THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[trigger]

Ha!, Proper job!

 

 

and better still is all the primer water marks in the boot where it's been flatted down and the water run in, that has only just been painted, quickly on the cheap to hide problems.

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Its defo just had a respray and welding! However, its 45 years old innit so thats hardly surprising. I would still have a look at it cos it looks alright to me, I would just expect to ignore what the seller was saying and make my own mind up about it. Panel gaps look pretty good.

[cort16]

Probably not one to buy unseen then. I know nothing about these or what they're worth at all.

[Justin Case]

My mates looking at this Sunbeam Alpine. Anyone know anything about them?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120764433103&ih=002&category=100931&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

 

Think of it as Rootes answer to the MGB, but based on the Commer Cob rather than the Sherpa As such it needed a lot of strengthening underneath and these hidden bits rust for fun Also it's a GT, which means it should have the original hard-top with it; the rear deck is different from the Sports, so you can't just bolt the hood and frame on. I think that they are fairly robust mechanically but everything else about this one should warn you not to touch it with the proverbial. If the bumpers were fit for rechroming it would have been done by this stage, so they may well be scrap.

[Father Ted]

Nissan have rather sensibly made the hole in the dash for the stereo exactly 3mm to narrow to accept a bloody new cage.

 

Much fannying about with the original mounts had a stereo that fitted, but the flap wouldnt open - so it does need the cage and fitting flush with the dash.

 

Had my new Ripspeed DVD player working for exactly 3 minutes (loosely fitted up) before I had to take it all out and now I have to find a file or a dremmel. Of course it goes without saying that the flat file that I had years ago I cant lay my hands on. Halfords sock clearance of DVD MP3 player means that I can get nearly 2000 hours of music and spoken word onto one disc (and the lad can watch the Simpsons whist out with me ) £54 well spent.

 

Going out with SWMBOfor our wedding anniversary stopped play.

 

Bollocks.

 

On the plus side new rear shelf with speakers sounds the bomb and fag lighter socket now works as it should.

[The Moog]

I took the mountings off the org stereo and used them on the new one. It sits back a little but looks fine. Also because it is screwed in it is harder to nick .. .

[Lord Sterling]

Hey FT did you get a proper Micra parcel shelf with speakers? They do look and sound alot better. I had a generic fag-lighter in my car but didnt like, so got a proper Nissan jobbie fitted up and working.

 

When I fitted the cage that came with the Sony Xplod I fitted a few years ago, I took the original mountings out, then scrunched the cage down to get it through the hole, flattened the cage back up to shape and then inserted the stereo.

 

I've also been playing with the idea of bashing a K12 CD player in there keeping it more 'Nissan' But to be honest though, I'm happy with the Sony job.

[Father Ted]

I took the mountings off the org stereo and used them on the new one. It sits back a little but looks fine. Also because it is screwed in it is harder to nick .. .

Tried that, but no amount of dicking about would let the front flap open to insert CD/DVD's, it kept getting caught on the facia.

[Pete-M]

Hey FT did you get a proper Micra parcel shelf with speakers? They do look and sound alot better. I had a generic fag-lighter in my car but didnt like, so got a proper Nissan jobbie fitted up and working.

 

When I used to flog Micras new we used to do a promo model with a Kenwood cd player, uprated front speakers and the proper Nissan shelf as well as alloys and the Golf GTi stylee wheelarches. The stereo sold more cars than you'd believe. "For £500 more you're getting it sounding like this...with alloys and a bit of funk about it." Things flew out of the door. Mechanics were doing a couple of them a day.

 

They were the good days.

[Shep Shepherd]

The Volvo is no longer a temporary shed, which is good:

 

 

What is not so good is the fact that despite my various attempts to get it to work since it suddenly stopped working last month (new bulb, new fuse, substitution of the bulb and bulb-holder with that of the nearside light), the car's offside tail light won't illuminate, although the brake light is fine. I'm beginning to suspect that there is something wrong with the wiring or the lamp unit itself. Any ideas?

[trigger]

My bad luck of car repairs is still on going, after my £415 Mondeo repair my Kadett has gone in for a clutch change today and unsuprisingly that now become a problem, my propshaft dount bearing is failing to bits meaning the garage can't put the car together again without me finding a new one.

 

So now Im going to have to search the internet for one, anyone know the Dutch for dount?

[Cavcraft]

According to babylon.com (and assuming you mean donut, not dount) it's 'zn. soort oliebol' and propshaft is, erm, 'propshaft'.

[M'coli]

"Rotoflex" should work too.

[trigger]

I think it's called a "gummibalg mitte"? I've given up now and just sent these guys a email http://www.opel-classic-parts.com/ as i can't find it on their website but it's listed in their catalogue.

 

The garage is going to take the old one off (which has disintegrated) and see if it's the same as a Viva or Chevette, I'm not holding my breath though, How do people restore cars like these when all the parts are outside England, it must be very difficult.

 

On the plus side i have just found this on their site which i might buy for the back window.

 

[Father Ted]

Hey FT did you get a proper Micra parcel shelf with speakers? They do look and sound alot better. I had a generic fag-lighter in my car but didnt like, so got a proper Nissan jobbie fitted up and working.

 

When I used to flog Micras new we used to do a promo model with a Kenwood cd player. Things flew out of the door. Mechanics were doing a couple of them a day.

 

They were the good days.

 

Yup, got a genuine shelf, though seller claimed it was from a low brake light 99 plate Micra, it was from a later high brake light one so needs a little bit chopping out - the boot does shut but needs a good shove.Sounds good though.

 

 

I can Haz Telly.

[cort16]

Need a chop saw for cutting angles but you're a tight wad bodging bastard? If so then build the cort16 "choppy thing" (patent not pending) .

 

[tonedepear]

Christ, if I had one of them within 100yds of my house I'd have no fingers eyes or arms left. If the pointy thing or the lassoos on the floor don't get you, the spinny disc bit will, right?

[cort16]

You're right I've added a fail safe to gaurentee injury. It is as yet untested so I'll dial 99 on my phone before I start it up.

[tonedepear]

You're right I've added a fail safe to gaurentee injury. It is as yet untested so I'll dial 99 on my phone before I start it up.

make sure you have a failsafe button presser as well incase your thumbs are first to go

[TimothyClaypole]

The real thing is only £20 from Machine Mart.

[cort16]

I have one on order but I need to chop fingers..I mean metal today.

[Angrydicky]

Been poking round the inner recesses of my Austin Cambridge today:

 

 

Hmm...doesn't look too bad does it?

 

 

Unfortunately it's utterly f*cked, most people would have sent it round the oval years ago. Amazing it's survived really

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOS front valance was a lucky Ebay find.

 

 

 

 

Bodging bastards! That's a huge lump of fibreglass by the way. The chassis leg behind it has been plated over the rusty original, and was full of rusty muck.

 

 

New front wings are like rocking horse shit, so a pair of less rusty A50 wings were purchased from Ebay, these require the headlight bowl modifying and plenty of welding. Couldn't resist offering the passenger one up though, seems to fit well!

 

 

 

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

The painfully slow work on the Accord is still going on- when it's not raining. Managed to get the door trim out using a kitchen utensil of some description, and now I'm struggling because I'm dealing with a bolt that's wedged in and I can't find a way to remove. Not only is it behind the metal bit between the top of the door and the hole in the middle, it's also in a bit of a slope that only leaves a miniscule amount of space for the spanner....and it's overtightened to buggery. I bathed it in WD-40 and will be back tomorrow...probably ending up at B&Q to see whether they have any appropriate tool.

 

I am really puzzled by the Scorpio exhaust...National Tyres said that I need a new front pipe and cat, I took it to Shit Fit just to be sure, he pointed it blowing from the front pipe and what definitely looked like the cat, and said that I 'need to replace the front and back system without changing the cat'. How on earth is that supposed to cure the cat leak?

[tonedepear]

and now I'm struggling because I'm dealing with a bolt that's wedged in and I can't find a way to remove.

 

Well, I'm not going to be the one to say it...

[trigger]

 

[John F]

[wuvvum]

Was supposed to be giving the Renault 6 a service today. I'd just finished fitting new plugs and HT leads and was giving the car a run round the block to check all was OK when the fugging heavens opened. Properly opened. It's the only time that the single, stupidly fast wiper speed on the 6 has come in useful. I was supposed to be doing an oil change today too, but I'm buggered if I'm going to crawl around under a soaking wet car on a soaking wet road, so that's going to have to wait. Might see if I can work out how to adjust the mixture on the carb though, as from the colour of the plugs that came out she's been running rather rich, but this will depend on whether it brightens up this afternoon. I'm seriously fed up with the weather this summer. I think somebody needs to hammer a smaller socket over the Gulf Stream or something as it's not behaving like it used to.

[andrew e]

When I was a kid, rain meant my mum's reno' 6 would refuse to start for the next week

[Pete-M]

Went to the Oulton Park Gold Cup today. Which was nice.

 

The whole plan was to see the '60s Touring Cars, which it turns out is tomorrow. Hey ho. £21 each to get in, so possibly worth another trip.

 

[Lankytim]

Audi went off to its new home today. Very sad to see it go but all good things come to an end!

 

Next up.RED HOT Volvo estate ACTION.