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Posted

I have to say, the Chrysler is pretty epic. Definitely ÜberShite®

 

The headlining is my favourite bit.

Posted

I sold a car! first time I've sold a car over £1k, got £200 more than my real bottom line (which was average price through BCA). Now my "daily" driver is a 1975 2cv. As restored by me. Eek! I say "daily" because the majority of the time I go to work by train or plane, so it's more of a "take stuff to the tip" car.

Posted

Dave, you live in an amazing building! Also the Cry-sler is nice. Are you coming to Shitefest btw?

Posted

Went out to The Volvo this morning to find that the car's battery was flat, due to me leaving the stereo on all night :oops:

 

As the battery was fitted in early 2004, and because I need the car for Shitefest, I decided that it would be better to buy a new one than recharge it for the umpteenth time; the car now has a nice new Bosch Silver jobbie with an equally nice five year guarantee :D

Posted

I had to buy a new battery for my Cortina a few weeks ago, the squire 085 jobby, £39.99 which is a bargain compared to the modern batteries, Halfords would want nearly £100 for the same battery off them.

 

I seem i end up replacing the battery on all the classic cars i buy, In other news my bushes have arrived and the cars in the garage as we speaking having them fitted as well as the propshaft doughnut, fingers cross it will be finished today with no problems.

Posted

I haz new turbo.

 

12%2520-%25201.jpg

 

 

Which I am hoping will cure this.....

 

Posted

Given that I'm meant to be driving the BX Mk1 to Wiltshite (that's a typo but you know, I think I'll leave it) tomorrow, I thought I'd better tackle some of its bigger issues. I briefly toyed with the idea of wiring up the remaining tailgate wiring. The wiper moved 1cm, then stopped. I couldn't get anything to happen again so gave up.

 

Next problem was indicators. They were a bit slow. As in flash..off.........flash..off......

 

Problem is, people expect indicators to flash these days. Being an early BX, it has the 2CV-style indicator can like this.

gr_101N-0083_DSC.jpg

 

It's got a big, long bi-metallic bender in it and in theory, is adjustable. I'm not really very familiar with the theory and when I tweaked it and put it back in, I had no indicators. I tried an in-situ fix but all this did was burn out a wire within it. Arse. No indicators! Of course, sharing the can with the 2CV is convenient, so now the 2CV has no indicators. Meshking has kindly offered to have a rummage in his garage for a replacement can - I don't really want to fit the later relay as the sound and flash duration are all wrong. I suppose I've got some sort of result as the indicators do now flash more regularly.

 

At this point, I decided it would be safer to do no work at all on the car, other than applying more gaffer tape to a door to stop a corner of it falling off. I put some on the front bumper to try and reduce the comical gap between it and the bodywork. This was not entirely successful. To see the gap, look at June on the Autoshite calendar.

Posted

I'm on holiday at the moment so I have spent the last week at Leeds City College on one the 'summer school' courses, the title of which is "An introduction to panel fabrication and wheeling".

 

The actual making and forming of panels is something I am very interested in and will certainly be necessary if I am to get anywhere with the Lombardi. Although the course specified welding was necessary, it didn't specify which...I've only ever used MIG and ARC...the course required use of oxy-actylene though...this wasn't a problem as the course tutor taught the half of us who didn't know, how to use it before we got stuck in 8)8)

 

We did three projects. We started with a bottom corner (say a quarter of a round bowl) from a flat sheet. Then the second project was then a simple wire edged mudguard form two pieces of sheet and galvanised fencing wire.

 

This all culminated in the third project which took from yesterday morning til this afternoon. From two pieces of flat sheet we had to fabricate the bottom rear wheelarch section of an E-type Jag...

 

Here it is... :)

 

HPIM0004.jpg

HPIM0003.jpg

 

It's not amazing and it certainly wouldn't fit straight on to an E-type, but it wasn't really about perfect panels, but about the techniques involved that go into producing a hand formed panel, so for someone who has only really made flat repair patches and bits of box section, I'm very pleased with it. :D

 

I would deffo recommend the Leeds City College courses. They are EXCELLENT.

 

Among the many cars in the workshops, they even had a multicoloured Safrane used as a paint mule by the look of it...

Posted

/\

Defo calendar contender.

 

Vin, that's great stuff. I'd love to do something like that, looks like a really useful skill.

Posted

My boss reversed his X-Trail into the front corner of The Volvo this evening!

 

IMAG0626.jpg

 

IMAG0623.jpg

 

Heartbreak City! :cry:

 

Luckily, the damage seems to be restricted to the passenger side indicator/running light, headlight (the frame of which is fractured) and the bolt-on metal bracket which supports the headlight at the grille end. Hopefully, l will be able to straighten the bracket or source a decent replacement one, in order re-align the grille and headlamp.

 

Luckily, I have a spare headlight in my spares stash, so I hope to be able to get away with just buying a new indicator/running light. I'm not too fussed if I find more damage, as Mr. Boss is going to foot the bill - the least he can do in the circumstances without going through his insurance! :twisted:

Posted

Just slap a load of gaffer tape over the front end. You might even win a prize at Shitefest!

Posted

Not a bad idea, that. I may also procure a bit of the inner wrapping of a box of Jaffa Cakes to serve as a temporary indicator lens :D

 

I've managed to realign the headlamp (and grille) by giving it a big shove towards the engine bay, so apart from the broken indicator/running light, the car looks all right:

 

IMAG0633.jpg

 

:wink:

Posted

Ordered a replacement indicator/running light this morning from my favourite online Volvo parts supplier and dug out a replacement headlight from my stash of spares this afternoon:

 

Axw73OQCEAAlXaJ.jpg:medium

 

I'll try to fit it tomorrow at some point and also straighten the bracket that it bolts to. Hopefully, hitting it a lot with a mallet and a bit of wood should restore its shape, otherwise I'll have to check out the local breakers yards for a replacement. I wonder the bracket's the same on the 940?

Posted

Just drove into town to get the 100 from Volksy's and realised that I had left the keys at home. Fucksticks. Not going back in, it can wait while tomorrow.

Posted

Braved the rain and fitted the cleaned replacement headlight to The Volvo, as I thought it would be prudent to do so in order to make myself feel better about the whole sorry affair and to take my mind off missing Shitefest*. The good news is that apart from the headlight and indicator/running light being damaged beyond repair, the only other damage to the car was the bent headlight support bracket, which I managed to lovingly reshape by hand. Therefore, everything went back together as it should. RWD Volvos are tough old things! :D

 

All I have to do is wait for the new indicator/running light to arrive, and the car will be back in business. I bet that my boss (a multi-millionaire who is very careful with his money) will be well pleased that he's only going to have to stump up £23 for the repair 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

*I suppose I could still make it, but I'd arrive too late for my liking and I'm not at all convinced that the weather is going to be any better in Wiltshire than it is here - standing around in the rain/camping in the rain is not my thing.

Posted

Managed to save £15 a month on my car insurance by changing my job title. Madness.

Posted

Replaced the lens of The Volvo's driver's side headlight this morning, a task that was quite therapeutic. The replacement lens has some minor rub marks from a worn headlight wiper blade (which I'm sure will polish out with a drill-mounted polishing kit), but it's far more preferable to the stone-holed one which it replaces:

 

Ax1qpdiCQAIWMAE.jpg:medium

 

I managed to do some guerilla Waxoyling of the panels behind the headlight while it was out as well, so I'm feeling quite pleased with myself at the moment and in a way am glad that I didn't go to Wiltshire this weekend 8)

Posted

Sold the volvo this afternoon, wasnt expecting to. Friend asked me if I knew a cheap car ... offered him mine and sold it within 5 minutes. Having to borrow a different car but at least it is one less thing to worry about before I leave the country!

Posted
Managed to save £15 a month on my car insurance by changing my job title. Madness.

 

I once hired a van. Bloke asked what I did. "Journalist." Cue sound of teeth sucking. "I'll put that down as researcher..." Still don't know what effect it was going to have. Not like I was using the van for journalism reasons!

Posted

Attempted to cut'n'polish a small piece of the Cherry this afternoon - remind me to never, ever, get a black car again. I thought I was pretty good at reviving paintwork, but after frantically scrubbing away/swearing at a square foot of roof in ever deepening frustration, I've concluded that I'm actually quite shit at it. OK, so I was using cheap compound and it may not have been spotless before I started, but jeez.... Looks like I'll have to spunk out on some proper stuff, and probably a polishing mop as well :evil: Any suggestions from fellow tarts would be very gratefully received.

Posted

Finally got some arsed to fit the Micra's new bonnet today. 10 mins after I started I had the new bonnet fitted:

 

fb41f509.jpg

a721e534.jpg

e768866d.jpg

bbee8c31.jpg

836ccd07.jpg

 

Shut lines arent fantastic and it does look a little odd by the o/s/f headlight but I never pretended to be some bodywork expert. It had previously been in a small crash and been subjected to couple of minor bumps before now so its forgiven for not looking perfect and lining up properly. However it looks better shut and isnt obviously out of shape like its original bonnet.

 

Original bonnet:

c9023b73.jpg

642abb63.jpg

 

The paintwork on the new bonnet looks good, but there a few more little scratches on it than the last one and it does feel rough to the touch, it obviously hadnt been cleaned properly during its life. I tried to T-Cut it (by hand) but the paint, whilst looking good, still feels rough. I shall have to get the machine mop on it.

 

Micra will be in for its MOT and a service next week, it hasnt had one for a couple of years.

 

In other news; Tried to change the starter motor on the Sterling but I quickly threw the towel in when I realised I had no easy way of accessing the bottom bolt underneath the motor holding it in, the bolt is wedged in between the bottom of the motor housing and the top bolts of the gearbox housing. I've asked a garage-running mate to help me sort it out whilst its in for its MOT next week.

Posted
Attempted to cut'n'polish a small piece of the Cherry this afternoon - remind me to never, ever, get a black car again. I thought I was pretty good at reviving paintwork, but after frantically scrubbing away/swearing at a square foot of roof in ever deepening frustration, I've concluded that I'm actually quite shit at it. OK, so I was using cheap compound and it may not have been spotless before I started, but jeez.... Looks like I'll have to spunk out on some proper stuff, and probably a polishing mop as well :evil: Any suggestions from fellow tarts would be very gratefully received.

 

If we can sort a time between us Ideally a Saturday afternoon or anytime Sunday) you can whizz up here and use mine if you like.

 

My news is a bit shit really: CLK 'doing a 190' and slowly being buried under endless crap in the garage. Battery flat so need to get off my arse, charge it up, tax it then give it a quick service and possibly sell it.

306 still mega on fuel, the inside stinks though after a recent trip to Delamere Forest with the bike so need to fire up the valeting machine. The other garage still contains the Corsa which is sat there waiting for new exhaust to be fitted and a couple of daft jobs to see a new MOT.

Did 17 odd miles on my 'new' mountain bike yesterday and another six odd this morning, then converted it to front disc brake set up this afternoon and did a gentle six miler on the race bike this morning too.

Posted

serviced both XMs yesterday - was surprised at how easy the plugs came out of the estate after more than five years in there.

 

XM hatch sticking a little at the rear so scooshed WD40 all over the rear height adjuster. Better now, but will need another go later this week.

 

Killed the lawnmower today too - it was the shock of being used and the eight inch high grass after weeks of rain.

Posted
Attempted to cut'n'polish a small piece of the Cherry this afternoon - remind me to never, ever, get a black car again. I thought I was pretty good at reviving paintwork, but after frantically scrubbing away/swearing at a square foot of roof in ever deepening frustration, I've concluded that I'm actually quite shit at it. OK, so I was using cheap compound and it may not have been spotless before I started, but jeez.... Looks like I'll have to spunk out on some proper stuff, and probably a polishing mop as well :evil: Any suggestions from fellow tarts would be very gratefully received.

 

Clay bar. I used one for the first time a few weeks ago after lankytin (IIRC) praised them on here. Gets the paint nice and smooth and gets rid of all the ground in cack. After that, it makes cutting and polishing miles easier. I did the Celica the other week, it was properly dull, so I washed and clayed it, then did half a panel at a time with auto-glym super resin polish.

 

Also, using good cloth makes all the difference. I only know this because I got a free microfibre one with the polish I bought from Cholmondeley.

 

I would be well loathed to go near a black car with a mop. Swirls R us :(

Posted

It is possible to get a good finish on a black car - a few photo's (not mine, pinched from the FCF)

 

DSCF0513.jpg

 

DSCF0515.jpg

 

DSCF0532.jpg

 

This is a reflection of the wall in the car bodywork:

DSCF0529.jpg

 

Self portrait of the artist (reflection in bodywork)

DSCF0530.jpg

Posted

^ That's what I'm aiming to achieve on the Polo and I have come close in the past. Is there a link to the thread you got the pictures from? Could help me fill in the spaces where I'm not quite getting the right finish.

Posted
^ That's what I'm aiming to achieve on the Polo and I have come close in the past. Is there a link to the thread you got the pictures from? Could help me fill in the spaces where I'm not quite getting the right finish.

 

The thread it is in is here.

It's a long one and the bit you need is on the most recent pages.

 

This is the polishing guy's thread.

He has started doing it as a side business to his day job.

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