Brookjm's Nissan Bluebird Estate giffermatic banger rescue

[500tops]

Love it! The fact that it's a Cornish car makes it even better!

[Lord Sterling]

The fact that it's a Cornish car makes it even better!

Yeah, handy for heating up Cornish Pasties too when the engine is hot.

[bogeyhead]

I had a saloon version in the mid nineties and it ran like clockwork until my first wife lost out in a duel with a ford transit in the Purley one way system. She came out unscathed thanks to the excellent crumple zone.

 

That estate looks a beauty and I doubt it has been near any cabbie by the looks of it.

[londonm]

That can only ever go up in value.

[tooSavvy]

Yeah, handy for heating up Cornish Pasties too when the engine is hot.

 

Full Monty " ..try the inlet manifold.." (Vindaloo)

 

TS

[HMC]

Time for an update on this old tub. As mentiuoned in news 24, I was 'persuaded' by domestic managment to move this on ASAP as the drive was full, we had guests staying for a few weeks and in general it was a really bad time to impulse buy a 26 year old tin box. In the end I moved it on to a local chap who it later turned out was eyeing it up to take it bangering. In the end he also bought something else that was 'better' and as it was surplus, any usefull sundry bits would be taken off it and the rest weighed in. I got wind and had to act fast, agreed to have it back and managed to arrange to keep it at work. As it turns out it also means its not choking up our driveway and I can realistically keep hold of it this time!

 

Anyway I took it with brookjm_jr to a disused wwII airfield for a look around, and of all places it decided all this recent turmoil was too much for it and it had a full on breakdown. I'd noticed it had some sort of aftermarket alarm system, the usual cobble up with tape and cable ties etc. Id just left it alone but right at this moment I heard some relays clicking beaneath the dash, the engine cut out and the alarm started blareing. First off I unplugged the siren and had a good look around. There did'nt seem to be a kill switch and the whole thing was a right mess. I disconnected the battery and with a few tools I had lying in the boot I traced all wiring and binned the lot. The immobiliser bit worked by cutting the supply to the coil by the look of things. Brookjm_jr is a bit too young to be handing tools, but he was happy enough dribbling on the gear selector whilst his Dad was using language thankfully for now at least he won't remember. All sorted now though.

 

Shut up!!!!!

 

 

The culprit. Reminded me why I hate cobbled up aftermarket alarms

 

Otherwise its running sweetly, I think its got some sort of cheap aftermarket exhaust as though it doesnt blow it makes some odd resonant noises at certain revs when the engine and gas flow must be at some critical point or whatever. When I parked up today I noticed though a few of the tires are a bit old and probably want renewing. So overall its dodged being bangered again and (minus the alarm) keeps being steady and dependable transport.

[HillmanImp]

Hi, I rang half an hour ago. I am outside Falcons Kebabs going to Prinny Ave but you have not turned up yet? How long are you going to be?

[HillmanImp]

I got wind and had to act fast, agreed to have it back and managed to arrange to keep it at work. 

 

Did you come out of this quids in?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Those aftermarket alarms are always such utter wank. Good work man!

[Pillock]

Tell me you left the alarm on the airfield and drove over it as you left.

[trigger]

Well done on saving it, again!

[RobT]

I hate alarms, PERIOD. 90s Rover ones can be a bit shit too just going off randomly, but the 220 seems to behave itself in that regard.

 

Well saved BTW. I hope you showed your displeasure at his bangering intentions, bloke is clearly a twat.

[dugong]

Aftermarket alarms and immobilisers are what snuffed out loads of Ford Probes. PHACKT. 

Great work with this, by the way. 

[holbeck]

I had a right stress with the Spyball alarm that was on my Suzuki. I disconnected it by doing the 'bomb squad' thing - opening the ecu and snipping wires until the siren effing stopped.

[Station]

I had the same Gemini system in my z31 - also a Nissan. Something tells me these were dealer fit, just like the Scorpion alarms on old Toyotas and Mercedes.

[captain_70s]

Can't express how much I like this motor. The alarm, not so much...

 

Anybody stealing my 1850 would earn my pity for having such low ambition and if somebody actually managed to get the 1300 started and down the street without it breaking down they've earned the damn thing.

[JohnK]

Glad you managed to save this from the banger buyer!

[PiperCub]

Can't remember the last time I saw a Bluebird estate. Superb machine by the looks of it, a top practical buy, esp. with all the original dealer shit (keyring, plates, stickers etc), true giffer style.

 

The condition doesn't totally surpirse me though as a collegue back in the nineties had one - literally forever - and it just never went wrong and always looked pretty smart even though he wasn't a car-guy at all and didn't really care about it too much - it was just a car, a means to get him to work etc.

Also, I had a £200 turbo saloon (D-reg I think) about 13/14 years ago, utterly worn out in all departments and I mean all! That wasn't at all rotten bodywise and everything worked, it lasted for a year without failing once so have fond memories of the barge. I think I've still got the 'Turbo' badge off it somewhere too.

[eddyramrod]

I'm trying to stop myself typing "I'll have it, give me your Paypal addy" but I'm not doing very well....

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Are you looking to rehome it??

[HMC]

TBH I wasn't planning to, but in some ways it would make sense to reduce numbers of old crocs sitting about, same old story really!

 

I must say though its really original and entirely un welded its not quite as nice as the pictures make out, particularly having had another crawl round it. The bottom corner of the passenger front door skin and shell has a fist sized hole, the drivers door and the rear hatch both have rust holes to the base of the inner shell. One rear arch has a 5p sized hole and the other a few scabs and the front floor to sill joint by the drivers side 'A post will start to become a hole if I prod hard enough I recon. Hence looking forward to getting more experience in letting in some repairs in those areas.

 

The tin it's made of feels fairly thin so setting the welder up to match this ( on low enough settings) will be important.

 

I've been watching lanky tim's part worn thread as I think it needs at least 2 new tyres, it's covered so few miles the last 10 years that they are looking past it. I chucked it around an s bend at the weekend and my confidence was not inspired. There's a way of checking when the tyres were made but I can't remember exactly.

[eddyramrod]

A tyre should have a four-digit code stamped into the sidewall, something like 1206 for example.  AFAIK that should mean it was made in week 12 of 2006, but I could be adrift there.  You should find it in an oval panel.

[cms206]

I love the look of that Bluebird even more every time I see it...

[Forty-two]

I had a hatch version of the bluebird, great car but a couple of comedy faults cropped up before I swapped it for a Range Rover.

 

1. Window guides in the door rotted/disintegrated causing the window to fall at an angle. This happened on the motorway just as it was starting to rain. Window does not work at an angle.

 

2. Petrol filler pipe rotted/disintegrated so when filling with pez, 50pence worth of £5 worth went on the floor. Filling beyond £20 ment anything more went on the floor.

 

Worth checking the filler pipe...

[dave j]

I saw this car parked up at Yelverton rock yesterday! I was there at about 12:30 with the mrs on her horse and wondered who's it was as there was no-one around. It looked far too good to end up on the banger track so glad you saved it again!

[HMC]

Small world! Yes that was me, Just before I got back to it and the alarm went into meltdown. On p2 are pics of it at the rock whilst I was disentangling the alarm from the car.
 

[UltraWomble]

Last time I saw ( and sat in ) one of these was 1989 when I was nobbing a girl from Buxton. Lovely car, with a bit of fettling could be very nice indeed.

 

Alarm systems do my fruit as well. The Mavericks was binned off very early in its stay with me.

[oldcars]

Last time I saw ( and sat in ) one of these was 1989 when I was nobbing a girl from Buxton. Lovely car, with a bit of fettling could be very nice indeed.

 

Alarm systems do my fruit as well. The Mavericks was binned off very early in its stay with me.

The car or the girl??

[KruJoe]

... which is why the front styling is different to the hatch/saloon.

 

I wondered what was going on at the front. Every day's a school day.

[HMC]

Sorted out the tyre issue cheaply with a locally sourced set of decent tyres on some datsun wheels that match with the PCD/ stud pattern. I think theyre of an early 80s Z or something similar. I must admit I was more keen on the decent tyres than the look of them but theyre growing on me. Ive still got the steels and will get a set of part worns or if i'm feeling flush maybe a new set of covers when time and money allow.

 

 

Its now out on loan to a friend and helping with a house move. Its square porportions are gr9 for stuffing with boxes apparently......