What are these?

[colnerov]

My MG Maestro would wheelspin in 2nd so yes they did get through a few tyres

Hi, At least you were getting some enjoyment out of it doing that, even the cooking versions used to scrub off the edges because they had some strange suspension/steering geometry changes when in use.

Colin

 

[Crater Creator]

My MG Maestro would wheelspin in 2nd so yes they did get through a few tyres

Aye they got a really bad reputation, but I used to enjoy driving mine. The torque-steer or bump-steer or whatever it was made the steering a bit "lively", it could be a bit of a handful on slippery roads but I put a good 60k miles on mine with mainly only regular front wheel bearing problems.

 

[Robotstar5]

Aye they got a really bad reputation, but I used to enjoy driving mine. The torque-steer or bump-steer or whatever it was made the steering a bit "lively", it could be a bit of a handful on slippery roads but I put a good 60k miles on mine with mainly only regular front wheel bearing problems.

The turbo versions of the Maestro & Montego could be a bit of a handful when the boost came in

 

[WorkshopChris]

Sad fact for the day, almost no one ever seems to be aware that you are supposed to re-grease they every year.

Not something i was aware of, but presuming a large isolator may only be operated annually for inspection, and is rated correctly, operating at normal temperature and is adequately sealed to prevent environmental contamination, then i would imagine it should be good for years.

The only isolator i have ever serviced was on a 200a main overhead busbar that we used at the end of each day.

 

[sardine]

interesting...
cos I have a load of old printing plates which I was told was aluminium.
But I want some zinc to make some zamak

Some are magnesium, I know this because the printers next door to where I worked had a skip full, which we purloined and threw on our bonfire, creating a small second sun.

 

[tlovatt]

Not something i was aware of, but presuming a large isolator may only be operated annually for inspection, and is rated correctly, operating at normal temperature and is adequately sealed to prevent environmental contamination, then i would imagine it should be good for years.

The only isolator i have ever serviced was on a 200a main overhead busbar that we used at the end of each day.

I only know as I once investigated a failure and resulting fire due to the failure of some BS88 fuses. If you get hold of the maintenance manuals you will normally find a little note that each year the fuse should be taken apart, cleaned and re-greased. The reason being that over time and with thermal stressing the grease can harden, as the grease hardens the joint gets hotter which causes the grease to harden faster and also after a time resulting in the terminals of a BS88 losing pressure as the contact is the spring steel - eventually you can get a thermal runaway and the fuse holder fails. We found a number of BS88s in varying states of decay and when we spoke to the manufacturer they confirmed it is a know issue and hence they should be re-greased every year.

Red spots have a big advantage in that they have double the contact area and so are regarded as having a much smaller chance of such a failure. Also a lot of BS88 fuses are not run anywhere near their rating which will help avoid the problem. If you come across BS88s fitted to PFC units then they either need to be significantly over rated or have regular inspection and maintenance or even better, fit open chassis NH type instead.

 

[WorkshopChris]

fftopic: But the above has just reminded me (after a very long google search). To keep a eye out for 63A fuse carriers with black sealing where the contacts bolt to the holder.
http://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/product-recalls/2009/09/fuse-carrier-safety-alert/

Might just save someone one day hopefully most were returned but they may be some still in service, can't remember if they were conductive or if they could fall out.

 

[wookie]

Yep, used on the Princess as well I think. TVR nicked it for the Wedges. The bulb used was as dim as an Essex girl (not Rachel ).
The TR7 (IIRC) used a similar idea but had a transparent bar that ran along behind the switches with the bulb at one end.

Your right about TR7's except they use 2 bulbs, there is provision for 5 switches/blanks, the sequence is switch, bulb, switch, switch, switch, bulb, switch.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

The turbo versions of the Maestro & Montego could be a bit of a handful when the boost came in

great fun to drive. Burn oil like a 2 stroke but fun whilst they're at it. The mg metro turbo was also fun until the gearbox blew up

 

[Tinbasherdan]

and @Maker is going to wonder what a maestro and a montego were...

lol

Still of the view that new drivers should have to spend a day driving some of the terrible cars of yore so they know how lucky they are (Lada Riva, FSO Polonez (my dad had at least 2), Marina, Allegro, Skoda Estelle, Yugo 45 (my grandad had one...hateful thing) along with any other thoroughly vile cars.

Also could be used for those with a rose tinted view of motoring past....and remind them of just how bad said cars actually were....

I have a soft spot for the estelle, always fancied one with a breathed on engine. Never know, might buy one one day, there's thousands of them in our lasses home country of Hungary

I would also suggest that young drivers should have to try to drive a v6 Capri on cheap tyres quickly and get it round a corner without facing the way you came

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Oddly I have a hankering for a Lada Niva, mainly as stupidly simple mechanically, designed to cope with russian "roads" and who cares if you dent it...might improve its looks and its sort the communist answer to a defender...someone once shoehorned a chevy v8 into one...but that kinda defeats the point.....

I think because my old man had at least 1 or 2, I also kinda fancy an polonez, utter terrible cars but a link to my childhood in the 80s

Though if I won the lotto, I'd be tempted by a Zil limo...kinda vehicle to feel like a dictator in :P

Anything decent from that period is utterly out of my budget and into silly cash now (even a 205 GTI is £3-6K now and rising...and they're made of tinfoil, had a 1.4 and it was a hoot to drive but utterly tinny and a coffin on wheels)

Sister had a lada Cossack 4x4, bloody good machine off road actually, just kept going. Had all the comforts of a mid 1800's orphanage tho.

I got a 205 gti given with a goosed engine, was covered in moss when I picked it up as it had been sat under a tree for a few years. Good dose with the pressure washer and it came up quite literally like new, was a ltd edition sorento green model with the full leather interior that was like new too. Needed a couple of quid and let it go to my boss at the time on the understanding that I would have the chance to buy it back within a couple of months before he did owt with it. That was on the Friday, Monday came around and he had smashed it to pieces to make a banger

 

[KemppiFrog]

.

Seemingly they were heavily galvanised so many of them were still on the road well into the early 2000s

Still plenty of those around here, but, they don't salt the roads. Loads of older cars in daily use 2CVs R4s and other cars from the 70s & 80s.

 

[brianblock]

I sold my 205 Gti 1.9 for £500 with mot on about 13 years ago if only I had known
At the time I was thinking of the £90 pw petrol bill (back when it was sub 90p) not the future value
Great fun little car to drive, there wasn't much That could touch it at the time. But you did need upper arms like geof capes to drive it