captain_70s

Please do get involved, continue to get involved and never ever stop. One - it makes you a decent human and B - I absolutely love reading about these endless jams and japes you end up involved in. 

Classic Fiat 500 Barn Find | eBay

Big Audi is back in the game after passing the MOT with only an advisory for a tyre (was on the front, now on the back...this thing munches the shoulders pretty quick!).
Uniroyal Rain sports are lovely things, but sadly not up to this job, long term at least.  I'm doing less miles for work now, so they'll probably do a while yet (if I can resist the loud pedal).  Anyway, its driving lovely and smooth, and with everything working, we really have missed this car the last few months...

I hear we've more of the white stuff due so maybe just in the nick of time too.  Man maths on the A8 is still not too bad...
Purchased for £1500, tyres £600, and the ABS module at £1100.  Probably another £500 in wheel bearings and brake discs etc...  Roughly £3700 over the three years and 20,000ish  miles (edit... just checked, and somehow we've actually put 38,000 on this car?!).
Next thing will be the cambelt, will attempt this job myself in the summer I think.  In my head the car still feels like a bit of a bargain, just for the nice-ness of the driving experience really, there are obviously cheaper cars to run, but this is pure wafty goodness.
My hope was to invest a bit in a car that would last a good while, with the ally body and the stuff I've fixed, this should now be the case 🤞.  If/when my ship comes in, I'll get the S8 version, what a package those things must be!
 
Found what looks like a good option for new suspension for the old Audi Coupe, so just waiting on payday before pushing the boat out (£400ish for shocks and springs, 40mm drop again).  Although, she can stay off the road for winter now, so no real rush. 

 This old thing has really become a bastion of the fleet lately, out in all weathers and running beautifully.  Built with a different mindset these 80's I think, great car.
 
Rosie the Trabi has been doing well on the new b-road commute, buzzing along fine and for literally pennies too.  She must be pushing 50mpg again now, it's like running a wee motorbike!  Can confirm that Trabants are toasty inside even at -8 outside, and deal well with icy roads.  Mainly as you can feel everything, it's a totally connected driving experience.

 
Last update is the laddo's 323... he's racking up serious miles in this wee car, and it too is going well.  I've just ordered discs, pads and CV joints (very slight grumble when pulling off out of a junction), but nothing's very expensive for it, and it's a good car to work on. 

It's not quite as sparkly looking as the above pic just now, few blemishes creeping in, so the summer will see some rattle-canning no doubt.  White wheels are a bit of work up here too, they're maybe looking at a refurb in a more normal colour.
 
Cheers all.

Because if you're going to do something do it twice.
SRT was a '89 GL 2.0 auto. Very slow, very thirsty, very rusty. Bought for £300, sold for £130.
BUH is a '89 GLE 2.3 auto. Slightly less slow, slightly less thirsty, slightly less rusty. Bought for £700.

Fuck. The boss is here.

Brookhouse do both types of anti roll bar links. Although not cheap they were about the only UK stockists of the type I needed.
When doing the brakes on mine I found one style of front caliper to be nearly extinct in the UK and about £130 a side. The other type was £100 for a pair and available everywhere.
My car is the has the later 15" wheels though, so probably possibly bigger calipers. (I know not all later calipers will fit behind a 14" wheel).

Fuck. The boss is here.

Fuck. The boss is here.

Fuck. The boss is here.

Fuck. The boss is here.

Fuck. The boss is here.

And guess what? It only bloody works!
 

In this extreme cold, my feet are cold, very cold, so I found some slippers and they are like putting my feet in a bear's arse, so warm and nice.

Fuck. The boss is here.

Fuck. The boss is here.

Never seen a 616 coupe before, there can't be many of them.
1971 Mazda 616 coupe super deluxe 105 horsepower and 955kg 12,200 pounds


https://www.finn.no/car/used/ad.html?finnkode=334892343

Fuck. The boss is here.

Fuck. The boss is here.

Fuck. The boss is here.

C15 has been pressed into service for my daily commute this week and it actually manages to make driving to work fun. It finally stopped raining here long enough for me to stop and take some pictures.

 


J'adore ma nouvelle camionette.

My current fleet at the moment, I have converted the maroon saloon and red estate to turbo diesels with the grey estate still being original with its 1.6 petrol. I have a GT2052 to go onto a engine with head studs and HDI rods eventually which will be even more hilarious in a 305 on 175 tyres. The red estate I got recently and was last on the road in 2012 and has had alot of new bits fitted to make it hopefully reliable.

Spots of the year… so far! 
Took the 940 for a nice New Years run over the Horseshoe pass and to Llangollen. At the top there were these two. 


 
A stunning pair! 

Thanks, that's very kind of you.
The air filter housing finished its bath, but was in rather worse condition than first thought - some of it there was no good steel to dissolve back to!

My welder is out of action, so I taped up the inside and used epoxy (3M 2216) to build up a layer.

Then a coat of paint and new filter.

Job done, and looking a lot better! New coolant level sensor also fitted.

Next was the lights - a headlight was misty, an indicator cracked, and both had been changed for the facelifted clear type fitted to the later models.

I took the lights off, and again was really pleased how good condition the metalwork was behind.


I took the opportunity to spray some cavity was around, including injecting it into the chassis legs.

It also seemed a good idea to clean up all the electrical connections and coat with silicone grease. Both headlights were dried and sealed up, before refitting with the correct amber indicators. 

These ones, despite being the same p/n as the old ones are dumpier by the wrist.

Clearanced the mount. That'll work.
 
Phil