THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Pillock]

That looks like quite a nice Golf - I rate the Mk3s for value - they're not that different mechanically to Mk2s so they handle OK if a little wallowy. Contrary to popular opinion the quality isn't worse either, it's just all the shitbox Mk2s are scapped and all the shitbox Mk3s are still on the road so people compare a crap Mk3 to a Mk2 that's had lots of attention.

 

I've got some Mk3 Window switches somewhere if you want me to dig them out - they are indeed a weak point but can be prised apart and cleaned up. Does it have a positive "click" when you press it or a dull flop? Unfortunately the mechanisms in the door are also a major arsearche, being made of Dairylea.

[Pete-M]

In other news... message from the chap in Czech who's meant to have the Escort finished for the end of July...

 

"There is much rust, heavy work, I am working on it a few hours a day...".

 

FFS, it's been there TWO F*CKING YEARS and I bought proper replacement panels for every bit of rot on it, two years ago. Told him to leave the engine alone as I know it's a good one, so he stripped the engine 'to check it', painted the bloody engine, and put it back together "It's fine, there's nothing wrong with it' - the bloody engine is coming out anyway as it's getting something more fun fitted when it gets here, so he's spent a week polishing and painting what was only going to be used for a thousand miles and end up as a door stop... I am beginning to lose patience. It's a few of days cutting and welding, tops, a couple of days prep and then a couple more in a paint shop, and a couple of days to put it back together. Couple of weeks maybe to get the thing right.

 

I have booked a week off work to go and collect the bloody thing at the end of July and it ain't gonna be ready. I can see myself driving over there in the Heep with a trailer, bolting the Escort back together and dragging it to the lads who're doing the 604.

 

Turned into a bloody disaster this.

 

Oh, and I appear to have said "Imbeciles only" when it came to advertising the Mondeo. £750 for a 53 plate car and all I'm getting is idiots who want a mint car for pennies. "It's got a dent", "That's why it's so bloody cheap", "Can't you knock more off?", "Have you not noticed it's the cheapest one in the country?", "Yeah, but it's got a dent", "Fuck off.".

[trigger]

I've got some Mk3 Window switches somewhere if you want me to dig them out - they are indeed a weak point but can be prised apart and cleaned up. Does it have a positive "click" when you press it or a dull flop? Unfortunately the mechanisms in the door are also a major arsearche, being made of Dairylea.

 

I think it was a dull click but i can't remember, the owner said that the windows open and shut with the key ok?, I've ordered a S/H switch of ebay for £10 just to be safe side but i guarantee that i won't need it and end up punting the switch on again.

 

I collect it tomorrow afternoon once the insurance is sorted out so I expect I'll find a fault list as long as my arm once it's home.

 

On the plus side the electric roof looks dead cool when your opening/shutting it, even if it does make me look like a hairdresser.

[Pete-M]

I think it was a dull click but i can't remember, the owner said that the windows open and shut with the key ok?, I've ordered a S/H switch of ebay for £10 just to be safe side but i guarantee that i won't need it and end up punting the switch on again.

 

I'm pretty sure that'll have VAGCOM, which covers all the windows etc. Next to the radio there's a little panel on the left, slide it out and if there's an OBD type socket there, go to your local bloke with diagnostic stuff and get him to tell you what's wrong.

 

If you were about 180 miles nearer I'd sort that for free.

[Guest]

 

Turned into a bloody disaster this.

 

Oh, and I appear to have said "Imbeciles only" when it came to advertising the Mondeo. £750 for a 53 plate car and all I'm getting is idiots who want a mint car for pennies. "It's got a dent", "That's why it's so bloody cheap", "Can't you knock more off?", "Have you not noticed it's the cheapest one in the country?", "Yeah, but it's got a dent", "Fuck off.".

 

Yeah, but can I buy it online?

[M'coli]

I set out this morning to go to Wilkinson's in Lincoln, but the Cavalier developed a puncture somewhere north of Doncaster without me realising it, so I drove for about 4-5 miles on a completely flat tyre - it did pull to the left a bit, but not enough to make me sus about it, it was only hitting a cat's eye that told me it was flat. I swapped over to the spare which in itself isn't to good because it's worn unevenly - still, it holds air - and drove home, thinking about tyres.

 

Then I remembered, I've got a spare one in the shed! It's a directional, so got home, grabbed it and went to my tame garage, who weren't busy and were able to swap it over. Then I spotted what looked like a part-worn in the correct size on their tyre rack! I asked about it ("There's nowt wrong with your glasses, is there? I can't read that from this distance!"), so got that put on the wheel with the shonky tyre, I paid and took the 2 old ones off to the coup.

£30 plus vat for the fitting and the part-worn - I'm pleased with that.

[Negative Creep]

MOT PHAIL

 

 

Not too bad though, needs a tyre, 2 front brake pipes, balljoint,a rear brake line and a tyre. Been quoted £220 including vat for everything but the tyre. I can't do any of that lot myself so seems a fairly reasonable price?

[trigger]

I picked the Golf up this afternoon, seems to drive nice but a bit tattier then i first thought last night, Needs a bloody good clean inside and has lots of scratches that will need a good polish as well as a nasty rust repair on the front wing.

 

I fancied a bit of a project though so i don't mind, I've already stripped the seats out in readiness to clean the inside tomorrow, And i think the window problem might be a regulator as It doesn't work by the key like the owner said but the other windows do... (Anyone know how to fix this?)

 

1994 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Cabriolet by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

1994 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Cabriolet by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

1994 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Cabriolet by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[tonedepear]

Looks pretty smart to me, that.

[Cheggers]

Aye, that looks like a pretty sound purchase.

 

I seem to have agreed to having my legs waxed as part of the fundraising effort for my 2 day, 300 mile bike ride...what a cock

[dollywobbler]

I seem to have agreed to having my legs waxed as part of the fundraising effort for my 2 day, 300 mile bike ride...what a cock

 

Um, I think you should keep that well out of the way by the sounds of it!

[tonedepear]

I seem to have agreed to having my legs waxed as part of the fundraising effort for my 2 day, 300 mile bike ride...what a cock

 

Good luck with the ride, anyway! Where you riding/what's it in aid of?

[Cheggers]

I seem to have agreed to having my legs waxed as part of the fundraising effort for my 2 day, 300 mile bike ride...what a cock

 

Good luck with the ride, anyway! Where you riding/what's it in aid of?

 

Cheers TP, I'm riding from London to Amsterdam in September in aid of SCOPE - 300 miles, 4 countries, 2 days ( ). I'm a keen cyclist anyway, but the level of training is getting insane...Details of the ride can be found here: http://www.amsterdam300.com, donations most welcome here: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/sweatngears

[tonedepear]

Holy fuck. I'm a lapsed keen cyclist, but now I get a sore arse after about 5 miles. That's a trek and a half. Well played!

[Pillock]

And i think the window problem might be a regulator as It doesn't work by the key like the owner said but the other windows do... (Anyone know how to fix this?)

 

Bin the regulator. VW ones are rubbish, replacement VW ones are rubbish too. I managed to get hold of an aftermarket one, presumably designed to add electric windows to poverty-spec models but it had the same connector albeit on a cable, not mounted to the body of the regulator. Still, plug and play replacement. Weighed around twice as much as the original, much better quality.

 

Makes it sound easy, doesn't it? Fugging thing took four hours of kneeling behind the door, jiggling and wiggling. The OEM ones fit much easier, but that's good as you'll replace them every few months.

[trigger]

Sounds great... Can you remember which one you bought? I've already ordered a new switch so I'll try that first when it arrives but Im pretty sure that it will make no differents.

[Mr Lobster]

Hey Trig, in case I've missed something (probable), whats the crack with the Golf then? Are you selling one of the others or just fancy having MOAR CARZ?

[trigger]

Mrs Trigger can't drive the Escort Lobz due to a sharp clutch and as that was to be her daily i needed to replace it, I don't really want to use it myself for work every day myself, as nice as it is a 1.3 4 speed Escort isn't really a drivers car.

 

The Golf was £700 and it was something she wanted, seems only fair.

 

Im going to punt the Escort on hopefully making a bit of a profit in the process to go towards a nice classic car when i sell the Kadett.

[Shep Shepherd]

How much do you want for the Escort, Trig?

[trigger]

How much do you want for the Escort, Trig?

 

God knows, Ideally i want to try my luck a bit at about £1000 but who knows what it worth?

 

There's a show on at Battlesbridge near Southend this Sunday in aid of a local charity that Im thinking about going to in it with some for sale signs in the windows.

 

Trig, is that the missus on the bootlid?

 

Luckily No Norm!

[Shep Shepherd]

How much do you want for the Escort, Trig?

 

God knows, Ideally i want to try my luck a bit at about £1000 but who knows what it worth?

 

There's a show on at Battlesbridge near Southend this Sunday in aid of a local charity that Im thinking about going to in it with some for sale signs in the windows.

 

I'm sure that someone would pay a bag for the car. I definitely would, as I adore Mark 3s

[Cheggers]

Hey, Chegg. Ain't you the one that moans when there's non-auto posts put up? LOL, you're it, kid-o! Good luck, yanking your crank, get over it, and ride nekked if it raises a bit more (um, money). You big hoss richard. Boohoo....

 

Sorry, my dear chap, not getting you at all...do you speak Surrey??

[Shep Shepherd]

Luckily No Norm!

 

Luckily? She's blinding me with science, SCIENCE!

 

Good heavens, Miss Sakamoto. You're beautiful!

[fiatdaft]

drivel. i say.

[Father Ted]

The K11 has developed a nice rorty deep exhaust note.

 

Unfortunately with this it has developed a nice backfire when dropping down a gear. GR9 for sounding like a rally car, but GR8.5 for bollocksing the cat.

[Guest]

The wart on my ass speaks up!

 

Thanks to science, presumably.

 

Actually, I'm lost too. Mexico please.

[Lord Sterling]

Well, looks like my 825 Sterling has come to the end of the line

 

Its been sat in my mates garden under a tarpaulin since it developed symptoms of HGF. A year ago it started billowing out white smoke, overheated and the header tank nearly exploded. I parked it up outside my house and it sat there rotting away until my mate offered me somewhere to store it until I decided to do something with it.

 

A few months ago said mate made me an offer I just couldnt refuse, he had an identical 825 Sterling in the same colour/spec that he never got around to refreshing the car with new parts so he offered to do a swap, I have this new 825 and he has my old one, I strip the old car of any good parts, the rest goes to scrap and he gets the weigh-in money that way he frees up a bit of space and I get to still own an early mk1 V6 Sterling.

 

A few days ago I wing my way down to his to start stripping the car (I also gave the 820e back to him) We managed to get to strip a fair few good parts and I took as much stuff as I could, it got to point though where enough was enough for me, it was kind of sad stripping a car which had done me good service, but it had to be done.

 

I kind of knew the car pretty cheaply bodged up and as a result affected the car fatally.

 

So now I am car-less at the moment again due to the 1990 827 Sterlings failure to start, and the 820e has gone back to mate, he has offeredd it to me again for using but I'm a bit worried about the cambelt, it doesnt look too healthy.

 

Some pics of the 825....

 

This was taken just over a year ago after a session with some T-cut and polish when the 825 was at the top of its game for the last time:

 

Sadly around September time last year it developed HGF symptoms, it stayed outside my house for a few months eventually getting worse:

 

After making a decision about the offer of a swap, me and my mate finally got around to breaking the car up:

 

You can see my new 825 in the background....

 

 

Soon the shell will be off to the weighbridge.

 

Now I've got another 825 Sterling and half a car full of spares Now I just need find some long-term storage

[Shep Shepherd]

It occurred to me today that so far this year, I have driven my department's latest hack vehicle*, a heavily-foxed 1991 Mitsubishi Pajero with an amazingly tenacious grip on roadworthiness, more than both of the Volvos combined:

 

 

My verdict: Surprisingly good off-road, unsurprisingly bad on-road. However, it's streets ahead of the near-dead 1985 Land Rover 110 high capacity pick-up which it replaced earlier in the year, which somehow still runs and now resides with the fitters.

 

 

 

 

*We also have a 1989 Ford Sierra 2.3D GL at our disposal, but the less said about that the better...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

What! This is autoshite man, tell us all about the Sierra as well.

[Shep Shepherd]

What! This is autoshite man, tell us all about the Sierra as well.

 

The Sierra is a on-site-only vehicle which is so messed-up that, to quote Stephen King, I swear that if you looked at it for too long, you'd go f**kng blind. I'll get a decent photo of it tomorrow, but for now, here's one of it lurking behind The Volvo:

 

 

The engine's an absolute peach, though...