The Ex-forum of several shiters 95 Mazda 323 coupé - for sale again!

[RichardK]

11 hours ago, egg said:

Good stuff, wish I'd adjusted the latch! Yes, Mrs Egg did suggest I'd put a rear camera in, as visibility is quite 'interesting' back there in certain situations.

To be fair adjusted is over-egging it - I undid it and found there was very little adjustment at all so just held the two bits to the furthest-apart they’d go and thought it probably wouldn’t sort it!

[egg]

1 hour ago, RichardK said:

Future plans: The arch.

A feel around the back suggests that the inner arch is solid as a very solid thing and also pretty clean - which suggests repair sooner rather than later would be wise.

There are repair sections for a whole arch - not cheap. Better than metal being shaped, or pattern for less-careful bodyshops?

Wobbler did find a good place to do the Matiz, and they are a Mazda MX5 specialist....so might look kindly on the car, maybe the Hubnut connection would help! Dudley is a bit of trek though, but less than Kent...

https://dftrautomotive.co.uk/

[Fabergé Greggs]

I agree that most headunits are awful and if you've got space, the temptation to put in something clever and double din is overwhelming. 

I recently came across a good option though- the pioneer SPH-10bt that uses your phone as an interface. Makes sense since you've already got all the computing power, connectivity and nav that you could possibly need. It also means you've got a great interface for EQing and stuff. You can swap between music and nav with a big simple button on the headunit. 

Depends how it would work out ergonomically on your dash obvs, and there's also the danger of Pioneer deciding to no longer support the app, which would ruin your fun come phone upgrade time. 

 

 

[TheOtherStu]

2 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

I agree that most headunits are awful and if you've got space, the temptation to put in something clever and double din is overwhelming. 

I recently came across a good option though- the pioneer SPH-10bt that uses your phone as an interface. Makes sense since you've already got all the computing power, connectivity and nav that you could possibly need. It also means you've got a great interface for EQing and stuff. You can swap between music and nav with a big simple button on the headunit. 

Depends how it would work out ergonomically on your dash obvs, and there's also the danger of Pioneer deciding to no longer support the app, which would ruin your fun come phone upgrade time. 

 

 

Pioneer have form for this. I have an AVH-3700DAB. It goes on about being compatible with Android and iPhone and generally it is, but their app is terrible. All the vendors they initially worked with (Spotify etc.) have all dropped support, so it no longer does what you want. It's supposed to support sat nav and stuff, but you have to use some software that requires huge downloads to your phone and doesn't work well.

The DAB receiver in it is frankly dreadful.

My car needs a double DIN (or a blanking plate, but seems daft to blank of perfectly good space). I'll not be opting for a Pioneer next time. I'll probably buy a cheap Kenwood or something that supports Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (I have both phones - one mine, one work)

[RichardK]

3 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

I agree that most headunits are awful and if you've got space, the temptation to put in something clever and double din is overwhelming. 

I recently came across a good option though- the pioneer SPH-10bt that uses your phone as an interface. Makes sense since you've already got all the computing power, connectivity and nav that you could possibly need. It also means you've got a great interface for EQing and stuff. You can swap between music and nav with a big simple button on the headunit. 

Depends how it would work out ergonomically on your dash obvs, and there's also the danger of Pioneer deciding to no longer support the app, which would ruin your fun come phone upgrade time. 

 

 

That’s in the thoughts for the BMW - Mazda is too low for that to be nice and it’d block the heater controls sadly 😕

[RichardK]

4 hours ago, egg said:

Wobbler did find a good place to do the Matiz, and they are a Mazda MX5 specialist....so might look kindly on the car, maybe the Hubnut connection would help! Dudley is a bit of trek though, but less than Kent...

https://dftrautomotive.co.uk/

Not afraid to travel for the right work. But given the number of talented people on the forum I’d rather they’d all declined the beer tokens first

[RichardK]

Amazon fail. Boot strut is for a 323F. Anyone got a 323F and need a boot strut?

[egg]

Looking here boot strut part numbers are:

BC1B-62-620C (or D) - right

BC1B-63-620C (or D) - left

Whether it's a C or D at the end depends on chassis number split at 145911, I can't remember which side of that your one falls!

[RichardK]

It’s been put to work right away - drove to the office:

It’s not actually that small, is it…

[timolloyd]

I didn’t expect that! Maybe the old Espace is a lot smaller than I remember?

[RichardK]

De-stickered. Next: headlight sanding and polishing…

Returning 40.4mpg and lack of aircon aside, the sunroof and big open front windows are rather lovely for short trips. There’s an occasional belt squeal so need to investigate that, but focusing on just cleaning and “stasis” until the rear arches can be replaced.

 Cabled in the Thinkware dashcam rear camera - that was fiddly, but it’s all following the factory loom.

[wuvvum]

On 7/2/2021 at 1:05 PM, timolloyd said:

I didn’t expect that! Maybe the old Espace is a lot smaller than I remember?

Or maybe that's a Scenic...

[RichardK]

Little things getting done

[egg]

What's good about them is at least the inner lenses aren't discolouring, unlike on a certain Ford. Good stuff.

[RichardK]

Going to do this properly, damnit.

[RichardK]

Drying the front before blasting inner wings and inside chassis legs with clear waxoyl…

A few small niggles from the front end bump and I think someone’s nicked the headlight adjuster switch and put a blanking plate over because one adjuster may no longer be attached to the reflector, which I’ll fix when I can get a suitable dash switch.

[egg]

1 hour ago, RichardK said:

Someone’s nicked the headlight adjuster switch and put a blanking plate over because one adjuster may no longer be attached to the reflector, which I’ll fix when I can get a suitable dash switch.

It was an MOT phail, and tester took the pragmatic solution of removing the switch. I don't have it unfortunately. 

[RichardK]

Bugger. Thanks, MOT tester. Thester.

I have repaired the offending headlight, but that’s a bit crap that the switch was chucked out

 

[egg]

Here's what it used to look like. There are a few on ebay in this style.

[RichardK]

Just now, egg said:

Here's what it used to look like. There are a few on ebay in this style.

I found some, but the wiring schemes differ - I found a 323C one with an array of pins in 2x2 and white plastic, and 323F with 1x4 in brown, and one in blue. Suspect I need to match white with white.

Why on earth didn't the tester just leave the switch in the car 🙄

[egg]

7 minutes ago, RichardK said:

Why on earth didn't the tester just leave the switch in the car 🙄

I'll have a dig around here just in case my memory is faulty, but not hopeful!

[Schaefft]

What about this one? Can't imagine it being hard to source. Sorry for the crazy link.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/274512183960?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item3fea338298%3Ag%3Au78AAOSw9NxTvNGn&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAACkPYe5NmHp%2B2JMhMi7yxGiTJkPrKr5t53CooMSQt2orsSlHY%2FYTip4QFVjNQrCEJt6ociCsJYu6evNY8v%2F%2BWe%2BbpZaF%2BQeOr6BP3T5VMSpsRK7sc%2B6Shoz2E%2BulHefo93qDBRBMKpglVuWsxr64PVBawJCjodSZpcrDkryaIvbRpMvgBr%2FVhbM1t8gN7YYeGs4kXt1pDMIomuN5x%2Bm8S%2BZd%2BNa10yysSFHa13%2FMNrNb1%2FTi1EV4IINWzvxCDWZ6yGQS223FxTJXqYd2AS3fA155MNyjGl%2F6E5NA%2FB9125CQnV8hhMYZNxD5cM9seslRHsiYDfNGvG%2Bke%2FV6KnEib4Ny42NK0%2F25WALB1adg7dGMNvz4aHCqajOPD1KvCEsTrf7%2FAaADcMlxlNSwBmblsw0OWixvOtqIyCxPcy08giL5V3W0%2FeH4XREKYRYlBmwYRPdRrepZyqc6jucSSvK4GibMVXOL08td2KHUiRw3qsYzzvpig7CZ0fb1RsZlNZYwIkYW4jqXqKPqDO8Rta72lbAATTGhfn%2FRWEsuz1Gx6cBTu76mn4eC8i3c0blNro1sv3DP6KleFkGVQ4WEDRpGYZmo7WXfVggcHUUvqdkvTFAPDb3Slk5Bra9yhtj0WxkhkTY8LK4fagwvAA9%2Bh8PWHByrvMqC%2BB4dMo%2FYVZrbmCow6mB%2BOetbN1Y7tJDPjnv0dAmVjr9M0G0WJBqv8DGVa9Wq6XT8aeqs%2BiWywsCXclIGUZ%2B1cOjNOMhAtxIzFoptw3XERRfJpDZGo%2BkGLhm2bhXiKA3dfgtYdpNj6TMDrP7C3iWmh76IoerevOSz6lNQR0%2FlHnSN0KEeoqS8SjCmuQci0KSku641TAMXWJuQ76RsOD|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2334524&LH_ItemCondition=4

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, Schaefft said:

What about this one? Can't imagine it being hard to source. Sorry for the crazy link.

linked fixed

https://www.ebay.de/itm/274512183960

if you want to trim an ebay link all you need is the actual ebay URL then /itm/*item number*

and that will you give you a working ebay link which is nice n short  

and you can use it to change the local of the link so for example here is the UK version of that link

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/274512183960

[RichardK]

Out and about today - carrying the cameras for work because I wanted to fetch the Jaguar. This is such a lovely, smooth and economical little thing.

[Schaefft]

Not sure where else to post this but are we aware of this one already?

[Vantman]

4 minutes ago, Schaefft said:

Not sure where else to post this but are we aware of this one already?

@egg  may know about it?.

[egg]

@Schaefftcheers, it is on the 'known' list on the previous page, but thanks a lot for sharing, I didn't have a pic of that one. Great stuff. Is it near you?

[Schaefft]

Just now, egg said:

@Schaefftcheers, it is on the 'known' list on the previous page, but thanks a lot for sharing, I didn't have a pic of that one. Great stuff. Is it near you?

Just found it on Flickr, not sure where it is. Can't believe it only has 30k miles!

[egg]

Full JDM spec spotted on Instagram.

[RichardK]

No 323 news apart from it being deployed as rapid response transport; a group of travellers pitched up in Bauer’s car park and while I’m minded to live and let be for people who want to roam around the country/world, generally if you land en-masse in a private car park, abuse the security and reception staff and refuse to fuck off when police and bailiffs show up - you’re probably part of the problem that honest/legit travellers face whenever they want to stop in legal places too.

Anyway. Car “value of something happening to it” hierarchy starts with the 2021 Hilux (which also seems quite likely to be targeted) goes through Jaguar, BMW and ends on Mazda. So it went high speed and I got the Hilux back the moment we were told (we had to move a lot of press cars too).

323 has very obviously got cameras in it which could be recording  (wires aren’t hooked up sadly), looks inoffensive and is parked outside the main office in view of CCTV and well-lit so I hope it will be left alone.

Main fear of course is cat theft, or more, the damage a bunch of twats do while removing the part 😕

#prayformazda

I’m sure it’ll be fine and it’ll be amusing seeing what it did record before power went off. And ultimately if this group of people asked, treated the place with respect, etc. why shouldn’t they use a big empty lump of tarmac to stop on?

Sadly this lot from all reports are the ones that perpetuate the stereotype and the residents of Peterborough will have their fears and prejudices reinforced 😕 and I too feel justified in thinking “my” shiny pickup was at risk.

Of course not helped that the last vehicle crime I suffered was someone nicking the plates off my Fullback while the fair was in AG in Brum - then getting a ticket parked on double yellows in Leighton Buzzard in a Fullback Cross with towbar!