dollywobbler Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 I don't remember doing plugs on it - certainly look like they have done a lot more than 6k by how rounded the centre electrode is Hmm. I can't remember at all. So long ago. Not used to that feeling when it comes to one of my cars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 4, 2017 Author Share Posted June 4, 2017 Shitefest was another excuse to live in Hotel S-MX for a couple of nights. Luxurious. Didn't enjoy the first night much, but slept much better last night. Could almost describe it as comfortable. I then went to a 2CV meeting, and I found this. I stupidly realised I needed fuel as I joined the M6. Sod motorway prices, so I came off at Wolverhampton, and for reasons I don't fully understand, paid £1.30 a litre for super unleaded (still trying to keep the pinking at bay). On the plus side, my calculations reckon this thing did 36mpg on that tank! That's remarkable. It was a tank of super, and most of it was burned doing a steady 60mph though, only going higher on some motorway sections, and when carrying chips... I'll see what it's like on the next two tanks. I was consciously driving pretty easy on it, but wasn't expecting 36. Can I repeat it? Paused on the way home to inspect the Newtown bypass works. Now home again. And I still like this car. privatewire, Lacquer Peel, somewhatfoolish and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 The SMX on the tat thread isn't far from me; how high is the sill/lip of the boot orifice/aperture? It would mostly be for dog carriage duties, the dog isn't very spritely these days and struggles with the Forester currently doing the job. Disappointingly Google failed to deliver this information to me wrapped in a bow when I had a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny69 Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Wobbly Citroens and JDM imports. I feel like I've got a lot in common with you DW. dollywobbler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 The SMX on the tat thread isn't far from me; how high is the sill/lip of the boot orifice/aperture? It would mostly be for dog carriage duties, the dog isn't very spritely these days and struggles with the Forester currently doing the job. Disappointingly Google failed to deliver this information to me wrapped in a bow when I had a look. It isn't very high. Can't say I've ever measured it. It's lower on the 'Lowdown' model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Remarkably, I've clocked up 9200 miles in the Honda since September last year, which is a bit of a pig, as I said I'd only cover 10,000 in the year. So, I'm going to park it up for a bit. After all, I have plenty of other cars. Well, that was my thought, but then it seems pretty stupid to have a car sitting about not being used, especially in the Welsh climate, so perhaps I should just accept I've had my fun with it and move it on. After all, the suspension was getting pretty tiring on the drive home yesterday, it's hopeless for Welsh twisty roads and really, I need to reduce the fleet by one. Maybe it's time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Sod it. For sale it is. £895ono. It's much better now than when I bought it! Has had two gearbox flushes, a full cambelt kit, two services, new rear suspension bushes, new outer track rod ends and the wheels painted orange. oldcars and stillOrange 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 And clean white headlights! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Oh yes! It's been transformed quite a bit since I bought it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted August 6, 2017 Author Share Posted August 6, 2017 Bump for this one. The need for funds is starting to overcome my reluctance to actually sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 This is still very much for sale. Discounts may well be possible. Delivery may well be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted September 10, 2017 Author Share Posted September 10, 2017 Having failed to sell this car, in spectacular form, I've decided to just keep it. So, after a month-long lay-up, I took it on a 600-mile trip to Sussex and back. After six hours at the wheel, I was reminded that the suspension is mostly fine, unless the road is really broken up, and then it's horrible - though no more so than a 10-plate Skoda Octavia. Here's the Honda at rest in sunny Sussex. One of the headlamp earths is still playing up, so driving in the dark last night was fun. It's got that 'Land Rover Defender dim/dip' look going on at times. The oil level was bob-on when we left home, but down to about halfway by the time we got to Sussex. I lobbed what I thought was about half a litre in. Checked it in Gloucestershire on our way back today and there was barely anything on the dipstick! Now, I know the cam cover gasket is leaking a little, but I can't believe that's where all the oil is going. Needs investigation, because I'm running out of oil. Can't actually get the cam cover off at the moment, as one of the nuts that holds it in place is spinning... By the time we reached Wales, I was feeling utterly broken, mostly because I can't cope with the time our nephew and niece get up in the morning. So, I let Mrs DW have a drive. Now, the most powerful car Mrs DW has driven so far is my Peugeot 306 DTurbo, and she got such a shock the first time the turbo kicked in that she demanded that I only buy her cars with no power at all (Mini 1-litre followed by a Perodua Nippa). She has never driven an automatic, though she did once have a drive of a Nissan e-NV200 Combi electric car. She did a far better job of driving the Honda than I did on first acquaintance... I was pretty impressed, because unlike me, Mrs DW hates driving 'different' cars. The Honda really is pretty different. I mostly got bored. I'm one week away from the 12-month anniversary on this car, remarkably, so I'll prepare a report in due course. Lacquer Peel, chaseracer, egg and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Hondas do burn a bit of oil at higher revs ? What oil are you using ? They like a 10/40 semi syn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 I did pick up a bottle of 5w40 by mistake, but given 5 is the cold rating, I wouldn't have thought that should make much difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liggle Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 I've had my fair share of B-series Honda engines. All of them bar one have used a noticeable amount of oil but they were all VTEC and modified. Cause of oil burning in my engines:B16 no.1 - valve stem sealsB20 (with B18 VTEC head) no.1 - piston ringsB20 (with B18 VTEC head) no.2 - piston rings (compression was fine)B18 - valve stem sealsThere was noticeable smoke with all of these, you would know about it if the piston rings were shot it'd smoke constantly.Valve stem seals will be harder to diagnose with an auto-box - is there anyway you can hold it in a gear to rev up to near red line, let off and then quickly go back on the throttle and look for smoke as you go back on the throttle?Sounds more like its leaking tbh, I'd suggest checking the PCV valve too but it wouldn't cause excessive consumption like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted September 18, 2017 Author Share Posted September 18, 2017 One year ago, at Gloucester Services. Today, after a celebratory one-bucket wash. Yes, the Honda has made it to the very short list of cars that have been with me for over a year. I really do like it, despite its limitations. Or perhaps because of them. I do know I'll never tire of that back end. It's exactly what I dreamed cars would look like in the future, when I was a child of the 1980s. So, 10,000 miles in and I think it looks better than it did a year ago, and it certainly drive a hell of a lot better than it did a year ago. Things done include: Timing belt (with water pump and tensioner as I recall)A couple of servicesGearbox flushes (two)Rear suspension bush replacementOuter track rod end replacement (twice as the first ones were SHITE).Thermostat replacementA couple of oil seals replaced.Set of Nokian All Weather tyres (about £200 the set I think). In total, I reckon the car owes me about £1500 for its 10,000 miles, where as the Bluebird is getting on for that for 1000 miles. Er... I think, to really mark the occasion, I should probably finally do something about the roof. It's letting the car down badly. RobT, catsinthewelder, egg and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidel_Kakao Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Vinyl roof? It worked back in the 70's but maybe not so much nowadays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BorniteIdentity Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 It looks great, well done with sticking at it. What about just a simple vinyl wrap on the roof? We have one of our cars here at work entirely wrapped - and the only issues are around the boot where it gets knocked. I'd imagine a vinyl would stay perfect up top. That said, it's not an awful lot cheaper than having it painted - but it would allow a little orange perhaps (without becoming permanent)Carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 Yup. I fancy either textured orange wrap for the roof or the cliche of Japanese sunburst. chaseracer, CGSB and Heidel_Kakao 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Or an orange sunburst? 3VOM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitsisigma01 Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 Or a tellytubbies sunburst . I'll give you a 100 for it before you ruin it further ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 Hey, remember this? It's STILL here! Invacar and 2CV turfed out of the garage, as the Honda needs discs and pads. I'm hoping that'll cure a slightly sticky nearside caliper, but will naturally investigate once I get the wheel off. My garage no longer feels quite so large... RobT, chaseracer, loserone and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Have you ever tried to fit the LS400 in there? I planned our garage around having an MX5 in there, which I'd got rid of by the time it was built and had been replaced by an LS400. It was pretty depressing to see how little space was left around it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 your garage lighting seems a little feeble there mr wobbly! barefoot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted February 20, 2018 Author Share Posted February 20, 2018 I doubt I'd be able to get out of the garage if I did manage to squeeze the Lexus in... Lighting isn't great, but LED inspection lamps are cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 And our survey says? Piston seized. Sliders are fine. Used caliper is £35, or buy the various bits for about £60 to rebuild it properly. If I had more time, I'd probably take the latter option, but I just need it working again. Cheapskate wins. Will be replacing discs and pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 Well, this is turning into a shitty, shitty job. Can't replace the caliper for the moment, so set about doing the disc swap anyway. Ah! Disc retaining screws! They're always fun. I don't have an impact driver, so had to do the best I could with hammers and screwdrivers. Naturally, the heads soon rounded. Tried drilling them out, but I fear all I've done is case harden what's left of the screws. Or blunted my drills. One of the two. ARSE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twosmoke300 Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Top tip - before going near them with a screwdriver give the face of the disc/ screw a damn good clout with an at least 2lb hammer . Also you need a good no3 Phillips screwdriver . Hoping I'm not teaching you how to suck eggs but many mechanics can't tell the difference between screwdriver numbers and Phillips / pozidrive Talbot, dollywobbler, BorniteIdentity and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beko1987 Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 I hammered a bigger torx bit into the last stuck disc retaining screw I had issues with, then got the ratchet on it. Granted it was already a torx though. Drill the head off and not bother with it at all? Many of my cars haven't had one/its long snapped off. Can make fitting the wheels a mite trickier as it all moves about a bit but not the end of the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinmasters Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 your garage lighting seems a little feeble there mr wobbly! The Honda's just had an idea. dollywobbler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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