THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Guest]

Amazon : Still broken.

 

480 : Still broken, smells of death.

 

C4 : Shit.

[dollywobbler]

I have moved the 2CV from outside the garage, to inside the garage. Verily it has been a boring day on the fleet front. Roadtrip in the Saab tomorrow to collect a piano stool that I won on Ebay for a bargain £5 (completely failing to factor fuel costs into the mix, but still cheap).

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Herald is eerily quiet without that knocking universal joint. Must have been knocking as long as I've had the car.

 

Earliest date for MOT is in less than a month and I have to make the handbrake work and maybe weld up the massive hole in the floor if I don't want it as an advisory again. Don't trust my welding skills enough yet.

[mnde]

That is completely and utterly gorgeous! Has it been restored? Liking the yellow headlights particularly.

 

Thanks boobydoo. Yeah it's been restored gradually. Most of the heavy work was done five years ago, but it's no concours queen. It now needs further TLC of course, but I'm still in debt from the first time... so I need to think about how best to proceed (I think GS's and Chrysler-Talbots have lots in common, I'm sure you'll agree, when it comes to the battle against rust). Anyway, after taking it out on Friday I really want to drive it again - perhaps tomorrow as the weather looks good

 

Mark.

[cort16]

The water pump on my SD1's thrown a wobbler. Literally. It's rattling like a tramp without special brew.

For what ever reason the pulley on the front has come loose, which in turn is making the fan wobble like crazy making a spectacular racket. If it dislodges itself while running I suspect it'll make a right old mess.

Anyway, new one order from ebay for £26 including delivery and gasket so that'll be this weekends knuckle skinner.

[mnde]

As if the BX knew it was going to be spurned this morning, it had a flat battery out of nowhere. I couldn't find anything that I'd left on last night, and the battery was new last year. The neg battery terminal is a bit loose because it's buggered (can't tighten it up), but I've been driving the BX daily for months without problems. I had to jump start it using the Skoda so I could move it out of the way. So yeah, I took the G to work this morning

 

Mark.

[Rocket88]

As it's French, it's probably sulking..........modern batteries don't seem to give any warning of impeding doom, they just seem to snuff it.

[boobydoo]

Good work on the Argenta, Bolz-i-kins. I must say, there are some crackin' cars owned by people on here, yet we don't get enough news about half of them!

[Spottedlaurel]

I'm using the Laurel regularly, no mechanical issues to report because it just keeps going. I love the sound it makes when I've pulled it out of the garage, sounds like an old lorry or boat.

[mk1_4dr]

Went for our first proper run in the Prelude yesterday, convoyed with mates all day, to Brid' for breakfast and abit of reliving our youth (paddling in't sea, hot donuts and penny arcades) then upto filey for fish 'N' chip tea before heading home.

Its such a good cruiser, this Honda, and the weather really lent itself to a windows-down-music-on cross country motoring.

 

Its bloody good on the twisties too, as my friend in his '09 2lt Focus will testify....

 

EDIT. It did lighten me of £50 to do 250miles though.... its that twin-carb growl that goads me into it....

[Cavcraft]

Took the Cortina to work this morning and it ran ok/rough/ok/rough/ok. On way back lobbed six quid's worth pf pez into it and it ran fine all the way home.

 

Ordered a condensor (cheers for the advice S-O-C) which will hopefully be here by the weekend so I can fit it and see an improvement. I might just clean the carb out too but do one job at a time to see which makes the most improvement.

[Cavcraft]

Get in there!

 

Another (boring, mundane) car saved from the scrap. My lad was offered a motor at work today and (because of the Special High Intensity Training he's received from me over the years) knew a bargain when he saw one so jumped at it.

Stood for about five months and not turned over, he bought it without hearing it running so charged the battery up and it went first turn of the key. Certainly sounds o.k, hopefully it'll run alright and the bodywork isn't half tidy considering, even the rear arches are good.

About a month's MOT, a couple of weeks tax, has alloys with good tyres and looks completely unspoilt except a nasty looking aftermarket CD player. Needs the exhaust heat shield as it's rotted away, the bonnet doesn't close (cable related we think) and probably a couple of other things but it was a bloody bargain and he can pay for it out of his wages (which are shit) over a month or two if needed.

Pictures to follow L8R.

[Father Ted]

Oooooh waht is it Billy?

Took the C8 to the dealership today for towbar electrics sorting out and a new key.

They hadnt ordered in the new key (despite giving them the VIN 2 weeks ago so they could) and they looked at the rats nest of scotch locks in the Comms2000 loom and decided that no frigging way were they pissing about with that

 

Got it home and discovered a small dint in the drivers door Im bloody sure wasnt there before.

 

All in all a bit of a wank day - oh and the crank sensor on the Powabyke is fucked too and wont actually kick in till you are doing 15mph anyway - so thats a bit of a waste of time then.

[cms206]

Busy week; undercover storage found, so both the Nationals are now undercover. Volvo still resolutely sulking in the yard, the Proton is still sounding like a Group N rally car, Cavalier next to move to the storage...

[mnde]

The BX started easily this evening - which was a surprise.... but I decided to check the charge across the battery posts anyway:

 

12.16 V engine off

12.04 V engine running.... oh balls

 

compared to 12.56 V and 13.92 V when I tested the GSA for comparison.

 

The alternator belt's still there and turning the alternator pulley okay... so looks like the alternator's at fault. I remembered that a couple of mornings ago the battery warning light didn't go out straight away after starting but lingered for a few seconds...

 

Mark.

[Cavcraft]

Hmm, mixed news: fixed bonnet release mechanism (some jiggling about and releasing spray), ditto the boot lock which jams. Bolted battery back down, checked tyres (all mint), freed brakes off and gave it a run round the block. Happy days, except for some sort of whirring noise from under the bonnet. Stopped car, opened bonnet: uh-oh, power steering fluid everywhere

Transpires it's the bottom metal high pressure power steering pipe. Removed the top two with a bit of agro but the the one that's leaking is an absolute bastard to get out and the last bastarding retaining 'nut' (on the union) is rounding off. Getting too dark to proceed so will have another go tomorrow/whenever and fingers crossed the bastard comes off. I expect the new pipe will be a second mortage job from a main stealer so might be forced to try a scrapyard and hope for the best.

 

A couple of really shit pictures to follow.

[Guest]

 

A couple of really shit pictures to follow.

 

Outside the garages with the timecode showing? GR9.

[Father Ted]

A couple of really shit pictures to follow.

F**king tease.

Tell us - though I thunk its a Xantia

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The lad who's got the injectors off my Argenta told me today that 3 of them were completely blocked solid. he's had em on his ultrasonic cleaning gizmo for 6 hours and theyre working again but flowing half what they should be. He reckons another 6 hours will see them 100% again. I cant wait to get them back and fire that mutha up!!!!

[Cavcraft]

 

A couple of really shit pictures to follow.

 

Outside the garages with the timecode showing? GR9.

 

 

 

Shit pictures make it look shitter than it actually is, but it's a bloody straight car and (apart from power steering pipe) in pretty tidy order.

 

I hope to God the pipe can be sorted as it's too good to scrap. He gave £120 for it by the way which is less than bridge money.

[Tayne]

.

[Cavcraft]

Certainly seem to be.

[KruJoe]

Nice score Billy.

I'm enjoying the styling of these as they become a rarer sight. They're just 'comfortably' shaped and functional looking, nicely rounded but not blobby. Look good on those wheels, too.

I found myself flashing and waving to one last week a wing and a door were two different colours to the rest of it

[fiatdaft]

why did you even bother,vauxhalls are pure shit.

 

eml,dpf,dmf .

[mk1_4dr]

Nice cars those late Mk3s. Hope the offending pipe is easily sourced as that should turn a really tidy profit

[Cavcraft]

Because I live on a council estate. A shit Vauxhall and a big fuck off telly are all that is required to fit in.

 

C.Vette. PSV. HGV. DSO. Twice removed, once from the pub.

[CreepingJesus]

Plenty of life left in that!

[Guest]

why did you even bother,vauxhalls are pure shit.

 

eml,dpf,dmf .

 

But a MK 3 Astra doesn't have the latter two. And it isn't that rusty. And it doesn't cost £10k on a horrendous finance deal. And, in all honesty, for what it will cost to buy off Billy, it will probably be quite reliable. If it breaks you get another for similar money.

 

Sincerely,

 

W [hypocrite] Atanabe,

Cheshire.

[Guest]

 

A couple of really shit pictures to follow.

 

Outside the garages with the timecode showing? GR9.

 

 

 

 

Dear B Williams,

 

Your photos meet our expectations.

 

Regards,

 

W'Tnabe Photo Standards Commission (Internet).

[barefoot]

Took my aging mother out to a funeral in the Scirocco yesterday.

East Midlands to Hubberholme in the middle of Wharfedale according to Google maps was 143 miles and 2 hours & 45 minutes.

And do you know it was, exactly, to a couple of minutes but we fair whizzed along.

75-80 ish on the motorway & A1

and what can best be described as 'spirited' driving on the very pleasant but tight & narrow lanes that make up the dales.

 

A blinding day to do it on & a reasonable funeral too

 

but best of all, tank brimmed before and after - 41 miles to the gallon - a personal best!