Project Tickman's stuff. Tidy* up time.

[mercrocker]

Good work on Gwen (just the way a Minor should look)!   I left the heat shield off when my floor was replaced - it just seemed to be a purpose built moisture trap.  

[Tickman]

........ that would encourage me to fill it right up with old cars...

No encouragement needed, unfortunatly the cart came before the horse otherwise there would be others more!

[Tickman]

Good work on Gwen (just the way a Minor should look)!   I left the heat shield off when my floor was replaced - it just seemed to be a purpose built moisture trap.  

I was going to but I had it already so fitted it. It also hides the not very professional welding!

[Tickman]

Wednesday just gone saw Gwen the '68 Minor going to dinner with the Scotshite lot. She behaved well on the way over doing 65/70 most of the time. After dinner when it was time to leave she decided to only bother with lights at the front! Obviously this is not ideal but as usual I had my RAC card with me. 

The advantage of meeting a load of random people from the internet who are used to shit cars is outside help was not required and I left with rear lights blazing* and headed off towards Stirling services. I stopped after a couple of miles, at the start of Glen Road, to check they were still working and they were. I then did Glen Road at warp factor 9 (at least it felt like it) and stopped to check the lights again. Still giving Blackpool a run for their money so I carried on home with very little mechanical sympathy and got home in very good time.

 

Thursday morning arrives and out I go with the multi meter, basically checking the loom to see if it is worth keeping or changing.

After about an hour messing about I find no issues with the loom itself and it appears to be just the old connectors and the fusebox quite a bit manky.

 

After some cleaning of connections with some emery cloth I put everything back to how it should be and everything works perfectly. 

I go back inside and start looking for the bullet connectors and http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk has everything I need.

Basket full of connectors and a fusebox I pay up and it is delivered Friday! Excellent service.

 

So far I have just replaced the one broken connector in the boot that fell apart as it was lovely and sunny until I went outside. All the rest will get replaced and connections cleaned in the process.

 

Massive thanks to the pit crew who sorted it on Wednesday night.

She might be going to Crail tomorow!

 

 

[Tickman]

Time for an update:

Following on from a rash decision and buying a Triumph Toledo from Cros, collection thread here http://autoshite.com/topic/24280-a-collection-ending-in-triumph-and-not-failure/ It is now time for the progress.

Firstly it got dumped in the workshop waiting for the bits it scraped through the test to be sorted.

 

I attacked the boot floor and the rear inner arch with the grinder and collected this from the drivers side.

I had made a hole to find good metal:

Then I made a patch for the hole:

I did the same on the other side but had to cut more to get solid metal:

I also did the rear of the inner sill where the jacking point is as it was soft and the inner arch had been plated previously but had grown in issues. The bits removed are in the pile above.

Metal got stuck back in, managed to get covered in weld splatter at one point which was unpleasent, this then got covered in some paint but I have no pictures of that (got bored of taking rubbish pictures and just got on with the job)

 

The MOT had passed the brakes with an imbalance just within the limit at the rear, as Charlie is learning to drive in this I decided to just replace at the rear.

Old picture for reference when doing the job. Shoes cylinders and pipes were replaced at the back. Doing the other side and one of the springs was fitted incorrectly so quite glad it has all been changed.

 

While I was doing the brakes at the back Charlie was doing the engine service, oil and filter, air filter and plugs and leads were changed. New electronic distributor and new coil also fitted to hopefully sort out the slightly rough running.

 

Today was test drive day, out and about while adjusting the timing (still probably wrong but the spanner is in the car) the brakes are brilliant and it is now insured for Charlie to drive as of Tuesday when she turns 17.

 

I will get some pictures hopefully tomorrow when he comes out to play.

 

[mercrocker]

Nice one, I wondered how this was getting on.   Such a pretty car.....

[320touring]

Excellent work!

[Tickman]

Dragging stuff from the old/new forum

14th July

 

Time for an update:

Sonic (Toledo) has been getting about and doing a fair few miles with 'L' stuck to either end. Unfortunately I do not have the 'force' so when trying to tune it I failed miserably. I decided that the sensible thing to do was continue messing and never get it right get it sorted properly. I arranged and dropped it off at a local mechanic and he worked his magic, after this it now is very eager to get going, picks up in 4th from about 25 and is a lot more forgiving to drive. Well chuffed!

Next on the list is the family transport, Volvo 940, which decided to piss coolant out of its radiator two days before it was needed to drag all of us to a wedding. After a bit of a panic this was swapped and normal service resumed!

Finally while not having a hangover from the family piss up I collected this:

Cheers Chris. 

It is quite a nice car really. The death wobble after 60 was more than a little off putting so it went here:

After a quick look over it has been looked after through its life. I think cambelt roulette is going to be played, will see how Kate gets on with it. there was a locking wheel bolt on one bit and the key that was with the car fitted but was so worn that it didn't work. Thankfully with the use of a die grinder I managed to get a socket to fit and get it off. The only other problem was a snapped wheel stud at the front. Someone has tried to drill it out in the past but gave up so I had to finish the job. 

The only other thing was the death wobble, I took them in for balancing and they needed loads of weights! 95 and 40 on one wheel and the other was much the same!

Now I need two wheel bolts to fill the spaces I have made and a spare wheel and jack to put in the boot, If anyone has anything suitable give me a shout. It is a 16 inch rim on at the moment.

[Tickman]

From the 17th July:

 

A bit of a 'collected' thread here. Richard had the pleasure* of seeing this beauty* yesterday.

Firstly it started with going to Carfest last year and having a great time. Unfortunately my joints think camping is the work of the devil, which it is.

This year I managed to get tickets again so we are going in a couple of weeks, I also managed to get a Campervan/Caravan permit

This obviously resulted in searching ebay and gumtree which consequently resulted in viewing some utter heaps which were advertised for usually £4000.

Finally we found and viewed 'Malcolm' quick drive and a look underneath (at the local bus depot using their pit which was massive) and a deal was done.

Later that week I found myself here:

With this to pass the time:

Travelling south over this (Forth bridge):

I got picked up by the seller at the station and I set off home.

Obviously I needed fuel so for the first time in I am not sure how many car purchases I actually got a first fill shot!

Needless to say it is brilliant and shite all at the same time.

There is some very questionable wiring to remove (even by my standards it is bad) with the mega win going for the use of 4 core telephone cable being used for the radio earth! 

It has had 4 new tires and will be getting a service next week. Hopefully the wiring will be improved* enough for our trip which will have a tool kit, jump start pack and RAC card along for the ride!

Sorry to everyone in Fife yesterday when Marianne was thundering* along the country roads at 40!

[Tickman]

From July 21st:

 

I have been working on the camper:

First off I fitted my reversing camera, Fitted here:

With the cable run into the van here:

Connectors shrink wrapped to stop them pulling apart:

Screen mounted here so I can actually see it from the drivers seat:

A picture of what I can see in it. Looks better than the photo:

Other stuff done include pulling some more of the rubbish wiring out which can be seen in the screen position photo as well as trying to figure out how the leisure battery should be wired, it has the bit for split charging but does not appear to have the bit that goes to the van part! Bloody electrics, dark magic I believe!

Any advice about the leisure battery would be gratefully received.

[Tickman]

Well that is my stuff dragged back here.

 

I got my Leisure battery wired up properly and we were away over the weekend and just short of 700 miles done and he went very well.

I was happy with 65 MPH travelling down but Marianne did a lot of the driving south at 70+ and nothing fell off!

 

Heading home and we were caught in traffic on the M6 and it was boiling, happily there were cold drinks in the fridge

After the queue cleared 70+ was maintained unless a massive hill appeared and we dropped towards 60. Happy with that!

 

Played a bit of fridge Tetris:

 

Saw some amazing machines, this was my favourite:

The spanner holds the back cover down. 

All of the black dots are rubber from his tires

 

 

[Richard]

I found the wheel spanner that goes with the jack I gave you, I'll hand it over the next time we're in the same place.

[The Moog]

That looks grim and brilliant at the same time.

[Tickman]

The Toledo made its debut at the monthly Scotoshite meet along with another Toledo.(High quality photo on 320's thread)

There was plenty of amazement at the wonderful* colour match* on the car.

I have to say it was some of the worst weather I have driven in ever with the motorway not being visible whilst actually being on it so I am even more chuffed at Chuck doing most of the driving on the way down. (not on the Motorway obviously)

Over 1300 miles done so far and last tank full gave 30+ Mpg which I think is quite good for a lot of pottering around at slow speed and playing with clutch control.

 

Very happy with this excellent purchase

 

[320touring]

Having piloted said veeehickle it drives very well- much more modern than the bus steeringwheel and veneer suggests.

 

bet it'll drift well in the snow;)

[Tickman]

Having piloted said veeehickle it drives very well- much more modern than the bus steeringwheel and veneer suggests.

 

bet it'll drift well in the snow;)

I think new boots might be needed for the avoidance of too much drift, the Minor will kick out at every given opportunity which is usually at 15 mph on a slightly damp roundabout!

[320touring]

I think new boots might be needed for the avoidance of too much drift, the Minor will kick out at every given opportunity which is usually at 15 mph on a slightly damp roundabout!

It'd be a shame to deprive her of the opportunity to learn car control:)

[Tickman]

Question for the SVM.

 

The 940 has been making coolant disappear for a little while, not at a great rate and the radiator replacement seemed to help.

This morning we went to pick it up from a friends house as we had a little tipple last night and I was following. On start up there is a fair amount of steam / white smoke (believe steam as it disappears quickly) and this continues when power is applied but only for a few minutes.

I am possibly going through a header tank in 400/500 miles so it is not pouring out.

Obviously I would like it to not be doing this as I like the car.

 

How hard is it to do the head gasket and is a head skim usually required on these?

It has done 133,000 miles.

[dome]

I wouldn't worry about steam from a cold engine on a cold morning. If it's still there after the car is properly warmed up then I'd worry though.

[Tickman]

I wouldn't worry about steam from a cold engine on a cold morning. If it's still there after the car is properly warmed up then I'd worry though.

I will do my usual work to it then (nothing) and 'keep an eye on it' 

Still hunting for the disappearing coolant but will wait for the volume (of lost coolant) to increase  before I panic!

[Tickman]

Milestone passed as I have gone from this:

To this:

 

I tried to think of a witty title but firstly I couldn't be bothered to drive round the block to make it 2001 miles and secondly I was coming up with nothing either way!

 

The Toledo is going great (cue something catastrophic happening) and it is really nice to drive.

There is a list of stuff needing done but apart from dealing with rusty wings at the front then not a lot needs done.

 

I am currently doing work on the workshop rather than anything on the vehicles within it. This will change after Christmas and I will hopefully get some fun stuff sorted.

[320touring]

I can concur that this is a proper little honey of a Toledo:)

 

Think my Toledo should pass 2k miles in my hands next week..

[mercrocker]

Good going.......Looks like you have sorted out an annoying vibration at idle, too.  Or is it a new camera?

[Ghosty]

2000 miles? Christmas is almost here, I propose premature Pretenders preposterousness.

[Tickman]

Good going.......Looks like you have sorted out an annoying vibration at idle, too.  Or is it a new camera?

Just skilled camera work this time, the first one was when I was keen to get under way!

[Tickman]

Sorting out the work space.

I am forever loosing tools (usually ones I have had in my hand 7 seconds previously) so I have been having a general tidy up and getting somewhere to actually work sorted.

 

I am really lucky to have a great work space and have been trying to get rid of the negatives that encourage me to not get off my arse and do anything.

I have now got some heat that can be pointed at me so when I get there I have less excuses to not start.

 

One side of the unit has new sockets installed with wire that is not wrapped in cotton so that is good!

I am now sorting a work area. I have a 1.2 meter workbench which is on castors that has a top made out of scaffolding boards which is great but I needed some fixed benching so I acquired so excellent* quality* cupboards which have turned into this:

 

Now I need 2.4 meters of worktop and that bit is sorted.

 

Progress is progress.

[320touring]

Oooft scotoshite meet at yours;)

[Tickman]

You suggesting to come do work on some of my quality motor vehicles or just general pointing and laughing?

Fine by me if a group of strange people want to turn up on mass, I could even be there!

 

P.S. no water, loo etc which usually means an enforced visit to KFC

[Tickman]

After the successful MOT trip with the Volvo I set about the advisories today. No pictures were taken as I was dirty and was developing sore hands due to being a clumsy oaf.

 

I had purchased the necessary parts for it and off to the workshop I went.

The task at hand was changing the front shock absorbers and one track rod end, I bought two ends so will do both as they are the same age the other will fail as soon as it is inconvenient.

Into the workshop and I start on the drivers side, caliper off, bottom ball joint unbolted from the strut, track rod end separated and finally strut out after wiggling the abs wire through the inner wing.

 

First I discovered it was considerably heavier than I thought it was going to be and secondly the caliper mount that has floating pins only has one floating and the other seized solid. This has not freed off so I am looking for another which seems likely to be a Volvo only at £50 as every where else I call just say no. 

 

I used my new spring compressors (from screwfix) which did the job easily and the strut was in pieces. Shock swapped and all checked and put back together then back in place with the help of the trolley jack. New track rod end on and everything tightened up.

 

By this time it was getting late and I had only done one side (had to get back home for the girls etc) so I put the other side off until tomorrow!

 

I wonder what extra bits I will need after tomorrow!

[dome]

Wait. 

 

Tell me more about KFC?