THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Rusty Pelican]

No anti two wheels from me and i do like scooters , Best not start the Lambretta / Vespa thing but they all look great to me .

I rebuilt a Triumph Tiger Cub up from bits in my teens , never got to ride it though , didnt know how

[Quintus]

That looks like a bloody nice garage. The house looks rather lovely too.

[The Moog]

Finally got my 900 carlsson back on the road after clutch issues.

 

Had the car a year. Firstly within 3 days someone reversed into in car park. Cant get new bumpers so spent 3 months fighting the insurance company. Finally got an ok payout and got replica kit fitted and a few other bits done. Bodyshop that did it cracked the decor panel Again Unobtainum unless you have £300 for a bit of plastic

 

Two weeks later started overheating. Tracked down to fan failing so ordered new one. Spares bloke sent it to wrong address and so after a month got it and fitted it. Then rest of the cooling system needed overhauling so that was done in between the snow and lovely weather.

 

Then clutch gave up the ghost, so fitted new clutch then slave went, changed that which caused master to go so changed that, Then the pipe in between collapsed Fitted a braided hose and bled system through. Then today took it out for a blast ... forgotten how much turbo power makes me smile like an idiot

 

Out of a year I think it has been off the road for about 8 months of it!

 

Just checked MOT and that runs out today! So going to get it tested 8am tomorrow so I can continue using it. Fingers crossed it is all flies through otherwise I might just take a box of matches to it!

[Guest]

What the hell is it with pranged 900 Carlssons and insurance companies being arseholes?

 

SCTSH_ANDY had a 900 Carlsson. It was written off by a prick in a silver C4. There wasn't that much damage - mostly a buggered OS front wing. The insurance company wrote it off because 'the wheelarches were rusty.'

[The Moog]

Well they threw their toys out of the pram about the non availability of bumpers. Apparently "thats what I get for driving an Old car" (quote off a phone monkey). Not a very nice thing to say about my dream car!

 

Still now on agreed value policy. Learnt that lesson.

 

Has MOT! Hurrah

[meggersdog]

Picked up an S type Jag from the auction today.One of the rear windows didn't work so I removed the trim panel and this is what I found

 

Belt and braces tied to the regulator with insulation tape and string.Why the cross piece was there I can only assume it was for the window but is 2 inches adrift.If the upright piece was longer there would be no need for the other bit of wood or the removal of the speaker to lash it all together.Luckily I found the speaker and a new regulator in the boot.All back together now and working.

[mnde]

^^

Nice one! I like that a lot. I get quite nostalgic about Fords circa 1982.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Nearly forgot, this is what I bought

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWAX:IT

That is lovelrly. Looks very clean, and the original P21 radio

[Minimad5]

SirTainlyBarkin , that is lush !

 

You have to bring it to the next Autoshite meet

(Just when i'm driving mine .. don't park next to it, yours is soo clean)

 

P.s

 

What colour is that Carpet , either i'm blind or it kind of looks black ?

[warren t claim]

Where in Liverpool was the Fiesta?

[Minimad5]

If the carpet is Black , you do know alot of people on the Mk1 forum will pay very very silly money for it ?

 

But you should keep it all in there

Are you bringing it to an Autoshite meet ?

[Cavcraft]

Volvo exhaust repair holding up well and I'm enjoying tanking round in it. I think a slush box would suit the car better though, big cars some how feel wrong being manual to me.

It's bloody brilliant on fuel too, got a full can in the boot 'just in case' but so far the car has not shown any signs or running out of juice.

 

Need to lob some fuel into my lad's Mk3 Astra, it's empty and hasn't been run in a couple of weeks. No power steering seems weird but it's defo quicker than my Mk4, it's actually pretty quick off the mark.

 

Scooter needs new clutch cable I think. The one fitted on Sunday to get me home needed adjusting and because I didn't trim the end it dragged on the floor all the way and has frayed the inner cable to bollocks. It might be saveable to get me round locally for a short while but new inners are only a quid so might as well get a couple and have a spare. Few more runs coming up so want it right before I venture out into a wall of two stroke smoke and noise.

 

Mk4 Astra has pleased me. The initial though of h/g fail which later turned out to be the thermostat is sort of curing itself. A few hundred miles in a couple of weeks seems to be 'curing' the problem as the temp gauge starts working much quicker now. Also the 'mayo' is definately starting to go now, but I'll do another flush plus oil/oil filter change soon.

[Pete-M]

 

It was in Dovecote (I think)

Not far from me, then..

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've just taken a deposit on my Maestro. That means, because I havent bought any other projects lately, that this car is moving in at the end of the month!! Woo-hoo!

 

 

[retrogeezer]

If the carpet is Black , you do know alot of people on the Mk1 forum will pay very very silly money for it ?

 

But you should keep it all in there

Are you bringing it to an Autoshite meet ?

Really?? Black carpet?? Whys that then? I thought you could get repro carpets pretty easily.

 

Amazed that a Mk1 like that is now fetching a grand....wonder what my SS is worth now.

 

Top purchase by the way....look forward to seeing it and a pic with my Escort would look good too I reckon.

[pogweasel]

Has the Luce been residing at Franks all this time?

Or did you get it somewhere indoors to live?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Nah its been at franx! Lord knows what state its in now.

[Guest]

I'd like to think that the 929 is getting cracked on with because I won't shut up about it, but it's probably just because you've looked at the old pictures of it and realised it's one of the best-looking cars ever made.

 

My news is that me and Vic have been dismantling the Accord interior, ready for the upcoming welding required at the back. So out come the rear carpet and back seat. Getting the carpet out required dismantling of the centre console and a few other bits, all remarkably easy and logical. There's even some kind of velcro device so you don't have to undo the seatbelt mounts. Nice one Honda!

 

 

Don't have any pictures of the back of the interior, so here's the front.

[dollywobbler]

I've been servicing the Mini today, as we can't remember when it was last done. Found some pics dated Dec 08 showing us servicing it. Hope we've done it since then...

 

Even gave it the Redex treatment for an uber-cool Two-stroke look. Smokin' Then even got the grease gun out, which reminded me just how abused and neglected our poor Mini is. Well, I don't drive it much, if at all, and I've got rather enough vehicles of my own. Felt good though, especially with the front suspension greased and rather more than 19psi in the tyres! (one of the rears was down at 14...)

 

Then got the indicators working on the 2CV by replacing the relay. Discovered that I hadn't actually bolted the last relay in place after they packed up last time...

 

Now resting before leaping into a gorgeous beige BMW E21 that I'm borrowing for the weekend to head down to Bromley Pageant. Aiming to time my trip to co-incide with the World Cup. Hmmmm. Empty roads.

[Gompo]

How much work/welding is the Accord going to need, Hirst? Is it a keeper or what?

 

Cheers..

[Guest]

For MOT it needs a fair old bit of welding underneath, probably a full exhaust, few mechanical odds and ends - CV boots, etc. Don't really intend for it to be a permanent member of the fleet as I reckon it is handsome enough for someone else to look after it. But I do want to see it solid, smart and sporting a fresh test before it gets rotated on - if you fancy it, I can give you a nudge closer to the time.

[Mash]

I've got the engine back in my Triumph 1300 - should be able to get it threshing by next weekend.

 

That's when we find out it doesn't go for some reason....

 

Or it won't go in gear because I've bollocked up the gearbox rebuild...

 

Fingers crossed

 

I'll be able to try out my new revcounter too

[Minimad5]

Not big news but :

 

I can now TIG weld

 

Anyone selling a TIG ?

[Milford Cubicle]

Good luck with the hardtop Mr B, hope it hasn't turned out as grim as your Sigma estate.

 

 

I bought a new car this week, great for being a rep in 1994. Quite decent GLS spec with foglights and alloys, so would have given me some cred on the outside lane.

It has taken very well to its vegetarian meals (pictured in the boot) over the past 200 miles, hopefully its 300 mile round trip tomorrow won't be failsome.

Really need to change the coolant as it's looking a bit rusty, and I'm sure the oil hasn't been changed in a while...

[Guest]

Used the extremely quiet period during the football to mess around with some old motors, just get some of the more long-term ones moved around a bit. Vic even cracked up his Chrysler 180 and moved it around a bit.

 

I reckon I'm going to get the old Mazda 323 Estate down to the mechanic at some point - probably immediately after the Accord is welded up. I'll have him fit the new old stock exhaust I managed to obtain in the winter, then maybe I can start it up without everyone in West Yorkshire hearing it. Then welding. Then an MOT perhaps. It's all starting to happen now!

[Spottedlaurel]

Marvellous news on the 929 and Accord front.

 

I have done nothing to the Laurel since fitting the new tyres a couple of months ago. Doesn't need anything, I just enjoy driving it as often as I can. Going on a 'proper' classic car run in it next weekend, just me and a couple of MX5s representing Japanese cars amongst the usual British/European fare.

[Mr Lobster]

Excellent news on the 929 Mr_B. I shall look forward to hearing more of this.

 

R4 did a 300 mile roundtrip to the Bubble car museum yesterday. Roads were nice and quiet - way back even more so as everyone was inside on a lovely evening watching the football so I came off the M62 at Halifax and came back through Hebden Bridge* and Todmorden on some deserted roads. Very nice indeed. Seems that the R4 might be using a bit of water though so thats a job for this week.

 

*Lesbian Capital of The North.

 

[Cavcraft]

Good luck with the hardtop Mr B, hope it hasn't turned out as grim as your Sigma estate.

 

 

I bought a new car this week, great for being a rep in 1994. Quite decent GLS spec with foglights and alloys, so would have given me some cred on the outside lane.

It has taken very well to its vegetarian meals (pictured in the boot) over the past 200 miles, hopefully its 300 mile round trip tomorrow won't be failsome.

Really need to change the coolant as it's looking a bit rusty, and I'm sure the oil hasn't been changed in a while...

Class.

Isuzu engined I take it?

[r.welfare]

What happened to the Astra, Milf?

 

The big news at Welfare Towers is that Mr and Mrs R.W have swapped cars. This necessitated fitting parking sensors to the Avenizzzz (!), which took about 6 hours all-in - 3 of those spent trying to thread the live and earth wires up through the D-pillar, into the rubber boots to the tailgate, and then down the tailgate to the reversing light. Ugh.

 

Anyhoo, on inheriting the Accord I find that the ABS fault has not fully been solved by changing the rear N/S sensor (the ABS light still comes on and off - or just plain stays on at start-up - seemingly at random; I have the right resistance at the sensor, but an inconsistent open circuit at the ECU), and that after a re-gas the aircon is now not working at all, with an odd wheezing noise eminating from behind the glovebox when it's on. Great.

 

Worst case scenario is a secondhand compressor and ABS modulator I suppose, which should be doable for 150 quid plus the associated fitting costs.

 

Off to Manchester later, onwards to Bradford tomorrow and then home, with a round trip from Newbury to Peterboghorror on Tuesday - all of which will be part of an experiment to get the fuel economy up from the fairly dire (for a 1.8 automatic) 30mpg it's currently doing.

[retrogeezer]

Pop in for a cuppa later if you like Richard, I'm about 10 mins off Junc 16 of the M6 and you can rejoin it at 18 by going up the A530.