Dollywobbler's Dinky (ex) Daihatsu - Boring update.

[PiperCub]

I pass John Childs garage a couple of times each week and have known him for about 50 years. I think he still has a few new ones in stock. Let me know if you need anything DW.

I think I recognise that place (used to live in Kent), is that the one between Ashford and New Romney area? It looks frighteningly familiar and I haven't been there in many years! (Used to date a girl who lived in Ashford).

 

I'm wondering if this car drives anything like this Daihatsu thing owned by a young lad at a place I used to work at had in the late 90's. He called it the Tonka Toy - appropriate name! As the companies resisdent 'car-guy' he was keen for me to drive it (bear in mind I drove an early Lancia Integrale at the time). We took it out, what a scream it was too! Talk about short gearing with an engine that revved and made power like a two-stroke, the amazingly super-slick gearbox (5 speed) had to be stirred like a bastard but it was huge fun in the same way as cog-swapping on a 2-stroke motorbike can be. It weighed about nothing & could also be hurled around a la 2CV style and gripped way better than it had any right to do considering it's a basic town/shopping/housefrau car, I was impressed.

Would imagine doing any distance on the open road would be the worst kind of hell but short distances on A/B roads was great fun.

[Slappy]

It's Brabourne Lees, just north of the A20. My Great-Grandparents used to own the pub at the top of the hill in my 3rd pic ^^

[pandamonium]

I've had three Nippas, cool little cars. I'll have it when you're bored - swaps for Acclaim!? 

[scruff]

That's quite a funky thing DW, much more appealing than the Sirion. I love how the front numberplate makes the car look like a "Little Tykes" motor someone's stuck a discarded plate on. 

[dollywobbler]

It would be amusing to take the Nippa back to the dealership. It looks utterly shitetastic! What a place. Sadly, I think after yesterday, I'd have to Shiply the car there rather than drive it!

 

Tyres are 145 R12! That's two inches smaller than the Sirion, though it still seems pretty grippy. I really hurled it into a wet roundabout last night and it just went around it. Mrs DW likes it, though she hasn't driven it yet...

[Andrew353w]

Hey DW, have some gratuitous photos of the John Childs garage from a rainy day last August.

 

 

 

 

To add to his shitre credentials, he also sold Dacias and Yugos

This garage is a PERFECT Autoshite garage! Perodua & Dacia cars, together with Pace fuels! Worth a pilgrimage drive to see how it's changed!

[Bobthebeard]

On a recent holiday in Malaysia I had a Perodua Viva auto as a hire car. Petrol is cheap there admittedly, but ran it for a week and 450 odd miles for less than £10 of pez. Got quite attached to it really. The three pot roar on acceleration was great! Tiny car, but did all that was asked of it and did it quite well.

Verdict. Would.

[dollywobbler]

So, it turns out that I've bought a leaky car for a change*.

 

A likely culprit. This area will be soaked with Cap'n Tolley's white jizz.

 

It seems the doors weren't designed with speakers in mind.

 

The manual interior light and non-dipping rear view mirror. Even my 2CV has a dipping mirror!

 

Speaking of which, these sunvisors are similarly flimsy.

 

A fairly poor interior shot. It was getting dark. Note all of the exposed metal and the hilarous gaps at each end of the dashboard.

 

"Invisible" switchgear. Mind you, I can't see the XM's rear wiper switch from the wheel either. 

 

Engine shot.

 

Thought I'd have a nosy at the air filter. Hmmmm.

 

I have replaced the front wiper blades but the garage didn't have a small one for the rear. I made one out of a cut-down blade. It seems the rear screen wash hasn't been used for a VERY long time judging by the muck that came out...

 

Now, have a live action shot of the shy Mrs DW enjoying her first test drive. And she did enjoy it! "It's very like the Mini," she enthused. I believe this is what's known as a Result.

[Station]

The doors actually have speaker holes in them. I think the pockets were an after thought, they didn't come on these special edition Nips. If it's got metallic paint, they're 'special edition'.

If it's running rough, check the vacuum pipes behind the inlet.

That's enough of my sad knowledge for now.

[hairnet]

 

Now, have a live action shot of the shy Mrs DW enjoying her first test drive. And she did enjoy it! "It's very like the Mini," she enthused. I believe this is what's known as Never getting it back.

[JohnK]

Quite like the look of this....

 

(From the guy who classes a Vauxhall Astra as too small a car).

[pbottomley]

Good to see some three in a bed action

 

[oldcars]

Love this, the Shuma has the hidden controls for the rear wiper too. Nightmare at night as they don't light up.

[robinmasters]

This garage is a PERFECT Autoshite garage! Perodua & Dacia cars, together with Pace fuels! Worth a pilgrimage drive to see how it's changed!

Not very much at all. It's Woolpack Hill in Brabourne Lees, I'm not sure how old the Google street view pictures are though.

[Bamboocarman]

DW: a great choice for a serious fun reliable easy to run car.

 

Wot a bargain !

 

Greatly looking forward to updates on progress.

[brickwall]

Of note. The Pace and Proteus fuels were owned by the guy who used to own 75% of Aston MArtin. They used to supply airports and stuff and was sold to Texaco. Proteus is now Texaco's "cheep brand" in which they charge more and put less additives in.

[DVee8]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Perodua-Nippa-c1998-UK-Market-Sales-Brochure-/230480237279

 

[Vantman]

Not very much at all. It's Woolpack Hill in Brabourne Lees, I'm not sure how old the Google street view pictures are though.

 

I went by about midday today and it still looks the same as in the photo's posted by Slappy.

[dollywobbler]

As the car came with oil and a filter, I thought it only sensible to put these things in/on the car. However, the oil supplied was 15w40 - too thick. I'll use that on the 2CV and XM instead. Because Daihatsu engines are tiny, I had plenty of oil left after I did an oil change on the Sirion, so 5w30 was dumped in.

 

Because I'm hopeless, I managed yet another oil spillage - this time when removing the oil filter. Always nice when the filter undoes by hand though! Only tool used was a 14mm socket for the sump plug. 

 

Having a rummage in the boot, I found the original tool kit. Doesn't look much used!

 

Seems to run much more sweetly now, which is nice. One slightly noisy tappet, which the seller mentioned, but as they're manually set with shims, I won't be worrying much about that.

 

Vantman - I did email the garage as I need air and (presumably there is one) fuel filters. I like that they have an AOL email account! They don't seem to respond to it though. I'm sure I could get them on Ebay, but I think a garage like that deserves support!

[pbottomley]

Its always worth an oil change on these, here is the underneath of the rocker cover of one that"shall we say" may never of seen an oil change?

 

PS notice the A series like tappet adjuster, no shims in this engine?

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Ah, ok. I'll have to get the feeler gauges out! Shims must be later versions of this engine. Just back in from giving a wash. £300 CONKURS TWAT pics to follow shortly.

[dollywobbler]

It's amazing what a damp cloth can do to an engine bay.

 

Inside my Nippa's rocker cover looks pretty good!

 

I got all CONKURS on the fuel filler and door shuts.

 

These indicator lights are ridiculously bright. Check out my low miles yo.

 

A minor issue when it's in fifth...

[hairnet]

scroo and loknut

 

proverbial piece of............

[pbottomley]

 

 

 

 

 

A minor issue when it's in fifth...

 

 

I have the same issue.... I have a spare gearstick assembly and I am going to crank the gear leaver over to one side so I can get my foot off the clutch pedal without having to remove the steering wheel... Once i have swapped mine out you are welcome to the old one (which you can then mod)

[dollywobbler]

Thanks. It may be necessary! Not sure how Mrs DW will get on with it as she's yet to go fast enough in it to require fifth gear. She's only had a local potter so far.

 

Have just remembered that it came with a service book. It was serviced every six months at first - often only doing a few hundred miles in between! No wonder the inside of the engine looks so clean. It has twice had the timing belt due. It's due again in another two years (in theory, Perodua doesn't seem to state a time interval) or 46,000 miles!

 

It really is an absolute hoot to drive. I had great fun on my post-oil-change hoon. 

[dollywobbler]

This is just silly. Original service book.

 

All that lovely synthetic motor oil, churning around for less than one thousand miles. The timing belt was first replaced at 7600 miles! It was done again at 10,600. Staggering.

 

I have found some surface rust creeping into the lower sill edges and nearside rear wheelarch. I reckon I'll just be soaking those bits in WD40 or something to try and keep the rot at bay. Some of the factory underseal is peeling off in the rear inner wheelarches too, so I might go crazy and spray some actual anti-corrosion gunk around there.

[Lacquer Peel]

That must be the most comprehensively serviced Nippa in history.

[dugong]

I see Daihatsu got its money's worth out of the tooling for the filler cap. Body hinge looks similar, too.

 

Daihatsu Charade G11 (introduced 1983):

 

 

Perodua Nippa:

 

[dollywobbler]

I don't know. They were very popular with elderly folk who barely drove them. There are a lot of cherished, low mileage ones about. I don't have any history at all from 10,000-24,000 miles.

 

Have just found a service bill for a new clutch at 10,600 miles! Total bill (including fresh coolant and replacement gearbox oil) £624.90. Blimey.

[dollywobbler]

Yuck Mr Dugong. I'm surprised you can bring yourself to show off such a filthy fuel filler. Tut tut.