grogee

R14's are going up in price, I think. Nice facelift example here. Although some traces of overspray worry me a little.
https://www.lesanciennes.com/annonce/renault-14-r14-berline-1980-a682674

38k mile CAT N in jersey
 
1999 HONDA CIVIC 1.4I for sale at Copart UK - Salvage Car Auctions
 

am I the only one to feel itchy after seeing this?

A rare South African 3.0ltr Sierra in Ice Cream beige..
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/816228587013115/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks

I believe this is a re-list as I seem to recall uploading this a couple of weeks ago.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266770516886?itmmeta=01HVH9E81GNPQV7MR7P38Z038V&hash=item3e1cc30b96:g:7A8AAOSw-ANlzQ2c

This little gem really needs saving..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335348688928?itmmeta=01HVH8SP6VBX3WXNYEKED3RJ0G&hash=item4e1456e820:g:RWAAAOSw9Q1mHDB2

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226093026233?itmmeta=01HVH8SP6VBBZJH2FAGZXZZJD4&hash=item34a431cbb9:g:qiAAAOSwvTtmHDGI

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1088775955532382/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_top_picks&referral_story_type=top_picks

30,000 miles Omega estate in base spec with the slightly shit 2.2 petrol engine for £1500.
Tidy though. 



https://www.gumtree.com/p/vauxhall/vauxhall-omega-estate-2002-manual-2198-cc-5-doors/1477650563

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/381481764870835/
£200

Misspelt Xsara wagon, £750... actually looks like a decent workhorse for the money.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/7593658884010541

1978 Red Morris Marina 1.3 L Saloon 4dr Petrol Manual (69 bhp) for sale for £4,075 in HOUNSLOW, BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW (autotrader.co.uk)

£4,075

Needs going over with the sparkly stick... £700

 https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/434020792450071









 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/other-cars/austin-maxi-classic-tax-mot-exempt/1477679612

Sorry, but these people @wuvvum and @sierraman 's brother are surely winning at life?
Escort to Allegro VDP = win. You'd be beating the girls off with a shitty stick. "Can I try out the picnic tables, oh PLEEAAASE" 
Escort to Lada = win. You've gone from decadent Western frippery to robust Eastern common sense. You're advertising your socialist credentials and again, the knicker elastic should be snapping on every street corner. 

I managed to bolt it all back together and then fired it up... Disaster. Oil was leaking out of the feed to the turbo bearing. Initially I thought I must have left a crush washer out from the banjo bolt, but on closer inspection it was there. I had torqued it to factory spec seeing as it was a semi-important fixing. 
In the end I just did it up tighter which has sealed it thank God. 
Went for a drive which confirmed it now GLF, however... 
Previously I'd fitted one of those Chinese fuel pressure sensor things that fools the ECU into thinking the fuel pressure is lower than it really is = cheap performance upgrade. 
On my test drive I booted it out of a junction then felt the dreaded jolt as it decided to engage limp mode... It actually cut out completely but I managed to turn into a side road and I had my diagnostic reader with me. 
Read the code which was something like 'Major fuel leak detected' so I thought I might have chafed a hose when I moved the fuel filter to one side for access. But no leaks and no diesel smell. 
I think what happened is the fuel flow rate and/or pressure difference was outside of the set limits thanks to the Chinese cheater device. I reset the code and it ran fine to get me home, so I removed the Chinese kit and have reverted back to standard. 
I really thought I'd broken something serious but it was the nannying ECU detecting Fun Outside Specified Limits. 
Last night I drove to Reading and back to go into London and watch a gig, the car performed faultlessly and averaged 53 mpg so I'm pleased with the fix. 
If spending money allows I'll be looking to get a proper remap as there is more performance to be had for sure. 

My plan worked, unbelievably. Propping the car up about 6" higher gave me room to get the big ugga dugga under the car, and with a couple of extensions I was able to undo the turbo to manifold nuts which are generally tighter than a council pothole budget. 
I can't help but think it's no coincidence that I was able to route the extensions through the only gap in the underbody between the subframe and gearbox. I get the feeling Toyota takes servicing pretty seriously. I mean this isn't an easy job (it's still not finished) but you can see where provision has been made for tool access. 
I've still got to undo some coolant hoses that pass over the top of the turbo. I think this is a bit of a bodge by Toyota, on some models the turbo is water cooled but not on mine, so a bypass is routed over the top of it. 
I think I'll lose a bit of coolant but it's quite high up so hopefully not loads. 
I would have done it this afternoon but the gusty wind was really pissing me off. 

I've been driving the Avensis around Lincs all weekend and while it's been mostly fine the lack of turbo oomph has been fucking me off so after I'd unpacked I jacked off it up and commenced battle with the turbot. 
Access is pretty shit really, I'm sure modernz are worse but I was having to be creative with tools to undo the (15 year old) exhaust fixings. 
However we're now at the point where I can begin to try and unbolt the fecker from the manifold. It's released from the cat so that's a good step forward. 
Two of the turbo to manifold fixings are only accessible from underneath, and the gearbox and subframe obscure the line of sight to them so again I'll need some luck in getting it shifted. 
I think I'm going to jack it a bit higher, put it back on stands then I've got a bit of room to get an impact and selection of extensions on, hopefully they'll shift it. 

'I wanted a Sierra, but I've got one of these terrible new Escorts'

Got some reproduction griffin badges in the post today.
Like a giddy bairn I HAD to fit them
. 

Now waiting for some more parts which will help finish off some more jobs on this car.
 

Bit of a milestone here.
Bodyshop has cracked on. I don't have many in progress photos yet. A pal took these of them colour sanding the car.


Then, I got the message to say it's ready to pick up. That happened today.

I'm really happy with the car. Such a boost to see this now in a single colour!
Can't be having everything one way though!

I love the misery! 😆

Body shop time!!

This turned out to be a harder job than I thought.
Transport had to bail on me today due to unexpected issues with the tow vehicle. 
I tried everyone I knew with a trailer. Couldn't help, which is fair dos far too short notice. Then wondered up to a neighbouring shed on the off chance someone could help me.
They could! Car loaded. Panels loaded in a another vehicle and delivered. I knocked the exhaust off with the edge of the trailer! But quickly tied up and we're done.
Couldn't believe my luck today. Could of easily been a shit show. However thanks to the helpfulness of others it's made it. 
Sadly there was a high price pay for the gentleman's help....
4 bottles of pinot grigio 😆😆.

I spent alot of time in the vicinity of the Lotus this weekend.  I say vicinity because I was no more than 4 foot away from it for quite alot of saturday and sunday..............but much of it was spent thinking about the jobs that need to be done rather than actually doing them.
I'm a natural procrastinator (plus an absolute pessimist for most the time) at the best of times but what really hit me this weekend is that my friend, a mechanic (and a really good on at that) isn't going to realistically be able to help me with the car.
He's got too much on his own plate (wife has been v ill, now better, but still isn't and never will be, back to 100%) and he's got his own life you know?  He's got sh*t going on that I won't speak about on here but he'd help if he could.
Trouble is, in my own mind, I'd been falling back on him (he'll sort that, or he'll know what to do there, or he'll have a shortcut/know exactly how to do that job) so I hadn't been putting as much thought into the car as I should have been.
I'm not a mechanic..........and I grew up with a dad that did all the jobs on the car, without wanting me around (slowed him down!). I've always been into cars however..........but practical experience?  None really. I know the theory, and I'm mechanically sympathetic....................but actually doing the complicated stuff?  It takes me ages to work through a job, before actually tackling it. Part of the fear is getting it wrong.  And then having to buy more parts to fix it.  I just can't afford to do that right now.  Once I get a job, the pressure of that element will lessen, and speed will pick up.
It's the realisation that I'm on my own on the job that is the Lotus tbh, that has hit me.  
I've got to get on and fix it and I guess the satisfaction will be immense when I do sort it..................but in all honesty I'd rather have the help and know that the car is sorted (because he's worked on it).
I've got to get on though.
So I spent alot of time working out when I'm going to tackle the various outstanding jobs, and in what order.  
The priority is to make sure the engine works (we know it did 3 years ago) but it's been sat here for that time and............if it doesn't, there's no point tackling the door (frame needs changing) and other interior bits, if the engine doesn't work.
So this weekend I put the tank back in, sorted out the new fuel pump (needed bits transferring over from the old one, which I'd kept, thank god) and making sure I had all the bits for some of the ancillaries on the engine (they'd been taken off by my friend and put safely away.......so safely in fact I'd forgotten where..........found now..........they were in an awkward safe place........not using it again!)
I've just got to hook everything up back there in the boot (I'd not done this bit thinking mechanic friend would be over to tell me if I needed to put some of the white plumbers string (?) around the fuel pipe connectors to help stop leaks etc etc (a small thing, but again it slows things down as I have to think about that, whereas mechanic friend just knows.  It's a minor thing.........but the thinking time adds up to quite an amount as each job I tackle takes up unnecessary thinking time.......) and then I can move on to fitting the waterpump...........and putting the dash back together temporarily and then it should be ready to fire (I'll run the engine for a minute or so - it's not going to overheat) before I put the radiator and fans back in (needs a bit of fettling that - not an easy job at all).  And it's heavy as a package too).
 
Onwards!  (with slight trepidation).

Breakfast rectified, quite tasty but I think we paid more for the nice decor than the quality of the food.

Five quid for one over done sausage and a fried egg in a bap - hmmmmm.
Oh yes, today's collection is a team effort which is just as well as we have dumped a car in Horncastle after a brief bus chase...

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1151758762918766/