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46

General Discussion Area / Re: Kingswood and Wellingborough By Elections

« on: 17 February 2024, 10:05:22 »

You can be as boring as you like Nick, but my post was specifically about Labours vote tally. 

Once again, conclusions can only be drawn from the whole results, not just the winning number.


So Wellingborough:


Labour's share of the vote was 45%, an increase of 20% since 2019
Conservative shore the vote was 25%, a decrease of 38%


But look closer, as there's an 18% discrepancy:


Reform got 13% of that and the Independent candidate another 4%( figures rounded to whole numbers). These could only be increases as they weren't in the 2019 election.


Those are dramatic trends, but by elections should never be used to extrapolate general election results

47

General Discussion Area / Re: Kingswood and Wellingborough By Elections

« on: 16 February 2024, 23:57:09 »

Before you make any conclusions, you need to look at the rest of the results.


Sorry to be boring

48

General Discussion Area / Re: Carlson Putin interview

« on: 09 February 2024, 09:12:17 »

More that he forgot to use the supplied 6" nails to retain his tin-foil hat.

49

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Re: Wots this plug for?

« on: 07 February 2024, 13:09:11 »

I took 5kg of crap out an Mx5 loom for a friend's kit car project


There's another carrier bag full of the ABS and airbag wiring removed from an MGF loom for another job, not counting the 2metres of loom to put the engine in the front.

50

General Discussion Area / Re: New car technology .

« on: 29 January 2024, 12:12:40 »

Relying on mirrors and cameras is poor roadcraft, you still need to turn your head and move in the seat to see what's actually going on around you.

How does that work for you when driving trucks or vans?


A glance over your shoulder to confirm that the blindspot is actually empty is a good idea when the vehicle design allows for it. But if you need to move your body to operate the car, your seating position is wrong.

51

General Discussion Area / Re: New car technology .

« on: 29 January 2024, 11:21:43 »

There are a couple of reasons for the proliferation of screens(both touch and display) in cars:
 
first is that they're cheaper than discrete, 'real' parts like switches, knobs, handles etc especially when the thing to be controlled is electrically operated. What makes them even better is that the inevitable updates/annual model changes/interchangeability/pointless specification differences are easily accomplished by paying a graphic designer to change the pictures to the latest fad.




second is that we already have a whole generation of users who don't believe anything unless they see it on a screen. Now that displays are already replacing mirrors, how long do we think it will be before the windscreen becomes a real-time-direction-based-true-colour-optical-interface hung off the A-pillars by some over designed, under engineered brackets?


Some of this isn't new though; the list of warnings and outputs is just the modern implementation of all the extra dials(oil pressure/temp, voltmeter, ammeter, rev counter etc) high spec cars got that nobody ever looked at after their first drive.

52

Omega General Help / Re: Oil pressure switch.

« on: 27 January 2024, 14:12:22 »

Quick question re the oil pressure switch, took a quick look at it this morning after finding that I didn't have a 24mm spanner. So a trip to Halfrauds for one and, nearly £12 without any KY, I'm now looking from the top and have found the switch. But looking at access...can I get a better shot at it by having the car jacked and doing it from underneath?

I did mine after work, in the dark, with the front of the car almost touching the fence. Finding the wiring plug to connect it to the new sensor was the trickiest bit of the job.


Take a MTFU pill and get on with it

53

General Discussion Area / Re: What has P*ssed you off today?

« on: 26 January 2024, 17:20:28 »

People who don’t pronounce their Ts. What’s wrong with folk these days, too lazy to open their fu(£ing mouths properly.

Being unable to pronounce the TH sound. I fink that is a London fing.

It's one of the primary differences in any variant of estuary English. It's normal around here(rahnd 'ere).


So is replacing th in the middle of a word with a glottal stop - if Chatham was spelt the way it's often pronounced it would be Tch'm

54

General Car Chat / Re: So what have you done to your car today?

« on: 25 January 2024, 19:18:41 »

Changed Bonnet Strut to my Omega, yes, just one. Ordered two but the other original was still in good condition. Now I have a spare and it is easier to work there without that wooden stick...

What an odd way to do it


Fit the other new one, and keep the used (which might not be as good as you think) one as a spare. And that's only worthwhile if you're likely to need a gas spring for other projects.

55

Omega General Help / Re: Oil pressure switch.

« on: 22 January 2024, 15:08:26 »

If you do it with the engine off, you'll just need a small rag to wipe up the spillage.


The switch is readily available as it's used on several engines.

56

General Discussion Area / Re: Rwanda.... Again!

« on: 17 January 2024, 21:45:03 »

Meanwhile back in the real world, where the whole 'idea' of sending unprocessed immigrants to Rwanda was always a smokescreen covering the government's incompetent immigration policy, the usual oppswits are busy being distracted and giving themselves a nasty cough in the process. It's a rare Tory initiative that's actually working as intended. Shame it's so useless

57

General Discussion Area / Re: Dead Person

« on: 05 January 2024, 08:29:30 »

I read that and thought she can't be 100! I checked, and she's not. But I was thinking of Glynis Barber

58

General Discussion Area / Re: Rust Remover Solution

« on: 30 December 2023, 23:49:40 »

I don't see any point in using expensive potions when a dunk in warm, but weak citric acid will do just as well for a fraction of the cost - you'll make several litres for under a fiver.


Do each part separately, and outside.

59

Omega General Help / Re: Suspension issue?

« on: 29 December 2023, 17:01:55 »

Going to show my ignorance here (as per usual).

IF it is the wishbone bushes that are gone (agree with TB's post, but my money is on this) are you saying that the existing bushes should be replaced with poly bushes, i.e. keep the old wishbones? Do they just hammer in, or is a special tool required? Is it worth getting the anti-roll bar bushes done too at the same time?

TIA

The easiest way to remove the bushes is with a tool. It's not the only way, as most people who have done this job don't have one.


The usual method is to butcher the outer edge of the rubber so the central sleeve falls out - this can be done with hacksaw blades, multitools, drilling around the edge(by far the least frustrating way) or whatever else you can think of. Having burnt a couple of suspension bushes out, I really wouldn't recommend it - they're not easy to set alight(a common propane burner won't do it), smell awful for ages, and the ashes are filthy. Once most of the rubber is out of the way, you need to cut a slit in the outer metal sleeve that is still in the wishbone. This is a simple hacksaw job. Then you collapse the sleeve with a hammer and drift so that the remains fall out.


The poly bushes are a different design, and are fitted by hand.


I do have a tool for both wishbone bushes, and will happily do it for you if you bring the bits(or the car!) to me in Chatham. There's no way I'd do this on the car.


Like this:




I would suggest that anyone who needs camber bolts to adjust the camber can't be trusted to do the job properly. They work well when pivoting around a fixed point, which isn't the case on the Omega.

60

General Discussion Area / Re: That's Christmas done then.

« on: 27 December 2023, 13:09:34 »

I was thinking a lot closer to home than the US....