could, I don't really want to rob a sphere off the HLS.

could be worth robbing the set of displacers off that 6 pot princess in the breakers, given how scarce they are these days.

[vulgalour]

I have contacted said breakers yard and a plan has been hatched. The spheres are available and price reasonably. I'll go over and see what else I can blag off it too, turn it into a day out with Dad's car and trailer.

[Junkman]

Be a real man and get the entire car. Then fix both of your 'cesses.

[RedSparrow]

Actually yeah, now you have 2 of the things it might pay to get a scrapper to keep them going. If it's practical to do so that is!
Much cheaper in the long run than buying little bits all the time.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

You know he'll just end up repairing the third one and be needing a fourth for spares, which he will acquire end up repairing.