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My Sister had one of those. Terrible on fuel but brilliant fun and rather quick
 

Today is the Spring Equinox so here's some topical pictures (I could not locate my own one).




 

And we have a fail! 
My fault for fiddling with the steering column surround and not checking the hazard switch afterwards. 
The CV gaiter is no great surprise given that I had to change the other side a couple of years back. I've ordered a stretch boot kit and luckily I greased the driveshaft splines last time I was in there so it shouldn't get stuck when I come to get it off. 
And the headlights... Told you so! I'm not going to argue the toss for the sake of £10, I'd rather just keep him sweet if possible. 

I left the paint to dry overnight and this morning.
I removed the masking tape and broadsheet to reveal sweet looking bumpers.


The front grille looks sweet too.
Next issue, sort out the sun burned bumper trims.

I have a plan and Amazon have delivered the solution but unfortunately I ran out of time this afternoon to make further progress.
Definitely more soon.
 
 
 

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



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

Well what have I bought in the cold light of day. 
 
Apparently a pretty decent running, slightly tatty E51 Elgrand. 
 
Last owner had it for 6 years. Body kit has a few bumps and cracks, (they all have), tailgate needs replacing (was reversed into a skip). Sourced one but backed out until I get home as it had a dent in it. 
 
bodywork otherwise is pretty decent, electric door doesn’t (tadts), radio is off and abs light is on. All fixable bits, going to use if over the summer as a camper as I have in the past. 
 
Pleased with my purchase so far. Driving home 3 hours now so will see how I go! 

The filter is fine but you're right about lack of use, the car has sat unused for six months. 
It's currently at my friendly* MoT test station awaiting its fate. I have a feeling he might call out the slightly fusty headlamp covers but that's 'just needs a polish m9'. 
I suspect I'll get charged for headlamp alignment, because when he 'adjusted' it last time he left the beam adjuster on setting 2, so setting 0 is pointing at the sky 🙄
Meanwhile I have the Corsa in levitation mode to start work changing the dampers. There's nothing too unconventional by the looks of things and the threads don't look too fucked so hopefully it won't be a twat. The only slight annoyance is the need to remove wipers and scuttle cover to get to strut tops but that's modern superminis for you. 
Apparently these tyres are 'worn on inside edge' but it's pretty slight, I wonder if it's just catching on the plastic wheel arch liner? Anyway I've bought lower wishbones as a precaution/'while you're in there' type deal. It does need these tyres changed but they're advisory so it can wait for another month. 

IMHO that textured finish has a more 'OEM Ford' vibe about it and to me personally is preferable to what you had before.

If it isnt one thing its another...

Crack right up the middle of the windscreen and its spreading!
 
And no, dont be daft, I dont have cover on my insurance.
Quote 1: Autoglass - £980.82p
Quote 2: Nationwide Glass - £508
Quote 3: Awaiting Quote
Other than that, this car makes me smile EVERYTIME I drive it.
 
 

VK51 FPC Has passed MOT, needed Track Rod end and rear suspension arm bush.
 
Job Done
 
I love this car!!

 

Changed the oil in the Puma, it's really not done a lot of miles since the last service (perhaps 2000?) but I do it every year thanks to Big Motor Oil propaganda. As a little bonus I treated it to an OEM oil filter although the Bosch one I took off was probably just as good or better. 
It's got a Pipercross panel filter which I should probably get around to cleaning at some point. I really don't want to buy their snake oil so can someone tell what to use instead, eg could I clean with brake cleaner then re-oil with normal motor oil? 
It had smelly air con so I gave it a squirt of foamy AC cleaner which works for a while until it doesn't. To cure it I presume I have to pull the heater box out and scrub the evaporator so that's not happening. 
I checked the tyre pressures which seemed to have gone up from when I last checked which is weird. I can only think it's because of warmer weather. Being a thorough* mechanic I even checked the spare which involves rolling around on the floor. 
After tomorrow's MoT I'll be bleeding the brakes with some fresh DOT4, polishing the lights and changing the rear bumper. I do need to try and fix the rear washer but I tend to keep the car clean enough that I never use it. 
Other than that a small amount of beautification eg rusty washers on the bumper rubber. Like I say, it's largely fine, I'm just trying to keep it 100%.

ELGRANE 
Its been a while….as the countries premier Elgrand shifter @worldofceri has gone into retirement from making loaaaadddsssaaa money moving cars I had to collect it myself. 
 
280,000 km, a bit of test, drives well enough, wants a good clean out and a tailgate as it’s creased. 
 
more info as I find it!! 
 
Goldendoodle approved! 

BMWs since the E46 are fucking horrible cheap n nasty shite

I own a MK4 Golf and I like it.

Nissan Vanette/LDVCubs are complete crap.

What Hill Will You Die On for your opinion but other motorists think is wrong:
THE ROVER K-SERIES METRO/100 WAS UTTER SHIT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT IT WAS.
IT DESERVED TO DIE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OFF MUCH EARLIER.
The A series mini Metro/ Metro was an adequate BLARG offering for the time,  in an ideal world the bean counters would have fitted it with normal suspension rather than hydrolastic/hydragas  and someone shoudl really have tried harder to come up with a 5 speed option rather than the overly tall 4th gear. But considering when it was designed and how quickly it went into production against established small cars like the Fiesta and Polo, it was OK.
Grease nipples remained a part of weekend fettling, as was checking the dash pot had a bit of oil in it and going around the car treating rust blebs before they became bigger blebs the size of a subframe. It was still a car with 1950's technology and people who bought them for the most part understood this. Fast wind to 1991 and the K series Metro...

The K series engine, good on paper but not quite as good IRL. A small coolant leak quickly led to the head gasket failing and in some cases completely knackering the engine. OK, not the end of the world, but something that should have been better from the outset, as was the use of plastic locator dowels and bolts that went riiiiiight through the block to  attach the head. Dont get me wrong the K series when looked after and with an adequate coolant system can be a really good engine, Lotus used them for a while. The thing that really really really pisses me off about the K series Metro/100 was teh build quality.
Essentially  Metro Mk2 with some facelifts both inside and out but with no attention paid to the actual build quality.

In the early 1990's  customers were starting to get used to cars with decent prep and rust prevention from new, so that they were not the proud* owner of a pile of rust on wheels by 6 years old.  Despite Rover being able to make a 200/25 bubble with reasonable build quality, they somehow bypassed this on the Metro and examples 4 and 5 years old were rusting badly and failing MOT tests - for this reason alone is why I hate with a passion the K series Rover Metro/100.
No matter how good a new/sorted 1400 16v feels driving the whole of the underlying car remains frankly a let down with a clocks shared with the LDV vans of the time.
I dont expect to sway anyone with my opinion or change theirs if they only see the K with rose tinted spectacles, in the same way that cars I loved and still do are undoubtedly utter shit. However its my opinion and I shall DIE ON THIS HILL.
 
 
Over to you...

Back in the day, a small mini clubman auto estate [I think they made them] would have suited her down to the ground! God knows what something like that would cost now!
 

I Love these things. 
Here’s a picture of the one I had if you want some… “inspiration”

@EspenO was right on the money.
I borrowed my wife's floor steam cleaner, which has a small brush adaptor that is just right for cleaning Sierra wheel arch liners.

Great tool. No noise, no mess, just steam that goes straight onto the desired surface. I could see brown water dripping down the liners, the steam managed to remove 95% of dirt.

The liners were clean but not shiny enough for me, so I gave them a wipe over with a tiny bit of this stuff.

The results speak for themselves.




I can relax now, knowing that when I drive the Sierra down the road, the wheel arch liners that are hidden behind the wheels, which no one will see, are now nice and clean.
The rear bumper is fucked. The greyish blueish paint coatings are peeling, it has numerous scratches and two vertical cracks in-line with the number plate lights. Some of the scratches are very deep.





I rubbed the heavily scratched areas with 120 grade paper, in a circular motion, which got rid off the worst imperfections. I prepared and cleaned the bumper and masked it off. 

And gave it a coat of primer.

The front bumper is in better condition but it is far from perfect.



The bumpers are not black and I have acquired an aerosol can of gloss black. On the basis that I have to fix the rear bumper, consequently I also have to do the front one.
I cleaned the front bumper and masked it off. The top section of the bumper is black and mostly ok so it will not be re-sprayed.

And gave it a coat of primer.

I will leave the primer to dry overnight and spray the bumpers black in the morning.
The chrome* strips in the bumpers are weathered, especially the front one. I have a cunning plan how to sort them out.
I had a two minute break for a cuppa and chocolate croissant.

The front grille was chipped and  cracked.

I filled the chip and crack with chemical metal.

Rubbed it down.

And gave it a squirt of primer.

I will spray it black in the morning.
A few minor cosmetic jobs aside, the Sierra is ready to hit the road. However, I still have tomorrow and another four man days (two weekends) to do a few more jobs before the maiden voyage scheduled for the 1st April. I want to clean and spray the front suspension components, clean and re-paint the engine sump and spend a bit more time touching up the brush painted areas. 
More tomorrow.
 

A bit more of the bitsa interior. Upside- it’s semi trashed so very usable. (OSR door card- partially eaten by a dog?)


Dog guard secured by a ww2 soviet machine gun sling
The headlining is just the backing only, as it the internal a b c d pillar trim-

The NSR 1/4 window still has the breakers yard markings on it for extra couldnt give a fuck points. Actually this glass is more tinted, and is optikool rather than the other side windows being triplex- so off a later model i think.
 
Farthest off road so far

Verdict- must try harder
 

That turns the electrics off, isolates the battery (almost like on a track car) not sure if i like it or not, apparently there was a parasitic battery drain and this was their solution, back when it was basically a meat and 2 veg tow truck with half the interior gutted.

Reminds me of an ex of mine.

Recently been through this helping my sister get her daughter (my niece) her first car, £3k on a 2006 Nissan Micra auto! It's a lovely little low mileage car but the prices are staggering for anything not battered or without issues.

You lucky lucky lucky lucky lucky lucky lucky bastard
Top motor. 

Arrived home. What a supremely cosseted waft. Yes the seats are as comfortable as they look! Not packed with horsepower but for a relaxing way to get about it's going to take something  special to beat it for a car in every day use.