Sold Dollywobbler's Bluebird - Buy an award winner! £SOLD

[dollywobbler]

Quite. Well done to the K70 guessers!

[barefoot]

Did you know that it actually did not?

However, the VW K70 is an NSU development.

 

 

Of course I knew!

[Snipes]

Front. The previous U11 was RWD [EDIT - not it wasn't! Previous to that was RWD]. Just to further confuse matters, this is not really a Bluebird at all, but an evolution of the Stanza platform. Nissan liked to keep people guessing in the 1980s! The U12 Bluebird, sold in Japan and other markets, is really not closely related to the European Bluebird at all. I think Bickle has/had a Pintara, which is a Japanese Bluebird sold in Australia. Keeping up at the back?

 

Anyway, the Mud and Snow tyres (RADAR!) will be appreciated. I might get them fitted properly though...

Funny how Toyota UK did almost the same thing at the same time when they replaced the Carina II with the Corona, named it Carina E, while in Japan the Carina ran on for another ~10 years.

[Steve79]

I know, but I've always had more of a soft spot for the Blueys than the Sunnys, probably because my dad had a Bluebird when I was a kid.

 

LX does have PAS. Only the LS (and presumably the 'Premium' povo spec) did without. I know that because my dad had an LS, and always wished his company had stumped up a little more for the LX. Certainly was heavy by all accounts! Will be odd going to the 1.6 given I had a 2.0 SLX previously. I was a twat to sell that car.

I can also confirm that having also owned the SLX before you that i was most definitely a twat to sell it. Oh the blue veloury goodness and the dainty lights on bell chime!

 

No pantograph wipering for you on you new T72 though!

[Steve79]

I know, but I've always had more of a soft spot for the Blueys than the Sunnys, probably because my dad had a Bluebird when I was a kid.

 

LX does have PAS. Only the LS (and presumably the 'Premium' povo spec) did without. I know that because my dad had an LS, and always wished his company had stumped up a little more for the LX. Certainly was heavy by all accounts! Will be odd going to the 1.6 given I had a 2.0 SLX previously. I was a twat to sell that car.

I can also confirm that having also owned the SLX before you that i was most definitely a twat to sell it. Oh the blue veloury goodness and the dainty lights on bell chime!

 

 

No pantograph wipering for you on your new T72 though!

[dollywobbler]

I can also confirm that having also owned the SLX before you that i was most definitely a twat to sell it. Oh the blue veloury goodness and the dainty lights on bell chime!

 

No pantograph wipering for you on you new T72 though!

 

Indeed not. Doesn't appear to have ANY headlamp warning chime. Disappointing.

[trigger]

I've just been reading the MOT history for the car, I think we know who the last MOT tester was.

 

[omegod]

My Dad had a massive horn for these and bought 3 brand new ones:

 

D reg 1.6 LX

F reg 1.6 " Puma " special edition which was body kitted to within an inch of it's life, can't find any pics sadly

H reg 2.0 GSXi auto 

 

I liked them all but was over the moon when he took me to school in the Puma cos it looked badass 

[junkyarddog]

There was also a rare Turbo version of the T12 too.

[PhilA]

Indeed not. Doesn't appear to have ANY headlamp warning chime. Disappointing.

There's a little grille down to the left of the steering column. Look through it with a flashlight, you should see a little metal plate of the chime mechanism if it's fitted. If it's there it might have jammed up. Occasionally a thump on the dash would free mine up.

 

Phil

[JuridicalGrunt]

Very nice bluebird .i had a 86 sr turbo in two tone blue and silver it was good fun to drive but impossible to find suspension parts for as it had electronic suspension.

 

 

[dollywobbler]

That's awesome!

 

Anyway, my Bluey is now with video. A bonus is that tomorrow has become a free day, so hopefully I can crack on with engine dismantling. Not done it before on anything but a 2CV, but how hard can it be? Must order some bits...

 

[dollywobbler]

I've made a start! Cam cover off, HGF confirmed. Also, the thermostat was missing...

 

Spark plugs needed a sodding breaker bar to get out! Yup, this car has endured a whole heap of neglect.

 

I got the plugs out just to make sure none of the cylinders were full of water before I started the engine. That was so I could unblock the Daimler, and move the Bluey down nearer my tools. Even just reversing down the driveway, the front end is clonking like a bastard, so I suspect a knackered track rod end or balljoint. Quality motor this!

[hairnet]

Better than the daymlerrr

[danthecapriman]

Looks like someone's been using Baileys instead of engine oil!

 

So far it's very reminiscent of my Volvo, clearly been looked after in the past but maybe fallen on hard times recently.

It'll be a really nice car once it's fixed though.

[dollywobbler]

Why the sodding hell did Nissan use a star drive on ONE of the head bolts? I'm now going to have to drive to town just to get some sodding sockets that I'll probably never use again. UGH.

[jonathan_dyane]

Are you nipping down today? I'm looking forward to seeing the head off!

[dollywobbler]

Are you nipping down today? I'm looking forward to seeing the head off!

 

Plan B. Will a 10mm 12-sided socket undo a star-headed bolt? The answer is yes!

 

Going to be fun scraping this clean...

 

Looks like two cylinders were leaking. The gasket appeared to be impeding quite a few waterways too. That doesn't strike me as ideal...

 

I'm not really sure what to do next, having never done this before. Head clearly needs a very good clean up. I've got a couple of valves open, just because that's where they were when the engine stopped. Should I take the cams out? I'd better work out how to time everything back up again too. Interesting times ahead!

[jonathan_dyane]

Fine work! If it were me my next stage would be cleaning the face of the head enough to get a flat edge on it which you can use alongside your feeler gauges to detect if the head is warped.

 

Personally I'd strip the head to lap the valves in but you may prefer to just test them by poring petrol or thinner into the combustion chamber with the valves shut to check for obvious leaking.

[dollywobbler]

Hmm. That's all getting a bit more involved than I'd hoped. Was hoping it'd be as simple as a quick skim, new gasket and reassemble. 

[jonathan_dyane]

It can be that simple if you want but it makes sense to at least check the valves for obvious leakage

[ProgRocker]

Enjoyed the video. Will look forward to see how this progresses as I like these late model Bluebirds. Love the origami inspired styling.

 

My sister had one - same spec as this but in black (thus the matt black bumpers looked like they were colour coded). It's the kind of car that would have appealed to my dad as it was bland, family sized and well kitted out (going by my parents' car history).

[dollywobbler]

It can be that simple if you want but it makes sense to at least check the valves for obvious leakage

 

Ok. Guess I'll be discovering how much power is absorbed by driving a camshaft then! 

[Mally]

Pinto head gaskets impede some water holes. Must be a reason? Well the ones we use do.

Some people punch a hole, some including me just fit it as is.

[dollywobbler]

I'll see what the new gasket looks like when it arrives.

[Noel Tidybeard]

it is possible some holes may be machining holes from manufacturing process

[Ghosty]

People overhype head gasket changing, it's not too bad, provided you do it by the book, with gasket sealant and the like.

[dave21478]

. I've got a couple of valves open, just because that's where they were when the engine stopped. Should I take the cams out? 

 

Ideally you would have turned the engine to TDC before dismantling so you had timing reference points lined up.

Its not a big deal, but just be careful putting it back together that you dont get the timing 180 degrees out.

[dollywobbler]

It'll definitely be a case of plugs out, turn by hand when it's back together. If I can find some way to turn it by hand. These new fangled cars don't seem to have a starting handle...

 

Gasket sealant is a thought. What should I use and where should it go? All gaskets?

[beko1987]

I turned the xantias engine by the camshaft pulley bolt, with an extension off the socket so my breaker bar cleared the wing. Wasn't too bad once I learned how to do it, with help from here!