Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[wuvvum]

On 14/03/2026 at 20:48, Six-cylinder said:

Phil is currently running around in a 1989 957cc 4 speed base Fiesta, interesting but I wouldn’t swap my “Fix it again Toni” for his “Fix or Repair Daily”!

Being pedantic (unlike me I know), the 957cc Valencia engine was ditched at the end of Mk2 production - the 1-litre Mk3 got a 999cc HCS.

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

46 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

What area?

Van = Landsdowne Road, Bedford

Stiletto = New Garden Street, Stafford

[Six-cylinder]

21 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Being pedantic (unlike me I know), the 957cc Valencia engine was ditched at the end of Mk2 production - the 1-litre Mk3 got a 999cc HCS.

Reprimand accepted!

The only Fiesta I have ever owned was a facelift MK 1 1100. My memory says it was a Pop, but the badge on the tailgate says L, can you tell which it was?

 

[Wibble]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Reprimand accepted!

The only Fiesta I have ever owned was a facelift MK 1 1100. My memory says it was a Pop, but the badge on the tailgate says L, can you tell which it was?

 

Rear wiper, must be an L?

[Six-cylinder]

The Fiesta story

I believe this was 1998, I was with my boss on the motorway in a hired Transit Luton van and the knackered old thing would only do 55mph. Bored by the journey we turned to our favourite subject cars. He told me he had been offered a Fiesta for £70 running with a few months MOT. I asked if he was going to buy it, we spent the next 30 mins talking about it and in the end he said he was not going to buy it. So to get some excitement into the day I said can I then. With that he phoned the seller, the body work guy from our Alfa specialist and the negotiation to include delivery was done on the telephone on the Motorway. The day felt much better for purchasing a car I did not need.

[hairnet]

not much has changed at six cyl towers

[adw1977]

18 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

The only Fiesta I have ever owned was a facelift MK 1 1100. My memory says it was a Pop, but the badge on the tailgate says L, can you tell which it was?

 

An L should have a reversing light.

If the car had a replacement tailgate from an L then it would have the rear wiper (not standard on Popular) although it wouldn't work!

EDIT: L would also have bright bumpers and chrome trim along the bottom of the side windows, while a Popular would have black door handles, so I reckon the combination of black bumpers with bright door handles means ONC418W was Popular Plus that at some point had a replacement tailgate from an L.

Jan 1981 brochure

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, adw1977 said:

An L should have a reversing light.

If the car had a replacement tailgate from an L then it would have the rear wiper (not standard on Popular) although it wouldn't work!

EDIT: L would also have bright bumpers and chrome trim along the bottom of the side windows, while a Popular would have black door handles, so I reckon the combination of black bumpers with bright door handles means ONC418W was Popular Plus that at some point had a replacement tailgate from an L.

Jan 1981 brochure

It was first registered  Dec 1980 so could have been a 1980 model year hang over, were they any different?

[adw1977]

There was no Popular or Popular Plus trim level for the 1980 model year, just a base badged simply "Fiesta".  L would still have a reversing light and bright bumpers.

[beko1987]

Thanks for having me over to play!

Spent a very enjoyable (and at times far too hot) day today, we got a car cleaned!

Water spots everywhere

And the paintwork was dull. And full of water spots

We donned the DA and we're quickly impressed!

The pads weren't, their quickly filled with paint but a gentle 2 passes soon had the water spots out and the gloss back

That X2 then a 3rd full pass with some finer polish, then a coat of Ceramic liquid and it ca.e up a treat! I then gave the inside a good vacuum and wipe down

And it looks beautiful now! Even the bonnet came round a bit, and might come round some more another day but it was mega hot and the polish wasn't playing ball.

I hear I get to play again in a week or so with 2 more vehicles which will be great fun to transform!

[AnthonyG]

On 01/03/2026 at 19:50, Six-cylinder said:

The bit of the content that surprised me most was all the cigarette ads! I had forgotten that was a thing.

That’s really quite rude, and also very clever wordplay! Most ads are written by AI now, we are going to lose this sort of wit. 

[Six-cylinder]

Today @beko1987 did a wonderful job detailing the Rolls Royce.

All the blue paint was looking very blotchy, it responded well to a wash then a machine orbital polisher with Meguiars Ultimate compound, followed by Ultimate polish, Ultimate wax, then Meguiars ceramic. Also, he produced some of his favourite products on the tricky bits. Every panel got at least 4 layers of work. The black top to the bonnet looked like it was grey, but came back to black. The worst bit was the n-s front wing that looked like it was covered in dirt after washing. Even that was much improved when Beko had finished.

Tomorrow I plan to take it to a classic show in Milton Keynes.

[beko1987]

We made it reflective 👌 your going to be a menace to other road users tomorrow if it's a sunny day again 😂

[Zelandeth]

3 hours ago, beko1987 said:

Thanks for having me over to play!

Spent a very enjoyable (and at times far too hot) day today, we got a car cleaned!

Water spots everywhere

And the paintwork was dull. And full of water spots

We donned the DA and we're quickly impressed!

The pads weren't, their quickly filled with paint but a gentle 2 passes soon had the water spots out and the gloss back

That X2 then a 3rd full pass with some finer polish, then a coat of Ceramic liquid and it ca.e up a treat! I then gave the inside a good vacuum and wipe down

And it looks beautiful now! Even the bonnet came round a bit, and might come round some more another day but it was mega hot and the polish wasn't playing ball.

I hear I get to play again in a week or so with 2 more vehicles which will be great fun to transform!

Seems a good day's work.  There are three cars here you're welcome to if you really enjoy making things shiny that much!

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Today @beko1987 did a wonderful job detailing the Rolls Royce.

All the blue paint was looking very blotchy, it responded well to a wash then a machine orbital polisher with Meguiars Ultimate compound, followed by Ultimate polish, Ultimate wax, then Meguiars ceramic. Also, he produced some of his favourite products on the tricky bits. Every panel got at least 4 layers of work. The black top to the bonnet looked like it was grey, but came back to black. The worst bit was the n-s front wing that looked like it was covered in dirt after washing. Even that was much improved when Beko had finished.

Tomorrow I plan to take it to a classic show in Milton Keynes.

The little man from the village did a good job. What are you treating the roof with?

[beko1987]

40 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

The little man from the village did a good job. What are you treating the roof with?

Nothing currently. I fear whatever we may try will just run down the whole car in heat/rain over time 😬

Had a good wash then dry before it streaked and comes up well luckily

[Six-cylinder]

Traded Our matt pink car for a bright red shinny one!

Today @beko1987 came with a work gang to detail our Mazda 323 GLK 1.5, what a transformation. 

Thank You.

[beko1987]

Thanks fir letting me come over to play!

It was very faded and there was junk in all the crevices

Signs of the original dealership sticker (matches the dealership rear plate font)

But zero reflections otherwise 

It had a bloody good wash and a very good clay bar, which was brilliant, the paint oozed shite out, was very satisfying. Eva had a go but as I found when polishing the bonnet didn't achieve 100% coverage 😢 

Set Charlie off with the Vtuf Mini X2

I then got polishing and holy moly it came up well fast

Got 80% finished on the roof and suddenly there was lots of foam appearing... Odd, carried on then the polisher started making a wierd noise so I stopped and realised the backing plate was about to fully disintegrate which was rather annoying. So, the bonnet, drivers wing and roof was done with machine, the rest by hand! Hand polished with meguiars compound it did come shiny fast. Not much depth sadly but it was coming up.

Did every panel with 2 goes with meguiars, then I found some turtle wax polish and wax stuff which once shaken back together in the bottle was a nice easy on/easy off 'thing' to clean the claggy meguiars off (never liked megs stuff by hand, it doesn't break down as well and goes chalky). Then 2 layers of the guvnor's ceramic glaze, then I have it a good coat of Nattys Blue paste wax cos I bloody love the stuff and haven't used it in years and bought a new tub recently. Perfect for the hot warm day it had become as it's lovely to buff when warm

All trim cleaned and dressed but it was drinking that up so may want another coat soon, tyres dressed, glass polished inside and out and we put the boot back together. An e ay special box of assorted trim clips were bought forth and we found some tree clips that fitted fine so got rhe boot trim reattached and the spare wheel + tools back in their home after The Accident.

Thoroughly good day, it wants hitting again with the da when fixed, but won't take long to really glow now the prep work is done. Another clay wouldn't do it amiss to get the bits eva missed 😡 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

4 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Thanks fir letting me come over to play!

It was very faded and there was junk in all the crevices

Signs of the original dealership sticker (matches the dealership rear plate font)

But zero reflections otherwise 

It had a bloody good wash and a very good clay bar, which was brilliant, the paint oozed shite out, was very satisfying. Eva had a go but as I found when polishing the bonnet didn't achieve 100% coverage 😢 

Set Charlie off with the Vtuf Mini X2

I then got polishing and holy moly it came up well fast

Got 80% finished on the roof and suddenly there was lots of foam appearing... Odd, carried on then the polisher started making a wierd noise so I stopped and realised the backing plate was about to fully disintegrate which was rather annoying. So, the bonnet, drivers wing and roof was done with machine, the rest by hand! Hand polished with meguiars compound it did come shiny fast. Not much depth sadly but it was coming up.

Did every panel with 2 goes with meguiars, then I found some turtle wax polish and wax stuff which once shaken back together in the bottle was a nice easy on/easy off 'thing' to clean the claggy meguiars off (never liked megs stuff by hand, it doesn't break down as well and goes chalky). Then 2 layers of the guvnor's ceramic glaze, then I have it a good coat of Nattys Blue paste wax cos I bloody love the stuff and haven't used it in years and bought a new tub recently. Perfect for the hot warm day it had become as it's lovely to buff when warm

All trim cleaned and dressed but it was drinking that up so may want another coat soon, tyres dressed, glass polished inside and out and we put the boot back together. An e ay special box of assorted trim clips were bought forth and we found some tree clips that fitted fine so got rhe boot trim reattached and the spare wheel + tools back in their home after The Accident.

Thoroughly good day, it wants hitting again with the da when fixed, but won't take long to really glow now the prep work is done. Another clay wouldn't do it amiss to get the bits eva missed 😡 

Cracking work. I really like this era of 323 and wish I'd snapped up the ex-FOAD mega low miler which was up for £2.5k the other day. Such a rare car now. 

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Traded Our matt pink car for a bright red shinny one!

Today @beko1987 came with a work gang to detail our Mazda 323 GLK 1.5, what a transformation. 

Thank You.

More child labour! Are you paying in Easter eggs?

[beko1987]

18 minutes ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Cracking work. I really like this era of 323 and wish I'd snapped up the ex-FOAD mega low miler which was up for £2.5k the other day. Such a rare car now. 

It is very nice, I was taken for a drive in it the other week whwn we did the rolls and it gets down the road fine, really well infact (familiar roads for Mr cylinder 😂 )

Inside is lovely. All the controls fall to hand and the seats are really comfortable despite being quite thin skinny seats. The velour vacuumed up very nicely 

[Bear]

I 100% approve of the toothbrush action there.

I get funny looks if people walk past when I'm brandishing a toothbrush at a mucky old car.

[hairnet]

two bucket wrong un to the max right there 

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Cracking work. I really like this era of 323 and wish I'd snapped up the ex-FOAD mega low miler which was up for £2.5k the other day. Such a rare car now. 

It belongs to Mrs6C and considering I was allowed to use it, but now I am ready to go back to my Morris 1300 she might sell it to you.

[hairnet]

1 minute ago, Six-cylinder said:

 go back to my Morris 1300 

wash your mouth out

 

[Bear]

4 minutes ago, hairnet said:

wash your mouth out

 

@beko1987 better get the toothbrush ready again

[Six-cylinder]

The heater in my Mini Mayfair has never worked.

Today I have been helped with my Mini by @Slowsilver and his friend Thomas from the Milton Keynes Mini Club . First was the blocked washer jets and then onto the heater problem. All pipes were checked for blockages, valve checked, opens fine but dribbles a bit into heater when closed. Heater box removed and the matrix taken out and flushed through, although it was not blocked. We never really found anything, all reassembled and we will see if it works better. 

The last help of the day was to get the car to the house so I can use it over the weekend.

[hairnet]

 mazda ❤️

 

[Six-cylinder]

The Mini is doing errands today, it just looks so tiny beside other cars.

I topped the fuel tank today for the last 103 miles and it comes out at 32 mpg.

[GeorgeB]

3 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

The Mini is doing errands today, it just looks so tiny beside other cars.

I topped the fuel tank today for the last 103 miles and it comes out at 32 mpg.

Where's your blue badge?