Ask a Shiter

[Keymaster]

Steering wheels - can they be repaired?

 

The Almera wheel is beginning to crumble at the top, presumably 19 years of sunshine, sun cream, engine oil and god knows what have taken their toll. Its that sort of foam stuff with a rubberised outer. It is coming away in tiny little gritty bits but I don't think it is going to get better by iteself somehow.

 

Oh, and it has an airbag, so I'm a bit reluctant to dismantle it unless I have to.

 

Is there anything that can be done, like refurbishment or replacement? Or should I just put a cover on it and forget about it crumbling underneath?

Time to buy a wrap and upgrade to giffer spec!

 

[Andrew353w]

Flouride toothpaste apparently works well as the 'product' - the only way I've ever seen it done is with an orbital, yes.

 

As he says, I've used flood toothpaste to clean up plastic lenses & they scrub up really well (bit like SHMBO!)

[gm]

maybe try that old fashioned smokers toothpaste (eucryl or something like that I think) it's pretty abrasive stuff

[skattrd]

And while I'm here, do you need an orbital polisher to polish plastic headlight lenses as per the question a page or so back? Can it be done using Silvo, a cloth and elbow grease? or will it take forever and look shit? One of mine is a bit yellowy and could do with being polished up a bit a la Skattrd's Sera.

 

I just used the metal polish and a cloth to do my headlights. It took hardly any effort and less than 5 minutes. I'd say give whichever you have a go, I doubt you'll make things worse* .... if you do please don't blame me

[Bobthebeard]

I used the scratch remover* paste from Wilkinsons on the Mercury headlights. Called 'What Scratch?' and costs £3.99 a tube. Worked fine just using it by hand and polishes off easily.

[Asimo]

Why do all modern soft tops only have 4 seats?

 

I'm sure the answer somehow involves "Europe" - but I can't fathom it.

 

The centre 3 point belt in my car comes from inside the seat itself, not a fixed anchor point on the roof etc.  So why?

Isn't it because the rear seat is narrowed by the hood mechanism either side? All those struts and links and folds of cloth dissapearing neatly between the side panel and the rear armrest.

[Bear]

Well, here's a stupid question - I will keep searching, but I figured I'd ask too.

 

Renault D7F DIET engine - as lurking in Twingo and Clio. It IS cam in head or OHC and allegedly has a belt, but where?! There's an immense lump of metal on the end of the cylinder head and until I remove the top engine mount, I can't see any way this comes apart to reveal anything as straightforward as a single belt with a book time of an hour to change.

[twosmoke300]

They aren't as bad as they look

[richardmorris]

Just watching an old episode of wheeler dealers. The Peugeot 205gti. They said that the reason for the smoke screen driving it back to the workshop was down to a worn gear linkage. Is this likely? Or more that the head gasket had gone and they didn't want to add that cost in?

[bub2006]

I can't see a worn gear linkage causing smoke. Worn bores,rings,valve seals etc but not a linkage.

[cort16]

Do discovery 2's rot as badly as the earlier disco 1's. I've got a bit of a lob on about that ex plod v8 one in fife even though I recently spent an hour reading articles saying how the engine will blow up.

[cort16]

I've just looked it up and the the answer to my own question is. Yes, like fuck.

[dave21478]

D2`s tend more towards chassis rot than the bodywork rot of the D1, which is unfortunate as they are pretty competent machines all round.

[dollywobbler]

Yup. The chassis rot is bloody awful - far worse than D1. Bodies do go, but nowhere near as rapidly.

[willswitchengage]

I can't see a worn gear linkage causing smoke. Worn bores,rings,valve seals etc but not a linkage.

 

Yes, something that has nothing to do with the engine. TV idiots

 

2CV

 

Got a puff (cloud) of blue smoke after switching on for the first time in a couple of weeks earlier. Would I be correct in assuming there is something leaking oil into one/both of the cylinders somewhere? (but from where?)

[cort16]

I was just reading that . They made the chassis 30% thinner to save weight , didn't galvanise them and created blockages in the rails to stop all crap escaping . Other than being good when they're going between the rot and the liners detaching in the engine there's not a lot going for them .

[Asimo]

2CV

 

Got a puff (cloud) of blue smoke after switching on for the first time in a couple of weeks earlier. Would I be correct in assuming there is something leaking oil into one/both of the cylinders somewhere? (but from where?)

 

After standing, a bit of oil in the horizontal cylinders of an air cooled engine is completely normal. Providing it clears after a short time, I wouldn't worry about it.

[dave21478]

I was just reading that . They made the chassis 30% thinner to save weight , didn't galvanise them and created blockages in the rails to stop all crap escaping . Other than being good when they're going between the rot and the liners detaching in the engine there's not a lot going for them .

 

On the up-side, they are supremely comfortable on and off road, with the right tyres will go anywhere you could reasonably want, have a massive tow capacity and are one of the best looking modern 4x4s made before it all went too bling a la Rangerover Sport etc. As at home in Tescos carpark as they are half-way up a forest track.

I am really tempted, but as with my lust for a P38 I always chicken out at the last second - they are bordering into the levels of technology that I cant diagnose and repair myself and frankly I suspect I might be all Landrover`d out. Every green oval product I have owned has needed constant low-level fettling and repairs and I am fucking tired of it. The Shitlander is currently enjoying a prolonged period of just working without problems - well apart from having to bleed the clutch once a week, which is quite unusual especially when the completely bolloxed Mazda B2500 I have just kept going without needing a single thing doing to it despite me abusing the ever-loving shit out of it. Sadly its laid up in long-term storage with probably terminal chassis rot

Meh, I am rambling a bit - bottom line is I would probably own a D2, but true to my usual form, will inevitably buy one from Thainstone auction with no history and 11 previous owners then whine about it on here when it all goes wrong.

[cort16]

The one I'm looking at has no mot and is ex met police. It even still has the old police nudge bars in it. Unfortunately it's about 90 miles away.

[320touring]

The one I'm looking at has no mot and is ex met police. It even still has the old police nudge bars in it. Unfortunately it's about 90 miles away.

320touring can provide conveyancings

[cort16]

Cheers for the offer. I recon I'd need to go and see it then get it delivered back if I bought it .

Cos what I need is another project . Flippin cars. I just need one more hit. One more hit and that's me clean

[320touring]

Cheers for the offer. I recon I'd need to go and see it then get it delivered back if I bought it .

Cos what I need is another project . Flippin cars. I just need one more hit. One more hit and that's me clean

Assuming I'm about I'be happy to huckle up there in veg powered glory!

[mat_the_cat]

Yup. The chassis rot is bloody awful - far worse than D1. Bodies do go, but nowhere near as rapidly.

 

Is the wheelbase the same between the D1 and D2? You can tell what I'm thinking...

[andy18s]

No. The rear is about 4" longer and the mounts don't line up.it can and has been done but with some fabbing to be done

[andy18s]

No. The rear is about 4" longer and the mounts don't line up.it can and has been done but with some fabbing to be done

Actually,thinking about it the wheelbase is the same,the body itself is longer

[mat_the_cat]

That's what I thought, I wasn't expecting a straight swap but if the wheels are in the right place that's most of the battle over!

[cort16]

this is the vehicle in question

 

[LC Torana]

I was reminded recently that because my P6B is a late one (1976) the de Dion tube is "sealed for life" - it has no filler nor inspection hatch. Late ones are not oil-filled, rather they were packed with grease and sealed airtight.

 

On my car, the rubbers and seals are good. the suspension seems to be working OK, but after 40 years and 320,000km?  Surely any grease would be turned into cutting compound by now.

 

This raises my stupid question for the amnesty - what is meant by the "life of the car"?  Did Rover ever have a design-centre figure for anticipated lifespan, d'ya think?

 

And what would that figure be?

 

15 years?

50 years?

What did the designers have in mind?

[Keymaster]

Time to buy a wrap and upgrade to giffer spec!

 

41N2SNNvgHL._AC_SY200_.jpg

Took my own advice & now my Talbot is luxurious!

 

[scdan4]

I was reminded recently that because my P6B is a late one (1976) the de Dion tube is "sealed for life" - it has no filler nor inspection hatch. Late ones are not oil-filled, rather they were packed with grease and sealed airtight.

 

On my car, the rubbers and seals are good. the suspension seems to be working OK, but after 40 years and 320,000km?  Surely any grease would be turned into cutting compound by now.

 

This raises my stupid question for the amnesty - what is meant by the "life of the car"?  Did Rover ever have a design-centre figure for anticipated lifespan, d'ya think?

 

And what would that figure be?

 

15 years?

50 years?

What did the designers have in mind?

Now, I'd say warranty period plus 2 seconds.

 

Then? I have images in my head of bearded blokes with pipes sucking breath in over teeth and saying "that should do it"

 

Average car life way back when wasn't that great, so I guess they just assumed / calculated that it would outlast the majority of other components.