Re-light my fire, illumination is my only desire… - Ohdearme’s turn of the century emporium

[Split_Pin]

Ah super man, these early Cinqs look great! I have the Bburago model in the same colour. 

[Ohdearme]

Just adding in the todo list from for sale thread so I have it to hand.

[Ohdearme]

Had five minutes spare last night so had a quick poke around again.

Crusty white thing is crusty.

 

Emergency supplies squirreled away in the air box. Nothing chewed through though.

Random wires removed with the swift tug technique.

Some more blebbage to be noted.

Missing door stay

Paint generally a bit flat and a big bonnet scratch.

Gave the bumpers and rubber a once over to make it look slightly more presentable pending more work.

 

[Ohdearme]

Not much to report, Espace has had a service and new rear pads, caliper and bits so will be interesting to see if that has improved it’s mpg with the rear brakes actually free now as opposed to skimming along.

On to the Cinq.

It was parked under willow trees and covered in catkins and crap so I’ve west about cleaning it up while I wait for some of the brake parts to arrive.

Flat fiat

 

washed

 

Don’t have a DA so used a £12 drill kit to see what could be salvaged before buying something more substantial.

 

Battery tray may need some work…

 

[Ohdearme]

Arriving just in time for the hottest day of ever, two lovely boxes from Autodoc.

The little red thing is going to be getting some tickling done very soon indeed.

Also, does anybody else ever get confused about whether spark plugs come in fours or ones? I absolutely* wanted to order 24 of them just in case.

in order of stuff,

Calipers, discs, pads

Brake master cylinder, rear cylinders, shoes

handbrake cable, flexi

oil, fuel, air filters 

New radiator and a wiper

 

Should keep me in swears for a while!

[Ohdearme]

Penultimate day of my two weeks off and I actually carved out some time to start fitting parts to the Cinq.

Front brakes were seized on so thought I’d tackle one side to see how it is and I have to say it was an absolute joy to work on, I expected years of farmyard to crust to have welded everything solid but it all came off with the breaker bar and a bit of pressure, no wd40 no plus gas. Brilliant!

Phase 1 - A fair bit of crust but wheel off.

Brakes were rock solid so was a case of dropping the bolts off the caliper and unbolted the disc retainers and took the whole assembly in one go.

I didn’t bother capping the hose when I took off the caliper as the fluid is years old and the brake lines need replacing too so it will need a full refill and bleed before it goes on the road anyway.

Gave the assembly a quick wire brush and it doesn’t look too bad to be fair.

Old brakes a bit worse for wear.

Only bit of faff was hammering a hex key into the carrier to get it off.

The vice in the garage proved handy and spare bit of pipe for leverage got it free.

Put it all back on the car and why don’t all people make brakes this simple to work on?

As the wheel was off, I pulled the arch liner for a nosey and it’s going incredibly clean under there. Will give it a scrub and treat the tatty bits but quite surprised at how well it looks.

 

The shocks are a bit shot in the rubber department so may change those too in time.

 

[Ohdearme]

I also did the plugs and filters due to how piss takingly accessible they were.

 

Noticed the battery tray was rotten as a pear and the battery terminal was wet too.

I think it’s the rubber seal that was loose and allowing water in. I took it off and went the length of the trim squishing it with pliers to get it tighter and reseated it and it’s a lot more secure now. Hopefully the tray will dry out and I’ll rust treat it and spray it over.

Also took the opportunity to take off the soundproofing and see where the mice had stashed crap to clear it out.

By this time the sky had darkened so I packed up for the day but quite pleased.

[Ohdearme]

Chores dealt with and a steady afternoon of tinkerage planned…

I had a feeling from the sheer effort needed to budge the wheel bolts that this side may not be as friendly as the other…sure enough, this side is a little* past best.

To be fair, the caliper bolts came out easy enough, the same is not the case for the disc locating pins.

Both of them sheared off with the tiniest bit of pressure

Regardless, I gave the disc a tap and freed off the caliper from the assembly. I’d say I removed the pads too but technically only one of them was a pad anymore…

Off the the garage with great apprehension to try and get the carrier free…used heat first as I expected a challenge but lo and behold, one attempted turn and the whole thing rounded. Trying to find a carrier from eBay or somewhere now.

I’d also got some rust converter to do under the arches but unfortunately one of the bolts has been replaced with a 9mm instead of 8 and I cannot for the life of me find my 9mm spanner so I can’t treat under the arches, Mildy annoying as this side could really do with the help, it’s a bit more crusty on the mounts.

Shocks also needed this side.

 

Last thing was to give the wheel a once over with a wire brush and rust killer as it was crustier than a wooly sheep’s arsehole.

Have a rattle can of zinc spare so made it all look nice thanks to my sophisticated* stencil/masking. It needs new tyres all round anyway, these are practically desiccated.

 

[Ohdearme]

Also treated the wheel assembly with rust treatment while I was at it.

 

[Ohdearme]

Question now is do I lob on the discs without the locators? Or drill / rep them out or just get a new hub.

first option suits me as I’m not up for the hassle of drilling out but I know it makes me a bad man.

Thoughts?

[Tigerfox]

I sem to recall a couple of cars that relied on the wheel bolts to retain the disc. Just cant remember them.

[Ohdearme]

1 hour ago, Tigerfox said:

I sem to recall a couple of cars that relied on the wheel bolts to retain the disc. Just cant remember them.

You can add the cinquecento to that list 😜

[Ohdearme]

Also took the wire brush to the battery tray now it had dried out.

A few holes appeared and the main element of the tray exited fairly swiftly.

a bit of rust treatment later

And then further professional* masking off for some zinc spray to keep it at bay.

The rust holes will come in handy for using cable ties to secure the plastic battery insert so that I have a secure* battery come MOT.

Which reminds me, I ought to pull my finger out and get a V5 sorted for it.

[Noel Tidybeard]

that 1st time you see under the bonnet of a chunkychento and you're thinking "what's missing here?" then you realise the rad is under the headlight🤣

[Ohdearme]

6 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

that 1st time you see under the bonnet of a chunkychento and you're thinking "what's missing here?" then you realise the rad is under the headlight🤣

Yep, got one of those to go on too once I’ve sorted the brakes. Brakes are priority so it can be moved around and out of my way. The battery won’t hold charge (even when fully disconnected) and trying to push it with seized brakes is a no no, plus Mrs ODM frowns when I use the espace as a shunter.

Once I’ve finished leaking brake fluid everywhere, I’ll progress to leaking coolant 😂

[Ohdearme]

No joy on eBay for a carrier so I spent a five on a new cold chisel and made a cut in the bolt to try and hammer it into rotation.

Sadly the operation was not a success and things escalated.

 

 

Left it cooling down after heat and soaking in wd40…tomorrow I’ll try again!

[Ohdearme]

Have at it you bastard!

kids in bed and round twelve two at the carrier.

More angle grinding to try and persuade movement didn’t work so I used a breaker bar and extreme vice clamping to then bray the shit out of the carrier to break the thread lock/rust until I got some movement and eventually the thing came free.

Its just sat on the old air filter having the rust treatment dry as I type this.

Back at work next week so not sure when I’ll next get chance for a fiat fumble but pleased with progress.

Next up will be rear cylinders shoes and handbrake cable.

Tidying the garage I found my brake fluid test pen…nice to know all the lights work…I’d expected the fluid might need a change 😂

[Ohdearme]

Clocks went back ad it looks like some nice dry evenings of tinkering this week so I slapped on the battery to she if the little red nugget would start.

First time on the money. You can hear the flexi that needs replacing but nice and throaty for a 0.9 😀.

don’t tell the missies but moving it around I may* have forgotten I had left a caliper off and a pipe nipped up and just shar brake fluid on the drive…suppose it needs to come out anyway as the f-r lines need replacing anyway.

As for the Espace and- that’s been sat out all day on the battery charger because two weeks of not moving and some random vampiric drain has wiped it out.

Got the renner fully juiced and its now added a check injector to the check esp and service needed list of maladies…

it’s due into my Renault licker next week so will probably have to cut open the mattress, it’s also getting on for needing two new rears as well.

[Ohdearme]

Seems appropriate as it’s Easter to try and bring something back from the dead…

Needed to add the caliper to this side as the snipped off rubber glove finger end and laggy band wasn’t to hold the brake fluid for ever. 

New brake disc I fitted has enjoyed* overwintering without any use.

Brakes back on - I’ve still got the rears to do and a handbrake cable to sort but decided to stay at the front and change the plugs and investigate the cooling system.

I’ve a new radiator to fit so pulled a few hoses to investigate.

Perhaps a new thermostat may be worthwhile.

Expansion tank was very cruddy as expected. I’ve seen people use rice and much shaking to clear it out but is quite chambered so I didn’t fancy that.

I opted for a rinse with petrol that cleared a bunch of crap, followed by a rinse of brick mortar acid that dissolved a hell of a lot more of the crap out of it.

For now I’ve refitted and topped  up with some spare antifreeze I had in the garage to flush it round a bit and get the pipes cleaned.

 

bit better.

[Ohdearme]

Found time for more tinkering today.

Used a can of brake cleaner I had handy to decrud various engine bits I had handy and see what else is hiding under the grime.

As you can see, it was a high success operation. If you squint you may notice there is a starter motor now visible and that’s about the only difference.😂

injector area a bit on the grimy side so that was squirted out and left to dry.

inpet cap was decarbonised and wiped round too. I should have taken more ‘after’ shots tbh.

 

It also appears some rodent has overwintered and had a penchant for sycamore seeds…

[Ohdearme]

Also got a new rear wiper last week so put that on and tested it.

Sunch unbridled success lead me to try the front wipers and screenwash only to discover the front wipers are dead.

Could be a fuse, could be the motor, it’s been added to the list for another day.

I’ve also discovered the very rare factory fit bird chorus/second horn.

In cars that have it fitted,‘it’s activated simply by pulling the front screenwash stalk.

Sadly I may have to remove it and fit a functioning screenwash pump instead.

All other electrical s appear fine - it has lights, sidelights,  beams and gingercators and horn.

There’s hope for an mot on the horizon, the plan is to get all the stuff I can do done and then drive it to a trained fiat garage near me for an Mot.

It will immediately fail and I’ll just leave them to weld it up and swap the brake lines as to get it to pass as I think those jobs will be beyond me.

 

[Ohdearme]

Might take a few bits out over if the weathers good next few weeks and try and get at  the  brake master cylinder - its quite well run in.

 

 

[Ohdearme]

The Espace has remained true to its roots and donned a gilet jaune in honor of its countrymen and refused to work.

No pics because I have set off in the Jazz in a huff but I’m wondering what to do now as a large bill bears down on me when it goes to the local garage.

I may chop it in for something else ruinous.

Espace Maladies
- Check injection warning
- Intermittent ESP issue
- Rear tyres showing more crack than a builders arse
- New clink from rear suspension
- Oil and filters
- New battery

[Ohdearme]

Popped a new battery on the espace and was relieved of £100 for my troubles.

The actual service has been put back thanks to work timings so it will rumble on with an injection warning starting at me until first week of May.

With the Espace now running without issue, attention could be turned to the little Cinq.

[Ohdearme]

Cleared out the engine bay a bit to clear out the cooling and replace the thermostat.

Erm, nice?

With the stat off, it seemed appropriate to flush the block.

Run one…

Run twelvety

New one slapped on and everything built back up.

 

As with any fix, one sort one thing and your sausage fingers break something else…

But first…need to get this puppy on.

[Ohdearme]

As it is finally dry on the driveway I though I'd investigate the errant metal tinkling sound over bumps coming  from the passenger rear side.

A quick fumble in the cup like a furtive teenager in a girlfriends bra and I revealed this puppy.

Seems a new spring needs to added to the list of recent woes...going to be a good boy and do both for the sake of £100 since I've no idea how long they've been on said vehicle.

T'internet assures me it's an hours work for a diy...provided the rear shock bolts don't shear...and yes, that's me tempting fate right there!

Of course, if I've got one bolt off the shocks, I may as well do those too and add another £150 to the bill.

[Ohdearme]

Sent the Renner off to the garage today for a routine service and to eyeball all the codes.

Had a check injection and a few other codes although it was idling fine and driving ok.

When the old battery was on its arse starting I got a constant click, click, click from the injector but I suspected they were just battery foibles.

I also cheekily asked them to free off the rear shock bolts so I could do the springs on my drive later without a 20ft breaker bar.

Garage has confirmed warnings were all low voltage related and have cleared them but has less good news on the bolts.

One was freed off easy, the other isn’t budging and the bush is perished so it’s a hacksaw and much fecking around job as it’s a captive nut and now the bolt itself is very much captive in the bloody thing.

I’ll let them do this another time as I can’t risk doing it diy on the drive and being stuck with three wheels on my wagon.

They also pointed out the air con needs a regas m8 and the brake lines will get flagged at the next Mot for corrosion…

No biggie, I’ll just check when that it to save up for the bill…

…Cock.

Always a pleasure to go there though and ogle the Avantime 3.5 he has there…amusingly it needs a head gasket and has done for ages…but when I ask if he’s done it he says “I Avantime” to even get to it… 😂

 

[Ohdearme]

As the garage declared the left shock bolt stuck that means I can’t do the spring the easy way by taking off the wheel, unbolting the shock and letting the spring drop out.

So for the sake of £15 I’ve got a couple of spring compressors to see if I can shrink the spring small enough to slot in.

if I can, I’ll cut the existing one out with the grinder and drop it in. If not, it’s an Amazon refund of the clamps.

I could also try and do it by dropping the top shock bolt if it doesn’t work but I’ll see how I get on.

 

[Ohdearme]

Overdue updates here…

I briefly had a yellow seicento with a leak somewhere and thogguht it’d fixed it, but this was disproven by a major storm and a major footwell puddle.

Moving the vehicle I got a shed lid of water down my neck from the sunroof so it might actually be that leaking, not the windscreen I fixed* with gutter mastic.

anyway it got roffled on New Year’s Day as I was trying to sensible and cut the fleet…

…except…

[Ohdearme]

Literally the day after it was trailered away by @Erebus I logged on to find I’d only gone and won @fairkens bastard Audi convertible 🤣.

It didn’t event warrant a collection Fred given it wasn’t even 30 minutes to pick it up…trip home was longer as the kids insisted on roof down and scenic route home, despite it being freezing but it made them happy.

Initial impressions, it feels suitably Teutonic and mid 90’s solid. Like an E39 but actually event more engineered.

It’s got really classical lines, a few people have commented on how nice it looks, and then pass out when I tell them it cost me £15 - Mortals do not understand roffles 🤣

Theres a few foibles

- An airbag light flickers a bit from cold before buggering off

- An abs light has come on a few times

- The roof needs a good scrub

- The bonnet won’t bloody open (cable woes it seems)

- Passenger side speaker is a fart box

- Roof is manual only right now.

- The window switches are a bit temperamental

- The windows were sloooow to open/close.