THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Mike D]

Pao is home, yawn! i'm off to bed, up at 6!

[ChinaTom]

 

 

 

 

What's the switch under the hazzard on the beancan for?

[Cavcraft]

It's Jesus on his cross. You press this when a high pressure pipe bursts and you lose 300 litres of LHM per minute. The dash console then pops out (as pictured) and et voila, a primitive form of heart monitoring equipment is on hand.

[mnde]

In the words of Catchphrase host, Roy Walker: "It's good, but it's not right".It's actually the on/off switch for the Econoscope - a similar device to what's fitted to VW Polo "Formel E" cars I believe: lights on the dash show you "increased consumption" (yellow) when you're a little heavy on the gas and "excessive consumption" (red) when you boot it going up a hill. But I like Billy's description better.Mark.

[Mike D]

As i failed to get any pictures of yesterdays adventure due to not having a camera at present, have a couple of Pao pics from the ad..

 

 

 

Tonight i shall be removing the passenger side glass to get some new ones cut at my local glass suppliers

 

Also, i will be tearing off the headlight eyebrowz. YUK!

[barrett]

Mike, I should get the Pao's handbrake checked out as well, it looks like it has nearly rolled out of the photographs, fortunately the bumper has just caught the edge of the shot and stopped it in time.

That made me ''LOL''That Pao does look nice though, I much prefer those to the bloody Figaro, which must be the most popular car for trendy Brighton types as there are literally hundreds about down here...

[Mr Lobster]

I love Paos.

I like them too, it's a sort of Japanese Renault 4

Agreed. But, I'd quite like a Suzuki Lapin as you can get one modified to look sort of Renault 4ish

 

From this

 

 

to this

 

[dollywobbler]

Bumhats. Just found out that the BX's MoT ran out ten days ago. Guess I'll be booking in for a test then! Too many cars - can't keep track of 'em!

[Pete-M]

I just handed back my company car so I can use the SD1s more often

[Guest]

Stanza went down for test, needs a little patch on the inner sill and a tyre. Can't complain with that result really, a bit of fiddling around and it'll be all ticketed up, ready to be taxed in June.

 

 

Was nice to drive about in it again briefly, especially with the new exhaust on. Vic was the one who actually took it down for test and he says the tyres chirrup even on low speed corners, sounds like my sort of motor.

[pogweasel]

Today I lashed a shitload of T-cut over my Kangoo to finally remove all vestiges of the signwriting that used to adorn it's bodywork. I also found some incredibly cliched stickers in the kitchen cupboard so stuck them on the van rather than throwing them out. OMG 76 Gulf Iron Cross etc. Just need to paint stripper the bonnet now and chess-board the roof and I will be "WELL COOL".

[Mr Lobster]

Today I lashed a shitload of T-cut over my Kangoo to finally remove all vestiges of the signwriting that used to adorn it's bodywork.

Oddly, I have been doing the same to my Sprinter today. Having had the previous owners livery for nine years it has taken lashings and lashings of compound to make it look reasonable. Still, its getting a new OMG LobsterDiecast Yo livery next week

[meggersdog]

On Friday the Discovery developed a squeak at low speeds.This was quickly replaced by a horrible clattering sound.As I was out for the day and had 60 miles to go in 5 O'clock traffic the decision was made to carry on and investigate when I got home.If it broke it broke.Occassionly the noise came and went at 50-60 mph but generally it was at low speeds.At first I thought maybe a C.V joint, then a collapsed wheel bearing and worse still, cambelt tensioner.Well the old workhorse plodded on so it can't be too bad ,can it ?Anyway Saturday lunchtime I investigated.Jacked up the OSF,as the noise seemed to be around there,got a mate to sit in the car and start it up and put it in gear while I crawled underneath.The clattering sound is coming from the transfer box,oh bugger, I removed the propshaft to eliminate front diff.No more noise ,hurrah-ish.Luckily the scrap Range Rover didn't go over the bridge last week as intended so any parts needed can be scavenged.On closer inspection it turns out to be the rear hardy splicer joint on the front prop is partly siezed and a cup is breaking up.So the Rangie is an auto with a longer prop and the vice is too small to accomodate a prop and two sockets.A big mahoosive G clamp was the tool of the day just requiring a crank handle spanner to give that extra leverage needed to press the old joint out and new(er) one in.I love hammer and chisel technology repairing Land Rovers with any old tools you find laying about in the shed is great.Compare a couple of hours wielding spanners and the warm glow you get when fixing a car with second hand parts with my neighbour's 51 plate Mercedes if you like.His battery failed and the car had to go back to the dealership because the ECU didn't recognise the key and had to be reprogrammed.

[Pete-M]

Temp. gauge in the 3.5 has been hitting insane temperatures for the last couple of days. 120°C mental. It's been worrying me somewhat.However, the car doesn't appear to be getting that hot. Hasn't used a drop of water, oil pressure has been fine even when the temp gauge has been right up at the naughty end.Trundled off to a friends garage earlier today and the gauge was between 100° and 120° pretty much all the way. Bit scary that.Stuck the thermoprobe thingy he uses for A/C between a couple of radiator fins and it read 84°. So it's not overheating. The gauge is telling fibs. Looked through the service history and lo and behold, the car has had a radiator, water pump, thermostat and all its pipes replaced. No sign of the coolant temp sensor being replaced. I think I has found the problem.

[Rusty Pelican]

Probably is the sender Pete , ive had cars where the sender is incorrect for the gauge so read off the scale , just check you get the right sender ( grandma / eggs and sucking etcOn another note ive been pouring waxoil into various orifices of my Commer , usually this then comes out of various drainholes except on the OSR wing it didnt , perhaps i didnt pour enough in , pour in some more , still nothing , ram a piece of wire up the drain hole , cue flood of waxoil , my drive will NEVER rust thats for sure

[dollywobbler]

After a rather grumpy time of it, I've got the new interior into the BX. Passenger seat is the old grey tweed (because my wife likes it) but the driver's and rear seat are now rather fetching black, sporty 16v trim. Yes, it looks a bit odd inside, but then the outside isn't exactly normal!

[Mike D]

I fitted the new rear window to the Pao last night, and started removing bits so i can get the head off, also, i welded up the front edge of my Capris front wing on Sunday.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I took my £100 Maestro for an MOT last week, failed on some welding and a leaky wheel cylinder. I got stuck in last night and did half the welding, ordered the brake parts today, it will hopefully have a fresh ticket by the time I go on holiday next week!

[Pillock]

Whapped a new electric window regulator into the Golf yesterday, they're obviously designed to be as easy and quick to replace as possible....! Oh wait, no they're not. Especially when it's jammed in "fully up" so you can't get to the bolts to release the glass, and you just have to bend things and hope the plastic clips ping off before the glass goes.Luckily, the one I got isn't a VAG item, it's an aftermarket one that fits on the same mountings. The VAG ones are pap, the one that failed already looked like a replacement and sporty-shite had replaced the NS one previously too.

[seth]

This morning as with yesterday morning I are mostly painting whitebands on my new tyres.

[garethj]

Clutch cable snapped last night on the Ginetta so I got it home using the well known technique.I've got a few places to go this evening after work so I drove to work in it this morning, popped out at lunchtime to get a clutch cable and hopefully the nice man from the AA will fit it this afternoon.If it's the right one

[garethj]

If it's the right one

I am such a cock-eyed optimistWrong cable

[Pillock]

Pardon my ignorance (and cheek) but how did you go about convincing the AA to repair your car if you managed to get it home? Did you just phone up and say "I've broken down with a snapped clutch cable but I just happen to have one here so you can mend it"?I've always found them to be quite unhelpful if I try to help them... I once broke down in Sheffield city centre with a badly overheating Escort, I offered to let it cool down and limp it home (a mile and a half away) so it wasn't on the parkway/ponds forge roundabout at rush hour and they told me they'd not come out to me if I did that - lack of homestart! Just seems less of a breakdown service and more a man who will pop round and help you fit a part.... not saying that's a bad thing, just better service than I've ever had!

[Rusty Pelican]

Managed to drain the water out of one headlight on the Beemer and dried it out using Mrs RPs hairdrier , not sure how it got in but its now got clear bathroom sealant smeared around the joint where the glass is stuck to the refector , aint buying another one thats for sure

[Claypole]

Today i was mostly money laundering...

 

 

 

 

(dispute between me and the bank and Ebay crying over over fees and ordering a middle box for my BMW.)

[FredTransit]

Pardon my ignorance (and cheek) but how did you go about convincing the AA to repair your car if you managed to get it home? Did you just phone up and say "I've broken down with a snapped clutch cable but I just happen to have one here so you can mend it"?I've always found them to be quite unhelpful if I try to help them... I once broke down in Sheffield city centre with a badly overheating Escort, I offered to let it cool down and limp it home (a mile and a half away) so it wasn't on the parkway/ponds forge roundabout at rush hour and they told me they'd not come out to me if I did that - lack of homestart! Just seems less of a breakdown service and more a man who will pop round and help you fit a part.... not saying that's a bad thing, just better service than I've ever had!

Some will do stuff, others won't. Funny you should mention Sheffield. We had an AA man there who virtually risked his life trying to fix a break problem, when all I wanted was to get the bleedin thing home! Jacked up the van on a trolley jack, then put it in gear with the engine running and got underneath

[garethj]

Pardon my ignorance (and cheek) but how did you go about convincing the AA to repair your car if you managed to get it home? Did you just phone up and say "I've broken down with a snapped clutch cable but I just happen to have one here so you can mend it"?I've always found them to be quite unhelpful if I try to help them... I once broke down in Sheffield city centre with a badly overheating Escort, I offered to let it cool down and limp it home (a mile and a half away) so it wasn't on the parkway/ponds forge roundabout at rush hour and they told me they'd not come out to me if I did that - lack of homestart! Just seems less of a breakdown service and more a man who will pop round and help you fit a part.... not saying that's a bad thing, just better service than I've ever had!

I may have told a little white lie and said the clutch cable snapped coming into work, not going home the night before. I phoned them up at 8am and said the cable had snapped, I’d got into work and I could pick up a new cable at lunchtime, which I did.Sadly it was the wrong cable, and he wasn’t prepared to bodge a repair to the pedal end, I wasn’t about to do it in my suit and tie in the office car park so after 30 seconds on ebay I ordered the correct cable and last night I drove home without the clutch. I’ll fit it tomorrow if it turns up.Their service is a bit variable, but generally they’re quite good. I haven’t had to call them out for about 3 years which is good going when you consider the age of my fleet over that time.

[mnde]

Dropped my BX at a Cit/Ren/Pug specialist this morning for MOT work and test. Only it turns out it wasn't booked in for the test even though I'm sure I said "MOT work and test". Never mind, they said they'd sort something out. I was expecting a Peugeot 107 courtesy car but when I arrived at opening time, the apprentice couldn't find the keys for it and had to call the boss, who told him it had no petrol in it anyway... So I've ended up with something spectacularly shite instead: a scruffy R reg Suzuki Wagon R+. In purple. With "jazzy" seats and no wheel trims. I'll take a pic on my phone tonight for posterity, but to get it off the phone I'll have to bluetooth it to my fiancee... which'll be embarrassing. It's quite a nippy little thing - I don't know or care what engine is in it. It held its own on Surrey's answer to Silverstone (the A3). A tad unstable though at 70 mph...I've currently got that sickly feeling in my stomach about how the BX is going to fare...Mark.

[mnde]

Well, it's passed, but it's not going to be ready tonight as it needs a new rear height corrector.

 

Which means I have teh joy of taking my shite Suzuki Wagon home with me tonight

 

Mark.

 

EDIT: Check it out

 

 

 

 

My fiancee loves it, in a hatey kind of way... She sat in the back, but had to get out because the nasty seat patterns made her feel sick

 

Gratuitous shot of my BX's moist pressure regulator...

 

 

Apparently it could be because the accumulator sphere could be getting flat and causing back pressure through the regulator seals... If necessary the garage owner has BX he's breaking that has a nearly new pressure reg from Pleiades, also a nearly new rear height corrector if a new one's too dear. More news in the morning!

 

Mark.

[mnde]

Oh I forgot - I can't pop the bonnet of the Suzukiwagen to fill up the washer reservoir because the release is broken, and one of the wipers doesn't have a blade on it. And there's quite a patina of dust in the interior. A real old school courtesy car, none of this new fangled, better-than-your-own-car nonsense...

 

Mark.