Nibbler’s Universe: past and present

[Nibbler]

I got a new rolling tool today.

Volvo XC40 is out. I will not miss this piece of crap! Unreliable, to wide, ugly and boring. Even with the 3-cylinder economy engine it was thirsty and did I say unreliable… The Chinese must really have fucked up good old Volvo because this is by far the most unreliable (have I mentioned that?) traffic school vehicle I’ve ever come across. Seats were good I must admit.

New car is a VW T-Roc. I already like it even though the seats are as comfortable as a German church bench. More power and smaller format should make this better suited for the task. Reliability? Can’t be worse than the Volvo.

Old  XC 40 out…

New T-Roc in…

[Rightnider]

You’re a rebel now. 

[Nibbler]

  On 20/12/2024 at 15:06, Rightnider said:

You’re a rebel now. 

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Always has been, always will be! 
 

(just ask Dorthy and my boss)

[Nibbler]

Fleet update:

The exhaust system on the Avensis broke just before Christmas so I made a slightly more serious attempt on repairing it than the old owner had made. It didn’t go well as the exhaust system now is rattling. It sounds like throwing in pieces of metal in an empty cement mixer…

Fuel economy is good though! Best so far is 44 mpg on studded  winter tires.

Audi 100 Diesel is getting a new wheel bearing and maybe new brakes. I haven’t decided on that yet. Everything was properly stuck and every single bolt was fighting me so I had to give up and go home and bring an air compressor. I felt really weak as I couldn’t unscrew a single bolt by hand. 

Suddenly it appeared passive aggressive signs on all the American cars saying that you are aloud to look at the cars but do not to touch them with any of your body parts 🤮We who own European cars are of course not worthy any such signs so I’m planning a sign of my own 👹 Any suggestions will be appreciated. 

This Fiesta is a new addition to the garage.  I really like Fiesta Mk1 and I actually have a copy of  “let’s call it Fiesta”. This car also deserves a sign in the window of some sort.

[Rightnider]

Bloody suspensions, it’s always a pain!

The mk1 Fiesta is so well proportioned!

[Nibbler]

Mrs Nibbler bought a caravan this weekend. It’s a Kabe Safir Grand De Luxe from 1981 in quite good condition. New tyres and brakes, with two new solar panels, an AGM battery,  a massive inverter and with unmolested original interior except for a laminate floor. Things were going well! 

On the way home I suddenly noticed that the fuel gauge on the Avensis was falling rapidly. So I did what every “responsible” autoshite member would do , I continued.

In Kalmar our plan was to weigh the caravan, but a sudden smell of petrol halted that project…

Instead I realised that the plastic petrol tank had sprung a leak on the Avensis and was spewing fuel all over the exhaust system. I then immediately but politely asked the other occupants to leave the vehicle…

[Dyslexic Viking]

Those caravans are great but whatever you do don't let mrs nibbler paint it white inside enough older caravans have been destroyed with this.

And glad the Avensis didn't catch fire, you were lucky there.

[Nibbler]

  On 02/03/2025 at 11:44, Dyslexic Viking said:

Those caravans are great but whatever you do don't let mrs nibbler paint it white inside enough older caravans have been destroyed with this.

And glad the Avensis didn't catch fire, you were lucky there.

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She’s planning a repaint inside but she mentioned green and I hope she doesn’t paint anything else than the white wallpaper. It’s actually in really good condition inside. 

Yeah, the tow car driver said the same 🔥

[Rightnider]

Wow! Are you planning to go caravanning with it?

What a pity with the car. 

[Nibbler]

I shouldn’t have bought the Avensis in the first place. It was far worse than I expected and I will try to sell it cheap. But we got 10 000 km (6200 miles) out of it during the autumn and winter. I will miss the space and the cassette player.

So today I bought this: 

2016 Honda Civic 1,4 i-vtec Comfort so it’s a low spec car. It has the 99 horsepower economy engine and manual 6 speed gearbox. Two owners before me. Really nice car to drive but the acceleration is far from blistering. It feels slower than the Aygo. Mainly because I rarely revs over 3000 rpm during acceleration.

The 3 hour drive home went without any problems. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

twighlight blue 👍

[Rightnider]

Nice! 
 

You need to leave your work ethics behind and start giving it some welly. 

[tooSavvy]

  On 09/03/2025 at 07:42, Rightnider said:

You need to leave your work ethics behind and start giving it some welly. 

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AVAS.... Z18XER  VVT twin-port goes *like a scalded cat!

*I discovered accidentally (keeping my toe in to get a shift on) 😮

🚙💨

[Nibbler]

Last weekend i posted an ad on Facebook marketplace that very honestly stated the state of the vehicle in question. Namely the Avensis. 10 hours later it was sold. An elderly wheeler dealer bought it and towed it home.  I saved 8 good tyres and the LED light. 

 

So with all that cash burning in my pocket I immediately spent half of them on a new set of rims and summer tires for my trailer. 
 

 

I also got the Audi 100 Diesel down on all 4 wheels. As usually I had a proper fight with the sway bar but this time I figured it out. Ratchet strap for the win!

[Nibbler]

  On 03/03/2025 at 05:45, Rightnider said:

Wow! Are you planning to go caravanning with it?

What a pity with the car. 

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No, Sanna will park it at a camping site up north on the island.

[Rightnider]

  On 29/03/2025 at 19:38, Nibbler said:

summer tires for my trailer

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Didars! Lovely. 

[hairnet]

didars - thats the noise thats made when the polis stop you 

oh wait thats the caravan

are fuel tanks omg EUROS was it not worth fixage?

 

[High Jetter]

  On 29/03/2025 at 20:50, hairnet said:

didars - thats the noise thats made when the polis stop you 

oh wait thats the caravan

are fuel tanks omg EUROS was it not worth fixage?

 

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No, Ninars. Dickshonary says so.

[Nibbler]

  On 29/03/2025 at 20:50, hairnet said:

didars - thats the noise thats made when the polis stop you 

oh wait thats the caravan

are fuel tanks omg EUROS was it not worth fixage?

 

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Fuel tank, wheel bearing, rear brake callipers, exhaust system and the list goes on… I shouldn’t have bought that specific Avensis.

[Nibbler]

  On 29/03/2025 at 20:33, Rightnider said:

Didars! Lovely. 

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Only the best for my Thule!

[Rightnider]

Nothing beats the feeling of brand new steelies. 

[Nibbler]

MOT time for the 2,0 Diesel this morning. I wasn’t nervous as the car is in good nick and just as i expected it passed the test.

 

[Nibbler]

Done 50 kilometers in the wrong direction to pickup a rental trailer. Then the rental company tried too give me the wrong trailer with lower loading capabilities. Then the indicator on the trailer didn’t work. But now everything is fixed. At least I hope so.

 

[Rightnider]

Excitement! 
 

Which direction is the wrong direction?

[Nibbler]

  On 21/04/2025 at 07:43, Rightnider said:

Excitement! 
 

Which direction is the wrong direction?

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Oh yes! The excitement of buying a quite big car with the lowest spec available. We are talking carburettor here.

Wrong way was south. Now I’m heading northeast thru the Bible Belt. Still got a couple off hours of driving left.

Trailer has a dodgy wheel bearing or maybe more likely a sticking brake that makes one of the rims go warm. Ah more excitement!

[Nibbler]

[Nibbler]

The seller was a nice bloke and we chatted about cars and work for a while. He had a really nice blue Audi 80 that is just visible in the picture with the empty trailer. 

[Nibbler]

On my way home. Stopped for food in Nässjö which means that I have negotiated the roads in and out of Sweden’s own Jerusalem: Jönköping. The road into Jönköping is quite scary, it’s a steep descent that feels like it lasts forever. Third gear and brake as soon as the speedometer hits 75 km/h. Slow it down to around 65 and then repeat…

The car I bought is a 1986 Audi 100 Avant 1,8. Not even equipped with power steering. 

[Rightnider]

Well done!

Tell us more! 

[High Jetter]

5 Cyl? COTY here, IIRC