TrabbieRonnie Posted March 13 Author Share Posted March 13 Car just sitting at work, cheering me up... Saabnut and Tickman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 Got a new toy! Rosie was employed for testing duties... Bloody marvellous thing, you can see-saw the car end for end by hand. Feels nice and solid too, my driveway is a tad* uneven so I've had to put plates down for the wheels to roll on. I bought it second-hand off a colleague, but it doesn't seem to have been used much. I've set it up for wider than he had it, the Trabbi just sits on the pads and no more, but it should take the 323, Coupe and maybe the RX8. Chuffed to bits! Matty, Tickman, Saabnut and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustybullethole Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 That's going to make so much stuff easier. Am more than a bit jealous. Great purchase. TrabbieRonnie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 Hi all, Couldn't resist the opportunity to tinker on the Trabi while she was up, so have had a good day's scrubbing and re-oiling... Will need to attend to this rear panel again soon, really is looking scruffy now. Even that'll be easier with the lift though. Here's a pic for Zelandeth, shows the difference between my old-style hubs and his fancy new-fangled ones... They're pretty much the same both ends, the front drums have cooling slots in to handle the massive heat build up on re-entry to the village obvs... Spent the day wire-brushing, then painting and or oiling everything that moved. I even scrubbed and re-painted the wheels (inside and out!), a perfect day. My youngest was doing the same on the old jeep, will update that when we get it back together. More pics... Can't believe the original underseal has lasted so well, god only knows what it's made of! The car is actually older than registered, built in 1983 (they were often returned to the factory, rejuvenated and re-vinned, then sold again apparently, hence the '89 reg). So yeah, not bad for forty-one... And down. Still needs a wash and hoover, but I'll do that in the morn, weather permitting. I plan to commute in her as much as possible now, it'll let me get a bit of a tidy up on the white Audi (needs a bit of paint now) this summer. So, she's running well, and I feel better having undone some of the salt damage she endured standing in during the A8's abs saga. Just before we came in, we slid the lifter under my eldest lad's 323 (actually had to lift it by the arches to get it through, because racecar apparently!). We'll see how that lifts up tomorrow too. Dyslexic Viking, Tickman, RayMK and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 God I'd love a trabi. Couldn't happen unless the Austin goes and that isn't happening. I'll have to keep living vicariously through your updates! TrabbieRonnie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 Should have updated the sitch on the wee Mazda actually... Did get the thing serviced, replaced the cambelt and front discs and pads last weekend... Took about three hours all in, brilliant thing to work on, plus I know my way around it a bit now! It's hitting the ramps purely for assessment/repair of some rear wheelarch blebs. mk2_craig, Matty, Dyslexic Viking and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 3 minutes ago, Matty said: God I'd love a trabi. Couldn't happen unless the Austin goes and that isn't happening. I'll have to keep living vicariously through your updates! They really are great wee things, good fun and easy/cheap to keep. I too am maxed out for space now, I see loads of stuff I'd love to own, but can't bear to part with anything I've got! Matty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 3 minutes ago, TrabbieRonnie said: They really are great wee things, good fun and easy/cheap to keep. I too am maxed out for space now, I see loads of stuff I'd love to own, but can't bear to part with anything I've got! Hundred percent know that feeling. I only buy things I want then fall hopelessly in love 🙄 TrabbieRonnie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 29 Author Share Posted March 29 Well, I feel it's a bit boring writing about the same cars all the time, but the fleet seems to have stabilised at its current membership so I have no choice! The Audi Coupe had its turn up on the new tilty-ramps today, to let me at the broken front spring. It lifted the pretty nose-heavy old thing no bother... with the front end pointing skyward, the rear wheels are touching the deck, but only just. I stuck an axle stand under the subframe just in case she wanted to play see-saw. The offside spring was broken at the top, meaning the coil had jumped up past the shock cap and was hard against the inner wing. This meant I'd have to compress it before pulling the strut out... This seemed like quite a faff, so instead I cut the spring up with the angry grinder... much easier! I really should look into getting the proper tool for undoing strut top nuts... That's my brand new 22mm socket getting abused already. I cleaned everything up, wire-brushing and treating the strut to some Fertan (German Vactan), it's marinating now under the bonnet... It takes longer to go off than the Vactan, eventually turning black. It's the favourite amongst boaty types apparently, and I couldn't see Vactan on eBay any more? I'll give it a coat of chassis paint before reassembling with the new spring. I'm waiting, however, for more new bits as unbeknownst to me the nearside strut top rubber has left the building! I'll replace the pair, it didn't seem to have any impact on the driving, but was just floating about as soon as the weight came off it. I'm on lates tomorrow and Sunday, so might get the other side dismantled if I'm energetic in the mornings (unlikely...). Anyway, at the other end of the driveway, good progress was made by my youngest on the old Jeep. It has been wire-brushed, treated, and painted and/or oiled up as required, in the front offside wheel-well anyway. He's replaced the track rod, and upper and lower ball joints, which should tighten up the steering a wee bit. He'll finish up tomorrow, re-install the damper and split-pin everything up. The brakes are in a shocking mess, they're not even old, 'Kavo' branded and truly shite. Roughtrax now stock genuine Toyota though, so a new set of discs and pads are en route. The plan is to do the same on the other side, and then get her down off the truck, for fitment of all the 'new' doors and wings. That should see her good for another few years I reckon, mainly carrying mountain bikes up into the hills. captain_70s, Tickman and Dyslexic Viking 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 SIGNIFICANT ESCALATION OF WORKS ALERT!!! Shouldn't be surprised by now, these 30 year old motors are never straightforward! Whilst stripping out the strut for spring/top mount replacement, I found a bit of rust... Vigorous poking and prodding revealed the full extent... It's a weird place for it. Seems like the water running down the wing top gets to this point, gets stopped by the wing bolt, and then runs down the seam. Maybe a brake fluid spill in the distant past or something compromised the paint. Anyway, the cereal box came out, and a patch template has been formed... It's a bit of a compound curve job, but should be do-able with a bit of tacking and whacking. I'm in work later on, so can't be arsed getting the grinder and welder out today, but weather permitting, will do so tomorrow. Old cars, who'd have 'em?! mk2_craig, Dyslexic Viking, Back_For_More and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 The only place I found surface corrosion on my cab was the front suspension turrets which was weird as I thought they were galvanised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 Yes, it's odd. I can only assume damage was caused at some point... the other side is perfect! Anyway, more to the point... how are you enjoying wafting around in the A8? Split_Pin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Split_Pin Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 1 hour ago, TrabbieRonnie said: how are you enjoying wafting around in the A8? It's absolutely fantastic. I feel like royalty when I'm in it and it's got a real road presence that you just don't seem to get even with a larger SUV. The quality is like nothing I've ever experienced before as well, especially the seats. Best of all it gets 44 mpg! EyesWeldedShut, TrabbieRonnie and mk2_craig 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 Fantastic, glad you're enjoying it... I am jealous of your 44mpg's! Split_Pin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrabbieRonnie Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 As I am on late shift and rather under-employed at this hour, I have amused myself by plugging my fleet details into Scotland's ULEZ checker... Results of my surprisingly low emission friendly shite below.... '06 Iveco Daily (2.3 diesel)... Not Allowed. '93 Audi Coupe (2.6 petrol)... Not Allowed. '92 Mazda 323 (1.3 petrol)... Allowed! '03 Audi A8 (3.7 petrol)... Allowed! '93 Toyota Hilux Surf (2.4 diesel)... Allowed! '04 Mazda RX8 (Wankel, 20mpg-ish)... Allowed! '93 Toyota Hiace (2.8 diesel)... Allowed! And last but certainly not least, famous for it's exceptional emissions... '89 Sachensring Trabant (0.6 petrol/oil)... ALLOWED! 😂 Dyslexic Viking, High Jetter, Split_Pin and 1 other 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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