Sold Dollywobbler's Starlet - £SOLD

[Ghosty]

Nice CRX!

[dollywobbler]

birminghamshireton registration! i wonder i it came from stratford road sparkhill/hall green

 

That'd be more likely with Carina Es and Corollas I think. Starlets were your classic old lady fodder. Which might explain why a Skoda Octavia pulled straight out in front of me the other day when I was doing 60mph. Giffermobiles aren't meant to be that quick!

[RobT]

Starlets were your classic old lady fodder.

A gifferette where I live has one, although I think she recently gave up driving as I haven't seen it for a while. The brakes always squeaked on hers so maybe the rears can be a bit of a pain (as indicated by Barry Cade's post).

 

Sorry but I'm finding this far more interesting than the Lexus, and that snowy drive home on bald tyres looks a hoot. Good video!

[dollywobbler]

Thanks. I know it seems utter madness to trade down from Lexus to Starlet, but I've always found joy in simplicity. Even though it was a Lexus, the LS400 was of that age that you were always worrying where the next alarmingly huge bill was coming from. Mind you, I've not put the Starlet through an MOT yet, so maybe I shouldn't get too excited...

[dollywobbler]

HOT WIPER ACTION. Also, beard.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

HOT WIPER ACTION. Also, beard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9hc_3h3KKA

There's tonight's viewing sorted

 

Sent from my F3211 using Tapatalk

[dollywobbler]

Ha! I've just discovered that it currently wears 145/80 R13s, and should have 165/70 R13s. The narrower tyre probably helped in the snow, but by heck that's some loss of width. Let's see if we can get this corrected. The fronts are low on tread, the rears are badly perished.

 

Also, service history confirms timing belt and clutch last year, and that the rear brake pipe advisory from the previous MOT has already been dealt with.

[Matt]

I would love to see a little shoot out between the Starlet and my Swift as I think it would be interesting to see how two different but both Japanese companies approached the same idea.

 

Similarities

Remote boot release (but if you close the door air escapes through the boot and it latches closed again!)

Drivers seat doesn't slide forward when you tilt it but the passenger side does. Both seats backs return to original position but passenger seat stays right forward when you tip the back upright again.

Little clips to hold the rear seatbelts out of the way (but Suzuki faced them the other way)

 

Swift pros over Starlet

Proper wash/wipe functionality

More equipment, but Swift is top spec (front fog lights, tach, colour coded electric mirrors, electric windows, central locking, bucket seats, rear wing)

 

Starlet pros over Swift

More power, only a 993cc 3 cylinder in the Swift

Little/no lip on boot, Swift has MASSIVE lip

 

 

IMG_0386 by Matt S, on Flickr

[Noel Tidybeard]

That'd be more likely with Carina Es and Corollas I think. Starlets were your classic old lady fodder. Which might explain why a Skoda Octavia pulled straight out in front of me the other day when I was doing 60mph. Giffermobiles aren't meant to be that quick!

 

no, no, no there was a main dealer on the corner of Knowle road wot is now a "super market"!

[Felly Magic]

I think you've dropped on a little smasher there Ian, new rubber, and perhaps an oil & filter change, and you are sorted, still has the factory radio cassette. Well played, 4. 31 & 44 please LOL

[dollywobbler]

I would love to see a little shoot out between the Starlet and my Swift as I think it would be interesting to see how two different but both Japanese companies approached the same idea.

 

Similarities

Remote boot release (but if you close the door air escapes through the boot and it latches closed again!)

Drivers seat doesn't slide forward when you tilt it but the passenger side does. Both seats backs return to original position but passenger seat stays right forward when you tip the back upright again.

Little clips to hold the rear seatbelts out of the way (but Suzuki faced them the other way)

 

Swift pros over Starlet

Proper wash/wipe functionality

More equipment, but Swift is top spec (front fog lights, tach, colour coded electric mirrors, electric windows, central locking, bucket seats, rear wing)

 

Starlet pros over Swift

More power, only a 993cc 3 cylinder in the Swift

Little/no lip on boot, Swift has MASSIVE lip

 

 

IMG_0386 by Matt S, on Flickr

 

That might be fun. I am due to visit the North East again later this year. Starlet unlikely to be on the Shitefest trip. I hope.

[Matt]

That might be fun. I am due to visit the North East again later this year.

 

Where abouts?

[madrat]

I would love to see a little shoot out between the Starlet and my Swift as I think it would be interesting to see how two different but both Japanese companies approached the same idea.

 

Similarities

Remote boot release (but if you close the door air escapes through the boot and it latches closed again!)

Drivers seat doesn't slide forward when you tilt it but the passenger side does. Both seats backs return to original position but passenger seat stays right forward when you tip the back upright again.

Little clips to hold the rear seatbelts out of the way (but Suzuki faced them the other way)

 

Swift pros over Starlet

Proper wash/wipe functionality

More equipment, but Swift is top spec (front fog lights, tach, colour coded electric mirrors, electric windows, central locking, bucket seats, rear wing)

 

Starlet pros over Swift

More power, only a 993cc 3 cylinder in the Swift

Little/no lip on boot, Swift has MASSIVE lip

 

 

IMG_0386 by Matt S, on Flickr

Wife had a swift GLS, fantastic little car.

[dollywobbler]

Where abouts?

 

Not a million miles from Sunderland.

[Lord Sterling]

...Because I'm an idiot who stresses about originality on 75,000-mile, 20-year old shitters. 

 

Only current speakers are in the dash ends, and are presumably tiny. Nothing in the doors. Some models had four speakers, so there must have been somewhere to put them in the back - not sure where...

With you on the originality bit. Same here with all of my cars.

 

You are exactly right though, there should be somewhere where the rear speakers did go. Maybe check iut some wiring diagrams (courtesy of Haynes BoL) or check out some forum for these or see if you can find another higher spec model for reference.

 

All K11 Micras (that I've seen anyway) have a rear speaker connector tucked away hidden under the right-hand side boot carpet. Just find a speaker'd parcel shelf from a higher spec model and hey presto, instant 4 speaker stereo sound!

[dollywobbler]

As merry as this little thing is, I'm missing the delicious subby bass of the Lexus's stereo. That was one heck of an audio set-up. 

 

So, any thoughts on how I might achieve something like that in the Starlet? My stereo expertise goes as far as fitting a cheap Alba stereo to my 2CV, and wiring in some household speakers that fitted beneath the seats. I think I need something better than that.

 

Requirements

1. I would like to have a cassette player, though I need to balance this against having an aux input for my DAB adaptor (the FM transmitter element of that only works away from cities). I'd probably take the aux over cassette.

2. I don't really want to hack the interior about, so no parcel shelf speakers. 

3. I have a massive need for deep, subby bass. I don't want enough to shake the door trims off, but a decent rumble is essential.

 

So, help me impress Tim Westwood. How do I achieve this? For minimal budget, naturally.

[Dan_ZTT]

As per Sterling, easiest option may be to swap in a parcel shelf from a 4 speaker model, that is if you can find one and if the wiring is already there, then no hacking needed.

 

Also could you get a cassette player and one of those tapes with a 3.5mm jack on it to solve the aux issue? e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01LL8OJHY/ - it's been a few years since I used one but they seem to work ok

[loserone]

You need to have Nakamichi spending a year tuning the stereo, including a sub between the back seats and the boot.

 

 

It's what lexus did!

[Ghosty]

Also could you get a cassette player and one of those tapes with a 3.5mm jack on it to solve the aux issue? e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01LL8OJHY/ - it's been a few years since I used one but they seem to work ok

 I haven't found a decent one of those for years.

[Braddon81]

Something like this should do the trick, an underseat subwoofer. Should beef things up a bit without rattling any teeth out!

[Dan_ZTT]

I haven't found a decent one of those for years.

Recent vehicle purchase means I'm going to chance ordering the cheapo amazon one and see how it does, but depending on results I may just get some more cassettes, my local record shop has many classics for a pound each due to general lack of demand.

[mat_the_cat]

Something like this should do the trick, an underseat subwoofer. Should beef things up a bit without rattling any teeth out!

Screenshot_20180326-205639.png

 

I've tried a couple but found they aren't great for real heavy bass - more just a bit of filling in at the lower end. A proper sub you feel more than hear

 

 

[Slartibartfast]

Don't neglect the sound deadening. If you have a mate that can hook you up with some dynamat at sensible cost (I've found it's pretty salty at retail prices) get a load of that and line the doors at least with it.

[dollywobbler]

Yes, it definitely needs that. Huge doors would no doubt benefit from a dose of sound deadening, as would the rear wheelarches I imagine.

[PhilA]

Don't forget the bootlid and surrounds.

 

Somehow I can't imagine you driving down the street with the number plate/lights/wiper all farting away to the music.

 

 

Took me a while to figure the last thing vibrating was the little rubber non-return flap for the ventilation exhaust under the bumper.

 

Phil

[Matt]

This SR 1.3 has factory looking speakers in the parcel shelf so I would guess that's how they did it. +1 for under-seat sub and +1billionty for sound deadening.

 

[madrat]

Almost identical to a K11 micra

[Matt]

Don't neglect the sound deadening. If you have a mate that can hook you up with some dynamat at sensible cost (I've found it's pretty salty at retail prices) get a load of that and line the doors at least with it.

 

I have toyed with the idea of salvaging stuff from other cars in scrap yards, although it may be more time consuming. What I really need to find out is what makes/models have decent sound deadening that can be removed and put into a new car.

 

I know that Swifts have black pads stuck to the inside of the rear quarter panels so I dare say the Ignis, Wagon R and Jimny does too. A bunch of those salvaged with a heat gun and stuck into the new car with epoxy would be a hell of a lot cheaper than Dynamat. That's only to stop panels reverberating though so you would still need to find some kind of absorption material.

 

I lifted the carpet in a bunch of older Mercedes (including S-Class) hoping that the floors were lined with some kind of absorption material but found that they do it with yellow foam stuck to the underside of the carpet shaped to match the floor pan so not really interchangeable. I couldn't find an easy way to lift the carpet of an LS400 in the location I found it in the time I had.

 

Anyone have any suggestions for makes/models that could be a cheap source of reusable sound deadening? (Or any other sources for that matter)

[Lacquer Peel]

I haven't found a decent one of those for years.

The Sony one is good https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F173232514343

[dollywobbler]

I've just bought some sheets of sound deadening stuff on Ebay for £25. Beats farting around in scrapyards. I've still got the thin bitumen stuff to reduce panel ring.

 

I've also carried out some critical pre-MOT work. The high level brake light wasn't working as the bulb had blown.

 

All other lamps are behaving, but that shot now makes me realise how much I hate the later plates that have been fitted at some point, especially as the rear one isn't even level. However, I'll focus on important things like gaining an MOT pass first. Will be interesting to see it on the ramp and have a poke about underneath...