Shite Down Under - Elderly Motors For Elderly People - Let There Be Light

[Parky]

On 7/6/2020 at 2:44 PM, MorrisItalSLX said:

 

Have a bonus highly suggestive flyer about Subscriber Trunk Dialing, Because why not.

I read this as “As quick as a STD” which suggests to me the young lady in question is cheekily suggesting I might like a sexually transmitted disease from her in double quick time.  Not sure which one she has but it has already ruined sight in one of her eyes

[MorrisItalSLX]

Guess who’s back?

[Cord Fourteener]

On 7/6/2020 at 2:44 PM, MorrisItalSLX said:

 

Have a bonus highly suggestive flyer about Subscriber Trunk Dialing, Because why not.

Only in Oz!

[Cord Fourteener]

14 minutes ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

Guess who’s back?

Looks lovely 👍

[Cord Fourteener]

I like how it's camouflaged to what my British idea of the Aussie outback is, having never left Europe myself I'm the fount of knowledge of course 🤣 

Edit: I've spent a couple of weeks in the middle Eastern Mediterranean actually on a couple of occasions.

[MorrisItalSLX]

So, what actually happened?

A second hand gearbox was sourced from a breaker that was a runner/driver a week prior to me dismembering it. It was fitted by me friendly mechanic because sod swapping a transaxle on axel stands. All seals were replaced, including the crankshaft seal, seemed daft not to when it’s all apart. Fresh fluid and filter to finish, plus a wheel alignment for good measure.

There’s nothing bad to report after driving it around for the last couple of days, gearbox is shifting smoothly, kicking down appropriately and there are no unusual noises. I can’t complain. Time now to just drive around and monitor the situation.

[MorrisItalSLX]

In other news, this happened.

[Ghosty]

Just had a nose through. The Corolla is class! I'd really like to try one of them (or an early Carina or Camry) but the prices of UK ones are mental. 

[MorrisItalSLX]

1 hour ago, Ghosty said:

Just had a nose through. The Corolla is class! I'd really like to try one of them (or an early Carina or Camry) but the prices of UK ones are mental. 

I too would love an early Camry, in V6 flavour with the sumptuous blue velour.

Prices are starting to climb here to for 80s and even 90s Toyotas. Early Camrys and FWD Corollas are still reasonable, but the bigger and posher models such as the Camry V6, Cressida and Crown are ridiculous. That being said, the velour in those models is worth the price of admission alone.

The RWD models from the 80s and earlier  (Corolla, Corona, Cressida & Crown) were worthless 15 years ago, but shot up in value in a similar fashion over the last 10 years, so it’s about time the FWD models start to creep up.

[MorrisItalSLX]

I went to drive home from work this afternoon only to find the seatbelt would not buckle in. A quick trip to the breakers yard with my seatbelt buckled into the passenger side and a part was obtained.

New buckle fitted and all is well again in the Corolla world (apart from the fast deteriorating valve stem oil seals and associated chimney-esque smoke).

[MorrisItalSLX]

New oil and filters today. I went a grade thicker in the oil to try and reduce the smoke, seems to have helped.

The replacement gearbox has now covered 2000 kilometres and is still going strong, a gearbox mount was slightly loose and knocking, but a quick spin with the spanner and all is well.

[MorrisItalSLX]

3000 Kilometres on the replacement gearbox, left front speaker has gone bad and crackles badly.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Problem:

Solution:

Job jobbed.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Made a friend in the supermarket car park this afternoon, a later facelift model with the new design grille and front bumper, relocated side repeaters and EFI (amongst other things).

[Ian_Fearn]

And a BONUS Great Wall!

Are there a lot of these things in Aus?

[MorrisItalSLX]

48 minutes ago, Ian_Fearn said:

Are there a lot of these things in Aus?

Great Walls? Some, mainly commercial vehicles.

Old Corollas? 5 - 10 years ago, Loads. Nowadays, Not so much. Three decades of use have worn most of them into the ground, the surviving few are still hanging on as old bangers or are genuinely well looked after motors.

The red one looked to be in the hands of a long term owner, well worn but cared for, a very honest example.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Driving home from work this afternoon I fell myself getting lower and lower in my seat. That’ll be the webbing ripping in half then.

Time for one of my favourite activities, bodging!

(The damage is the ripped rubber to the left of the orange webbing.)

Nothing a nice piece of string couldn’t fix!

One thorough test run later and all is well again. Let’s see how permanent this temporary repair will be.

[MorrisItalSLX]

It is nearly time for a service on the old girl, so time for a cursory inspection to see what needs doing.

- Engine oil and filter, obvs.

- Gear Box oil leak, suspected sump gasket

- Gear Box oil and filter while it’s apart

- Front and rear brake Flexi lines, perished.

There are also a couple of areas of investigation needed.

- Exhaust leak, only minor, suspect manifold

- Water Pump, suspected original

- Thermostat, suspected not closing fully

- Coolant and heater hoses, Original and showing their age

So, it will go off to the garage for the service, leaks and brakes to be done and the exhaust and cooling system inspected and priced up.

I had a look on the interweb to see what was out there in the way of brake lines and coolant pipes, and I’m glad I did. The rear brake Flexi lines for my car, an Australian built, low spec, early production model are practically non existent. Later rear disc lines are easy and the fronts are a piece of piss, but early rear drum lines I could only find 1 available, these in fact.

That’s right, upgraded braided performance lines, because RACECAR.

Thankfully, every other rear drum component is easily available from any local parts supplier. No need for eBay lucky dip purchasing.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Well, the brake lines arrived and have been fitted, along with the other jobs that needed doing. The cooling system work however will be happening sooner rather than later as the water pump is sounding more and more like a dying porpoise.

[MorrisItalSLX]

28,000 Kilometres covered since purchase, 8,000 since gearbox replacement. All is well.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Well that went well, at exactly 189,000 kilometres, the speedometer died. Grand.

On the plus side, the insurance renewal came in and was way less than expected.

[TheOtherStu]

I've particularly enjoyed your thread. If ever there was a car that should be shown at "Festival of the Unexceptional" here in the UK, this would be it.

The Bad Obsession Motorsport giffer, particularly, is special. Are you au-fait with these particular people? They take absolute shite and make it.... well.... rather nice shite (but it's still shite). A completely over-engineered old Mini for instance, with a supra engine which, other than the fact it is famous, is worth precisely nothing really. If I'd done it, someone would have given me 50p for it. And also, a big old Ford Cargo that's absolute rot to carry the shite mentioned above.

It's very much in the spirit of Autoshite - taking years to get something back on the road that really should have been put in a skip.

 

[MorrisItalSLX]

8 minutes ago, TheOtherStu said:

I've particularly enjoyed your thread. If ever there was a car that should be shown at "Festival of the Unexceptional" here in the UK, this would be it.

The Bad Obsession Motorsport giffer, particularly, is special. Are you au-fait with these particular people? They take absolute shite and make it.... well.... rather nice shite (but it's still shite). A completely over-engineered old Mini for instance, with a supra engine which, other than the fact it is famous, is worth precisely nothing really. If I'd done it, someone would have given me 50p for it. And also, a big old Ford Cargo that's absolute rot to carry the shite mentioned above.

It's very much in the spirit of Autoshite - taking years to get something back on the road that really should have been put in a skip.

 

Thank you for those kind words. I’d very much like if an event like the Festival of the Unexceptional started here, especially as cars of this generation are rapidly disappearing now.

I adore the work done by Bad Obsession Motorsport, they are building to a standard so high it is almost incomprehensible. Binky is easily going to be the nicest Mini on the planet.

[TheOtherStu]

5 hours ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

Thank you for those kind words. I’d very much like if an event like the Festival of the Unexceptional started here, especially as cars of this generation are rapidly disappearing now.

I adore the work done by Bad Obsession Motorsport, they are building to a standard so high it is almost incomprehensible. Binky is easily going to be the nicest Mini on the planet.

I'm not sure about it being the nicest mini. Over engineered mebbe. I'm a patreon btw, and really hoping that they'll bring it to one of the classic car shows at some stage so that I can have my picture taken with it. Have the mug and t-shirt.

I swear they found the dodgiest example possible to work with though 🤣

Oh and what happened to the Jaaaag?

[MorrisItalSLX]

5 hours ago, TheOtherStu said:

Oh and what happened to the Jaaaag?

It’s in the garage, waiting for me to crack on and fix it.

It’ll be back, eventually…

[MorrisItalSLX]

The dash came apart today, I’ve got quite quick at this with all my fiddling with stereos and gear selectors. The issue was quite apparent when the cluster came out, the Speedo cable had fallen off. A few cable ties later and regular service is resumed, although my test drive became quite interesting when I discovered the the indicators don’t work without the hazard warning light button fitted which was on the floor of the garage with the rest of the removed trim.

As I was quite pleased with myself for getting it fixed and as the weather was just lovely I gave it a wash.

My theory for why the cable came off the back of the Speedo is it was disturbed when the gearbox was replaced. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

[MorrisItalSLX]

It’s that time of the year again, Rego.

Naturally, it passed without bother and just two eye-watering payments later it’s ready to go for another year.

Thirty-one years old and still counting.

[Parky]

That’s why there and here are full of them, they just work day in day out.   Look at this, 405000 kms and going fine.  $3000 is a bit steep though

[MorrisItalSLX]

$3000 for a 3 door GTI sounds reasonable to me, but I am partial to a dog-eared 90s Corolla.

[Parky]

I keep thinking in UK terms where a quarter of a million mile Toyota is worth buttons