Marm Toastsmith

Here come the hot stepper motor fixer (murderer)
He's the idle enhancer (murderer)
Big up the throttle body area (murderer)
Much better liiike thaaaaaaat.  

Growing up there was one of these down my street. a 1.3 GL 4 door. Aged 10 you could keep your ferraris etc, what i really wanted was one of these. I absolutely loved them.
Back then they were cheap first cars (around 1990) couple of hundred quid and scrap it when the mot was up. That is assuming it hadnt dissolved already, or been crashed.
Then a strange thing happened. They vanished overnight and then slowly they started getting expensive. By the time i started driving they were not mega expensive, but just hard to find.
My route to a mk2 escort was avoid 2 door (££££££) avoid uk RHD (££££££ plus most heavily welded or rotten)
So here we have a solid LHD import 1.3GL which is being delivered next week…

 



 

 

 

 

Its older cousin had been performing faultlessly. It even has a functioning aftermarket alarm system that you can see in the front window…

Now at Stafford. Got off at platform 5 and planned ahead to go onto platform 3. Stood at platform 3 ... "Liverpool Lime Street is now on platform 5".
Got to love platform planning. I imagine it's an absolute nightmare if you're not a native English speaker. 
No more first class so got to slum it from now on. 

 
Checkout this old BT payphone. Haven't seen this branding for years!



 
If any pictures are stereotypical British transport infrastructure!

Yep, that
The amp and rear speaker outputs are on the far end of the plug, the section labeled as Line-Out.
As an aside, the centre console in your car is worth a little bit as it allows the fitment of a double DIN radio, whereas most B5 A4s didn't come with the symphony radio and and just came with a single DIN Delta or Concert radio.

Washed it.

Forward progress at last on the Audi!
First up it is (unsurprisingly) happier for a service. Seems to be revving much more freely and is definitely quicker.
Even better, today I sorted out the radio - entered the code, manually cleaned the (filthy) tape head (tapes now play in stereo!) and fitted a bluetooth adapter which works really well.
Only downside is to fit the bluetooth dongle I had to disconnect the original multiway connector - the bluetooth thing (blue connector) uses the wiring for the non-existent optional CD changer, but there are also an "option" section which I think talks to the display (so I've lost that) but the worst of it is that the rear speakers were apparently connected via an amp - and I've lost those. I'm wondering about hacking the original connector or whether an adapter exists to break up the connector into 3 sections @philibusmo?
 

I've barely driven the Audi, and the radio isn't working because repeated non-starts a few weeks ago temporarily drained the battery. Today it had the rocker cover gaskets replaced (very much needed as the plugs were soaked with oil again) and basically a full service - plugs, oil, filters... 
Of course it has repaid me by the exhaust is now blowing out of the other cat flexi. It is an hateful thing really, but I think I have decided I am just going to keep throwing money at it, it can't keep breaking surely? At some point it has to start getting better. Or going up in value.
On the plus side it's running better following a service, feels much more responsive.

Spent a pleasant couple of hours cleaning out the boot and interior. Or at least the worst of it. Still a few stubborn dog hairs, sticky remnants of god knows what and dubious stains on the seats. Next step will be a wet cloth and maybe I'll buy a can of something for the upholstery.
Found a couple of quid under the drivers seat, Ka-ching! It seems my dad eats a lot of sweets and has spent a fortune on parking recently.
Fixed* the rear 12v socket (what luxury!) although it doesn't magically pop out like the front one, I think something's missing. It'll do. Also found a switch on the floor which looks a bit like a symbol for a roof mounted infra-red heater / beam-me-up button and noticed where it had come from. Replaced it. Let me know if you know what it actually does. Then I set the clock. It started off in the late nineties, hard to believe this car is 22 years old.
Better.

Why did they fill the ventilation systems of late 90s / early 00s cars with disintegrating foam? And how comes it never runs out?
 

Forward progress at last on the Audi!
First up it is (unsurprisingly) happier for a service. Seems to be revving much more freely and is definitely quicker.
Even better, today I sorted out the radio - entered the code, manually cleaned the (filthy) tape head (tapes now play in stereo!) and fitted a bluetooth adapter which works really well.
Only downside is to fit the bluetooth dongle I had to disconnect the original multiway connector - the bluetooth thing (blue connector) uses the wiring for the non-existent optional CD changer, but there are also an "option" section which I think talks to the display (so I've lost that) but the worst of it is that the rear speakers were apparently connected via an amp - and I've lost those. I'm wondering about hacking the original connector or whether an adapter exists to break up the connector into 3 sections @philibusmo?
 

Rightio, the nagging has paid off and I've got it booked.  Location is my mates field/woods/campsite near Bridgnorth in Shropshire.  Should be quite reasonably priced so long as we tidy up afterwards.






https://www.powkesmoreholding.co.uk/

Edit #1
Lets make the location easy to find.
What3 words to the entrance.  ///bungalows.next.windmills
Which looks like this

The open one on the left.
From above.

Access is from Ashfield Road, the track marked on Google heading South East doesn't exist as far as I know.
Further out.

There was one locally, for a decent price but decided against. Any excuse to buy a car, but lately ive been interested to scour the bargain bucket depths again. After covid things went a bit tits up for the casual banger buyer. Stuff got more expensive! I found it a bit depressing. Ive always been fascinated by how little money can provide a functioning motor car in no need work to be usable. Probably what lead me here back along.
Lately ive found things changing, and for people prepared to dredge the internet, and sift through crap its possible to get road legal cars again, harbouring no terminal issues for not a lot.
I nearly bought a 1998 volvo s40 for £250.  1.8 auto. Had a long ticket, and despite apparently a water leak into the rear footwells and some minor scuffs and scrapes it seemed legit.
I decided against as ive never really lusted after mk1 v40s.  Also having a van/ people carrier is quite handy with the ever changing friend profile resulting from collectively 5 kids between myself and ms_hmc. The need to haul bikes / other peoples kids/ have the interior trashed with dogs gave a specific set of requirements.



 

Obviously its a bit rough, ready trashed, if you will; but it runs and drives just fine, and has an mot to jan 25. 2.3 manual- im suprised just how rapid it feels. Ideal to fill with booze over on a french trip.
it was up at £895 (too much imo) but i sniffed a willing seller when it was parked on their grass and hemmed in by other vehicles. Apparently it was bought as a stop gap and no longer needed. Would sir accept £600? Yes, yes he would. Plus according the the vendor he was overwhelmed with messages from old skool ford people wanting him to have the engine but not the rest of the car?

Meanwhile, the mgf is tucked in 

think its a non vvc.  Jan 97 so an early-ish one

Question. what does a £600 mgf look like?
This



Long mot, body good but poor paint, and a long mot. 

Audi cat has been replaced, and I've just ordered a set of rocker cover gaskets. I've not been using it much because I'm still a bit cross with it. Might take the old cat to a scrap metal place later, maybe that will be enough of a road trip to help me bond with it again...

Man, I still see myself owning one of these in the future. With all of them basically being run into the ground thats becoming less and less likely though. I'll kick myself for not asking to save as many spares as possible from this one.

Also had been meaning to take a pic of this…

Because patina

much better buying a car from a dentist in my experience 

A few on here old enough to remember matchbox superfast and corgi junior twin packs.
This is an autoshite twin pack.

Decided to press the Micra back into service as I haven’t had time to do anything with the Audi. With an ill mother I’ve had lots of local running about to do and it’s the ideal car for that really.
Got it MOT’d today… clean pass… the tester says it’s one of the cleanest ones about.
Such a good little car, it’s the best £200 I’ve ever spent and really I mustn’t ever think about selling it again.