Sold Dollywobbler's Starlet - £SOLD

[Matt]

I've just bought some sheets of sound deadening stuff on Ebay for £25. Beats farting around in scrapyards. I've still got the thin bitumen stuff to reduce panel ring.

 

I've also carried out some critical pre-MOT work. The high level brake light wasn't working as the bulb had blown.

 

All other lamps are behaving, but that shot now makes me realise how much I hate the later plates that have been fitted at some point, especially as the rear one isn't even level. However, I'll focus on important things like gaining an MOT pass first. Will be interesting to see it on the ramp and have a poke about underneath...

 

The Swift has it's "high" level brake light in the same position. Small car problems.

[skoda_fan]

A gifferette where I live has one, although I think she recently gave up driving as I haven't seen it for a while. The brakes always squeaked on hers so maybe the rears can be a bit of a pain (as indicated by Barry Cade's post).

 

Sorry but I'm finding this far more interesting than the Lexus, and that snowy drive home on bald tyres looks a hoot. Good video!

Me too. It's a real eye-opener for me as to how entertaining and characterful a hitherto totally invisible car can be. It looks a fun little thing in which to hoon around. Above all though I want to live where DW lives. Those roads and scenery! And where's the traffic?! Highly enthralling video as always, Mr DW.

[dollywobbler]

Bother!

[madrat]

Lambda sensors?

[dollywobbler]

I think this is the annoying thing. I've no experience of petrols failing the MOT. The Honda struggled a bit with cat temp last year, but managed to pass once warmed up. The Toyota still didn't.

 

There is a minor exhaust leak in the area of the cat, but that section looks quite rusty anyway, so maybe replacing it is best. I must admit I haven't serviced the car either, though as far as I can tell, it got a service every year at MOT time. It has covered less than 4000 miles since the previous test. £100 for the cat (type approved, not the cheapest option) and I reckon no more than an hour's labour to do that and tweak up the rear wheel bearings. Oh, and I've got £100 of tyres to fit (fronts just scraped a pass, rears are badly degraded). Not the cheapest MOT, but that's ok. I like the car.

[dollywobbler]

Anyway, here's a shot I forgot I took during the test. I was using the universal viewing area...

 

It's all pretty good, but there are small spots of surface rot in a great many places. Needs a rub down, rust-converter and a healthy dose of wax if we ever get a stretch of days dry enough to do that. It's far better than the previous MOT advisories suggested, but the front springs are looking a bit crusty. Advisory this time, but one I'm very tempted to do something about. Powder coating has failed, so they're not going to miraculously get better.

 

Oh and note the comedy brake lines. Replaced front to rear, and to each wheel cylinder. Clearly not off-the-shelf!

[beko1987]

£100 doesn't sound too bad for a cat, Gareth at work just paid £167 for a pattern centre section with cat for his car (after spending £60 on a centre section that needed the old exhaust chopping past the cat).

 

If the cat is all that's needed, and tyres that doesn't sound too bad! I'm sure you'll do the miles to justify it over the summer

[dollywobbler]

£100 doesn't sound too bad for a cat, Gareth at work just paid £167 for a pattern centre section with cat for his car (after spending £60 on a centre section that needed the old exhaust chopping past the cat).

 

If the cat is all that's needed, and tyres that doesn't sound too bad! I'm sure you'll do the miles to justify it over the summer

 

Indeed. It's due to cover another 500 odd miles next week alone!

[beko1987]

That'll give it the Italian tune up everyone's been asking for on Facebook!

[Essex V6]

There are absolutely heaps of these Starlets in NZ including the souped up Jap import Glanza Turbo - will keep an eye out for photo opportunities

[MorrisItalSLX]

They are also quite common in Australia, but they allways completely knackered with extreme lacquer peel or pogweasling and are all extreme povo spec "Life" models. (I beleive this was the only spec sold here, grim)

[oldcars]

That looks clean underneath for its age. Stuff up here gets a hammering. 6 months of salted roads this winter.

[dollywobbler]

Plenty of Glanzas over here too, and in Ireland. I can see why. They must be hilarious with a turbo!

[dollywobbler]

All sorted. Emissions bob on, new tyres fitted, most advisories already dealt with (exhaust leak and wheel bearing play).

 

A jolly drive home too. Understeer begone.

[madrat]

so was it a new cat?

[dollywobbler]

Yes, new cat, which also fixed the exhaust leak advisory (though annoyingly that and the wheel bearings are on the fresh test still). Lambda is still a little on the high side, but within range of a pass. I can't really pretend to understand such things. I've only owned about eight petrol cars with a cat over the years, (three of which I own today) and have never run into this problem before (mostly as I didn't keep most of them long enough for it to be an issue). 

[Matt]

Another similarity to the Swift in the tyre size being the same. They must be been gr9 value with the deal they did with you as 165/70/13s are already pretty cheap. I opted for Goodyear EffecientGrip last time, local garage does them for £160 fitted which I can't turn my nose up at.

[Asimo]

Now you just need to modify that rear wiper so it parks properly out of the way!

 

 

I suppose it would then get in the way of the "high level" brake light.

 

Which would then need modifying itself to actually be at a high level.

 

As you were.

[dollywobbler]

Yes, it's pert and upright. As I like it.

 

Fitted a load of Fatmat Megamat sound deadening to it today. Expected painful, hand-shredding experience, but unlike French cars, nothing broke and all the trim clips went back where they came from. Amazing! Off on a 200-mile jaunt in it tomorrow to see if it's made the slightest bit of difference.

 

Bit miffed to discover that the only way to access the dash-mounted speakers appears to be to remove the whole sodding dashboard. What a terrible design.

[dozeydustman]

Starlet looks better with the 165/70s on it, hope the little extra width gives a more comfortable ride.

 

Are Nankang tyres any good now? Previous experience with this brand was about 15 years ago, and they made my Scimitar feel like it was being driven on ice as opposed to tarmac, so I swiftly swapped them for Marshals!

[dollywobbler]

We've had Nankangs on the Nippa since we got it - same type as the Starlet now wears when we got it, then it was switched to Winters. I know 40bhp isn't the most to tame, but I can't fault them to be honest. I'm hard on tyres though, so look forward to giving them a proper test. 200 miles tomorrow should get them worn in nicely.

[dollywobbler]

More interior dismantling today, more sound deadening added. Will get to test it on Wednesday when I tackle another 200+ mile drive in it. 260 I think or thereabouts.

 

Then remembered that the wipers can be squeaky. OMG SINGUL WIPAH CONVERSHUN!

 

Had to get both off in the end. Lubed up moving bits. Hopefully that's job jobbed. Both the wheel boxes looked a bit dry. Then had the monumental stress of trying to get the wipers back in exactly the right place, but I think I succeeded at the third attempt.

 

Also, how annoying is that dent in the bonnet? It's double-skinned there, so you can't access the underside to thump it out. Ugh.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Plunger trick?

[dollywobbler]

Plunger trick?

 

Tempting, but it is right on the curve of the lip, so not sure I'd be able to get a good attachment.

[dollywobbler]

Oops. Bit behind with the videos.

 

MOT

 

Sound deadening and roadtrip.

[dollywobbler]

I just had another trawl through the service history, and I found this...

 

Explains some water ingress marks I found on the back of the door cards. I was wondering how water had managed to leak through the plastic membrane. It hadn't...

[dollywobbler]

A further 600 miles put on the Starlet. I'm starting to think it isn't an ideal distance cruiser. Not compared to a Lexus LS400 anyway.

 

The driving position is the problem. It's just as awful as the Sirion was. In fact, I reckon the same odd-shaped bloke was in charge of interior design on both. No matter how I arrange it, the steering wheel is too high and far away (non-adjustable) and I can't get my right leg comfortable. At all. In fact, it got so bad yesterday that I couldn't face driving it, and Mrs DW had a go. She added the complaint that the throttle pedal is far too light, which certainly doesn't help. She didn't like the steering either, even though it's one of the least obtrusive power-assisted set-ups I've ever encountered. She's hard to please. 

 

A shame really, as it bowls along merrily enough. In fact, I keep going to change up the gearbox to find I'm already in fifth. It has lovely torque delivery and pulls like a great. Nice ride too, far better than I expected.

 

Sadly, it isn't silent as a fish, though. Still lots of tyre noise, especially on surface-dressed sections. That was added to by at least one failing rear wheel bearing, which started droning with about 200 miles to go. With 60 miles to go, it was properly loud, and I began to have awful memories of the last car I tried nursing home with a worn out wheel bearing - the £4 ROFFLE ZX, which shat the bearing so sufficiently that I thought the wheel was going to fall off.

 

But, this is a Japanese car, so it just got us home with no bother. Both bearings were nipped up for the MOT, but I guess the reason they had play is because they were f*cked. Anyone know what they're like to replace? The ZX bearings were pressed into the drum, so a bit of a ballache for DIY.

 

I've got some well-deserved service items on their way too, so it'll be getting freshened up. I'll certainly continue to use it for local hoonage, but perhaps I'll stick with the Honda for longer trips, though the woeful suspension in that is causing me to consider a replacement. Worryingly, I saw an early light-blue Xsara Picasso on the way home, and it seemed oddly appealing...

[sam simmons]

I have always had trouble getting comfortable in cars i have owned,my Alfa gives me back ache after a couple of hours driving even with the steering wheel and seat adjusted for best comfort.My saab 93 was very good as were my volvos but by far the best is our little aygo and i am 6 ft 4 and no lightweight...

 

Picture myself and my 2 sons one who is 6 ft 4 and the other who is 6 ft 8 getting out of a aygo...its like the clowns have arrived...

 

600 miles in the starlet is good going,looking forward to a video..

[dollywobbler]

I have always had trouble getting comfortable in cars i have owned,my Alfa gives me back ache after a couple of hours driving even with the steering wheel and seat adjusted for best comfort.My saab 93 was very good as were my volvos but by far the best is our little aygo and i am 6 ft 4 and no lightweight...

 

Picture myself and my 2 sons one who is 6 ft 4 and the other who is 6 ft 8 getting out of a aygo...its like the clowns have arrived...

 

600 miles in the starlet is good going,looking forward to a video..

 

Yes, I struggle too to be honest. Over 200 miles in the Lexus still made my lower back sore, as did the XM and Rover 75 - other cars people claim are super comfortable. The most comfortable car I've ever driven was my old W124 Merc. Did six hours straight in that once and felt as fresh when I got out as when I'd climbed in.

 

Won't be much of a video on it, as we were actually on holiday, but we did shoot a bit this afternoon.

[Honey Badger]

Sorry to hear that the Starlet isn't the most comfortable, I always liked a mates Starlet as it could be thrown around amusingly but it really was a bastard on anything more than short hops.

 

Maybe you could ask this nice man in Llandrindod Wells if he would give you a straight swap, it's the only car Ive been able to drive for hours with no back trouble, that includes the massive armchairs in my Lexus.

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-HONDA-ACCORD-2-0L-VTEC-i-ES-COUPE-5-SPEED-MANUAL/152966849274?hash=item239d88e2fa:g:krkAAOSwXtNaa5Tl