The Retirement Thread

[Drago]

Bruce walked. It's cold here, but bloody freezing down on the industrial estate. They're 60M lower down there and I think the cold air must pool.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Oh - his opinions stayed the same

he could wax lyrical about why the car rusted based on the quality of the steel they bought and how it was stored

apparently when he started the steel was bought in massive sheets and stored piled up
then the top few sheets were taken off and recycled
and the only steel that was used to make cars was from the middle sheets
and even then the edges of every sheet was cut off before use and recycled

all to avoid and steel where rust had started to take hold

Then managlement realised that they were paying for steel and not using it so they adjusted the rules ot get more steel out of each batch

and then adjusted it a bit more

and every time they made it more efficente they made the cars rust earlier

someone probably calculated that the earlier the cars rusted the more people got rid of them and bought another

and forgot that the one they bought eventually became one from Japan or France
(not Italy - because they made the Lanca Beta so clearly considered BL as an shining example of good steel!!!)

I used to do a bit of work at Poole Docks ( it's still to this day a working dock, with bulk carriers unloading jusy a hundred metres from the brand new Sunseeker yachts being manufactured next door )
I worked on the overhead cranes in the warehouse units, the steel came in on giant reels. Talking with the guys there, the steel was in different guages, the thinner the steel the easier to form I would imagine.
Even decades ago when I worked at Longbridge the steel was treated with a sort of bitumen mastic. I was spot welding cills and bump stops on the Allegro line, when/ if the mastic had dripped into the cill faces then the spot weld gun would give a splatter of blow back.

 

[Drago]

Oh - his opinions stayed the same

he could wax lyrical about why the car rusted based on the quality of the steel they bought and how it was stored

apparently when he started the steel was bought in massive sheets and stored piled up
then the top few sheets were taken off and recycled
and the only steel that was used to make cars was from the middle sheets
and even then the edges of every sheet was cut off before use and recycled

all to avoid and steel where rust had started to take hold

Then managlement realised that they were paying for steel and not using it so they adjusted the rules ot get more steel out of each batch

and then adjusted it a bit more

and every time they made it more efficente they made the cars rust earlier

someone probably calculated that the earlier the cars rusted the more people got rid of them and bought another

and forgot that the one they bought eventually became one from Japan or France
(not Italy - because they made the Lanca Beta so clearly considered BL as an shining example of good steel!!!)

I would question that. My Dad's first job from school in 1962 was an an Austin/Morris dealer...tarting up the new cars to hide the rust! That was years before BL even existed, so it clearly wasn't something BL management had done to save pennies - it was a problem long before BL was formed.

My Grandad was works manager for Lancia in the 60s and 70s, and I can confirm Italian steel was itself no problem. The rusting Beta's was caused by a batch of sub-par Russian steel taken in part payment for the Fiat 124 production line they sold to the Soviets, and was actually resolved quickly, but it was too late - even though they'd fixed the problem the damage to the model's reputation was irreparable. Fiat group referred to domestic steel and the problem was solved.

Italy were at the time the largest steel producer in the EU and it was high quality stuff. If BL went to France or Japan for supplies it was because it was less expensive (close by in the case of the former so cheaper to transport, and heavily government subsidised by the latter.)

So as well as being a bigot I'm afraid he was full of hot air.

 

[gavroche]

Bonjour from sunny Devon. Off to take the dogs on the beach shortly.
Back home to sunny North Wales tomorrow.

 

[Mo1959]

I was chatting to one of my neighbours from a few doors along earlier. He had been for a short spin on his mountain bike (which I sold him several years ago) and mentioned that I don’t really use the one I have now and he said he might be interested. Quite happy to let it go as off roading isn’t really for me. I paid £1400 for it around five years ago but would be quite happy with £500 just to clear a space in the shed. Be lucky if it’s done 300 miles.

 

[Dave7]

My daughter has just brought me a full English breakfast that I was not expecting.
Very nice but I couldn't finish it.
Anyone on here want a slice of bacon and a hash brown ?

 

[welsh dragon]

Mr WD is clearing the garage of 25 years of rubbish. It's amazing how much junk can be acquired in that time.

Pork for lunch. No idea what we are having with it mind you.

 

[Mo1959]

I see Paula Radcliffe decided to have a go again and did the Tokyo Marathon in 2 hours 57 minutes. Not bad for a 51 year old that’s no longer racing regularly!

 

[welsh dragon]

Pork chop, egg and beans

 

[classic33]

My daughter has just brought me a full English breakfast that I was not expecting.
Very nice but I couldn't finish it.
Anyone on here want a slice of bacon and a hash brown ?

Streaky?

 

[rustybolts]

I see Paula Radcliffe decided to have a go again and did the Tokyo Marathon in 2 hours 57 minutes. Not bad for a 51 year old that’s no longer racing regularly!

She was a class act in her day ( and still is ! )

 

[Paulus]

Millie is staring at me from the hallway, it must be time for the second walk around the field.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I would question that. My Dad's first job from school in 1962 was an an Austin/Morris dealer...tarting up the new cars to hide the rust! That was years before BL even existed, so it clearly wasn't something BL management had done to save pennies - it was a problem long before BL was formed.

My Grandad was works manager for Lancia in the 60s and 70s, and I can confirm Italian steel was itself no problem. The rusting Beta's was caused by a batch of sub-par Russian steel taken in part payment for the Fiat 124 production line they sold to the Soviets, and was actually resolved quickly, but it was too late - even though they'd fixed the problem the damage to the model's reputation was irreparable. Fiat group referred to domestic steel and the problem was solved.

Italy were at the time the largest steel producer in the EU and it was high quality stuff. If BL went to France or Japan for supplies it was because it was less expensive (close by in the case of the former so cheaper to transport, and heavily government subsidised by the latter.)

So as well as being a bigot I'm afraid he was full of hot air.

Quite possibly - I never spoke to him much - for obvious reasons

 

[Exlaser2]

Afternoon all . What a lovely day it’s been , weather wise .
It didn't look promising when we got to the the club this morning no wind at all and as I might of mentioned I am not feeling the love sailing wise ( I still need to change boat ) . But I rigged up more in hope than expectation. 😀
So glad I did , the course was good and the wind picked up , finished 2nd . It’s nice to know, after the results I have had recently, that I do know how to sail/race. 😀. Don’t tell Mrs exlaser, but what made it even better is that she finished 3rd. 😂
Back home now, drinking coffee and nursing various pains. My body is not used to sailing the whole race recently.
Have a good evening folks .

Re steel in cars. Things only really started to get better with the increasing use of galvanised panels on floor panels starting in the mid to late 80s . The next big change happened as part of the change to water based paints which started to happen in the mid to late 90s . Complete body shells started to be acid dipped ( to remove rust and any other contaminants) and then coated in an epoxy resin type material before painting .
I spent 25 years working in the body in white and then paint shop at the Peugeot plant in Coventry . I knew that knowledge would be useful eventually lol 😂😀

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Completely knackered here.

3 very late nights this week and we are off to bed right now - very unusual.

We have decided on a Kindle & Cuddle night and no marital shenanigans.