THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Negative Creep]

Well I've gone and done it. I've been weighing it up for ages, it's cost me money before but I could put it off no longer. It's a risk on an epic scale but I've just bitten the bullet and gone ahead.

 

 

I sent my licence to have the address changed and used regular post.

[Cavcraft]

Shame the Fizzy is the later and less desirable model.

 

I like all the 'vendor says...' comments they're hardly going to say it's full of stop smoke/isopon/lollipop sticks.

[meggersdog]

Shame the Fizzy is the later and less desirable model.

 

I like all the 'vendor says...' comments they're hardly going to say it's full of stop smoke/isopon/lollipop sticks.

 

most of them are...you must have been before then.

Anyone remember that R4 van with overspray on the seats posted in the ebay tat thread a few months ago ? well that came from ACA

[pogweasel]

I seem to recall that ropey cambridge estate featuring in some pics by Seth.

 

Might go along for a look if I am feeling flush.

Particularly like that 'gay-look'-era Minx convertible, a very sweet little thing.

[Cavcraft]

Oh aye, the 110 (or whatever they are) estate and saloon cars have been hawked round Ovalchat for a while. Obviously pre-68 wasn't coming, or more likely they didn't achieve the high price he wants for them. I'd be amazed if they reached £5,000-£6,000 though they do deserve saving.

 

 

Don'e pretty much sod all with the Corsa today but I have removed the ghey chrome front number plate surround thing and had a lame attempt to remove the stupid windscreen wiper 'spoilers'. Gave the front end and one side a reasonable dose of T-cut and it's starting to look much better now.

Tim wheels are about average though the n/s/f has quite a few scuffs and they're clad in 185/55/15 flava tyres. One is probably either just on or just below the limit, one is getting very near and the other two seem to have a fair bit of tread.

[oldford]

After acquiring a car full of Sierra parts yesterday, I've spent alot of today looking at seats and I've managed to work out a way of scheming some electric front seat back rests into the Sierra. The idea is to get them to work whilst still looking original (ish), retaining the original covers and seat foam.

 

The current seats are Granada electric bases with Sierra manual back rests and Sierra base foam and cover. The problem was that the Sierra back rest covers wouldn't fit the Granada back rests as the head restraint holes are differently spaced. That can be solved by grinding the head reastraint brackets of the Granada and Sierra seat backs and welding the Sierra ones to the Granada ones. Another problem is with the lumbar support, the Sierra cover has a hole in it for the adjustment wheel, whereas the Granada uses a pneumatic lumbar support. I'll go with the Granada ones as they now hold air after a couple of puncture repairs (both punctured in exactly the same place) and I'll need to drill a hole in the Granada seat frame so that I can put part of the Sierra lumbar mechanism in, just to hold the redundant adjusting wheel. The only other thing is that I previously drilled the seat plastic side trim to take the manual recline wheel, I think that some grommets will sort that.

[cort16]

I've been mulling over buying a Ford Puma that's local to me. The food news is he only wants £300 for it and the rear arches are still intact. The bad news is it's about to run out of MOT and it needs the valve stem oil seals done. I fancy a little mechanically project but I fear £300 + repair price could buy me one with an mot and non funked engine. What would the scrappy give him for it do you recon as I was thinking over offering £200 for it?

[Tayne]

The food news is he only wants £300 for it and the rear arches are still intact.

 

Tasty.

 

 

No idea about values though. I reckon £200 is a bit more than scrap money (its a light car isn't it?) so he might take it.

[cort16]

Sorry it was I typo. I meant to put Ford Pasty

[barrett]

Are Pumas really that cheap now? I always thought they looked pretty cool for a modern.

[dollywobbler]

Downsides to garages as an integral part of your house. Came home last night and the whole house stank of petrol, all because the 2CV had leaked about a teaspoon's worth! Cue a hasty midnight tinkering session. Now the Scimitar has settled in, I really need to get on top of some of the 2CV's issues. Exhaust sorted, wiring faults and fuel leak yet to remedy. Oh, and some rust to deal with. And the bonnet catch is knackered.

[Cavcraft]

Unless it was a specialist scrapyard I'd have thought they were unlikely to offer much over £160 to be honest. I'd offer him two ton and take it from there.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Downsides to garages as an integral part of your house. Came home last night and the whole house stank of petrol, all because the 2CV had leaked about a teaspoon's worth! Cue a hasty midnight tinkering session. Now the Scimitar has settled in, I really need to get on top of some of the 2CV's issues. Exhaust sorted, wiring faults and fuel leak yet to remedy. Oh, and some rust to deal with. And the bonnet catch is knackered.

 

Amazing how little petrol can stink out a house. One wall of my garage is also my neighbour's living room wall, and I once made their whole house smell of paint thinners

[Lankytim]

ow.

Tim wheels are about average though the n/s/f has quite a few scuffs and they're clad in 185/55/15 flava tyres. One is probably either just on or just below the limit, one is getting very near and the other two seem to have a fair bit of tread.

 

Soz Billy but the tyres are the wrong size for the Astra- i'd have to replace them all and that would make it uneconomic over just lobbing a pair of part worns on the rear. TEH HUBCAPZ FTW!@!!!11

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've spent 2.5 hours trying to get my Argenta started this evening, ultimately I failed but i dit inhale enough petrol fumes to give me a thumping headache so ity wasnt a total waste of time

[Gompo]

How long is it since it last ran Mr B?

 

Seeing that thing brought back to life is something I'm looking forward to.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I had it running for 1 day about 5 years ago, but its about 20 years since it was last on the road!! Its been sat in sheds ever since.

[Cavcraft]

ow.

Tim wheels are about average though the n/s/f has quite a few scuffs and they're clad in 185/55/15 flava tyres. One is probably either just on or just below the limit, one is getting very near and the other two seem to have a fair bit of tread.

 

Soz Billy but the tyres are the wrong size for the Astra- i'd have to replace them all and that would make it uneconomic over just lobbing a pair of part worns on the rear. TEH HUBCAPZ FTW!@!!!11

 

No worries, they're probably destined for some bellend who drives past McDonald's 20 times a night shouting comments at schoolies.

[Station]

Cheers gents, had considered some of the old K-seal to be honest.

 

Dave: what's this compressor/spark plug thing about please in layman's terms? I'll try and see what this engine is like and if it's kaput how much do you want for your spare Astra one please?

 

You just drill through a spark plug, put a hose on the end, screw it in, and then connect the other end to an air source, and the air will find which ever cylinder is leaking by producing bubbles through the coolant bottle!

The engine turns over fine, but has been sat for five years since it was last driven into the garage. It's otherwise complete (not in the pic) and is the C14XE I think.

 

[myglaren]

Tasmanian blogger invited to work for SAAB.

[Cavcraft]

Thanks Dave, very handy to know that.

[Father Ted]

The Zafira has thrown its toys out of the pram again.

Bloody DPF.

Orange lamp of death lit up, wont rev above 1500 rpm.

Its getting fixorated and sold on, that is the final straw - even the wife who has been loath to sell it now agrees.

[scruff]

I bought this GB plate on the internet a while ago without checking the dimensions, it turned up and I thought "that's going to look shit". But it turns out it doesn't look too shabby.

 

[Mike D]

I stripped the water pump off the Camaro yesterday, and got a new one + a new top and bottom radiator hose ordered today, for delivery tomorrow! Thanks www.usautomotive.co.uk I'll get it lobbed back together tomorrow evening,

 

I also went to the garage that is meant to be mending the 928, and told them my 'do it when you get a spare moment' didn't mean nearly 5 months, and i need it sorting pronto as the Merc has shat its gearbox. Fingers crossed that will be ready soon.

[KruJoe]

Been and collected the R8 for my sister (£190, long T+T) I fell in love with it despite it being a bit dog-eared and one of the tattier examples around. It goes really well to say it's not tiny, and is only a 1.4. She was less convinced but it has responded well to a little light tinkering, and she's coming around. I said I'd have it from her for similar money whenever she's done with it.

 

 

It is certainly more suitable than this was:

 

 

Re knackered, mildly barried Corsas, I persuaded her she should get rid while it still had a couple month's T+T. I said if she was lucky, it might fetch nearly what she paid for the Rowvah if I put together a nice listing for it.

Main downsides are its size, the fact is only fires on two of its three cylinders of the 1.0 when you (tried to) encourage it along, and this:

 

 

Pogweasel pink FTL. Oh and it had been a CAT-C write-off.

So I applied eBay wax'n'polish*, chucked in a random parcel shelf with 6x9s I had in the shed, and two part worns to fit the alloys, and listed it at an honest £99 no res. Loads of interest and we had £500 folding within 48 hours! WINNAR!

 

 

I wish they were all that easy.

 

[*a squirt with the hose-pipe]

[garethj]

Volvo passed the MoT today with only a silencer and handbrake pads needed. Woo-hoo

 

I took it into London last weekend and it wafted beautifully down the motorway, then hammered back at rep-worrying speeds. Even with that, and not getting higher than 2nd gear from the north circular to Arsenal it still did 30mpg. That overdrive top gear is monster high, I reckon if you did motorways all the time and kept to 60mph it wouldn't use any petrol whatsoever

[dollywobbler]

2CV is out of commission while I sort the wiring out, which has left me with just the Scimitar! Good job it's behaving itself (dangerous words?).

[Angrydicky]

Today I've been mostly working on my Austin A55 Cambridge, firstly I got the engine bay all nicely painted, then tried yet again to solve the persistant leak coming from up behind the dashboard somewhere. I've now sealed the windscreen rubber two or three times, the bit around the bonnet hinge with loads of sealant and a proper rubber grommet, an old door seal around the edge of the bonnet surround (an old pre-farina trick) and would you believe it's still getting in! Straight onto the floor, soaking the carpets each time and predictably there's some quite serious rot/crap MOT welding in the floorpan due to the aforementioned leak.

 

I then took it out for a run and while I was out the windscreen wipers stopped working, I got home, found a blown fuse and replaced it but now neither the wipers or the indicators work! I remember the indicators failed while I was test driving the car before I bought it, the seller said it was just a fuse and got them working before I bought it. I remember there was quite a collection of fuses in the glovebox when I got it as well, so it looks like it has a bit of an appetite for them!

 

In other news, I've decided I miss my old 2CV so much, I'm going to look for another one! Trouble is all the cheap ones seem to be completely rotten (like my old one) so if anyone has a cheap 2CV with a galvanised chassis and MOT, can they let me know? Or does such a thing not exist?

[dollywobbler]

How's this Dicky? http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... e/76332127

 

No mention of the chassis, but worth a look I would have thought (albeit a long way to go!).

[Mike D]

USAutomotive quite literally delivered the goods today, I got my new water pump and hoses for the Camaro by 10.30! Set to it after work, and lobbed it all back together. I've just been out for a rumble, no more leaks and the temp is rock steady