Heer iz mai Proton - crap pics page 2!

[MrDuke]

It's 9:30AM and I'm positioned thusly:



This can only mean ONE THING.

[oldcars]

Yes collection

 

Is it a reliant or an Umm??

[320touring]

Yes collection

 

Is it a reliant or an Umm??

Reliant body on Umm chassis= Rum;)

[messerschmitt owner]

there are no more UMMs to go round!

[jonny69]

An hour and a half and no reply.

 

THE DUKE IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE DUKE!

[MrDuke]

Fear not. I'm approaching Cavland.

 

 

I can almost smell the Colour Magic & Back To Black from here.

[EssDeeWon]

A certain little french number that goes by the name of Mardi Gras?

[MrDuke]

Much as I'd lust after a 106 Auto, I didn't alight from the train. I did have to change seats though, as I can't stand going backwards.

 

 

Onwards and downwards.

[jonny69]

Now where are you?

[MrDuke]

Here:

 

[oldcars]

Is that Magaluf?

[MrDuke]

Behold! The shelf of much pointlessness:

 

[chaseracer]

It's either Japanese, or a small 1980s Rover.  Above all, it's shite.

 

As you were.

[Station]

Proton.

 

(Or Lancer)

[cms206]

IS IT J-REG?!

[oldcars]

Nice, im going for a Proton too, saying that don't remember seeing many last time i was throwing some shapes in Magaluf.

[Aston Martin]

Definitely an MPI.

[Jim Bell]

Interesting question from Wiki:

 

"Is the Proton fundamentally stable? Or does it decay with a finite lifetime as predicted by some extensions to the standard model?"

[MrDuke]

Not a J-reg I'm afraid, or even a K-reg. Possibly a contender for late registration madness though?

 

 

Currently making surprisingly good progress considering the absence of half a clutch, too.

I couldn't get a clear shot when I re-fuelled so you'll have to make do with this one:

 

 

There's a petrol station in there somewhere.

[vulgalour]

I'm seriously freaking jealous right now, I love these things and I've never even sat in one!

[Jim Bell]

Thats a winner!

Well bought man. I'm sure some telly program did a bangernomics experiment where some bloke bought a similar car with a similar clutch and drove it round for months. He loved it as I recall.

 

Edit* found link.

 

[MrDuke]

Finally made it home about 15 minutes ago - would've been about 2 hours ago but for the M5. And the M6.

 

I'm far too knackered to write anything about the car that actually makes any sense, so I shall just say that I R SRSLY HAPY with it. Photos etc will follow tomorrow, probably.

 

Must also say thanks to Sam (Red5) for holding on to it - a thoroughly nice chap too. Gr9 seller, wud buy again A+++++ etc etc.

[Cavcraft]

Nice one, I was eyeing this up too, but I get the DTs if I travel more than about 10 miles to get a car. I can't see a clutch being overly difficult to do on one of these.

Verdict: MARRY.

[MrDuke]

No photos today, because I had to do some stuff, or something. Here's some tedious waffle for the benefit of those with no Saga experience, and insomniacs:

 

So yeah, drives like an absolute honey on the motorways/A55, apart from the clutch. The most annoying part isn't actually the slippage itself, it's the fact that the engine's so quiet you have to really strain to hear how it's revving. I'll keep my eyes peeled for some SE(?) clocks at some point, as I need* a rev-counter regardless of clutch issues. I'm also tempted to try and swap in some power steering - I'm not bothered by parking etc without it, but it's quite heavy on junctions & roundabouts, even with the huge steering wheel.

The only other job that really needs doing is a front brake overhaul - they stop perfectly well, but do seem to be rubbing quite a lot, especially round corners. The rears have already been sorted by red5, which is handy. There were a couple of really minor advisories on the last test, but nothing to stress about.

 

The photos in the ad didn't really do the body justice, it really is incredibly clean and tidy. The panels, being flattish and made of paper-thin metal, are extremely easy to deform, but there are no dents at all other than the front quarter damage. Plenty of marks in the paint, so I'll try and beg/borrow/steal a mop at some point to sort them, but apart from that it's a right looker. No rot to speak of, either - just a smattering of surface rust on the door-ledges and boot floor (which had been underwater for quite a while). ISTR the shells on these were galvanized, could be wrong though.

The worst wear seems to have been on the rubbers - the door seals are rather tattered, and the lower window seals are quite perished. Nothing some linseed oil won't help hide, mind.

 

I've also discovered that there's a thriving aftermarket industry for these in Malaysia, where they sold them far more recently. After getting past the bodykits and window-tints, I found some very useful stuff indeed. I dread to think how much it'd cost to send it here. Best get saving then.

 

Photos tomorrow, really.

[MrDuke]

Some blurry pictures, after a half-hearted SRP session:

 

 

 

 

Plastics have come up really well after soaking with oil:

 

 

 

And the all-important dealer plates:

 

 

On the subject of the dealer, I tried to track them down online, but they appear to be a Morgan/Lotus specialist, est. 1902, with a knack for tracking down obscure sports cars for suitably minted customers. I'd love to believe that they also sold Protons from the back door, but its highly unlikely. Any Bristolians able to shed some light?

[tooSavvy]

Be Prepared..... 4 grief in the DISK Dept.

 

You need to strip the whole hub/CV joint as the discs are fitted 'behind the hub'... 'Inboard'.... rather than held on by the wheels (AKA everyone else...)

 

 

TS

[Jim Bell]

That looks fucking lush dude.

[mat_the_cat]

Plastics have come up really well after soaking with oil:

 

I'd be interested to know how that holds up medium/long term? I've heard linseed oil mentioned, as well as using a hot air gun - and with both the instant results look great. But heard nothing about what it looks like after a few months (especially in the Welsh rain...)

 

I have several pieces of black plastic on the Stellar to tackle shortly!

[MrDuke]

I've used boiled linseed oil a few times, and it seems to hold up for around 6 months or thereabouts, although we do get considerably less rainfall here than the mainland. It does take a while to dry off, and sometimes needs a couple of applications, so you need a dry day (or two) to do a proper job. I don't mind re-applying it a couple of times a year though, considering the difference it makes.

I've never used the heat-gun method, as it seems a bit counter-productive in the long term - you're basically drawing any residual pigment to the surface, which will eventually get bleached/washed out too, with no gain. At least by applying oil, you're preventing the plastic getting too brittle and cracking. Unless you have a mk1 Mondeo - nothing will help that.

[mat_the_cat]

That makes sense - you're not actually replenishing oils by applying heat. All the trim is off at the moment and in the dry, so I suppose now is the ideal time to be working on it until the car comes back. I wonder how linseed oil compares to silicone spray?