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OMG gas guzzler Yank tank: Bid accepted, car delivered!


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Posted

Well.... until the issue with the speedo is resolved, I'm going to have to pull this. Which also means suspending the hunt for a replacement.

Just hammer a socket over it.

  • Like 2
Posted

If that was all it needed I would, but being modern, it's rather more complicated.  Who ever suggested I should have a car only 22 years old?

Posted

Ed. Find a stupid Yank for sale in East Germany. Preferably near Görlitz and I'll bring the thing back for cost!

 

Try and find something remotely roadworthy!

  • Like 2
Posted

The basic model in this body, which was the Ford Taurus, was used as the squad cars in the original Robocop film.  You could even buy a 1/25 scale plastic kit of it!

Posted

Have you advertised it in classic american magazine? There's a distinct lack of anything remotely affordable in that (IMO) so it may stand a better chance

Posted

Strewth!  But yeah, that's the one.  I'm off now to see if ebay.uk has one...

Posted

I'd stick this on the blue forum, if you haven't already, Eddy. I would have thought there'd be a decent bit of love for it on there.

Posted

I haven't, Billy; believe it or not I don't think I'm a member over there!  I'm suspending operations until I get the speedo issue sorted, because I don't want to do any damage to the transmission.  It's all connected.  I'm with Junkman more and more, best to have something pre-85 or so.

Posted

Once you sort it let me know, I'm happy to advertise it for you on there if wanted. 

Posted

Thank you kind sir, that's a good offer and I may well leap at it! :-D   I've made the decision now, it does have to go, and it has to be replaced by something older and simpler-made.  But preferably also American because American.

Posted

If it only goes on the fritz once it warms up I'd be expecting dry solder joints on the PCB, or maybe it's power supply is on the way out.

 

Disconnect battery, remove instrument unit, take to electronics repair shop. Won't be expensive, they'll reflow the board and replace anything generic that's borked.

Posted

Nope, it's the opposite: once warmed up (or driven a couple of miles, still not sure which needs to happen first) it starts working.

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Latest news: after extensive reading of the Taurus/Sable Owners Club forum, and trying suggestions therein, I'm no further forward.  I'm at a stage now where I am literally offering it to banger racers.

And bidding on, not just looking at, Volvos on ebay.  Blind.

Posted

Poor thing, what is so bad about it again?

Posted

There's a problem with the speedo, it doesn't display your speed (only a zero) for the first couple of miles, and doesn't record any distance until the speedo comes up.  This is leading the computer to believe there's a problem, whereupon it's put the transmission in some sort of limp mode, which means it pressurises in such a way that it'll only use one or maybe two gears.  Obviously I don't want to damage the transmission, so I'm not driving it.  A car I can't drive is no use to me.  I'm heartily miffed with it, having bought two brand new sensors for the box which in theory should have sorted it.  There's a bloke in America having exactly the same issues with his, and nobody's been able to come up with a solution for him.

 

I am firmly convinced that the answer is, Volvo 740.

Posted

If it were mine, I'd offer it around (the blue forum is a good shout) with that fault and make that clear in the advert. I know it's value will take a hit as a result but if you can't get to the bottom of the problem maybe it's just time to call it a day. Carrying on getting new parts that may or may not work is just eating up more time and money. I'd do this in preference to letting the banger boys have it personally but then again if they will pay...

 

Once it's gone then maybe save up for a while and get a nice old fashioned yank without all the sensors etc. Volvo's are great cars and all but there's no contest between a Volvo and an old yank!

  • Like 3
Posted

Have you had anyone check sensor outputs using a scope or similar Eddy? or any sort of diagnostics at all?

 

Limp mode usually puts auto trans into top gear (3rd) so will appear to be sluggish to say the leaset.

Posted

Save up?  What language is this you speak, sir?

 

Us poor serfs on Minimum Wage never get to experience such things, especially when your boss decides you're going to be paid monthly rather than weekly, despite overwhelming objection from his workforce.

 

But yes, the rest of what you say is perfectly sensible.  I don't want to spend any more on it, I don't even want to tax it at the end of this month.  I'd rather tax another Volvo.

post-4559-0-24939700-1428698436_thumb.jpg

I am in a position to make the comparison and yes, I would always prefer to be driving the Detroit product, but the fact remains, they are over budget.  If I want to leave the Wheelchair Bus available for MrsR then I need to have "a" car I can rely on to get me to work at 6am.  However, just "a" car, "any" car, doesn't really work for me, so I have to look for something that little bit more interesting, in budget.  At the moment, the Volvo I've bid on is the top contender.  If nothing else, it would allow her to have the Wheelchair Bus back.

  • Like 2
Posted

Interesting!  Similar symptoms to mine, but not identical.  I've had no Check Engine Light, and the Cruise Control works (I tested it) though feels lumpy.

 

As for checking outputs, I haven't done anything myself for a number of reasons, but it's been to a Yank-friendly garage where I would expect him to have thought of that.  He doesn't, however, have Ford OBD1 facilities to do anything accurately.

Posted

I had a. 3 series with a frazzled maf the ran fine with it unplugged but it made the gearbox go bat shit mental . Does it idle/ rev up okay ?

Posted

Yes it does, beautifully in fact.  It's got to be one of those "something-and-nothing" things that you could be chasing for months.  I'm just not prepared to put that time in.  I don't have facilities or even off-road storage, and a car I can't drive is no more use than what I pick up after my dog...

 

Anyone who can transport it away to fix at leisure is welcome to come and bid me.

Posted

:happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance: :happydance:

Re-arrange these words into a well-known phrase or saying:  Likely, Fucking, Not.  I did spot that on ebay and almost posted it in the Scrap It thread.

Posted

That diesel T bird is a bit shite, or shit, whichever. I bet it's got a working speedo though!

 

I don't think that thing would save you any trouble. It's most probably more fucked than your Sable and it's running on a vile fuel too. It'll be on the oval soon I suspect.

Posted

We are of one mind.  Those are almost exactly the words that crossed my echoing plain.

  • Like 1
Posted

If it only goes on the fritz once it warms up I'd be expecting dry solder joints on the PCB, or maybe it's power supply is on the way out.

 

Disconnect battery, remove instrument unit, take to electronics repair shop. Won't be expensive, they'll reflow the board and replace anything generic that's borked.

 Or do what they do and put it in an oven, gas mark six for five mins.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Anybody got a running car they fancy swopping for this?

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