HMC- XK8 Starts!

[HMC]

^ive ordered one of the coolant thermostats for the diesel as its definitely running cooler than it should. If that doesn't sort it I'll have to move on to the oil thermostat. I think it's th first car I've had with 2 of the buggers!

 

Meanwhile the accident damage messed up more of the intake system on the 1.8lx than I'd realised and after moving it about with the wing swap various bits of brittle plastic are crumbling and breaking up even more (a fair bit of trunking is behind the NSF wing that got mangled up) I'll try and tape it up or cable tie it together like a right bodge artist. Without the broken resonator there's a lot more intake roar; which would be nice if it wasn't so boomy. I might experiment with a cone filter.

 

Overnight it rained here so I woke to find all my muddy fingerprints had washed off. I removed some of the oily fingerprints too and it turns out the wing off a scrapper has probably the best paint on the car!

[Supernaut]

You’ve clearly never done a thermostat on the petrol then, or a strut top mount. PITA!!

 

Some stuffs easy, the rear bearings are a doddle, exhausts aren’t too bad and the diesel top thermostat is a doddle as well.

My V6 is happily getting to temperature quickly, and staying there. The heater is nice and toasty too. Let it stay that way for a while.

 

I wonder about exhaust stuff though. Namely, mine has TWO back boxes, one on the left, that feeds another one on the right, which has the actual tail pipe on it. I wonder if a diesel back box will go on instead. This would effectively remove one box from the system. Hmm.

[sierraman]

If it’s a petrol the two back box system is the one piece original from the factory. Either that or a motor craft full replacement.

 

On the diesel you want an OE coolant stat, but even they fail quite quickly. I’d live with it, as the saying goes ‘they all do that sir’.

[HMC]

The neighbourhood awoke today to the sound of a c15 van being unloaded.....

It arrived at my work address. Colleagues no longer ask each other whose the new heap is in the corner. They know.

 

I love this thing!

[Six-cylinder]

A man with his own roof ventilator!

[HMC]

The c15 may not have keyless entry to go wrong, not an immobiliser to forget it's code, but the steering lock seized and the key snapped off on the works car park. It has been playing up since I got it, No doubt the more knowledgeable of shiters would have resorted to something cleverer to get out of an FTP. I however was already late. It's was dark. I was hungry. I got a bit caveman. I only had a screwdriver to hand and found a rock.....

 

So I now have a rustic form of keyless go until the new lock cylinder arrives from e bay.

[Six-cylinder]

Watch out there are different locks at different years.

[HMC]

This advertorial is brought to you by gumtree. I sold stoner cast off BMW e46 coupe on gumtree. Someone here suggested it would be a good place for it, and it was. Tempted by cheap glitz I had quite a few interested people. Anyhow, I then put less than £350, within 15 miles and began to browse for a replacement. I was tempted by a £200 1994 Toyota Corolla but got no reply, and in the end went for this-

MOT to July , drives fine (well as fine as a c180 can) decent tyres, some w202 panel edge action, and after finding 40p in an ashtray it's set me back £319.60. I like it but am confused by lack of a sunroof (good I hate them) on a posh "elegance" on which it would have been a standard fitment? Maybe another sunroof h8r specified it new.

[mercrocker]

Classy.  Pretty sure the sunroof shortage is down to there still being a "delete" option on these, as on the 190E.   Special order, though IIRC.   

 

I just LOL'd at your comments on the C15 van too....Somebody has rocked up at work this week in a shed of a Romahome based on one of these.    

Current number of times that I have been asked if its mine - 14.

[Supernaut]

Top bombing!

 

I need to move to another bit of the country where cars aren't massively overpriced. Getting anything useable for under £500 round here is nigh-on impossible. The Mondeo at £650 was a massive fluke. I've travelled much further for all my other cars. The envy I feel at you finding that practically on your doorstep...

[Ghosty]

W202 seems to be flavour of the week!

[BorniteIdentity]

Look at you with your afffluent and aspirational arselift tinted clusters.

 

I’ve done a lot of miles in mine this week and it’s been great.

[Supernaut]

Look at you with your afffluent and aspirational arselift tinted clusters.

 

I’ve done a lot of miles in mine this week and it’s been great.

 

I will admit that, for some reason, I keep getting you and HMC confused. My first thought upon reading the update to this thread was "Why has he bought another Mercedes?!"

 

I've no idea why I get the two of you mixed up, but I do.

[BorniteIdentity]

I will admit that, for some reason, I keep getting you and HMC confused. My first thought upon reading the update to this thread was "Why has he bought another Mercedes?!"

 

I've no idea why I get the two of you mixed up, but I do.

I used to have this with Status Quo and Rolling Stones. No worries.

[J-T]

Another one! Can’t go wrong at that price

[anonymous user]

I used to have this with Status Quo and Rolling Stones. No worries.

What, they used to mix you and HMC up as well?

[HMC]

Fleet news- sold the black mondeo. Got the itch for a trabant or a wartburg (in each case a late model with a vw sourced watercooled transplant) put a low offer on the trabi which was declined and in truth at just over £2k the nice looking wartburg 1.3s was just a bit too pricey for the HMC budget at the mo.

 

Verdict; one day I will have an eastern bloc escapee.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Driving a four stroke IFAmobile is like drinking alcohol-free beer : pointless !

 

There's a couple of proper, shmokey Trabants on evilbay at the moment, and they're well within your budget !

[John F]

Or there's always International Shitefest 2018......

[SiC]

Driving a four stroke IFAmobile is like drinking alcohol-free beer : pointless !

 

There's a couple of proper, shmokey Trabants on evilbay at the moment, and they're well within your budget !

^^ this. 4st Trabants spoil it.

 

Keep a look at the eBay seller "lambo682012". He seems to import them every so often and they seem to come in excellent condition.

 

I've been wanting a Trabbi for a while but never could when good ones come along.

[The Moog]

Plan for buglarian SF is to bring back a Wartburg for me. Get weekend away plus car for less than UK car.

[barefoot]

I couldn't imagine a 4 stroke trabbi.

the weight would be all wrong, it'd be way too fast and understeerey

You'll frighten the shit out of yourself in a proper smokey one.

And they don't even smoke anymore because 50:1 synthetic two stroke

[Zelandeth]

1.1 VW engine in a Trabant...reeeeally hope the brakes were upgraded as well...they were somewhere between inadequate and terrifying on both of the 2-stroke versions I've driven... can't imagine the abject terror which would result from driving one with more power.

[bezzabsa]

old Army cadet Sargent had a wartburg estate..always remember that noise...

would love a trabbi with something like a RD500 engine in it  

[Sigmund Fraud]

would love a trabbi with something like a RD500 engine in it

 

A Wartburg engine is better, because DDR :

 

[Asimo]

Thats the first youtube dyno video I have seen which didn't end with an exploding engine or a leap off of the rollers into a crowd of reversed baseball caps.

 

Want a Wartburg engine for the Insight now!

[HMC]

A light footprint/fwd and narrow section tyres have helped when the going got tough earlier this week with the c15. I did a quick bit of bodywork as the front gutter supports at the front end of the roof rack were missing clamps and over time had rubbed away paint on the cab roof and it has got quite rusty. Unbolted the support arms, wired brushed, and sorted with bilt hamber anti rust converter (I forget its name) and zinc primer/ hammerite. A bit rough and ready but at least it's sorted.

 

It's on pizza collection duty as I type, admiring* it from the window...

[hairnet]

Thats the first youtube dyno video I have seen which didn't end with an exploding engine or a leap off of the rollers into a crowd of reversed baseball caps.

 

Want a Wartburg engine for the Insight now!

oxymoron???

 

lmao

[HMC]

Currently the high bidder on a Wartburg.....

[HMC]

Winner winner chicken dinner.....