THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Albert Ross]

Check your pants next time you go.......................

[seth]

The Hillman has been a busy bee today.

 

First task was to get the American friend who's been staying with us for the past week to Heathrow for about 8.30 to catch his flight home.

 

Then on the way home from there I had to go via my brother-in-laws, whose Nissan Primera's battery oddly went flat at the end of last week. It wasn't needed 'til today so I went by to jump start it. I'm sure people walking by though the current in the jump leads was going the other way.... Anyway it managed that well enough after keeping the revs up with the choke for a few minutes to give the reliable modern Japanese car enough juice to turn over and work its poorly electronic ignition and injection systems.

 

Then off to Whitewebbs museum in Enfield for their new years autojumble where some shite was purchased, particularly reading matter.

 

Then after a quick spot of lunch into Central London to meet up with Shahin of Paykan Hunter blog fame (and employee of Chrysler in Detroit) and his Oxford based friend (employee of MINI) for a cruise about town and a chat over a coffee. To paraphrase/quote - "When I was growing up in Tehran I could never have expected, 20 years later, to see Big Ben through the windscreen of a 'Paykan' "

 

[Shep Shepherd]

Just driven The Volvo back from Southampton, after spending the new year weekend there. It didn't miss a beat

[gearoil]

Serviced the Vectra on Friday.

 

Drained the oil which didn't seem too bad, air filter was clean enough but changed it anyway, plugs new-ish, then popped the filter housing off to find this inside...

 

 

Yuk..!

 

And this is the filer.

 

 

Given its tricky location, I think it'd been ignored in the past...

[Claypole]

Seems to be a theme:

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Balls. 2CV engine work continues to develop pain in the arse moments. Took ages to get the manifold to want to fit, and when I finally get it there, one inlet manifold bolt refuses to tighten while on the same head, one of the exhaust manifold studs has destroyed thread too (I did at least know that this was a bit iffy before I started). Guess I'll be adding a stud extractor to my tool kit then! Bet the fugger still snaps.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

My Landcrab has just been awarded a fresh MOT certificate lasting till 2012! GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!

 

[michiel]

Axle end!

[dollywobbler]

Exhaust stud snapped. That was £23 well spent! Arse blankets.

[dollywobbler]

Gave up on the 2CV. Instead I fixed the BX's alternator (was able to adjust it and then repair in situ - horrible job with not enough access to anything!), fixed the washer spray bar (usual story that only one of the holes was squirting) and got the Landy's reverse light working (poor connection in the lamp itself) so at least some progress! Rain is forecast tomorrow so if we get a lot, I'll take the Landy for a spin to clean it up...

 

CX News - it's still here. Due to be collected this week but we've failed to agree a time that suits yet.

[autofive]

I have autofive's head in the boot of my car.

 

different head (plug snapped in the head), new HeadGasket and rocker gasket & plugs, scary put it all back together and now it runs better than before

 

Thanks scary

[scaryoldcortina]

I have autofive's head in the boot of my car.

 

different head (plug snapped in the head), new HeadGasket and rocker gasket & plugs, scary put it all back together and now it runs better than before

 

Thanks scary

 

 

You're welcome

 

I did get the stuck plug out, by mig welding a bolt into the broken bit, but the threads were totally knackered in the head too

 

I suspect the poor running had a lot to do with the loose inlet manifold.....

[Negative Creep]

Tried to sort my alarm, mainly by cutting the wire that goes to the siren. Guess I'll find out if that works in the next few days. Also wanted to sort the rough idle out so checked for any split or perished pipes and cleaning the plug to the idle valve. Then losing interest as it it was too cold.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've just taken a CASH MONEY DEPOSIT on my Landcrab from a really nice lad who jumped in his car and drove up from Andover as soon as he saw the ad on Retro-Rides!!!

[Guest]

Crikey, that's not a bad effort after the Cavalier is it?

[pogweasel]

why was it not advertised on here?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

No, I am chuffed to bits.

 

The Cavalier sales effort was looking a bit hopeless so today i drove it back into the workshop and started sorting out the crispy rear arch, i'll try again when its looking a bit more palatable.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

why was it not advertised on here?

 

Cos theres a perfectly good for sale board over there!!! if everyone filled up this board with their odd bits of tat for sale it would make it even more diluted than it already is surely.

[Lankytim]

I can't help being a weeny bit jealous of the landcrabs new owner. I think its great!

[autofive]

just been looking at the pics on RR

 

looks a pearler

[seth]

Seems like it was a proper bargain to me. I think you should value the time and proper effort you put into these old crocks a bit more!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

You might be right Seth, having said that I find that my love of tat benefited greatly when I finally acknowledged that trying to even break even, never mind make a profit, was a waste of time and cause of great stress and that I should just go with the flow!! Spend what I could afford to spend as and when and never get 'in too deep' financially with any of them.

 

The 'Crab was never gonna win any concours comps, and the paintwork was pretty poor TBH. I would almost certainly have had loads of twats turning up and finding daft things to grumble about, as there was plenty of ammo on it for armchair concours entrants and silver-topped full-time BL tyre kickers, but this lad just wanted a sound healthy old crab that he could use daily without stressing about rust, parking dings etc so it was perfect for him. A quick sale and onto the next shitheap (already emailed various LeBonCoin tat peddlers) - sounds good to me.

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

why was it not advertised on here?

 

Cos theres a perfectly good for sale board over there!!! if everyone filled up this board with their odd bits of tat for sale it would make it even more diluted than it already is surely.

 

You could've slid it into the valuable 'Post a picture as a reply' thread.

 

Mr. B = philanthropist of shite.

[Angrydicky]

I can't help being a weeny bit jealous of the landcrabs new owner. I think its great!

 

So do I! Congratulations to the lad who bought it on a superb buy!

[wuvvum]

A quick sale and onto the next shitheap

You need a Panhard in your life. Like this one for example.

 

 

Would look GR9 sat next to the A111 in your workshop.

[Cavcraft]

My old (briefly owned) Vectra ST is up for sale again at a reasonable price. Has lost it's original interior trim (which devalues it imho) and doesn't look as nice as when I had it.

They're getting rare now and I always kicked myself for selling it but cannot afford to buy it back.

[meggersdog]

The mighty Maestro has been forced out of hibernation.Sat in a field since September and only started once (whilst covered in snow) I drove it home lastnight.Finding myself without transport due to clutch failure in the Discovery I (luckily) booked the Maestro in for an MOT today.With a bit of carb adjustment and an advise on a slightly binding rear brake the car now has an MOT.Tomorrow morning a trip to the post office for some tax is on the cards.

[trigger]

The headlights on my VW Bora are dire, I've never had a car with such weak headlights, So I've just gone out to my local motor factors and spend £10 on a pair of 472 100w/80 headlight bulb'd bad boys! I've fitted to my cars in the past and they are excellent, It does mean you sometimes get flashed though.

[dollywobbler]

BX thermostat housing actually came off with no bother. Amazing! Then I discover that the 'stat is held in place with a bloody great circlip. I don't have circlip pliers and needle-nosers won't get it out (I've been trying hard - generating sparks when they slip kind of hard!). Think I'm going to see if a 'local' garage can swap it for me before I kill someone.

[Shep Shepherd]

Just treated TV2's aircon with one of those cleaner aerosols you let off inside the car. Hopefully, it will make the interior a bit fresher

 

Ordered a pair of Nexen N2000 tyres for its front wheels from Value Tyres, too:

 

 

£104 all-in. Not bad for low profile V-rated tyres