YESTERDAYS FUN & GAMES!!!

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

Firstly to the Admin team, it was a hard decision to post here or "Chit Chat". As it covers both Old Skool issues & issues now, I went for here. Feel free to move if you think appropriate!

 

So, yesterday, what a morning. I had to go and pick up some TOP SECRET merchandise and had to pick a friend up on time, not 3 1/2 hours late.

 

I was on time, and all was going swimmingly untill I clocked my temperature gauge. I thought, that gauge is peeing me off I will have to get it sorted. For those of you that know, I had some major overheating problems with the Capri when I first bought it, but the temp gauge has still been telling porkies.

 

I arrived at my friends house bang on time & thought I would just have a lookie under the bonnet to check everything was ok. So, up went bonnet, steam and water everywhere, not a good start to the day.

 

There were 2 very tiny holes (later turns out to be gaps) on the join of the top cover of the rad. What do I do??? I had to do some mileage and there was no way I was going to carry lots of water and risk cooking my engine, so I thought, I will get to a garage and try some "Barrs Leaks"

 

I have never used this before, I have always just replaced the leaking part, but on closer inspection, the rad is sound, the problem was just where it had been put together. We set off for the nearest garage.

 

For those who are old enough to remember, petrol stations of Old Skool, used to sell petrol, fags, a few sweets, but the majority of stuff they sold was service items like points, condensers, fan belts, spark plugs and consumables like bulbs, easy start, WD-40, radiator sealant, oil & antifreeze.

 

Very rarley will I be caught out and need help. So on the rare occasion I have grief, I expect a petrol garage to sell what I need. The garage in question was an ESSO and it didn't look to rosie when I pulled in and there was no water machine. I went in looking for a few shelves with air freshners as it is these that direct me to the "important" stuff in amongst all the supermarket shite they now sell.

 

Hang on I thought, no air freshners, so I walked around and to my complete horror, they didn't even sell a bulb. Everything was supermarket shite and Lattes (apparently a coffee)

 

I am f**king livid by this point, I am miles from home, looking at doing a lot more miles, and what I thought was a saviour, turned out to be a complete farce of a garage. So, I went in search of the other garage which was just down the road, a Shell. Guess what, 7 - 8 shelves stacked with stuff. In amongst it all, was the last bottle of "Rad Weld", which cost me a fiver. "I hope this shite works" I thought.

 

Filled the cooling system up with water and shoved it in. Five minuites later after revving, leaks had dissapeared. So thank you Shell, for coming to my rescue, I don't think I ask alot from a garage, but this garage/supermarket combination is a f**king stupid idea, and it is giving me the p***k ache. I will be complaining to Esso in writing, and tell them that if I encounter any future problems with my engine, it will be totally down to them. I will no longer shop at any Esso garage. Instead, I would quite gladly have fuel that costs me a penny more from a garage that helped me out.

 

BRING BACK OLD SKOOL PETROL STATIONS!!!

 

Rant Over, but who else aggrees????

BTW, Capri got to Warwickshire and back with no other problems, and the engine bay is still nice and dry!

[Hilux]

i agree with ya jimbob, not enough car suff now, but its coz they dont make enough money just selling petrol and car bits so what started out as a petrol station that also sells a few groceries has now become a supermarket that also has a sideline of selling a dash of motion potion.

 

it is ridiculus, as you say a petrol station when in times of need was viewed as a saviour as they ususally had something you could use to get you out of trouble with. but now they'll sell you a cd to listen to whilst waiting for the RAC

[Gareth]

I dont understand why garages stopped sellin car bits either

 

Glad the rad weld worked Jimbob

[Twinkle]

its sh@t m8 i worked in a petrol station for a bit and was surprised that they made next to nothing on the fuel sales its purely the shop sales that gives them any profit and thats why they sell supermarket stuff now

[DeuceCoupe]

its crap they should sell more car stuff

[MK3_DC]

i think we should all consider going to Tesco's these days as they sell more car parts than garages, and most of them have petrol stations attached.

 

Glad you made it back in one piece JB !!

 

I found out why me steering is heavy going in one direction but not the other yesterday after my trip to staines, the body kit that has been fitted fouls the n/s front wheel when being turned, just looks like an incorrect fitting, so I either need to fit correctly or remove

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

I have seen the pics of yours mate. It looks nice

 

But, I suspect the kit will have been bolted on and holes have been drilled in the body. BUT, if it hasn't, whack the kit off, & lower it an inch or two. You know it makes sense!!!

[MK3_DC]

yeah, i'm not too keen on the kit so may take it off and flog it, i'm just starting to formulate plans for what I want to do to the car. I want to use the car all next summer and it needs a few minor of bits of work to make it run better, 2 new bushes and the brakes need chcking which could be the bushes ? don't now yet.

 

But i'm not sure what to do to it mechanically/lowering, and all that sort of stuff, any tips ?

(sorry, don't want to hijack the thread)

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

well, as you can see, I have left mine standard, but the reason for that is, it is a genuine unmolested original car. Lots of history etc. including original bill of sale. So I think it would be a shame to play with it. (Although I really want to!)

 

I am on the other hand partial to lowering a car a bit. Every decent car I have owned has had me fiddle with it, engine wise and lowering. I have only ever gone as low as a 2 inch drop, but even an inch on some cars just looks right.

 

As you know, there are lots of people within the OSF massive that will help you out with advice. Just post up your questions in the Capri Technical Section

 

Best Of Luck & I will be nosing round it at the Ace

[Messenjah]

move to ireland i can think or one petrol station near where we are building our house that might not have been able to help but all the others would have had what you needed

[caprifan]

totally agree on the parts front glad it got you sorted

 

....however I will share my concerns over the rad weld as the 2.8 rads have teny tiny channels so keep an eye on it.....

 

....also my car was totally original...still have the bill of sale and loads of history...the main reason I saved mine get it slammed

[Jimbob-Squarepants ©]

^^^^ I know what your saying mate. I have heard some nasty stories about rad weld in the past. I will be totally flushing the cooling system out shortly and repairing the rad.

 

It turns out the joins are soldered here and there, so I will just re-solder it!

 

Oh, and stop being a bad influence on me. I mustn't lower it, I mustn't!!!

[orionmojo]

my dad runs an old skool petrol garage

 

amongst driving his wagons, he also part owns a petrol garage. he sells all the old skool stuff- oil, bulbs, spark plugs, radweld- wd40 and a few spanners etc- as wel as the good ol magic tree

 

theres a workshop attached which used to do light repairs, butr now its mostly me that get the use of it . and bob, the other guy'll leave his post from whatever he's doing and fill your car up for you, the way it used to happen