DodgyBastard Posted February 17, 2019 Author Share Posted February 17, 2019 I made a little bit more progress on the 240D, I finished the jacking points on the passenger side and welded some new metal into the inner rear arches.My 110V Angle grinder stopped working recently so when I spotted some locally for sale going cheap I went for a look. DSC_0062 by srblythe, on Flickr I ended up spending £180 on welding equipment and grinders! RJC_6892 by srblythe, on Flickr I got a single phase Nexus nxm 170 mig welder, It works really well and is easy to use. RJC_6894 by srblythe, on Flickr I got a Murex tradesmig 263 3 phase machine with a MASSIVE bottle of argoshield heavy. It is pretty much exactly the same as my old Esab welder but works a lot better, I think the Esab had a hard life welding skips back together. RJC_6893 by srblythe, on Flickr I also got a new arc r1500 110v inverter which can be used for stick and tig, I looked them up and they retail at £1100 new so £50 for it seems like a bit of a bargain. I had a quick go with the stick and it seems to work great.The guy selling them was a retired engineer and was in the middle of clearing out all of his gear, he chucked in a couple of 110v extensions and some burning gear in for nothing.I'm probably going to go back and get some more 110v stuff before it's all gone. Since I had some decent gear I thought it best to clear some of the shite out, I thought 7 welding machines might be a little excessive so sold 3 of them as a job lot for £100 DSC_0065 by srblythe, on Flickr DSC_0066 by srblythe, on Flickr DSC_0064 by srblythe, on Flickr While I continued to weld the Mercedes, Mrs SK made some stuff out of scrap metal. DSC_0070 by srblythe, on Flickr DSC_0074 by srblythe, on Flickr A strange looking dog... RJC_6898 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6902 by srblythe, on Flickr I'm not quite sure what it is, some kind of reptile... Exiled_Tat_Gatherer, somewhatfoolish, Ohdearme and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 I think the Esab had a hard life welding skips back together. Hey, come on now. Your cars aren't that bad. Christine, LightBulbFun and DeeJay 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Conan Posted February 18, 2019 Share Posted February 18, 2019 I know it's not quite the right generation. But close enough. DodgyBastard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 18, 2019 Author Share Posted February 18, 2019 I know it's not quite the right generation. But close enough. I enjoyed that, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 Great news, I bought a second hand fuel pump relay from ebay and now the car runs.I've yet to pick up the new fuel pipes from Mercedes so hopefully get them today or tomorrow and get it running without pissing fuel everywhere. Sent from my G3121 using Tapatalk Dick Longbridge, Mrs6C, Ben_O and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 I think that's the majority of welding finished on the 240D, I did the jacking points and rear inner arches last weekend then welded a rear arch in tonight. RJC_6909 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6910 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6911 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6912 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6913 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6914 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6916 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_6918 by srblythe, on Flickr N Dentressangle, HarmonicCheeseburger, Brodders and 25 others 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bell Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 Quality work as ever man. Can't pretend I'm not disappointed that there wasn't a welding montage video with and interesting soundtrack though. egg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 Quality work as ever man. Can't pretend I'm not disappointed that there wasn't a welding montage video with and interesting soundtrack though. Maybe next time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exiled_Tat_Gatherer Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 That was swift work fella - I do hope you didn't ruin the manicure in evidence in the first photo….. even shite-fettling has its limits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheezey Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Looking great. Did you drink six hundred quids worth of whisky to help get through it? paulplom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 22, 2019 Author Share Posted February 22, 2019 Looking great. Did you drink six hundred quids worth of whisky to help get through it?Funny story about the whisky boxes, we were potentially going to move house and saw an advert on gumtree for empty boxes for £5.I went along to collect them in the white w123 and the guy selling the boxes told me that a w123 was his dream car. He asked if he could sit in it, I said of course and he sat down and marvelled at the wood trim and springy seats.He said I could just have the boxes for free after that. Sent from my G3121 using Tapatalk DodgeRover, rainagain, Springer and 13 others 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheezey Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Ha ha. I like when things like that happen. Just people being nice with each other. I've only driven a W123 once about 15 years ago, a petrol 2.3. The springy seats and the steering where what stuck in my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 That was swift work fella - I do hope you didn't ruin the manicure in evidence in the first photo….. even shite-fettling has its limits!Oh, that's not my hand... Sent from my G3121 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 23, 2019 Author Share Posted February 23, 2019 Got the white w123 almost leak free now, replaced the hose that goes from the tank to the fuel damper which was pissing fuel out of it last time. RJC_6922 by srblythe, on Flickr Replaced another bit of perished hose from the fuel damper to the pump and fitted a new hard fuel line. RJC_6920 by srblythe, on Flickr With everything bolted tightly together I put more fuel in started the car then checked underneath for drips, it was no longer pouring out but there was a slight misting on the fuel line at the filter. I could see where it was leaking from, the copper washer which I'd already reused twice. I tightened it up which seemed to help reduce the leak to a slight weep.I'm happy with that, I know when I get new washers it will be fixed and I'll be able to use it again. I was also mildly concerned about damaging the gearbox from A-framing it a couple of miles a few months ago but I took it for a quick blast down the road and all seems to be well. We also fitted the missing drop link to the gold W123, it seems to handle a little bit better but I think really it needs new shocks all round. It's also incredibly slow but I'm not sure if it needs some of the slack taken out of the accelerator pedal, it seems to need pushed quite hard in order to get a response out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted February 28, 2019 Author Share Posted February 28, 2019 Spotted an old Corolla for sale on facebook a 5 minute walk from my house... RJC_7092 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_7091 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_7088 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_7087 by srblythe, on Flickr It's actually the one that DollyWobbler wanted to buy around a year ago when it was being sold by some dodgy car and van traders in Kirkcaldy, the sellers were most unhelpful at the time and couldn't be bothered to give out any information other than to "just come and see it".Anyway, it sold to an elderly guy around the corner who put it in for an mot and required a patch on the sill to get through. It's hasn't done more than 200 miles since and rarely got used as he was giving up driving.The son advertised it yesterday, I spotted it and went for a look today. I took it for a spin around the block and it drove fine so I went back and made an offer of £300 which they were happy to accept.I've been out in it all afternoon, it drives well, the engine seems quite nippy, the autobox is smooth. It handles quite well, I had great fun rallying it up the back roads.It did seem to pull to the left slightly, the nearside tyre did have an advisory for wear so I changed it for a decent tyre I had on the shelf, the offside front seemed to be new. After swapping tyres there was a definite improvement to the steering but I think the tracking might need done. The wheel arches are really starting to crumble so it's likely going to need welding shortly, I wonder if repair panels can be bought for these? RJC_7080 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_7079 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_7078 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_7077 by srblythe, on Flickr The rear shocks also feel quite soft so likely they will be getting replaced shortly. Mrs6C, Skizzer, LightBulbFun and 20 others 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schaefft Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 I've always liked this shape Corolla, I think they are still looking great today (especially in red) and are probably as bullet proof as any car can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 savvy will be round to kick yer shins in that silver merc DodgyBastard and tooSavvy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_O Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 I did rear arches on one of these a few years back. I couldn't find any panels so had to make them. Red really suits these Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosty Posted February 28, 2019 Share Posted February 28, 2019 I'm pretty sure I was looking at that Corolla on ebay when I was looking to come back down to earth from my Prelude. It's the rot that put me off as I really like the styling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 RJC_7526 by srblythe, on Flickr The white w123 had a minor failure to proceed last week, I had decided to bring it home and had planned on driving it to work the next morning but when trying to start it in the morning it stalled a couple of times and started running like shit so I abandoned it on the drive and took something else.I took it to the unit later and left it for a week, I had a look under the bonnet to see if I could see anything amiss and found the one of the nuts on the coil was hand tight so perhaps the loose wire was causing issues? who knows? I replaced the copper washers and now the fuel system appears to be free from leaks.I took it for a 150 mile drive today and it all seemed fine apart from the tachometer having a mind of its own, it will work with the fan on full speed or the lights on... I read somewhere that the later W123's had an OVP relay similar to 190e's so I'm going to have a look at that tomorrow. Skizzer, RayMK, egg and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 RJC_7332 by srblythe, on Flickr RJC_7320 by srblythe, on Flickr I've been using the 244 this week, It's not bad for using around town but I find motorway driving a bit of a chore, the engine tone at 70mph in 4th gear has a horrible drone to it so it's best just to stay at 60.Swapping between this and the Mercedes, the Volvo just feels a bit basic in comparison. I think I prefer driving the Mercedes. Lacquer Peel, Jim Bell, dome and 25 others 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 RJC_7302 by srblythe, on Flickr Mrs SK has been using the Corolla this week, nothing to report apart from being typically reliable and a little bit boring to drive. Mot is up in April so will need to look into replacing the wheel arches shortly. egg, Joey spud, Jim Bell and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 RJC_6848 by srblythe, on Flickr Subaru has now run out of mot, it's booked in for Tuesday so hopefully it passes. It drives, starts and stops fine, there isn't any major rust and the tyres are good so think it should be ok. RayMK, egg, Scruffy Bodger and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 RJC_6794 by srblythe, on Flickr I started having a look at what I might need to do on the Audi for an mot, stuck it on the ramp and had a look underneath. It's reasonably solid and shouldn't require any welding but most of the parts around the rear axle are quite rusty including the brake lines, brake regulator and wheel cylinders. The handbrake cables are snapped on each side too!While I was under there i plastered everything in Vactan, hoping that it might do something to help stop the rust. LightBulbFun, Angrydicky, Shirley Knott and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 RJC_6784 by srblythe, on Flickr The gold 305 I've been trying to get the welding finished on it, I almost finished one side but I'm really not happy with the result so I'm going to cut it out and start again. I really need to find some cheap repair panels of a similar shape. I welded Volvo 340 arches into the knobvan which didn't look too bad but I don't have any to hand and think I'll probably be able to find something cheaper and closer to the original 305 shape. If I could find actual 305 arches I'd be happy but can't seem to find them anywhere. DSC_0046 by srblythe, on Flickr The other 305 has developed a braking issue where the front brakes start binding and the rear brakes lock up on hard braking, I've bought a new brake regulator for the rear axle hoping that it will cure the issue. Coprolalia, RayMK, Dirk Diggler and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cort16 Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 The Volvo still looks great . What’s it like on fuel I hear these older ones can be a bit juicy ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 RJC_7345 by srblythe, on Flickr The Ranger's door fell off the other day, It was very windy and swung open and ripped off the top hinge, I tried my best to weld it back on but found it very difficult to access while keeping it in the correct position, first attempt resulted in the door sagging and not shutting, the second result ended with the door shutting but there being a massive gap at the top of the door and being too far forward so it started twisting the front wing when opening and closing. I ended up booting fuck out of it so it was close without touching the wing.I cut it off and tried again, the third attempt got it closed in the right position, not fouling the wing and a smaller gap at the top of the door. It's still not right and driving it at any speed there's horrible wind noise and a breeze blowing in at the side of the windscreen. I think I will need to remove the wing to gain access to the hinge and weld it with the door shut tight instead of open and hoping for the best. scdan4, paulplom, egg and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgyBastard Posted March 9, 2019 Author Share Posted March 9, 2019 The Volvo still looks great . What’s it like on fuel I hear these older ones can be a bit juicy ? I'm not entirely sure, the odometer goes up incredibly slowly so I don't pay any attention to it too much, it's only as bad as a W123 petrol. Jim Bell 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bell Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 That's quite a fleet when you look at them all together as a bunch man. Pinnacle shite. HMC, egg, Fumbler and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted March 9, 2019 Share Posted March 9, 2019 Tach bouncing around when running on the old Saabs could be caused by issues with the ignition amplifier if I remember rightly, worth trying a spare on your Merc if you have one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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