The Night Mail

[Winslow Boy]

3 minutes ago, SM42 said:

No sooner have we unpacked, it's time to pack again 

 

Tomorrow we head for the Suwalki gap. 

 

Hopefully we will have good weather and we might get chance to visit the narrow gauge railway in Elk. 

 

Luckily Mrs SM42 quite likes a narrow gauge railway. 

 

" Ahhh! Sweet man. "  and  ' It's so cute" are often heard uttered forth from her lips.

 

She says the same about narrow gauge railways too.

 

Andy

One assumes Andy that she's talking about your 'model railways' when those phrases are uttered. If not would you kindly keep those times to your self please.

[Winslow Boy]

Well it is with sadness that I have to report Andy's malaise of things mechanical has spread to Chateau WB. Maisie Victoria has again developed a fault with the driver's side window. This is the second time in as many months and the last time cost me just over two thirds of a Deltic to fix or not fix as it now seems. Too be fair the mechanic did say that it might not be permanent and he has proved correct.

 

The trouble is MV is so old now that original parts are scarce and the knock off ones aren't any cop. Plus the cost of any repairs is beginning/begun to exceed the cars value.

 

I'm therefore actively considering her replacement and when it comes time I shall be sad to see her go as she has on the whole been a good little motor.

 

Whatever I end up with will be my last car, even if I win the lottery which is highly unlikely as I do not partake. The replacement will therefore need to be something robust and due to budgetary constraints without much frills.

 

One such marque that has piqued my interest is the Dacia and any observations would be appreciated.

 

Unfortunately this means that the Shed Equity Release Fund or SERF for short has been twitching nervously as I think it realises it's in for a severe battering.

[Happy Hippo]

30 minutes ago, SM42 said:

No sooner have we unpacked, it's time to pack again 

 

Tomorrow we head for the Suwalki gap. 

 

Hopefully we will have good weather and we might get chance to visit the narrow gauge railway in Elk. 

 

Luckily Mrs SM42 quite likes a narrow gauge railway. 

 

" Ahhh! Sweet man. "  and  ' It's so cute" are often heard uttered forth from her lips.

 

She says the same about narrow gauge railways too.

 

Andy

I wonder if my biography should be 'He's so cute...'

[New Haven Neil]

Dunno about Dacias, but my i30 Hyundai is now 10 years old, 70k miles, and has been totally and utterly fault free.  Not bought a single part outside of service items.

[Tony_S]

2 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

Dunno about Dacias, but my i30 Hyundai is now 10 years old, 70k miles, and has been totally and utterly fault free.  Not bought a single part outside of service items.

Didn’t @grandadbob have a Dacia Duster for a while? 

[Oldddudders]

France is awash with Dacias, as you might expect. A chap not far from me is on his second new one, which may tell us something. His is a Sandero Stepway. 

[jamie92208]

54 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

Didn’t @grandadbob have a Dacia Duster for a while? 

Was it's successor a Dishcloth. 

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

The blind did not get fixed.  The little pack of screws and rackets is nowhere to be found.  Three quarters of an hour later I managed to send a message to Leroy Merlin.  Their reply has asked for a photo.  I've replied that I can't photograph a missing part and there are no part numbers on the instructions. I went trimmi g instead and disposed of am area of brambles. 

 

Happy days but I'm still going trainspotting later.  Work is ongoing on the main line so nothing runs till after 4pm.

 

Jamie

[SM42]

I dropped Mrs SM42 off in Town this morning for her to have her face done. 

 

As I was not then far from my favourite model shop I  popped in. 

 

It's not the biggest shop, ( it's packed to the rafters with stock and three customers at once is cosy) 

 I arrived to find the pile of boxes outside the door.

 

I wondered if it was open. It was. 

 

More boxes filled the inside. Two customers now became about the shops capacity 

 

The owner explained that this morning there had been an invasion of boxes from Roco. 

 

Two more customers arrived while I was there. One had to hover in the doorway  

 

One got their watch repaired ( he does that too) and somewhere in Poznan a child will be getting a train set for their name day ( Piko SM42 and two wagons, a good choice of loco, not that I'm biased)

 

 

Just got to put the washing  out now then it's off to the in laws for coffee and cake for lunch. 

 

Cake for lunch. What's not to like?

 

Andy

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

Well it is with sadness that I have to report Andy's malaise of things mechanical has spread to Chateau WB. Maisie Victoria has again developed a fault with the driver's side window. This is the second time in as many months and the last time cost me just over two thirds of a Deltic to fix or not fix as it now seems. Too be fair the mechanic did say that it might not be permanent and he has proved correct.

 

The trouble is MV is so old now that original parts are scarce and the knock off ones aren't any cop. Plus the cost of any repairs is beginning/begun to exceed the cars value.

 

 

What was the fault - and the fix last time?  Can you rob bits from another door to fix the driver's door window?

[SM42]

The only thing that makes me wonder about Dacia is that is a Renault. 

 

I know people with both a Duster and a Sandero and they are quite happy with them. 

They are looking to replace the Duster cos they've worn it out. It's not had the easiest of lives. 

 

Personally I would go Japanese or Korean but do some research if going used, as some  models are better than others the same from different production versions. 

 

I've had a couple of i30s as hire cars and they've been good, even if 4th gear seems a little gutless. 

One got me across a very muddy field ( the sort that leaves  big lumps of mud alll over the car)  that claimed to be a road, so not bad off road too.

 

A car mad friend really rates ihis sister's i30 as a good everyday car. 

 

 

Andy

[polybear]

2 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

The gulls are noisy, the choughs are chuffed, the swifts are .... well ..... swift and the council is noisily collecting the green bins which have been replaced with black ones.  Because as they say "The green bins do not fit the collection vehicles"  Which is utter rubbish as they are the same size and design but hey what do we know?  

 

 

Sounds like a formal question to the council is in order.  And black ones are even more obvious when standing in gardens - turdycurses.

 

1 hour ago, PhilJ W said:

Morning all from Estuary-Land. Another good night last night, woke up a couple of times but soon nodded off again. Just taxed the car, £255 I don't know what that is in Deltics but ouch! I was going to the Brentwood toy fair tomorrow but now it's doubtful as the knees are playing up.

 

Ouch.  Noisy Deltic...

 

53 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

I'm waiting for something like that.  The Little Red Driving Box is 59-reg so no spring chicken but at 67,000 miles is still quite light on her feet.  Casual inspection and a history of zero MoT failures suggest she is sound but anything might happen at any time.  Book value is only around £1200 (less on some sites but condition and low miles lift it a bit) so even a nudge whilst parked could write her off.  At least the insurance is a zero-excess policy.  

 

Ricky the Rover went to 239K on the standard Cat (of the exhaust variety); no horrendous bills for MOT's IIRC (though an "understanding" tester helped somewhat.....)

[Oldddudders]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

Happy days but I'm still going trainspotting later.  Work is ongoing on the main line so nothing runs till after 4pm.

Don't hold your breath, as SNCF is reeling from massive sabotage on the TGV routes. National outrage at this attempt to disrupt the Olympics. I doubt that anyone found responsible will be offered counselling....

[Oldddudders]

36 minutes ago, SM42 said:

The only thing that makes me wonder about Dacia is that is a Renault. 

Why? My Clio estate (Mk IV not sold in UK) has now done 78k km in 7 years with only a new battery and a puncture over and above routine maintenance. Front brake discs were replaced at about 60k, I think.  

[polybear]

Bear here....

 

Harry the Honda?  Sounded like a Tractor again - obviously not running on all four.  After a while the other two started dying as well, so Bear decided that further investigation was in order....

First thing I discovered was a distinct lack of smelly stuff come out of the fuel pipe from the tap.  That could be a useful clue...

So tank off, then play silly bvggers draining the fuel then removing the fuel tap; the filter decided to stay in the tank though - double TC's.  Fortunately recovery was accomplished, all filters checked and the fuel tap cleaned & blown thru' with compressed air.  All seems happy now - but nothing blatantly obvious discovered, apart from a loose Datatag Chip rattling around loose inside the fuel tank (now recovered) - the new owner can re-bond that.

 

I'll go and get a gallon of fresh E5 later, along with a new length of fuel tubing; it seems that Esso E5 is very likely to contain 5% Ethanol now, so it'll be the nearest petrol station for some motion lotion....

 

ION....

 

Postie delivered Bear's new toy.  Tick

 

And finally....

 

 Cunning Bear Mode engaged....😁

I started running Harry about half an hour before NNND normally p1sses off to work (if she's going to); she went to work today - maybe that was planned anyway, or maybe she went in cos' Bear was running Harry.....

 

BG 

 

edit:  This post should've been on ER'ers. 

HIPPOOOOOOOOO.........😠

Edited July 26 by polybear

[SM42]

14 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Why? My Clio estate (Mk IV not sold in UK) has now done 78k km in 7 years with only a new battery and a puncture over and above routine maintenance. Front brake discs were replaced at about 60k, I think.  

 

Only had one Renault. 

 

A Laguna 2

 

Lovely car, very comfortable place to await the recovery truck 

 

Numerous electrical issues and a blown turbo at 40k miles

 

The dealer said there were 22 turbos in stock and that is not the sort of thing you keep on the shelf in that sort of number unless you expect a problem.

Fortunately a warrant repair. 

 

On one of my many visits to get something fixed, I was talking to a girl in the waiting area who was having the handbrake lever on her Megane replaced. 

 

It was three weeks old.

She had pulled it off the mounts. 

 

The mechanic expressed surprise that the bolts had pulled through the mounting plate. 

 

I also test drove a  Megane once.

2k miles on the clock and the interior rattled like one with 102k. 

 

The above makes me wary.  

 

Andy

Edited July 26 by SM42

[jamie92208]

13 minutes ago, Oldddudders said:

Why? My Clio estate (Mk IV not sold in UK) has now done 78k km in 7 years with only a new battery and a puncture over and above routine maintenance. Front brake discs were replaced at about 60k, I think.  

Beth's Clio, first Reg March 2017 has a similar kilometer age and has also needed a new battery but is otherwise very good. 

 

Jamie

[Oldddudders]

Alison has a Megane estate. Bought at 2.5 yrs old, w 90k km on the clock, so high mileage. 5 years later with minimal maintenance it is still going strong as a daily driver, and sailed thought its last biennial MOT despite not having been serviced in ages. Feels comfy and tight when I am a passenger, which is only occasionally so I would notice rattles etc. . 

[Winslow Boy]

3 hours ago, polybear said:

 

What was the fault - and the fix last time?  Can you rob bits from another door to fix the driver's door window?

The fault is with a metal bar that somehow haas become bent. The repair - as such it was, was to bend it back into shape but clearly it hasn't worked. To be honest she's fifteen years old and in addition to the window has a couple of other faults that again due to there cost have been bodged in order to keep her operational.

 

I was contemplating getting shot prior to the Great Lurgy, when my mother was alive. She'd given up driving so I was her taxi with chauffeur. Now that mums gone we don't do as much mileage. The difficulty is that I do use her occasionally to transport awkward things but really the rest of the time it's just me and the Boss.

 

So as much as I'm tempted to bid for Harry, I can't see the Boss agreeing to sit in a basket on the handlebars.

[DenysW]

I was very disappointed with the most-recently-dead Skoda that went to the great recycling shop in the sky with only 240k miles on the clock. Three previous models had gone 280k+ miles before failing. Disclaimer:good local mechanic involved for all except most-recently-dead. Current Skoda OK, but I no longer do 30-50 kmiles/year.

[New Haven Neil]

4 hours ago, SM42 said:

I've had a couple of i30s as hire cars and they've been good, even if 4th gear seems a little gutless. 

 

S'pose that depends which engine it is - mine's a 1.6 diesel with a 6sp auto box, and it has ample torque for anything bar overtaking thrashed GTi's and similar things.  It drives very nicely if no Jag, but has better ride quality and  has heaps more go than Mrs NHN Citroen Picasso, which is a 1.6 diesel 5sp manual a couple of years newer (and less reliable).

[SM42]

5 minutes ago, New Haven Neil said:

 

S'pose that depends which engine it is - mine's a 1.6 diesel with a 6sp auto box, and it has ample torque for anything bar overtaking thrashed GTi's and similar things.  It drives very nicely if no Jag, but has better ride quality and  has heaps more go than Mrs NHN Citroen Picasso, which is a 1.6 diesel 5sp manual a couple of years newer (and less reliable).

 

Both petrol manuals. Engine size unknown but quite nippy things

 

I didn't really think  4th was worth the effort unless you happened to be driving at a speed that required it.  

 

The last i30 we hired turned into a Kia Sportage due to someone crashing the car we had booked so it was no longer available. 

 

Andy

Edited July 26 by SM42

[polybear]

1 hour ago, Winslow Boy said:

The fault is with a metal bar that somehow haas become bent. The repair - as such it was, was to bend it back into shape but clearly it hasn't worked. To be honest she's fifteen years old and in addition to the window has a couple of other faults that again due to there cost have been bodged in order to keep her operational.

 

I was contemplating getting shot prior to the Great Lurgy, when my mother was alive. She'd given up driving so I was her taxi with chauffeur. Now that mums gone we don't do as much mileage. The difficulty is that I do use her occasionally to transport awkward things but really the rest of the time it's just me and the Boss.

 

So as much as I'm tempted to bid for Harry, I can't see the Boss agreeing to sit in a basket on the handlebars.

 

Bear has had an absolutely WIZARD idea (it does happen....)

 

Strip the interior out then use it as a Shed; you could even remove the engine and use that space as well.

Pure Genius.

 

[SM42]

15 minutes ago, polybear said:

 

Bear has had an absolutely WIZARD idea (it does happen....)

 

Strip the interior out then use it as a Shed; you could even remove the engine and use that space as well.

Pure Genius.

 

 

You could sell the interior and other bits  to help finance the replacement motor. 

 

Andy

[J. S. Bach]

Or buy a real shed!