THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[HillmanImp]

Have a bad earth on the Audi somewhere or something fried on the ignition system. Its broken down at the lock up. Turn the key, nothing. Will have to pop back up there later in the Sera witrh some jump leads and a spare coil and have a look at it.

 

Am meant to be welding up my mates Corrola tonight too but that will have to be put off. Boo. Will do it tomorrow.

[HillmanImp]

Have a bad earth on the Audi somewhere or something fried on the ignition system. Its broken down at the lock up. Turn the key, nothing. Will have to pop back up there later in the Sera witrh some jump leads and a spare coil and have a look at it.

 

Am meant to be welding up my mates Corrola tonight too but that will have to be put off. Boo. Will do it tomorrow.

 

All sorted. Volksy had finished working on his car so popped up and sorted it when I was at work. The started solenoid had fallen off. Back on now and some beers awe owed. Top work.

 

So am able to wekd the Corolla now.

 

Thorted Rethpecht Dthu.

[ashmicro]

Not all longitudinal engines are easy. The north-south straight 4 layout in the E46 dizzler I fixed was less easy to work on than the transverse V6 in my Jaaaaaag. Still, my X Type is a Scouser, so probably won't have any truck with silliness.

 

I was very disappointed and underwhelmed by that BMW. Crap quality plastic clips abound, needlessly awkwardly positioned bolts and a major engine PHAIL on a car with less than 80k miles and a full dealer service history from day 1. Beemers used to be built to a standard, now they seem to be built to a price. It just feels knackered. The seats are horrible, the gearchange is crap, the steering is wooly, that stupid footrest is too close to the clutch pedal and the paintwork looks like I did it. It manages to understeer and oversteer at the same time, and even though it's now fixed, it's a slug off boost. My mate Colin has a Rover 45 dizzler and it is in every way a much better car than the E46 - it drives nicer, it's nearly as quick, it uses less fuel and it's much more comfortable. And people don't hate you.

[ashmicro]

Might as well put this here. Last night I met up with my best mate Glenn at The Point here in Carrick for a few beers. The Point is down at Carrickfergus Harbour, along with a couple of diners, KFC, McDonalds and the cinema. So we had our pints, and decided that rather than phone a taxi, we'd just walk into the town and go to the taxi office. We weren't 10 yards out of the bar when we heard a screaming woman "HELP HE'S IN THE WATER! HELP!"

 

We ran to where the woman was and sure enough there's a wee boy of 10 in the water. I gave her my phone and watch, Glenn did the same and we went in. I have to say at this point I wasn't much help. Glenn got the wee lad in the hold, and we got him over to the cast-in steps. By this stage the Police and an Ambulance had arrived.

 

Funniest bit was Glenn and I sitting with the tinfoil blanket things on, coughing up seawater. Glenn punched me in my arm and said "We're getting too old for this shit"

 

Needless to say we were SOAKED and Glenn phoned his wife, and I phoned Kate to bring us dry clothes. Carol (Glenn's wife) arrived first, got out of the Astra and said "WHAT have you two dickheads done now?"

 

We got our clothes changed in the back of a PSNI Land Rover, and then we were taken to hospital to make sure the cold had't got to us.

 

 

Glenn and I have been getting into scrapes since we were 3 years old. That's 35 years of naughtiness.

[Shep Shepherd]

Well done to you both!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Well done indeed I can't help but feel my instinct would have been to panic and make the situation worse.

[Cavcraft]

Hats off to you both, that's bloody splendid.

 

Right, just been out to look at a very, VERY tidy (facelift unfortunately) Calibra 8V. One or two minor issues but nothing that would appear to be too tricky to sort out. The bloke offered me a leveller against the Mondeo subject to a garage giving my car a once over tomorrow, something I'm more than happy to sort out as I'll get the Calibra looked at too and I don't expect them to find anything majorly wrong with the Mondeo.

I just hope he doesn't change his mind between now and tomorrow as I have my heart set on it. Watch this space for disappointment!

[John F]

Hats off to you both, that's bloody splendid.

 

Right, just been out to look at a very, VERY tidy (facelift unfortunately) Calibra 8V. One or two minor issues but nothing that would appear to be too tricky to sort out. The bloke offered me a leveller against the Mondeo subject to a garage giving my car a once over tomorrow, something I'm more than happy to sort out as I'll get the Calibra looked at too and I don't expect them to find anything majorly wrong with the Mondeo.

I just hope he doesn't change his mind between now and tomorrow as I have my heart set on it. Watch this space for disappointment!

 

Glad you found one in the end, Billy. Shame it's a facelift though.

[ashmicro]

Cheers all. My mate Glenn and I have been friends for nearly all of our lives. The "look" we gave each other last night was "Let's do this". Nothing was said, the look was enough. He's a mad bastard, and always was. I'm no kind of hero but I trust his judgment. "Get in, this wee lad's gonna drown, steps are 40 yards north west GO GO GO!"

 

 

 

He has said to me that he reckons my Kate is THE ONE. He vets all my girlfriends and thinks she's amazing. My trainers have fallen apart from the salt water. Boo. They were dead comfy.

[M'coli]

Aye, well done - and well done on not having any problems due to inbibing, too. I'd think twice about going in after alcohol because I would be worried that I'd make the situation worse, but it's a credit to you that situation didn't arise.

 

Were your trainers well worn? The sea water will have dissolved the toe-jam holding them together!

[Craig the Princess]

 

Funniest bit was Glenn and I sitting with the tinfoil blanket things on, coughing up seawater. Glenn punched me in my arm and said "We're getting too old for this shit"

 

Brilliant. Well done both of you, just a shame a mad South African diplomat wasn't behind it.

[trigger]

HERO. it's not often you can say you've saved a 10 year olds life, I often wonder what i would do in a situation like that, I like to think i'd just get on with it.

[ashmicro]

 

Funniest bit was Glenn and I sitting with the tinfoil blanket things on, coughing up seawater. Glenn punched me in my arm and said "We're getting too old for this shit"

 

Brilliant. Well done both of you, just a shame a mad South African diplomat wasn't behind it.

 

 

Lethal Weapon. yeah? Sadly, the trainers were almost new, a present from Katie. She went straight out and got me a new pair! I'm a bit of a dick, I don't know how I got such a good woman.

[Negative Creep]

So, finally have my wheels on

 

 

 

Now I am liking the design but the tyres are rather odd, 195/70/14 but with a big rim protector meaning they bulge out quite a way and even with that arch gap, still scrub on the rear when going over a bump. Considering I want to lower it, this is annoying. Local tyre man thinks some 175 tyres should help. but I really hope I can get around the offset problem

[Lankytim]

Have a bad earth on the Audi somewhere or something fried on the ignition system. Its broken down at the lock up. Turn the key, nothing. Will have to pop back up there later in the Sera witrh some jump leads and a spare coil and have a look at it.

 

Am meant to be welding up my mates Corrola tonight too but that will have to be put off. Boo. Will do it tomorrow.

 

All sorted. Volksy had finished working on his car so popped up and sorted it when I was at work. The started solenoid had fallen off. Back on now and some beers awe owed. Top work.

 

So am able to wekd the Corolla now.

 

Thorted Rethpecht Dthu.

 

PHEW!!!!

[ashmicro]

HERO. it's not often you can say you've saved a 10 year olds life, I often wonder what i would do in a situation like that, I like to think i'd just get on with it.

 

I reckon I#d have frozen. My mate Glenn is a police officer and there was no way he wan;t going in. He got he Queen's Police Medal for getting two women and two children out of a burning house. As I said he's my best friend and I'd follow him anywhere. We were there, and did what any person would have done. Glenn's the hero here - he got me to go in with him and we got the wee lad out.

 

Glenn has been shot, shot at and stabbed. Three times. I am proud to call him my best friend.

[Cavcraft]

HERO. it's not often you can say you've saved a 10 year olds life, I often wonder what i would do in a situation like that, I like to think i'd just get on with it.

 

I reckon I#d have frozen. My mate Glenn is a police officer and there was no way he wan;t going in. He got he Queen's Police Medal for getting two women and two children out of a burning house. As I said he's my best friend and I'd follow him anywhere. We were there, and did what any person would have done. Glenn's the hero here - he got me to go in with him and we got the wee lad out.

 

Glenn has been shot, shot at and stabbed. Three times. I am proud to call him my best friend.

 

So how long's he been living in Merseyside then?

[Pete-M]

Glenn has been shot, shot at and stabbed. Three times. I am proud to call him my best friend.

 

So how long's he been living in Merseyside then?

 

Got a CH postcode have ya?

[Negative Creep]

Hmm, that last attempt to post pictures didn't work. Try again

 

 

 

 

[theorganist]

Placed a bid a couple of days ago on the Talbot Solara that is on e-bay bearing in mind I am having a Maxi within the next month. Was outbid a yesterday to which I though oh well probably for the best. Now I have noticed that the other bid has been withdrawn so I am the highest bidder again, well the only bidder at present!! There is about 15 hours to go so I may end up being the owner of my first Talbot very shortly, although obviously there is plenty of time yet. I am torn between wanting to be outbid again (the sensible part of me) or being the owner of three vehicles (the reckless worry about it later side of me)!!

[Father Ted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15180978

 

Noooooooooooooo - its a monsterous toilet of a building where the elderly fear to go. Buldoze it. Buldoze it now.

[theorganist]

Birmingham Central Library is on the list I see - not sure it is a monument to be honest or if it is only an monument to why we should not want to go back to the demolish anything old attitude of the sixties, in my opinion. It is an eyesore and out of keeping with the surrounding buildings! There are some people who are trying to get it listed!

[dollywobbler]

Re: the Solara/Maxi dilemma. Buy both, write us a lovely comparison roadtest, then flog one of them cheaply to me. Sorted!

 

Range Rover has taken to not starting again. I have to keep jumping it off the BX as my battery pack refuses to help turn an engine that big and heavy. Not sure what the problem is. It's charging merrily. Disconnected one of the twin batteries after running it for a bit and the brand new battery showed a lower voltage reading than the old one. I'm a bit confused as to which battery does what (one is accessories, one is everything else) but the fact that the new battery is dropping volts in such a short time (quickly down to 12.3v after turning the engine off) causes me concern. Bought it online. Maybe that was a mistake...

[Negative Creep]

Call it a hunch guys, but I think I may have worked out why my exhaust is so loud.....

 

[Justin Case]

Birmingham Central Library is on the list I see - not sure it is a monument to be honest or if it is only an monument to why we should not want to go back to the demolish anything old attitude of the sixties, in my opinion. It is an eyesore and out of keeping with the surrounding buildings! There are some people who are trying to get it listed!

 

It's ironic that the splendid building on the left (the old Central Library) was considered an eyesore and replaced by the current monstrosity; bonus shite content included at no extra cost

 

 

Photo was lifted from here http://www.photobydjnorton.com/index.html, well worth a look for the old street scenes alone.

[theorganist]

@Alfisti Yes it was a great shame but typical of the attitude of the sixties. They often seemed to finish off what Hitler started.

 

Then again Worcester faired even worse the Guardian headline at the time was "The Rape of Worcester" the knocked down a complete medieval street and the last surviving (in the country) Cathedral Lychgate and built a shopping precinct and a hotel. I am always surprised how much many eyesores there are in what was probably one of the most beautiful cities in the UK

 

@Dollywobbler Was outbid on the Talbot in the end!

[Shep Shepherd]

Just about to drive to the Netherlands for the weekend in TV2. I expect that I will find some quality Euroshite to photograph on the Continent

[mattblack]

The Rover failed it's MOT on Tuesday, Rear trailing arm bush and a CV gaiter. The bushes were an advisory last time, and I'd been meaning to do them but just never seemed to get round to it... . The gaiter was also advised last year, but I did replace that with one of those 'split' jobbies. Which lived up to it's name and split. So this morning I dropped the N/S trailing arm off and soon had the old bush out and the new one in, much easier than I expected TBH, despite the drizzle. While I was working on the car I chap came round sticking leaflets through people's doors asking them to look out for his lost cat, he seemed quite taken with Rover but was suprised that I could still get parts for it... . This afternoon, after a quick trip to Halfrauds for a 32mm socket (I could have sworn I had one) I took the O/S driveshaft off and fitted a 'proper' CV gaiter. In the process of spliting the bottom balljoint I had tyre lever/forehead interface incident... I CAN HAZ LUMP ON TEH HEAD.

[The Moog]

Caravelle gone to two happy people. Managed to make £100 on it ... woo hoo .. .

[wuvvum]

Got rid of the S40 today. I can honestly say that I don't recall ever owning a car that I cared less about, so I was quite happy to let it, plus a modest sum of cash, go in exchange for this beauty:

 

 

It's a 2-litre V6 manual, and whilst not particularly quick it does sound quite nice. It also drives really well - I'd never driven a 75 before, although I'd been a passenger in several, and I'm quite impressed I have to say - it feels a lot more stable and planted on the road than I was expecting, and the dashboard is still one of my favourite in any car. It won't be getting used as a daily as the diesel 200 is far too good at that, but it'll take over from the late Accord as my towcar, my efforts to find a towbar for the Stagea having been in vain. I haven't had time to have too much of a play with it yet (or even take any decent pics), but so far I like it a lot.