What's made you smile today?
- Thread starter angel
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What's made you smile today?
Ferniferous
Member
Aww, same herenot alot tbh
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
My first Austin was around 1956. I of course blew the engine. It had a hole in one of the pistons about 1/2 an inch diameter. When I removed the sump you could stick a large screw driver in the sludge and and it would stand up. Almost enough to lift the sump with it... That was properly bad.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Oh deers!Wow 60 that's ancient!
I bought a Leister plastic welder from a lorry garage auction years ago, hardest bit was identifying the type of plastic, as different compounds and heat range, never got a good clean weld, but did repair a plastic mirror surround quite strongly on an old Doblo. I had hoped to repair the plastic fairings on a Malugutti scooter, but that is still laying in my garage years later.
The best thing it did however was on my boats cover, I had got fed up with being ripped off my "professionals" stupid prices for poor jobs.
So I bought an old industrial sewing machine and with the several rolls of curtainside from that original lorry auction I was able to make a functioning cover, complete with the windows and side sections that withstood being in our Winter gales in the harbour all year round for many years. One of the attachments was a wide heat deflector end and as you gradually moved along between the two pieces of material you applied the heat and roller to "weld" the joint, being me I "belt and braced" it using strong thread and the industrial sewing machine.
Tax return deadline today.
It's been ready for a few days, but daren't try to input it while the cat is demanding attention, and periodically standing on the keyboard. Spent 15 minutes inputtingit early today, all done, calculation done. They owe me £182. That's a result.
It's been ready for a few days, but daren't try to input it while the cat is demanding attention, and periodically standing on the keyboard. Spent 15 minutes inputtingit early today, all done, calculation done. They owe me £182. That's a result.
All this talk of hearing aids, reminds me of a lovely guy working at the engine & gearbox remanufacturing plant in Coventry. This was originally part of the Rover Group, latterly part of Unipart. We had an increase in complaints of noisy gearboxes, so with about 6 gearboxes sent back, myself and another engineer made a visit, to see them tested. We'd previously queried the testing procedure, spun up by an electric motor, and moved through the gears. No load, and no method for making the diff work. That was addressed by driveshafts and brakes being added.
On this occasion, the first gearbox was installed on the rig, and spun up. It was whining loudly. The tester declared no fault. Even with his hearing aids in, he couldn't hear it, in fact, to speak to him we had to stand close and shout. Lovely guy, worked there all his life, hard working and loyal. Just not the right guy for the test rig. Nearing retirement, he was moved to another 'light duty' role. The cause of the poor builds was addressed, and once again good gearboxes were produced.
On this occasion, the first gearbox was installed on the rig, and spun up. It was whining loudly. The tester declared no fault. Even with his hearing aids in, he couldn't hear it, in fact, to speak to him we had to stand close and shout. Lovely guy, worked there all his life, hard working and loyal. Just not the right guy for the test rig. Nearing retirement, he was moved to another 'light duty' role. The cause of the poor builds was addressed, and once again good gearboxes were produced.
Back in the late '60s I was nearing the end of my trade training. I was very lucky to be attending a training college full time and we were encouraged, in our last year there, to bring in problem vehicles to work on. At that time the future Mrs J had come down to London to work for BOAC and was staying with her sister who ran a Mini. During conversation it emerged that she, the sister, couldn't remember when it had last been serviced so I offered to take it into the college as a project and go through it from end to end. There were lots of things, like front ball joints, outer bush were in the rear swing arms, and other typical mini "stuff" which were all good practice for a budding motor mechanic to sort but the most dramatic was when I drained the engine oil. I'd checked the level before driving it to the college and it was fine, although looking very dirty. The sump plug was "stiff" to come out and the threads in the aluminium sump were partially stripped but, most surprisingly, there was only a couple of pints of oil in the drain pan when I'd finished! Minis held quite a lot of oil due to the gearbox being in the sump and sharing it's oil with the engine, so I was expecting a lot more than that. In my juvenile ignorance I had no idea how this could be so called the instructor over. He told me to get a welding rod, bend the end over double, stick it in the drain plug hole and "waggle" it about a bit. When I drew it back out the end was coated in a thick black gunge. He suggested it would be a good exercise to take the engine out and split the gearbox away from the engine so the whole class year could take a look - He'd already had a discussion with me about sludge so I was interested to see this myself. Sister agreed (being the college there was no labour charge so probably only a gasket set to buy) Anyway, I took the engine out and separated the engine and gearbox. The sludge was horrific and the sight of it has stayed with me all my life - probably explains my obsession with changing oil regularly and not even entertaining the possibility of running any of the family cars on extended oil change intervals?
So, about a fortnight later the thing was all back together and filled up with Duchams Q 20/50 - remember that chaps? I was a Duckhams man, although many friends preferred the Castrol option, and I'd benefited from having to learn how to remove a stuck on mini flywheel, checking the primary and idler gear end play and other Mini "stuff". The car drove well with the ball joints deshimmed and other wee jobs I'd done on it - didn't do the rear arm bushes but pumped plenty of grease into them and freed off the hand brake quadrants.
Just a week later I got a call from sister complaining of a noise from the engine. It was big ends and, boy, were they knocking! She'd noticed the noise a few days previously but continued to drive the car including trips out on the M4 to Heathrow! It was knackered! I can only guess that it was the old oil, which was thick and treacly, which was stopping the knock before I "fixed" it. I tried to explain to her what had happened but I don't think she believed me. I offered to source a used engine for her and swop them over - reasoning that the lack of clean oil may well have done more than just damage the big ends - but she declined and replaced the car with a Triumph Herald - first of several we had in the extended family including a MK1 1600 vitesse I owned a few years later. To this day that mini still gets mentioned when she's trying to "put me in my place" - I just turn my hearing aids off!
I did learn one very useful lesson from this DON'T VOLUNTEER HELP! in fact, I'd even go so far as to say, only agree to help with extreme reluctance when asked by anyone other than family and very close friends, and even then don't appear too enthusiastic! It often ends in tears.
Boats are like motor homes, as soon as you say ‘marine’ they add £100
Identifying the plastic is the hard part.
I have two plastic welders. One is a hot air blower that I've never gotten the hang of using. It's noisy and bulky. The favored unit is basically a heavy duty soldering iron with a triangular foot at the business end. What I did with the seat pan was drill a small hole at each end of the many cracks, where possible. Then I used either a clamp or a ratchet strap to draw the crack closed, laid several 1/4" heavy duty staples across the crack, and pressed the welder foot on the staples. The heated staples sunk into the plastic. I followed up with some sort of filler that came with this welder. The end result was somewhat ugly but seems to be holding.
Jock-There used to be a National Public Radio program that was broadcast on Saturdays called "Car Talk". The hosts were two brothers from Boston, MA who were retired mechanics and comedians. Much was made of 'Critical Crud' that would be washed out of a crankcase with a major flush, resulting in leaking crank seals and, as they put it, funny noises and bad things.
Just fixed the passenger door handle on a 500 - normal broken hinge problem. Not normally a reason for smiling.
Haven't done one recently so refreshed my memory with the guide on FF.
The shortcut for removing the screw holding the outer part of the hinge to the chrome handle using a pozidrive but and a 1/4" spanner seemed like a good call, so gathered all the tools together and started pulling the door apart.
Was just about to start manipulating the screwdriver bit into place when...
Light Bulb.
I had forgotten the hex-drive ratchet I got as a freebie with some Chinese box of clips or grommets or whatever. It looks c**p, but is very low profile and has a knurled thumb wheel.
Anyway, big smile as screw removed, hinge replaced and screw put back in a few minutes, all without risking the fragile plastic rod clips at all.
Result.
I remember the last one being lots more painful, and me telling myself to stay away from them in future.
Haven't done one recently so refreshed my memory with the guide on FF.
The shortcut for removing the screw holding the outer part of the hinge to the chrome handle using a pozidrive but and a 1/4" spanner seemed like a good call, so gathered all the tools together and started pulling the door apart.
Was just about to start manipulating the screwdriver bit into place when...
Light Bulb.
I had forgotten the hex-drive ratchet I got as a freebie with some Chinese box of clips or grommets or whatever. It looks c**p, but is very low profile and has a knurled thumb wheel.
Anyway, big smile as screw removed, hinge replaced and screw put back in a few minutes, all without risking the fragile plastic rod clips at all.
Result.
I remember the last one being lots more painful, and me telling myself to stay away from them in future.
Attachments
Mine is the air version with a triangular foot you feed the plastic rod though plus other adaptors including the wide end for the curtain side material.
I have never tried stapling and soldering iron method although I have seen signs of it on plastic skirts on boy racer cars after speed bumps.
Personally I always warm engine up and flush before oil and filter changes especially on any vehicle new to me. So far so good re after effects.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Look sonny. We dont owe YOU anything. You owe US EVERYTHING.... Get ready!
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The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
I had to deal with a guy who worked as a litter picker who had gone blind. Productivity had dropped somewhat. Once he had been helped to get extra treatment and moved off the busy roads he was on, I moved on to getting him benefits and assistance at home. I heard he got some help from The Shaw Trust to get a suitable job. Sad the personnel department couldnt be trusted not to just sack him.... Thankfully the company doesnt exist any more.
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What is this madness?
At least we know the Firefly fits the CMP platform for future Fiats.
What it's doing in a pug though
At least we know the Firefly fits the CMP platform for future Fiats.
What it's doing in a pug though
It because Peugeot are part of the stellantis brigade a long with Fiat so a lot of it is just badge engineering along with same running gears etc for all their models, I saw a review on YouTube of the new Grande Panda earlier & I have to say I'm not a fan
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Im sure if you have never driven a Fiat and particularly a Panda it would be fine enough as something a little different. If you have its pathetic.
Peugeot swallowed Citroen and killed the individuality stone dead. Under their psedonym Stellantis they have swallowed FIat and that is dead too any trace of the brio that was their trade mark will go when the last FIAT Fiats cease production.. (soon) You might as well buy electric and get it all over in one go. Something with zero charcter and no feel and no delight in its operation, just transport. Hopefully better for teh environment, but I am still unconvinced there is any real benefit. So it might as well be Chinese. If you have to buy something thats no fun it must be just cheap and reliable. Just like the batteries for my power saws..... Thankfully they were daft enough to give a two year guarantee on them so shortly they will be going back as the new 5 minute working time is inadequate. Anyone who has no range anxiety has a lot of money.
Ignoring the emotive aspect...
The Fiat 600 has a Puretech in it..but for what reason?
The new 500e hybrid whatever they call it will have a firefly.
The factory that makes fireflys has been announced as staying open...but is idle due to none of the cars with fireflys in Europe still being in production.
The Firefly fits the CMP platform...the work to make it fit has already been done otherwise that 208 wouldn't exist. I.e. the 600 also on CMP could have a had a firefly...and the engine factory to make it in Italy could have been making them.
As a business the decision making seems to be very Italian.
The Fiat 600 has a Puretech in it..but for what reason?
The new 500e hybrid whatever they call it will have a firefly.
The factory that makes fireflys has been announced as staying open...but is idle due to none of the cars with fireflys in Europe still being in production.
The Firefly fits the CMP platform...the work to make it fit has already been done otherwise that 208 wouldn't exist. I.e. the 600 also on CMP could have a had a firefly...and the engine factory to make it in Italy could have been making them.
As a business the decision making seems to be very Italian.
I agree it is pathetic for those of us that have driven them, the one that got me was apparently they tried to make it to be like the original Panda, I sat there & went well where's this then
it turns out all they've done is engraved an original Panda into the dash, I don't like where they've put the old Fiat logo's all over it either. It seems pretty similar to when BMW took Mini & ruined it, the same is happening where Fiat has been sucked under the Stellantis setup. I agree once the outgoing Fiat's cease production that's virtually it for Fiat & their trademark which is a shame as they've made some amazing cars in the past although there have been a few questionable models all their history from back to 1899 is just going down the pan, they should never have done that deal with Peugeot, my dad & I both said when we heard that Fiat were having a meeting with Peugeot "well that's it for Fiat" I'll be sticking to the old Fiat's from when they were properly made & did what they did best. My mate has the new Peugeot 208 which has the same 1.2 Puretech engine that's going to be in the Grande Panda & it is so boring with no character at all, gutless & it doesn't feel very refined either, the only thing I could find it had going for it is that the seats were quite comfy but apart from that they can keep it 
I said to him my old Seicento's got much more get up & go than this & that's only 899cc 
