Ding Dong BX Delivery Service Calling

[The Moog]

Picked up Mnde's BX to deliver up to Scooter north of the border.

 

Drove up yesterday (sadly no pics) and witnessed a few things on my journey.

 

1) Around Oxford a couple of Hercules planes with people jumping out of the back of them. Was a mightily impressive sight. One can only imagine the skies over France during D Day

2) In the lakes the sun came out and made the hills look amazing. Sometimes England can look very beautiful

3) A couple of cows going at it near Carlisle. Hopefully they respected each other in the morning

4) The further north you get the better the drivers seem to be

5) Got stopped at the services by an old guffer who waxed lyrical about BX's

 

Apart from the bovine loving the car itself performed well apart from a few niggles.

 

The accelerator it very very close to the brake pedal (something I learnt early on!), it is also very high and slippery (no pedal rubber) which meant it took a while to get comfy.

The sunroof doesn't have a closed mode. If you push the button to close it, then it carries on and opens in the opposite way. It is a delicate balancing act to try and stop it opening again. Whilst doing 70

Clicking behind the dash (think it is the speedo) was easily fixed .. .turned the stereo up!

 

Left at 8 30 and rolled into Kinross for 3. Straight through apart from a stop at Charnock for Pasty, Petrol and Piss stop.

 

To get back I have got £500 burning a hole in my pocket and need a steed to get back. Found two cars that are local

 

First is one that rules the head. MOT till May, Volvo estate, smallish engine, fsh

 

Secondly the heart, big thirsty impractical, difficult to sell when I get back.

 

Going to see the Volvo first and I am hoping it is a shed!

[STUNO]

Sounds like a lovely trip.

two cows going at it ! you must be a bit kinky, city boy !!!

[M'coli]

[mnde]

Glad to hear the journey went off without a hitch (pah, as if it wouldn't have! I had great trust in that car).

 

Scoots knows about the sunroof - I'd developed the knack of knowing when it was closed. I just kept on forgetting to shove some blutac to hold the actuator cog in place - it's loose on its spindle and kept disengaging and therefore not operating the microswitch. Should be a quick fix!

 

Ticking behind dash- was it fast or slow? The trip counter got stuck some months ago and ticked for a while but that had stopped. It started turning again but I couldn't reset it. The speedo needle always wavered (even with a new cable) but didn't tick.- but did it jump around in time with the ticking?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[RobT]

Clicking behind the dash (think it is the speedo) was easily fixed .. .turned the stereo up!

 

 

On mine the clock has stopped and I also get a constant clicking, annoying at rest but once fired up the diesel engine drowns it out

[The Moog]

Tick was in line with wheel speed so hence linked it to speedo.

 

Scooters might have to look at the alt though. Took it out for a run earlier and lights were starting to dim. Wonder if the battery isnt getting enough charge to run lights etc. Had no issues on the way up but that was during the day. Got no tools here otherwise I would have a poke about. Hopefully it wont be as painful as his Yugo !

 

Went to see the Volvo and bought it. Guy wanted £600 and wouldnt budge so I said fair enough and walked off. He came chasing me down the street ! Never had that happen before.

 

Paint work is flat as a witches tit (any tips for sorting out faded red paint?), boot is full of rubbish (offered to get rid of it as part of the deal) but aside from that it looks in good nick.

 

FSH although a wheel bearing was making a grumbling sound and brake need using a little. AC doesnt do cold but not fussed at that. EW in front and stereo works. Once I get it taxed tomorrow I will give it a proper shake down before going home.

[scooters]

Brilliant! Thanks Will sounds like a painless trip. Mark has already mentioned to me that the alternator brushes will need doing. Psa leccy might be dodgey but nothing like the Yugo!

 

Am in Durham at the outlaws will be back in Edinburgh the morra.

 

Cheers to all again

[scooters]

Will, I'd you are still in kinross on Tuesday I have a large bottle of red t cut you are welcome to.

[R9UKE]

Buy the 605 V6 and you're my AutoShite God.

[tonedepear]

Better still, buy the 605 V6 and you get a 605 V6!

[mnde]

Will, I'd you are still in kinross on Tuesday I have a large bottle of red you are welcome to.

 

This is what my eyes saw

 

Hmm yes - I suppose I didn't have much call for night driving in the past couple of months. I'd get a multimeter on the battery to measure the alt output.

 

A few months ago I found I had a severe lack of juice in the battery leading to a non-start in the drive and the alt light was on with the ignition. It turned out that one of the alternator brushes was a lot shorter than the other and the contact area was all dirty.

 

 

Output with engine idling after I'd cleaned up and reassembled

 

 

I looked at brushes on eBay but I don't own a soldering iron... and I couldn't find a replacement regulator that was cheap enough. The serial number given in Haynes is YV1925. I found this:

 

http://www.oscaro.com/regulateur-d-alte ... 1403-288-p

 

and decided it might be cheaper either to ask around for a s/h regulator with better brushes, or buy a complete new alternator... Then decided to soldier on with it as it was for the time being.. knowing it would need to be sorted out sooner rather than later.

 

Mark.

[scooters]

Woods automotive will have a regulator...they have parts from just about every alt ever made. I have a soldering iron so will replace the brushes if it proves too exp.

 

Can't do anything about it today as my youngest 2 years old drank a big bottle of infant calpol paracetamol syrup first thing this Morning and has been admitted into hospital in durham. Worried sick about it. They are keeping her in overnight.

[scooters]

15 quid at woods..

[The Moog]

Sorry to hear that Scooters, hope she is ok.

 

I have decided to wander back today with new Volvo.

 

Cant begin to describe how gutted I am I don't have v6 noise to waft me back to London town.

[mnde]

Sorry to hear that Rich - I also hope that she's okay.

 

Mark.

[maxpower]

Sorry to hear that Scooters, hope she is ok.

 

I have decided to wander back today with new Volvo.

 

Cant begin to describe how gutted I am I don't have v6 noise to waft me back to London town.

 

 

 

if it had been a v70 volvo i would have wafted a few £ notes in your face to make up for the lack of v6 noise

[Skizzer]

my youngest 2 years old drank a big bottle of infant calpol paracetamol syrup first thing this Morning and has been admitted into hospital in durham. Worried sick about it. They are keeping her in overnight.

 

Shit and tits mate, hope she's ok.

 

(Sorry for O/T post)

[The Moog]

So back home the volvo.

 

The Car: Faded Red. Been sitting up some blokes front for the last month. He left it full of junk so it whiffs abit. Whoever bought it first must have been the biggest tightwad in the world. I can imagine once the trim level brochure and options list was brought out I think he put his wallet away. Luxuries include RWW, EW (front only), Heated mirrors plus all the usual Volvo bollocks so Airbags -SIPS, BIPS (Ball Impact Protection System .. to cover your gentlemans conkers in case of a crash.), pipe rack, cap hook, driving glove pouch and a radio that has a CD player and Tape deck! But no trip computer or heated seats etc.

 

Problems: Gear selection is via some sort of marshmallow interface, not quite sure what was up with the linkage. Car grinds when turning right. Might be CV joint. oh and it only has 1.6 engine

 

The Drive:Did Kinross to Ashford in just over 7 hours in one go. One pull from PLod with ANPR but they were happy enough. They were trying to guess how much it would be worth in London. Still dont understand the need for for every OMG new car to have the brightest lights known to man, badly aimed ... thus blinding the rest of the road.

 

Verdict: A strange calm came over me down the M6 Toll road. Cruising along eating up the miles I tried to sum the car up.

 

I had the choice of the sensible swede or the naughty french mistress with the lusty 3.0 V6. A veritable man delight of options and engine to die for. I thought she would steal my heart and empty my wallet. Like the fit girl at the disco who gets you to buy her drinks then runs off with the coolest boy in the club, leaving me to drown my tears in to my half pint of mild.

 

But no instead I went for the plain girl with big specs. A good solid girl, who everyone knows is ok but no one really fancies. She has snogged Gary round the back of the club but that was only when she was hammered on 20/20. She isnt pretty but she certainly aint ugly. Driving down the Toll round I finally fell a little bit in love with Gertrude. Yes she was solid and dependable, no she would turn up at your house wearing only a fur coat, but you know what, not only would you have a smashing night out with her the next day when you got up she would have made you breakfast and tidied up your flat. And that counts for something.

 

As Silent bob would say

 

You know, there's a million fine looking women in the world, dude. But they don't all bring you lasagna at work. Most of 'em just cheat on you...

[scooters]

 

 

 

Brilliant mate!

[Shep Shepherd]

Slap some Meguiar's Ultimate Compound on her and she'll soon have rosy cheeks again

[The Moog]

Who said she had rosy cheeks

 

Half tempted to persuade GF to sell Micra and keep the volvo. Worked out MPG was only 38 for the trip although it was at reasonably naughty speeds.

[eddyramrod]

my youngest 2 years old drank a big bottle of infant calpol paracetamol syrup first thing this Morning and has been admitted into hospital in durham. Worried sick about it. They are keeping her in overnight.

 

Shit and tits mate, hope she's ok.

 

(Sorry for O/T post)

 

Just spotted this, Scooters! Best wishes with her.

 

OI! You up there, call yerself God? C'mon, ease up a bit, we're only human! Well these guys anyway, not so sure about me.

[dollywobbler]

Nice report Mr Moog!