Dick Longbridge

Definitely not guilty guv! There seems to be plenty about in this colour though. Ive seen a few up here too.

A man who was equally at home converting an MGF to left hand drive, or putting an axe through a laptop.

I always wondered about the numbers of Dave numbers. Date of birth.

I saw this parked a few doors from us earlier. Looks lovely in the flesh.
It was only shortly after that I clicked that there was no AS sticker on the rump, and that I doubt you’d popped to Mid Cornwall for a quick hello.
I’ll have to pap a shot of the local one if I see it again.

The chill wind gushing out of the air con vents had slowed to a tepid trickle. Ive never had air con recharged before so I called the guise down at Kwik Fit auto who hooked me up with the gas gas gas. I like this car so Im happy to make minor investments in improving it slightly.
 
The AC now blows colder that a penguin prostitute. Its lovely. Especially with the temps round here racing up to thirty fricken degrees. Kwik Fit Alan reported that the vents were clocked at expelling at temps of 16 degrees when I took it in. With the recharge, its now 4 degrees. Hes probably full of shit, but if feels lovely.
 
£52 well enough spent.
 
 
4 star service.
 

I found some posts from Toyota owners forum about oil burning which might help decide what if anything can be done to run the car as long as possible with the fewest ill effects.
 
There may not be lots of new information here, but here it is:
 
 
The oil consumption issues affecting 1zz 1.8, 3zz 1.6 & 4zz 1.4 engines is caused by a combination of several issues, leading Toyota to make several changes to the engines up to around mid 2005 where they managed to cure the issues,
1. Insufficient oil capacity, pre 2005 engines only came with 3.7 litres of oil, this caused the oil to remain very hot all the time reducing the cooling affect the oil has on the back of the pistons. The continued high oil temps causes the oil to degrade and sludge excessively between service oil changes.
Toyota increased the oil capacity from 3.7 to 4.7 litres reducing the oil temps in the engine. ( EDIT On post 2005 cars Toyota increased oil capacity to 4.2 litres, On pre 2005 cars which had the official modifications carried out due to excessive oil consumption the oil capacity was raised to 4.7litres except for MR2's which stayed at 3.7litres due to the compact / shallow sump fitted to them )
2. Poor piston design, the rear of the piston only had 4 oil ways allowing the hot oil coming from the piston ring oil scrapers to pass away from the piston rings. This meant that the oil stayed at the hottest part of the piston crown for too long exacerbating issue # 1 which in turn allowed the oil ways to sludge up. Once sludging started the oil would eventually start to burn and harden around the rings this started to wear away at the bores eventually misshaping them. Due to the Nikosil coating applied to the bores they should not be rebored or honed meaning Toyota replaced any block showing even the slightest of damage.
Toyota redesigned the pistons to include 8 oil ways which allowed the oil to pass away quicker.
3. The use of poor quality or overly thick oils (thicker than 5w30) increased the likely hood of the issues above occurring. Toyota noted that even dealers where using oils such as 10w40 and quickly pointed out that although the owners manual listed 10w40 it was for warmer climates and that 5w30 was the preferred grade and insisted that dealers use 5w30 when servicing and repairing #zz engines.
4. Poor piston ring design, In an attempt to reduce friction, increase efficiency and lower emissions the engine designers profiled the piston rings to a sharp point reducing the contact point on the bore, this on its own only increased oil consumption slightly but when combined with issues 1,2 & 3 caused the piston rings not scrape the overly thick oils effectively.
New piston rings where designed with a larger contact area and higher ring tension.
Initially Toyota fitted new blocks along with modified pistons, rings, thermostat ( to lower engine running temp ) and a modified dipstick ( to show the new 4.7litre levels) they also recovered the old blocks eventually leading to them switching the approved repair method to remanufactured short blocks fully assembled with the modified parts.
Cheers
Devon
very precise except the oil capacity change.it was increased by 0.5 of a litre from 3.7 to 4.2 .
 
I have the pre-modified engine, I marked the dipstick 5mm higher, so far I do not use oil.
 
I had a 2003 1.8 that had done about 50k when it started to use oil, eventually about 0.5L to 500 miles. I came on the forum to learn abot this problem and came across the claim that use of the best petrols was better as they had a higher level of detergent that helped keep the ring grooves/piston holes clear and stopped excessive oil consumption. I did not really think that would work but resolved to give it a try. Over a period of 4 months the oil consumption dropped from 1000 miles per litre down to 3000 miles per litre when running on supreme grade fuel. It stayed at that level then for 6 months when I continued using the premium fuel. I then started using ordinary grade fuel and the oil consumption started to rise and after 4 months it was back at 1000 miles per litre. I started using the premium petrol again and the oil consumption steadily dropped back to 3000 miles / litre. It continued then for another year on the premium petrol when I sold the car at 70K miles.
Before this experience I was totally sceptical about the detergent qualities of super grade petrol comared to nomal grade and how it would help keep an engine piston rings clear and reduce oil burning but my experience confirmed (to me) what others on this site had claimed.
I also filled the oil level to 12mm above the normal mark and never had any sign of it being over full eg burning oil going up or down extremely steep hills, hard cornering and heavy braking.
 
Why 12mm?
 My understanding was that the higher sump capacity of 0.5 L was achieved merely by a higher mark on the dipstick of about 10mm. I tried 10mm at first without any ill effects and then settled a bit higher at 12mm and remarked the dipstick at what i think was 0.6L extra. I wished I had done the switch to premium grade fuel at a seperate time from increasing the sump capacity so I would have understood better what was going on but I just wanted a fix ASAP.
 
In order to make a lighter, more powerful yet economic engine to replace the 7A-FE Toyota engineers used several stategies in order to accomplish it. One stategy was to use lighter materials i.e aluminium block and hard plastic inlet manifold while another was to reduce friction and pumping losses in the engine by using low tension piston rings which in theory is a good idea but in practice it appears that they didn't always seal well enough resulting in blow by gasses escaping past the rings allowing for oil to be burnt. Added to that they only had 4 oil drain back hole in the ring glands under the oil control rings that were also unnecesarrily small that could easily get blocked up if the oil wasn't clean ir full of particulates. This encouraged oil glazing to build up on the pistons and inhibited the oils ability to cool them creating a self perpetuating problem i.e. hotter pistons means more oil deposits building up and more build up and glazing impeded and restricted the flow of oil making the engine run hotter (though of course you wouldn't see any difference on your coolant gauge as it measures temp of the coolant after it exits the engine).
of course this problem would be bad enough but in a spectacular own goal by Toyota they gave the 1zz, by anyone standards a small oil capacity, of 3.7 litres inc oil filter when you consider that the average engine of similar size had 4.5 litres or more.
What this means is that literally as soon as the oil drains back to the sump it's drawn straight back into the engine to work again whereas with a larger volume of oil would mean there is always a pool of oil in the sump allowed to cool, even if only a little, before being drawn back into the engine.This cannot be an ideal situation for any engine but remember the 1ZZ-FE engine is using oil pressure to work the vvti system aswell as it's usual duties that all engines require of their lubrication systems.
Now, if the car has had it's oil changed at the regular intervals recommended by Toyota,has used the correct grade of oil AND hasn't bad the nuts revved off it day in day out then there is a really good chance it won't develop any oil problems at all. I bought mine with 78,000 miles on the clock with 2 previous elderly owners and a full service history at all the required intervals so it was no surprise to find out, a relief aswell, that it used very little oil and way above the minimum miles per litre of oil that Toyota say is ok, that is the after they revised it in light of the engines oil problems.
This is of no solace to somebody who has bought one that they later find it has a problem with oil useage....... and exactly how can you tell on a test drive if somebody deliberately tries to hide it.
 
 
So there it is.
 
It seems not all of these are destined to destroy themselves by burning all their oil. Toyota may have addressed this earlier in the cars life or it was never burning enough oil as a newish car for a previous owner to have Toyota warranty work or some goodwill work done.
 
If it were mine, assuming it has had no new dipstick and warranty work.
I would:
Change the oil frequently say 3000 miles or quarterly and not use thicker oil, 10W40.
Fill the sump to 4.2L or thereabouts.
Use Super unleaded for a trial period.
Drive without thrashing or labouring.
 
and see what happens. 
Hopefully those measures might help keep the oil consumption under control and cheaper than replacement catalytic converter and oxygen sensor.
 
Long live the Derbyshire Lexus. 

Right then, I kicked my weekend off by disabling my daily driver, because that's sensible of me.  I wanted to find out why the fuel gauge wasn't working properly and the suspects in this were in-tank sender, fuel gauge, and voltage regulator.  Since I didn't want to disturb the sender unless we absolutely had to and I wanted to do some jobs on the dashboard, pulling the dashboard made more sense.  I shan't bore you with yet another photo of the dashboard in bits on the drivers seat because you've seen that about forty times this month already (or so it seems).  Suffice to say it's a job I know how to do well now and, on pulling the dashboard, what we identified is that the voltage regulator appeared to be doing its job just fine, but power wasn't getting the gauge.  Swapped out the spare gauge I fortunately have and same issue, but then I didn't know if that gauge was good or not so we couldn't rely on that.  Next job would be to investigate the sender with the multimeter, which wasn't at home... so while Mike sorted that out I cracked on with the other thing since the dash was in bits again.
 
I stripped all the trim and instruments from the fascia so I was left with just the wooden fascia and the clips that are riveted to the back.  Dismantling the dashboard fascia fully wouldn't be sensible, it's not the most robust thing in the world and while I have got a spare, I'd rather keep it for emergencies/future restorations/other Princess owners in need.  Fortunately, the veneer on my dash fascia wasn't in great shape before I painted it, with some cracks and signs of lifting here and there, so it was fairly easy to actually just peel it off the backing plywood.
20180729-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
Well, most of it at any rate.
20180729-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
a little bit of sanding later to clear the last of the stubborn old veneer and glue residue, and then some filling so I could redrill the extra warning light - BL wired in a bulb for the headlight on the standard loom, but didn't make provision for it on this phase dashboard for reasons unknown, so I reinstated it with a spare telltale - and we were ready to go.  The radio blanking plate is likely quite a rare item, but the veneer on it is damaged from when the person stripping the car it came from (not me or anyone I know) took to the dashboard with a crowbar.  Still, it's useful for me and I'll come to that later.
20180729-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
With the hole re-drilled, I smeared everything with suitable white wood glue, put the slightly oversized piece of veneer on the fascia and blanking plate and left it to set overnight.  Because of the various blocks and sharp trim clips on the back of the fascia, combined with the fiddly shape of it, I couldn't really use a vacuum bag or clamps so relied on gravity, books, old brake discs and a cast iron casserole pot to put the pressure on.  Cling film is used to both protect the table from glue and because it doesn't bond with wood glue so will come free of the fresh veneer without damage.
20180729-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
Next day, we had this.  At this point I'd started trimming areas back.  Note the blanking plate matches the fascia, that's because it's cut out of the same piece of veneer, something I was very particular about and was glad I spent the time to do.  There were a couple of pieces that needed a little extra glue where the pressure of the night before wasn't quite enough and the skinny bit under the blanking plate needed the plywood base regluing where it had delaminated, even though the veneer had taken extremely well here.
20180729-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
Little bit more trimming to get the rough shapes cut out now.  I already knew I was using the dremel with a sanding drum to take the veneer edges back, but I wasn't sure on how to do the telltale holes since they're small and likely very prone to splintering on the edges.
20180729-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
I ended up using a pointy file tool in the dremel to make a pilot hole and then holding the board down while Mike drilled the hole just under sized for me.  I could then get the small dremel sanding drum in and open the holes out to the correct size.  This was the scariest part of the hole project because there's 7 holes and they're very visible on the dashboard so I couldn't afford to make a mess of it.  In the end, nothing to really worry about, they turned out quite well.
20180729-07 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
By 8pm I had the first coat of varnish on.  There's a couple of spots that look a bit dry in person, I'm not sure if this is glue residue I missed or if it's just slightly thirstier bits of the veneer.  I can see at midnight when it's ready for the second coat, or stripping back and a new first coat applying.  It's a very different colour to what BL ever used, I wanted something stripey with a red or orange hue to it that would both match the colour scheme and the 70s styling of the car.  So far, I think I got that right.  The finish will be satin rather than gloss, both to match the era I'm going for and to reduce any potential glare.  I'm hoping when it's finished and back together it looks like I haven't done anything.
20180729-08 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
The blanking plate is actually going to serving a purpose.  The blanking plate has a chamfered edge all around and rests against two metal plates screwed to the back of the dash fascia.  To hold the plate in place, it then has two more plates screwed to the back of it, sandwiching it to the plates on the fascia.  I've got rid of the metal plates on the blanking plate (hopefully you're still with me here), so it's removable.  I'm going to be putting two small magnets on the back of the backing plate, since the fixing plates on the fascia are steel.  I'll also add a tiny piano hinge to the bottom of the blanking plate and a subtle nubbing or handle to the top edge.  Then, I can hide an MP3 decoder behind the blanking plate since I shan't be installing analogue tunes, and an inexpensive amplifier will be wired under the back seat to some adequate speakers front and rear.  Nothing super fancy, just subtle and, most importantly, hidden.  When the blanking plate folds down, in theory the decoder will be attached to it perpendicularly a bit like pop-up headlights work, allowing you to plug in a USB stick and fold it all away again out of sight.
20180729-09 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
That's the theory at any rate.  Another cosmetic fettle was redoing the paint on the blower direction knob since the old paint had mostly flaked out.
20180729-10 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
Mike went through all the dash wiring again, dealt with any items he was unhappy with and then wrapped the whole lot.  This actually made reinstalling for testing loads easier because the wires go where they live now, rather than trying to turn into a plate of spaghetti.  It also looks hugely nicer.
20180729-11 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
Well done, you've made it to the end of this post.  What was the problem with the fuel gauge then?  Annoyingly, something I could have fixed even at the fuel station when it happened.  The plug that goes onto the sender is a little loose, a wiggle and a push and the fuel gauge was working again.  We had a good look at this and a couple of the pins/sleeves are not as tight as they should be so a little time with some tiny pliers will see this resolved.
20180729-12 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr
 
I'm not mad about pulling the dashboard, it's forced me to do some cosmetic fettling that I would otherwise likely have put off for a long time and it's really the only interior job to do on the car.  Providing the varnishing goes well, I should have everything back together again on Monday and then by Tuesday the putty to repair the thermostat housing pitting should have arrived to cure the one leak that worries me since I don't want it spitting all the coolant out at short notice.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1985-Opel-Ascona-Vauxhall-Cavalier-Cabriolet-convertible/263844142712

 
 
Sadly no photo of her.
 
But there is a bit of furthest away car for sale going on:
 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Viva-HB-Deluxe-Barn-Find-Tax-and-MOT-Exempt-project/173436544953

Forget the toffee. Why’s the outer wheel covered in a flattened-out sex toy? 

Forget the toffee. Why’s the outer wheel covered in a flattened-out sex toy? 

Forget the toffee. Why’s the outer wheel covered in a flattened-out sex toy? 

Forget the toffee. Why’s the outer wheel covered in a flattened-out sex toy? 

Forget the toffee. Why’s the outer wheel covered in a flattened-out sex toy? 

I love this thing.
 
 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/bedford-cf-camper/1307542157

Variety Club. FFS you wouldn't want to accidentally park this in a dogging spot with  "Variety Club" written on the roof.
 

https://www.gumtree.com/p/campervans-motorhomes/unique-beautiful-hand-crafted-home-away-from-home-classic-vehicle./1307667251

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MG-ZS-180-ZS180-KV6-Spares-or-Repairs/232866120688?hash=item3637e703f0:g:E1wAAOSwjW5bXGJH
 
'Decat with MIL eliminator'
 
Nice one M8, been trying to get rid of the old bag for years.

Holidays over and crappy weather meant it was time to get back in the garage. A mixed bag, today; Both rear drums stripped down, cleaned and reassembled followed by stripping down of the front brakes... which should have been followed by bleeding fresh fluid through. Except the nipple on the O/S/F calliper is stuck fast. It's also now completely chewed up as it wouldn't even come free once the calliper was on the bench in the vice allowing for a more sustained attack. So, instead of it going back on some wheels this weekend I've got to hunt down a new calliper on Monday.
 
Elsewhere on the car the next job is being lined up, which is to repair the coolant leak behind the dashboard. The pipes that come through the bulkhead to the heater matrix rot out over time, and soak the passenger foot well with coolant. The dash is stripped down and just needs unbolting now to release it. This will also allow me to take out the front carpet to wash it.
 
 

worth the 3 pics I think. €1300.
 
https://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/1468184709.htm/
 

The T Sport Compressor is only around 220bhp iirc, so not a huge step up from the 190 this VVTLi pumps out.
 
I think I’ll need to stop reading this thread, as each step makes me go green that I sold my 2zz Corolla and ECU setup I’d specifically bought for my MR2.
#muststopgoingonaboutit
 
Big congrats on the clean MOT pass. Gotta love older Jap motors.

So who won the Volvo? I would have been six, so would have had trouble getting the damn thing insured. Fuel costs would have been a bit tight on the pocket money/ tooth fairy earnings also.

Some non car related stuff that amused me. You know how we all think it was better in the old days (me included)? These say otherwise.
 
In car connectivity.

 
Watches of the future.

 
It's getting near Christmas, what are you going to get the wife?

A toaster and an iron. That'll keep her happy.
 
Or just some tapes.

 
Remember these?

Three months with one of these and you too could have a moustache like Magnum PI.
 
 
You're going to have to help me here. The toilet seat warmer is a bit wierd but WTF with the rubberwear?

Protective underwear in black or white latex? Protecting from what? It can't be to keep the rain out because the rest of your clothes would still get soaked, and anyway the coat and umbrella have already been invented. And they can't be incontinence pants as there'd be an awful mess when you peeled them off (and they're available in white). I just don't get it. Reminds me of the stupid small ads in Viz except even they would think this was too stupid. Answers on a postcard please.
 
Also like the way they slip in the black rubber balaclava halfway down the advert. Now I think I can see where they're going!

A few period adverts.
 
 

Interestingly the Polo is nearly as much as the Cavalier and the Pug 305 considerably more.
 
But this is my personal favourite.

I always thought the Polonez was a replacement for the 125, didn't realize they were sold alongside.

So we've been decorating the bedroom for the first time since we moved here. Instead of using underlay the previous owners used old newspapers. Mainly from 1981, but a few from 1973.
 
This caught my eye.

It's simple, all you have to do is guess how many Mrs Peeks Christmas puddings have been wedged into the the poor thing.
 
50p for six guesses, 13 for a quid? Can't go wrong surely.
 
All entries must be received by December 31st 1981. No problem.
 
 
 
Mind you, this is a bit tight. You'd think in the event of nobody getting it exactly right the nearest one would win.

But no. If no one is spot on the nearest wins a consolation prize of colour TV and video recorder. Admittedly that was probably worth three months wages in those days so it's not to be sniffed at but it still seems like a cop out.
 
 
Also no mention is made as to whether the Christmas puds will still be in the car when you pick it up.

Nah. The engine is almost on a par with a Type R and better than a Clio but everything else is average.
 
The MR2 is a brilliant handling wee car that deserves a decent engine. Blame Toyota for not building it in the first place!