THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[r.welfare]

Does that really have "SECURITY" written on the bonnet and hi-viz striping on it? Presumably any security breaches will be over and done with by the time the Sierra's warmed it's glowplugs and the full 67bhp of Indenor delight comes into play

[ashmicro]

We used to have a bunch of "site cars" on the Ballylumford CCGT project for blezzing about in, back between 2001 and 2004. A Nova, a Polo squareback, a Renner 5 and some other's I can't remember. They were crudely sprayed up by us with roadmarking paint. The Polo was the best, with "Geheimestaatspolizei" painted down the sides. Not everyone understood it...

[scaryoldcortina]

I have pulled my Mk3 tina from its 3 year slumber in the yard and put it on the ramp. I have made a decision. I want to drive this one.

[autofive]

I have pulled my Mk3 tina from its 3 year slumber in the yard and put it on the ramp. I have made a decision. I want to drive this one.

 

 

but the volvo won the tug of war

[cort16]

I fitted a new back box to my Merc yesterday (£40 delivered is a bargain) and had to the jack the thing up to the get wheel off for access.

All was going well until I went to put the wheel back on and couldn't. My jack had bloody sank into the newly tarmac'd yard under the weight of 18ton of raw Mercedes. I ended having to lower it onto an old wheel before jacking it back up with the jack on a big bit of wood. Even that was sinking as I hurridly replaced the wheel. All done now though,

[Lord Sterling]

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

 

We need pics Shep man. Pics.

[Pete-M]

We need pics Shep man. Pics.

 

Can we also have pics when the 825 goes over the Bridge of Doom?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

NO, we don't want those pics!

[Rod/b]

NO, we don't want those pics!

 

I agree, I think we just should settle for a 120 page thread next time Luxo_Iz-US tries to check an oil level / pump up a tyre / tune a radio instead.

[Shep Shepherd]

Does that really have "SECURITY" written on the bonnet and hi-viz striping on it? Presumably any security breaches will be over and done with by the time the Sierra's warmed it's glowplugs and the full 67bhp of Indenor delight comes into play

 

Oh yes. The security manager insisted upon it:

 

 

GR9 for high-visibility perimeter patrols

 

Here's another shot of the car with a suitably Fordish trailer, taken in the part of the site known as 'The Graveyard', due to the fact it's full of dead plant, industrial equipment, silos, cranes, Volvo BM contraptions, pipework, trailers, vans and lorries. My company's owner (a top, top bloke, by the way) is a notorious tat buyer/hoarder, even though he's a multi millionaire and could buy everything that the company will ever need brand-new:

 

 

Looks okay in the pictures, but in reality it's completely done-in and will never, ever get another MOT. However, it still goes pretty well (it's quite nippy for a 2.3D, as it never gets out of second gear) and refuses to break, no matter how badly it's treated, which makes it a Good Car in my book

[Shep Shepherd]

We used to have a bunch of "site cars" on the Ballylumford CCGT project for blezzing about in, back between 2001 and 2004. A Nova, a Polo squareback, a Renner 5 and some other's I can't remember. They were crudely sprayed up by us with roadmarking paint. The Polo was the best, with "Geheimestaatspolizei" painted down the sides. Not everyone understood it...

 

Nice!

 

As well as the Pajero, Landie and Sierra, we have a Clio van, an Astra van, a Combo, a couple of really horrible MK3 Transits and several time-expired ERF and Volvo tractor units and rigid-bodied bulk liquid tankers which get used to shift stuff around the site

[dollywobbler]

Fleet update. Rangie - awaiting new brake bits. 2CV - lots of miles coming up. Still lots of little jobs that need doing. Saab - trying to swap it for something a bit more hopeless. Mini - MOT tomorrow. Checked it over this evening and the light switch is playing silly buggers. Will it work for the MOT? Um, watch this space... (not sure I can find a replacement switch between now and tomorrow morning. Why didn't I check it over last week?!)

[trigger]

It's been a busy day in Trig towers today, Firstly I started on the Kadett, As some of you may remember, the bottom of my wing had snapped off and started to crack from all the filler in it, I took it to a local bodyshop who quoted £477 to fix it, Fook that, I ended up taking it to my tamed mechanic who rebuilt it all and welded it up for me for £30!, Bargain.

 

So today i got some filler on it, and both etch primed and grey primed it then ferryed it off to a local car glass specilast (next door to oldford's gaff) to have the quarter light window glass replace.

 

My repair by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

I'm not 100% happy with the repair as i bo11oxed up the swage line a bit then when i took the tape of the paint on the sill came off as well , I've bought a can of Halfords mixed paint for it so fingers crossed it will look better once it's painted and finished.

 

Opel with it's repair and Mk3 Escort by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

Then onwards to the Golf, When i bought it the car was a bit of a shit hole, the interior was like Stig of the dump had been living in at and the exterior looked like it had been washed with a brillo pad and a set of car keys, So i stripped the seats out and gave the inside a good hoover and vax.

 

After removing about 15 pens, 5 hair clips, £6 in £1 coins and a 5 Francs, the interior came up a treat, I've also fixed the stereo as that wouldn't store it's station memory once you turned your keys off, This, after a quick google search, turned out to be a simple case of swapping a yellow and red wire around on the ISO lead.

 

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

 

I also bought a set of really good fitted car mats off ebay for £11.35 delivered, You can see here that the door trim is off, this is because I'm yet to finish fixing the window regulator, This is the job from hell, I'm waiting for a replacement to arrive from ebay so fingers crossed it will fit better then it came out.

 

And as Len asked, here's some new photos of the Golf taken tonight, It now looks like it's worth much more then the £700 it cost me!.

 

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

 

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

 

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

[Pillock]

Indeed, I know they're not the most loved of cars but that looks very nice and tidy. And it has that odd VW-only font on the numberplates too.

 

I've got some foglamps and (smaller) blanking plates for one of them if you fancy an upgrade?

[dollywobbler]

That does look rather jolly. The final fling for interiors with actual colour in them? (not including silly things like the Fiat Coupe and 500).

[Mr_Bo11ox]

It's been a busy day in Trig towers today, Firstly I started on the Kadett, As some of you may remember, the bottom of my wing had snapped off and started to crack from all the filler in it, I took it to a local bodyshop who quoted £477 to fix it, Fook that, I ended up taking it to my tamed mechanic who rebuilt it all and welded it up for me for £30!, Bargain.

 

Gr8 work trig!!! I would say you are a pretty serious shiter nowadays what with all this buying and tinkering. Keep it up!

[ashmicro]

The Goof looks great, Trig. Nice work.

[RoadworkUK]

Lord Sterling; Sorry to hear about the Sterling, but good to know that your "new" one has a decent cache of spares for a while. My 825si is in hibernation until I tax it.

 

In other matters; the Audi completed a mind-numbingly efficient 520 mile round trip to Glastonbury in its usual tediously capable, shoulder shrugging way. Bloody Germans.

[Rusty Pelican]

Bought a lucas hazard warning light switch from a car show for £2 yesterday , wired it in my Singer this evening and it works.

bargainous

[Guest Len H]

The Golf cab looks very smart. Please keep the steelies!

 

My Golf shed is going in for an MOT tomorrow, pretty sure it needs a new windscreen. Is £139 a good price (Autoglass quoted £350, a 'special deal')? Bearing in mind the chap has to travel 70 miles.

[trigger]

Gr8 work trig!!! I would say you are a pretty serious shiter nowadays what with all this buying and tinkering. Keep it up!

 

I'm really quite enjoying it TBH, As long as i don't start losing lots of money i can't see no harm in doing it, and doing shift work It means i have something to do on my days off instead of abusing myself infront of the computer.

 

I used this stuff called Sonax colour polish and wax on the Goof, It comes in different colour shades like T-cut but as it's a polish and wax it means you only have to do it once, It's fantastic stuff, really easy to use and only cost £8.99 from my local motoring shop though the free colour crayon you get with it's pretty shit.

 

Thanks for the offer of the fogs Pillock but I don't think I'll bother, More hassle then they are worth!

[trigger]

The Golf cab looks very smart. Please keep the steelies!

 

My Golf shed is going in for an MOT tomorrow, pretty sure it needs a new windscreen. Is £139 a good price (Autoglass quoted £350, a 'special deal')? Bearing in mind the chap has to travel 70 miles.

 

I do fancy a set of Golf GTi alloys but only if they came up cheap locally, I need a new trim ring as one is missing, I bet I'll struggle to find one other then main dealer, As for your windscreen, Can you not claim of you insurance and just pay the excess, I'm sure screens don't affect your NCB.

[Guest Len H]

It's just on day cover to get it to the MOT station, it's been laid up for a while.

 

Golf MK3 GTi alloys are 5 stud, another reason to keep the steelies...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Is £139 a good price (Autoglass quoted £350, a 'special deal')? Bearing in mind the chap has to travel 70 miles.

 

That sounds extremely reasonable to me! I too have found in the past that you can usually find a local specialist to sort out glass problems for approximately 1/3 of the Autoglass cost.

[trigger]

Golf MK3 GTi alloys are 5 stud, another reason to keep the steelies...

 

I haven't even looked at mine are they only 4 stud then?.

 

Another quick question, The orange plastic bit at the top of my dipstick was snapped so i bought a new one of ebay (again) but in taking the old broken one of a small bit of old plastic one fell inside the dipstick sleeve, I tried getting it out with a screwdriver which just pushed it down further into the sump, Would this cause EPIC ENGINE MULFUCTION in my sump or this the likely hood most likely that it melts and doesn't sod all?.

[Pillock]

Golf MK3 GTi alloys are 5 stud, another reason to keep the steelies...

 

I haven't even looked at mine are they only 4 stud then?.

 

Another quick question, The orange plastic bit at the top of my dipstick was snapped so i bought a new one of ebay (again) but in taking the old broken one of a small bit of old plastic one fell inside the dipstick sleeve, I tried getting it out with a screwdriver which just pushed it down further into the sump, Would this cause EPIC ENGINE MULFUCTION in my sump or this the likely hood most likely that it melts and doesn't sod all?.

 

I'd have though there was some sort of strainer meaning it'll never get picked up, and it certainly won't go through the filter! I wouldn't give it another thought. Those dipstick tubes are crap though, until recently I thought they were just pre-broken at the factory as I've never seen an intact one.

 

Most Mk3s are 4-stud, GTIs and VR6s are 5-stud the same as later VAG.

[Guest Len H]

Aye any Mk3 that isn't a GTi or VR6 has 4 stud hubs, and all of VW's '90s 4 stud alloys look gash unfortunately.

[RoadworkUK]

I'd hope that the bit of plastic is bigger than the hole the dipstick has to go through. It'd not get any further than the oil filter, though, Shirley?

[trigger]

I'd hope that the bit of plastic is bigger than the hole the dipstick has to go through.

 

It just shattered as it's porous plastic, But of a shit design though. Norm, I haven't got a clue what you was saying in that first comment mate!

 

I think I'll stick with the steelies as well!

[cort16]

I'm considering buying an Afla 156 with the engine management light on and a missfire. What could go wrong?