THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[John F]

My Calibra's just failed its MoT, but only on the handbrake registering low effort on the o/s/r.

 

Could be worse

[Mike D]

The L200 rolled over to this today:

 

 

And in other news I have reinstalled the engine in my Capri, and it's now ready for a test tomorrow

[cort16]

The Alfa's being an Alfa and the drivers door won't lock. Because it's stuck if I lock it from the passengerside it just pops open again.

I need to take it to bits anyway as the windows a bit sticky so I'll have a route around then.

[TimothyClaypole]

Looking at vans and the Merc. Mito's seems a bit beter priced than T4 Surf Buses etc.

 

Does that mean they are total bobbins?

 

I'm not looking for a daily van just something to use once or twice a week to pick stuff up in etc.

[KruJoe]

Cavcraft Zafira?

[RoadworkUK]

Does that mean they are total bobbins?

 

Old shape Vito? Should be able to fit about 5 washing machines in the back, all the better for weighing it in for MOAR £££.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

This is AS.

What you really want is a Daihatsu Hijet or Subaru E12.

[cort16]

I've fixed the door locking issue on the Alfa. It was of course caused because the car didn't think the bonnet was closed properly. No warning lights on the dash indicating this Obviously.

I checked the oil last night and when I closed the bonnet it must have someone bent the safety catch forward. I bent it back with some mole grips and gave it a couple of good rattles with the hammer and problem solved.

[Cavcraft]

Wouldn't put five washing machines in the back of the Vito as the rear of the body would probably drop off. These vans can rust at a rate that make Ford Kas look like they're made out of granite.

[dollywobbler]

I've put off using the Ignore button on you, because despite my very public disliking to much of the inane banter you come up with, I want to believe you're actually a decent sort. Clearly that was a mistake.

[Mike D]

I lobbed the capri in for its MOT earlier, it failed, on brake imbalance.. seems the discs (and drums?) have warped.. they were certainly making me do a jig with my right leg on the way down! I'm not sure how a drum can end up juddering, but i've said sod it anyway and ordered new discs and pads, and new drums and shoes, brakes are pretty importanat eafter all, especially so now I have a road burning TWO LITRE BOAT ANCHOR under my right boot. To be fair to the old pinto lump, it now propels the Capri along at a right old lick!

 

I'll get them all fitted when they arrive and get it boshed in for a retest. Anyone fancy a nice capri?!

[Pete-M]

2.0 Pintos aren't bad old lumps when they're set up properly. Most are set up terribly, which is (along with the cam wear issues in the early '70s) why people dislike 'em. Good ones are nicely torquey.

 

If I ever buy another Capri it'll have to be a Mk1.5 3.0. Always wanted a Mk1.

[ashmicro]

^^ The fabled "Pinto tap". 2 litres are FTW because if the cambelt snaps, no valve-to-piston action. Blew mine up, mind you due to OMG oilpump failure.

[dollywobbler]

Today I have exercised both Citroens, and they've done sod all for over a week. I could really do with getting the BX under cover as it's as water-tight as a K-Series head gasket. The 2CV made some tourists smile.

 

Fiddled with the Rover a bit, clearing out some usually-gunked-up drain tubes (that weren't gunked up but at least I know now) and modifying the bonnet release cable so it hopefully won't fail and leave me unable to open the bonnet. I have also filled it up with cassettes ready for tomorrow's mega-miles and thanks to a lengthy look at the handbook, reckon I've worked out how to reset the MPG computer. On the Saab, there was a nice big R button to do this. Nice and simple.

[Shep Shepherd]

Today I discovered that the Tesco near where I work was selling Neutradol car air fresheners (the type I have favoured for the past 15 years or so) for 50p each, as opposed to the normal price of £2 each. Needless to say, I bought their entire stock:

 

 

Should keep me going for a few months!

[Shep Shepherd]

Can't go wrong with £14.00-worth of air fresheners for £3.50

[Shep Shepherd]

They are dead easy to use. All you have to do is remove the label/seal from the sachet and place/stick said sachet somewhere appropriate in the vehicle. In the Volvos, the sachets sit quite neatly in little plastic boxes designed for the job, underneath the handbrake in The Volvo and in the centre console storage tray in TV2

[sporty-shite]

Well, finally got round to stripping the head off the 147 that's been sitting around for about 5 months!

 

Yes, as I thought there are many a bent valve, but at least that means I haven't stripped it down for nothing.

 

Can't say I'm looking forward to putting it back together, though.

[Guest]

I drove the 460 Turbo today. It gets exercised once a week. Today there was some moisture on the roads and the inside tyre set on fire. Also, an ISO adaptor arrived so I can run my old Alpine 7602 M in it.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Today I discovered that the Tesco near where I work was selling Neutradol car air fresheners (the type I have favoured for the past 15 years or so) for 50p each, as opposed to the normal price of £2 each. Needless to say, I bought their entire stock:

 

 

Should keep me going for a few months!

 

What do they smell like? I recently bought an air freshener from Home Bargains, but I made the fatal mistake of not even trying to smell it (it even had a scratch-and-sniff box FFS) thinking 'ok, this is blue and it's called "ocean", so it's got to be something inoffensive. What could possibly go wrong?'. As you'd expect, it smells like fucking insecticide!

[Volksy]

Serviced the rear brakes on the Renault Master today, complete struggle from beginning to end, snapped my breaker bar trying to undo the wheel nuts, some tyre monkey had romped them up with a mahoosive gun I recon.

Cleaned them out, adjusted and seem to work ok, the MOT retest will tell tomorrow. Spent an hour and half buggering about with the bonnet lock, until I realised that the reason it wouldn't stay shut is that the leisure battery was sat on top of the release cable

 

My old man called me to offer me an Escort Estate, one owner, fsh and 75k from new, so hopefully should be picking that up over the weekend. if it's not too ropey it will replace the Volvo S70, which has just become too expensive to run, averaging 17mpg round town is just plain rubbish. Not sure of it's fate, the MOT is due in December, Tax November, it needs a wheel bearing, tracking, three tyres and a service. Which to be honest, is more than it's worth. I bloody love the car though, and I've had it a few years. Think the sensible option is to keep my eyes out for a Diesel one, or an Bi-Fuel. Both go for daft money though.

[Craig the Princess]

Bit of a scary moment on the way home, the road was slightly greasy and going onto one of the roundabouts on the A47 he car lost all grip, it felt a lot like aquaplaning. Luckly there wasn't anyone next to me and I was only doing about 20mph so easing off to an almost halt fixed it.

 

Really must bin those awful (less than a year old) Avons from the front.

[DSdriver]

Bit of a scary moment on the way home, the road was slightly greasy and going onto one of the roundabouts on the A47 he car lost all grip, it felt a lot like aquaplaning. Luckly there wasn't anyone next to me and I was only doing about 20mph so easing off to an almost halt fixed it.

 

Really must bin those awful (less than a year old) Avons from the front.

 

Could there have been a diesel spillage? That makes the road very slippery. I once lost it in a Volvo 740 on a bend. It was a road I used every night on my way to work. I extracted the mangled Volvo from the hedge and returned home for another car. The council were putting sand all along the road as I made my second attempt at going to work. The next day I phoned the council and was told that the reason they were gritting the road was because some sod had driven a truck up there with a loose fuel connection. I got the name of the trucking company and successfully sued them for the repairs to my Volvo.

[Shep Shepherd]

What do they smell like? I recently bought an air freshener from Home Bargains, but I made the fatal mistake of not even trying to smell it (it even had a scratch-and-sniff box FFS) thinking 'ok, this is blue and it's called "ocean", so it's got to be something inoffensive. What could possibly go wrong?'. As you'd expect, it smells like fucking insecticide!

 

Their smell is hard to describe, but it's pleasant and not too obtrusive. I prefer the original (blue sachet-ed) version as it appeals to my olfactory sensibilities more, but at 50p a pop I'm not going to complain

[Craig the Princess]

Bit of a scary moment on the way home, the road was slightly greasy and going onto one of the roundabouts on the A47 he car lost all grip, it felt a lot like aquaplaning. Luckly there wasn't anyone next to me and I was only doing about 20mph so easing off to an almost halt fixed it.

 

Really must bin those awful (less than a year old) Avons from the front.

 

Could there have been a diesel spillage? That makes the road very slippery. I once lost it in a Volvo 740 on a bend. It was a road I used every night on my way to work. I extracted the mangled Volvo from the hedge and returned home for another car. The council were putting sand all along the road as I made my second attempt at going to work. The next day I phoned the council and was told that the reason they were gritting the road was because some sod had driven a truck up there with a loose fuel connection. I got the name of the trucking company and successfully sued them for the repairs to my Volvo.

 

It's possible, it was dark when I went through there so I couldn't realy tell. Thanks, might try giving the council a ring.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Bit of a cashflow problem at the moment. Today I had a £10 note which could either go on petrol or a haircut. I got the haircut.

 

Fuel gauge in red but I've double checked the tank is set to 'normal' and not 'reserve' so there's a few miles to go yet. I also have five litres of 2009 vintage unleaded in the shed which might still work...

[whitevanman]

/\ strange choice to make, hair will only grow again....if you run out of fuel it's a pisser at best

[autofive]

ten quid for a haircut?

 

you must live in the south

 

gents cut around here 4.50

 

 

 

p.s. i havent paid for a haircut since i was 14. lots of friends and family in the business, so freebies all the way

[Shep Shepherd]

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

[Shep Shepherd]

Mains or rechargeable battery