and today i have mostly been...

[steve_earwig]

Oops, I didn't post anything for more than a month Ah well, it's quiet. I'm spending most of my computer time just now on Reddit (yeah, I know, to the moon! and all that). I went there for the funnies but I found that maybe some people don't have the same sense of humour as I do. Watching people doing something daft is ok, people getting injured or killed? You're seriously messed up if you think that's funny. I can recommend Reddit though, there is much more than than just the funnies (just rolled into the shop is, erm, interesting...), but keep your NSFW filter turned on especially if you look at r/all, unless you don't mind a screenfull of some guy's wedding vegetables... I seem to have gravitated towards r/cats, I'm spending almost all of my computer time on there just at the minute. I suppose it was inevitable.

Other than that, we're ok, the cats are ok, the dogs are too, my dad's still here (that's almost 7 months and I still didn't strangle him). I went to see my buddy Goran the other night, I didn't see much of him since 2019, his firm had one of the first Croatian corona cases and he spent most of the year either working or on lockdown, and being tested every fortnight. He bought a "new" bike, 1993 Moto Guzzi California III from a chap in Lundun, he already took it to bits. He also has my old D9, it still looks beeeeeeutiful. He loves it (nobody else gets to drive it either, not even his wife), it's had the fuel pump & injectors reconditioned and it's returning much better fuel consumption now. I think he said it's on 172,000Km. The only problem he has is his daughter picked the buttons out of the remote, he asked me to try get him a new one but all the cases on evilbay are either the wrong ones (his doesn't have a screw) or stupidly expensive. Anyone got any ideas? I sat in it too, sadly the seat's still way too low so even if I bought it back I still think I'd have trouble driving it 'cos of my back. Dammit.

There's more but I'd be waffling. Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies is. Hope you're all doing ok.

[Doggy]

Good to hear from you and that you're doing OK.
Got my vaccination invite last week, so learned yesterday I'd had 2 doses of the real vaccine in Oct + Nov (cos I volunteered for a trial), so don't actually need it.
Finally feels like spring here too.
Not sure about the remote, (the key)?
If you can't find anything online, I could try a local scrappy for you. Probably best to have a pic or two to save getting the wrong fing

[steve_earwig]

So you've spent the last, what, 4 months pooping yourself like the rest of us for no reason? Why I think I'd be more than a little upset if it were me Good to hear from you to sir, despite the daft mystery period I'm glad you've had your vaccine. My dad's had his invite too, which is a bit of a kick in the bottom 'cos he's out here. My bro's had his first one Saturday. He's listed as a carer (our dad and his wife, who oddly didn't get one). In his own words:

Astrazenica jab common side effects. Pain at injection site- tick. Generally feeling unwell- tick. Fatigue- tick. Chills or feeling feverish- tick (woke up during night shivering and clutching hot water bottle). Headache- tick. Nausea- no tick. Joint or muscle pain- tick both. If I'm like this tomorrow I can't go to work.

He also added that his wife (retired nurse) says this is a good reaction and points to him not having met the disease before. He wrote this on the Sunday, he was feeling pretty grim, but he was back at work (sucker) on Monday with just the arm pain. No sign of ours here yet, I suspect we're way down the list after all the politicians and other rich criminals...

That's an extremely kind offer sir! I've emailed Goran, I know he's been looking himself (btw he still has access to Service Box, he offered me access too but I think he said the password changes every month, also I wouldn't want to get him into any trouble - I can always ask him) so I'll see what he says.

[Doggy]

I looked on it as a 50/50 chance of getting a vaccine that might keep me alive - no guarantee, but no real downside either.

Oddly enough I had no reaction at all to the first jab, but did get a couple of days of mild flu symptoms after the second one.

The half-empty glass internal voice now points out that I'll be months out-of-sync when the time comes for boosters......

Hope you get yours sorted out before too long.

[GingerMagic]

I've had many text messages from the Doc's telling me to get the 'throw a six to win' vaccine.
I have politely declined every time...

[steve_earwig]

Whuh? Oh, looks like a good chance of not getting a full dose to me. Idiots.

Doggy - I went to see Goran today, he says his email is borked on his 'phone so couldn't reply to me. Service Box want to sell him a complete key now I've just been having another go on evilbay and getting nowhere fast, so I'm going to call you in on your offer, I hope it's not a hassle for you just now. There are some on evilbay for cheap but these lack the lion, I also doubt they can be swapped either.

Pickies are cropped but full scale in case there's any zooming necessary



Ewww, dirty!

From what I've seen his plip differs from others by lacking a screw and doesn't have a hole in the blade.

Bon chance!

And while I'm uploading them, here's his "new" Guzzi,


although today the frame is at the sandblasters and he's separated the gearbox from the engine to look at the clutch. The plates (2 off) are fine, there's a little wear on the shafts but it's not bad considering the bike's done 72,000 miles.

[Doggy]

Looks like the keys both the 2002/3 cars had, see what I can do.
I assume it's all working, just the rubber covers missing?

[steve_earwig]

Yes, he says he has to work it with a toothpick now though.

Cheers bud!

[Doggy]

Did a comparison with my daughter's 54-plate 307 key today - I thought it was the same, but it has the screw you described + different shape key blade, (completely parallel throughout its length).
I'm 99% sure the spare key for my last 406 is in the house somewhere, but damned if I can find it.

Hopefully get to the scrapyard tomorrow.

(If I'm not overly impulsive, I may even come home again with the the cistern).

[steve_earwig]

Yep, a lot of the supposed 406 fobs I saw on ebay have the screw, now I'm thinking that they aren't even 406. There should actually have been a spare one with the car, when I bought it the plip was dead and Pug supplied me with a new one (I was young and innocent in those days) but I guess Goran didn't get it (I have had a look for it here) so maybe Pedro, the keeper in between has it. Or he lost it. I told Goran but I don't know if he asked Pedro.

Don't get rained on! We still have to figure out postage (all change!) so Goran will have to use his toothpick for a while longer anyway.

Mmm, it's a long time since i was last in a breaker's.

I'm quite saddened that the C5 doesn't live up to expectations, I thought maybe it would be a good alternative to the 406 but I guess not. Btw I know some of you guys ae sniffing about a Merc C class and Goran thinks one of these might be his next car. He's told me a sure fire way of picking one that will be of better quality, less likely to malfunction or rust. Unfortunately it rather means driving a left-hooker. He says he figured it out by have a stack of log books on his desk (he works for Ciak, which is a big chain of car spare stores here) and noticed that some of the similarly aged and specced c-classes had different weights. Riddle me this guys, why do you think one of them was around 30Kg heavier than the rest?

[Doggy]

No luck at the breakers - they only had one and it was in the same state as the pics you posted. Equally, I didn't find my one after 'remembering' where I was sure* it was.

Looked on fleabay, I'm betting it won't be this simple, but these seem to fit the bill:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PEUGEOT-406- ... %3A2334524

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/for-PEUGEOT- ... 0010.m2109


1st day of spring today, so freezing compared to yesterday, so I wimped out and drove the thing home. On a (slightly) separate subject, it finally passed the MOT today at the 3rd time of asking after a CV joint, track rod end, steering gaiter, bottom ball joint, upper swivel joint and 2 tyres.
Round numbers £600

I'm not very fond of the C5, as I'm sure you've noticed but have decided to hang onto it as frankly there is absolutely nothing out there I actually want to buy. Guess I've become a dinosaur.

[steve_earwig]

Board's running rather slow here (might be this end of course).

Thankyou ever so much for looking! I am sorry I turned out to have wasted your time. The ebay links are a good find tho, I've no idea why they didn't come up for me, I just put 406 remote/case in there so I thought I'd bring up everything I did look at loads though, I might just have kicked them out because there was no picture of the back and I didn't see the "screwless" thing. The first one posts to here too, the post is 17 quid odd so I think I'd better check with Goran before I order it. Obv. he doesn't need the switches and it lacks a lion but cheggers can't be boozers and all that.

Edit: How bleedin' long is that address on that fob? Crikey they don't make it easy to tell anyone else about stuff

[Doggy]

Board has been slow intermittently for me over the last 24h or so, sometimes it's fine other times just nada.

If it's any help I can order you one from here and send it on - can't weigh mere than a few grammes so cheap by snail mail, (you would think).
Guess you can check all that from there?
Let me know.

[steve_earwig]

It's ok now, strangely

I've spoken to the G, he says he doesn't care about the lion but he's a bit iffy on spending over 20 quids on something that might turn out to be flimsy junk. He says thank you but leave it for now, maybe he can find something here. Btw he has tried Pug, with predictable results

[dirtydirtydiesel]

Steve,
I have personally used two replacement ebay cases for my key's.
Don't worry about the quality, they are actually quite good.
My first one is still going strong after 8 years & 80k.
You can get (in the uk) just a replacement top half with the new rubber buttons for £2.49 posted
or the whole case for £4.95 but Goran just needs the half with the buttons.

He want's to do it sooner than later as he fob is now open to damage to his P.C.B & trust me
He doesn't want that, then it can get costly (if he still want remote central locking)

ps: Glad to here that yourself & Doggy are both ok
I hope that all of your loved ones are ok.

All the best
DDD.