What's made you smile today?

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Kind of like Australia's "It's a bloody long way".
Last month, we took the diesel F150 from our place to Easton, Pennsylvania, and back, over 2 days to pick up our youngest granddaughter. I-80 most of the way. 25 hours total windshield time. Bleah! I flew with her Wednesday to Bangor, Maine to get her back home and flew back Thursday. That was a hell of a lot easier.

Those big American Interstate highways are great for getting from Point A to Point B but are boring as hell. I've done them on my Honda but I'd rather not. The 'Blue Highways'; Federal, State, County, and Township roads, are much nicer routes if you aren't in a rush.

Only thing with them (the Interstates I mean) is you get so much "into the groove" after a few hours at the same speed that you don't pick up on when there's a change in speed limit (nothing like all the raod repairs we have over here to keep you alert, and before you know it there's a cascade of lights behind you. Yes folks, it's true, they do hide behind the billboards, it's not just on the movies! Nearly happened to me but luckily the chap behind me was going a wee bit faster and they pounced on him!

 

[FiatMatt94]

Ordered some parts for the car which includes a new old stock genuine fuel pump for £100 along with a spare genuine throttle cable & a genuine fuel filter as both of these parts are usually on the dearer side but got them for £20 for both items from Italiparts as I like to have little consumable items such as these spare as a back up & then a new gear lever body from Shop4Parts using the forum discount as the existing one on her is like a wooden spoon in trifle & I thought well the linkages can't be worn out with just under 24k on the clock so I unclipped the gear gaiter to have a look, it's not broken but I think the lever body has just gone a bit sloppy with age & also I think the lever body's were known for this on these, everything else is all greased up & looks in good order so hopefully I'll change that & it'll be good

 

[The Panda Nut]

Panda Panda Panda

 

[The Panda Nut]

Ordered some parts for the car which includes a new old stock genuine fuel pump for £100 along with a spare genuine throttle cable & a genuine fuel filter as both of these parts are usually on the dearer side but got them for £20 for both items from Italiparts as I like to have little consumable items such as these spare as a back up & then a new gear lever body from Shop4Parts using the forum discount as the existing one on her is like a wooden spoon in trifle & I thought well the linkages can't be worn out with just under 24k on the clock so I unclipped the gear gaiter to have a look, it's not broken but I think the lever body has just gone a bit sloppy with age & also I think the lever body's were known for this on these, everything else is all greased up & looks in good order so hopefully I'll change that & it'll be good

That sounds like a lot of a bargain.
You cant get around age though. The rubber bits deteriorate inevitably. If you swap things out you may be able to refurb the old bits with a bit of ingenuity.

 

[FiatMatt94]

That sounds like a lot of a bargain.
You cant get around age though. The rubber bits deteriorate inevitabley. If you swap things out you may be able to refurb the old bits with a bit of ingenuity.

I thought it was a bargain as well as an aftermarket fuel pump is £85 so I decided to spend the extra £15 & get a NOS genuine part as some aftermarket parts can be a bit hit & miss, the throttle cable & fuel filter I just got as spare for when I do need them as they were genuine & very cheap, my dad's a very old school mechanic with over 40 years in the trade & he said if it didn't have a catalytic converter he would have thrown some good old 2 stroke down it to shut the pump up but he said as she has a cat it would bugger it up so I'm going to do some preventative maintenance & change it before it goes on me when I'm out & about, also before I go to MITCAR as well the new gear lever body should turn up in the next couple of days from Shop4Parts, I think for her age though she's doing really well, just a couple of little niggly teething issues which you have to expect from an old car that's done hardly any mileage, to be fair i was expecting a lot more I also carry a few spares in the car such as a clutch cable, quadrant, crank sensor etc as well then any small issues like that can be fixed at the side of the road & she'd be on her way again

 

[StevenRB45]

I read last night that :
70,000 + people have left the country and are not making payments.
The average student load now is £48,000. At that level, its not worth it!

Don't worry I am ... although my debt was nowhere near that level. Feel like I did alright out of it personally but if it was 40 grand probably not.

I'm going to say the post you're quoting is from about 2006-7 as that's when I had my silver Punto...and it was hit from behind by a Ford Focus which shocked the whole exhaust..and started the centre silencer disintegrating.

Didn't realise how bad it was until it picked up a noticeable amount of power at the change. Oh to have 2006 me's problems.... actually nah that guy just wanted to get drunk and go out I'm not sure if he'd be amazed or disgusted at the current state of affairs but hey that guy was an arse

My smile...it's "if it moves, it works" season on the local Farms record so far is a 54 year old David Brown (suffix J plate) out windrowing.

It's funny because they always get in hire equipment and old stuff.

So you've got a juxtaposition of brand new loaned equipment next to 70s gear that's looks so small as to be a novelty item next to it and doesn't have a straight panel or working light on it.

Field opposite was cut by D plate combine..which was interesting in that the tractor and trailer it unloaded into were a brand new still shiny Massey and triple axle tipper trailer. The tractor and trailer dwarfed the combine.

 

[portland_bill]

A smile yesterday.
Last week, someone highlighted that LIDL were selling vices. Curious, I looked, and among the other stuff was a 12v electric ratchet, at £34.99. Similar ones form Milwaukee are £150-£180, or more. I've been pondering an electric ratchet for some time, but not sure I'd use it enough to justify the big price. But £35 is worth a punt, and ALDI and LIDL tools are usually quite good, certainly adequate for hobby work.
But, this was on a Sunday, and the tools were in the stores the previous Thursday. I couldn't get to the shops until Monday, so they could be all gone.
Monday, had to go to Swindon, so checked in all 4 LIDL stores. Found vices in two of them, adequate, but I don't need another vice. Did spend out on an inspecton camera, and a LED light. No ratchets.
Wednesday, was in Oxford, near the two LIDLs, so popped in. No ratchets.
So a whole week after they were launched, I was working near Stroud. Two LIDL stores, so again popped in. There was a lone ratchet, waiting for me to take it home, cherish it, and now wonder when I might use it.

Used the ratchet today. Only on four bolts, but a worthwhile first use.
Changed the oil and filter on the Panda, and the pollen filter, then, still feeling able, set about changing front pads and discs. Caliper carrier is held on with two bolts, which can be a bit of a pain with a ratchet, needing a short extension. Electric ratchet whizzed them out in moments, after initial 'cracking' with a longer bar. Whizzed them back in nicely too.
May be a while before it gets used again.

 

[Cheest]

First real car show of the year for the DeSoto. For some reason I did not take pics of it at the show but here's a bit of automotive Americana. The Desoto and a 69-ish Chevelle at a local hot dog/ice cream drive in.

A few pics I did take.

Nash Metropolitan. Built in your neck of the woods and powered by an Austin engine.

Honda pickup. Not street legal in most of the US. Makes more sense than my eff one fiddy as grocery getter.

A pair of 1947 Mercury Convertibles. An upscale Ford.

Ford GT in Gulf livery.

 

[bugsymike]

I always love the styling of early 50s cars, something you don't see these days.
The Nash Metropolitan is a impractical car but I like them for some reason. As an apprentice in very early70s we had one on the forecourt for sale all road legal and shiny with warranty for £40 roughly, small chance of that today, much like the pair of J2 Allards I saw advertised in Exchange and Mart around the same time for £70 in need of repair that I would still yearn for.
The Honda Acty I used to hate if they came in the garage as highly inaccessible engine to work on and not the most stable on the bends.
The Ford GT40 if genuine must be worth millions, a real Le Mans winner and deservedly so. I seem to recall the few that were used as road cars used to bake their occupants due to the tiny perspex sliding windows and whacking great engine behind them, still it would have been fun to have a go in.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

First real car show of the year for the DeSoto. For some reason I did not take pics of it at the show but here's a bit of automotive Americana. The Desoto and a 69-ish Chevelle at a local hot dog/ice cream drive in.

A few pics I did take.

Nash Metropolitan. Built in your neck of the woods and powered by an Austin engine.

Honda pickup. Not street legal in most of the US. Makes more sense than my eff one fiddy as grocery getter.

A pair of 1947 Mercury Convertibles. An upscale Ford.

Ford GT in Gulf livery.

Nash Metropolitan. I remember everyone being excited when a family friend came to visit us back in the 1950's because he had an Austin Metropolitan. I was too young to remember much about it other than that it looked "different" I do remember well when, some years later he visited in a convertible Austin Atlantic and demonstrated the remote operated hood and built in jacking system - seemed like "magic" to a young lad whose dad was running about in a Standard Vanguard. He obviously had a liking for unusual cars and gave me a half crown when he left!

 

[bugsymike]

Nash Metropolitan. I remember everyone being excited when a family friend came to visit us back in the 1950's because he had an Austin Metropolitan. I was too young to remember much about it other than that it looked "different" I do remember well when, some years later he visited in a convertible Austin Atlantic and demonstrated the remote operated hood and built in jacking system - seemed like "magic" to a young lad whose dad was running about in a Standard Vanguard. He obviously had a liking for unusual cars and gave me a half crown when he left!

From memory a lot of it was Austin A50/60 running gear.
With all that overhang it didn't look up to much hard cornering
I liked the style of the Phase 1 Vanguard, a bit like the older Volvo's with the Beetle back

 

[Cheest]

I've not so much as sat in a Met, as they are known on this side of the pond. A friend had one, but he was a restorer/flipper until he got his hands on a rare Packard, then I never saw him again.
There were something like 600 cars at the show and one thing I am noticing is that the cars from the teens to the early fifties are 'aging out' of the show awards. The yellow Merc got one. It was deserving, but that was one out of thirty awards. Early sixties convertibles, the ubiquitous Chevy Tri-Fives, Camaros, Mustangs, and the well done 'Art Project' customs cleaned up. Not a complaint, just an observation.
There were several 'Only Ones There'. The Met and the DeSoto, a Holden Monaro, a Karmann Ghia, MGB. No Fiats, but four Corvairs. I asked the guy how he got the Monaro into the US. He said I didn't want to know and that I was the only guy. all day, that knew it was a Holden. I guess having had my passport renewed five times is a good thing.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

From memory a lot of it was Austin A50/60 running gear.
With all that overhang it didn't look up to much hard cornering
I liked the style of the Phase 1 Vanguard, a bit like the older Volvo's with the Beetle back

My dad had both a phase 1 and later a phase 2. Personally I liked the styling of the phase 2 best but the Phase 1 was nice too - see what you mean about it being similar to early Volvos.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I've not so much as sat in a Met, as they are known on this side of the pond. A friend had one, but he was a restorer/flipper until he got his hands on a rare Packard, then I never saw him again.
There were something like 600 cars at the show and one thing I am noticing is that the cars from the teens to the early fifties are 'aging out' of the show awards. The yellow Merc got one. It was deserving, but that was one out of thirty awards. Early sixties convertibles, the ubiquitous Chevy Tri-Fives, Camaros, Mustangs, and the well done 'Art Project' customs cleaned up. Not a complaint, just an observation.
There were several 'Only Ones There'. The Met and the DeSoto, a Holden Monaro, a Karmann Ghia, MGB. No Fiats, but four Corvairs. I asked the guy how he got the Monaro into the US. He said I didn't want to know and that I was the only guy. all day, that knew it was a Holden. I guess having had my passport renewed five times is a good thing.

Always had a fascination for the Corvair. I'm not really sure why Ralph Nader had such a down on it? Surely it wasn't as bad as he made out? I liked that beach buggy with a Corvair engine in it that Steve McQueen drove in "The thomas Crown Affair" - Nice noise!

Talking about a nice noise. A chap I didn't know, who lived in the next street, had a Vauxhall VXR8 - British version of the Holden (I believe built by Holden but badged as a Vauxhall?) I used to open a window or the front door to listen to it going up the street - Sad old idiot that I am!

 

[irc]

Talking about a nice noise. A chap I didn't know, who lived in the next street, had a Vauxhall VXR8 - British version of the Holden (I believe built by Holden but badged as a Vauxhall?) I used to open a window or the front door to listen to it going up the street - Sad old idiot that I am!

My son has got one of those!
You're right about the noise... nothing sad about enjoying it. It's really nice to drive too (once on reasonable roads, rather than the lanes round here).
It's just heading off to have some work done on it - the LS2 engine has an oil pump weakness in the Holden, not sure if it affects others, but it can lead to sudden drop in oil pressure, so fix is better than rebuild, and my workshop is sized for Pandas, so can't do it here.

 

[Cheest]

Ralph Nader was a clown with mega-phone and backing. He didn't even hold a drivers license. GM had a fix in for the handling issue in the square bodied Corvairs, which was lower tire pressure on the rear axle. The later models had a redesigned rear suspension that eliminated the issue but the damage had been done and GM killed it.
I've always wondered if it would ever have been an issue if radial tires had arrived on the scene earlier.

 

[StevenRB45]

Talking about a nice noise. A chap I didn't know, who lived in the next street, had a Vauxhall VXR8 - British version of the Holden (I believe built by Holden but badged as a Vauxhall?) I used to open a window or the front door to listen to it going up the street - Sad old idiot that I am!

A Friend of mine had a VXR Monaro...the VXR being important in that the suspension and brakes were uprated to cope with UK roads while the earlier none VXR ones were short of brakes and soft of spring.

It was initially aurally disappointing until the the arrival of a a pod filter.

Earlier cars were trying to be bit more upmarket and while you could hear the V8 it wasn't the noise you'd expect out of an LS.

Pod filter made it rowdy without it constantly bellowing at the Sky at a cruise.

I believe the later VXR8s they'd realised who bought their cars and just made them loud out of the box.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

A Friend of mine had a VXR Monaro...the VXR being important in that the suspension and brakes were uprated to cope with UK roads while the earlier none VXR ones were short of brakes and soft of spring.

It was initially aurally disappointing until the the arrival of a a pod filter.

Earlier cars were trying to be bit more upmarket and while you could hear the V8 it wasn't the noise you'd expect out of an LS.

Pod filter made it rowdy without it constantly bellowing at the Sky at a cruise.

I believe the later VXR8s they'd realised who bought their cars and just made them loud out of the box.

wasn't the original Monaro just a Omega 3 door with a V8?

I never drove one but the 3L V6 Omega was great fun if a little scary in the wet with the TCS turned off.

 

[StevenRB45]

wasn't the original Monaro just a Omega 3 door with a V8?

I never drove one but the 3L V6 Omega was great fun if a little scary in the wet with the TCS turned off.

Wikipedia lists it as a variant of the Commodore which was related to the Omega... although how much they shared no idea. Earlier Commodores very much looked like a Senator..

It was indeed a drifty beast and pre-esp tcs so it would go sideways...then the TCS would come on...he did consider getting some bolt on bits for it (there was loads given it had a 5.7 LS in it) but in the end sold it and bought a superbike as a more interesting way to die. So he sold it and bought a Corsa B 1.4 for 250 quid and a Yahama R1...then pecked my head about getting a superbike for 2 years before he sold that.

Be a rare car now (in fact just checked 153 on the road), in that it wasn't the squishy standard one but also wasn't the later 6.0 which had a smaller fuel tank and much higher road tax...as well as a Halfords bonnet with nostrils.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Wikipedia lists it as a variant of the Commodore which was related to the Omega... although how much they shared no idea. Earlier Commodores very much looked like a Senator..

It was indeed a drifty beast and pre-esp tcs so it would go sideways...then the TCS would come on...he did consider getting some bolt on bits for it (there was loads given it had a 5.7 LS in it) but in the end sold it and bought a superbike as a more interesting way to die. So he sold it and bought a Corsa B 1.4 for 250 quid and a Yahama R1...then pecked my head about getting a superbike for 2 years before he sold that.

Be a rare car now (in fact just checked 153 on the road), in that it wasn't the squishy standard one but also wasn't the later 6.0 which had a smaller fuel tank and much higher road tax...as well as a Halfords bonnet with nostrils.

I bet the cars that are still about probably command a decent amount of money. Though there is probably a niche audience for buying them, not a super car, no an economical car, not a fast Ford or German car, there are a lot of things that they’re not and one of those things is not being a car that really stood out even in it’s time