Andy's awful autos: vegetarian able vehicle incoming (not mine honest!)

[Dan302]

  On 23/02/2021 at 12:37, Andyrew said:

 

People are giving them away around here! 

Had both Astras parked outside my home last night, theres a silver one over the road, a black one opposite and a blue one round the corner from that. 

Very plentiful around this area still  beacause Luton is next door.

 

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That will be why I don't see many, they are all outside yours 🙂

[Andyrew]

Cabin filter was certainly due.

[Andrew353w]

  On 23/02/2021 at 14:28, Andyrew said:

Cabin filter was certainly due.

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GOOD GRIEF!

[Andyrew]

With the manifold gasket dropped off, along with a new gasket for between the manifold and downpipe. 

Whilst waiting i needle scaled the larger chucks of rust off the flanges, a wizz with a scotch pad on the die grinder and as i had the time i put some 240 grit paper on a flat surface and with a bit of oil attempted a quick re surface. 

Back on the car, horrible ticking noise and blowing is gone. Sorted. 

[Andyrew]

Lacking photos but so far

The car has been washed,  washed again, clay bar and clay mit all over, and the N.s has been whipped over with the rotary polisher.  The interior has been scrubbed and is a much nicer place to be.

The autobox was holding gears a bit, so suction pump deployed and 2.5 ltres taken out then refreshed with some new. Drive home was so much better, changing lovely, a good friend who deals with autoboxes has advised i give it the onions and use the kick down to get the fluid pumping round to push out any crud.   I Will suck some more out to use the last of the 1.5ltres in the bottle tonight and repeat after a few hundred miles when we drop the engine oil again. 

Tonight will hopefully see the new tie rods and ends fitted and maybe the discs and pads, 

Speaking with a work mate who did repairs on the car for the giffer owner years ago and he recalls the cambelt not being that old and the service history was a small book the old boy had and he would keep on top of it ticking off his list. Which is good to know its not been neglected its whole life and just the past 3 or so years but thats not been that many miles thankfully.

 

 

[Andyrew]

[Eyersey1234]

  On 23/02/2021 at 14:28, Andyrew said:

Cabin filter was certainly due.

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Fuck me that's filthier than a black cat in a coal cellar

[tooSavvy]

  On 25/02/2021 at 13:05, Eyersey1234 said:

Fuck me that's filthier than a black cat in a coal cellar

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Once, my WVM job had me running about in an old loaner Combo. The ventilation was miserable and had no good airflow.....

Pulled over to side of road, popped top off cabin filter slot >> slipped the black doormat out = cut a beermat sized hole through it with my stanley knife >> slotted back in (not going to be chased about for dumping a piece of someone elses van).....

Ahhh ..... Feel Da Breeze

 

[Andyrew]

From this 

To this, 

Still room for improvement but for now its looking pretty sharp.  In the right light its a lovely colour and responded well to the clay, machine polish and two coats of colonite wax. 

 

[beko1987]

That is a lovely colour, made for polishing! 

[bezzabsa]

can I bring this to you for a polish???

[beko1987]

  On 26/02/2021 at 21:12, bezzabsa said:

can I bring this to you for a polish???

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Have you tried rolling it in glitter? 

[bezzabsa]

paintwork aint actually too bad, its the arches that spoil it...

[Split_Pin]

That looks great now, I really like early Astra Gs. I had an 03 Coupe 1.8 for 13 years, very reliable and well built.

I think yours is the same colour as my Corsa, it does indeed mop up beautifully.

[Andyrew]

[Andyrew]

 

[Dan302]

That will be a cracking car. My boys mum is disabled and can only drive autos, its so hard to find decent cheap automatics. We got her a 55 plate Astra H which shit its gearbox after less than a year. Shes got a nearly new car on finance now as there just wasn't anything available at short notice.

[Andyrew]

Being jiggled and poked 

[Andyrew]

And with that, i dropped the car off with  my friend and collected my astra that hes borrowed, which was digusting when i lent it to too him at short notice and its come back cleaned and lovely.

Ron the burgandy astra will return for future work, another oil change and ATF swap. Tyres are the next priority as they are old old.  But for now its mostly sorted and i have to go back to changing gears for myself like a pesant.

 

[Rusty_Rocket]

Excellent work!  This should do good service now

[Andyrew]

What did it all cost then? 

Being in the "trade m8"  has obviously helped here with silly cheap prices but these cars are very cheap to maintain anyway. 

The car itself was as we know  FREE. 

Full Service inc ATF

Inner and outter tie rods

Front discs and pads

Manifold gasket

2 indicator bulbs

Washer bottle flushed & new pump 

Downpipe gasket

Rubber boot mat

Tailor fitted floor mats

Rocker gasket (not fitted)

Parts total £120 and MOT £30

So my lovely asistant, where are we at?

Bargain. 

[Andyrew]

But does it end there tho? Not really, this stuff can however be carried out over a few months. 

The now owner loves his music so a new head unit was purchased at £65. He is also very chuffed with the car and want to give the previous owners something in return (beer/money/food/etcetc) as a thanks.  So lets say £100.

4 tyres will be the next upcoming cost with toyos coming in at £50 a corner via my friend john earlier in this thread. Tracking at £20. 

After smashing my face into it more than twice, a pair of boot gas struts £25.

Whilst it looks okay and ive been told its certainly not the original but of unknown age a cambelt water pump and thermostat kit £50.

The exhaust will be welded up to get a bit more life out of it. 

Another £460 notes.

Bringing a total of £610

Thats Probably about £200 above its current  market value, but for a tidy enough and mechanically sorted car with good rubber thats not alot of money really. 

 

 

[Andyrew]

Also bonus boot find shite, this sun shade / frost protector was trademark dated 1999 . 

[Dj_efk]

This thread is SHITE TASTIC

[Andyrew]

My friend who done work for one of the previous (now deceased) owners had mentioned a little book that was the log of the car.  I was given the little book today.  

Okay So theres now a 4 year gap since his last note but It felt only right to continue his work. His hand writting is much better than mine!

 

 

[Andyrew]

Few bits happening over the past week or so, Ron the giffer Astra returned for a partial auto box fluid swap out, there was 1.5 litres left in the bottle so after it had done a few miles with the first partial swap and seen a vast improvement we used up the last of the bottle because why not. 

A hole in the back box was poked. Opened up, all of the internals shaken out and a horrid looking patch was welded over as a temp fix, the noise was much quieter and deemed permenant. 

No pics as it wasnt overly interesting to be honest.

So Have a water beading shot from the owner. Out the front window gumtree ad style. 

 

 

[Andyrew]

Ignis going to pass the MOT? 

Father rew has had this wee 06 zuk from new,  with just over 38k on the clock some of the repairs needed are a bit surprising sometimes but as it started life as a cheap car built to a cost then longevity isnt always in the design criteria. 

With the car having been parked for most of the past year and with an upcoming MOT i collected the car after work and took it for an oil change and once over for the test. 

Suction pump has been busy lately.  New filter and some fresh 5w30. 

The car given a once over check, front brakes, rear O.s wheel bearing and N.s top mounts deemed shagged. It was then cleaned and new wipers chucked on, only  cheapies but i run these on my shite and they are just fine. 

Car returned, parts ordered in at work, 3 out of 4 items arrived. Delivery driver decided my brake pads would be better somewhere in milton keynes so that delayed that. 

 

 

 

[Andyrew]

When cleaning the car inside the rather sorry looking gearknob was bothering me . The top leather and shift patern long since worn through. 

Peeling at the leather i could see a texture underneath. I wonder . . .

Some tearing and swearing later, a bit of thinners to get the glue remains off and we have one new knob! 

[Andyrew]

Having had the n.s wheel bearing replace previously i wasnt surprised at fact the o.s needed doing even with such little miles 

Right then, wheel off, big nut off, drum off.

Circlip to come out then into the janky press. Out with the old.

In with the new. The drum was given a clean and a lick of black paint to freshen it up. The suspension was given a quick brush up and blown out with the airline. Then a splash of supertrol.

 

[Andyrew]

As i was waiting for pads, before leaving the workshop i gave the centre of the discs a lick of paint. Why not eh?