Wibble’s Wittering - Cortina, Senator & occasional Skoda & family ramblings, soz!

[danthecapriman]

Looks fab👍 

New plates really look the part.

[Wibble]

Thanks @High Jetterand @danthecapriman

They are spot on and I remember thinking of Vanden Plas when I bought it. Pronounced correctly as Vanden Plass of course😁

[Wibble]

Anyway, it’s 6 months today since my Dad died and I miss him hugely:

God bless you Dad.

[Matty]

Never easy pal. Best wishes

[Wibble]

I’ve upgraded* the Grundig temporarily just to provide some tunes. Good grief it’s shit:

This was originally intended to hide in the glovebox of the Cortina but I couldn’t get it to work for some reason.

Anyway, I’d cut of the ISO connector previously so spent some time soldering it all back together and then bought an aerial adaptor plug and it works fine but looks and feels totally shite. Then I noticed this in the handbook:

 

Bollocks, oh well, my memory’s shit too😁

[Wibble]

Anyway, it’s so shit it doesn’t even have pre-sets to remember!

[mitsisigma01]

On 4/2/2023 at 9:03 PM, Wibble said:

Looks spot on to me

Senny's looking good.... 

but isn't the V a tadge low 

😐

[Wibble]

5 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Senny's looking good.... 

but isn't the V a tadge low 

😐

Fuck, you’re right! Hadn’t noticed but happy to live with it. Thanks, I think!

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, Wibble said:

I’ve upgraded* the Grundig temporarily just to provide some tunes. Good grief it’s shit:

This was originally intended to hide in the glovebox of the Cortina but I couldn’t get it to work for some reason.

Anyway, I’d cut of the ISO connector previously so spent some time soldering it all back together and then bought an aerial adaptor plug and it works fine but looks and feels totally shite. Then I noticed this in the handbook:

 

Bollocks, oh well, my memories shit too😁

Got a Sony unit here which I may be getting rid of. Its black. Comes with a CD changer and the audio control doowhacky.

[Wibble]

17 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Got a Sony unit here which I may be getting rid of. Its black. Comes with a CD changer and the audio control doowhacky.

Cheers Ryan but I’m still thinking about the Blaupunkt Milano if @Schaefft can’t do me a good deal on his spare Grundig. I really can’t be faffed on wiring in a changer on a car used so little🙂

[Wibble]

Evening all, had a hard conversation with Mum tonight about her driving. She has weakness in her left arm and has been having trouble with the handbrake of her car. I’ve told her not to worry too much as it’s an automatic but today she said she couldn’t turn the wheel quick enough to make a bend close to home and clipped the kerb. She doesn’t drive fast and my brother was passenger and was concerned.

Anyway she wanted my thoughts on whether she should sell the car and stop driving. I said this was a major decision but if she is worried, maybe it was time, as Dad carried on driving longer than he should and she agreed. We do not want an accident hurting her or someone else. Sad but needed to be honest as too important. 
 

Anyway, she said she was going to call Arnold Shark and ask them to take the car away! I’ve said no, let me deal with it.

So, if anyone in the Renfrewshire area knows someone/ a dealer who would not rip her off, the car is a 2013 Honda Jazz (of course 😆) I-Vtec auto with about 29000 miles on it and full history. Last serviced about 2 weeks ago! Reg is RV13MZJ for history checks.

I just want it to be as painless and easy as possible without piss being extracted!

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Can ask about for you. Unfortunately, a newly passed friend has already bought a car, otherwise this would have been ideal for her as she's automatic only.

Good luck with the sale.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Wibble said:

Anyway she wanted my thoughts on whether she should sell the car and stop driving.

Smart lady. Reassure her that she's right.

[Wibble]

14 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Smart lady. Reassure her that she's right.

Thank you, she is but it was still hard to tell her it was the right thing to do, as I know it will cause her much inconvenience and costs with taxis now. Wish I was nearer.

[High Jetter]

Have been there. Consider annual costs vs cabs 3, 4, 5 times a week? Have a customer in same situation

[Wibble]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

Have been there. Consider annual costs vs cabs 3, 4, 5 times a week? Have a customer in same situation

Yep, thanks, that’s what I’ve said. She was doing less than 2k miles a year, not even that looking at the history so probably less. Just another sad milestone. Maybe I should bring the car down south to sell? Sadly it’s a relief but she didn’t expect to have to do this so soon after Dad died but I’d rather this than an accident.

[danthecapriman]

It’s probably about time, unfortunately, if it’s got like that while she’s driving. Stopping before an accident happens is the right thing to do. Not an easy decision, I wouldn’t like it myself. For older people driving is their independence and ability to get around easily and giving that up can’t be a nice thought. Better than damaging something or worse though.

My grandad kept going long after he should have stopped and it was his cars that payed the price! They got absolutely battered! He hit gate posts, walls, the garage door and all sorts. In fact I don’t think the Talbot Horizon or Metro he had as his final cars had a straight panel left on them. Or a corner that was the same shape the manufacturer made them! The Metro subframe collapsed in the end and that was what took him off the road.
 

[Wibble]

Indeed, I’m very pleased she made the decision herself without us having to suggest it. 
 

I’ve had a quick look at what these Hondas are going for and can’t believe the prices! She thinks it’s 10 years old so worth next to nothing. Might cheer her up🙂

[AnnoyingPentium]

42 minutes ago, Wibble said:

I’ve had a quick look at what these Hondas are going for and can’t believe the prices!

Prices for small, automatic hatchbacks have always been a bit high and soared with all the inflated car prices, as they're very desirable from multiple demographics. Plus added Honda reliability.

[Wibble]

3 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Prices for small, automatic hatchbacks have always been a bit high and soared with all the inflated car prices, as they're very desirable from multiple demographics. Plus added Honda reliability.

I know, I just didn’t expect dealers to be asking £10k plus! Obviously she’ll get much less selling to the trade but I still think she’ll be pleasantly surprised🙂

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Prices for small, automatic hatchbacks have always been a bit high and soared with all the inflated car prices, as they're very desirable from multiple demographics. Plus added Honda reliability.

You know you want it!

[Wibble]

Arnold shark’s preliminary offer is £8148! No doubt they’ll chip it down from there but still encouraging.

[JMotor]

I'd agree, it's not a bad start. 

Hopefully you'll have it sold in no time at a decent price. But I get why she's sad for the reasons mentioned by the last few posts.  

[Wibble]

26 minutes ago, JMotor said:

I'd agree, it's not a bad start. 

Hopefully you'll have it sold in no time at a decent price. But I get why she's sad for the reasons mentioned by the last few posts.  

Yes, thanks man, fingers crossed!

[stuboy]

On 4/7/2023 at 5:09 PM, Wibble said:

Vauxhall Did Prettywell

[Wibble]

Took the Cortina for a brief drive today, after a quick clean , only 6 miles but it’s the first time it’s been out this year. Haven’t driven it since September I think but it was fine.

This car still makes people smile and comment and this short drive really lightened my mood. A group of young teenage girls pointing and waving, cheery beep beeps from a couple of van drivers and a guy shouting, “that brings back memories, dad had a mark 3”. Thumbs up to him!

Might get back on the Senator’s bodywork tomorrow if the weather stays fine.

 

[Wibble]

I didn’t trust the weather today for doing bodywork and I was right, it rained this afternoon. Went to buy some fine brushes for stone chips and was surprised to find this in The Range:

Will be interesting to see how good a match it proves to be. They also had some other old Ford colours but not Vauxhall Spectral blue pearl.

I also went through Arnold Sharks valuation with all details for Mum’s Jazz and received this:

Let’s see how we go when I tell them I can’t bring the car to them, they need to collect it.

[danthecapriman]

Looks like I wasn’t the only one whose bodywork plans got scuppered by the rain today then!😁

[AnnoyingPentium]

4 minutes ago, Wibble said:

I didn’t trust the weather today for doing bodywork and I was right, it rained this afternoon. Went to buy some fine brushes for stone chips and was surprised to find this in The Range:

I think I've got a Halfords tin of this somewhere, from the late 90s/early 00s. Used it most recently to paint over it a bit of exposed metal on the car after an earthing point sheared off.

[Wibble]

It does seem bizarre to me that I can get Bermuda blue in Halfords and The Range but not Spectral blue which is so much newer though.