and today i have mostly been...

[Welly]

Doggy-da-roofer

Roofing (and scaffolding) must rank as one of the biggest rip-off/unregulated/missunderstood/twatish trades out there the materials usually cost next to bugger all but costs run high when you get a contractor in.

I was reading something on AS the other day about DIY - a guy was moaning that his wife would see his time spent maintaining cars and the house as his 'Me Time' or otherwise enjoying* himself at the expense of her own 'needs'. He spent a whole weekend re-roofing their flat roofed Garage to save money and she saw this as him ignoring her with his newfound 'woodworking hobby'

Interestingly I have experienced the same to a certain extent, bizarre, and similarly I actually know men (most of my neighbours as it goes) who are incompetent at anything practical and would always 'get someone in' to do jobs

Another curse of 'being good at stuff' also means family and friends see you as their own Odd Job man on call 24/7

[Doggy]

Cistern failed MOT today - two broken rear springs, two leaky cv joint boots.

Tempted as I am to arrange a viking funeral, practicality forces me to explore alternatives
Best price I've found on a pair of springs is £82.28 from Car parts 4 Less
2 Outer CV boot kits, (ECP) £40.94
Not relishing either job and don't know anyone I trust
Where's the matches?

Fortunately it's still legal until 19th March

[steve_earwig]

That's a bit of a pain Is there maybe a Cistern specialist garage in your area? I'd suggest taking it to my guy but, you know...

In other news, today I can almost walk normally. Yesterday mate Max (a bit of a herbalist) suggested wrapping the offending toe in a bruised cabbage leaf for half an hour. Ok, I thought, what's the harm? So I sat here yesterday evening feeling like coleslaw. Today it's much less red, less swelling too, who'd have thought it?

[Doggy]

As it happens, I dropped in on our local Cistern/Pug indy specialist at lunchtime - a predictably bad idea. Twas like the Mary Celeste. After drawing a blank in Reception and all the office-like spaces, I happened upon someone in the 'Strictly No Admittance' workshop area, who took some notes and assured me the boss would call me back.....

There's always tomorrow.

Did my first solo grandchild collection form the nursery today, as Mrs Doggy was birthday pressie shopping with his 5-year old twin cousins. Now THAT was a scary experience!

Good news on your foot. I'd have been pretty skeptical too, but if it works why not?

[steve_earwig]

At lunchtime? You should have tried the nearest pub...

Why was collecting a grandson a scary experience? Shades of Midwich Cuckoos? I collect t'wife from school most days, when she's late out I start to worry that the police will be called 'cos of the scary old man... Then I check the time, wonder if she gave me some instructions that I've forgotten, think about calling her... Meanwhile loads of little kids are shuffling past and occasionally bouncing off the car.

Just call me Captain Coleslaw Max usually knows his stuff but it did seem a bit unfeasable.

Btw the Croat for toes is "nožni prsti" - literally "leg fingers", while big toe is "nožni palac" - leg thumb. The monkeys.

[Welly]

It's about 15 years since I collected one of our kids from Primary School, even then you were treated like a imposter, it would have been easier to take the Queen to McDonalds at short notice.

Doggy the worst labour bit there is the CV bootage, I reckon you'll be looking at 4/5 hours of work for them? that's not a bad failure list though and probably its first 'slightly more serious' issues in its life so far.

Steve - please remember to discard said piece of Cabbage once you've finished with it

[Doggy]

Security wasn't too bad - phone call from Mum, photo ID, password.
Looking after small, sticky people isn't my forte.

Still waiting to hear from garage, but already working on somewhere to DIY it, (I'll never learn).
Found one thread on shitroen owners club (from 2009), where dealer quoted £40 labour for one side, so worth checking out
Looks like you need to take the driveshafts off, therefore drain gearbox, change diff oil seals etc.

Rear springs have co-axial shock absorbers, (like a mcpherson strut).
Take 'em off the car, spring compressors, take cover....

[Welly]

Rear springs have co-axial shock absorbers, (like a mcpherson strut).
Take 'em off the car, spring compressors, take cover....

Bugger, that's a bit unusual for rears, is the 'snapped spring' just the last tiny curly bit sitting in the carrier?

[Doggy]

Bugger, that's a bit unusual for rears, is the 'snapped spring' just the last tiny curly bit sitting in the carrier?

Precisely. I thought it sat a tad low and had a butchers, followed up by a better look while the rear tyres were getting did, but it looked OK as far as I could see.

Got fed up waiting to hear from the garage so paid them another visit, "Oh, he's off sick, he'll definitely call you Monday"

[steve_earwig]

He sounds right reliable

Now you see, that wouldn't have happened f )jj (hello Grace) if you'd bought a proppa Cistern. No, it'd be urinating LHM everywhere instead

[Welly]

Got fed up waiting to hear from the garage so paid them another visit, "Oh, he's off sick, he'll definitely call you Monday"

It could be just timing, my MOT/Diagnostic Guru man sometimes gets in a bit of a state trying to do too much....or taking on a job that quickly turns to shyte.... I'm sure this bloke will be alright once he resurfaces. My experience with the Shitron Dealer was woeful when I tried getting the crazy-matic gearbox sorted; they finally allowed me to speak with the Master* Tech* myself and when he finally waddled out of the workshop he basically told me the gearbox is sh*t so either live with it or bin it....and he was following the non-approved method of working on the box which I tried in vein to explain "nahh mate we don't do that here"

I mustard mitt there does seem to be a 'thing' with French spring snappage - I've had the pleasure of 3 separate springs snapping on the 406 and C4. Mind you I had one go on the Volvo but only on the rear and that was an easy* change with the spring sitting 'on its own' as it were.

Good luck though Doggy and keep us updated.

[Bailes1992]

I was reading something on AS the other day about DIY - a guy was moaning that his wife would see his time spent maintaining cars and the house as his 'Me Time' or otherwise enjoying* himself at the expense of her own 'needs'. He spent a whole weekend re-roofing their flat roofed Garage to save money and she saw this as him ignoring her with his newfound 'woodworking hobby'

Unfortunately this is a huge gripe of mine, something my Wife is a nightmare for. Every time I try to do any maintenance on the cars I usually get "So you're going outside to play with the cars while I say in and look after the baby, how is that fair?"

[steve_earwig]

Offer to swap?

[Doggy]

An update of sorts......
Didn't hear anything Monday morning, so paid the local Cistern specialist another visit around midday. This time the bod in charge was present and assured me I was on his list and I'd hear from him shortly.
4pm ish today I got a text advising £505.70 + VAT.
Now I was expecting a phone call and had decided that with the cost of the bits around £130 delivered, I should expect somewhere in the region of £450 - £500 all in and would have agreed to get it done. Now £607 is just enough in excess of my guesstimate to make me wonder if I shouldn't just bite the bullet, roll sleeves up & save £475.
Probably going to get another quote, dither for a bit, toss a coin.

In other news I appear to have agreed to a trip 'oop north' tomorrow wiv my bro as he searches for a 407SW replacement. A 'posh' Astra estate and C-class Merc are on his hit list, (which oddly enough matches my 'C5 escape committee' short list). So we's orf to Halifax & Manchester in the morning.
"I think we should still go despite the snow", says he. "OK, not like we're crossing Saddleworth Moor or anything", I replied with totally unappreciated irony.
WCPGW?

[steve_earwig]

That does seem rather excessive to me, heading off into "I don't really want to do this but if you're fool enough to pay..." land (although I might be very out of touch these days)

I guess it gives you a 475 quid budget for any extra tools, full face crash helmet, kevlar underpants etc.

Saddleworth Moor sounds like fun 1,312 feet above sea level and, shockingly, it's that moor