Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - 145 back up and running - 15/04/26

[captain_70s]

Went back through photos and it's been cracked since it came out the workshop, so it passed it's MOT like that.

The screen is delaminating in all four corners to varying degrees and the stress of the car being jacked up repeatedly on all four corners during welding probably didn't sit too well with it.

[Talbot]

The delaminating cloudiness around the crack would suggest it's been there for a little while.

If you do manage to find someone scrapping an Acclaim/Civic2, the best way to approach matters would be to have them cut the seal to get the screen out without any drama, then remove your screen without worrying too much if you break it (more than it is).  That way you then have a good screen and a good seal.  Copious amounts of fairy-up lipsquid, many wooden lolly sticks and some patience will then see it fitted.

Did a CX like that a while back.  Worked perfectly.

[Supernaut]

My E36 has a crack just like that in the bottom right-hand corner, you can't even see it from inside as it's on the black bit of the glass, in front of the dashboard.

It's been there since before I got hold of it in 2016...

[MorrisItalSLX]

Bung a sticker over it, job jobbed.

[captain_70s]

Update.

Acclaim has been back in every-other-day use for several weeks now, it's running passably. There is something still not quite right with it, whether it be an ignition timing issue or some vac hose related rubbish it's still misfiring on one cylinder.

I put the interior back in today, I'd been running around in it with just the front seats installed while tracing water leaks...

First, seats back out.

Then installed some closed cell foam pads to attempt to reduce road noise as much as possible.

Then carpets and plastic trims back in place.

Ingenious engineering solutions for releasing the bonnet pull surround.

Seats back in.

I celebrated the interior being back in by dropping a fog light when refitting.

Those are £200 odd a pair.

[Supernaut]

Fixed.

[captain_70s]

Multiple possible, repair/replacement options have been sourced for the fogs. Watch this space.

Took the Saab to work on Friday to keep the battery charged and brakes unstuck. Came out of work and it wouldn't start, again. Spins over fine, not a cough or splutter to be had. I tried fiddling with connectors under the bonnet, wiggling the key, cleaning the ignition barrel with paper towels jammed in with a coffee stirrer, locking, unlocking, moving the immobiliser chip about etc but it wasn't having it.

Battery eventually started dying and nobody had jump leads (mine are in the wrong car), so I abandoned it at work and got the train home.

Thank fuck I have a spare car, thinks I. Then Saturday happened.

Drove into town to collect Girlfriend_70s, stopped at the supermarket and returned to a 100% dead car. Thankfully the Acclaim's level of technology is slightly more my area of expertise and after checking the battery connections were good I discovered the main 55amp fuse had blown. Naturally I bought some of these ages ago, except they were 45amp, and I'd not put them in the car. Not to be deterred I substituted in a hex key, so it's now a 200amp slow blow.

New fuses in the post. Last time I checked the fuse it did look like it'd been running hot, probably some fucking earthing problem...

[captain_70s]

Paint on the rear bumper had reacted and gone bubbly and white. I'm a man of low standards but even for me it was too shit looking to live with.

Sanded, masked and rattle canned.

[captain_70s]

 

 

[Talbot]

The way your hand jumps off the key in shock as the car starts is indicative of how much you didn't expect it to start.

[jonathan_dyane]

Crank position sensor probably.

The bastard 

[SiC]

I know the 9-3 definitely does but I think the 9-5 also says "Key Not Recognised" if the Key can't be read and the immobiliser is not disabled. 

I'd put money on the crank sensor too. 

[SiC]

Looks easy to change if that manifold heat shield comes off ok. So probably a bastard then. At least you don't have to go underneath.

http://saabworld.net/showthread.php?t=648

 

[jonathan_dyane]

Its a pain but doable. Don’t however be tempted to omit the pain in the ass heat shield unless you want to do it again next month. Also make sure the old O ring comes off the block and you don’t end up with two which would be a problem. 

[captain_70s]

Last night the Saab fired up and drove home with no problems at all. Shall investigate in the future.

Today I must get the train to work so I can drive the Acclaim home.

[greengartside]

On 4/20/2021 at 10:08 PM, captain_70s said:

 

Those are £200 odd a pair.

I may have a solution.

This Daimler has come into my local scrappers.

Wait, what’s this......?

 

That looks the same as yours? The other one is more shafted than Robert Kilroy-Silk.

[vulgalour]

For a terrifying second there I thought you were suggesting the entire Daimler as the solution and Captain being unable to stop himself from doing something unbelievably heroic*.

[GingerNuttz]

Daimler engine in the green Dolly !!! Get that asthmatic single carb donkey scrapped 😂

[greengartside]

10 minutes ago, GingerNuttz said:

Daimler engine in the green Dolly !!! Get that asthmatic single carb donkey scrapped 😂

5.3 V12 for the ultimate WIN.

[mk2_craig]

1 hour ago, vulgalour said:

For a terrifying second there I thought you were suggesting the entire Daimler as the solution and Captain being unable to stop himself from doing something unbelievably heroic*.

That makes perfect sense. There’s still one mint condition lamp on the Acclaim, so Capn has everything required to get that Daimler shipshape again. 

[greengartside]

12 minutes ago, mk2_craig said:

That makes perfect sense. There’s still one mint condition lamp on the Acclaim, so Capn has everything required to get that Daimler shipshape again. 

Buy a foglamp, get a Daimler free! 🤣🤣

Might have been worth it because of the mileage, not so much the horrendous rot. It’s a flintstones special underneath.

[captain_70s]

22 hours ago, greengartside said:

I may have a solution.

 

21 hours ago, GingerNuttz said:

Daimler engine in the green Dolly !!! Get that asthmatic single carb donkey scrapped 😂

T1300 lump, it's only got a design life of 50,000 miles, it'll scrap itself before you know it.

[GingerNuttz]

1 hour ago, captain_70s said:

 

T1300 lump, it's only got a design life of 50,000 miles, it'll scrap itself before you know it.

Well when the big ends rattle and you drive it down south with hee haw oil pressure 50k would be the limit 😂

 

[Yoss]

Mine has just cleared 150,000. It was on 46,000 when I bought it a mere 26 years ago. I have rebuilt it twice. So I'd say you are pretty much spot on the money there. 

[captain_70s]

Plugging away with random stuff on the old Acclaim.

Bought a knock-off Cibie fog light for £30 on eBay, it's slightly bigger in all dimensions but in person you don't notice. Mostly because it's so much shinier...

Did a proof on concept with heat shrink wrap to see if I liked yellow fogs. I didn't.

The exhaust rattle was also doing my nut in. Seemingly Mk2 Acclaims (as mine is) have an additional bracket at the downpipe to address issues with excess vibration and stress cracking at the flange (ooh er). Mine has been in the boot ever since I bought the car, so today I had a rummage through my box of random nuts and bolts and lashed it up.

Utilising nature's ramps...

Bracket.

Where bracket go.

Bracket go'd.

You'll note it's not actually tight, when tight the downpipe blows. It's a cheap steel exhaust from the only supplier that makes them, so likely isn't the most amazing fit. So I backed off the bolts until it stopped blowing with the car running, it certainly seems to rattle less. I shall test it proper on the commute tomorrow.

Still to do (in no particular order):

Replace radiator
Replace rear light seals
Reattach door rubbing strips with better tape
Mudflaps
Work out why the heater fan no longer runs at slow speed
Respray the car

[somewhatfoolish]

Shim the clamp with precision* shim stock obtained at the offy = Tronda replicating Rolls Royce refinement, probably.

[Talbot]

8 hours ago, captain_70s said:

Respray the car

Hasn't that just been done?

[Jikovron]

Are the bracket holes quite big, just the large washers on the engine block bolts look to be stopping the bracket sliding over and meeting the downpipe? Maybe trim them to a D shape and elongate the holes in the bracket for another BL production line tactic! 

[High Jetter]

9 hours ago, captain_70s said:

Work out why the heater fan no longer runs at slow speed

I'd start at the rheostat which controls the motor speed, usually mounted most conveniently* on the heater box. Mudflaps were big accessory sales for the main dealers when they were new.

[Stanky]

Could you wrap some exhaust wrap around that very specific section to absorb any metal-on-metal vibration? Would likely only need a couple of layers just to pad out the gap between exhaust pipe and bracket?