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Mar 30, 2022 19:39:04 GMT
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Such a disappointment for you. I totally understand though. Years ago I had a tuned Mini. It kept going wrong. Eventually it ate the transfer gears and although I got all the bits I needed to repair it, I just lost all interest in it and sold it for a huge loss.
Hope that you get some closure some way, somehow.
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Mar 28, 2022 22:09:59 GMT
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Lesser hits include Who drank all the rum? and Not another trial fit? Plus the future classic "My C10 will ride again"
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Last Edit: Mar 28, 2022 22:10:27 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 25, 2022 16:52:20 GMT
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Fabulous news all-round! Looking forward to the next installments nickwheeler and grizz you guys are motivating me again - thank you!
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Mar 24, 2022 20:42:42 GMT
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Love a Swift Sport - my late friend had two, the 2nd of which (a 2013 model) I found for her about 4 miles away. It was immaculate- a one-owner car with only12k miles on the clock. Beautiful, fun to drive motor, revved like crazy and like driving a go-kart. It was the same colour as yours too.
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Last Edit: Mar 24, 2022 20:43:06 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 23, 2022 22:56:48 GMT
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Happy birthday mrbounce - should have got yourself a Hawaii plate for your 50th, Alaska would have been for your 49th! Ha ha - yes. But I don't do things logically and I already have a Hawaii plate Thanks BTW
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Last Edit: Apr 26, 2022 19:17:03 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 23, 2022 20:41:31 GMT
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Well, it's been a while. After losing both parents last year, my brother and I have had the unenviable task of clearing out Mum & Dad's house. They had a LOT of stuff. I only have a small 2-bed bungalow, and there simply isn't the space inside for most stuff, so it's been living in the garage. This has meant that the project has sat there gathering dust for the past 6 months whilst my priorities have been elsewhere. Dad was a keen and talented photographer, so I have boxes upon boxes of slides and negatives I need to deal with. I am starting to win though, and have ordered myself a large wooden trunk to store some stuff in, which will live in the garage, hopefully out of the way. I had a bit of a clean up in the garage, and remembered that I was doing things with the headlining which involved the mirror and the interior light. This was a Fiat 126 item, and I don't like the design at all. I will be using either a stick-on mirror on the windscreen or one to mount AC Cobra-style to the top of the dashboard. Which I have yet to re-make as the original was garbage and the first one I made I wasn't happy with. I have ideas on what to do to make a better version. However, back to the headlining: I had filled in the area with resin where the old mirror/light had sat and had bought myself a natty little interior light from Car Builder Solutions - you can switch it on inside the car by simply tilting the light lens. I like it for its simplicity, It was also the perfect size for the area where the original sat. So I cracked out the Dremel and after tracing round the lamp where it needed to sit I crudely hacked a hole in the headlining. Some file work followed (it still looks a bit crude but it is covered by the light body), and it's easy to press the light into the hole - it's held in place by a couple of spring clips. More updates will follow as I continue my quest to make the garage a usable place again. Nice lamp Traced where it needs to sit A hole (looks worse than it actually is And finally there it is in place
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Mar 23, 2022 20:08:21 GMT
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So as I turned the big 5-0 today I bought myself a "treat" plate the other day. Alaskan plates tend to be more money, but I simply HAD to have this one because it's got a BEAR on it. And to save on postage I got myself one from Connecticut as well - they arrived the other day and are now up in the rafters. 14 States to go... It's got a BEAR on it. And that's all that you need to know! And the slightly less impressive Connecticut plate - which is in really nice nick!
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Last Edit: Mar 23, 2022 20:50:43 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 23, 2022 11:15:21 GMT
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How about that the "46" and "WGN" relates to a 1946 wagon a relative had and the "O" was due to it being orange, or owned by an Irishman and known as the O'Wagon? (Bit silly but all I can think of...)
Or why not advise that it's a replica of a 460CI Wagon a relative had? They might go for it...
46-0-0 is a type of fertiliser but I am really struggling to come up with something positive for that!!
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Mar 23, 2022 11:09:08 GMT
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I am off to the US in September and I want to see if I can find something fun at a secondhand store there. There are gems out there! Ahhh hell yeah! i am jealous of this. where in America are you off to? Orlando, Everglades and the Keys
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People in general ARE daunted by fibreglass too, because it's "unknown" to most garages and home mechanics. Speaking from experience it is not that bad to deal with, and the Scimitar wasn't a kit car so it *should* be half decent stuff. That said, what Dez says is bang on the money. Although they may be more sensible than a Capri, they are heavy and it makes more financial sense to break one up and flog the bits.
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Mar 22, 2022 21:29:03 GMT
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Really enjoying this thread. I'm in the process of doing something similar so may well end starting a similar thread in the near future, thanks for the inspiration and I look forward to seeing you get to the magic 50! Thanks mrbig - I have just ordered another 2 so we're definitely getting there! I almost bought a Railway Crossing "Stop When Lights Show" sign at the boot sale on Sunday but it was a) a bit big considering I want to put up another tool wall and b) given the prices of other stuff on the stall I doubt I'd have had enough money with me!! Was seriously tempted though... I am off to the US in September and I want to see if I can find something fun at a secondhand store there. There are gems out there!
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Mar 22, 2022 21:18:32 GMT
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I have struggled for the past year following the loss of both parents. We've had to clear out their house - I live in a small 2-bed bungalow and they had a 4-bed semi. My Dad was a keen photographer so I have boxes upon boxes of negatives and slides. The garage is currently rammed with stuff, I have no space and nowhere to put things, so until it's sorted, I can't play cars. Plus my electrical genius friend's wife is a really high-risk category so he can't come out to help with my electrics (which I do NOT understand, even if it's just basic wiring). So it's taken a back seat for now. I have ordered an enormous wooden trunk that I can put in the corner of the garage to hold a whole load of Dad's stuff, so there's light at the end of the tunnel for me. I struggle with one project - I have no idea how anyone gets on with loads. I would suggest that having too many dilutes your enthusiasm. Stick to one or two and get rid of the others and spend the money of tools and other things you want. It'll make your life easier I reckon. Otherwise as grizz says, you'll just get a load of projects sitting and waiting. And waiting... Once I have cleared all the stuff I don't deem as "essential", I will be back on it probably 3-4 nights a week. Even an hour is worth it.
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Last Edit: Mar 23, 2022 6:31:10 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 17, 2022 11:55:39 GMT
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Looked at these very recently as a new daily driver, ended up with an xc70 😁 That's quite a change of plan 😃
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Mar 16, 2022 21:36:05 GMT
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What's that I hear you say? We're 2 posts in and there's no mention of "Built-In Issues"?? Well let me bring you bang up to date. I had put Helga in for MOT at the local trusted garage as I always do. It failed. "Why?" you say. Well, there is a major issue with the pre-facelift (2004-08) R171 SLKs. Mercedes did some cost cutting during production. One of the main problems was the rear subframe. This was not protected from the factory, and there is a design fault where I believe the drain holes for the roof come out just above where the subframe sits. Water drips down on to the subframe and then rots it from the inside out. By the time you can see rust on the outside of the subframe it is far too late. You can guess what happened with mine. I should point out that I knew about this issue when I bought the car and did a thorough look underneath at the time of purchase and it looked pretty much immaculate under there - the way this rotted through took less than 2 years. Absolutely shocking. Also shocking was the fact that the local Mercedes specialist (some 3-4 weeks before the MOT) picked up on a rusty exhaust hanger during a service but somehow missed the subframe issues. Won't be using them again... So what to do? The local garage suggested they could attempt to weld it up. I said no. Why? I had an ace up my sleeve, and that was the brilliant SLK Owners Club UK Faceache page. There's a guy on there who had a similar issue. He took it up with Mercedes. He sent me some letter templates and advised me to get in touch with Mercedes UK Customer Services, which I did. They told me to take my car to a dealer for an inspection. I did - these are some stills from the inspection video they sent me: As you can see, it's utterly banjoed. And this is where Mercedes played their trump card - they agreed to replace it free of charge as a goodwill gesture. Reading between the lines I am pretty sure it's because they don't want to be sued in case a subframe collapses and there's an awful accident, but bear in mind that this is a 16-year old car without a full Merc service history. I am guessing that they're doing it this way because there was never a recall, and to do one now would be a HUGE amount of money for them. They did have to replace my rear exhaust (at main dealer "open your wallet wide please sir" prices) but even that was free of labour charges. The service though from Mercedes of Ipswich was nothing short of exemplary. The chap who took me out to the car when I collected it advised that he'd just quoted a guy to replace his C-Class Estate subframe - over £4k!! Apparently it's 12 hours of labour at Dealer prices. Ouch. I took the Service Manager Eloise (who dealt with me, and kept me informed with phonecalls throughout the process) a box of chocolates and one for the technicians in the workshop too, because people are not often thanked enough for doing a really good job. Thank you guys. Helga is back, and still driving beautifully. Here she is in moody night shot mode!
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Last Edit: Mar 16, 2022 23:05:44 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 16, 2022 21:01:31 GMT
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Shortly after getting the car home, I decided I needed to do something about the tyres. The fronts were no-name brands whilst the rears were better, but older and with less tread. The local National Tyres (my go-to place) had Avons on offer, so I got a set of 4. They're a half decent mid-range tyre so will do for me as it's not a track toy. The wiper washers didn't work either - this was a faulty motor - a £12 fix! My thoughts were now simply to drive it. It's my daily vehicle - I don't have a "sensible" car. I do have access to Mrs B's Yaris should I need to carry something bulky. That said, the SLK's boot is surprisingly capacious when you consider the type of car it is. And of course there's always the option of 93 million miles of sky when you need it: Of course this didn't last too long. An SLK is low. And that usually means you have to be more careful. I am (well, most of the time anyway) . However I hit something in the road. It was dark, I was on the A14 and there was suddenly "something" I didn't see until the last minute - could have been a bit of lorry tyre, could have been wildlife, could have been a piece of exhaust. All I know is that I hit it at 70-odd and it made a bit of a noise. This was the result: Balls. Or Nuts. I enquired about getting a new one from Mercedes. £609 + VAT but they were out of stock anyway! I covered it with black Gaffer Tape and ignored it as much as possible. I drilled holes at the end of the cracks so they wouldn't travel further. I was furious! Still, driving around with the roof off whenever possible was wonderful. The added bonus was the "Airscarf", which is a neck-level vent in the seat which blows warm air round you as you drive along. It sounds a bit pretentious but I can assure you it's lovely, especially at night! She had a rest whilst it snowed a lot. I did push the snow off the roof in case of any issues because it was so heavy! I did nothing but use the car between then and midway through last year when I lost both my parents. Having had a dreadful day at work, I decided to take myself to the coast to have some "me time" and to sit and think whilst watching the boats. I parked up and was just getting out when this happened: Some kind soul drove past just as I was getting out but didn't stop, regardless of whose fault it was. I didn't get their number or the type of car. I ended up getting the car repaired on insurance as a) the excess was low and b) I had full protected no claims. It was the first fault claim I had made since throwing my Mini in a hedge in 2000. I swore. A lot. Plus they gave me a bleeping Corsa as a courtesy car. I drove it once. It was horrible. I got the car back and it was beautifully repaired. And then someone did this - used my car as their brake at traffic lights 1/2 mile from home. First time I have ever been shunted. That unmistakeable sound of crunching metal and plastic. Still, the guy who hit me admitted fault immediately and we went through the insurance. As I had saved up a bit more money and had some inheritance from Mum I opted to have the front bumper done as well whilst it was in the bodyshop. Helga was once again beautiful. This time I got a Vauxhall Insomnia as a courtesy car. Didn't drive that either. Awful thing, and it was the same shade of nondescript grey as that god-awful Corsa. Yuk. She now looks pretty again
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Mar 16, 2022 20:15:20 GMT
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I used to own a 2002 SLK 230 Kompressor - it was a little treat to myself that I got cheap through someone at work. It cost me £1200. I loved it. It was fun, fairly rapid, the roof came off, it was my first auto and it was a lovely colour. Like all R170 SLKs of that era, the front wings were a bit crispy. I wasn't sure how long it would last. The MOT was fine about it, but it was starting to look a little bit scruffy. It was a great car to drive but most definitely was not a keeper. Said 230 in its usual pose - roof off. I had a few savings but I didn't really want to touch that. Mrs Bounce had long badgered me to do the PPI thing and although I thought I wasn't eligible, being a typical bloke I chucked my application in at the last possible date then promptly forgot about it. Fast forward 10 months to June 2020, and I got 3 letters, all in similar envelopes which I didn't recognise. They were from Natwest Bank. The first one I opened was a cheque for just over £60. "Better than a kick up the butt!", I thought. The second was for £232. Nice. I then opened the 3rd letter and had to sit down. I now had more than enough to buy a new car, tax and insure it and still have extra cash in the bank. The reason the amount refunded to me was so big was not the size of the loan I'd had (which wasn't that big), but the fact it was over 15 years ago, so the interest payments were more than the refund itself. Lovely. I knew exactly what I wanted: An R171 SLK in Benetoite Blue (darkish blue with a green tint) with a lighter coloured interior. And "Airscarf". I had 3 choices on engine size: 1.8 Supercharged (bulletproof, but not the quickest), 3 litre V6 or 3.5 V6 (both potentially high tax, and depending on mileage, could have a very expensive issue lurking). The V6 cars were quickly crossed off the list due to most being out of my price range by about £1k and I didn't want a dog. So I settled on looking for a 200 Kompressor. I started with Auto Trader and put a search in for a 200 Kompressor with less than 80k miles in my price range. I got 142 hits. One thing I don't like are silver cars, and I didn't want black either as my old VW Bora was black. So I took black and silver out of the search field. I was left with 5 cars, none of which fitted the bill. Typical! However, I also used ebay, Gumtree and Faceache. I found 2 that fitted the bill on Facebook. One was a private sale in Basildon (about 60 miles away) whilst the other was at a dealer in Wellingborough, almost twice the distance away. So I emailed the dealer first. It was the spec I wanted, the colour I wanted, was low enough mileage (72k), 2 owners, FSH and looked clean. He also said he'd gladly take my old car in part-ex. So one Saturday after the first lockdown, my friend Shaun and I went on a road trip to Wellingborough. The car was immaculate for its age with only minor blemishes as you'd expect from a car that age. The tyres weren't brilliant but I always budget for a full set anyway "just in case". The dealer was extremely pleasant, easy to talk to and about as honest as a car dealer gets. I was probably his first customer in about 3 months! We were able to reach a mutually acceptable deal where I drove off with a gorgeous SLK and left a scruffy one there. I christened the car "Helga" - this is her just after getting home. I forgot to put a hat or sun cream on and burnt my bald head...
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Last Edit: Sept 25, 2022 19:40:50 GMT by mrbounce
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Mar 16, 2022 19:34:35 GMT
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I have had precious little spare time on my hands recently, whilst clearing out Dad's house - most of the stuff I have kept has been temporarily kept in the garage until I sort out appropriate storage. As we live in a small bungalow there is simply not enough space for it to go anywhere else. What I need to do is to have a clear up in the rafters and relocate some stuff up there. Sunday saw the first Car Boot Sale of the year and there were many items there I liked the look of but had no space or need for, such as the Harley Davidson-branded toolbox (silly money), the cast oversized Porsche shield (I didn't even ask the price as it was on the same stall), the oversized outboard motor (I don't have a boat) or even the enormous box of Hot Wheels and Matchbox toy cars. No, what I was after were signs, plates and other goodies. I didn't come away empty-handed though. I spotted a Do not trespass on the Railway sign for a tenner, for which I negotiated a 20% discount. It looks like a repro item, but that doesn't matter as my Railway "Exit" sign was also repro. Plus to go with my US 55mph speed limit sign, I felt I really needed a British one. So ebay came up trumps. It wasn't much money either. Railway sign. I like this. And a second speed limit in the garage (for British vehicles, of course)
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Mar 15, 2022 21:57:44 GMT
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A Mini Pick-up - always wanted one, never had the chance to get one and now they're a bit pricey.
A replica of the 1275GT I wish I'd never sold. Built to my own sec of course.
A 1970s Chevy or GMC stepside SWB pick-up (like the Roadkill Muscle Truck)
A Series 3 Landie (in Landie blue)
If I could find one reasonably, a 1971 Mustang Mach 1 in orange
And something properly bonkers like a V8 Austin FX4 Taxi.
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A '72 L plate should have a twin-bolt front subframe (2 small-ish bolts each side of the bulkhead) which mounts solidly to the bodyshell. My guess is that if this car has bushes on the front subframe it's a later shell, so the car could have had a re-shell at some point. It all looks pleasant on the outside though - as you say, the colour is really quite cool. And changing to S Discs from drums is a well-worthy upgrade. You might need a bigger master cylinder though - it all depends what you've got. Loads of Mini-fans on here so loads of advice always available. You need to show us pictures of that interior! It sounds wonderfully horrific!
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Saw this beautiful old Chrysler Wimbledon recently. Strictly speaking it isn't being used as it's not taxed but it is certainly not abandoned.
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