danthecapriman

another local spot by my brother today  
 


 

This has languished in a yard for as long as I can remember.

 
ETA - how odd, it’s MOT’d, and seems to do 1k miles a year! 

I won a pair of red glass lens for £3 to use as rear indicators but then quickly realised a 21w bulb is too big to fit behind them and a 5w bulb was a bit dim so back on to ebay for a solution...

Cheap led bulbs in white and amber flavours.



White was too bright..

But the amber led was much better so seeing as i can have a red rear indicator on a '59 car i think that'll do.
I did experiment with using the green quality street wrapper as a filter but it made no real difference.
Obviously i will have to swap the old bi metalic flasher unit for a modern one now.

My door doesn't fit too well...
I took the door off and found the bottom hinge was seized which really wasn't helping things one bit.

With the hinge freed up the door could be made to fit but it was still tight up against the quarter panel,i think the corroded inner wing and sill has allowed the hinge panel to twist.


I have taken measurements from the hinge fixing holes to the edge of the quarter panel (930mm) and have also got a new hinge panel to go on if needed.
The measurement on the passenger side is 936mm so i now have something to work to.
Before i start cutting the sill/floor out i thought it would make sense to brace it up a bit.


With the bracing welded inside the car i can still fit and remove the door to get the hinge panel where it needs to be rather than just winging it.
I think that'll do if i just do one side at a time i also think i will need to support the floor from underneath and release the tension from the torsion bar thats acting on the centre cross member to stop it all twisting.
 

Popped to deceased uncle of Mrs stuboy, and found some old carnival pictures, thought I'd share them.

A productive few hours this weekend! The rear windscreen wiper hasn't been working on the Capri for ages - but with lockdown, house move, then other more important faults, it's taken a backseat. And another job that needed doing was the rocker cover - the old one was a bit past it and the lips not straight, hence leaky.  Again, a new one had been sitting on my windowsill since June... so last week got it out, picked up a gasket and fitted it...

Yesterday, I took it round to the local garage to borrow one of the ramps - they had a quiet Saturday and offered if I wanted to borrow one for the afternoon.

Given a good de-greasing and clean of the underside. A couple of bits need underseal replacing or tidying up, but bit cold for that today. And I want to replace the remainder of the fuel line, just because paranoid.
Rocker cover fitted, alternator adjusted, points done, all behaving beautifully.
Today time to look at the wiper down at the lockup. First things first, put 12v across the motor and it turned. Result!

But what's this? Tracing the cables I discovered an earth which was rather tarnished...
which earths via the tailgate switch

and when cleaned up seemed to be fine! Naturally I then discovered the switch wasn't properly home in the dash, so the dash had to come out to click it back in,

but then we finally had a working rear wiper!

VID_20210117_123225.mp4

I wouldn't normally take this out in the snow (and salt) but given that I'm getting a significant amount of welding done next year anyway... 

This appeared on eBay a few months ago:

Used to be near me - Pictured back in the day for this very site in my spottings threads.

I don't mind them, really, they're okay.  The Mercury LN7/Ford EXP is my favourite of the Escort-based range.  Ford stepped sideways from this to the fox body Mustang, while the EXP would be replaced by the  Probe, just not the one we're familiar with.  The first time I saw one of these the wheels confused me the most because my brain wanted to interpret them as XR3i cloverleaf alloys, they're actually wheel trims.  NB:  I see @RoadworkUK made the same observation while I was composing this post.

 
Probably because of how popular and numerous the Escort was here in the UK, the American versions always end up looking like a computer game car, the sort where they're trying to avoid copyright issues by making them recognisable but just different enough, especially as you get into the facelift versions.  This later model almost looks like some sort of Hyundai.

They did a whole bunch of different wheels, one set has more than a hint of Toyota Celica about it until you look at it properly.

Two years ago, i spotted this in a local market, a beautiful 1980 Mazda 929. And not a trailer queen, it was doing daily duties. In fact, i see it from time to time. It's pretty much rust free.

Note the rear. Save from the missing "929" badge, it's in beautiful condition

Right
This morning I realised that the weather forecast didn't involve rain or snow, so it seemed like a good time to fit a part I've had hanging about in the shed for ages.
Behold... A new old stock Mann fule filter for the V70 M9.
This was bought from Ebay nearly a year ago for £6 delivered, less than a third of what ECP (Robbing bastards with their pretendy sales) wanted for the same part...
 
 
I'm not one for messing about with these filters on petrol cars, but given the existing one was 20 years old I thought why not? Looking at the old filter it felt like I'd made the right choice. Mann list this part number as a direct replacement, so I was massively perturbed by the difference in size/appearance...
 
 
Old filter is old...
It lives under the car in front of the rear wheels to be fair, I'm not sure what I expected? I could easily have poked a screwdriver through it and I recon before long this would have actually started leaking...
 
 
Worries about the size difference were needless- The new filter plumbed it like it had always belonged there...
 
 
All fitted and test driven- no leaks.
Now the new filter's fitted, when driving, the car feels no different, at all. None the less- I think it was a job worth doing, and for future under-lookers of under carriages (My MOT tester) it should at least convey an image of a car that's maintained/looked after?

Well, as mentioned in the previous post the V70 predictably shat itself from both ends last week as payment for all the love I'd shown it last month.
The trouble started on Monday when I jumped in it with the intention of taking the boy to school, turned the key and it just clicked. Fuck. I ditched it, took the Golf (Old faithful) and left it  on a smart charger for the morning. The following day, it started but the battery was sat at 11.5 volts at rest. I threw caution to the wind and did the school run, got back safely only to be met with an awful burning smell and smoke pouring out of the OSF wheel well. Double fuck.
No good procrastinating- Parts were ordered and turned up at the weekend...
 
 
First up- Battery. I'd taken the opportunity to upgrade to a bigger 019 Exide jobby intended for the D5 models as internet wisdom suggested the bracket could be shifted along to allow for it.
Old vs new...
 
 
The internet wisdom was correct, the newer bigger battery fitted just fine...
 
 
Next up, rusty caliper to remove. Deep joy...
 
 
New equipment at the ready...
 
 
And all fitted/bled up. My fetish for new brake hardware visible through alloy wheel spokes was satisfied.
 
 
I'm about 100 miles deep after these changes and all seems well *touches wood.

@worldofceri has just passed by and ceremonially relieved the works car park of an eastern bloc shaped piece of goodness.....

I'm starting to enjoy working on this car, possibly for the first time ever!
I'm definitely someone who would like to be able to spanner but despite trying so far I'm terrible, I'm just learning all this things I don't know.
But I like this car. After speaking to someone on Volvo (who is very patientely talking me through everything) the job seems doable, even for me! 
I've even ordered a torque wrench and some ½ inch drive sockets! Not for the pcv but for another job.

For reference, I put mine up for £3000 last year as I felt it was a bit too nice to use on a regular basis, also, the wife was ashamed to be seen in it. Much to my surprise my phone never stopped and it sold for full asking price within a week or two. As a 2.3 turbo manual with 92k it was probably quite desirable, none the less prices in general are on the rise for sure.
Re the flametrap, they're supposedly harder on the turbo models- Lots of *experts on the Volvo forum were talking about removing the intake manifold leading to some procrastination on my part. In the end it was needless, a 15 minute job. Just about everything on these cars is simple by modern standards, they're a joy to spanner on. IIRC the timing belt on mine took me two hours on a hung over Saturday morning.

After many years, I finally got a picture of this Toyota Cressida which I kept passing now and then when I was younger:


Condition wise, it doesn't look as bad as I thought.

It probably is just lack of use tbh Eddy, coupled with it being winter so damp old electrics starting to cause problems. I had it once in the Capri where I went out in it after winter lay-up, switched the heater fan on and it didn’t do anything, then a trail of smoke came out from behind the dash, then it started working fine! Just damp and dirty contacts I think!
Not much anyone can do at the moment sadly. None of mine have been used since about November. There’s just nowhere to go and nothing to do, I dont even think going for a drive around is allowed at the moment is it!? 
Things will change though, might be a few months but it will get there in the end.

It probably is just lack of use tbh Eddy, coupled with it being winter so damp old electrics starting to cause problems. I had it once in the Capri where I went out in it after winter lay-up, switched the heater fan on and it didn’t do anything, then a trail of smoke came out from behind the dash, then it started working fine! Just damp and dirty contacts I think!
Not much anyone can do at the moment sadly. None of mine have been used since about November. There’s just nowhere to go and nothing to do, I dont even think going for a drive around is allowed at the moment is it!? 
Things will change though, might be a few months but it will get there in the end.

It probably is just lack of use tbh Eddy, coupled with it being winter so damp old electrics starting to cause problems. I had it once in the Capri where I went out in it after winter lay-up, switched the heater fan on and it didn’t do anything, then a trail of smoke came out from behind the dash, then it started working fine! Just damp and dirty contacts I think!
Not much anyone can do at the moment sadly. None of mine have been used since about November. There’s just nowhere to go and nothing to do, I dont even think going for a drive around is allowed at the moment is it!? 
Things will change though, might be a few months but it will get there in the end.

It probably is just lack of use tbh Eddy, coupled with it being winter so damp old electrics starting to cause problems. I had it once in the Capri where I went out in it after winter lay-up, switched the heater fan on and it didn’t do anything, then a trail of smoke came out from behind the dash, then it started working fine! Just damp and dirty contacts I think!
Not much anyone can do at the moment sadly. None of mine have been used since about November. There’s just nowhere to go and nothing to do, I dont even think going for a drive around is allowed at the moment is it!? 
Things will change though, might be a few months but it will get there in the end.

It's going to be a common theme that I wish I'd got more done but the weather (and other things) have got in the way. Nevertheless here's an update.
It was cold.

Can't remember the last time I saw the canal frozen over.

Temperatures here were in the region of -5 most days I had free. As much as I said I don't mind the cold, when the tarp is stuck solid to the car I make an exception.

Still got a few bits and bobs done over the holidays. I long wanted to make a start on the inner sill bit that's gone, but connected to that is the chassis outrigger which is buggered on the nearside.


First the tranny mount has to come off. It's foosty but solid.

The thick underseal is impervious to most methods of removal and even a blowtorch and scraper only got some of it off. So it's out with the big gun.


Finished that off with the small wire wheel on the drill, then a coat of hydrate 80.

Then epoxy mastic.

I'll probably leave it grey.
Now time to butcher some Volvo.
Here is the rotten floor with outrigger underneath.

Cleaning back to find spotwelds.


 
I decided to make my life easy and buy a set of these mini holesaw spotweld removers.

They are really good. Some quick zaps with the drill and the panels are separated.

A quick chap with a chisel..

And off it comes.


This is the replacement panel. They are £50 a side so I will be making it/them myself.

Thankfully a pre lockdown steel delivery arrived.

Scratched out the shape.

Snip.

Into the metal basher.



Fits ok. The gap at the front is the missing floor 

Tidied it up, then Made up some bits for the floor, inner and outer sill.


Cleaned and prepped.

This is where things went wrong. I decided to try painting these parts in zinga to protect the internal faces after welding. But no matter what i couldn't get it to stick. It just scratches and flakes off with no effort. I think I will have to abandon that plan.



So currently I will be returning to Screwfix zinc galv spray which is cheap, weldable, sticks well and seems to be doing a very good job so far.
Floor on its way in.

Floor and inner sill welded in.

As you can see this job is 99% faffing around with metal, 1% actual welding. 
Too cold to finish off the welding at the moment, will update when I can feel my toes!
 

332. 1971 Morris Marina 1.3 coupe

Seen in Whyteleafe, Surrey on 5th December.  An early Marina, recorded as a Deluxe but with the wheels and chrome window trim of a Super.
JGC 240K
✓ Taxed - Tax due: 1 November 2021
MOT Exempt
Vehicle make MORRIS
Date of first registration 30 September 1971
Year of manufacture 1971
Cylinder capacity 1275 cc
Fuel type PETROL
Export marker No
Vehicle status Taxed
Vehicle colour BEIGE
Number of previous owners: 3
Current owner since Nov 2005
Mileage at last MOT (2017): 86,068

331. 1979 Lotus Elite

Seen in Reigate, Surrey on 19th November .  Shame I could only photograph two-thirds of it! 
The current keeper has had it 34 years.
BPF 959T
✓ Taxed - Tax due: 1 June 2021
MOT Exempt
Vehicle make LOTUS
Date of first registration 21 March 1979
Year of manufacture 1979
Cylinder capacity 1973 cc
Fuel type PETROL
Export marker No
Vehicle status Taxed
Vehicle colour GOLD
Number of previous owners: 5
Current owner since Feb 1986
Mileage at last MOT: 50,022
Mileage since previous MOT: 193