What's made you smile today?

[StevenRB45]

Local council have been both reasonable and surprisingly efficient.

Less than 24 hours to overturn a parking ticket which was entirely my fault.

Whee 50 quid saving for 2 minutes drafting an email.

 

[porta]

Another smiley, yet PITA day. I finally got around to installing a relay between the motorcycle and the sidecar. For whatever reason, Ural has the power to sidecar wired directly to the battery so even if I have the key in my pocket, the sidecar lights can be left on. Not anymore.
Working in the space I had was like wallpapering behind a toilet.

RussianMilitaryTrucks.com - Active topics

Good place for anything Russian military

 

[Cheest]

RussianMilitaryTrucks.com - Active topics

Good place for anything Russian military

True, but today’s Ural has about as much to do with the Russian M-72 as a Harley Road King does with the US Army‘s Harley WLA from the same era.

 

[porta]

Ahh…it’s not a Cold War one then

 

[Cheest]

Nope, built in 2007.

 

[porta]

Still the basic WWII 2 wheel drive bmw, in essence, but brought upto date?

 

[Cheest]

Yes. My 07 has an OHV engine, 4 pot Brembo front disk brake, electronic Hall Effect ignition, and Keihin carbs. I've upgraded to a spin on oil filter, LED lights, and a GPS speedometer.
2013 to 2018, they got Electro-Jet fuel injection, electronic instrumentation, disk brakes on all three wheels. The Electro-Jet system had some issues and was re[laced in 2019
From 2019, they still have disk brakes on all three wheels but now they fit in all three positions, redesigned cylinder and head with 10:1 compression ratio, an ECU with a slew of engine sensors, and Keihin fuel injection. Last year, they developed a 2wd final drive system for you folks that need to have the sidecar on your left.
My wife and I test drove a 22 last year. We were impressed with the build quality and, compared to my 07, it was a Hayabusa in acceleration. Alas, it was about $24,000US with tax, title, and license.
As my rig is paid for and doesn't need an OBD2 cable for repair, we didn't get a newer one.

 

[irc]

Just been looking at a 1.1 Panda Active which was AA Relay-ed back from Reading to Norfolk last night.
AA diagnosed "no fuel getting through". Owner (my nephew) called me for ideas, but only idea I had which the AA guy hadn't checked was the fuel cutoff switch. So... he tried it and still no start.
8 hours later, car dropped off in driveway for me to have a look at.
Went through fuses, relay, connectors and cutoff switch again, but nothing.
Almost resigned to swapping fuel pump with a known good one when I get another nugget of information. Apparently it stopped after driving off a kerb.
Re-checked the cutoff switch, and convinced myself it felt a little strange. Grabbed a spare, fitted it and....
Success.
Looks like the switch did it's job but then failed internally. Glad I kept a few from scrapped Pandas.
Big smile for not having to deal with 19 year old fuel pump plastic parts.

 

[portland_bill]

Neighbour has a visitor. The view made me smile.

Pic quality not good, but its from a webcam, looking through a window.

 

[worcestersource]

Seeing my Uno makes me smile. It’s so cute.

 

[porta]

Haven’t seen one of those in a very long time

 

[worcestersource]

I know. There was a flurry of them suddenly on eBay and I decided that life was too short not to buy one.

 

[StevenRB45]

Traditional post walk car hug...

 

[portland_bill]

After walking more than 100 yards, I'm ready to hug a car too.

 

[bugsymike]

Just getting over a case of food poisoning (whoever said salad was a healthy option) so catching up on some reading and found a little piece about removing the cylinder head on a Fiat Model 500B water cooled OHV engine reminding owners that some of the nuts holding the head down are in the water jacket connections, which may be of use to someone. It also has a road test of a new Ford Popular commenting on it's stability on even the greasiest of London's "cobbles and wood block roads", plus a a motorist complaining about a £2 fine for illegal parking in London.
I would say it is No1 of Practical Motorist & Motor Cyclist dated May 1954, I only have another 100 + to read.

 

[AndyRKett]

dated May 1954, I only have another 100 + to read.

that should get you through till at least 1962

 

[bugsymike]

that should get you through till at least 1962

Along with five volumes of the Modern Motor Engineer by Arthur W Judge and three volumes of Commercial Motors by H.Scott Hall, M.I.A.E. roughly the size and shape of small family Bibles and from around 1953. It makes interesting reading and should keep me up to date with all aspects of vehicles on the road today.
I recall when my dad died in 1962 my mum having to sell some of his stuff to feed the family, included in that was a set of Motoring books that went into great detail and had sections where as you turned the pages it did a cutaway through engines gearboxes and axles etc. I didn't appreciate them at the time, but wish they were here now.

 

[bugsymike]

Just been watching an episode of Bangers and Cash where the owner of the Volvo P1800s was pointing out to his brother how when up on the transporter it was possible to look through the hole in the sill and see day light from a corresponding hole the other side of the car.
It reminded me of as an apprentice a solicitor customer of ours knowing I had expressed an interest in American cars offered me his Studebaker ( I can't remember if it was a Lark or a Hawk) I can remember on going to his smallholding to inspect the vehicle I found on opening the door I could walk to the propshaft without lifting my feet of the ground it was so rotten, so not a vehicle I acquired.
Another interesting vehicle he owned which we used to work on and his wife used to tow a horsebox, was a large Russian Volga Estate, I don't know for sure, but it looked like the one in the James Bond film (was it Goldfinger?) I do know it is the only one I have ever seen in this Country so it may have even been that one. It met it's demise when the fibre cam shaft gear shred it's teeth I seem to recall.

 

[porta]

The Russians use terrible rubber and fibre for all sorts…even their big 4x4 and 6x6 have fibre drives, no wonder they suffer more losses through breakdown than action

 

[porta]

Just been watching an episode of Bangers and Cash where the owner of the Volvo P1800s was pointing out to his brother how when up on the transporter it was possible to look through the hole in the sill and see day light from a corresponding hole the other side of the car.
It reminded me of as an apprentice a solicitor customer of ours knowing I had expressed an interest in American cars offered me his Studebaker ( I can't remember if it was a Lark or a Hawk) I can remember on going to his smallholding to inspect the vehicle I found on opening the door I could walk to the propshaft without lifting my feet of the ground it was so rotten, so not a vehicle I acquired.
Another interesting vehicle he owned which we used to work on and his wife used to tow a horsebox, was a large Russian Volga Estate, I don't know for sure, but it looked like the one in the James Bond film (was it Goldfinger?) I do know it is the only one I have ever seen in this Country so it may have even been that one. It met it's demise when the fibre cam shaft gear shred it's teeth I seem to recall.

Talking of ‘claims to fame’
My old metallic red Sisley just happened to be in a fair few episodes of ‘last of the summer wine’, I think towards the end of Compo and the beginning of Truly…
My old MTLB appeared in Goldeneye, briefly, wehn Brosnon nicks that tank and is also in the advert with Jamie Oliver, in place of the gun is a chef with a rocket propelled leek
I’m just rambling waiting for this AC90 to penetrate some remnants of bolts!