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13726

General Discussion Area / Auto gearbox thrust washer -is this the end?!

« on: 06 October 2007, 16:26:18 »

Took the two pans off the auto box and unsurprisingly in the front pan was the pieces of thrust washer. As we need the car day by day I am putting it back together but feel totally gutted. This is the third oil change in 140k, the car has been used but not thrashed.

How long can I expect the car to continue functioning without the thrust washer?

I guess the solution would be to put an AR35 box in but the cost of getting one to Spain and the difficulties on my own of replacing it are a problem. If I lived in Britain I think I would sell it/break it for parts and buy another without this and other issues. The problem is that although cars are cheaper in the UK than Spain you have to pay a hefty import tax based on a book value (ours would be around £2100 pounds so tax of  £357!)

Perhaps I ought to bite the bullet and buy something like a Vitara and end my relationship with Vauxhall!!??  

Perhaps a gearbox party?

Perhaps someone on here is selling a decent similar pre facelift Omega that I could use mine for spare parts for!

Where is that beer.

olive   :-?  

13727

General Discussion Area / Re: Can I mention F1?

« on: 05 October 2007, 22:51:07 »

I shall be setting my alarm clock for half an hour before I go to bed in an effort to watch it live this weekend. If that fails and it probably will after a day of knuckle bashing on the car on Saturday followed by copious quantities of amber anasthetic then I will just take out the mains fuse till the repeat mid day. That will kill all contact with the outside world including the phone.

   olive

13728

General Discussion Area / Re: Brake disc retaining screw's!!

« on: 22 September 2007, 12:56:28 »

Impact driver is the way.

 If you can't get one and need to do the job in a hurry then grip an expendable screw driver with a pair of mole grips and at the same time as pressing it into the screw head whack the screwdriver and turn it.

Not an engineering or purists solution but it works.

olive

13729

General Discussion Area / Re: R.I.P. the Pub

« on: 23 September 2007, 13:50:18 »

Of course all this is a product of the Greed and PC cultures. One of the many reasons why I chose to leave Britain.

Things aren't all rosy in Spain by any means but rural petrol stations are still very evident and up until about 12 months ago the price of fuel was very much the same everywhere. No wondering if you could make it to Asda at Fosse Park or pay 10p a litre more at some struggling rural station!. Supermarkets here sell everything at much the same price as competitors. Very little evidence of the two for price of one type offers to get punters in. The exception is the largest supermarket business in Spain called Coviran. They have a few regularly changing offers and ONLY have small supermarkets ( bit like the old Co ops) in villages. Their prices are very similar to the big chains which seem to be foreign owned and only have a presence in the bigger towns and cities. Mrs Spaniard shops most days for stuff not once a week. Now why couldn't the Co-op in Britain have done that instead of squeezing prices up and up.?

Restaurants and bars do a good trade with reasonable prices. Life seems geared for people as opposed to making as much money from people as possible.

The down side is that customer service tends to be non existent. I go to the local surprisingly well equipped independent parts and accessories type place. "Have you got the sump gaskets for an automatic Omega? No. Could you get them? Spanish shrug - probably means no ( or take it to the Opel dealer to get them to do the job). Most businesses seem not to care whether their customers come back or not because they are making enough to survive nicely.

Spain had the EU directive on smoking like everywhere else. Bars and the like interpreted the rules. My nearest bar hasn't enough space to have smoking and no smoking areas so they balloted the regulars who of course all smoke. Outcome no change.

Give it ten years when the Spanish too will be paying huge taxes to fund the East European countries then it will all start to change.

olive    

13730

General Discussion Area / Re: Bloody mice again

« on: 14 September 2007, 17:33:13 »

We had the same problem here. We looked at other options but didn't want anything pet unfriendly, dangerous to children or the other option of poisoned creatures crawling off somewhere to suffer, die and stink. What we settled on is a simple, easy to use but effective, durable enclosed wooden trap. End of mouse problem. It is actually two traps - a sort of his and hers!
 
I don't know how to post a photo on here.

We have just bought a two berth rat version for the mother in law (no gags pls) for £9.50 equivalent. The mice ones are cheaper.

If anyone is interested in either send me a PM and I'll get some info on Post and Packing and a price for the mice ones.

If you don't kill them they multiply and they come back if you release them nearby.

olive

13731

General Discussion Area / Re: Anyone Play the Stockmarket?

« on: 19 September 2007, 10:47:12 »

I used to but now just sell a few shares to fund purchases e.g. new tyres for the Omega!

I started back in the heady early 80's when all the privatisations were going on. At the time I worked for BT and I was so convinced that the privatisation would go well that we borrowed money to buy. A few weeks later they were sold at a good profit and we bought a secondhand 4.2 daimler Xj6 with the proceeeds.

I would agree with the contributor who said only gamble with cash you can afford to lose completely. A good fun, low cost way into the world of stocks and shares is to join a share syndicate. Choose one with like minded people and one that is well run - with monthly statements, properly elected officials, meetings and has a constitution. I have been in two in the last 25 years. Each month you contribute an agreed amount say £40. With say 10 members you can make a purchase of say £700 of shares every other month. We looked to buy two types.

1. Stock for short term gain ( e.g. Northern Rock )

2. Stock for long term gain ( as well as regular dividends, share price increase)

When you take into account dealing costs to buy and sell the share price has to go up quite a lot to make a profit unless you are buying a lot!

Either through share syndicates or private purchases I have "owned " shares in at least 50 outfits.
 
Overall I made money. Some spectacular successes.

BAA
Eurotunnel
BT

Some desperate flops i.e. sold at a loss or went bust!

Walker Wingsail ( company that makes sails for oil tankers - the clues were there!)
Deutsche Post
Croesus- An Australian gold mining company. Still got the certificate but worth less than the cost of selling.

My tips:

Only use money you can afford to lose or be prepared to tie it up
Stick with the market you know.
Avoid penny shares.
Monitor your portfolio very regularly
Buy Tesco shares to hold (everybody needs to eat and they have great expansion plans).

olive




    

13732

General Discussion Area / Re: Will Alonso be racing at Spa?

« on: 14 September 2007, 13:22:33 »

perhaps I have become too cynical in my older age but I suspect a conspiracy or sting. F1 is mega business so could have mega dirty tricks.

Where is the 100 million dollars going?

What would happen if say Spyker had been the "receiving team".?

Have there been any unusual bank credits to any of the supposed players?

olive

13733

General Discussion Area / Re: ANOTHER EBAY JOKE!

« on: 31 August 2007, 15:01:32 »

OOF member? :-/

olive

13734

General Discussion Area / Re: I DETEST Technology

« on: 03 September 2007, 13:51:38 »

What is an Ipod?  

13735

General Discussion Area / Re: Dual cct brakes - my A**e!

« on: 24 August 2007, 14:21:44 »

Quite right, Have been out and had a close look.

I like that last explanation, and that is exactly what happened to the brake pedal.

olive

13736

General Discussion Area / Dual cct brakes - my A**e!

« on: 24 August 2007, 13:20:42 »

Earlier this year we punctured a brake line on the Omega whilst towing a trailer load of logs. A particularly large rock was the cause and the fracture was under the car below the rear passenger area.

What interested me was after the first few applications of the brake pedal all braking was lost (apart from the handbrake and engine braking). Mrs olive was driving us at the time and safely got us home including a downhill section!

Whatever happened to dual cct brakes??!! e.g. Offside Front Nearside rear.  

olive

13737

General Discussion Area / Re: Where did you get your car knowleage from?

« on: 21 August 2007, 18:26:19 »

As a teenager we all had cars/motorbikes - often MOT type failures. We lived in the wilds of one of North Yorkshire's forests.

A combination of no money and an interest soon led to learning how to fix things.

e.g.I had a Ford Pop which, in the absence of money to make the engine more powerful, was lightened progressively (often by AXE) till it just had two seats and a windscreen. Nothing much else behind that other than a floor pan. traction on dirt roads was improved by wrapping chains or rope through the holes in the rear wheels and round the tyres. It was the only car I have ever driven where you could select reverse whilst travelling along whithout the transmission disintegrating.

I had a huge selection of bangers including Sunbeam Talbot 90, Westminster, Zodiac and all types of motorbikes British. Oh to still own some of them now (except the Hillman Imp)

then I moved onto Rallying as a simple progression from watching the Gulf London and later the RAC. Remember that when the events went on competitively for days. None of todays "sprint events" and sleeping in hotels!! Building and maintaining cars was a prerequisite as I only had a small fortune to spend. If two hands built it then I could repair it and possibly make it better at the same time was my motto.

then there was a huge period of time with the luxury of company cars. Ah the sheer luxury.

then We bought this Omega for SWMBO as her company car. Garage maintained. Then we decided that there must be more to life than 8 till midnight plus weekends so just jacked it all in and moved to Spain for a different lifestyle (and Boy isn't it different). Money is tight now, time slightly but not overly plentiful so back to maintenance. What a change in technology and electronics in particular - Wot no distributor points!!

Wouldn't have the courage, without help from guys on this forum, to do ANY jobs on the car as it is our lifeline, tractor and ambulance if required from our remote location.

olive        

13738

General Discussion Area / Re: speeding tickets in a foreign country

« on: 17 August 2007, 11:10:32 »

 Spain used to be relatively free of fixed speed cameras but I understand now has about 100 with a half of those in Andalucia. They are listed on a website. Locations are all where there are often terrible fatalities.

Worth bearing in mind if you come here on holiday and have a hire car.

olive

13739

General Discussion Area / Re: Bl**dy Kids.

« on: 14 August 2007, 16:48:57 »

I blame it on the PARENTS. If that generation had behaved more responsibly perhaps using the word no from time to time then Britain wouldn't be in the state it is now.

olive

13740

General Discussion Area / Re: Mini in the workshop.

« on: 13 August 2007, 15:29:08 »

Nice looking job.

Having built, owned, maintained and mostly rallied countless examples of every single type of Mini (first lot not the modern stuff) I am in agreement that they were truly dreadfull cars. Even the Cooper S's were "toilet engineering".

One rally I changed the radiator twice during the event at the roadside.

One Bank Holiday I had the engine and gearbox out and stripped down TWICE to replace a poxy gearbox bearing.

GRR, At least now I have my ultra reliable(?), easy to work(?) on Omega in my older age!

olive