What's made you smile today?

[PuntoHowTo]

I have an irrational dislike of roof boxes

Nothing irrational about it.

Generally I manage to fit everything inside the car, there is not need form, the only thing they’re useful for is housing one or two illegal immigrants who hopped in when you weren’t looking.

I avoided the roof boxes by doing away with the roof.
That being said this reminds me of when I had first got the car and on eBay you could buy “golf cabriolet roof bars” because of dodgy sellers spamming every car model with non existent products.

Wondering why you need a disc brake on the front of a Motor Torpedo Boat? - ha ha! (sorry)

In case you need to stop suddenly of course.

 

[FiatMatt94]

It's been really good weather recently here in Cheshire so I decided to take advantage of the nice evening & go for a B road bash & then got the perfect opportunity for a photo of the car with the sun setting in the background.

Also I'm starting a new job at the end of the week as a Milkman, went for the interview Monday & they offered it to me there & then, there's a few perks such as good pay & paid weekly, £50 attendance bonus every week if you're in every shift, good work life balance as it's only 4 shifts a week, set wage & set hours & the best of all it's job & knock, the only downside is it is night work but I'll get used to it as I get 3 days a week off, I wouldn't have considered it if it was every night but for all the perks & being job & knock it should all be good.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Still on paternity leave...went for a walk with wife and baby after dropping big one off at school and we discussed going on holiday.

She floated the Idea of a roof box so we could take the pram. I have an irrational dislike of roof boxes as it's one of those things that's just annoying plastic detritus taking up space 350 days a year.

So of course my immediate reaction was "it'll fit man"..it's a nice day got nowt else on so why not try it?

View attachment 465908

Regular viewers of "man wedges things into cars" will recognise the cases from the C3 edition of the same show. So not only does it fit with a pram but we could either have another identical case or a load of nappies or a pair of holdalls between them.

Win...I continue to avoid a roof box

Fits like a glove. Tons of room......

 

[StevenRB45]

In case you need to stop suddenly of course.

Stop this bad boy?

I'm reliably informed that achieving 90rpm at the crank = the speed of light.

 

[sandeel999]

Seagull taking the bus in sunny Suffolk tonight

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Forgot to post this yesterday. Took the kids swimming yesterday and fuel in the Scala was very low as I'd not filled up since returning from our trip down south. Before leaving I topped the tank with Morrison's E10 and a dose of the Archoil and noted the recorded mileage. Got to my daughter's in Salisbury with the tank still indicating a third. Put about £20 of E10 in at their local Tesco as we were visiting friends (one 3.5 hour, and return journey and one 1 hour journey and return - all on country roads of varying types.) Then off down to N. Devon on the A303, M5 and N. Devon link road. One or two shopping trips, going to chippy and hotel for Sunday lunch. Then topped off again to second click at Tesco with E10 and some more Archoil before heading back up the M5/M6/A702 round the ring road and back to home. After topping off to second click again yesterday I noted the mileage and worked out The miles covered vs the actual fuel used from the receipts. It would seem she's done 63.8 miles per gallon! Of course this was all main road running with a lot of it on cruise at 70 mph but also quite a lot at 60 and 50 mph due to road works and extended sections of variable speed limits. I'm very very pleased with this.

Some of you may remember on our trip last year, when she was new (she only had about 800 miles on the clock when we set off if I remember) She was using oil. The dipstick went from the full to empty mark by the top end of the M5. I had been warned that these engines do use oil during the first few thousand miles though so I'd bought some top up oil before leaving. I topped her off and it had only dropped slightly by the time the whole journey was completed - ie back in Edinburgh. This time the oil level was just below the full mark when I set off (with about 5.000 miles now on the clock) and, roughly 1,300 miles later, the level has dropped but by such a small amount it's difficult to actually measure it and it certainly doesn't need topped up. So she seems to have settled in nicely. I believe these engines have a sprayed hard metal coating on the bores with low friction piston rings so I can understand that the rings will take a wee while to bed in. I also think? that the sprayed on surface coating on the bores probably means reboring is not an option when the engine ages?

Edit. For comparison purposes she managed just on 60 mpg last year and I was taking it easy to let her bed in.

 

[bugsymike]

Stop this bad boy?

I'm reliably informed that achieving 90rpm at the crank = the speed of light.

View attachment 465943

Just don't get your nuts caught in the gears.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Stop this bad boy?

I'm reliably informed that achieving 90rpm at the crank = the speed of light.

View attachment 465943

Reminds me of the crazy inventions of Rowland Emett. (look on You tube) I notice it seems to need two wheel locks to restrain it and it has no brakes? The big question though has to be, Why?

And the answer is probably "because". That always used to stop the kids asking about something when they were young.

 

[StevenRB45]

Forgot to post this yesterday. Took the kids swimming yesterday and fuel in the Scala was very low as I'd not filled up since returning from our trip down south. Before leaving I topped the tank with Morrison's E10 and a dose of the Archoil and noted the recorded mileage. Got to my daughter's in Salisbury with the tank still indicating a third. Put about £20 of E10 in at their local Tesco as we were visiting friends (one 3.5 hour, and return journey and one 1 hour journey and return - all on country roads of varying types.) Then off down to N. Devon on the A303, M5 and N. Devon link road. One or two shopping trips, going to chippy and hotel for Sunday lunch. Then topped off again to second click at Tesco with E10 and some more Archoil before heading back up the M5/M6/A702 round the ring road and back to home. After topping off to second click again yesterday I noted the mileage and worked out The miles covered vs the actual fuel used from the receipts. It would seem she's done 63.8 miles per gallon! Of course this was all main road running with a lot of it on cruise at 70 mph but also quite a lot at 60 and 50 mph due to road works and extended sections of variable speed limits. I'm very very pleased with this.

Some of you may remember on our trip last year, when she was new (she only had about 800 miles on the clock when we set off if I remember) She was using oil. The dipstick went from the full to empty mark by the top end of the M5. I had been warned that these engines do use oil during the first few thousand miles though so I'd bought some top up oil before leaving. I topped her off and it had only dropped slightly by the time the whole journey was completed - ie back in Edinburgh. This time the oil level was just below the full mark when I set off (with about 5.000 miles now on the clock) and, roughly 1,300 miles later, the level has dropped but by such a small amount it's difficult to actually measure it and it certainly doesn't need topped up. So she seems to have settled in nicely. I believe these engines have a sprayed hard metal coating on the bores with low friction piston rings so I can understand that the rings will take a wee while to bed in. I also think? that the sprayed on surface coating on the bores probably means reboring is not an option when the engine ages?

Edit. For comparison purposes she managed just on 60 mpg last year and I was taking it easy to let her bed in.

I think there is something called DLC (Diamond like carbon) on the modern units. Reduces friction...and as far I can tell engine braking.

The Puretech has it, to be honest I don't think there's any real consideration of rebuilding them in any modern engine, half of them even basic service seems to be not a consideration.

The Toyota doesn't have it being a strangely old school thing for an engine first introduced in 2015, it also lacks any active EGR (a crying shame you'll agree..where would the world be without valves to get gummed up and the possibility of carbon rich exhaust making its way on to the backs of your inlet valves?).

Although the difference in approach between it and a European engine can probably be summed up by this...if the PCV valve fails on a puretech (and they do leading to oil use and eventually kill the piston rings) it's part of the plastic cam cover and unavailable as a separate unit.

VW are better but it still needs coils and other bits in the way removed.

In the largely unheard of case of a PCV issues on the Toyota...

Without DLC it relies on using a more efficient firing cycle when cruising instead however it won't achieve 60mpg in a million years... although 50 is within reach at a 60mph cruise and 45 at 70. Of course when not cruising it uses a less efficient firing cycle...to achieve 35mpg

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I think there is something called DLC (Diamond like carbon) on the modern units. Reduces friction...and as far I can tell engine braking.

Found this about the VAG EA211 engine cylinder bore coating: https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en...uto-introduces-plasma-coated-cylinder-blocks/ It's been around for a few years now and I've not heard of any issues - Thinking about the Nikasil failures here.

Mind you, Thinking about doing a major overhaul on one of these modern small turbo engines is something only to be considered if you're very brave - or foolish with too much money?

 

[bugsymike]

Found this about the VAG EA211 engine cylinder bore coating: https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en...uto-introduces-plasma-coated-cylinder-blocks/ It's been around for a few years now and I've not heard of any issues - Thinking about the Nikasil failures here.

Mind you, Thinking about doing a major overhaul on one of these modern small turbo engines is something only to be considered if you're very brave - or foolish with too much money?

I had heard about Nikasil on competition two strokes, but may be related to chainsaws as well, some years ago I wanted to put new rings in a chainsaw engine and was told all you could buy was a complete engine, so that was the end of that.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I had heard about Nikasil on competition two strokes, but may be related to chainsaws as well, some years ago I wanted to put new rings in a chainsaw engine and was told all you could buy was a complete engine, so that was the end of that.

It's a problem in the past now but I think Jaguar, Porsche and BMW, maybe others too, had quite serious problems with it. From what I've read it was something to do with British petrol formulations but I don't know much about it - lots on line if you want to explore it.

I think the VAG plasma coating is completely different and, so far (fingers crossed) doesn't seem to have issues.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

It's a problem in the past now but I think Jaguar, Porsche and BMW, maybe others too, had quite serious problems with it. From what I've read it was something to do with British petrol formulations but I don't know much about it - lots on line if you want to explore it.

I think the VAG plasma coating is completely different and, so far (fingers crossed) doesn't seem to have issues.

Having said that (the above) I'm increasingly of the opinion that modern cars with these small turbo engines and their very complicated and complex electronics are not "long term keepers" in the sense that older less stressed designs were.

 

[StevenRB45]

I reckon it depends on your definition of long term.

This isn't the highest mileage one I've seen which would be over 150k

Most modern cars I'd reckon the engine if serviced will outlast the availability of parts for other things like ECUs and the diagnostic gear.

That and it would probably depend on the set up of the block in the case of the Citroën it has separate cast lron liners in an aluminium block so you'd imagine you'd get liners rather than bore it.

 

[bugsymike]

Most modern cars I'd reckon the engine if serviced will outlast the availability of parts for other things like ECUs and the diagnostic gear.

That and it would probably depend on the set up of the block in the case of the Citroën it has separate cast lron liners in an aluminium block so you'd imagine you'd get liners rather than bore it.

Sounds like a much more specialised operation than fitting liners in the old days.
I very much doubt if many machine shops will undertake it, so most when it gets to that point most owners will scrap the vehicles.
More manufacturer's "built in obsolescence".
After all, not many garages will rebuild a normal engine these days, as with labour charges etc. not economically viable.

 

[StevenRB45]

If it lasts twice as long or more without a rebuild is it built in obsolescence though or is it just better built removing the need to rebuild it?

The Toyota is on 80k it shows no signs of not being a new engine, with no oil use or anything else. If it was a 70s Ford or BL engine it would be smoking like a trooper by now.

Normal practice would probably be a short block replacement now it's just cheaper than going to town on it. Also the tolerances involved are very much smaller so a lot less forgiving to do the work on a bench.

 

[bugsymike]

If it lasts twice as long or more without a rebuild is it built in obsolescence though or is it just better built removing the need to rebuild it?

The Toyota is on 80k it shows no signs of not being a new engine, with no oil use or anything else. If it was a 70s Ford or BL engine it would be smoking like a trooper by now.

Normal practice would probably be a short block replacement now it's just cheaper than going to town on it. Also the tolerances involved are very much smaller so a lot less forgiving to do the work on a bench.

It just annoys me that due to emission laws etc. in this Country we have vehicles that are not repairable and at the same time old cars in Third World Countries are being rebuilt at the side of the road for a few quid, so any attempts at achieving Net Zero are wasted any way as those old vehicles will still be running , chucking out emissions, but in a different area of the planet.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

It just annoys me that due to emission laws etc. in this Country we have vehicles that are not repairable and at the same time old cars in Third World Countries are being rebuilt at the side of the road for a few quid, so any attempts at achieving Net Zero are wasted any way as those old vehicles will still be running , chucking out emissions, but in a different area of the planet.

Yes Mike. Being a science fiction enthusiast I've read many books which take the results of global warming etc as their theme. As the years have rolled by I've seen what I thought were most unlikely scenarios back in the late 50s/early 60s starting to come true - at least in certain aspects. I was in total denial back then but am now quite concerned about our planet. We are beating ourselves up with our punitive approach to emissions. I'm quite sceptical as to whether electric vehicles, when taken over their whole life including scrappage and resultant potential pollution/cost of dealing with, are at all the answer. I suspect savings and benefits over a modern IC engined vehicle are probably pretty minimal but are being talked up by vested interests.

When you look at the bigger global picture, our total contribution is pitifully small but we're torturing ourselves to comply. Then there's all the other stuff which is not being controlled - how about wood burning stoves just for starters. For any of it to be of consequence the whole world needs to get behind it and we're so far away from that that it makes me quite despondent. Perhaps the planet has decided it's time for Homo Sapiens to be done away with and let something else take the ascendancy?

 

[bugsymike]

Yes Mike. Being a science fiction enthusiast I've read many books which take the results of global warming etc as their theme. As the years have rolled by I've seen what I thought were most unlikely scenarios back in the late 50s/early 60s starting to come true - at least in certain aspects. I was in total denial back then but am now quite concerned about our planet. We are beating ourselves up with our punitive approach to emissions. I'm quite sceptical as to whether electric vehicles, when taken over their whole life including scrappage and resultant potential pollution/cost of dealing with, are at all the answer. I suspect savings and benefits over a modern IC engined vehicle are probably pretty minimal but are being talked up by vested interests.

When you look at the bigger global picture, our total contribution is pitifully small but we're torturing ourselves to comply. Then there's all the other stuff which is not being controlled - how about wood burning stoves just for starters. For any of it to be of consequence the whole world needs to get behind it and we're so far away from that that it makes me quite despondent. Perhaps the planet has decided it's time for Homo Sapiens to be done away with and let something else take the ascendancy?

Nothing we can say or do will make a hap,oth of difference, politicians haven't got a clue, they just get on a band wagon that sounds like they will get noticed and the public just pays the bill.
That rubbish about £300 off our bills has been quietly forgotten, they come up with ideas to save money on energy bill, conveniently forgetting that as it is privatised those companies will just jack up the unit costs when you use less units, so their share holders don't lose out.

 

[The Panda Nut]

It just annoys me that due to emission laws etc. in this Country we have vehicles that are not repairable and at the same time old cars in Third World Countries are being rebuilt at the side of the road for a few quid, so any attempts at achieving Net Zero are wasted any way as those old vehicles will still be running , chucking out emissions, but in a different area of the planet.

Well said