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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

bugsymike said:
Pre crossflow Fords were my favourite, you could fit a 109E crank and rods in a 105E to change 997cc to 1340cc and unless stripped down no obvious external difference.
The 1500cc engine looked very similar at a quick glance to the 997cc, but you also gained a very strong 5 main bearing crankshaft and the only changes needed were to swap the flywheel spigot bearing over and bend the throttle arm up to match the 5/8ths (I think) difference in engine height, all mounts and hoses interchangeable. Plus you could also use the 997cc flywheel with the 1500 clutch so you had the benefit of a lighter flywheel without skimming etc.
Also I seem to recall if you got hold of an engine block with a casting number of T12 ( I think) it was the last from that mould and the block was thicker which meant it could be bored to a larger over size.
There were many other "shoe string " mods for penny less apprentices to do.:)
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When I had my Cooper S one of the other lads built up an Anglia with a 1500 pre cross flow. It had, I think, an fast road cam - A2 maybe? - and twin dellorto carbs (twin choke side draughts like the more usual Webers). It was slightly lowered and ran on the Lotus 5.5 inch wide steel rims there wasn't much between us on the corners, the Cooper being just a little more sure footed and less scary, but I couldn't stay with him on the straights even though I had a Downton fast road conversion on the engine. ("No substitute for cubic inches" as my American friend would say) What I really envied him for was the sound of those carbs with their open throats on full throttle - a sound that put a chill up my spine! Tickover was "nicely" lumpy too! I later had a '66 Cortina Mk1 1500 GT but it ran on it's standard twin choke downdraught carb so didn't sound anything like the Anglia. It was a nice reasonably quick car in it's day but hardly "exciting" like my "S" had been. By then I was already "shackled" so wasn't allowed to indulge in such wasteful pursuits as spending money on "unnecessary" bits for the car.
 
Pugglt Auld Jock said:
When I had my Cooper S one of the other lads built up an Anglia with a 1500 pre cross flow. It had, I think, an fast road cam - A2 maybe? - and twin dellorto carbs (twin choke side draughts like the more usual Webers). It was slightly lowered and ran on the Lotus 5.5 inch wide steel rims there wasn't much between us on the corners, the Cooper being just a little more sure footed and less scary, but I couldn't stay with him on the straights even though I had a Downton fast road conversion on the engine. ("No substitute for cubic inches" as my American friend would say) What I really envied him for was the sound of those carbs with their open throats on full throttle - a sound that put a chill up my spine! Tickover was "nicely" lumpy too! I later had a '66 Cortina Mk1 1500 GT but it ran on it's standard twin choke downdraught carb so didn't sound anything like the Anglia. It was a nice reasonably quick car in it's day but hardly "exciting" like my "S" had been. By then I was already "shackled" so wasn't allowed to indulge in such wasteful pursuits as spending money on "unnecessary" bits for the car.
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Prey tell, what got you into Fiats then?
 
StevenRB45 said:
Interesting one for car makers who seem determined to paywall everything...and sell the same product for different prices.

www.tomshardware.com

Unpatchable AMD Chip Flaw Unlocks Paid Tesla Feature Upgrades

Sorry Elon, but this appears to be unpatchable.
www.tomshardware.com www.tomshardware.com

Obviously in this case it's a flaw with a specific chipset but well if the cars weren't all identical except for a paywall it wouldn't be possible.

Also possibility of putting cars locked out of the supercharger network back on.
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Oh deers.. what a terrible shame.
 
porta said:
Prey tell, what got you into Fiats then?
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Very simple. Children needing to learn to drive. First one learned on an old Allegro I bought as a non runner for peanuts and did up for him. Being an ex Leyland man I knew the car backwards and even had a hydrolastic/gas pump of my own in those days. The the other two came of age and my daughter said she liked the look of the "cute" Panda I looked into them and found that I couldn't find anything cheaper to insure so we bought a Mk1 750 - carburretor and points ignition. It was a cheap car and nearly worn out when we bought it and I spent most weekends mending it so when she went to uni she needed a car to get back and forwards (she went to a local uni so stayed at home) and so another Panda, this one with electronic ignition and single point injection, was purchased - because of the cheap insurance. When she left uni and got a very good job in civil engineering, she got married and moved away from home and bought a Suzuki swift. By then the youngest boy wanted to get his licence so, again because of insurance, we bought another Panda, which he quickly wrote off when an elderly gent reversed his Volvo out of his driveway right in front of him - the Volvo won! Then we bought the Panda you see in my avatar picture and he passed his test but it lacked "street cred" so was replaced with a Ford Orion and then an Escort both of which "ate" lower wishbones at an alarming rate. We kept the purple Panda - Felicity - for about 20 years and eventually she had so much rust in her there was nothing left to weld to so, with many tears, she left us and we bought Becky, the white one we've now had for about 6 years. Mrs J has a bad back and finds the Panda so much more easy to get in and out of than any of the other cars in the family and I just find it so easy to work on that I think we'll probably always own one. At 77 years old I think I'll stop driving before we run out of Pandas to choose from. I'm hoping to make Becky last until I hang up my car keys if possible. By the way, the oldest boy isn't immune from the FIAT Virus, he's been running around in a Punto for about the last 5 years or so! However that might be due to the excellent labour rate (nil) charged by "Garage de Papa"!
 
Pugglt Auld Jock said:
Very simple. Children needing to learn to drive. First one learned on an old Allegro I bought as a non runner for peanuts and did up for him. Being an ex Leyland man I knew the car backwards and even had a hydrolastic/gas pump of my own in those days. The the other two came of age and my daughter said she liked the look of the "cute" Panda I looked into them and found that I couldn't find anything cheaper to insure so we bought a Mk1 750 - carburretor and points ignition. It was a cheap car and nearly worn out when we bought it and I spent most weekends mending it so when she went to uni she needed a car to get back and forwards (she went to a local uni so stayed at home) and so another Panda, this one with electronic ignition and single point injection, was purchased - because of the cheap insurance. When she left uni and got a very good job in civil engineering, she got married and moved away from home and bought a Suzuki swift. By then the youngest boy wanted to get his licence so, again because of insurance, we bought another Panda, which he quickly wrote off when an elderly gent reversed his Volvo out of his driveway right in front of him - the Volvo won! Then we bought the Panda you see in my avatar picture and he passed his test but it lacked "street cred" so was replaced with a Ford Orion and then an Escort both of which "ate" lower wishbones at an alarming rate. We kept the purple Panda - Felicity - for about 20 years and eventually she had so much rust in her there was nothing left to weld to so, with many tears, she left us and we bought Becky, the white one we've now had for about 6 years. Mrs J has a bad back and finds the Panda so much more easy to get in and out of than any of the other cars in the family and I just find it so easy to work on that I think we'll probably always own one. At 77 years old I think I'll stop driving before we run out of Pandas to choose from. I'm hoping to make Becky last until I hang up my car keys if possible. By the way, the oldest boy isn't immune from the FIAT Virus, he's been running around in a Punto for about the last 5 years or so! However that might be due to the excellent labour rate (nil) charged by "Garage de Papa"!
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We need to form a Union and demand better rates. DOWN TOOLS LADS! Everybody out!
 
Pugglt Auld Jock said:
Very simple. Children needing to learn to drive. First one learned on an old Allegro I bought as a non runner for peanuts and did up for him. Being an ex Leyland man I knew the car backwards and even had a hydrolastic/gas pump of my own in those days. The the other two came of age and my daughter said she liked the look of the "cute" Panda I looked into them and found that I couldn't find anything cheaper to insure so we bought a Mk1 750 - carburretor and points ignition. It was a cheap car and nearly worn out when we bought it and I spent most weekends mending it so when she went to uni she needed a car to get back and forwards (she went to a local uni so stayed at home) and so another Panda, this one with electronic ignition and single point injection, was purchased - because of the cheap insurance. When she left uni and got a very good job in civil engineering, she got married and moved away from home and bought a Suzuki swift. By then the youngest boy wanted to get his licence so, again because of insurance, we bought another Panda, which he quickly wrote off when an elderly gent reversed his Volvo out of his driveway right in front of him - the Volvo won! Then we bought the Panda you see in my avatar picture and he passed his test but it lacked "street cred" so was replaced with a Ford Orion and then an Escort both of which "ate" lower wishbones at an alarming rate. We kept the purple Panda - Felicity - for about 20 years and eventually she had so much rust in her there was nothing left to weld to so, with many tears, she left us and we bought Becky, the white one we've now had for about 6 years. Mrs J has a bad back and finds the Panda so much more easy to get in and out of than any of the other cars in the family and I just find it so easy to work on that I think we'll probably always own one. At 77 years old I think I'll stop driving before we run out of Pandas to choose from. I'm hoping to make Becky last until I hang up my car keys if possible. By the way, the oldest boy isn't immune from the FIAT Virus, he's been running around in a Punto for about the last 5 years or so! However that might be due to the excellent labour rate (nil) charged by "Garage de Papa"!
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Probably should say my pandas are my "toys" and my passion. I've always run a family car as well - At present the Ibiza ST - which is lovely because it means I can take my time when maintaining or repairing either but still be able to get about or go to collect a part if necessary. It's always the Pandas that steal my heart though!
 
The Panda Nut said:
I think it sounds a bit Ferrariesque......
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I liked the Dino, technically not a Ferrari and the GT4, which used to be despised by the Ferrari purests…but I’m Firmly in the Panda and 128 camp despite having loads of Fiats from 127 to 131 and unos to puntos and Tipo. I’ve also had a prisma ‘symbol’, Nivas, LR’s, pickups, Skoda Rapide, Cherokee XJ, Astra estate van and a fiesta (for two weeks) but almost always with a panda tucked away 🤔
 
The Panda Nut said:
I think it sounds a bit Ferrariesque......
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Its interesting to sit the TA on the drive and add the 1.2 next to it at idle together they sound like 6 cylinders should. Add the other 1.2 and you have a 10.
 
The Panda Nut said:
Its interesting to sit the TA on the drive and add the 1.2 next to it at idle together they sound like 6 cylinders should. Add the other 1.2 and you have a 10.
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Hmm.

I quite like a triple, I'd say ours sounds fairly similar to a six.

The only thing that comes to mind when I hear a TA is a 2cv..
 
Pugglt Auld Jock said:
Probably should say my pandas are my "toys" and my passion. I've always run a family car as well - At present the Ibiza ST - which is lovely because it means I can take my time when maintaining or repairing either but still be able to get about or go to collect a part if necessary. It's always the Pandas that steal my heart though!
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Next doors daughter turned 17 recently. She is starting to learn to drive. Dad is keen to teach. Insurance he tells me is only available by the mile and 500 miles costs £294. So if you can afford £40/hr for lessons, 50p a mile for insurance, road tax and £35,000 for the compulsory electric car we must all have then you will be able to buy the car and travel to work. Costs of motoring are getting beyond normal people.
 
StevenRB45 said:
Hmm.

I quite like a triple, I'd say ours sounds fairly similar to a six.

The only thing that comes to mind when I hear a TA is a 2cv..
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I have to admit it sounds like either an angry scooter or a souped up lawn mower. I think your being nice to the TA owners! I do ;ike a 3 we need one then we can have 2, 3, 4,5,6 and 8 running and pretend........ We used to have a Honda N600 back in the 70's and although it was clearly a twin it was a little bit smoother sounding than the TA.. It was a blinder until its internal chain drive broke.
 
I quite like the TA sound and, to be really honest, it doesn’t sound like anything else I’ve come across, and we have had souped up scooters and ride on lawnmowers.
One of my brothers friends said it sounded like half a flat four Alfa boxer engine, but I couldn’t hear it and I’ve worked on those!
Talking of them, trying to set up the carbs was a complete pain, with the Alfa ‘special tool’ which was a board with mercury filled glass tubes connected to hoses which you put onto the carbs, all very very old school
 
The Panda Nut said:
I have to admit it sounds like either an angry scooter or a souped up lawn mower. I think your being nice to the TA owners! I do ;ike a 3 we need one then we can have 2, 3, 4,5,6 and 8 running and pretend........ We used to have a Honda N600 back in the 70's and although it was clearly a twin it was a little bit smoother sounding than the TA.. It was a blinder until its internal chain drive broke.
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I think my issue is it sounds a bit thin/reedy so it doesn't sound like a "proper" car. Needs a little bit of bass to pad it out.

Triples can be the same NA if you're razzing it along so it ends going high pitched and well cheap sounding like a 1.0 Corsa being frantically pedaled by 17 year old.

The saving grace of the turbo triple seems to be you never really go above 3k rpm, it's silent off throttle due to the turbo muffling the exhaust pulses and on throttle it has a surprisingly deep and meaty sound for a 1.2 until you get up in the revs.
 
porta said:
I quite like the TA sound and, to be really honest, it doesn’t sound like anything else I’ve come across, and we have had souped up scooters and ride on lawnmowers.
One of my brothers friends said it sounded like half a flat four Alfa boxer engine, but I couldn’t hear it and I’ve worked on those!
Talking of them, trying to set up the carbs was a complete pain, with the Alfa ‘special tool’ which was a board with mercury filled glass tubes connected to hoses which you put onto the carbs, all very very old school
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Oh yessss, I compltely agree. I shall tell everyone that mine is half an Alfa boxer.... Its certainly a weird little beast and the most effective 875cc Ive ever come across. The Honda N600 we had was 38bhp down graded from around 50 of the early cars and it was a real quick little thing, but the TA is more effective with the low down grunt to bely its size. Now I understand it, and have got used to it I can have eithr 100mph or 60mpg and that is impressive. It wont do both together, and at speed ts downright greedy, but I can forgive it for having the power to get out of trouble if needed and fair economy, I enjoy using the torque for cruising at 50 to 60mph and getting the economy it can deliver when you get it right. I also love the way it goes up big hills, but I would rather it was a bit less vocal though, Sometimes its embarrasing! My Google location records thinks its a scooter......
 
My motoring purchases were always dictated by price, so a young apprentice with a widowed mother was only going to buy "bangers" in double figures generally. the Fords were simple to work on, parts readily available and could stand a fair bit of "boy racer" driving, very much like the Fiats of that era the early 70s, preceded by a range of scooters, trials motorbikes, larger motorbike with side car (still on L plates at that point) I never sold any of my vehicles for a profit as I only bought what I liked, which is largely subjective, then worked on them till to my satisfaction and used till something else attracted my attention and then sold for a loss, so not much of a salesman.
I was once told a good mechanic makes a poor car salesman, the reason being they see all the faults on a vehicle and fix them, whereas the salesman does the minimum of cosmetic work and sells for max. profit and when subsequently faults are noticed denies they were there when purchased, and when looking at vehicles on behalf of my customers I have found that ethos from "private" sellers all the way up to and including Main Dealers.
This included offers rejected by me, that if my customer bought the vehicle the salesman would see me alright for a "drink".:(
 
StevenRB45 said:
With a laptop you can add 40% more power and about 20% more torque. If you actually start going to Hybrid turbo and a proper front mount intercooler then well your looking at about another 90% more power and because it's got steel rods and pistons and cast iron liners it'll take it.
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BMW are at it too the x18d x20d and x25d all have the same basic engine, a 2.0 litre diesel
 
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