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The Old Beige BX Progress Thread: 17th Feb 2021 - FIN.


strangeangel

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Today's update, then... the sphere tool was deployed early doors; we were expecting to have to use unreasonable force to get them off, but they were little more than hand tight! To our delight, a quick test ride revealed that the bigger, 2nd hand spheres found in the boot have restored the BX's magic carpet ride :)

 

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In removing the airbox to make room, we found that the plastic inlet had been damaged due to the attached hose being horribly over-tightened, allowing the car to suck in unfiltered air...

 

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That got re-shaped by warming it up with a hair-dryer and strengthened by the insertion of part of a Volvo washer bottle filler neck! The filter itself was shagged; the foam crumbled and it didn't bounce back if you poked a finger at it:

 

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While the car runs it's never idled brilliantly, so we decided to take the carburettor off, and I've brought it home to clean. It's certainly filthy, and the waterway through the bottom of it is blocked solid with alloy corrosion, which has made us wonder about the state of the water pump.

 

Another thing of note is that the rad has been bodged with some sort of black gunge, and leaks when the car is up on ramps. Replacements can be had for £60 or so, so not the end of the world.

 

FInally, big thanks to MRS_CLELAND, who spoilt us rotten with a delicious lunch of Thai noodles, and home-made cake! What more could a 'shiters work party ask for?

 

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More soon, hopefully!

 

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The chin strikes again!

 

Big thanks to MadMarkHairnet and StrangeAngel for making the trip up to Castle Cleland today. We didn't bust a gut, but had no problems, so we made some progress on the thankfully low-hanging fruit.

 

Some great parts-chasing research there Mark. To avoid confusion, the tank sender thing we need is fr the fuel (not gauge), and it looks like a small disk with two straight pipes on one side, and on top, two shorter ones possibly bent at 90 degrees for the hoses to fit on.

 

Our stone chip looks nasty, and has some damp in it, but it's not a distraction from the driving seat, so hopefully Mr MOT will not kick up a fuss. But it's good to know screens can be had.

 

I didn't take many pics, but as Jaz said, the air filter housing was reinforced with a piece of Lolvo 850. I kept the emblem on it as a tribute to Adrian_SVM for the gift of the sphere tool, lovingly modeled by Mark above. ^^ 

 

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The windscreen being 'forgotten about' on the mot would be handy as it could be replaced at leisure, either through someone's insurance as an autoglass job or buy and fit. Rather than have the entire car ready to pass but struggling on the windscreen or being bum raped by someone who has to come out and fit it there and then

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It's beyond repair, even if they did fix it the edges are all cloudy internally for a good inch.

 

Crowd fund the £75? But would it be easier to have it mot'd and legal first so you could just say it's been going cloudy for a while and wallop, you caught a stone etc? I don't know how much they care tbh, the meriva had a massive chip for 2 years before it split the screen, amy said it all happened at once 3 days before and the guy didn't care apparently

 

Maybe wash it first too so it doesn't look like it's been sat for ages

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Good work Team Beige!

 

I was hoping to be able to lend a hand on this working party but other things of a higher* priority got in the way

 

(*WHAT could be of higher priority than saving an early miserable spec BX? This is a discussion that me and SWMBO are yet to have...)

 

Keep up the good work and vicariously satisfying updates. With chins and halos.

 

And shout if there needs to be more fundraising.

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I should add that we did do some rudimentary MOT-style checks:

 

- vehicle structure looks good (there is evidence that welding has already been doen in the boot)

- no ripped CV boot/ball joint gaiters, haven't checked for worn joints but there's no knocking when driven.

- lights, horn etc all working, although the huge and weird dip/main beam switch needs some TLC

- brake pipes look sound but some surface rust (will be cleaned up and covered in spray wax at the next work day)

- windscreen is a total fail as discussed earlier (but you never know your luck ;) )

 

Pics of that rank carburettor getting cleaned soon!

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IIRC, the headlamps do not use relays, so the entire headlamp draw goes through it, buggering up the contacts. Had issues with the switch on my Mk1 all those years ago.

 

I think it's OK in that respect, the problem is that it's really stiff and sometimes sticks when pushed in. Hopefully a good clean and a bit of lube will cheer it up.

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I think it's OK in that respect, the problem is that it's really stiff and sometimes sticks when pushed in. Hopefully a good clean and a bit of lube will cheer it up.

whos good with lectrickery

 

put them thru relays cos if you get meltu and cant get another????

 

safer too

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If you can dig out a sender to fit, Tim, that'd be ace. Don't bother modifying... you may have noticed my "tray of snakes" hose collection in the pics, I'm sure we can make it fit.
I easily found a suitable return hose in that lot.
 

If any part are needed or have been bought already, let me know so I can send you monies.

 
We haven't spent a penny on it so far, just made do with what we had. :D
Parts needed: only what has been mentioned, if the screen will scrape though a test, I think £100 should cover all it needs for now. Plus about £50 for a test at my tame place, if that's what you're all happy to go with.
 
We were saying yesterday that after some light shopping and another half day of tinker time, with some luck it should be ready to try for its MOT. :D

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