Andy's awful autos: Vanden-blah

[Andyrew]

[Andyrew]

With the exhaust off the rear got a good lashing of wax seal spray. 

 

[Andyrew]

With its MOT tomorrow the silver astra has been on charge in the background.

 

[Andyrew]

The farmers wagon kicked out (awaiting a shock absorber) 

I had given it a cheeky wash and wax and its looking rather spiffing on the outside. Just dont look underneath!

[Andyrew]

I also discovered this today,Whoops! 

21st of feb!

[Andyrew]

New boots fitted. Wrong astra but still. The falkens sidewalls Gave my mate some grief the sidewalls tuck in and gettting the beads to seat is a twat. Hes got the experience tho and  so some seat covers were deployed to fill the void so that one side beads up, then remove the bags and then we lifted the tyre up evenly and the other side pops on.  All four needed this. 

[Andyrew]

Now for the MOT!

[Andyrew]

Ones already been done 

[Andyrew]

And the other one.

Advisories on rear springs and play in a bush.

 

[Andyrew]

4 part worn marshall tyres were previously chucked on the silver astra wheels pre mot by my friend john mentioned on here previously. 

 

[Andyrew]

 Dont lose focus!

Recieve a text today from a mate

Followed shortly by a video, well thats a new one on me!

 

[Andyrew]

With some rain expected in the next few days the damp focus has been dropped off at the barn and left to dry.  The only bit of bonding left was around 12 inches in the lower offside corner. 

[Andyrew]

Focus screen was bonded back in, and left to air/dry inside the workshop for a few days. 

Yesterday i wanted to swap the tensioners on the Astra. Id previously nicked the ones off this car for for the black car that had a squeak. Surprisingly the squeak hasnt self fixed. 

 

[Andyrew]

With that done i had some time waiting to a friend to appear so i though id do a quick oil change. About 1k earlier that it was due but the car was up in the air so why not eh?

A little wee

To the shitter stock room! Also known as the sink.

New filter in, heard an odd click noise. Maybe just a snug o ring? No resistance of the filter cap. Fresh 10w40 in and sorted.  .  . 

Untill i lock up later in the night fire the car up and after a few mins idling the oil light srarts to flicker.

Wtf! 

Shut it off and ripped out the filter. Seems the centre part of the oil filter cap housing snapped on installation. 

Ive no idea why. Just Old? snug o rings? Human error?. Either way a stranded astra. 

Called my mate who had my other astra and he came back to give me a lift home. 

Hopefully collecting a used housing and cap today in cambridge. 

 

 

 

 

[Andyrew]

Refurb is the word. 

Mates mondeo is in need of new boots pretty much all round. Hes wanted to spruce up the wheels for ages so with me having a spare astra for him to borrow (well that was the plan) the big ford is kicking it with its shoes off for a week or so. 

New toyos arrived

Shoes off!

Now my axle stands are 6 ton 4x4 jobbies. Useless for cars really as they are too high.  So things have gone a bit ghetto. 

 

[Andyrew]

Wheels being scrubbed. Tyres being removed this afternoon hopefully

[Andyrew]

Damaged areas sanded back, first bit of filler applied to the little scuffs and dings. 

[Andyrew]

A few clear coat sags, and one bit of reaction to sort out, but for sub 30 quid in rattle cans about 12hours of effort. I think they are acceptable.  Mates happy with them.

[Andyrew]

Morals.

Sometimes you have to just do something, Right or wrong, swallow your pride and help someone when they ask even tho you dont feel you should.

So what was asked?

Dispose of a body? Rob a bank? Drug mule?

Id have been okay with that!

I got a call from the painter on the farm to Look at and mechanically fix a damaged car thats come of the road. To help save it. This is where its a struggle. 

A bent wishbone, easy. 

Ohhh no. A vw badge. 

*swallows pride and vomit*

A misery car in a misery spec. 

 

 

 

[Crackers]

You need @Saabnutand the patented £5* Volkswagen fix-anything method.

 

*possibly closer to £10 in today's market

[Andyrew]

My body must have known what was to come as i hurt my back wednesday which got a bit worse and painfull over the next few days. Lower arm ordered in at work. 

With me no wanting to make myself worse i asked my good mate gary (whos mondeo wheels we are refurbing) and he swapped the arm over with his son today and unfortunately he found no other mechanical damage that would write the car off.  The wheels now back where it should be.

Sorry @Cavcraft this one lives another day.  I know im gutted too. 

 

[Andyrew]

Tomorrows turd tinkering Sees a regular needing some love. 

Pow! Right in the eye!

[SiC]

Did you get your lift sorted or is it still waiting on the supplying company to get back to you?

[Andyrew]

Been a while.  How about a general car cluster update.

Well in all honesty not much to report. Ive moved12 miles further away from the workshop , this was to make my commute shorter but the side effect has been a drop in anything getting done at the workshop as traveling that direction around rush hour is a bastard.

The mx5 returned. Winter has added some more "patina".  Overall still pretty sorted. Brakes need a clean up and grease. Oil change will happen soon and the drivers window is getting stuck. Appart from that is now in the 114k range (bought at 109) and still mega fun. I was feeling a bit childish so i drilled the air box aswell and the induction roar is fantasticly loud now!  Cracking fun

This sexy silver bastard is just chomping up the miles still. Today i done a 140mile round trip to collect a tow bar and roof bars for it which will hopefully go on later this week. No issues to report appart from being in need of a massive clean inside.

This pile of purest blue joined the party.

Its a driver but we are definately in need of some improvement. Massive wheel bearing play up front and a busted gear selector mount and linkage slop are first of the list. Followed by a leaking rad. Dont plan to keep it long so id like to keep costs right down.

The ugly pugling still being cheap transport for the other half.  Absolutely full of shite thats "to go to the charity shop"  gave it a quick oil and filter the other month before if went for an MOT overall needs for nowt.

Black Astra currently kindly out the way over at the 6s place. Had just chucked new arms and inner and outter tie rods on before getting the tracking done.  Another wagon that needs nowt doing to it now.

I bought a big thing aswell which for the past 3 weeks has blocked the workshop up. 

A 4ton 4 poster. It was from a local garage at a very decent price. Influenced by some friends i bought it. It is however a bit large. 

Finger cross its functioning this weekend! Woop.

And thats it. Nothing exciting, i feel a sell up on the horizon but we will see. 

 

[SiC]

Did you get your scissor lift problems resolved in the end?

[Lacquer Peel]

On 3/8/2022 at 3:41 PM, Andyrew said:

With the exhaust off the rear got a good lashing of wax seal spray. 

 

Is that the Safrane? I thought it would use something fancier than a torsion beam. 

[Andyrew]

4 hours ago, SiC said:

Did you get your scissor lift problems resolved in the end?

Kinda, replacement centre plate supplied. Other parts supplier were wrong.  

I know you was thinking or purchasing a lift like this. Dont bother spending the extra with the strongman one. Just get one of the other types if you do. 

Its a awesome bit still and one of the best tools ive ever bought.

[Andyrew]

3 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Is that the Safrane? I thought it would use something fancier than a torsion beam. 

That would be hungarys finest suzuki ignis in that picture

[Andyrew]

Deja vu, 

Thats the felicia tonight after its 2nd rear ender.  

 

 

[SiC]

1 hour ago, Andyrew said:

Kinda, replacement centre plate supplied. Other parts supplier were wrong.  

I know you was thinking or purchasing a lift like this. Dont bother spending the extra with the strongman one. Just get one of the other types if you do. 

Its a awesome bit still and one of the best tools ive ever bought.

I'm currently thinking Quickjacks now. Made by Bendpak - once of the largest lift companies out in the states. 

While it doesn't go as high, it goes far enough that I won't have a huge amount of spare room above in my garage anyway. They're also way lighter and smaller so easier to pack out the way when not in use.

Cheaper, but not far off the scissor lifts.