Project All MX-5s are green. But which green.

[New POD]

I managed to find by mistake that my Astra has automatic full beam. 

When a car comes around the bend, it automatically goes back to dipped beam, and as soon as the car passes, it puts full beam on.  

[Crackers]

2 hours ago, New POD said:

I managed to find by mistake that my Astra has automatic full beam. 

When a car comes around the bend, it automatically goes back to dipped beam, and as soon as the car passes, it puts full beam on.  

One of the most annoying and unnecessary "features" of modern cars. A human can be (and usually is) proactive in dipping the lights at night as you can see the illumination coming towards you before the headlights themselves come into sight. 

Auto full beam can't do that. It is reactive to the presence of an oncoming car in its line of sight, which means it won't turn off the full beams until the oncomer has been blinded for just a split second. I can't be the only person who finds this absolutely infuriating, especially with modern LED headlamps with the intensity of a collapsed sun. Once you've had that moment of full-beams in your face, it takes a lot long for your eyes to adjust back to the prevailing light levels.

[/rant]

[New POD]

1 hour ago, Crackers said:

One of the most annoying and unnecessary "features" of modern cars. A human can be (and usually is) proactive in dipping the lights at night as you can see the illumination coming towards you before the headlights themselves come into sight. 

Auto full beam can't do that. It is reactive to the presence of an oncoming car in its line of sight, which means it won't turn off the full beams until the oncomer has been blinded for just a split second. I can't be the only person who finds this absolutely infuriating, especially with modern LED headlamps with the intensity of a collapsed sun. Once you've had that moment of full-beams in your face, it takes a lot long for your eyes to adjust back to the prevailing light levels.

[/rant]

I shall bear that in mind. What is doesn't do, is turn.the full.beam on as fast as I would..

[New POD]

So lunch time in the works car park. 

Replaced coolant reservoir.  Blood now all over white paint.

Then got on to replace the battery.

Of course I knew that Euro car parts would be lying when it said an 096 battery was the right size at 278 x 170 x190, so i went off the Tanya web site that said an 075 at 242× 175 x175 would be the right size. 

I measured what was there and its an 063 at 210 x 175x 175 (as listed on both websites for my wife's 1.6 astra) 

Anyway there's room for the longer 075 battery, as the battery tray is clearly designed for all the Astra variants, so i went with the 075. 

Fitting the battery was a bit less simple than normal, because there's an assembly if connectors attached above it, and it wasn't clear how to remove them. Worked it out in the end. 

I didn't take photos, but I will.  Took a total of 35 mins doing both jobs. Lunch is an hour.  Paid. Yea. 

 

[New POD]

What's under the cover.

My blood. 

Need to top it up a bit. 

Weirdly the original reservoir didn't have a level warning sensor. The one from EurocrapArts, does. Unfortunately I couldn't find a connector. 

 

 

[New POD]

So, I have the 3 door turbo hairdryer booked in for the MOT tomorrow.  Done 6500 miles in it since I got it. 

Was pricing up servicing it myself.  How the fucking much are 4 spark plugs.  Genuine ones at A dealer at 85 squid for 4. Ngk ones from The usual suppliers are £63 quid for 4.  What the fuck ? 

I'll have to bite the bullet as I suspect it will be on its originals at 40k. And new plugs are always a thing I like. 

That 83 quid includes an oil and air filter, but no oil. The omega didn't ever cost that to service with the oil and 6 plugs.

[New POD]

This is the first time a car I've owned has passed first time. In 35 years. 

I went to my local.motor factors and paid 37 quid for 4 spark plugs.  Which shoukd last 42K 

[New POD]

So a few weeks back this happened to wife's chariot of fire 

A young mother reversed into it whilst parked. 

Father of said woman really didn't want to go through his insurance and we agreed reluctantly to let him organise a repair.  So after a 3 week wait I took it along to a local place, picked up a 58 reg Corsa diesel and they had it for 3 days and fixed it.  No idea how much he paid them, but I might drop him a bottle of wine around to say thanks for making it alot less painful than it could have been ( the fact that they put a note on the window and didn't try to deny it speaks volumes for them) 

 

[Crackers]

On 27/11/2021 at 11:52, New POD said:

This is the first time a car I've owned has passed first time. In 35 years.

You need to take better car of your cars.

[New POD]

8 minutes ago, Crackers said:

You need to take better car of your cars.

Yes.  I may have exaggerated.  Sometimes over the past 30 years cars have past first time, but more by good luck. 

Anyway the piss green astra mot is due very soon, and I can't see any reason it won't pass either.  Current miles are showing as 49,994. 

[New POD]

And the results are in. 

It fucking failed. 

For a rear coil spring.

It's booked in for Monday.  

[stuboy]

34 minutes ago, New POD said:

And the results are in. 

It fucking failed. 

For a rear coil spring.

It's booked in for Monday.  

time for coilovers and vx racing stickers?....

[New POD]

This weekend I've been giving the mx5 some attention. 

If you look carefully you can see the circa 1970s reversing lamp from Halfords which @MikeR helped me to repurpose into a fog light. The clear cover was painted inside with poster paint 

[New POD]

Rattle cans. 

When did I get so shit at using them? 

Anyway. I've almost finished one wing. Procrastination etc. 

The insides have been brush painted in some metal anti-corrosion primer. Then sprayed in white. 

Then on one, I've done 3 coats of green on top of the 2 that I did before, and they need another.  I've run out of paint. Don't really know how good a match it will be, but not too fussed.  Once it's back on the road, we can worry about that. 

[New POD]

Today, I replaced the rear pads on the GTC. 

I had to borrow a pole off @MikeR

 

As the bolts were tight. 

Didn't do the discs as fuck me, they are expensive and the ones on seemed okay. 

Didn't take photos as I forgot. 

Still need to do work on mx5

 

 

[Matty]

On 3/27/2022 at 8:41 PM, New POD said:

Rattle cans. 

When did I get so shit at using them? 

Anyway. I've almost finished one wing. Procrastination etc. 

The insides have been brush painted in some metal anti-corrosion primer. Then sprayed in white. 

Then on one, I've done 3 coats of green on top of the 2 that I did before, and they need another.  I've run out of paint. Don't really know how good a match it will be, but not too fussed.  Once it's back on the road, we can worry about that. 

Come up well though

[New POD]

Not much to update. 

Astra passed MOT but will need front brake pads and discs soon.

So today I changed the oil and filters. And then parked next to another white Vauxhall.

Later I washed it. Picture is before. No after picture. 

 

[New POD]

It's been a while since I did any maintenance on the appliance white astra. 

Ready to start. 

What's that you say. Brakes are easy. 

The old pads 

The new pads. Kit comes with new stainless bits. 

Look at the state of them discs

[New POD]

That's what u call a lip

Getting there

Almost finished

Now to clean up 

[New POD]

The MX5 is having attention. 

Did the rear brakes. 

Painted the replacement front wings again. Colour match is dire, but at least no holes. 

Tomorrow hope to do the front brakes and swap the wings over. 

[stuboy]

3 hours ago, New POD said:

great match... for another mx5

[loserone]

Isn't that meant to be Neo green?

[EyesWeldedShut]

10 minutes ago, stuboy said:

great match... for another mx5

Oh I dunno - I had a Triumph Toledo in the (lower) green colour as displayed on my monitor. Not a bad colour really.
Shite car 'tho

[New POD]

20 hours ago, loserone said:

Isn't that meant to be Neo green?

Yes. 

The idea was that I replace both front wings 

 

Do the brakes. 

Then once it's got an MOT, get some paint in the right colour. 

In 3 days, I only managed to do the brakes and one wing.  Oh and cleared the garage of 3 car loads of shit. And in fitting the wing 18 hours since the last coat, I managed to put numerous massive finger prints and a few scratches in it, so repainting will be needed. 

Fucking painful getting the old wing off. 

Turns out 6 nuts/bolts were completely rusted to buggery. Almost like the Japanese copied everything about classic British sports cars. 2 bolts snapped off and the other 4 were attacked with the angry grinder.  

Not sure when i am going to do the other wing. 

[New POD]

Given its the wrong colour it not as bad as I thought.  Last 2 coats were labelled Racing green, from the local hardware store and was a bit darker. 

You can actually get into the garage too. 

I built this on Friday 

It's on wheels but it's never going to move. It's trapped