FCF Archives: February Ferret

[mickthemaverick]

(TBH, the Sun would be more suitable :@) )

Can't agree there Alistair, its already full!!

[CitroJim]

(TBH, the Sun would be more suitable :@) )

Can't agree there Alistair, its already full!!

I can't agree either... I'd consider the Daily Mail far more suitable for the task in hand...

[Stickyfinger]

The Wail is a more accurate paper than the Gonad

[NewcastleFalcon]

It is my intention to mark each day of February 2023 with a visit to the FCF Archives. There is a lot of good stuff in there destined to become yesterday's chip wrappers so I think a February ferret is worth a go.

Day 17 of the February Ferret has dawned, the thread is still chugging along and yesterday's random selection "flopthread" turned out to be reasonably productive on the joining-in front. Thanks for the contributions.
Today's random hand for February 17th has landed here

Xantia Cylinder Head Examination

Wow...a July 2010 vintage proper car-problem related thread, and my own 32nd post of the French Car Forum.

17 replies 1159 views but pretty blind to forum searches so if there is good stuff in there, it's largely dormant and unfindable, but that's without the magic of FCF Archives Ferret random hand There are contributors still helping today, who were helping me back in 2010. Nice to look back over their contributions freely given and gratefully received.

The thread starter is here...
link viewtopic.php?t=31707

The thread is probably a chapter in an early Falcon blockbuster with the other chapters of the same story being...

Xantia Crankshaft Pulley Bolt 1 Newcastle Falcon 0
Our selected Thread-Xantia Cylinder Head Examination
Xantia-threaded hole behind timing belt idler roller
Xantia-Thermostat/Fuel Filter Housing Gasket

and a fitting positive conclusion
Xantia-200,000 not out

As ever I will attempt to add to the selected thread on its FCF Archives February Ferret Selection Day

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

It is my intention to mark each day of February 2023 with a visit to the FCF Archives. There is a lot of good stuff in there destined to become yesterday's chip wrappers so I think a February ferret is worth a go...and its still going

Day 18 of the February Ferret has dawned, the thread is still chugging along. All the random selections for the 28 days were made at the start, and remain unchanged. I am totally confident that no matter what thread the random selection has chosen, or wherever that thread is on the duff-fascinating continuum, entertainment/educational value will be extracted, "No, not just for some but for everyone" as Hal David could have put it.

Today's random hand for February 18th has landed here

Car /Van hire excess insurance

Well, there's a challenge straight away to add something new, but a pretty successful little thread 15 replies 2595 views. Wonder what it was about

The thread starter is here...
link viewtopic.php?t=53123

the snippet Things may have changed since 2015 which was probably the last time I ever hired a vehicle, and I don't shed any tears about that.

From time to time I have the need to hire a car or a van. Enterprise tend to be the most convenient for me, and I have used them on many occasions.

The last time I hired a Van, things seemed to have changed from previous occasions in relation to the level of excess which is within the standard price quote for the hire, and the selling technique for reducing this excess "at the desk", when effectively you are already committed to the hire anyway.

So for a SWB Transit the standard excess was over £1,000. This is when the sales person then does the upselling from the company training ground, and takes out of his pocket a piece of cardboard with a hole the size of a 10p piece cut out of it and says this is what we use to assses damage to the vehicle. Any scratches bigger than the hole could leave you liable to paying out the full excess. Would you like to reduce the excesss to £250? It would be £xx.

Vans are usually hired for doing van like things and its not beyond the realms of possibility that you might just knock it. So you just say yes pay up and moan.

There is an alternative apparently, insuring this risk with a specialist provider, at a price considerably less that the car hire companies. Sounds familiar? The banks and their own PPI for example.

Money Saving Expert has a piece on it for those interested. I haven't tried it myself yet but I don't like the feeling of being ripped off which I certainly did the last time I hired a van.

As ever I will attempt to add to the selected thread on its FCF Archives February Ferret Selection Day join in if you can

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

It is my intention to mark each day of February 2023 with a visit to the FCF Archives. There is a lot of good stuff in there destined to become yesterday's chip wrappers so I think a February ferret is worth a go...and its still going

Day 19 of the February Ferret has dawned

Today's random hand for February 19th has landed here

Picture(s) of the Day

Thanks to all who have joined in and continue to join in POTD is the most successful thread ever on the French Car Forum, 9746 posts 225,534 views. Why ...because it is simple to join in with and inspires comment.

the random snippet

post number 2957 was selected at random from the 9746 posts

Who's this then?

100 years today they made a big impact in Galway (edit i.e, the date of the original post on POTD 19th June 2019)

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Random thought...Wonder where Clifden is, and what the two things it is famous for are....
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It is my intention to mark each day of February 2023 with a visit to the FCF Archives. There is a lot of good stuff in there destined to become yesterday's chip wrappers so I think a February ferret is worth a go...

Day 20 of the February Ferret has dawned

Today's random hand for February 20th has landed here

Open top motoring

Another simple title, and an easy to join in with thread, mostly visual with pictures and the odd tale. Inspired by a friend of mine who maintains a marginally ridiculous "open-toppage log".

the thread starter

I am quite virginal in this respect as reported in todays POTD but others may over their motoring years have owned/desired a convertible/cabriolet/roadster/décapotable/drop-top/rag-top.

Plenty on offer at the classic sales, always tempting.

So at the risk of a zero participation thread but never afraid to miss, your contributions are invited!

Who wouldnt want a little yellow triumph spitfire?

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Unfinished business
Wonder what Marconi and Allcock and Brown did in Connemara?...
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It is my intention to mark each day of February 2023 with a visit to the FCF Archives. There is a lot of good stuff in there destined to become yesterday's chip wrappers so I think a February ferret is worth a go...

Day 21 of the FCF Archives February Ferret 2023 has dawned and will enter hibernation when March breezes in.Join in and enjoy while you can.

Today's random hand for February 21th has landed here

Xantia Rear Strut Removal

Many column inches over the years have been devoted to the problems of removing stuff, but never in the field of DIY mechanics has so much anguish, frustration, yes even rage been caused by so insignificant a rusted pin at the bottom of a Xantia rear strut. I feel the full flavour is not gained by my own experiences, as the history repeats itself for many others and maybe even strays over into the C5,

the thread starter is here viewtopic.php?t=26356

...but its one of those threads which at that stage did not reach a successful conclusion, subsequent threads were necessary. Kenny did not have quite the frustrating time myself and Chris and Richard and maybe many more endured

My successful conclusion is here https://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/ ... 09#p328009

Chris' struggles are here viewtopic.php?p=361259#p361259
Richard W's Struggles are here viewtopic.php?p=363386#p363386

and Kenny's walk in the park is here...

Well shock horror, the wire pin came out with no trouble . I spent more time setting the car up
Next will be removing pipe union so i need to purchase 10mm flare spanner

Kenny

I thought that the pain and frustration of removing those pins, was a necessary rite of passage. I mean mine came out eventually but not before I had assembled the sort of weaponry you probably should carry a licence for, and developed a vocabulary of "frustration releasers" which I didn't think I would be capable of



Well done though and good luck with the rest of the job.

Neil

[CitroJim]

I've added to it

[NewcastleFalcon]

Unfinished business
Wonder if this article will help the curious find out about the goings on in Connemara in 1919
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It is my intention to mark each day of February 2023 with a visit to the FCF Archives. There is a lot of good stuff in there destined to become yesterday's chip wrappers so I think a February ferret is worth a go...

Day 22 of the FCF Archives February Ferret 2023 has dawned. The Ferret will enter hibernation when March breezes in. Join in and enjoy while you can.

Today's random hand for February 22nd 2023 has landed here

Xantia-200,000 not out

the thread starter is here viewtopic.php?p=242232#p242232

My first Xantia was a bit of a desperate purchase for £450, needing to immediately replace a Mondeo with a hideously groaning diff in November. I did just short of 40,000 miles in that one before the clutch reached the end of its manual adjustment and was slipping so badly the car wouldn't move from the spot. As always happens with these things this occurred in late December.

Anyone fancy doing a clutch on a Xantia in December without a garage-me neither so I bought another one for the princely sum of £300 with 140,000 on the clock.

I did intend doing a bit of a running it into the ground job, hence the putting off of curing the oil leak, and changing the timing belt which resulted in my latest resurrection exercise from a broken camshaft.

Well the car this weekend just passed through the 200,000 miles mark, on a trip down to the excellent "wartime weekend" on the North York Moors Railway at Pickering. Passed a trio of Traction Avants on the way back over the moors-I wonder if they managed the pull up Sutton Bank for those who know the anatomy of the area.

Thanks to all FCF members who have helped me keep my old motor running. I may even treat it to a new heater matrix if I get round to it

I think the odd new contribution to the thread can be manufactured with a bit of creative thinking, I will ponder that one myself, but see what you can come up with...your own entry into the 200,000 club maybe and whether you engineered it to be on a more interesting trip than a visit to Tesco's.

Meanwhile here's a trio of Traction Avants to mark the 200,000 miles mark trip to Pickering.

Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

Unfinished business
What was the name of the two cats which were the first to fly over the Atlantic Requires a little bit of reading here
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It is my intention to mark each day of February 2023 with a visit to the FCF Archives. There is a lot of good stuff in there destined to become yesterday's chip wrappers so I think a February ferret is worth a go...

Day 23 of the FCF Archives February Ferret 2023 has dawned. The Ferret will enter hibernation when March breezes in very shortly. Join in and enjoy while you can.

Today's random hand for February 23rd 2023 has landed here

Feu Orange King of Air Fresheners

viewtopic.php?t=52660

No need for unnecessary wordiness, head over to the thread have a read and see if you can add anything today

the thread starter is here viewtopic.php?t=52660

Neil

[mickthemaverick]

I read it yesterday so I know the answer, no sign of Peter Pan though!! not to mention our ex PM Callaghan!

[Gibbo2286]

I read it yesterday so I know the answer, no sign of Peter Pan though!! not to mention our ex PM Callaghan!

Your mention of Callaghan reminded me of a trip to the motor show at Earls Court, my mother came for the day out with myself and my son, she had a habit of taking cuttings from any plants she fancied, all around the balcony there were potted plants, Callaghan was below giving the opening speech, ma reached for one of the plants and the pot wobbled ominously over his head.

[NewcastleFalcon]

I read it yesterday so I know the answer, no sign of Peter Pan though!! not to mention our ex PM Callaghan!

Yes I see the PM Callaghan link to the name of Allcock's cat, but a bit lost in translation for Brown's Cat and Peter Pan.
A 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by Charles Brabin and starring Colleen Moore would have been spot on with Brown's cat's moniker.

Neil

[mickthemaverick]

I read it yesterday so I know the answer, no sign of Peter Pan though!! not to mention our ex PM Callaghan!

..... but a bit lost in translation for Brown's Cat and Peter Pan....

This I'm afraid is a result of my memory playing tricks on me and translating the right name, as evidenced by the film name, to Tinkerbell and thus producing my false clue!! After all it was 24 hours ago that I read it and short term memory is the issue!!