Sold Dollywobbler's RAV4 - Force Ale - £SOLD

[dollywobbler]

This one is a GX, so it has the twin-sunroof spec. The GS didn't get that. 

 

Anyway, thank to Joe, it looks normal again now! Twin wipers.

 

Too early to say how it stacks up as an XM replacement. Until I get some new tyres, I can't really drive it much. I'm not going to pretend it'll be ideal though, so I'll have my fun with it over the summer, but may well seek something a little more wafty later in the year. 

[KruJoe]

Brill! You've done well to receive it, paint it and fit it all inside 24 hours of me sending it! I only just caught the post at 5:15 yesterday.

Everything I order these days seems to take about four days from dispatch.

Sorry Ian, I forgot to message you last night to say it was on its way.

 

 

I never knew the roof came off on these! 

 

Most early RAV's sold were these GX's like ours, the main difference (over the GS) being the twin removable roof panels.

 

They did sell a few soft top ones, but they might have been grey imports, I've only seen two or three in the wild.

 

[dollywobbler]

I do keep forgetting just how bloody short these things are. The wheelbase is smaller than the Nippa FFS! The side doors really do go from wheel to wheel. 

 

What that's going to translate into when I ask it to tow a caravan, I'm almost scared to ponder. Land Rover 90s can tow 3.5 tons, so I'm just going to imagine it'll be fine. Though I may fit that stabiliser bar I found in the caravan the other day. If I can work out how.

[oldcars]

I do keep forgetting just how bloody short these things are. The wheelbase is smaller than the Nippa FFS! The side doors really do go from wheel to wheel. 

 

What that's going to translate into when I ask it to tow a caravan, I'm almost scared to ponder. Land Rover 90s can tow 3.5 tons, so I'm just going to imagine it'll be fine. Though I may fit that stabiliser bar I found in the caravan the other day. If I can work out how.

Take a pic of the stabiliser and i will try and help. 

[dollywobbler]

It's one of these.

 

I've got the shitty plastic bracket on the caravan, and the bar itself. So it's useless. To be honest, as I've taken to caravanning as ducks take to fire, I might just flog the caravan and buy a decent airbed. I really cannot be arsed to drag it to Shitefest anyway. 

[dollywobbler]

All is not entirely well with the RAV4 and I suspect I've got a fair bit of care that'll need lavishing on this poor thing.

 

The rear brakes have become noticeably noisy, in that "no brake lining" kind of a way that makes me nervous to remove the drum. I guess that shouldn't be a biggy to sort out though. There's also what sounds like a bearing grumble somewhere in the engine bay - ancillary rather than engine itself. Guess I could try removing the alternator belt to see if that stops it. Would be annoying if it's water pump given that there is actually a cambelt change in the history. According to the paint writing on the cam cover at least...

 

Still go to go out for a short drive with the roof off. I can just about remove the panel and stow it in the passenger footwell without leaving the driver's seat. 

[KruJoe]

Pops_KJ's one make a funny noise from the front too, but only when started from properly cold. It's an engine bay squeak, but sounds like a siren almost. Weird one. It soon quietens down though, then we can forget about it.

[oldcars]

It's one of these.

 

I've got the shitty plastic bracket on the caravan, and the bar itself. So it's useless. To be honest, as I've taken to caravanning as ducks take to fire, I might just flog the caravan and buy a decent airbed. I really cannot be arsed to drag it to Shitefest anyway. 

As you say the orange L shaped piece fits to the caravan a frame, and the metal bar rests in this. The brackets to attack to the car look different to anything i have seen before. Normally the narrow peg on the front of the bar slots into a bracket that mounted behind the towbar and fixes with bolt. Sorry to not have been more help.

[dollywobbler]

Arse.

 

That'll explain the petrol smell then. Yes, I managed to get one of the wheels off. Then thought I'd remove this panel to see if I could find the source of the unleaded pong. Aye, I could. Tracing it up, there's rot around the filler neck as well. Dang, and indeed, blast. 

 

Still, a replacement can't be that expensive can it?

 

SHITTY KNICKERS!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-GENUINE-94-00-TOYOTA-RAV4-RAV-4-2-0-FUEL-FILLER-NECK-PIPE-77201-42061-/221695174842?hash=item339e0fe8ba:g:p8IAAOSweW5U5djT

[KruJoe]

Oof.

He mentions the "CHEAP CHINESE COPIES"... I wonder where they are available.

 

Otherwise I'm sure it could be bodged up satisfactorily is you can get it off and cleaned up. Or weld it up in situ. No don't.

[dollywobbler]

Aye. I'm thinking it's crying out for a section of rubber hose to be let in. Or something similar. 

 

Has to be said, it's a pain to jack up too. Recommendation is to lob the trolley jack under the rear diff guard, then use axle stands on the sills. What could possibly go wrong there? Maybe a proper chassis isn't such a bad thing to have after all. Or nice, solid axles.

[KruJoe]

The primary use of a tow bar on any of my cars is a REAR JACKING POINT. (Apart from the Samara whose boot floor was rattling around loose at one point.)

 

The RAV has the added benefit of a handy tow bar cross member for your axle stands.

[dollywobbler]

The primary use of a tow bar on any of my cars is a REAR JACKING POINT. (Apart from the Samara whose boot floor was rattling around loose at one point.)

 

The RAV has the added benefit of a handy tow bar cross member for your axle stands.

 

I thought that, but my jack couldn't get a good 'grip' on the tow bar, while my axle stands are about a foot too short, even on maximum extension. It really is quite a long way off the ground. I'll sort something out - I always used to use the tow bar on BXs, because there's not really anywhere good at the back end of them for a jack.

[320touring]

Arse.

 

That'll explain the petrol smell then. Yes, I managed to get one of the wheels off. Then thought I'd remove this panel to see if I could find the source of the unleaded pong. Aye, I could. Tracing it up, there's rot around the filler neck as well. Dang, and indeed, blast.

 

Still, a replacement can't be that expensive can it?

 

SHITTY KNICKERS!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-GENUINE-94-00-TOYOTA-RAV4-RAV-4-2-0-FUEL-FILLER-NECK-PIPE-77201-42061-/221695174842?hash=item339e0fe8ba:g:p8IAAOSweW5U5djT

If it helps, the one on my e30 was £135 after discount 7 years ago!

 

but aye its a bugger!

[Lacquer Peel]

Do later Mk1 Rav4s use a plastic version instead? You might get one off a scrapper. The one on my friend's Yaris was similarly grim and we sourced a plastic one from a later car.

[twosmoke300]

DW - try milner off road for Rav parts . Much cheaper !

[twosmoke300]

Oh and change the fuel filter after - if petrol can get out - shit will have been getting in . Recently had a shotgun that rotted the filler neck out and the resultant water fucked the injector pump . Bridge time for that one

[KruJoe]

Those Shoguns are a bugger for it.

 

+1 for a filter change.

[Asimo]

Grumbly noise from engine MIGHT be the crankshaft damper/ pulley. They eventually get so wonky the accessory belt gets thrown off.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks folks. I'll have a butchers at the pulley next time I'm under the bonnet. 

 

Forgot another thing. Can't see an airbag light, which demonstrates that I failed to do a satisfactory warning light check when I was viewing it. To be honest, I didn't even notice it had an airbag for a day or two...

 

I'm not even actually sure where the airbag light should be (John K if you're reading this - XM one is on the steering wheel oddly). Any clues? A failure to see a light at all makes me suspect the bulb has been removed...

[dollywobbler]

The search for an airbag light continues. Nope. Not here!

 

This is most baffling. There's definitely an airbag steering wheel fitted, as they were to all GXs from '95, and all RAV4s from '96 I think. But there's not even a position for an airbag light. I've checked. 

 

Do not all airbags have warning lights? I would have assumed they did.

[beko1987]

That looks filthy!

[dollywobbler]

It was a bit mucky. No SRS light under that muck though.

[Lacquer Peel]

http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM42420U/pdf/omsource/1996om/96rav4om/sect1/11.pdf

 

There should be an SRS light.

 

Second one from the left on the rev counter according to this part of the manual

http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM42420U/pdf/omsource/1996om/96rav4om/sect1/13b.pdf

 

Is it possible that the clocks don't belong to the car?

[dollywobbler]

 

Is it possible that the clocks don't belong to the car?

 

I'm starting to think that this is the only possible answer. Mileage doesn't seem to take any enormous leaps in the MOT history, but nor is there any mention of the lack of airbag light - and that binnacle has clearly been there for quite a while. How odd.

[beko1987]

It's not by the rear interior light, or the rear LHS door speaker is it? I know it's not french, but you never know...

 

Could you unplug the airbag and see if something random lights up?

[Sheefag]

Might I suggest this replacement if you end up weighing it in?

It's got a warranty and everything.

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1997-SUZUKI-X90-X-90-1-6-PETROL-5-SPEED-MANUAL-GEARBOX-83K-90-DAY-WARRANTY-/261193607139?hash=item3cd05a27e3:g:OMsAAOxyaTxRWB4Q

[dollywobbler]

Not ideal to be honest. I've already used the rear seat of the RAV4 to transport passengers. Even I wonder what the point of the X-90 was.

[Sheefag]

Rear seats you say..........

 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-panda-4x4-Sisley-x2-spares-or-repairs-/201589460691?hash=item2eefab0ed3:g:tkgAAOSw71BXQegO

[beko1987]

I've always likes the X-90 in a fun little car kind of way, the sort of thing I;d buy for pissing around on if I owned lots of land or if it snowed lots around here