PPE the Purple people eater WARNING Croozer content

[hauserplenty]

HAH? I'm the only one here...&c. [/de niro in "taxi driver" reference]

 

Apparently,

 

Laguna II's are presenting a serious challenge for the title though. I for one am glad the French are taunting you lot and not us...

[doobietoo]

It works alright but with 17mpg every little helps.

Are you driving everywhere in first gear??? I am getting 34mpg over mixed driving....

[doobietoo]

Sooo as its nearly 3 months since I bought this *fine automobile time for a long term report..... It has worked perfectly, not one FTP since I put the rad in .... It is also still doing 34 to the gallon which is also good. For the last few years I have averaged 4 cars a year but I am not even looking to replace it..... Yes I am still in love.... I had to pick up a 2.4 meter length of kitchen yesterday and found out the front passenger seat lays flat forwards which not only gives you a picnic table but room for really long things....and the rear seats either fold flat, fold up to the front seats or as today come out altogether to turn it into a van with a flat loading area that swallowed a complete old kitchen to take to the dump.... the guys at the tip stood open mouthed as I went repeatedly from car to wood skip and back time after time.... this car really is the gift that keeps giving

 The cruise control works so well without being jerky or over sensitive ( as only the Yanks seem to know how to do ) that I use it almost constantly which helps with the relaxed feeling I seem to get as soon as I get in.... Often when you have always wanted something and then get it, it can be disappointing but not with this. Having used it a while I realised it does handle well it just feels like it doesn't which is strange, I am wondering if the spring rates are a bit *wrong. It is also quick enough away from the lights to surprise a few.... Cruising at 70ish is effortless and I would *guess it would cruise at 85 comfortably on a private road all day. It does still hesitate at times and the fan belt squeals on cold mornings but as it has yet to have its service I can overlook these minor quibbles. I took MrsD and three of her nurse friends to a party the other night and they pronounced the back seat a nice place to be....so that's good. Finally the tailgate is big and as the load area is flat you can sit in the back with your legs dangling outside even when it is raining and eat your picnic without getting wet.... 

 All in all I think I might be keeping this car for a long time, something I have never done.... I think I am getting old and sensible but its a PT Cruiser so I can't be can I?????

[320touring]

excellent news:)

[eddyramrod]

Splendid!  Your impressions very much tally with mine.  These things are so good at what they do it's actually easy to forgive what they don't do.

Next time I have cash for a daily-driver type of car, a PT with proper gears will be at the top of the list.

[doobietoo]

So fettling day for the PT today I was hoping to get on with the front suspension and wheel bearing change but I am still waiting for the wheel bearings to arrive... thanks Royal mail.... While I am waiting I thought I would change the plugs, leads and coil pack as it has always had a slight *stumble just above idle and a bit of lumpiness at idle.

As I have a spares car in the drive and it has obviously had the leads and plugs replaced ( white marks on the leads denoting which is which) It seemed only sensible to reuse these items along with the coil pack as they all looked almost new...

Changing these looks a faf as the inlet manifold covers them but its not as bad as it looks. The manual says take the whole thing to bits but bugger that all you need is to remove the air filter, two clips an electrical connection and the pipe to the throttle body, undo the two bolts that hold the throttle body to its bracket, pull off a vacuum hose and undo the 5 bolts that hold the inlet manifold top half on. Lean it back out of the way and everything is easy to get there.

Plugs are easy to change if you have the right socket and the coil pack is four bolts and a connector. Less than an hour later it was all swapped and its now running like a dream with no more stumbling. At a guess it was the plugs that were the problem judging by the look of them...

 

 

If the bearings ever turn up I will have more later...

[Supernaut]

You're almost making me want one of these.

 

Almost.

 

They didn't do the looney 2.4 turbo over here though, did they?

[doobietoo]

No turbo.... you can get the 2.4 though ... Well the wheel bearings came so made a start, hub came off really easy just disconnect the abs, unbolt the caliper and tie it up, disconnect the tie rod end and the anti-roll bar then take the bottom pinch bolt out, undo the driveshaft bolt and push it out, lever the arm out and remove the two bolts holding the hub to the strut. Took about half an hour.... Getting the bearing out was a whole different story... what a pita. I gave up eventually and dropped it off at my local engineering shop who will do it in the morning with their big press so as it was still light I changed the lower arm and fitted the new track rod end. Good job I did as both were to quote an engineering term royally fucked...explains the clunks though...

more tomorrow and hopefully the other wheel bearing will be a bit more accommodating or it will be another trip to the engineering shop.

[doobietoo]

Got the hub back with the bearing fitted from the shop threw it on and did up all the bolts so took it for a spin and realised the other wheel bearing was fine so one less job to do 

Swapped the other tie rod end, anti-roll bar and then on to the lower arm which steadfastly refused to go back onto the hub despite my best efforts following the manual and all known knowledge. So I fitted the ball joint to the hub first then fitted the arm ... simples. As I was taking things off I noticed the torque arm bush had sheared so swapped that for the parts car one which looked brand new. Popped down the road and no more knocking YAY. 

 Just have to drive it the 3 miles to the tyre place  in the morning to get the tracking done as its a bit squirrelly to say the least... As a reward I am taking MrsD out for lunch tomorrow and while she snoozes it off I can watch the cricket and the Racing.....

[Stanky]

Well done on sorting out the lumpiness - the was pretty much the only thing I noticed when I test drove it a while back - and blimey, where did those plugs come from? They look like they might be Spark Plug prototype v0.1's! Is it a trick of the light/pic or are the gaps really as big as they look?

 

great work and nice to see progress on the PT, have you been out to any more meets recently?

[doobietoo]

I am pretty sure they are the ones fitted to the car from new !!! so 13 years old and yes they are that wide... They are supposed to be 0.4 but these were all over 2mm It just shows how good modernish coil packs are....Yep averaging two meets a month they are normally at Yank style diners and I do love a burger as you well know  , and off to Holland at the beginning of June for a Euromeet...  

[doobietoo]

Was waiting outside National tyres at 9.50 this morning after an *interesting drive to get the tracking done, apparently the tracking was 12 degrees out .......each side....... it was a little twitchy. The Drive home was much more fun it no longer clunks and bangs, neither does it try to fall over around corners and it even goes in the direction the steering wheel is pointing.

 Despite trying REALLY hard the only thing they could find wrong with it was the rear anti-roll bar bushes which is good as that's only another £12.50 out of the paypal account. and 10 minutes a side to fix. Should be ready for its MOT on Friday......

[320touring]

Good on ya for persevering with this tub-sounds like you have it well on the way to being a sound car:)

[doobietoo]

Yay straight through the MOT.......

 boo hiss water pump weeping so pump, timing belt blah blah replacement now important not just necessary....

[doobietoo]

Holy thread resurrection batman.

8 years on and I still have this PT. it is now on 61,000 miles and has never let me down. Oh and as you can see I have a spare 

Anyway my previous work hack has let me down again so time for another PT but this time in diesel flavour. 

Therefore I am on the first of 4 trains heading for some god-forsaken place called Leicester to pick up another one which the seller informed me last night has decided to 'not start' 

I have a phone, some cash, my AA app and a selection of phone leads. Wish me luck. 

[Dick Longbridge]

I'd completely forgotten about this one. I see you don't normally hold onto cars for long, so eight years of ownership is mighty impressive. 

Has it just needed consumables to keep going, then? It's a shame that Photophucket has nuked all of your early photos in the meantime. 

Intrigued to see the latest acquisition! I'd be interested to drive a Cruiser 20 years after my last effort - I bet the cabin remains a pleasant place to be. Did you have to search hard to find another? The Cruiser is definitely one of those cars which have vanished overnight. I honestly can't remember the last time I saw one on the metal. 

 

[doobietoo]

Apart from service items nothing at all, although 10,000 miles in 8 years is not really pushing it. It is a pleasant place to be, as I get older I appreciate getting out of it without having to stand up along with the heated seats. Still going to the cruiser meets with now good friends. 

Plenty still about on ebay etc  although this colour of purple ones are the most rare being a 1 year only colour and it took me about 2 months before this one came up. Prices are slowly creeping up but bargains are still out there. 

Onto train number 2 just time for a ciggy at castle cary before the trip to Paddington. 

The train fare was £56 which works out to 28p per mile which is ok but it will probably be spoilt by the taxi fare from Leicester to my destination. Even get a reserved seat for this leg. 

[Stanky]

Welcome back @doobietoo , glad to see the cruisers are still in regular use, seems like forever ago that I test drove PPE #1 outside the car auctions in Southampton!

Not sure if you've seen the minter that @RichardK has, and might be for sale? It's not purple though!

[doobietoo]

I know I used to enjoy our auction game even though I always came last. Not seen Richards one. I do lurk still but not really had much to report. 

[doobietoo]

And we are off, a short hop from Paddington to King's X time for a ciggy and to pick up brekkie. All on time so far, may be the drivers could always work to rule. 

Eta 11.38 then the taxi to see the car for the first time 

[doobietoo]

 

Arrived at 12.10 car started with tow but not the key £600 exchanged and now the 4 hour drive home without stopping 

[Dick Longbridge]

All the chrome!

[doobietoo]

Ah ha most of that is coming off. Got home OK but 5 hours without a wee at my age was rough. Still will not start so parked on a hill but it has a strong engine and the best suspension of any PT I have driven 

Will do an in depth report tomorrow with more pics if anyone is interested.

[mercedade]

Great work - yes please, bring the updates

[RichardK]

That looks nice!

I have a spare air filter for a Cruiser that isn't the same as mine. Possibly an earlier petrol one, if you want it PM me an address and I'll post it rather than throwing it out.

[doobietoo]

So spent some time on it today trying to sort out why it would not start. Traced it back to the relay being loose in its slot. As I had a spare I swapped it over and it is good as gold now.

So what did I get for my £600. It is an early 2004 touring model in deep cranberry pearl and it came with 4 months MOT and only 360 miles since the last time. The previous owner has fitted the early alloys and leather seats.

All the steering and suspension bushes have been changed recently so it feels tight and knock free. The turbo diesel engine runs well but tickover is a bit rough so a new fuel filter has been ordered for under £15. With 120hp it goes well and just pulls from 1500 revs all the way to the 4500 red line.  Overtaking is easy from 50 in top no change down needed. Once you get used to it leaning it can be pushed through the corners quite quickly and it is surprisingly quick on the A and B roads. 

I am not a fan of chrome so as it is all stick on it will be coming off along with the badging. IMHO these cars are seriously underrated, they go well, are roomy, you sit high up and they go well.