The new news 24 thread

[Shep Shepherd]

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

 

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

[trigger]

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.

[Danblez]

I haz new turbo.

 

 

 

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

 

[dollywobbler]

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.

 

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.

[Vin]

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

 

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...

 

 

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.

 

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...

[worldofceri]

 

Calendar shot.

[Cavcraft]

/\

Defo calendar contender.

 

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

[Shep Shepherd]

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

 

 

 

Heartbreak City!

 

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!

[dollywobbler]

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

[Shep Shepherd]

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

 

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:

 

 

[Shep Shepherd]

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:

 

 

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?

[ashmicro]

 

+

 

 

= Sorted.

[HillmanImp]

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.

[Shep Shepherd]

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!

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

*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.

[vulgalour]

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

[Shep Shepherd]

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:

 

 

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

[The Moog]

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!

[dollywobbler]

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!

[MrDuke]

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 Any suggestions from fellow tarts would be very gratefully received.

[Lord Sterling]

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

 

 

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:

 

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.

[Cavcraft]

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 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.

[messerschmitt owner]

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.

[sporty-shite]

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 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

[myglaren]

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

 

 

 

 

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

 

Self portrait of the artist (reflection in bodywork)

[vulgalour]

^ 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.

[myglaren]

^ 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.

[vulgalour]

how annoying, that's a register-to-view forum :/ Do I want to register to view one thread? Probably...

[MrDuke]

Thanks for the offer Mr Vette, I may do that if I can't get decent results with SRP and elbow grease.

 

In other news, it turns out the sunroof is nowhere near waterproof. It's not that the glass isn't sealing properly, there's ingress somewhere along the front edge of the plastic surround. Even if I push down on the roof skin, there's not quite enough space to squeeze any silicon under it. The only good thing is that water is collecting on the sun-visors rather than just dripping onto the seats/carpets, so a couple of towels wedged up there should keep me dry until I can figure out a proper* fix.

[cobblers]

Since I fitted golf engine to the t25, I'd dragged my heels about wiring up the Revcounter, temp guage etc etc - I'd had them all still working on the golf clocks which were sat under the bed in the back! I had a bit of spare time yesterday, so I decided to actually wire them all up.

 

Everything went really easily, but the revcounter wouldn't work. At first I thought it was a wiring error, but after plenty of testing, the revcounter itself was getting ground, 12v and a proper 0-12v pulsed signal, but not doing anything at all - It must have by coincidence packed in. This was a bit of a pisser, cos these are fairly well scene taxed and I haven't got £100+ for another one, so I decided I'd definitely have to fix it. The're "fairly" straightforward, so I cracked it open.

 

 

 

Here's the little PCB on the back. I first applied a little current (10ma) to the coil that moves the needle and that worked fine, so I turned my attention to the board itself.

 

It had some nonedescript chip on, but some searching round found that Mk1 golf revcounters have basically the same PCB, but a chip labelled "SAK215". I managed to find a datasheet for this with some basic info and stuff - I traced the circuit and it turns out that I've probably just got a rebadged SAK215. I ordered a new SAK215 chip from ebay china for £3, just in case, but I reckoned the problem was probably one of those big capacitors in the middle.

 

I used this excuse to buy a new multimeter that can measure capacitance (I really should already own one, but instead I have about half a dozen £6 cheapies that other electronic engineers sneer at, but I can't help being a yorkshireman!) and also got some solder braid for desoldering components. It's a million times better than using a solder sucker, which always leave a little bit of solder hanging on. I really didn't want to damage this PCB and I can't really test the parts while they are in circuit so I need to remove parts one by one. You really need to remove every spec of solder to get the components off without lifting tracks off the PCB.

 

I removed and tested both capacitors and to my surprise they were both dead on spec. This put a spanner in the works, so I got the little oscilloscope out and used my arduino to generate a signal (It's easier than digging loads of caps and resistors out and trying to build a 555 astable to generate it) with a mosfet on the output to give me a 0-12v swing from the 0-5v arduino signal:

 

 

 

I poked around a bit, and found there was no signal going into the chip at all. There was a pretty strange "filter" network of resistors, a capacitor and a zener diode. The resistors were all old and pretty unreadable, so Rather than try and understand it, I just measured the resistances and replicated it in LTspice and fed a signal in. Sure enough, with the measured values this filter network left about 0.1v on the output.

 

One of the resistors looked pretty ropey, and measured 33k ohms, and was essentially in a potential divider with a 1k resistor so I decided that couldn't be right (it would divide the 12v input signal by 34, hence the tiny voltage on the output).

 

Not being entirely sure what it "should" be, I consulted the datasheet for the chip and found it was expecting 1.6v peak to peak signal on the input. I played around with some values in LTspice and found that a 3k resistor in it's place would sort this. I dug one out and quickly soldered it on:

 

 

 

And, tadaa!!:

 

 

Once I knew this worked, I removed the old resistor and fitted the new one properly, and gave the rest of the solder joints a quick wetting over with some good non-ROHS solder (with loads of lovely lead in it)

 

 

While the clocks were apart, I figured I'd do something about the broken LCD clock in the middle. It's quite unusual to see one with a working screen nowadays!

 

I took an old set of clocks from a mk2 golf apart hoping the LCD would fit, and when I got them next to each other, it looked really promising:

 

 

But the actual pin connections to the LCD were different and it just showed rubbish on the screen.

 

I had a backup plan though - I'd got a few cheap LCD temp sensors from china a few months ago, they were about £2 each so I just bought them because they would come in handy. The display size was about the same, so I dug one out and tried it in the casing for the LCD clocks:

 

 

It fitted great - needed packing forward slightly, so I used some of the pink anti static foam that motherboards and stuff come with, and it lined up great. The numbers are slightly bigger than I'd like, but it's neater than a broken screen:

 

 

There's about 120cm of cable leading to a temp sensor, which I'll drop into the "airflow channel" thing that runs across the front of the van to hopefully sense ambient temperature.

 

Anyway, with the clocks finally fitted back in the van, I started it up to see if they worked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drYCFP_k3ps

 

Yeah, working great! Now I just need to find a new header tank with a level sensor to get rid of the flashing red LED and it's sorted. Also I really really need to give the clocks a good clean.

[myglaren]

how annoying, that's a register-to-view forum :/ Do I want to register to view one thread? Probably...

 

Ah bugger, completely ignored that it was in the members only forum. Sorry.