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Surface Rust

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  1. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to Wack in What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread   
    I miss Fred, I don't know how you'd even get that built let alone stand on it 

  2. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to juular in 1964 Volvo 122S - Amazonian rustforest. Electroshite.   
    You'll have to wait for the sound video because I just did this.



    The wiring on this was getting on my tits.  Had a lot of instances whereby things work but not quite all the time, or fuses randomly blowing.  The original factory wiring is shite. I have now ripped out EVERYTHING.
    You can see on the right here that the back of the fuel gauge stands in as an unfused positive terminal for almost everything under the dash including the wiper motor, indicators, heater fan and who knows what else, held on by a piddly 6mm nut. That is going to change.

    I present the main light switch. Again, unfused and permanently live, with the permanent live cut and twisted into the feed to the small footwell lights, from factory.

    The big feed to the wiper switch. Again, some dodgy chaining of big positive wires going on here.

    The circuits which are fused are run off a shitty engine bay fusebox which is riveted together, and the rivets are starting to come loose causing random dropouts. That and the small issue of continental/glass fuses being total shite and hard to come by when you need them most.
    Solution : bin off the fusebox in the engine bay, and run everything off a pair of blade fuseboxes inside the footwell.

    The fusebox on the left is the permanent live one, which will run the interior dome light, indicators / hazards, and headlamps.
    The box on the right will be ignition switched, but I am also going to add a main ignition relay so that the ignition switch isn't constantly handling all of the current running through the entire car.  I know it's designed to take it, but the switch (and key!) can get very hot and I'm just waiting on the contacts burning out, especially if I decide to add any more load in the future.
    The important thing is that everything is going to be fused, and that the fuses are going to be easier to replace when needed.
    I seem to be doing this all off the top of my head, WCPGW.
  3. Haha
    Surface Rust reacted to Popsicle in Unpopular Motoring Opinion Thread   
    As its mostly pensioners on our street I like to go first and put the wrong bin out so they all copy me, then swap it round about midnight when they're all in bed - I'm going to hell aren't I?🤣
  4. Sad
    Surface Rust reacted to Six-cylinder in Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - Well that didn’t go well!   
    Well that didn’t go well!
    On the way back from Flowers Farm the Sigma temp gauge started rise but as I was on a dual carriageway with no hard shoulder I carried on the 2 miles to the first layby. When I stopped there was steam wisping from under the bonnet.
    The AA arrived and diagnosed a split water hose to the oil cooler. He had the right size hose and soon fitted a bit. Unfortunately when I went to restart the Sigma it simply pushed water out of the radiator and the diagnose was head gasket. He towed me to FoD on his dolly.
    After all I have said about the service of Recovery firms the AA after a shaky start trying to contact them were great. The roadside patrol turned up in 40 mins was helpful and fixed the original problem. When that didn’t work he towed me to the FoD and then took the wheels I was carrying for @Flat4 and me home.
    9/10 with the 1 point lost for the hard time trying to contact them 4 times, listening to all the spiel and press 1 for a long wait, 2 to be cut off..........




  5. Haha
    Surface Rust reacted to richardmorris in What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread   
    From the world bollard association twitter page.

  6. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to Oi_Oi_Savaloy in 1987 Lotus Excel SE   
    I've copied and pasted these initial updates from another forum.   
     
    This goes back to 2021/early 2022. First two posts will cover the back story and then I'll add what I've been doing to it this last month.  There's been quite a delay on this because my wife became very ill in mid-2022 and all life turned to making sure she came through her illness (which she has, all-clear been given etc etc).  Life is sort of back to normal (although i'd argue that something like that changes life and perspectives across the entire family.  Not sure what normal is now tbh).  
    So back to 2021..............I've wanted to have a build thread of my own for years but I've never had a car that I felt had sufficient interest (or age) to warrant a thread.  But Covid changed my attitude - felt that life can be so precarious that I really had to step up my search for something.  I live in West Wales and alot of my local friends are electricians or carpenters or plumbers.  They go to a lot of houses and farms.  I told them all to look out for anything under a cover or tarpaulin or looked a bit forgotten that to give me a ring.  In 2022  I got a call about this car from one of the lads.  He didn't know what he was looking at, just that he knew it needed saving and 'it looks quick'!  

    I met the owner (whom used to use it quite often but then his life took a turn for the worse and it had to be set aside to prioritise other things going on - totally understandable) before xmas 2021 and agreed a deal and paid a 10% deposit....then  xmas and life got in the way and it was only today that I was able to go and pick it up.  The plan is to ignore the exterior for the moment.....and just get the interior dry and all fitted out (I've got all the parts but he did the headlining and then life got in the way and some of the interior needs putting back). 
     
    I've got a couple of dehumidifiers coming to help with the drying out too.  I then am going to get the car mechanically fettled and then MOT'd.  Once it's MOT'd then I'm going to use it for business meetings, day trips with the kids, charity runs, going up to North Wales to see my Dad and Devon to see my mum etc etc..  

    Some initial pictures - bear in mind it was under a tarp(for 3 years, with the passenger window open..........) right up until the point you see these pictures. 
     
    We got it into my shed and onto the ramp to see what we had.  The interior needs a lot of fettling.  On to the next instalment.  




  7. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to Tommyboy12 in Tommy's A-series Misery - Collection caper!   
    Slow drive down. The M25 was horrendous. However, a collection has occurred. I'm in love already!
     

  8. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to Peter C in 1987 Ford Sierra Sapphire 1.8L - Ready for inspection - see page 20   
    I've been looking forward to this day for the past two months.
    Once the Sierra was back on its wheels, I undersealed the jacking points that were concealed by axle stands / ramps.


    The other side is the same.
    It was time to pull the Sierra out of the workshop. As the underseal was still fresh and the car isn't taxed, I only drove the Sierra to the end of the road and back to outside my house to take photos.
    At this stage, I recommend that you rewind to page 4 of this thread and remind yourself what the Sierra looked like on the 30th January, the day it arrived from Northern Ireland. I am pleased with the results and I'll let the photos do the talking. Please note that I haven't washed or detailed the bodywork and trim yet, hopefully I will get a chance to do that next weekend.






    The bonnet, roof and boot lid look much better in sunlight than they do under a LED lamp. Yes, if you look closely and at the right angle, you can see the fine scratches but overall, the paint looks great.



    Remember how the four corners looked? The tarpaulin that the Sierra was stored under rubbed the blue paint off down to primer / bare / rusty metal. My masking off and dabbing of blue paint has worked well. Up close, you can see the touching up but I am pleased with my low cost solution.




    The sills and inner sides of the rear wheel arches look much better too.




    The boot lid and rear valance now gleam.

    I left the engine to idle for about 15 minutes and it ran well, nice and quiet, with no smoke. The temperature gauge reached half way quickly (and stayed there) but the coolant level was still low. The idle speed is a little too fast, I need to work out which screw needs a tweak.

    With the Sierra outside, it took me two hours to clean the workshop. EVERY surface was covered with a layer of black overspray dust, which spread when I was painting the bumpers. Got there in the end.

    I put the Sierra back in for another week, until it can be taxed and driven from the 1st April.

    The 1st April is a Monday. According to the forecast, the weather should be dry. Let's hope so.

     
  9. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to RetroShite in Retroshite   
    Nice!








  10. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to danthecapriman in Shite in Miniature II   
    Last few days has seen a bit more done to various models.
    FG recovery truck has been converted to rhd. Quite easy to do on this one, just a bit of messing around to get the steering column out of the floor on the other side. Just need to sand that big lump of moulding flash off the instrument cluster!

      
    Lada Riva got painted in authentic Lada Adriatic blue!

      
    Which strangely dried overnight darker!? I wish it’d have stayed the lighter colour.

    Sierra estate is now in Ceramic blue. It looks brighter on the photo than it really is, but I hope the grey trims etc help tone it down a bit! 
    Im pretty sure this shade must have faded quite a lot with age, as it seems to have a slightly purple-ish tinge to it on real cars. But I suppose the paint is going on 40 odd years old on them now!

     
    Dodge RAM pickup is being put back together. 
    I did the bumpers in molotow pen chrome and the grill unit in silver paint as that’s normally in that duller painted plastic silver on real ones. Cab back wall is painted too. I’ve had to paint the inside of that black as it’s made from clear plastic and you get lots of light bleed through it if the suns on it.


     
    Dinky Volvo has had its wheels refitted and new tyres. Wheels are Dinky Transit wheels.


    Ford F100 is about ready for being put back together. Hard to photograph this and get the metallic sparkling from it but you can just about see it in places. 
    I had to paint the cab twice! Had it sat on the side while I was painting the Sierra, shook the can of blue to mix it and the nozzle must have been on loose and a jet of the blue paint and propellant shot out and landed directly on the F100 cab side! Being fresh paint it melted and went funny. I was mighty pissed off I can tell you. Lots of words that rhyme with ‘duck, ducking and hunt’ were said…


     
    Converted a few interiors to rhd too ready to refit.

     
    And stripped one of those cheapy DelPrado mk1 Capri’s which came from some collection or another. 
    These aren’t actually too bad with the old paint gone. Originally they’re in a horrible gun metal grey colour. Why they picked that colour for these is anyone’s guess as it really doesn’t show off a Capri’s shape at all. A Capri wants bright blues, greens, reds, yellow etc etc not dull boring dark grey! 
    I think with a bit of extra detailing and a better colour paint job it’ll look just fine!
    No prizes for guessing what colour this one will be getting! 
    A clue is: I conveniently already have a can of it…

  11. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to RetroShite in Retroshite   
    Hilux back from the workshop and in good health having had the head skimmed and new head gasket fitted.
    Gasket was blown between 2 cylinders, apparently everything came apart really easily and they reckoned it might have recently been replaced but the gasket had perhaps been bent in the packaging but fitted anyway.
    Who knows?
    All back together now and incredibly smooth running. It's a 2.2 petrol with carburettor.




     
  12. Like
    Surface Rust got a reaction from Lacquer Peel in Ford 1.6 diesel "quick, quiet and clean"   
    He was at least honest in acknowledging that the 205 was better in every conceivable aspect, and that the benefit for Ford would be the increased number of people buying 205 diesels and then assuming all diesels were that good.
  13. Agree
    Surface Rust got a reaction from Joey spud in Ford 1.6 diesel "quick, quiet and clean"   
    He was at least honest in acknowledging that the 205 was better in every conceivable aspect, and that the benefit for Ford would be the increased number of people buying 205 diesels and then assuming all diesels were that good.
  14. Haha
    Surface Rust reacted to Asimo in Ford 1.6 diesel "quick, quiet and clean"   
    My kind of girl…
  15. Haha
    Surface Rust reacted to Dan302 in Ford 1.6 diesel "quick, quiet and clean"   
    Quick quiet and clean........
     
    I may have already posted this video so apologies if so
  16. Like
    Surface Rust got a reaction from MiniMinorMk3 in Family snaps with your old cars in the background.   
    Me, with my mums 2cv. My earliest motoring memories were in this car (including the first failure to proceed when a driveshaft detached), though I imagine that it isn't recalled as fondly by my parents as it was already on its second chassis at 4 years old!
     
  17. Like
    Surface Rust got a reaction from lesapandre in Weird Car’s weird cars *now with added bus* Rolls Royce joins the fleet   
    I love this, it looks great anywhere! 
    What were your driving impressions?
  18. Like
    Surface Rust got a reaction from lesapandre in Weird Car’s weird cars *now with added bus* Rolls Royce joins the fleet   
    Thanks, sort of what I imagined and none of that makes me want one any less! 
    I suppose I'm a little disappointed you don't hate it and were looking to move it on...
     
  19. Like
    Surface Rust got a reaction from egg in Weird Car’s weird cars *now with added bus* Rolls Royce joins the fleet   
    I love this, it looks great anywhere! 
    What were your driving impressions?
  20. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to Weird Car in Weird Car’s weird cars *now with added bus* Rolls Royce joins the fleet   
    Never say never, whist I have no plans to sell it any time soon I know what I’m like with motor vehicles, I’m 23 and this is my 42nd, but I have always lusted over a Shad since I was a young girl, I used to collect these Bond cars and mags when I was about 8 and the Shadow was always my favourite, I promised myself I’d own a real one one day obviously believing it’d never happen so to actually own one now even a tatty one is still a huge novelty and puts such a huge grin on my face and all the while it does that I’m keeping it 

  21. Like
    Surface Rust got a reaction from Weird Car in Weird Car’s weird cars *now with added bus* Rolls Royce joins the fleet   
    Thanks, sort of what I imagined and none of that makes me want one any less! 
    I suppose I'm a little disappointed you don't hate it and were looking to move it on...
     
  22. Thanks
    Surface Rust reacted to Weird Car in Weird Car’s weird cars *now with added bus* Rolls Royce joins the fleet   
    The first thing that struck me and I’m sure it would anyone is now far away the front of the car is when you’re behind the wheel, I feel like I need a pair of long distance glasses to see the Silver lady 😆 in terms of driving, don’t get me wrong I love it but the engine doesn’t feel as torquey as I was expecting, the Pontiac had buckets more torque and pulled away from the line with a lot more eagerness, obviously I’m not expecting it to pull like a sports car but for a 6.75 ltr v8 to be slower off the line than a 1980s American MPV is a little disappointing, again it doesn’t really bother me as I’m never going to gun it at a set of lights or what have you anyway but it’d still be nice to have that extra power in reserve if that makes sense? The only way to describe how vague the steering is is to compare it to the poll position arcade machine or similar extremely light 80s driving games, it almost doesn’t feel connected to the wheels and the light steering can easily catch you out in corners if you aren’t prepared, comfort is honestly unmatched, it just wafts down the road like nothing else of the period, the only big saloon I had of a similar period was my Peugeot 404 and that almost feels like driving a piece of wood compared to this, truly amazing. Brakes leave a lot to be desired, they aren’t great but I put that down to them needing work over them just being bad
  23. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to Zelandeth in Zel's Motoring Adventures...Peugeot, Renault, Rover, Trabant, Invacar & A Sinclair C5 - 25/03 - Trabant back in action...   
    I'll take that!  
    Tester was actually very complimentary of the state of the car underneath.  
  24. Like
    Surface Rust reacted to Weird Car in Weird Car’s weird cars *now with added bus* Rolls Royce joins the fleet   
    Some quick pics of the Shad as promised, Mr WC already wants to take it out in Convoy with the Guy Arab when that’s back on the road so expect some Rolls and Bus action soon, I also took it to work this morning and managed to attract a crowd almost instantly mainly from my colleagues who were probably wondering if the CEO of First Bus had just showed up for a random Audit 😆
    I’d like to give it a really good wash and detail very soon as it got absolutely filthy from the drive home yesterday 











  25. Like
    Surface Rust got a reaction from Longbridge Apologist in Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - Well that didn’t go well!   
    All through the eighties, nineties and noughties my dad used to average 30k miles a year for work. He used to change cars every 2 years roughly and used to try oddball choices for a bit of variety, interspersed with the typical sierras and cavaliers.
    He still maintains that the best car he ever had was a Sigma, a dark metallic blue estate with gunmetal grey alloys. It had the same 12v 3.0 V6 and. I remember it fondly too, and am very jealous of yours!
    If I'd been at Rustival I would have been all over it!
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