Project Dr.Fraud's Private Scrapyard

[Tamworthbay]

Don't start Ken, I am having to resist.............

 

No space, no money, too many projects.........

 

It does look nice though.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Someone?

 

Well... Some people may be easier to persuade than others 

[Tamworthbay]

Beggar it, they are ganging up on me now.

[Sigmund Fraud]

It seems that my latest blog update was lost during the recent forum meltdown.

 

I CBA to write all the text again, so this time round I'll let the pictures do the talking :

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

In other fleet news...

 

The new* Nexens on the Loopoo are absolutely awful. Extremely noisy, prone to locking up under hard braking and simply lethal in the wet. They are one of the worst tyres I've ever driven on, and that's no mean feat. I'm currently looking for affordable replacements, then ebay beckons for the Nexens.

 

The ScAAB continues to provide sterling service, despite its remarkable thirst (30mpg on a run, which isn't great considering its light weight and modest performance). The recent good weather allowed me to take the scuttle panel off to assess the condition of the cabin filter :

 

 

How disgusting ! Stamped 2004, and likely to have been in place for at least a decade. That's what happens when cabin filters are expensive and inaccessible - people can't be bothered to replace them.

 

Anyway... £9 later, we had this :

 

 

Ah, a breath of fresh air !

[Robson3022]

I found the same when I changed Mrs Robson3022s cabin filter in her civic. Difference is the filter is in the footwell and is a 30 second job!

[purplebargeken]

^^ for smelly feet?

[Dirk Diggler]

They are some great pics; the Landy threw that head gasket out with disgust; and when did you last see a pair or Transit rear doors with so little rust

[Sigmund Fraud]

I'm currently looking for affordable replacements, then ebay beckons for the Nexens.

 

Replacement wheels have now been procured :

 

 

Hopefully, most people will think they're just a crappy set of steels.

[Sigmund Fraud]

I found the same when I changed Mrs Robson3022s cabin filter in her civic. Difference is the filter is in the footwell and is a 30 second job!

 

Yeah, Honda design engineers generally know their stuff. Sadly, there are still exceptions...

 

 

They are some great pics; the Landy threw that head gasket out with disgust; and when did you last see a pair or Transit rear doors with so little rust

 

The gasket doesn't belong to the Landy, I suspect it was kept in stock for one of the american shitters.

 

The state of the cars left outside was amazing, I had a quick look underneath them (as you do) and they were all really solid. I was really envious !

[Sigmund Fraud]

Update time !

 

Work has been hectic over the past few weeks, and I've had very little time to mess about with old cars.

 

I did spend some time behind the wheel of a new car, though :

 

 

I'm a big fan of the Fiesta Mk.6, but not of the Mk.7, which offers a thoroughly underwhelming driving experience. Yes, they're spacious, comfortable and easy to drive. But I added nearly 1000km to this thing's odometer and it's as if every single moment behind the wheel was erased from my memory the moment I returned the keys.

 

The (predictable) verdict was that all modern cars are shit.

 

But, unfortunately, old cars have also been a bit shit here at Fraud Towers.

 

The Loopoo has now covered 25K miles in my custody, but its days as a reliable daily may be about to end. The gearbox has become increasingly noisy over the past couple of weeks, and I suspect that the differential bearings are on their way out. This is, of course, a common problem of late 085 boxes, which are (allegedly) made of pressed sauerkraut and require a rebuild between 60-80K miles.

 

The trouble is that good used boxes are becoming very hard to find and I'm not sure I can be arsed to remove and rebuild the existing box (which would take a couple of weekends and £150 worth of parts).

 

So I will soon have to decide whether to be a proper* Autoshitter and fix the Loopoo or adhere to the principles of bangernomics and buy a better, lower mileage car that would take over daily duties.

 

In other frustrating fleet news, I returned home one evening to find this :

 

 

Mother nature is such a cruel bitch !

 

Replacing the whole tailgate initially seemed to be the cheapest and easiest solution. Unfortunately, neither of the two local scrapyards had a suitable replacement and the nearest Ebay tailgate was a three-hour roundtrip away, plus I would have needed to dismantle the existing tailgate to harvest all electrics, trim etc.

 

So I decided to invest £20 more than the ebay part and let the local windscreen place sort things out - which they promptly did.

 

The tree branch is also about to get its comeuppance - it's been chopped into smaller bits and will be used for the barbecue !

 

 

With the rest of the fleet causing me a headache, I really wasn't looking forward to taking the Doloshite for its test.

 

 

But it surprised me (and the tester !) by passing.

 

So forget about Swedish and German crap, if you want a quality* automobile, then buy British !

[Noel Tidybeard]

I found the same when I changed Mrs Robson3022s cabin filter in her civic. Difference is the filter is in the footwell and is a 30 second job!

 

mine takes 45 seconds as the undertray is still fitted to dashboard lol

[Tamworthbay]

Update time !

 

Work has been hectic over the past few weeks, and I've had very little time to mess about with old cars.

 

I did spend some time behind the wheel of a new car, though :

 

FiestaRock.jpg

 

I'm a big fan of the Fiesta Mk.6, but not of the Mk.7, which offers a thoroughly underwhelming driving experience. Yes, they're spacious, comfortable and easy to drive. But I added nearly 1000km to this thing's odometer and it's as if every single moment behind the wheel was erased from my memory the moment I returned the keys.

 

The (predictable) verdict was that all modern cars are shit.

 

But, unfortunately, old cars have also been a bit shit here at Fraud Towers.

 

The Loopoo has now covered 25K miles in my custody, but its days as a reliable daily may be about to end. The gearbox has become increasingly noisy over the past couple of weeks, and I suspect that the differential bearings are on their way out. This is, of course, a common problem of late 085 boxes, which are (allegedly) made of pressed sauerkraut and require a rebuild between 60-80K miles.

 

The trouble is that good used boxes are becoming very hard to find and I'm not sure I can be arsed to remove and rebuild the existing box (which would take a couple of weekends and £150 worth of parts).

 

So I will soon have to decide whether to be a proper* Autoshitter and fix the Loopoo or adhere to the principles of bangernomics and buy a better, lower mileage car that would take over daily duties.

 

In other frustrating fleet news, I returned home one evening to find this :

 

900Smashed.jpg

 

Mother nature is such a cruel bitch !

 

Replacing the whole tailgate initially seemed to be the cheapest and easiest solution. Unfortunately, neither of the two local scrapyards had a suitable replacement and the nearest Ebay tailgate was a three-hour roundtrip away, plus I would have needed to dismantle the existing tailgate to harvest all electrics, trim etc.

 

So I decided to invest £20 more than the ebay part and let the local windscreen place sort things out - which they promptly did.

 

The tree branch is also about to get its comeuppance - it's been chopped into smaller bits and will be used for the barbecue !

 

Reliant.jpg

 

With the rest of the fleet causing me a headache, I really wasn't looking forward to taking the Doloshite for its test.

 

DoloMoT.jpg

 

But it surprised me (and the tester !) by passing.

 

So forget about Swedish and German crap, if you want a quality* automobile, then buy British !

I am not surprised, I went over it with a fine tooth comb before the last one and my local MoT tester is brilliant, he doesn't just tell you pass or fail, he will point out any issues whether they are on the MoT or not and the few bits there were were done shortly after. It's still looking good!

[Asimo]

Replacement wheels have now been procured :

 

3L.jpg

 

Hopefully, most people will think they're just a crappy set of steels.

Those wheels: are they Audi A2? very nice, for modern alloys, anyway.

[Eddie Honda]

Replacement wheels have now been procured :

 

3L.jpg

 

Where are the 145/80 14s hiding then??

[Sigmund Fraud]

I am not surprised, I went over it with a fine tooth comb before the last one and my local MoT tester is brilliant, he doesn't just tell you pass or fail, he will point out any issues whether they are on the MoT or not and the few bits there were were done shortly after. It's still looking good!

 

GR11 SELLAR, WILL USE AGAIN

 

All your hard work has clearly paid off, Clive. The Doloshite's future is secure !

 

 

Those wheels: are they Audi A2? very nice, for modern alloys, anyway.

 

Thanks ! They are super-light magnesium wheels off a Lupo 3L.

 

 

Where are the 145/80 14s hiding then??

 

I was planning to use 155/65 R14 (factory size is 155/70 R13), but they will have to wait until the gearbox woes are resolved.

[Eddie Honda]

I saw "3L" and thought. Hmmm, Bridgestone B391 skinny tyres. (Also something that might be a thing on the A2 too)

[Tamworthbay]

GR11 SELLAR, WILL USE AGAIN

 

All your hard work has clearly paid off, Clive. The Doloshite's future is secure !

 

 

 

 

Glad to hear it, it couldn't be in a better place now. I keep getting an itchy finger for another but space is still the limiting factor at the moment

[Sigmund Fraud]

Glad to hear it, it couldn't be in a better place now. I keep getting an itchy finger for another but space is still the limiting factor at the moment

 

You could always get yourself a DAF, you know. Same crisp Michelotti styling but in a smaller, more practical size 

[Tamworthbay]

You could always get yourself a DAF, you know. Same crisp Michelotti styling but in a smaller, more practical size 

You are mean! I would love the Daf but it would be criminal to store it outside.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Fair point, but don't forget that they're a million times more water-tight and rust-resistant than their British counterparts.

[Tamworthbay]

I am still working on more storage locally, I have a few fingers in pies so to speak but nothing concrete yet. I thought I had it cracked a few weeks ago but it was nabbed by a closer neighbour who is in more need to be fair ,for a mobility scooter - she's in her 80s and was leaving it outside so I put her onto the space as it wouldn't be safe outside permanently and not great with an extension lead to it overnight.

[Sigmund Fraud]

So I will soon have to decide whether to be a proper* Autoshitter and fix the Loopoo or adhere to the principles of bangernomics and buy a better, lower mileage car that would take over daily duties.

 

My minimum requirements for a new daily were reasonable* : simple and reliable by design, more power than the Loopoo but no more expensive to tax and insure, fuel economy of at least 45mpg, in good condition with under 75K miles, must be on the road and ready for daily use, budget of £500.

 

In brief :

 

Unsurprisingly, a week of intensive searching revealed exactly ZERO candidates. So I decided to hedge my bets by buying this :

 

 

A replacement box for the Loopoo ! It was reasonably priced and fairly local, so I went ahead and splashed out on it.

 

Quite typically, a car that fulfilled all my criteria appeared on evilBay the following morning. Argh !

 

The seller was a most pleasant gentleman, who had been tasked with getting rid of his son's old car. He was happy for me to view the car, so I paid him a visit later that day, armed with a Loadsamoney-style wad of cash. I looked around the car, kicked the tyres, made him a fair offer and became the registered keeper of this Asian* beauty* :

 

 

The world's first small "crossover SUV", appearing on the market three whole years before the MGR Streetwise ! Exciting* !

 

I drove it to the workshop and straight onto the ramps.

 

 

I then spent some time checking the underside and marvelling at the simplicity of its engineering. I mean, just look at that suspension :

 

 

Really simple and really sturdy, too. A massive transmission tunnel betrays the existence of a 4x4 version, that should make the car a bit less of a fashion accessory. Mine is the FWD version, which should be good enough for the pothole-ridden roads of rural Hampshire.

 

Anyway... I gave the car a quick service, with new oil, filters and coolant.

 

 

In typical Japanese fashion, access for maintenance work is excellent, and everything appears sensibly designed.

 

Having done some homework (the factory workshop manual is easily available online), I had even obtained one of those expensive little buggers :

 

 

A 10mm square key for the gear oil plugs. Gear oil was clean and up to the correct level, so I left it alone until I can get the correct GL-4 specification fluid that Suzuki recommends.

 

I'll also get a new set of spark plugs, because I have no idea when they were last changed. But the car is otherwise ready for daily use, and has already begun earning its living.

 

As for the Loopoo, it will be looking for an enthusiastic new owner very soon.

[Heidel_Kakao]

What year is the green Suzuki thing? Are those wheels factory, they are strangely appealing to me.

[Sigmund Fraud]

You may have inadvertently given it its new nickname : "The Green Thing" !

 

It's a 2002 model, the wheels are supposedly a "Suzuki Exclusive" dealer option. I also like their design, but that colour is absolutely hideous.

[Heidel_Kakao]

No I even like the colour of the wheels lol, I once painted some Viva wheels a similar coppery hue.

[Eddie Honda]

I had even obtained one of those expensive little buggers :

 

10-Square.jpg

 

A 10mm square key for the gear oil plugs.

How decadent. What was wrong with using a 9.525mm²? Last time I measured a 10mm² key, it was around 9.71mm²

[DSdriver]

How decadent. What was wrong with using a 9.525mm²? Last time I measured a 10mm² key, it was around 9.71mm²

Or a short length of 10x10 steel bar and an open ended spanner?

[Broadsword]

For some reason I always had a bit of a soft spot for the GM 900. Years ago we had one in dark blue with low miles. It was 10 years old and spotless. Coming out of a 1985 Volvo 240 DL the Saab felt like a brand new car. They are just such a nice place to sit. Anyway the fuel consumption is utterly painful as you mentoin. Best bet is the 185 bhp turbo. Ironically it's more frugal. I mean it's still thirsty, but if you're going to burn money you might as well do it with something fast.

[Sigmund Fraud]

No I even like the colour of the wheels lol, I once painted some Viva wheels a similar coppery hue.

 

"Vive la difference !" - I suspect I'll be respraying them silver or anthracite when they come off the car in November to be replaced by winter tyres.

 

 

How decadent. What was wrong with using a 9.525mm²? Last time I measured a 10mm² key, it was around 9.71mm²

 

For reasons only known to Suzuki engineers, a 3/8" ratchet extension looks like a good fit but isn't. The seemingly minute difference is unfortunately enough to maim the drain plug, which then becomes an absolute bastard to remove.

 

 

Or a short length of 10x10 steel bar and an open ended spanner?

 

Fair point, but there's no suppliers of steel offcuts locally.