For Sale Less modern laguna.. For SALE! Terrible price, £200, you have until monday at 9am to stake a claim!

[RayMK]

Nice work.  It reminded me of Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually regarding the unexpected number of steps/processes.

[beko1987]

Nice work.  It reminded me of Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually regarding the unexpected number of steps/processes.

Unexpected for you maybe! 

[paulscavalier]

Great write up., I apologise in advance for the questions but........

I was thinking about the poor boys trim stuff for the black bumper tops on the cavalier which never seem to look decent. Does it last ok or does it come off when it rains.?

 

The g101 looks pretty good for doorshuts so I might have to get some. Have you tried the bilthamber shampoo? If you have how does it compare to chemical guys citrus wash?

 

The black light really looks great on the dark paintwork,I think it would work well on the Hondas dark blue paint. It really does look great after all that. Did the zafira need as much work?

[beko1987]

Great write up., I apologise in advance for the questions but........

I was thinking about the poor boys trim stuff for the black bumper tops on the cavalier which never seem to look decent. Does it last ok or does it come off when it rains.?

 

It doesn't last forever, no. But it cleans the plastic too. I partly used it cos I got polish on the trims, so it took those off. I'll do an update once it's rained! I do have some gel too, but that runs in the rain, this stuff doesn't. Plus it smells like coconut, and pasts forever, I've had this bottle for about 5 years...

 

The g101 looks pretty good for doorshuts so I might have to get some. Have you tried the bilthamber shampoo? If you have how does it compare to chemical guys citrus wash?

 

G101 is excellent, highly recommend it! Dilutes down a treat. Never tried the Bilt hamber shampoo. What I have tried is:

 

Dodo juice born to be mild - my go to wax safe wash. Smells like blueberries.

Autoglym bodywork shampoo - is good, but not very sudsy or slick

Farcela shampoo - same as autoglym but less suds, wont buy again.

This citrus wash and gloss is a Winnah in my box, will probably use it over btbm now!

 

The black light really looks great on the dark paintwork,I think it would work well on the Hondas dark blue paint. It really does look great after all that. Did the zafira need as much work?

 

The blacklight is amazing! If you have loads of swirls to hide, black hole is possibly better, but the depth of gloss isn't as high. But buffing off blacklight is a treat, the paintwork is so smooth now!

 

Zafira is in much worse condition tbh, and I used a different Polish. It came up ok, ive written a thread on detailing world about that, I was gonna write it up here too, but I can link to the thread if you like? See how the other side think! I also ran out of time, so the Zafira isn't fully waxed... I'll hang my head in shame

 

 

[Guest Hooli]

You damn two bucket pervert!

[Hendry]

That looks excellent, top job! It's giving me the enthusiasm and motivation to do mines now!!

 

The amount of crap on the clay isn't bad btw, there was a helluva lot more came off the paintwork of my old mans 70k mile 63 reg Mondeo which was only clayed 6months ago!! Dreading seeing how much is on mine!!

[paulscavalier]

 

Zafira is in much worse condition tbh, and I used a different Polish. It came up ok, ive written a thread on detailing world about that, I was gonna write it up here too, but I can link to the thread if you like? See how the other side think! I also ran out of time, so the Zafira isn't fully waxed... I'll hang my head in shame

 

I think you did well getting both done tbh. I wouldn't mind a link to your detailing world thread..

 

Thanks for the answers, I am running out of shampoo polish so will be ordering some soon and am looking for something I haven't tried so will be giving those a look. Have been currently using bilthamber double speed wax along with poor boys superswirl remover when needed and bilthamber shampoo,which has been alright on good condition paint but the hondas isn't..

[oldcars]

Great write up, car looks spot on now.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

What a superb job - the car looks almost new afterwards.

[Anthony]

it could do with a nice machine polish but I don't have one of those

I've got a half-decent DA polisher (DAS-6 Pro IIRC) that you'd be welcome to borrow when I'm next passing through if you wanted to give it a go, although to be honest, your results without look damned good!

[beko1987]

That's a lovely offer Anthony, thanks! I'd love a go, will have to find the time if you happen to drop it off!

 

I can go even more anal with it, it's covered in swirl marks! But there isn't really any need

[beko1987]

Mmmm, when I kick the passenger side wheel with the car on the ground and I get a clunking sound and a bit of movement that I don't get when kicking the drivers wheel the same, what might it be?

 

Obv I'll have a proper look but I can't do that tonight.. Any ideas?

[The Moog]

Don't kick the wheels?

[beko1987]

Fair point

 

Ive already sewn the seeds with Amy that I require tool time this weekend

[Kiltox]

Never tested suspension by kicking but I would be putting the front end on axle stands and using a pry bar to check for play in ball joints, ARB bushes etc

[beko1987]

No I don't usually either, but I gave it a try and it did something!

 

Ill keep the aa card tucked into the sun visor for tomorrow and maybe not do 90...

[Guest Hooli]

Do the wheel nuts up?

 

 

 

 

 

And save for another goona...

[Guest Hooli]

As a more useful post, if it still drives ok I wouldn't worry till the weekend.

[Ben_O]

I'm a bit of a long term lurker of your threads but rarely comment.

 

keep up the good work, It's a really enjoyable read.

 

Ben

[beko1987]

Hehe thanks!

 

People on the gooner Facebook group think drop links or bottom ball joints, both of which I'm familiar with on other cars.

 

They then started giving me doom about the rear bushes, but hopefully they will just be an advisory on this mot as they were on the last.

 

None have been helpful about dropping the sump to get the dipstick out... Really must buy a hbol

[25v6turbo]

Going to say its pads rattleing in the caliper carriers,you did say one side had more brake dust than the other,plus mine did the same recently until I put new pads in it(genuine)do you hear the odd rattle when driving along the road?

[beko1987]

You know what, there is a metallic rattle over bumps, ive never braked over said bumps though. I'll check that out, the front pass is very much blacker, and the calipers do apparently seize up

[stuboy]

blimey you sure cleaned her up nice

[paulscavalier]

If the wheel actually moves when you kick it it could be the ball joints. Hopefully when you get it jacked up you can wobble the wheel about and get a better idea exactly where it's coming from

[beko1987]

Hopefully!

 

I also tried braking when the jangling noise happened and it did stop (although couldn't properly test it as it only happens at slow speeds, and by the time I braked a bit I'd pretty much stopped...), so will go around all the calipers and clean those up. Do you push or turn the calipers back?

 

My local ECP have lower ball joints in stock (Ocap but beggars can't be choosers) but no drop links so hopefully it's the bottom joints!

 

I also bought a HBOL this morning, won one for £3!

[Guest Hooli]

Push back. It's only callipers with handbrake functions that need turning.

[Kiltox]

It had an advisory for a ball joint on the last test but I assumed it had been done because it was bolted in rather than riveted

 

Maybe just been done a couple of months ago with an Ocap one

[beko1987]

It had an advisory for a ball joint on the last test but I assumed it had been done because it was bolted in rather than riveted

 

Maybe just been done a couple of months ago with an Ocap one

I'm bloody glad you said that, as I peeked at the drivers side and think it's riveted on, and I don't own a drill, and my friend with the BFO grinder is on holiday! If the pass side is bolted in then that's gr9!

 

It may not even be the balljoint, I'll have a proper look tomorrow! I'd hope that after it's stint as a taxi most of the suspension is non genuine and comes apart easily!

[beko1987]

9.30 this morning I had all the tools out and was ready, which was frankly quite strange, and rarely happens but Eva was at amys mums, and Amy was with charlie. For the first time in a fair few cars (6 years worth) I had to get a box of stuff out of the boot before I started

 

 

Silly modern car. And alas I do have locking wheel nuts. I did try one of the non locking bolts but it didn't go so I sacked it off for now

 

 

I started with the front passenger side, as it was making the clonk. It could do with discs and pads at some point, all the lines you can see can be felt too, it's properly bumpy. Brakes fine though, so meh, it's not urgent

 

 

The lower balljoint was fine, I couldn't get it to move with a BFO screwdriver, it wasn't perished or fucked. It was also riveted on, so either original or it's had replacement lower bits at some point.

 

With the car off the ground before I took the wheel off, holding the wheel at 12 and 6 and rocking it gave no movement, but 9 and 3 produced a few mm of play. I tried again with the wheel off and once I'd trapped my finger in the caliper found out that the play is coming from the track rod. Not the end though, but the inner fixings (the play stops under the boot)

 

 

I plan to leave it and see if it's another advisory on the MOT, unless it's a very easy and cheap-ish job?

 

Anyway, whilst it was all apart I had the caliper off, took the pads out, wire brushed everything up and replaced the pads with coppa slip in various places, wound the piston back and re-fitted it all without any real issues. Caliper sliders were covered in dry old grease, well, it was grease. A quick wire brush and my brake grease and it moves very nicely now.

 

Drivers front now, and immediatly hit an issue in that the bolt cover bolt would not move... And the placca tool was bending alot. I quickly unded the 2 rear wheel covers, then tried some more, it just twisted the tool. I tried hammering a punch at various angles, needle-nose pliers clamped in with mole grips and turning, nothing. In the end I snapped the surround of the bolt hole off the cover and got the cover off, then mole gripped the head of the bolt and took it right off

 

 

Not too upset, it was the only casualty, and I'd rather have found out like this than a phone call from wherever I send it to get the wheels balanced to say they can't do it come and get it... No more pictures as again, it was utterly straight forward and done in about 15 minutes. Not quite sure why the passenger wheel is blacker than the drivers, the damage on the disc was more pronounced on the passenger side, and the caliper piston a tad stiffer to retract, but I don't think there's anything too bad to worry about.

 

Onto the rear now, and this greeted me on the rear passenger side when I took the wheel off!

 

 

It made sense, as when I prodded the pads with my screwdriver the inner one moved about and made exactly the same noise I've been hearing over bumps! Happy I found that. I also looked at the rear beam bushes which were an advisory on the last MOT and I've been getting grief about on the gooner facebook group... I'll see what the MOT man says (were an advisory last year) but the job seems pretty straightforward, I'll need a £50 tool though.

 

 

Cracking on, I got the top caliper bolt/slider out, then hit an issue with the lower one...

 

 

FFS. No access hole, nothing. I had a rootle around and hammered an allen bit into one of my chocolate flare nut spanners and made a tool!

 

 

 

A ratchet spanner would have been much better to use as I only get 1/2 a turn with this but it did the job! I'd already released the handbrake (and not by pulling the yellow pull handle of doom) so gave the caliper a pull, it didn't move. Consulting with facebook again it does just pull off so I tried a bit harder and eventually the handbrake cable sleeving detached itself from it's rusty clips and it did pull off.

 

 

The piston took alot of work to get it back a bit, and again everything got cleaned and coppaslipped.

 

 

I also found this loose (as in could do it up several turns with my finger) caliper carrier bolt! Tightened that right up!

 

All done, I put everything back together, and onto the passenger side, which was easy after doing the drivers side. One extra thing I did was take a carrier bag full of mud out of the top spring mount, that should stave off any rust! Eventually I found a large drain hole so brushed it all down there. The pads were odd though, the drivers side was similar but not this bad, it's as if they weren't fully pushed home. Not as bad as Moog's Puma but I thought of that when I saw them

 

 

 

I rubbed the lip off on a kerbstone and they were fine. The pass side was stuck on a bit, I could hear the disc fighting the pads spinning it by hand, and neither rear side had any grease on the slider pins so hopefully this will be worth it! A quick test drive confirmed the brakes still worked, and that the clunking sound has gone!

 

I almost had a look at the snapped dipstick but could not be bothered. Someone on FB gave me some tips and pointers, but the more I look at the picture he sent me the more I'm convinced it's not for my engine! The undertray needs to come off and that was a step too far! I also bought a HBOL for £4 on ebay which should come next week, I'll have a look at that and see if there's a picture or something.

 

Total spend so far - £0

 

Things fixed - 

Rear wiper

Rear tailgate

Sunroof Drains

Brakes

 

[beko1987]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252093965207

 

Well that seems reasonable, and would knock off 2 advisories

 

Nearside Front Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Offside Front Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

 

Plus, if the tester see's shiney bits fitted, he might be more inclined to not fail these if they are not utterly terrible

 

Nearside Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

 

No idea where

 

Nearside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

 

could be, I'm wondering if it's to do with the knackered tie rod inner joint, as it certainly moves as if it's a knackered ball joint, the green ZX had the same movement.

 

Tempted to do the track rods, get it tracked and balanced up and not alot else (which would also get rid of the horrible steering wheel shake!)