BL Bloke's Motors - 205 still here but the garage has gone

[Tadhg Tiogar]

11 hours ago, BL Bloke said:

He said it was a multi layer. According to their website they use MLS triple layer or elastomer gaskets. 

BTW, how many times did mobile HG man flush out your system? I think mine needed about six flushes before they were satisfied that there wasn't any Baileys left.

[BL Bloke]

Just over six weeks after getting the HG done the Rover had its blowing exhaust sorted this morning. To celebrate I took it out for a run to my favourite country lane just outside Stourport, which is the furthest its been since August last year.

DSCF1613 by timothy jones, on Flickr

DSCF1614 by timothy jones, on Flickr

After a walk I continued to a riverside pub for a non alcoholic beverage.

DSCF1615 by timothy jones, on Flickr

I've also booked it in for an MOT next week. It does have a Boris extension until October but I thought I'd get it in while the weather is warmer. With a new battery, head gasket and exhaust this year I'm hoping it won't need anything else doing for a good while but I suppose I should check the tyres as although they have plenty of tread left with only 32500 on the clock they may be getting on a bit.

In other news the 205 hasn't been out for nearly 2 months (nothing to do with the car, just me being too lazy to walk up the road to the garage) and the recent heavy rain has done the Saxo's lacquer peel no good at all, although no water has got inside the car since I had the puddle in the footwell earlier in the year.

 DSCF1612 by timothy jones, on Flickr

[BL Bloke]

On 8/20/2020 at 10:36 PM, BL Bloke said:

With a new battery, head gasket and exhaust this year I'm hoping it won't need anything else doing for a good while. 

So much for that. I went to go out in the Rover today and when I did the usual coolant check I was greeted with this....

DSCF1616 by timothy jones, on Flickr

For fuck's sake, now where's it going? Anyway, I threw some water in it and went for a drive thinking that I'd have been better off both financially and mentally if I'd given it away to someone who'd fix it a couple of months ago. If it needs work for the Mot I don't know what I'll do with it, as I don't feel like wasting any more money on it at the moment. ☹️   

[BL Bloke]

A quick update. Since topping up the Rover's coolant on Saturday it has been out four times, covering around 70 miles, and the level has remained the same. I'll be keeping an eye on it in case it drops again. It also has 12 months Mot as it passed today. ?

Last Sunday marked one year since I travelled to London to pick up a French 20 year old. Ooh la la.

 DSCF0637 by timothy jones, on Flickr

To mark the occasion I took it out for a run on Sunday evening. It feels a lot nippier than the Rover despite having less power but it does also have considerably less weight. I did stop for a quick photo.

DSCF1617 by timothy jones, on Flickr

On Monday it was the 205's turn for a run out as it hadn't been anywhere since the end of June. After a walk up to the garage it emerged blinking into the sunlight and went for a run in the country.

DSCF1619 by timothy jones, on Flickr

DSCF1618 by timothy jones, on Flickr

Out of all the cars on the fleet this is my favourite, mainly due to its 'old school' feel and the whine of the transfer gears between the engine and gearbox which reminds me of the BMC/BL chod that I used to own. Due to the lack of a fifth gear it feels more at home bimbling around town or country lanes but it can hold its own on faster roads too despite only having 50bhp.

 

 

[dozeydustman]

Loving that the 205 is getting out. Glad I posted the link on the eBay tat thread some while back, I have much envies toward it.

[BL Bloke]

1 hour ago, dozeydustman said:

 Glad I posted the link on the eBay tat thread some while back, 

So am I. Also glad I put a bid on it. 

[dozeydustman]

2 minutes ago, BL Bloke said:

So am I. Also glad I put a bid on it. 

Bags a go in it mister!

[BL Bloke]

I'm thinking of coming to the next FoD weekend. If I do I'll bring the 205 and you can have a go in it. 

[dozeydustman]

On 8/28/2020 at 9:39 PM, BL Bloke said:

I'm thinking of coming to the next FoD weekend. If I do I'll bring the 205 and you can have a go in it. 

Sadly I’ll not be there on the official open day as I have family stuff going on. I hope the following weekend to attend the BL day with the wife and take one of the Cylinders’ cars with me

[BL Bloke]

Since my last update the Rover has done another 170 miles and the coolant level hasn't moved so that's a good thing. Now that I'm less worried about it going pop it has been used more and I'm enjoying driving it.

Yesterday saw the 21st anniversary of the Saxo's registration. I should really give it a wash as it hasn't had one since I bought it 13 months ago and it had stuff growing on it then. It hasn't got any worse since though.

The 205 went out last week as the sun was out and is still running well.

Meanwhile my modern (2013) Skoda Fabia has done less than 100 miles in the last two months and I keep asking myself if I really need it anymore, especially as the Rover seems to be healthy again.  

[BL Bloke]

It's been a while, hasn't it? 🙂

Over the past week or two there had been some heavy rain. The Saxo had let in water earlier this year but I thought that I'd sorted it out so you can imagine my surprise when I opened the door the other day and discovered this.

The rear footwell was in a similar condition so I had no choice but to bail it out with a combo of a Carte D'or ice cream container, a sponge and some kitchen towel. A couple of days later it rained again and the footwell began to fill back up so as a temporary (and, as it turned out,  ineffective) measure I attempted to cover the area where I thought the water  was coming in with a bin bag.

After another couple of days of torrential rain and high winds the water level is back up again and the lacquer peel on the bonnet appears to be spreading. If it's dry tomorrow I'll be bailing it out again and unblocking the drain hole on the scuttle which I think is the cause of the problem as that seemed to work last time. If that doesn't work I'll have to stick it in the garage and get the 205 out.

On the subject of the 205 it hasn't been out since October so, weather permitting I'll be taking it out for a run as a Christmas treat. The Rover's battery is flat so I'll charge it up so I can give the Rover a run out too.  

[BL Bloke]

As the weather was dry yesterday I thought I'd bail out the Saxo again and get it under cover as the water was pretty deep.

I think the water may be due to a blocked sunroof drain hose as the drain holes on the scuttle looked clear but there was some water in the sunroof gutter.

 

I gathered my water removal tools with the addition of a bucket to see how much water was in there. 

By the time I'd finished the bucket was nearly full. 

When I can back to it a couple of hours later some more water had seeped up through the carpet so once that was dealt with I took it up the road and swapped it over with the 205 before it rained again. It was nice to have a drive in the 205 as it hasn't been out for a few weeks and has only done just over 300 miles since its Mot in February.

It's a good job I did it yesterday as it's been pouring down most of today. I did check the 205 and it was reassuringly dry inside.

I'm thinking of trying to sell the Saxo after Christmas as the insurance runs out at the beginning of February and I don't really need four cars.    

[BL Bloke]

Today (04.02.21) marks two years since I collected my Rover 45. To mark the occasion it was chosen for the weekly  run out to Sainsbury's.

Although the experience hasn't been entirely trouble free due to OMGHGF it has been in fairly regular use since the gasket was done and has now clocked up 1800 miles since I bought it, not bad considering it spent nearly a year languishing unused on the drive. 

[BL Bloke]

The 205 passed its MOT today. On the way home I stopped for a photo opportunity.

Coincidentally as I pulled over it clocked up 1300 miles in my ownership, 225 of which were covered on the trip home from collecting it.

 

When I bought it there were a couple of smoll holes in the fabric on the driver's seat bolster which have since become one large hole. 🙁

I don't know if a seat cover would help but it's something I'll have to look into.

[Eyersey1234]

Chodtastic news about the MOT 

[BL Bloke]

Since I put the Saxo in the garage before Christmas to stop water getting in I haven't seen it because lockdown but this morning I thought I'd go up and check if anything had happened since then as I was a bit concerned due to the carpets were still wet when I put it away. When I opened the garage door I noticed condensation inside the rear window, which was a cause for concern.

 

When I looked inside it was a bit* mouldy and the carpets were still wet, hence the mould. 🙁

What with the above and a flat battery my original plan to give it a run out was totally kiboshed. 🙁 The plan now is get the battery charged, bring it down to the house and clean the mould off the interior while hoping that it doesn't rain and fill the footwell up with water again as it's due for its MOT in a few weeks . I don't think I'll be buying any more cars with a sunroof anytime soon. 

 

[Lord Sterling]

Oh dear! I hate that. I had a few bits of mould in the Blue Micra (its not been on the road since it was crashed into a couple of years ago.

I wiped them off easily but the seats need a bit more of a scrub.

2 of my Mk1 Sterlings do get mould. The one recently sold was worse for it than the E-reg car which only got water in the boot.

[BL Bloke]

I got the Saxo's battery charged up so this afternoon it was off to the garage to revive it and bring it down to the house. Before moving it the steering wheel had a quick going over with anti bacterial wipes and a couple of bin bags made an impromptu seat cover.

Once it was back on the drive and I'd wiped the condensation off the rear window it was time to take in how mouldy it actually was.  The dashboard didn't look too bad, mostly water stains from the windscreen.

The seats and door trims were a different matter, although the back seat wasn't as bad as the fronts. The front seat belts were probably the worst.

After just over half an hour with some cleaner and a stiff brush the fabric areas of the door trims, front seats and driver's seat belt were looking a lot better, even better than when I bought it as I hadn't cleaned the interior since buying it and judging from the condition of the exterior the previous owner probably hadn't done it for a while either.

I'll do the back seat and hard surfaces tomorrow. While I was looking around I did notice that the lacquer peel on the roof had got worse and a new patch had appeared on the bonnet.

I did take it out for a run with the heater on full and the windows open to give it an airing and dry the seats. Apart from what sounds like a squealing alternator belt it ran fine after its 2 month lay off.  

[BL Bloke]

Although I haven't posted an update since last month I did get the mould off the back seat and the hard surfaces.

Rear seat before...

and after.

I did try to check the sunroof drain hole to see if I could find where the water was getting in but couldn't see it. 

The driver's door seal is a bit loose too but I don't think the water was getting in there as the door trim panels don't get wet.

On the plus side the carpets have dried out over the past few weeks despite the rain showers we've had since then so I can only assume that the water only gets in when it absolutely pours down for hours on end. As mentioned in the news thread it went in for its MOT last Wednesday and passed with a couple of advisories for the number plates and slightly sticking front brakes, which could have something to do with its lack of use over the past 12 months. It wasn't all good news though as while it was there it performed its party piece and threw its alternator belt, which then wrapped itself around the bottom pulley and had to be cut off. 

    

When a replacement had been fitted I was able to bring it home.

Now that the interior has been cleaned I really need to give the outside a clean as it hasn't been washed since I bought it and it had stuff growing on it then.  

 

[BL Bloke]

Back in July 2019 the Rover clocked up 32k and I said that it wouldn't take six months to clock up the next thousand. I was right, but not in the way I expected as due to the Rover coming off the road shortly after so that I could swap its insurance onto the Saxo, OMGHGF and several lockdowns it's taken almost twenty months to get to this...

 

[BL Bloke]

I didn't realise that it's been over two months since the last update, shows you how little has been going on here. Anyway, two years ago today I'd just got home after collecting my 205 so to mark the occasion I gave it a run out to the country.

After a short walk through the woods which left me with muddy shoes and trousers along with a scratched arm the drive continued until I got back and reversed it into the garage so that I can check the oil easier as it appears to have developed a bit of a leak.

As for the rest of the fleet the Rover is running OK, the Saxo's alternator belt has started squealing on start up again and the Skoda has the exhaust warning light on. 

[dozeydustman]

If ever the 205 is up for grabs, Several tickets this way.

[BL Bloke]

With FOTU less than a week away I thought I'd better get the 205 ready which meant swapping it over with the Saxo so that I've got it at home. On the way out I had a pick at the lacquer peel on the Saxo's bonnet.

After giving it a run out it was parked in the garage and it's older relative came out.

When I went to collect the 205 @dozeydustman reminded me to check the oil and water before setting off home. Two years later and that was still the only time I've done it and I'd noticed an oil stain on the garage floor so I was concerned. Fortunately the level was still above minimum so it just needed topping up for the time being. Then I realised that I wasn't sure how to remove the filler cap.  

I had a look in my HBOL and there was a picture in there so I was able to get it off and pour in some oil. Then I thought I'd try and get the rear screen washer working so, after topping up the reservoir I gave the button a few pushes. I could hear the pump working but no water was to be seen as it had gone into the boot instead. ☹️

It looks like the pipe in the tailgate has either a hole or more likely has become detached so I'll need to remove the trim and have a look. On the plus side the boot floor looks cleaner after mopping up the water. 🙂 

[BL Bloke]

I decided to tackle the rear screen washer this afternoon. After levering off the trim panel without breaking any clips I found that I was right about the hose coming detached as it was just floating about loose in the tailgate.

I connected it to the nozzle and tested it. I had water on the window, success!

Well, almost as there was still some water in the boot. That wasn't really surprising as most of the part of the nozzle that fits inside the tailgate has disintegrated and me removing it broke the rest of it off. The exterior part was cracked when I bought it.

I've ordered a replacement nozzle off eBay which should arrive on Thursday so all being well it should be sorted for FOTU. 

 

[BL Bloke]

The new washer nozzle arrived yesterday which was impressive as I only ordered it Monday evening. A quick comparison showed how much of the old nozzle had broken off. I now have a working and non leaking rear washer. As the rear wiper is operated by the same button (I think) I'll have to have a look at that next as that doesn't work. 

This morning I checked the tyre pressures (low) and added some top class pez followed by a run out so that this didn't happen on the way to FOTU.

It's done just under 1500 miles since I bought it two and a bit years ago. I need to give it a clean ready for the weekend and print my ticket off. I hope my printer works. 

[BL Bloke]

Yesterday I went down to South Wales to visit my brother and his family for the first time since December 2019. As the Rover has done 900 miles since the head gasket was done last year thought I'd give it a run out as the furthest it had been in the two and a half years since I bought it was Shrewsbury a couple of years ago (pre HGF). The drive down was uneventful as was the return leg although the fuel gauge did show empty when I started it up to go home. It had been parked facing down a steep hill for a few hours though so, having experienced this quirk before I set off and sure enough after a mile or two driving on the flat the needle went up to just over a quarter full. 😕 The temperature gauge stayed resolutely in the middle and by the time I got home I'd even got used to the orange lighting o the instrument panel. 🙂 This morning I checked under the bonnet and  the coolant level was fine, as expected so the Rover will probably be going on a few more trips in the future. 

So in just over a week both the 205 and the Rover have clocked up 190 miles each. The plan is to get over 200 miles on each fleet member before the end of the month.

[BL Bloke]

With FOTU disappearing into the rear view mirror it was time for the 205 to go back into the garage, but as mentioned in the previous post I wanted to get it over 200 miles since FOTU morning which it did this afternoon after some local pootling. I actually did a few more so I could get to this.

While I was up at the garage I took the opportunity to get a couple of pics of the two smoll Frenchies as they don't see each other very often.

[BL Bloke]

The Rover went in for its MOT this morning. It passed with a fairly clean bill of health but there are a few little jobs that will need doing.

 

As I mentioned in the News 24 thread I did have to fiddle under the driver's seat to get the airbag light to go out. I'm pleased to say that it stayed out during the test but came back on after going over a speed bump on the way home. 🙄

[Angrydicky]

Great result on the MoT. Another Rover lives to fight another year 👍

[BL Bloke]

Today is the second anniversary of my trip to London to collect ELF, the Saxo East Coast. To mark the occasion and because it hasn't done a long trip since December 2019 I took it to the FoD yesterday. Upon arrival I parked it with a couple of its relatives.

After an enjoyable few hours at the FoD it was time to go home, although all didn't go to plan as I ended up going South on the M40 instead of North so had to retrace my steps back through Bicester from the next junction. This along with a navigational cock up on the way down meant that what should have been a 157 mile round trip turned into around 220. 😕 I didn't mind though as I enjoy driving it and, unlike its last long journey, it didn't fling its alternator belt off. 🙂 Worth every penny of the £200 I paid for it although it is overdue a bit of tlc and an external tidy up.

Since the morning of FOTU both the 205 and the Saxo have achieved the target of 200 miles before the end of August. The Rover has about ten miles to go while my modern Fabia has around 120 to go so maybe I should use that one a bit more.