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1

General Discussion Area / Re: Vans

« on: 17 January 2024, 21:17:57 »

Nothing was faster than the little yellow vans they gave me, along with £1m of liability....

Or mine - after the little 850cc green Morris one I had before

Was that complete with a restrictor shim in the carb?

Sort of complete after it had been somewhat filed out to let a little more go go juice through Could reach a heady 50mph!!

2

General Discussion Area / Re: Vans

« on: 16 January 2024, 20:46:04 »

Nothing was faster than the little yellow vans they gave me, along with £1m of liability....

Or mine - after the little 850cc green Morris one I had before

3

General Car Chat / Re: Insignia Cdti,

« on: 20 August 2023, 20:57:56 »

I had my auto 2.0 CDti Insignia Elite saloon for 5 years with no problem apart from one faulty glowplug. Comfortable to drive, good economy, but not exciting.

4

General Car Chat / Re: Vauxhall antira auto diesel lost drive

« on: 05 March 2023, 16:07:09 »

Sorry can't really tell from that video if its coming from the transfer box or not. My guess would be that with that amount leaking out it would be the bearing in the transfer box that has rubbed through the case and hence the oil leak. Cannot think that just a faulty seal would cause that big a leak immediately. I have tried to look on YouTube for a video that I saw which gave full details of the bearing and case problems but cannot find it now. There are details on YT that purport to show how to convert your 4WD transfer box so that you only have 2WD by taking out shafts etc that I don't pretend to understand.

As previous post, there is loads of info on the Antara owners forum about this issue.

Yes the same fault also troubles the Chevy Captiva as well.

5

General Car Chat / Re: Vauxhall antira auto diesel lost drive

« on: 05 March 2023, 14:17:15 »

Yep that would be about right!!

6

General Car Chat / Re: Vauxhall antira auto diesel lost drive

« on: 05 March 2023, 14:08:01 »

I would hazard a guess that the problem maybe with the transfer box, assuming that this is a four wheel (AWD) version.

Having had an Antara I had a continuous problem with an oil leak from under the car from when it was only 6 months old until I got rid at just over 4 years old. This was despite dealers 4 attempts to reseal the transfer box to gearbox face. This is a common problem with these vehicles caused by the fact that a gasket is not used but instead a specialised sealant. It usually arises at first because insufficient sealer was used at the South Korean factory where these are built. Leaks begin soon after and it is a major job for a dealer to reseal it as evidenced the 4 tries they had with mine without success, each time the cure only lasting about 7-9 months, the last of which prompted me to get rid of the vehicle.

There is also a known problem with the transfer boxes as well. There is a bearing within the box that can cause a hole to be worn in the casing of the box, letting oil to leak out and in the worse case scenario all oil to be lost and the box suddenly destroying itself. The hole caused by the bearing rubbing against the casing cannot be repaired so the only option is renewal at the sum of in excess of £2500. Plenty about this on the Antara forums and other places.

So if it is a four wheel drive model and the leak can be established as coming from the transfer box or its face to the gearbox my advice would be get rid of the vehicle quickly.

7

General Car Chat / Re: A Bit Of Nostalgia For The Old Boys!

« on: 28 November 2021, 10:31:20 »

My happiest days were as a linesman in a country area and then as a TO on exchange mtce in the same area looking after a couple of UAX13s, a SAX, a small non director and a couple of TXE2s.
In this current weather I well remember as a linesman dropping a pair of 8 inch pliers from the top of a pole into a snow drift at the bottom of it. Despite a clear mark being made where they fell it was impossible to locate them until the next spring!!! I also remember knocking Ice off 70lb copper wires with tree rods to prevent them drooping at a height of 6 foot over the road due to the weight of the ice accumulated on them.
The mechanics at our depot were in general a good bunch with a good sense of humour that I got on well with and as a result got good service and favours from them but it did pay not to get on the wrong side of them as one of my colleagues found out. He had been complaining of having a flat battery on his Moggie van. That may well have been true, but due to his past run ins with the mechanics he returned to his own car one afternoon to find it would not start or even turn over. On lifting the bonnet he found that instead of a battery there was a 8" by 12 " piece of black painted wood about an inch thick with battery terminals and filler caps glued to it to resemble a battery and with the words "FLAT BATTERY" written on it. Only after much winging did he get his own battery back!
He did not annoy the mechanics in future!
Oh happy days 

8

General Car Chat / Re: A Bit Of Nostalgia For The Old Boys!

« on: 27 November 2021, 20:16:48 »

Oh god - that brings back horrible memories. Wrote that one off when the roof seams rotted away over the cab.
Finally got a Viva van which lasted me until as a Technical Officer on Exchange mtce we were allowed to use our cars with a paid allowance instead of a van. This carried on for me until promotion to the dizzy heights of management.

9

General Car Chat / Re: A Bit Of Nostalgia For The Old Boys!

« on: 27 November 2021, 19:49:23 »

Started 1965 as a TT(A) and when allowed to drive as a linesman (1968) remember well the rubber winged, no heater and restricted (plate with smaller orifice between air cleaner and carb) 850cc wheezy engine. Fortunately quickly wrote my one off when the aforsaid engine dropped a con rod through the side of the crankcase. This was followed by another later model which was also quickly written off after it ripped one of the suspension arms from the chassis due to tin worm rot. As a punishment I was given a 15cwt Diesel Commer van by the depot mechanics which had the gearbox lever positions reversed (ie 1&2 where 3&4 should be) whilst I waited for a new van.
Much to my disgust this was another Morris 1000 except this time in yellow!!

10

General Discussion Area / Re: Dominos Pizzas advert.....

« on: 11 July 2021, 18:41:09 »

I remember the punk version of Franks hit I "I remember you"

It was called  - "I remember you, you barsteward"

11

General Discussion Area / Re: Brexit - Not So Bad

« on: 08 September 2019, 19:41:33 »

As to Amber Crudd - bloody good riddance! She was a lousy local MP and did naff all for her constituents as did every other tory MP we have ever suffered!
With a majority of only 346 at the last election and with the Limp dems and UKIP getting just 6.1% of the vote compared to over 46% for Labour your having a laugh if you think we will be getting a BREXIT MP!

12

General Discussion Area / Re: Mary Ellis - Last of the Spitfire Girls

« on: 26 July 2018, 20:55:47 »

Sorry Lizzie but Amy Johnson did not perish while flying a spitfire. She was flying a Airspeed Oxford on 5th Jan 1941 when she ran out of fuel due to adverse weather conditions while delivering it for the ATA to RAF Kidlington near Oxford. She is reported to have bailed out and the plane crashed into the Thames estuary. She was seen in the water by the crew of HMS Hazlemere but attempts to save her failed. Her body was never recovered.

13

General Car Chat / Re: Corsa C Failed MOT - Boo Hoo

« on: 19 March 2017, 11:49:20 »

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions guys.

Gollum it did not get as far as a complete test, as in fairness the tester did not think it was worth continuing until some decision had been made on how we wanted to proceed. If we don't want it fixed then a fail certificate will presumably be issued and the car scrapped. Haven't forgotten about photo and will get one if I can just out of interest.

So from LazyDockers post it seems as though the dealer was right that welding is not on and only option is subframe replacement.
Appreciate that I could either obtain a new subframe at trade price through my friendly storeman at another main dealer OR get a used one from a breaker, then get either fitted. The problem I have with latter course is that I don't know of any reliable breakers locally or in a reasonable distance, so would have to go further afield and rely on getting exactly the right subframe and one that is going to last a few years. Add the cost of the frame, cost of courier and cost of fitting and I guess we are looking at about £300. At moment I don't think that's viable on a car that's only worth circa £500 (if that). Also bearing in mind that all this has got to happen before 28th March when tax, ins and MOT all expire and I do not have room to SORN it.

Given different circumstances, time pressures and my aches and pains with arthritis I would love to break the car for parts but as above that cannot be the option at moment so very reluctantly it seems as though it will go to Corsa heaven. I am open to offers over and above what the dealer has offered me as scrap value for it, so if any forum member wants to PM me, make an offer to take it away and then break it themselves please feel free to do so, but the time is tight and must be gone by 27th March at latest.

14

General Car Chat / Re: Corsa C Failed MOT - Boo Hoo

« on: 18 March 2017, 18:09:05 »

Only reason going to main dealer is that we have a competively priced service plan on two vehicles and have dealt with them for a number of years plus get free MOTs. Don't have any reason to think they are taking the proverbial unlike the previous dealer we were with. If I was still able to do servicing myself, believe me I would!

Don't know whether I will be able to get any pictures of the rot but will try either tomorrow or Monday and will post.

15

General Car Chat / Corsa C Failed MOT - Boo Hoo

« on: 18 March 2017, 16:03:13 »

SWMBO's Corsa 1.4 has just failed its MOT spectacularly on rust hole in front subframe . Told by main dealers that it is not allowed to be welded (?) and a new subframe is about £500 retail (although I could get it trade) plus fitting. As it is a 2001 Elegance top of the range model, brought by us new and has now only got 49256 miles on it (backed up by all old MOT's and a full service history) and is in immaculate condition we are very sad about this.

Question is - are they correct that the subframe  cannot be or is not allowed to be welded? If that is right then it is not economic to pay out circa £350 (trade) on a new subframe  plus fitting costs as car is probably only worth about £400 - £500? with an MOT.
Could pick up a used subframe for about £60 - £100 on fleabay have it fitted for about £150 but there would be no real guarantee of its condition rust wise and thus next MOT could fail again.

Could easily get up to £500 by breaking it as 1.4 engines go for about £300-350, probably alloy wheels with good tyres £100, seats etc £75 plus other odds and sods, but am not in a position to SORN and store it to break it.

So it looks like its going to the crusher which is a great shame as it is in tip top nick apart from this subframe. We have been to see a Viva 1.0SL A/C this morning, 6 month old with 475 miles on clock and are going for this. Main dealer says that one of the grease monkeys races stock cars and banger at Arlington near Eastbourne and he may well use it for that if he wanted to.
That upset wifey who is/was very attached to her poor old Corsa.

If anyone on here wanted to collect it and take it on for repair to use for themselves or to break it for me, PM me, but will need quick reply as its going on the 28th.