Sold Dollywobbler's RAV4 - Force Ale - £SOLD

[dollywobbler]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUZUKI-CAPPUCCINO-/401120931531?hash=item5d64abaecb:g:ErwAAOSwt7pXNx3M

 

Meh. Too common. This however...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-SUZUKI-wagon-r-turbo-very-rare-manual-japenese-import-like-a-charade-turbo/262421014900

[RobT]

Auto with towbar for £290.

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1994-Mitsubishi-Space-Wagon-2-0-auto-GLXi-7-SEATER-/121984237723?hash=item1c66d3c09b:g:Y4EAAOSwRjNXNvMj

[cort16]

Crv with tow bar in doom blue

 

 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-Honda-CR-V-2-0-ES-in-Blue-LONG-MOT-CHEAP-ALL-WEATHER-MOTORING-/111986422349?nav=SEARCH

[cort16]

495 quid

 

 

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/200-Honda-HR-V-1-6i-VTEC-4WD-5-Door-Manual-Petrol-in-Silver-/291765544168?nav=SEARCH

[Ghosty]

No towing? Laurel, or Lexus GS.

 

Want something fun and a little different? Celica ST185.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-TOYOTA-CELICA-GT-BLACK/282021149009?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D36558%26meid%3Dd7764dcb26c64e3f86a403c876de9f86%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D331836830974

 

[dollywobbler]

I'm hoping to view a car this evening. I may even buy it. That's boring isn't it? Actually going to see a car before handing money over.

[spartacus]

Yes. The most you want is a couple of blurry pictures off a primitive camera phone, preferably through a window.

You should be setting an example DW.

[andy18s]

Forgot to mention my 214 has a towbar.........

[JohnK]

A couple of Honda Concerto badges from eBay and that 214 would be ideal !

[dollywobbler]

I knew I was on for a good day when I spotted some nice JDM content in town earlier.

 

Once home, we squeezed into the Nippa and pointed it northwards. Here we are in Machynlleth. No. Not like that. Just say Mack. Close enough.

 

Little did I know that we'd be back to this petrol station!

 

We headed for Conwy and found the new motor outside a row of garages. The tyres were iffy, the driver's wiper arm spring was entirely missing, but it seemed solid enough, drove well, so haggling occurred. Originally posted on Gumtree with a £900 asking price, the seller had dropped to £700 on Ebay, but told me he wouldn't drop to less than £650. Without me even asking. With the tyres and hopeless wiper "Oh, I wondered why it lifted off the screen above 30" the price dropped to a mutually acceptable £580.

 

Deal done, we did the necessary and then me and Mrs DW made a hasty dash to a local hotel for food. We were starving.

 

Don't they make a nice pair? Yes, the J-tin of my dreams is apparently a 137,000-mile Toyota Rav4. I like it. The ride isn't XM standard, but it certainly isn't comparable to a Honda NSX. It does have some give in it. After food, we set off, hoping not to meet rain. After a few hundred yards, it began to rain...

 

The wiper would wipe going up, but would then wave about in the airflow on the way back down, before thumping back onto the screen at the bottom of its travel. This was annoying, but at least I could see. Speeds were pretty gentle, because Nippas don't like hills, Mrs DW doesn't like hooning and bald rear tyres don't make for secure cornering. Not that it actually felt skittish, but I wasn't going to test the limits.

 

Of course, I completely forgot to get fuel as we passed another station. That's ok. I'm sure we'd find another. Wrong! This is Wales. After about 30 miles, the needle was nudging the bottom of the gauge. I resorted to asking Sat Nav to find me a station. There were a few in the wrong direction, but one I knew near Dolgellau (no, not like that. Dol-geth-lee is close enough) was apparently 4 miles away. I told it to go there. The distance jumped to 6.8 miles. Stupid sat nav. 

 

However, the rain had stopped, so wiping was no longer an issue. Hoorah! 6.8 miles later, we arrived at a closed petrol station. DOH! Sat Nav had a second suggestion, only that didn't seem to exist at all. Sod it. Back to Mach. Quite a lot of it is downhill. It'll be fine.

 

I left Mrs DW behind as conserving momentum became more important than leading a Nippa. There aren't many roads and I decided simply not to slow down to save fuel. This got quite exciting. On occasion, I actually did have to brake. There was much coasting. It was 13 miles back to Mach.

 

But we made it! And found a bonus Proton Jumbuck.

 

I managed to get 48 litres in before it got all clicky, which is odd. It's meant to have a 58 litre tank. The Nippa also seems to lie about its tank size. Is this a Far Eastern trait? No low fuel light, just a needle that rests on empty to convince you that you're screwed?

 

Anyway, now I knew there was definitely fuel in it, I could open up the taps and let rip. Albeit still bearing dodgy tyres in mind. I have to say. It's rather a lot of fun! I am getting a whistle at higher revs under load, so I suspect a minor air leak on the induction system somewhere. It does go nicely though, being a tool eater. Priorities are now to find some decent tyres, and get that sodding wiper sorted out. 

[trigger]

GR12 4 being a pikey trying to escape from the police at a Little Chef in Essex.

[MarvinsMom]

does the toyota still have 4wd?

[dollywobbler]

does the toyota still have 4wd?

 

It does appear to. Further testing will be conducted. Giving it welly on a tight, uphill hairpin did result in it just accelerating. Briskly. That low first gear is ace!

[Ghosty]

Picture fail! I thought you'd bought another Nippa for a minute.

[dollywobbler]

Picture fail! I thought you'd bought another Nippa for a minute.

 

Corrected. Sorry. It's been a long day and I'm very, very tired! Did bus duty, then 3hrs up to Conwy, and even longer back. 

[mouseflakes]

Good choice DW. And the tale of the empty tank had me on the edge of my seat. Was probably somewhat worse for you.

[dollywobbler]

It was pretty bad, especially as the car seems to have been telling fibs. My back wasn't touching the seat for the last bit. TENSION!

[oldcars]

Should have picked up some rainx glass cleaner from the petrol station. Spray on screen no wipers needed about about 35 mph   Looks nice, good price too. Ideal to pull that van,

[dollywobbler]

Should have picked up some rainx glass cleaner from the petrol station. Spray on screen no wipers needed about about 35 mph   Looks nice, good price too. Ideal to pull that van,

 

It had stopped raining by then! Things were quite streaky anyway, leading me to suspect that the vendor's 'fix' was indeed the application of Rain-X. I've got a BX wiper arm somewhere. May see if I can raid it for the spring.

[oldcars]

It had stopped raining by then! Things were quite streaky anyway, leading me to suspect that the vendor's 'fix' was indeed the application of Rain-X. I've got a BX wiper arm somewhere. May see if I can raid it for the spring.

It can get a bit streaky when the rainx is starting to wear off.

[Spottedlaurel]

Nice one DW. 1990s Toyota build quality FTW.

 

As  we read elsewhere on here recently, you can use it for trackday duties too.

[Lukas]

Thats a piece of automative history. The beginning of the Fun-Car. 

 

A friend of my parents owns one. Bought it new in 1995 and stills drives it. Never had a single problem with it. Great car! 

[spartacus]

Mother Spart had one of these, it was great, just the right amount of kit without making it too complicated and a simple 4wd system, easy to work on too. Good effort!

[dome]

Top purchase ! Didn't someone on here take one on a track day?

 

Not as good as a Freelander tho, obviously

[Supernaut]

Top purchase ! Didn't someone on here take one on a track day?

 

Not as good as a Freelander tho, obviously

 

Yeah, the only thing a Rav4 is missing is an under-bonnet kettle.

[dollywobbler]

Wipers then. Here's the problem.

 

I did actually find the spring sitting on the scuttle, going rusty. However, there's another bent bit of metal that goes between this and the bottom of the arm, and that's definitely missing. Trying to raid an old arm for bits looks like a recipe for a hospital visit, so I'll have to find another arm.

 

Of course, there is a simple interim solution, and it has been deployed TO THE MAX. Oh yes. BTCC look.

 

In other news, the rear washer just squirts fluid into the driver's footwell, the rear wiper blade is goosed, the oil filter is going rusty and the tyres are even more scary in clear daylight. Guess it won't be going anywhere until I source replacements then!

[spartacus]

Bonrath single wiper conversion for that true '90s look.

And yes, discretion is the better part of valour with wiper springs, my fingers literally bear the scars to prove it!

[Jazoli]

It's that same colour as our old one, they are a great car and a complete bargain these days, I used to get 35mpg out of ours fairly easily, will buy tickets when it's roffle time

[KruJoe]

 

 

 

 

[loserone]

Stupid question time: Doesn't coasting downhill in neutral use more fuel just keeping the engine running than you would leaving it in top and not touching the throttle?