What made you UNHAPPY today!

[Steve V8]

Wow...how gutting for the guy. I hope he hadn't had time to bond with his dream car before it went up in smoke, I would be devastated if something like that happened to me.

Definitely time to install a remote extinguisher, and I'll be replacing the tiny hand held one I carry in the car with a full size one in the boot.

The carbed owners among us should look at this and seriously think about the fire risks of using aftermarket performance filters and revert back to far safer standard airboxes. 

[Chillidoggy]

He said a fuel leak under the bonnet started the fire. This is the third time I can remember one of his cars catching fire. He once bought a De Tomaso Pantera that caught fire on two separate occasions.

Holley carbs can be a problem. though. I had a float stick down once, the car died and came to a grinding halt. When I looked under the bonnet, petrol was pouring out of the chokes, and cascading down the hot engine. I hit the float bowls with a 1/2" drive ratchet which stopped the flow, but I was lucky that day.

Worse still than petrol, is brake fluid. In July 1989, during the bi-centennial of the Eiffel Tower, I was stuck in a traffic jam on the Paris Peripherique in my Cobra. I'd topped the brake master cylinder up before leaving home, and the underbonnet heat had expanded it such that it weeped from the filler cap, and dripped on the hot exhaust headers below. I noticed white smoke coming from the wing vents, and got out to have a look. Being brake fluid, I  thought it would be OK, so climbed back in the car and drove off. It was only a few weeks later that I watched a TV programme which highlighted the danger of brake fluid auto-igniting at a lower temperature than petrol that I realised how lucky we'd been.

So, I'd echo Steve's message about fuel, and add that fuel lines are another danger area. Here's a photo I was sent last year that ably demonstrates the tragic consequences of a fuel fire;

[molemot]

I keep on saying it...change the fuel lines when you change the cambelt. They can look perfect, but be on the verge of failure.....cambelt and fuel ines both.

[oilmagnet477]

Mole - can I assume you mean the fuel lines from the cut off valve to the engine?

I've just done mine with ethanol resistant and SS braided hose, from the tank forwards, with AN fittings to boot.

If I have to drop the Diff and take out the prop shaft every 2 years, I could fall out of love with my Elite and Éclat!

[molemot]

I was referring to the Esprit, specifically...as it seems to be more susceptible to fire from fuel hose failure. Everyone has to be their own judge, of course....keeping ahead of changing the cambelt every two years is a nuisance, but conflagration is more than that!! The lines in question, for me, are those from the fuel pump to the pressure governor, from there to the carburetters and the return to the tank. Everything that could squirt all over the place if allowed to.....my next go at this is going to be 2018.

[C8RKH]

This:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39578230

How can someone who deliberately set out defraud and steal from hard workibg tax payers £22k NOT end up in jail?

What about the impact on people who have lost out on care benefits due to the impact on budgets due to fraud caused by selfish, greedy, disgusting people like this? We're too bloody soft.

[march]

Just completed the worst day of our farming year - de-horning and castrating the young stock in the barn. Left the testicles for the cat and have just come in covered in poo, saliva and blood and none of it's mine (which I suppose is a good thing)! And now SWMBO is watching The Walking Dead - go figure. What's worse the vets apprentice let one of the calves out so we have to do it all again later this year .

[C8RKH]

It could have been much worse and you could have been one of the young stock whose testicles are now being eaten by a cat!

[march]

Very true, but the lack of horns and testicles makes them much easier to handle when they are bigger and older (have been at the wrong end of angry steer with horns - not fun), they also have a more peaceful life happily mincing around the fields rather than trying to kill each other. Horns and buckets of Testosterone - never a good mix.

[Jacques]

tnt lost my big brakes package from a UK deliverer, somewhere in Holland, later on found it and snet it to Copenhagen, where the tnt office is now closed for the Easter...

Argh!

Jacques.

[PhilW]

21 hours ago, C8RKH said:

This:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39578230

How can someone who deliberately set out defraud and steal from hard workibg tax payers £22k NOT end up in jail?

What about the impact on people who have lost out on care benefits due to the impact on budgets due to fraud caused by selfish, greedy, disgusting people like this? We're too bloody soft.

I agree.  Way too soft.  How about making her pick litter up 10 hours a day on the road side with a 20 minute break per day (which is what my wife gets as a nurse) paying her an effective half the minimum wage.  Then deduct any child care costs (that we would have to stump up probably) this may cause her from her benefits over the same period she picks litter up for.  If she then starves to death due to no money which by looking at the picture I doubt would happen then tough s**t.

 

[Alfa2Evora]

Being stuck on the hard shoulder of the M74 from 04.00 until gone 7 this morning because a 'gentleman' decided to see what the insurance write-off value of his C Class Merc would be by ramming it at high speed into the back of my 44 tonne truck.

The 4 passengers in the car were all asleep and it's thought that he decided to join them in the land of nod. The front passenger was trapped by the legs for well over an hour but got out with just a load of cuts and bruises once the Fire Service had reduced the car to its component parts - the rest of them were all 'walking wounded' with only minor bumps and scrapes. A miracle considering the force of the impact - the car got wedged under my trailer and 'I' dragged it on to the hard shoulder as I stopped.

The driver of the truck behind reckoned the Merc was pushing the ton and made no effort to brake In fact, he appeared to be accelerating all the way to the point of impact - its speedo was jammed at 90!

Just when I was looking forward to getting finished a shift on time for once, but at the end of the day everybody survived which is by far and away the most important thing. Out to do the same run tonight - wish me luck!

[Chillidoggy]

On 12/04/2017 at 17:22, C8RKH said:

This:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-39578230

How can someone who deliberately set out defraud and steal from hard workibg tax payers £22k NOT end up in jail?

What about the impact on people who have lost out on care benefits due to the impact on budgets due to fraud caused by selfish, greedy, disgusting people like this? We're too bloody soft.

 

Initially, I agreed. Then I saw the logic: It costs money to keep her in jail, and she can't earn money to pay back what she stole. Still a thieving bitch who needs a damn good birching in addition to paying back what she stole, though!

[mayevora]

7 hours ago, Alfa2Evora said:

Being stuck on the hard shoulder of the M74 from 04.00 until gone 7 this morning because a 'gentleman' decided to see what the insurance write-off value of his C Class Merc would be by ramming it at high speed into the back of my 44 tonne truck.

The 4 passengers in the car were all asleep and it's thought that he decided to join them in the land of nod. The front passenger was trapped by the legs for well over an hour but got out with just a load of cuts and bruises once the Fire Service had reduced the car to its component parts - the rest of them were all 'walking wounded' with only minor bumps and scrapes. A miracle considering the force of the impact - the car got wedged under my trailer and 'I' dragged it on to the hard shoulder as I stopped.

The driver of the truck behind reckoned the Merc was pushing the ton and made no effort to brake In fact, he appeared to be accelerating all the way to the point of impact - its speedo was jammed at 90!

Just when I was looking forward to getting finished a shift on time for once, but at the end of the day everybody survived which is by far and away the most important thing. Out to do the same run tonight - wish me luck!

Jesus that looks a mess. I guess there's an element of luck to surviving an impact at that speed combined with the modern safety standards inbuilt in the modern high end Merc.

Ive just been showing those pictures to my daughter who has written her car off this evening also to show her how bad it could have been. She's fine but shaken.

Ive gone from 4 cars to 2 in one week ?

[C8RKH]

This:

TWO pranksters who posed as cops were nabbed after pulling over a police civilian worker and demanding to see his licence.
James Boland flashed his force ID when Nile Rashid, 20, and Usman Sarfraz, 21, accused him of running a red light.
The pair made off at speed but James clocked their registration number and they were traced the next day.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard Rashid and Sarfraz pretended their motor was an unmarked cop car and used a blue flashing light to stop drivers on the city’s south side.
They had already pulled over Ciara Heath, 19, who drove off terrified, before quizzing Mr Boland.
Fiscal depute Adele MacDonald said: “Mr Boland took his wallet containing his licence and Police Scotland ID.“This was presented to 
Sarfraz who on seeing the badge claimed all was in order before simply returning to the vehicle and making off.”
Despite the scare, Rashid and Sarfraz then went on to pull over a third man and asked to see his licence before letting him go.
The pair pled guilty to impersonating police officers between December 21 and 22 last year.
Sheriff John McCormick deferred sentence until next month after Sarfraz — an engineering student — has completed his exams.
He told them: “You must be aware a custodial disposal is likely.”

 

Especially this bit:

Sheriff John McCormick deferred sentence until next month after Sarfraz — an engineering student — has completed his exams.

 

WTF - why the special treatment for this toerag? No body forced him to break the law and deceive people and put the fear of god into them. This was a well planned con and they'd put a lot of thought and effort into it. Get the freak sentenced and put away now. Up to him what he does about his education when he's paid off his sentence. Why oh why are we so bleedin' soft!  Argh.....................................................

[Barrykearley]

I'd prefer that to having him on benefits for the rest of his life and having a chip on his shoulder about it.

or maybe we could just check their IDs and deport them since they are probably illegal immigrants 

[C8RKH]

No sorry Barry have to disagree. This toerag needs to be be locked up now. He made his choice. Hopefully a wee stretch in a cell will give him plenty of time to reflect on his choices. And if he's illegal then we can we deport him straight away and not bother with feeding and clothing him for the stretch, though I doubt he is.

[Mark Blanchard]

Speaking to "car enthustiast" on the Henley train this morning, who's had loads of Porsches, and he asked if Lotus was still going.  And there's a Lotus dealership in Henley! 

[Jacques]

On ‎22‎-‎04‎-‎2017 at 14:48, C8RKH said:

No sorry Barry have to disagree. This toerag needs to be be locked up now. He made his choice. Hopefully a wee stretch in a cell will give him plenty of time to reflect on his choices. And if he's illegal then we can we deport him straight away and not bother with feeding and clothing him for the stretch, though I doubt he is.

The problem with this case and others is, that the law does not take into account much of the wrong doing that seems to appear these years. Fraud, "pranking" and internetcrime being just three examples.

Often the police are left as a big joke even if they catch the offender(-s), as a judge pays no attention to the victims, the society in general and public law and order. Instead the judges feel "sorry" for the criminal, leaving them with Little or no punishment at all.

One aspect of this is, that on the surface, it pays to be a criminal, as there is no consequences, no long time in a cell to regret the criminal act(-s).

if you as a laywer can produce a sad sad story about the criminal, chances are that the judge and eventual jury will buy it and let the criminal go free.

Another aspect is, that the offended, the victim(-s), are left with damages in one way or another, and gets no Justice and no compensation. They are... victims. And the judicial system supports exactly that with... no Justice. Or you can pay your way out of a Court room, Nothing to do with fairness, law and order, keep the Peace etc. Those traditional values are long gone.

Finally, the idea of a punishment to a criminal is, to scare off others from doing likewise.

Does this happen in these two examples mentioned above with two Young Guys and that woman cheating? No. Instead the medias will Work hard and long to shout the unjustice all over, thereby acting as an invitation for others to do criminal activities.

What happens then? the ordinary people behaving themselves well, will feel that the society is going Down and being very unfair, and the criminal(-s) will laugh forever. All supported by the state.

Finally, a number of people, who have no respect for society, for other people, for the law, will see this non-existing "sentence" as a green light to do criminal acts themselves, thereby making it all worse.

What these people in those two examples should be sentenced to, I will leave up to you to imagine, because my response would be hard and not something to be written here.

A fresh example. Here in Copenhagen, just a few days ago, I read about a Young criminal who with a hammer and a big stone, smashed the facade of a watch-shop. Then stealing as many expensive watches as he could get his hands on. Then threatening the shop owner to give him even more. Then he ran to his bicycle, now chased by the shop owner, who managed to stop the young man and it came to a fight, in which the shopowner hits the young criminal with the hammer, who gets a cut on the back of the head, no harm otherwise. Meanwhile the shop owners wife takes back the stolen watches from the young criminal.

It should bementioned, that at the time the shop owner hits the Young criminal man with the hammer (who only gets a bruise), the criminal is facing Down. As the shop owner explained in Court: "I was really shocked and scared".

The police arrest both the Young criminal and the shop owner. The Court decides that the criminal burglar goes free because the shop owners wife took the stolen propperty back from the criminal, therefore no actual stolen propperty happened, and sentenced the shop owner to prison, for act of violence because of the hammer, and also sentenced him to be deported out of Denmark, being foreign. The judicial system in Denmark does not allow you to defend yourself, only minimal resistance needed to avoid personal harm. So, the shop owner became criminal, as he hit the young criminal with the hammer (again, only making a bruise). I get the idea of not letting everyone become their own punisher, leaving matters to the police and the judicial system, but still there should be a fairness in all of this, which there is clearly not. The judicial system in this day and age is deeply dysfunctional. Deeply. And I am very sorry for it.

Now I ask this: where is the Justice in that? And what will other criminal people get out of this? A free ride as a criminal! It apparently pays off big time to be a criminal. That, my friends, is very very sad. And as a private Citizen, I have NO influence and NO way of changeing this system. In my view, the judge in this case is EXACTLY as criminal as the criminal Young man. No difference. In my view, this judge should loose his or her job, and go to prison for a very very long time.

And if the Justice Department here in Denmark is of the same oppinion as this judge, every single one there should be sacked, and put to jail. Likewise for the eventual politicians of the same view. This case from real life just recently, screams to the Heavens of injustice in the judicial system, and for the people in general. The judicial system of today really pisses on the people and the nation. I am not proud of saying that. On the contrary.

I've said it before, and I'll say it Again: why does the human rights Court in Den Haag keep on supporting criminals, while peeing on ordinary respectfull people?

Where is the mercy in this? The ancient Greek statue of Justice as seen below is blindfolded to give a fair result. And have a sword to punish if need be. The scale is in my Humble view, not a scale any more, as it seems more important to protect the criminals, than to protect the victims and society in general. Which can be clearly seen Again and Again and Again. Also in these two cases.

As a consequence, I no longer believe in the Justice system at all. In that light, the us Laws on Citizens carrying an armed weapon seems to be a logical consequence, albeit with even worse consequences for individuals and society. Solution is to bring Down the criminals swiftly and hard. Very hard.

The argument of being too expensive to put a criminal in jail is not valid in my point of view at least, as it will cost society more in the long run to let them go.

The argument of criminals being thrown out of the country is also not valid, although very effective, as many criminals are born within the country in which they do their criminal acts. In the modern society as we see it in the West, people grow up having everything, then pissing on society. Spoiled braindead people, WHO have no thought for the struggle it took their forfarthers to get the rights they thrive under today. No respect at all. Neither from the criminals, nor the judges.

Jacques.

 

[mayevora]

3 hours cueing at a stadium and another 7 hours waiting online to buy tickets. 

This is the 21st Century - surely big Company websites should not be crashing as it just can't cope with the volume of hits and expected ticket sales. The Internet is not 'new' anymore.

Not that brilliant knowing you are number 1856 for an online wait. 

But...... I am a valued customer! Lol

bollox am I 

[molemot]

Coming back from lunch with a chum, I drove past my boat; safely moored in the harbour at Briare.

Some unmentionable cretin has nicked the wheels off my bike!! Frame is still padlocked to my specially designed stainless steel transom bracket, and thinking back on the swift glance I got of the boat, it may well be that the saddle, handlebars and so forth have also been appropriated. First bike was stolen even though it was chained and padlocked to a tree; this one was bought for €20, as a replacement, in a "vide grenier" sale the weekend after the theft, so no real financial loss.

Bloody annoying, though.... 

[Alfa2Evora]

I suppose after 25 months of ownership, and 25k miles put on the clock, a 'beat missed' by the Evora should not have been totally unexpected.

My main gripe is that it waited until I was in lane 3 of 4 sweeping around a major (and at the time very busy) roundabout at the intersection of the M8 and the Edinburgh City Bypass before the clutch master cylinder decided that it no longer wished to communicate with the rest of the system.

Fortunately, that location is only 5 minutes (and a handful of clutchless gear changes) from Craig Moncrieff's place where it will reside until the replacement parts arrive. Meanwhile I got to sample the delights of our wonderful public transport network - nearly 3 hours, involving first a tram, then a train, followed by a bus and finally a brisk 20 minute walk to cover the 15 miles from the garage to my house.  I'd almost have been quicker walking the whole way!

[C8RKH]

Sorry to hear of the failure Dave. Though the location was very fortunate as you say and good approach you are taking to it. 

The public transport issue is a tough one in Scotland. It's pants becaise we are all quite remote and spreadout outside of the handful of main cities. I use public transport to travel acroos England most weeks and apart from the train overcrowding at peak times I generally find I can get where I need to be thanks to feet, bus, tram/tube, train and taxi.

The only really painful location for me is Thatcham. God awful place to get to on public transport if your journey does not  start in London or Reading. God awful place once you get there too!

Hope you get the car back quick. 

[CocoPops]

1 minute ago, C8RKH said:

The only really painful location for me is Thatcham. God awful place to get to on public transport if your journey does not  start in London or Reading. God awful place once you get there too!

Oi!!

Next time you're here.... let me know and I'll arrange a red carpet for you?

 

[C8RKH]

Ooooops. I take it Thatcham is near to you Lee? Surprised you ever get to go anywhere with that bloody level crossing barrier. If ever a bridge was needed...

Thankfully for me my weekly trip to Thatcham is coming to an end as the office is moving to Reading. Another nice town!