Dollywobbler's Daihatsu - MOT of fail

[Bobthebeard]

Remarkably, over six months later, I still own the Sirion! I even washed it today.

 

I really need to unleash my mate Dave to have a go at the sills. I'm hoping the rust around the rear arches won't interest the MOT man as I've done nothing more about it after my 'temporary' winter bodge last November.

 

Part of me is tempted to chuck it in for the MOT first though (due 20th July). If it turns out it needs loads of work, then it might soon be for sale very cheaply. Might have to be VERY cheaply though, as when I offered it up on here for £295 recently, there was not even a sniff!

May pass the MOT more easily if you removed that length of galvanised pipe though.......

[dollywobbler]

I use that for jousting.

[Ghosty]

That galvanised jousting pipe takes bosozoku to a whole new level!

[Lord Sterling]

I must say, having had a quick scan of this thread from when you first bought it to now, it certainly looks a lot better now. Seeing as there seems to be a lot of Sirion pics being posted up, allow me to add the one of the company Sirion I got to use (and fettle with) for a couple of days:

 

 

At the time the picture was taken, it was wearing a space-saver on the passenger-side front wheel. The tyre eventually got changed but now no one knows where the wheel trim is. Investigations are taking place though (by yours truly)

[dollywobbler]

I do hate the alloys it must be said. They're such a faff to clean.

 

I did find a scruffy one for sale in the same colour. That got me thinking about whether it'd be cheaper to do that one up (by swapping good bits from mine) than fix mine. Depends whether it's any less rusty I guess!

[HMC]

Had a good look around yours at SF. They really are one of the most individual cars of their era, and seem a rare sight on the road. Wonder what uk sales amounted to?

[Cavcraft]

Wonder what uk sales amounted to?

 

[cort16]

I always quite liked it's replacement the Materia. I think I was in the minority though as not long after it came out they chucked the UK and moved back in with their mum and dad.

 

 

The dash looks like the back of a Nissan GT-r

[dollywobbler]

Take it from me, these words to not bring good tidings.

 

As expected, the Sirion failed miserably on the state of the sills. They seem to be even worse than when I last looked! It also failed on emissions, so needs a new cat and lambda. That was my biggest concern - that it'd fail on something else. Now the difficult decision about whether to throw money at it, or to simply throw it away. If anyone's interested in taking it on, I'm all ears! Still taxed until end of May '15 and MOT for another month near enough.

[mat_the_cat]

Head versus heart as usual, but I'd be inclined to let your heart tell you what to do with the 2CV, and use your head to make judgements about the future of the rest of the fleet. Although if you had a welder...

[dollywobbler]

I think it'll come down to whether you can actually get sills for them, and if so, how much they cost. I've got a request in to the place that replaced the filler neck for sills and a cat. Buying another car also has its downsides, but my main worry is that chopping the sills out will reveal even more rust. It's probably too far gone. 

 

If it can't be saved, is it worth chucking it on Ebay? Or do I just weigh it in? Has a brand new exhaust on it and a full set of not-very-worn winter tyres.

[mrbenn]

What a shame, though not unexpected I guess.

 

I'd repair it if you like it (which you obviously do) and the rest of the car is ok.

[dollywobbler]

That's the problem. I do like it, but it's hard to justify the expenditure when it's probably cheaper (and also fun) to just buy something else. The thrust bearing has started to squeal occasionally, and the crashy ride is annoying me. It may be time to say goodbye. If I cash the tax in before the end of the month, it'd increase my buying budget!

[mrbenn]

I reckon the parts quotes, assuming the bits are available, may decide it fo you to be honest!

[dollywobbler]

Well, Daihatsu can't get sills for it, so I think that's decision made. I think trying to fabricate sills for it might be more difficult than it first appears, with the jacking points to get right for a start. I thought it was just the outers, but the inner sill is horribly cornflakes too. Then you notice that all the seams are starting to blow...

[320touring]

Well, Daihatsu can't get sills for it, so I think that's decision made. I think trying to fabricate sills for it might be more difficult than it first appears, with the jacking points to get right for a start. I thought it was just the outers, but the inner sill is horribly cornflakes too. Then you notice that all the seams are starting to blow...

Sionara sirion!

 

That's your blog entry title sewn up

[mrbenn]

Bit odd that for such a "modern" car the manufacturer doesn't supply sills!

 

Perhaps it would do for spares for someone else's car

[hairnet]

too wong foo i think

 

eddy has nice toyota you could buy or that cheapo nissan

[hairnet]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291174615257?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

 

 sayonara sirion  - arigato gozemazu

[eddyramrod]

too wong foo i think

 

eddy has nice toyota you could buy or that cheapo nissan

Toyota is sold, assuming Dave can sort his insurance, but if you fancy going mainstream he does need to flog his Fiesta so he can pay me!

[Jim Bell]

It lasted longer than I thought it would!

 

Well done little Diahatsu.

 

Shame its on its last legs though. Looks very clean in the pics.

[dollywobbler]

I know. It's heartbreaking! I may have to stop parking it outside my window. It's so shiny and cute! Cartakeback have offered £80 for it, which is probably about fair enough given that scrap has fallen a fair bit. That drops to £65 if they come and get it though. It's quite a trek to the scrappy, so that probably works out cheaper than driving two cars there and one back. Especially as that scrappy apparently has a stash of Citroens hidden within it...

 

Scouring the classifieds has been fun though. Lots of cheap tat out there, but none of it is this interesting. Probably a lot more comfortable though!

[hairnet]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/03-DAIHATSU-SIRION-EL-AUTO-31000-MILES-5-DOOR-MOT-DEC-GREAT-DRIVE-/201110382397

 

scratch the city rover itch

[dollywobbler]

Yuck! Horrible facelift model, so no good for parts sharing. Horrible colour too! No, I think my time with Sirions is at an end. Quite fancy a Rover 600 at the moment, though an estate/van with towbar would be more useful.

[mat_the_cat]

I have a BX which is currently sat around idle at the moment With a towbar!

[Junkman]

Sills don't completely deteriorate from nought to 100 within a year.

I still have that funny inkling that the seller wasn't entirely honest.

[panhard65]

Yuck! Horrible facelift model, so no good for parts sharing. Horrible colour too! No, I think my time with Sirions is at an end. Quite fancy a Rover 600 at the moment, though an estate/van with towbar would be more useful.

I do believe there is for sale on this very forum just the van you are looking for. It even has a towbar and is now in Chester so well located for collection.

[hairnet]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-STREETWISE-1-4-16V-103-SE-5DR-12-MONTHS-MOT-HALF-LEATHER-HPI-CLEAR-/221372870434

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I'm now feeling guilty for snatching the AngryDicky 600, if you can wait till after August and assuming it survives my daughters caning it across France, it will be surplus to requirements again. I might even put 12 months ticket on it as my tame MOT man had a quick look yesterday and pronounced; 'There's fuck all wrong with that,apart from its a Rover of course ' I of course , laughed politely, the continued legality of my fleet depends on this comedian*.

[dollywobbler]

Sills don't completely deteriorate from nought to 100 within a year.

I still have that funny inkling that the seller wasn't entirely honest.

 

It was a generous MOT. The tester last year claimed 'unable to check due to covers.' That may be true of the outer sills...

 

Mat - are you not using the BX at the moment then? I'm amazed! I know your commute is higher, but thought you'd hate to be parted from it for too long.