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[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

That's why I've got a diesel astra. Pokey enough for me, 45mpg. I'd like to see what it cost to do 17,000 miles a year in your jag, and imagine the depreciation.....50,000 miles in three years...be worth about the same as my astra 

I try not to think about it......or I'll end up swinging from a rope.

[STEMO]

Bora at auction with a guide price of £160000-£190000.

You take the Golf with a boot, and I'll take the unreliable Italian.

That's the difference between you and me. Money is your master, money is my slave.

[Nick W]

Bora at auction with a guide price of £160000-£190000.

You take the Golf with a boot, and I'll take the unreliable Italian.

That's the difference between you and me. Money is your master, money is my slave.

Spending nearly £200k on a Bora will make you its slave. And you won't have any money.


The Elan Sprint mentioned a few posts ago is more my thing. It will give all the Italian ownership experiences of imaginative and frequent breakdowns, but without the crippling costs. Plus it's quick rather than fast, so it will actually be enjoyable to hoon about in, without the feeling you're going to die horribly.


TR6 is a decent cruiser with a bit of oomph when you want it. Looks good too, without the flashiness of Italian toys.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Having driven a few TR6,s including a race prepared / tuned version, I have to disagree.Imo they are utter shite in every conceivable way.
But if we all liked the same things etc....

[Nick W]

Having driven a few TR6,s including a race prepared / tuned version, I have to disagree.Imo they are utter shite in every conceivable way.
But if we all liked the same things etc....

I feel the same way about E-types - horrible to look at, horrible to be in, unpleasant to drive, shoddily made, expensive and ghastly to work on.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Back in the day I new a lad who owned a Marcos. Pretty sure he said it came with a 3 litre Volvo lump rather than  the Essex V6 lump from Ford.

Looked great but Nick will probably think it's a bag of shit.

[Nick W]

Back in the day I new a lad who owned a Marcos. Pretty sure he said it came with a 3 litre Volvo lump rather than  the Essex V6 lump from Ford.

Looked great but Nick will probably think it's a bag of shit.

Must have been an early one to have a Volvo. Really early Marcos had plywood chassis, which was an interesting idea. I like them, but the front end styling isn't quite right; the nose is too long and high, with a bodyline that dips as it runs backwards. Still better resolved than an E-type though.

[New POD]

Any way bleed nipples.  The corrosion in the threads might not be prevented by the rubber cover which is mainly there to prevent dirt ingress during the bleeding process.
When i worked for Lucas Industries in the 90s I did a corporate project with Lucas Car Braking on reducing variety. 
I can't remember the exact figures, but how many different bleed nipples do we think they have, and how many different excuses why they can't standardise down to one design.
And also, it's only there to allow servicing, because in the factory, the car plants use vacume fill technology. They could save 4p by not having the central hole and using a bolt with the correct angle for the seat, and forcing the first customer who needs new fluid to buy 4 new nipples.
Reasons like
The dealer mechanics have a standard spanner for our size.
It's another part number in our stock system and it would make the others we have obsolete.
We are dealing with 5 brake suppliers and we have an interchangeable nipple.
Give us £3 off and we will maybe think about it.
No.
That makes perfect sense, but it's not my job to ask.
Why would it be better? You still have to hold stock of the others.
We haven't got time to test it sufficiently.
We haven't got time to do a full supply chain analysis.
Look, Just make this new car stop. The project is late already.
No.
Would you rather us buy off......name of German tyre maker who also makes Turbos.

[Nick W]

Any way bleed nipples.  The corrosion in the threads might not be prevented by the rubber cover which is mainly there to prevent dirt ingress during the bleeding process.

??


You have to remove the cover to use the bleed nipple.


If you look at my photo again, you'll see that the exposed part of this nipple, and the top thread are both reasonably clean and rot free. As was the hex before I tried undoing it, but you'll just have to accept that. The other end, which is at the bottom of the hole is a different matter; the plain part and edge of the seat(as is the seat in the calliper) are in very poor condition and the whole cavity packed with grot, some of which was dragged up the thread when I eventually managed to loosen the thing. The rest of the calliper internals, right back to the hose were all spotless. This was last used  about 18months ago when I replaced the calliper on the other side, due to a seized handbrake lever, and bled the whole system. I have seen this before, although usually the nipple snaps off inside the calliper, and the evidence is removed by attempts to extract the part.


I find it hard to explain how this stuff ended up where it did any other way.


As for standards, this has the same M10x1 threads as any other metric brake fitting. From what I've seen there seem to be two sizes in common use, this one and another that has a thread about twice as long. It's used on a 2002 Hyundai, yet I bought the new one from a truck factor who had a box of each size, including the imperial equivalents. These are parts I replace as soon as they show signs of damage, as it's cheap insurance. I was surprised to find I didn't have any in stock.

[New POD]

Any way bleed nipples.  The corrosion in the threads might not be prevented by the rubber cover which is mainly there to prevent dirt ingress during the bleeding process.

??


You have to remove the cover to use the bleed nipple.


If you look at my photo again, you'll see that the exposed part of this nipple, and the top thread are both reasonably clean and rot free. As was the hex before I tried undoing it, but you'll just have to accept that. The other end, which is at the bottom of the hole is a different matter; the plain part and edge of the seat(as is the seat in the calliper) are in very poor condition and the whole cavity packed with grot, some of which was dragged up the thread when I eventually managed to loosen the thing. The rest of the calliper internals, right back to the hose were all spotless. This was last used  about 18months ago when I replaced the calliper on the other side, due to a seized handbrake lever, and bled the whole system. I have seen this before, although usually the nipple snaps off inside the calliper, and the evidence is removed by attempts to extract the part.


I find it hard to explain how this stuff ended up where it did any other way.


As for standards, this has the same M10x1 threads as any other metric brake fitting. From what I've seen there seem to be two sizes in common use, this one and another that has a thread about twice as long. It's used on a 2002 Hyundai, yet I bought the new one from a truck factor who had a box of each size, including the imperial equivalents. These are parts I replace as soon as they show signs of damage, as it's cheap insurance. I was surprised to find I didn't have any in stock.

What I'm saying is that the cover won't prevent corrosion in the thread. Maybe coating the whole nipple on high temp grease, and not using a pressure jet to clean cars (That was a development test Lucas Added in the mid 80s when they started seeing problems due to seals being damaged)
Or maybe If the manufacturer understood the science behind corrosion and selected materials better and not cheaper.  It's not like they don't have a 500 hour salt humidity spray test in the design validation tests.  So maybe they need suppliers who can make to the design intent. ?

[Doctor Gollum]

It has a hole though it.

As a aircraft trimmer, even I can understand how water might get into an uncovered hole

[Nick W]

It has a hole though it.

As a aircraft trimmer, even I can understand how water might get into an uncovered hole

The real problem is there's no way for it, and all the other crap it brings with it, to get back out. It's why areas on cars like sills, door bottoms, chassis rails etc should have drain holes at their lowest points.


If there is a cheap, easy way of reducing the chances of sealing the hole, or almost sealing the hole, then it should be used. A £0.20  new cap does that if the original ones are missing or damaged. The other three callipers on this car have them; the new calliper will be getting one if it doesn't come with one.

[Doctor Gollum]

It doesn't help that they tend to be at the highest point on the caliper...

[Nick W]

It doesn't help that they tend to be at the highest point on the caliper...

You don't get all the air out if they're not....

[Doctor Gollum]

It doesn't help that they tend to be at the highest point on the caliper...

You don't get all the air out if they're not....

That's a given... And mutually exclusive to drainage