THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Shep Shepherd]

I found getting the right length to be a matter of trial and error

[Mike D]

I spent a good 3 hours changing the steering wheel in my bug earlier! I've now got a rather gorgeous Grant Nostalgia wood rim steering wheel fitted though, so it was worth it. The mexi bug uses a spline adaptor on the old 74' on bug / mk1 golf spline... and it's an absolute 'MARE to get off! I had to emply some zip ties on my puller as the shoulder is tiny and the arms kept slipping off. It's off now however, and i'm well chuffed with the results, even if it did involve a shed load of swearing and dismantling the steering column switch gear to do it!

No pic til tomorrow though as it took me so long it got dark!

[Mike D]

I found getting the right length to be a matter of trial and error

 

I opened the box on mine, threw the guards away and cracked on

[Shep Shepherd]

I did that the first time I used mine. I looked like a member of the EDL as a result

[barefoot]

I stopped having my hair cut 15 yrs ago.

Once it gets to about 3 foot long it looses interest, stops growing any longer & spends its time gradually thinning itself out.

[ashmicro]

I ususally get mine cut by a friend from school, who now has her own salon/shop/whatever they call them. 2 all over, or a 1 in the summer (Norm might know a "1" as a Jarhead). As as result of this, and owning a Jaaaag, I look like the anorexic missing Mitchell brother from EastEnders.

[Barry Cade]

I seem to have just purchased an Accord on Ebay- road trip to South Shields on Saturday Seicento is fettled to perfection (nearly) is moving over to be Mrs Tiff's wheels and Swift is getting lots of interest on Gumtree as a winter runaround. To quote Hannibal from the 'A' Team- I love it when a plan comes together !

[Lord Sterling]

Since early 2010, I have cut my own hair with a £17 Remington clipper device. Paid for itself after two cuts

 

I've been cutting my own hair since about 2001. I balked at the sudden (small) rise in price at having to go out and get my hair cut by someone who didnt listen to you and cut your hair the way they wanted to. So I went out and bought some hair clippers for £10 and got used to it after a while. So for last 10 years I've only ever been to the barbers once (Whilst I was in Kuwait)

[Guest]

Have had two days of 460 Turbo evening drives. Last night was its baptism of fire. I made the mistake of letting my mate Dan drive it - and he can barely maneouvre a Skoda Superb. Cue a shitload of clutch slipping, smoking tyres and the engine dropping off boost. He seems to think I'll sell it to his bird's grandad so he can bounce it off bollards collecting his grandchildren from school. Fat chance. It deserves better than being smashed to pieces as a pensioners' last car.

 

This evening, another spin around the Altrincham \ Sale area occurred. I REALLY need to sort the throttle cable out. You have the choice of no power or OH SHIT I'VE GOT FULL BOOST IN SECOND AND THE ROAD IS WET torque steer madness. Pulling away slowly then roaring off at full pelt unintentionally confuses the following traffic somewhat, too. Not that I'm that bothered - it's a slab sided Dutch \ French half breed Volvo that can outdrag a 320d in third. You would not believe the fun I've had with it already.

I was given an enormous stack of history with the car from the previous owner. Truth be told, it's one of my favourite parts of buying a vehicle new to you, as you learn something of its history. My 460, registered on the week of the model launch in 1990 was a company car first of all and maintained at a main Volvo agent regardless of cost for 3 years. It did some time in France and passed a Control Technique shortly after the second owner completed purchase from the lease company. Its third owner is a mystery, being mentioned only once in a South Croydon tyre bay invoice in 2005. The 4th owner was a sketchy bint who worked at Heathrow Airport. She dented the OSF wing, had a perfectly sound battery replaced instead of taking it out and charging it, and was somehow paying £1010 a year to insure it. Fascinating stuff to a social history sluice like me.

 

I even dug out the radio code that was lost when the battery was changed in August. A handwritten note was scribbled inside the handbook giving the keystrokes and buttons needed to unlock it. I used up all of my attempts trying to second guess it, so I suppose the terminals will have to come off again for a reset. If all else fails my £2 bargainous ISO adaptors arrived from eBay yesterday which can be used to power my old Alpine 7902M CD player if it comes to it.

 

I still haven't really looked at it in the light yet. This needs amending, but my spare time only seems to fall in the [very] late evening. One thing I do know is that it's actually a very dark metallic blue, as opposed to the BLACK stated on the V5.

[whitevanman]

/\/\ on the subject of hair....why bother spending any money cutting it, just let it get on with doing it's thing, almost 19 years since mine last got cut in any way....

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I've tried long hair. Mine just puffs out at the sides and looks daft.

 

Since early 2010, I have cut my own hair with a £17 Remington clipper device. Paid for itself after two cuts

This is also something I've tried. I bought the clippers, ran an extension cord into the bathroom, set myself up in front of the mirror and went to town. As the first tuft of hair hit the ground I had a horrible realisation that I was already in too deep, I couldn't possibly walk into a barber's shop and ask for this to be fixed. It took an age to get it looking reasonable, and it ended up far too short as I struggled to even it out. Of course, every time someone so much as glanced in my direction I assumed they were looking at my wonky hair.

 

Despite this, I continued to use the clippers for over a year. Every time it was like spinning a car on an empty road. You're terrified through the whole thing but when it's over you can't quite believe you've got away with it.

[barefoot]

I've tried long hair. Mine just puffs out at the sides and looks daft.

 

That's because you panic too early, leave it longer & the weight will drag it down.

 

 

Anyone any idea why my Scirocco has started spluttering & misfiring under load at low revs?

[M'coli]

Perhaps there's some hair wrapped around the throttle butterfly?

[Cavcraft]

Perhaps there's some hair wrapped around the throttle butterfly?

 

 

If that doesn't work trying spraying some Silvrikin into the carb.

[whitevanman]

PMSL

[Mike D]

Re my epic steering wheel struggle a thon last night, here are some cavesque pics of the new wheel in place

[barefoot]

Bollocks the lot of you.

 

The King lead had been rubbing on the heater cable & had worn a little.

Insulation tape for now, new leads shortly.

[Pete-M]

I've got a wood rim Mota-Lita wheel here if anyone's interested in making an offer for it.

 

In other news...

 

Tax on the Heep runs out the end of this month so I dug out the paperwork and realised I don't actually have the V5C for it, just the little green slip that I used in to tax it last time. "Bugger" thinks I, and set the sat nav for the very heart of Hell - Trafford DVLA.

 

After a 25 minute queue the DOOVLA droid checks my paperwork, initially tries to charge me £25 for a new V5C until I pointed out that I have the green slip and that it was in the droids hand at that very moment, so the droid passes me a little slip and tells me to go and queue elsewhere to get the tax disc. 15 minutes later Droid No2 tries to charge me for not having the V5C - the other droid had stapled it to the paperwork - I pay £118.25 for six months tax and droid tells me I can't have the green slip back as it has been used twice now.

 

Great. Just got to hope the bloody V5 turns up soon.

[Mike D]

Uncle Norm, I didn't realise! Or i'd have lobbed my custom your way!

 

Could you pm me a price anyway for another of the same wheel, plus a boss for a Dodge D50 / Mitsubishi L200? I might be able to tempt a mate too for one for his AMC Javelin..

[M'coli]

Bollocks the lot of you.

[Guest]

Perhaps there's some hair wrapped around the throttle butterfly?

 

 

If that doesn't work trying spraying some Silvrikin into the carb.

 

I'd recommend hammering a larger moth on to it.

[Cavcraft]

Perhaps there's some hair wrapped around the throttle butterfly?

 

 

If that doesn't work trying spraying some Silvrikin into the carb.

 

I'd recommend hammering a larger moth on to it.

 

 

Right, back on topic: tomorrow promises some 'proper' fixing action on the Zafira. New rear box and suspension spring are here and I got new gasket/bolts for the exhaust today. All being well it's going into my lad's work tomorrow to have thse fitted and a new CV gaiter too. My lad is going to be fixing his mate's dad woeful Renault Espaz and reckons we can make some major moves to sorting the Zafira as well. Ramps, proper tools and someone with know how all at hand, I shall revert to helping by swearing a bit and making tea.

 

Decided (thanks to advice on here) that a chip of some sort will be the way to go for the Audi, just need to see if it's six or eight pin then get one ordered. More WVO recenlty with a good splash of diesel and some heavy right foot action and honestly it's shit loads quicker already. Further advice on here ref. making a de-cat pipe shall also be heeded soon, the plan being to get an original pipe from a scrappy then getting a pattern one (minus Tiddles) knocked up.

 

Oh, talking of cats there was a stray kitten stuck in a hedge at my lad's work the other week which repayed me trying to unstick it by ripping my hands to shreds. Said cat has now set up home in the garage and is partly black, partly white and partly oil coloured. I'll take some food in for her/him tomorrow and see if it'll sit in my lap again now it's got a lot friendlier.

[Pete-M]

For your chip, speak to the Dash Doctor... I'm sure he was doing some decent ones he was getting in Germany somewhere.

 

I've decided that I'm going to narrow down the old fleet a bit. The Rangie is up for grabs, as will be the 604. The Heep has won itself a six month reprieve which will include a full 120k service, the exhaust fannymould welding up and new brake discs on Monday. The Jag is going to go into hibernation somewhere and get made immaculate again. The Escort, well, that's gonna stay where it is until the Spring.

 

Somehow, and I'm damned if I know how, the Jeep has wormed its cheap and tacky American way into my affections. It's not a bad old thing really, there's no rot on it, it tows reasonably well, is pretty comfy even on 300 mile towing stints, has a bloody good stereo and does the cost equivalent of 26-30 mpg even when dragging a ton and a bit of Maserati or 604 half way around the country. The switchgear is nasty, it's not quick, it doesn't handle particularly well, the boot space is comical with the spare wheel and LPG tank in there, but it has managed to tow or carry everything I've asked of it - even though that has included having things lashed to the roof rails on occasion. It also has a bloody volcanic heater, heated electric leather memory seats, working cruise control and an armrest.

 

Dammit. The piece of shit has persuaded me to flog the Rangie. What's the world coming to?

[Cavcraft]

Only tried an early Cherokee once Pete and it actually didn't handle at all, which kind of put me off them a bit! Your's looks nice though and the LPG must be a huge bonus.

Who is Doctor Chip by the way and where can I find him please?

Thanks and regards.

[retrogeezer]

Oh, talking of cats there was a stray kitten stuck in a hedge at my lad's work the other week which repayed me trying to unstick it by ripping my hands to shreds. Said cat has now set up home in the garage and is partly black, partly white and partly oil coloured. I'll take some food in for her/him tomorrow and see if it'll sit in my lap again now it's got a lot friendlier.

 

I rescued a stray that had been abandoned by it's (stray) mum back when I worked at a bodyshop. It was stuck behind a fence and came straight for us when it heard us calling it. He was only a couple of weeks old and the vet fed him with a pipette thing for a couple of weeks until I could take it home and give it milky rice stuff. We had him for 15 years until he died in 2008.

Sounds gay but I still miss him.

[Pete-M]

Only tried an early Cherokee once Pete and it actually didn't handle at all, which kind of put me off them a bit! Your's looks nice though and the LPG must be a huge bonus.

Who is Doctor Chip by the way and where can I find him please?

Thanks and regards.

 

Standard Cherokheeps are leaf sprung at the back. Grand Cherokheaps are coil sprung. Big difference in how badly they handle.

 

Last time I spoke to him he was importing chips and he's a good man. The Dash Doctor

[Cavcraft]

Cheers Pete, will have a look at that link later, thanks.

 

Si, nowt 'gay' about that mate, anaimals are ace and part of the family once you take them on. The kitten made several appearances today (will try and upload picture later) and has got even dirtier since yesterday as it likes rolling round in the bodyshop dust, then goes out to the yard where it rolls round in dirt and oil I'f offer to take it home but they love it and look after it at my son's works and it seems really happy.

 

Right, excelsior news on the Zafira front as it passed the MOT today! My lad worked wonders as I played 'pass the spanner' and in no time at all he had the strut off, put the new spring on and we moved to the backbox which was really easy to do luckily. We had to work outside as all the ramps were being used but didn't really struggle at all. Last job was the steering rack gaiter and that was another easy job, so really happy with the test certificate and nice to get my hands dirty for once.

The backbox was royally knackered, more holes than a Swiss cheese and it was actually surprising it was still attached to the car. In fact it snapped off as we were undoing it so obviously wasn't long left on this earth anyhow.

Had scored new bolts, gasket and rubbers for it yesterday for about £14.00 all so I reckon the cost of the parts was only about £82.00 or so 'all in' and the MOT was free as it was a re-test.

[The Moog]

Ordered a gearlinkage bush kit from ebay on tuesday. Got email yesterday morning to say they dont have it in stock.Brilliant So ordered one from Parts for Volvos and it arrived this morning.

 

Changed the front and rear bush on the gearlinkage and now it works fine!

 

Before it was luck of the draw which gear you got. I did do it up too tight so that choosing gear was a real struggle but now have loosened it off. One of those fiddly jobs that took about 45 mins instead of 10 to do.

 

In other news think that I will be punting on the micra and holding on to the volvo. Missus has decided it is a better bet and so will get the micra cleaned and up for sale asap. Perhaps it is a shame I didnt get that 605! maybe she would have fallen for that one as well

 

Anyone want a K11 Micra with new gearbox and new shocks fitted all round

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Got a new rear sprocket on my BMX, £10 fitted! BARG

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Poundland cable ties + B&M bargains duct tape = secure mirror. TAKE THAT, VANDALS!

 

OTOH, the Poundland air freshener has been an EPIC FAIL, since it came without a clip for attaching it to the air vents.

 

As detailed in other thread, I got a set of tyres fitted. The rear of the car already is much less iffy when slowing down. GR9 stuff.