How much shite is too much shite? Not Over for the Rover - Yet!

[Saabnut]

Saturday morning my brother arrived with the write off. Fergie spares were loaded into the boot and the first run in it was as a passenger as we headed to Birmingham to drop off my brother after dropping in on my nephew in Nottingham. All seemed good so at the lunch stop the compulsory picture was taken

Yes, it is a Vauxhall but not totally shite. A hire company bought it new for accident claim hires but it was never used and sold at a year old with 23 miles on the clock. One lady owner since.

A 450 miles trip home shows it drives perfectly. The fuel computer has not been reset from new, sure I got more empeegees than that on the run home, it has done mostly short runs around Gatwick with the occasional run to the Midlands

It is a 1.6 SXI so reasonably posh (for a Disastra)

And it is clean and tidy

So why is it a write off? It was in queuing traffic when a lady in a Range Rover failed to see it and tried to occupy the same space

That is it! Will do for a run around for a while although it will need an MOT next month.

[AnnoyingPentium]

6 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

Saturday morning my brother arrived with the write off. Fergie spares were loaded into the boot and the first run in it was as a passenger as we headed to Birmingham to drop off my brother after dropping in on my nephew in Nottingham. All seemed good so at the lunch stop the compulsory picture was taken

Yes, it is a Vauxhall but not totally shite. A hire company bought it new for accident claim hires but it was never used and sold at a year old with 23 miles on the clock. One lady owner since.

A 450 miles trip home shows it drives perfectly. The fuel computer has not been reset from new, sure I got more empeegees than that on the run home, it has done mostly short runs around Gatwick with the occasional run to the Midlands

It is a 1.6 SXI so reasonably posh (for a Disastra)

And it is clean and tidy

So why is it a write off? It was in queuing traffic when a lady in a Range Rover failed to see it and tried to occupy the same space

That is it! Will do for a run around for a while although it will need an MOT next month.

Please do tell me what you think of this. Been looking at a pez one of these for the "fleet".

[Saabnut]

After a week away with work, this morning started sunny and warm and most unusually for up here, stayed that way. Early start as I am still on Norwegian time  and first job was to move the Hyundai from shed blocking duties. My digger was returned whilst I was away so next was to put that away which meant moving the Moggie. With that done, I fired up the Fergie, replaced all the hoses and filled it with antifreeze. Warmed it up and took it up the track to collect some parcels. Carb needs setting up but both the oil and temperature gauges work.

Once back,  decided that the Cobra had to come out so I could get the Discovery of Doom out of the naughty corner where it has had the last 2.5 years to think about what it has done. With it out and the sun shining, I took it for a run to the village. 50 odd miles later I was back with a huge grin and about 30 litres of fuel lighter!

After that break, the Disco was towed out of the naughty corner with the Kubota which then used its bucket on to the Disco tow bar to push it in on to the ramp.

Initial prodding has shown that the chassis whilst basically OK, does need a few patches putting on with the sparkly stick. Will probably continue with it tomorrow, but if the weather remains as good, I might take the morning off and take the Cobra to the breakfast meet in Inverurie.

[big_al_granvia]

tough call mate, welding a disco or hooning the cobra

[Saabnut]

The weather turned out nice but decided to put it to use* and get on with the Disco. A thorough inspection showed a total of 5 patches required, 4 on the chassis nearside rear and one on the sill closing panel in the same area, but nothing major. Sitting for the last two and a half years also meant there was a lot of flaking surface rust. Out with the grinder with a knot wire wheel and the rear section soon looked better which was more than could be said of me or the shed floor

I treated the brushed steel with Jenolite and went for a brew while it did it stuff. These are the areas of added lightness

I fabricated the first patch and had literally just got the first couple of tacks on when my friend arrived to fit the new starter motor and ignition switch. The reason it was laid up, apart from it had been driving me mad with unreliability, was the starter had remained engaged with the engine running which had fried the starter. My thinking was it was likely to be the starter failing in the engaged mode or the ignition switch failing, so to make sure I bought a new starter and a replacement switch.

I am not sure what sort of sadistic engineer designed a starter with 3 securing bolts, 2 of which are visable and reasonably accessible when on a ramp and both of which are the same size. The third is hidden, needs multiple extensions and swivels and of course is a different size. It took well over an hour for two of us to get the old one off, then half an hour to get the new one on. If I did not have the ramp, I am sure we would still be under it!

With the starter done, the dash was dismantled and the new ignition switch fitted. The moment of truth. Turned the key, the engine turned over twice and started and ran fine, but the starter once again remained engaged. Promptly turned it off before damaging the new starter. Much investigative work followed before I remembered the previous owner had had mouse trouble   Whilst it would be easy to wire in a separate starter switch (as there must be a short in the loom causing the fault) I have decided I have had enough of this POS. I have spent well over 2k on this and done less than 1000 miles, and almost as many on the back of recovery trucks. I am going to waste no more time nor money on this (the £120 on starter and switch this week is the last) so it is going up for sale. I will connect up a wire to the starter tomorrow so it can be driven on to a trailer, then when it is outside I will take some photos and advertise it for a grand ono which I think is fair in the current environment. It is a fairly simple recommision (and after all that has been done it should be reliable one day) or a good source of spares. 

[beko1987]

Engine swap into the astra 👍

[red5]

It's not the ignition barrel switch? I've changed a couple for similar concerns- one didn't 'spring back' to pos 2 and the other was burnt inside. 

 

[hairnet]

how much astra taxi from abz m9?

[Saabnut]

19 minutes ago, red5 said:

It's not the ignition barrel switch? I've changed a couple for similar concerns- one didn't 'spring back' to pos 2 and the other was burnt inside. 

 

Changed the complete switch - no change!

[Saabnut]

14 minutes ago, hairnet said:

how much astra taxi from abz m9?

Taxi always available (if I am at home!)

[beko1987]

Looks a decent beater does the astra, you don't want to be putting hairnet in it and lower g the tone

[Saabnut]

Been another unproductive day, but it is not over yet!  Went out this morning to collect some goodness for the Moggy but it failed to start. A few quick tests suggested coil failure, but no more time so rolled it towards the shed and went out to do the collection in the Hyundai as that was next in line. Twice before (in 4000+ miles) the immobiliser has played up and required a lock and reopen cycle to reset it. Today it did it 3 times within 2 miles, but has then behaved itself perfectly.

Got back with goodies and went to see what is what with the Moggy. Of course, my multimeter decided the battery had had enough, and my spare meter had the battery die a couple of months ago. Off to the shop for new batteries, this time in the Disastra.

A quick check showed 12V going into the coil but only 0.4V coming out to the distributor. Dug out what appears to be a new coil (but of unknown origin - it came in a box of bits) and swapped it out. No start. Cap off, no spark at the points, also 0.4v coming out of the coil. Another rummage in the shed and found an old coil that was working when it came off the donor many years ago. Swapped it and - nothing.

I find it hard to believe 3 coils have the same fault so tested the internal resistance on the original coil and all in spec., so it was replaced on the car. I undid the distributor wire from the coil, and 12v at both sides of the coil. Reconecting the wire saw the voltage drop to 0.4v again. In case it was the recently fitted chinesium tacho causing problems, I disconnected that and 12v at the lower terminal, but still no go. A check with it connected to the dizzy showed 0.4v. Reconnecting the tacho but disconnecting the dizzy saw 12v at the terminal so it is not that.

It is obviously someting in the distributor shorting, but at this point hunger got the better of me so I came in for lunch (yes, really) and I have typed this whilst it is cooking. Once eaten, I am going back out to continue investigations!

[Saabnut]

Taking a break always works!   After eating I went back out to it having narrowed it down to a distributor problem. Knowing @SiChad fitted new points and condensor, I had basically ruled these out as it has covered about 100 miles since. When will I learn my lesson about Chinesium components! The condensor and points looked perfect (and new) but I went rummaging in the darkest recesses of my shed and eventually I located a new old stock condensor and points set - still in BMC packaging! These must be over 40 years old, but after cleaning the anvils on the points, fitted them into the distributor. Of course, I could not find my feeler gauges so set them by eye. Popped the cap on, switched the ignition on, pulled the starter and after less than a single turn it burst into life! Very happy with that. Looking at the points I removed, there is nothing obvious except the difference in quality, but the results speak for themselves.

And what was the item of goodness I collected this morning?

Yes, that is a Riley 1.5 differential for it. Should transform long distances in it. 

Back to normal tomorrow I hope.

[SiC]

Sorry to hear the points gave trouble. The condenser is a Distributor Doctor item so should be good and I'd be surprised if that.

I tend to use the one piece points as they have never given me any trouble. The two piece I've had ride up on the shaft and affect the gap. Failure of these style points makes me reassess the suitability of those one piece jobs!

Do you have any pictures of the old points? I'd be interested to see what the failure point is and root cause. 

[Saabnut]

That explains why the condensor looked better quality! I will take a picture of the points tomorrow, did not realise they were one piece as they sprang apart on removal. The BMC ones are also one piece!

[Saabnut]

This weekend gone, I thought I would start tidying the garden AS style  Garden that needs tidying:

Essential garden tools?

One Komatsu mini digger.

A few hours later I had the van separated, most loaded on the pick up, the stuff in it sorted and the floorpan carefully stored* as the base of another scrap pile

Today was MOT day for the Disastra

As

Happy to say it passed with an advisory for a drop link so will pick one up tomorrow. To celebrate I went to visit my friend who is working on my Disco 1.  As a rule he does not work on other peoples cars as he is slightly* OCD and a perfectionist,  so I was amazed when he offered to do the Disco. This will not be cheap, but once finished it will be one of the best in the country. Parts/paint/repair panels etc have already cost well over two kilo pounds (and topside paint is not on the workscope!)

So far he has been working on the back end sorting and cleaning the suspension (shocks and springs were changed about a year ago) and cutting out rust

[hairnet]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:00 PM, Saabnut said:

 

 

 

nice tractor

[hairnet]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:00 PM, Saabnut said:

 

nice cobra

[Saabnut]

A few* months ago THE 205 decided it did not want to run for more than a few minutes. It had been getting more difficult to start and would loose power, sometimes cutting out. It was placed in the naughty corner until I had time to look at it. As the PO had been running it on veg and the fuel filter was of the rare invisible type, I suspected the (Lucas) injection pump. 

A few days ago I decided it was time, before the grass that had grown around it hid it from view. Cracking off an injector or 4 resulted in feeble amounts of fuel. Bugger. Whilst pumping the primer bulb, my hand got wet - it had perished and cracked possibly* causing an air leak. A new one ordered, and whilst changing it found the rubber fuel pipe from the steel line to the bulb was also perished and cracked. Cut off a length of my good quality line from my stock as I had run out of the cheap stuff and replaced it. Started it up and - nodifference what so ever. In a flash of inspiration (spelt desperation) I put a line into a can, primed it up and it ran perfectly. Aah, must be an air leak somewhere else.

Onto the ramp and a thorough inspection underneath and whilst the steel lines were rusty, there was no evidence of a leak. Dropped the fuel tank (where |I noticed the inspection hatch above it coz I are an idiot) and the rubber pipe and plastic fittings all appeared new(ish) with no sign of a leak. Gave up for the night.

Today, back to it. Removed the steel line and replaced it with copper on the grounds there was nothing else it could be.  I was just about to refit the rubber pipe under the bonnet (remember, this is my good hose, cotton braided and E10 compatible) when I thought this seems to go on easy. Checked the printing on it (definitely 8mm hose and the copper is 10mm - something not right. Got out my verniers, and the inside diameter of my 8mm hose is 11mm! AAAAAARGH! More cheap chinesium shit sold at expensive quality prices. A trip to my motor factors saw 2m of good quality 8mm hose obtained, which took some fitting to the 10mm copper but seemed to seal well. Encouraged by this, I removed the fuel filer from the scrap Discovery 1 I have and plumbed that in and bled the system.

At close of play tonight it seems to be running well but the exhaust has now snapped mid way down the car so a test run is not possible but I am confident it is now fixed. All that hassle and two days because of shite products. The good news for those that know the car and are understandably worried, fear not. I have ordered a length of straight exhaust pipe which will be welded to the Cherry Bomb silencer so the character* will remain!  

[loserone]

Kill it with fire, the hateful thing.

 

I am not sure why I hated this one so much, it should have been marvellous

[Saabnut]

Friday I went back over to the motor factors to pick up the exhaust section. After much searching we established the donkey who drives their van had carefully brought the paperwork from head depot in Glasgow, but had left the pipe behind! Back over later today. Whilst there I picked up oil and air filters and a drop link for the Disastra. Removing the sump plug was interesting* as I ended up with a four foot extension on my ratchet onto the T40 torx. When it went I thought I had snapped the bit, but it had cracked off with a cloud of rust surrounding it. 

When collected, my brother had to add over 3 litres of oil to bring it to the correct level, it was off the dipstick. Having only done 1000 miles on essentially new oil, I was expecting it to be fairly clean, but what came out looked like tar. The oil filter housing required a breaker bar and the oil filter looked positively ancient. The screws holding the lid on the airbox were rusty so I was doubting the service interval had been followed to the letter  At least the air filter did not look too bad, but on investigation it had a date code of 2012 so that tied in with the service the car got when purchased. I am now convinced it is still running the original cambelt, and whilst usually I will play roulette, but 12 years and 93k miles is pushing it even for me! Will pick one up when at the motor factors later.

At least the drop link swapped fairly easily so that is the mot advisories sorted. The rest of the weekend was a mix of strimming and gras cutting as I am going away again tomorrow, with a small amount of tidying up in my shed. I had to start tidying as I could not find my vice grips!

[Saabnut]

Just before I headed offshore, the new exhaust section arrived for the 205 and the timing belt kit for the Disastra. My friend came over to weld the exhaust into the correct shape, but typically, with 90% done we ran out of MIG wire. Not a problem, my friend had a spare roll at home, and the exhaust was secure, and the blowing from the incomplete welds was drowned out by the cherry bomb! Whilst he was there, we stuck his LR 110 on the ramp as a UJ on the front propshaft was rumbling. Up in the air, the prop was soon removed but we noticed the mid cross member on the chassis had done a Land Rover and both ends had converted to fresh air along with the adjacent chassis rails!

The sensible thing to do was to leave it on the ramp and to leng him the pug for a while. I returned home Saturday and shortly after my friend arrived to complete the fitting of the timing belt to the disastra which he had started whilst I was away and to confess! Last week, on his way home from work, a deer jumped a hedge and landed about 6 feet in front of the pug. Unfortunately he was doing 55mph at the time. Both the deer and the pug exploded. The deer was so badly mangled there was no useable meat left. The pug destroyed its front nearside wing, headlight, indicator, bumper and grill. In addition the NS front chassis rail displayed its hidden rust and folded up nicely. In the days he was running the pug he had already had to replace a tyre (the one that got potholed eventually delaminated) and a wheel bearing.

So, the answer who will win is a nil-nil draw! Both are basically dead  My friend said he was happy to repair it as he was responsible for the damage, but I told him to stop being stupid, these things happen. It did cross my mind that @loserone would at least be happy on hearing of its death  but unfortunately for him, my friend had decided he liked it whilst he was running it so has bought it off me and is going to repair it for himself, it will live on. I will call past his and grab some photos, but at least I have gained some space!

 

[loserone]

That's the second ex-me pug to die by deer.

 

Hope he wasn't too shaken up

[beko1987]

I caught a muntjack once in my 206. If the bumper wasn't already heavily cable tied up it would have caused carnage. Luckily it snapped the cable ties and rolled under, although it wasn't nice to pressure wash off the suspension the next day 😂

Hope it's an easy fix

[big_al_granvia]

i am convinced that deer have as much road sense as pheasants, only deer are bigger

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, big_al_granvia said:

i am convinced that deer have as much road sense as pheasants, only deer are bigger

One of my old English teachers once hit a deer whilst he was doing 70mph on the bit just passing Troon, and this was the reason why he was late that day. The policewoman wasn't helpful either... something something that'll be christmas cancelled etc etc.

[Jim Bell]

4 hours ago, beko1987 said:

I caught a muntjack once in my 206.  😂

Isn't that a type of fish?

If so, well caught!

[SiC]

22 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

Isn't that a type of fish?

If so, well caught!

Maybe its one from Plenty of Fish? 🤔

[High Jetter]

Even a cat makes a dent at 50mph (in a 30)

[Saabnut]

I am as usual struggling to get back into normal living hours, 7 days a week working 0430 through to around 2230 screws up the body clock, so today decided to take a day off and visit my Discovery 1 as my friend who is doing the work called last night to say the welding is complete. In true Land Rover fashion, what started out as a couple of small repair patches grew arms and legs, although my friend says it is the most solid example he has seen in many years.

I have bought complete new front inner wings, front foot wells, 3 new body mounts, new rear outer arches, new boot floor edges and new boot floor. In addition it has had part of a new inner sill made by the local blacksmith welded in plus repairs to inner arches, rear cross member and at most cardinal points. Some rubbish pictures taken today

I am not looking forward to the final bill for all this. It is way beyond economical repair or indeed sensible despite being such a solid base. The sensible thing to have done would have been to keep sticking patches over the holes to get it through the annual MOTs, Doing what we are doing cutting out all rot and setting in proper repair patches (there is no overplating at all) powder coating all the bits that can be (inner wings etc) and drowning everything in metalmorphosis, zinc primer, chassis paint and several gallons of waxoyl should hold the rot at bay. Thw first of these stages was started today post photos as all seams have been tiger sealed and 3 litres of metalmorhosis applied. So far, I have spent over £2k in parts and materials alone, so why am I doing it? I need a 4x4 with good offroad ability and a 3.5 tonne towing limit.Modern stuff has so many electronics and flimsy materials that they rule themselves out and cost contributes. Who would pay £60k to £100k for a new Defender? Toyota et al have stopped making the big 4x4s to concentrate on electric varieties. Pick ups have the same problems with the addition of a terrible ride.

This basically leaves Land Rover products. Range Rover classics are brilliant but stupid money, Later Range Rovers get too complicated and come with the legendary Land Rover reliability*. Series Land Rovers are fun but not great tow cars and totally unsuitable for long journeys. Defenders are mega money and frankly horrible on a long run although much better than a series for that.  That leaves Discoveries. The Disco 1 which is basic without ABS and computers, the Disco 2 which has some of these which always break and Disco 3 onwards have the same problems as Rangies. 

Good Disco 1s are getting thin on the ground, and I want this one to see me out, so I am spending the money now rather than later. Whilst there today we were discussing progress when my friend asked what I was going to do about the drooping head lining. We agreed it would annoy us for ever, so a new headling kit was added to the shopping list. Thoughts then turned to the seats, whilst in basically good condition, due to the elderly PO (he was 88 when he stopped driving it because his bad hips was making entry and exit hard work) the drivers bolster has collapsed, so an excellent set of seats was also added to the list. Then the big one. What to do about the paint. Whilst it is in excellent condition for a 25 year old Land Rover, every panel has either scratches, chips, corrosion or all three apart from the roof which is fine.. My friend has a tame paint monkey who is very good, so a deep intake of breath was taken and a full respray, excluding the roof, has been agreed. My wallet is going to need a long holiday after this!