Car D.I.Y.

[gbb]

Re the apparent disparity in current crude price vs engine oil...engine oil was in all probability manufactured months ago....when oil prices were actually really quite high.
You have the same at the pumps, fuel prices have dropped but as no one is buying at the moment, tanks are sitting for longer, at the price paid weeks ago. I keep waiting for our local garage to refill, then hopefully the price per litre will fall again. It's been a longish wait so far.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Re the apparent disparity in current crude price vs engine oil...engine oil was in all probability manufactured months ago....when oil prices were actually really quite high.
You have the same at the pumps, fuel prices have dropped but as no one is buying at the moment, tanks are sitting for longer, at the price paid weeks ago. I keep waiting for our local garage to refill, then hopefully the price per litre will fall again. It's been a longish wait so far.

Probably, but I'm sure they will have another excuse in a couple of months when logically all the already processed oil has all gone,

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Re the apparent disparity in current crude price vs engine oil...engine oil was in all probability manufactured months ago....when oil prices were actually really quite high.
You have the same at the pumps, fuel prices have dropped but as no one is buying at the moment, tanks are sitting for longer, at the price paid weeks ago. I keep waiting for our local garage to refill, then hopefully the price per litre will fall again. It's been a longish wait so far.

OTOH domestic heating oil has plummeted. Just ordered 1000 litres at 17.5ppl - it was higher than that when we moved here in 2007, and has dropped by about 30ppl in 8 weeks...

 

[Deleted member 26715]

OTOH domestic heating oil has plummeted. Just ordered 1000 litres at 17.5ppl - it was higher than that when we moved here in 2007, and has dropped by about 30ppl in 8 weeks...

I'll let my sister know is this a National company you're buying from?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I'll let my sister know is this a National company you're buying from?

We use a local buying group to do the legwork. Plenty around I think

 

[gbb]

Not mine, but an interesting story.
Neighbour has a 2008 Mercedes Vito ? van, hes a self employed builder. Its a workhorse and has over 300k miles on it i think but it goes well.
In the last year he replaced the turbo (quite expensive), then the Injectors went (very expensive) , then the water pump, so he did that and the cam belt I think...this weekend, the clutch went, so a new clutch, slave cylinder and flywheel fitted.
Its cost him a packet, pushing £1000 each time..but, my SIL, also a friend of theirs is a mechanic and used to work in an ambulance service and repair company and says the mechanics in the Vito are much the same as used in a lot of ambulances and now all that's done, it should be good for 600k miles.

While making his decision what to do, he saw what he could get for it ...a mere £600.
His reckoning, while its cost him, it is a strong van and hed have brought a van for what ? £3000...and maybe had all the same problems again.

Respect due, he did all the work himself.

 

[cosmicbike]

Watched a Wheeler Dealers with a Capri, are the wings welded on?.

What's the plan, weld in some new sections?.

They are indeed, spot welded along the wing rails, a small amount around the headlight bulb, and 3 small runs of weld along the A post. Also 3 bolts to the valance, though 2 of those are well and truly gone.
I have a pair of pattern wings, but given how badly I expect them to fit I thing I'll use them to make repair sections, the rest of the wing is largely solid so I hope to make that option work. I'll remove it after tacking repairs as the sill ends are gone also and will need repair. Might take a while, especially as the passenger wing is the same. I do have a pretty decent spare passenger wing from an '83 2.8i which I can use if I really have to..

 

[Drago]

Pardon?!

What on earth does it wear?

I've 255 section 19's on the Volvo. I'd be quite happy if mine were only 150 sheets apiece. Mrs D's car is shod with 22's and I'm too frightened to even look on Black circle's website

I always keep the best tyres on the back like the police car workshops do - understeer is annoying but rarely fatal, whereas oversteer is quite often fatal to car, driver or both.

 

[keithmac]

I've 255 section 19's on the Volvo. I'd be quite happy if mine were only 150 sheets apiece. Mrs D's car is shod with 22's and I'm too frightened to even look on Black circle's website

I always keep the best tyres on the back like the police car workshops do - understeer is annoying but rarely fatal, whereas oversteer is quite often fatal to car, driver or both.

There's not enough difference in ours to cause handling issues, plus it's got Intelligent AWD/ torque vectoring and stability control etc to get you out of the brown stuff.

To be fair it's only me that gives it a boot full anyway (surprisingly nimble for what it is).

Ours is 2250kg fully loaded and handles it very well.

 

[keithmac]

They are indeed, spot welded along the wing rails, a small amount around the headlight bulb, and 3 small runs of weld along the A post. Also 3 bolts to the valance, though 2 of those are well and truly gone.
I have a pair of pattern wings, but given how badly I expect them to fit I thing I'll use them to make repair sections, the rest of the wing is largely solid so I hope to make that option work. I'll remove it after tacking repairs as the sill ends are gone also and will need repair. Might take a while, especially as the passenger wing is the same. I do have a pretty decent spare passenger wing from an '83 2.8i which I can use if I really have to..

Might be worth offering them up if you're taking the original ones off anyway?. From what I remember Edd got them fitted fine but his painting let him down in the end (lacquer reacted with the paint?).

 

[cosmicbike]

Might be worth offering them up if you're taking the original ones off anyway?. From what I remember Edd got them fitted fine but his painting let him down in the end (lacquer reacted with the paint?).

Rock and a hard place. I was going to leave the one pictured in place at tack the repair sections in before I remove it, which would of course render the pattern wing useless. I suppose if I cut the wing off 'as is' and try the pattern part then I can always tack the wing back on.

 

[keithmac]

Up nice and early this morning.

Kuga wheels were looking a right state (noticed last week) so for a grand total of £0 I had a go at tarting them up.

Off and clean with 50% TFR mix first being caarful to not let it dry!, then some GT85 and plenty of time with some grey Scotchbrite pads on the diamond cut faces.

Came up a treat!.

Had a bit of TFR left in the sprayer and some water left in our Nomad portable pressure washer (excellent bit of kit) so treated the GTECH to it's yearly clean as well.

BBQ and beers this afternoon!.

 

[cosmicbike]

Rather a messy day on the Capri yesterday. Most of the dash stripped out so I could access the upper door mounting bolts, then remove the drivers door. I've managed to grind off/cold chisel all the weld runs, just the spots to go now. Also found a new hole where there shouldn't be one, tin worm has been eating again

 

[Gunk]

Which model is it?

 

[cosmicbike]

Which model is it?

1.6 Laser, September 1986.