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Dollywobbler's Consolidated Tat Thread


dollywobbler

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These have all but disappeared from the roads. 

Such a cool mirror design on something fairly uninspiring at the time and yet 20 years on its looks seems to have improved and has a definite charm. 

Id say this is probably helped when comparing the style to most new cars which seem to resemble some kind of fat duplo bozuku toy.

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19 minutes ago, Andyrew said:

These have all but disappeared from the roads. 

Such a cool mirror design on something fairly uninspiring at the time and yet 20 years on its looks seems to have improved and has a definite charm. 

Id say this is probably helped when comparing the style to most new cars which seem to resemble some kind of fat duplo bozuku toy.

Such a cool mirror design, but one which leaves the mirrors next to useless for actually showing you what's going on behind you. I might install  crystal ball as that'd probably be more accurate.

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I didn't even know a 2.2 LS existed, it must have been a pretty niche spec. The dashboard looks very familiar and shares an awful lot of parts with the Zafira so maybe driving that subliminally influenced you? It's not what I expected in a HubNut car but may be just what you need, a boring but reliable modern* for when the older cars inevitably throw a wobbly.

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Nae bad motors, they have their niggles but they're all well documented these days.  Can't remember what it was now but there was a component in the fuelling system which used to give rise to a wandering idle speed (IAC valve I'm thinking from 15 year old memory).  We actually used to keep a stock on a shelf back in the garage when we sold a lot of these and Fronteras as it was such a common problem.  Think they could be rebuilt with a bit of patience but we didn't have time to waste on that!

Hope you get along with the seats...some people find them excruciatingly uncomfortable.  Sadly myself included, which is a shame as they're not bad driving motors... biggest other drawback in that group of cars though is that it's not a Xantia.  At least they're not as fragile as the Laguna...

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9 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Nae bad motors, they have their niggles but they're all well documented these days.  Can't remember what it was now but there was a component in the fuelling system which used to give rise to a wandering idle speed (IAC valve I'm thinking from 15 year old memory).  We actually used to keep a stock on a shelf back in the garage when we sold a lot of these and Fronteras as it was such a common problem.  Think they could be rebuilt with a bit of patience but we didn't have time to waste on that!

Hope you get along with the seats...some people find them excruciatingly uncomfortable.  Sadly myself included, which is a shame as they're not bad driving motors... biggest other drawback in that group of cars though is that it's not a Xantia.  At least they're not as fragile as the Laguna...

IACV indeed. Decent quality choke and carb cleaner sorted it out, though new part was only about £40, irrc.

 

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4 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

IACV indeed. Decent quality choke and carb cleaner sorted it out, though new part was only about £40, irrc.

 

Nice to know I remembered right!  We used to warranty everything we sold aside from the odd <£500 trade in to clear so usually just swapped it for new to avoid the potential for comebacks. 

Spent quite a while having to explain to potential buyers that the jet engine like racket from the emission control system for the first few minutes from cold wasn't a fault too...not sure if it was some sort of pumped EGR or additional air injection to help bring the cat up to light off temperature quicker...but I do recall it making an almighty racket that really did sound like there was something wrong.

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Good news! The seller finally had the V5C come through today, so the necessary numbers were sent to me and I did the owner change online. Happy days!

Which also means I've been able to tax it. After my current insurer kindly offered to insure it for £540, I went with Esure instead for £177. Happy days!

I even got underneath it in my pit, to check the blown flexi. Yup, wrapped in aluminium tape to pass the MOT but that did not survive a 200-mile drive to Wales. Have a £26 Ebay Flexi on its way, which I think you fit by chopping the pipe - it's in the section that goes from downpipe to middle, including cat, so didn't want to do that. 

The tyres, for those who haven't seen the video, are Lanvigator Catchgre GP100s, which I expect to be absolutely bloody awful. If they are, I'll consider some all-seasons. 

EDIT

Here's a pic from Saturday. Guessing I didn't take it as I appear to be in it...

EegnyImXkAARVIs?format=jpg&name=900x900

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On 7/18/2020 at 4:21 PM, dollywobbler said:

Because French. Because it's been resprayed, I've lost the RP number so I don't know when it was actually built. It would have been 1985 I suspect.

Might well be Spanish, that late.  The C-reg Scally Rally car (which @Stinkwheelhas now) was one of a batch nailed together in Vigo in mid-1984, but not registered in Blighty until early '86.

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I was all prepared to dislike this one, never been particularly fond of them in the past but I dunno, it's got a certain appeal having watched the video.  It's made me think it's been a while since I last saw one, they have got to that age where they're starting to disappear, especially the early ones.  I do enjoy a good Astra G, being of a similar vintage are these just a bigger version or very different?  I recognise some of the switchgear and interior bits from the Astra, no surprise there though.  

I also now realise I'd quite like an early Zafira, having seen your recent video, there must be some sort of Hubnut-Vauxhall effect going on.

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22 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Nae bad motors, they have their niggles but they're all well documented these days.  Can't remember what it was now but there was a component in the fuelling system which used to give rise to a wandering idle speed (IAC valve I'm thinking from 15 year old memory).  We actually used to keep a stock on a shelf back in the garage when we sold a lot of these and Fronteras as it was such a common problem.  Think they could be rebuilt with a bit of patience but we didn't have time to waste on that!

Hope you get along with the seats...some people find them excruciatingly uncomfortable.  Sadly myself included, which is a shame as they're not bad driving motors... biggest other drawback in that group of cars though is that it's not a Xantia.  At least they're not as fragile as the Laguna...

Given that the very first one of these I ever saw in the metal when they were new in the mid 90s, was on fire at the side of the road, I'd guess they had quite a few dodgy components in the fuelling system.

Naturally I drive one myself now, albeit a somewhat safer type C oiler.

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11 minutes ago, lanciamatt said:

Ah, the 2.2 petrol. Done many a timing chain on these back in day at vauxhall, snapping at 20k. Fuel pumps used to go down, also fuel regulator . Nothing else really. 

We used to fit a timing chain tensioner from the 2.0 turbo as it was spring loaded, not oil dependent. 

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Exhaust flexi has arrived. You chop the old one out, then clamp in the replacement (welding also an option if you're not me).  Never fitted one before, will probably be chopping with a hacksaw, so we'll see how that goes tomorrow. Then I can actually DRIVE my new car! I hope I don't hate it.

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Actually out for a drive!

EerAPk2WsAA9RCm?format=jpg&name=small

Yes, I need some tail-light bulbs.  

Spent far too many hours trying to replace the exhaust flexi yesterday. Angle grinder couldn't cut right through the exhaust, so that was a ballache. Then the new flexi was longer, and the one I'd been sent didn't fit either! So I had to go and buy another one. That was then a right sod to fit, but got there in the end. The result? It still sounds like the exhaust is blowing. Well done me! Couldn't care less by this point, so chucked the 2CV in the unit (which had refused to start at roadworks on the way) and drove home in the Vectra.

Can't really hear the leak inside the car, it's very peaceful in fact. Goes well being the 2.2, though has that annoying modern tendency for the revs to not drop away quickly, which makes fast acceleration tricky to do smoothly. WIll torque steer in the wet. But it's deliciously lazy too, pottering along at 40mph in top gear and being generally effortless to drive. Clutch travel is far too long (typically German) and the steering is comfortably numb, but it certainly does what I need it to do. Covers ground with minimal effort. Tiny mirrors are a pain though. May need to fit my reversing camera.

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43 minutes ago, davehedgehog31 said:

Vauxhai of this era seem to be hardy beasts. Not much concession to styling flair but competent and pretty robust. The Astra G I had was great at being AN CAR and continues to provide sterling service to @blackboilersuit

Dictionary definition of "an car" is a Vauxhall of this era. Cheap to buy, cheap to repair and ultimately boring and common enough that you''ll still sleep at night if you need to recycle into bean tins.

When fleet management and buying decisions have got somewhat out of hand owning AN CAR is the only thing that'll buy you a bit of breathing space to sort out the automotive mess of your own making that you find yourself in.

I've just booked the mighty Astra in for another MOT in a couple of weeks time - think happy thoughts everyone, think happy thoughts! 

 

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Blimey - a Y2K Vectra.  I reckon you're the last person on earth I thought would own one of these!

My BiL is now, amusingly, Vauxhall through and through after he had one of these for ten years.  He nursed it to 200k before work took off and he needed a van.  In that time NOTHING went wrong.  Zip.  It was a touch more reliable than my MK1 Avensis which did have the odd niggle.  He replaced it with an Astra van that he got to 250k before it literally drunk as much oil as petrol and is now in a 2015 Astra Estate.  He says he'd rather NOT drive Vauxhall, but they've given him absolutely no reason to do otherwise.  I like that.  Old fashioned brand loyalty.

We had a 2.0 saloon as a pool car which was very brisk, and my Boss had a MK2 (GY52ZMO) 2.2 which never felt as fast.  

I do actually like these Vectras, but the really early ones in white with a boot and some nice wheels.  

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On 8/6/2020 at 9:15 AM, dollywobbler said:

Actually out for a drive!

EerAPk2WsAA9RCm?format=jpg&name=small

Yes, I need some tail-light bulbs.  

Spent far too many hours trying to replace the exhaust flexi yesterday. Angle grinder couldn't cut right through the exhaust, so that was a ballache. Then the new flexi was longer, and the one I'd been sent didn't fit either! So I had to go and buy another one. That was then a right sod to fit, but got there in the end. The result? It still sounds like the exhaust is blowing. Well done me! Couldn't care less by this point, so chucked the 2CV in the unit (which had refused to start at roadworks on the way) and drove home in the Vectra.

Can't really hear the leak inside the car, it's very peaceful in fact. Goes well being the 2.2, though has that annoying modern tendency for the revs to not drop away quickly, which makes fast acceleration tricky to do smoothly. WIll torque steer in the wet. But it's deliciously lazy too, pottering along at 40mph in top gear and being generally effortless to drive. Clutch travel is far too long (typically German) and the steering is comfortably numb, but it certainly does what I need it to do. Covers ground with minimal effort. Tiny mirrors are a pain though. May need to fit my reversing camera.

what did miss @DollyWobbler  think of it , i think it should be called vixela

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I can't remember which but one of the older GM floor plans was susceptible to cracks in the bulk head.

If you catch it early it's a simple patch that can be welded on for a repair, if not the entire bulkhead can split, and that's the car unusable. 

It happened to my Saab 9-3 from the same era and was a common fault across that particular GM platform, though I'm not one hundred percent sure if it's relevant to yours, but it's well worth finding out.

It only happens on well used cars, so high milers or old cars.

Early signs are what looks like play in the front suspension or track rods or the steering rack, but actually it's tiny holes appearing in the bulk head where the steering rack is bolted in.

If your steering wheel rapidly goes out of alignment that could also be a sign.

The wise would just make sure it's not a potential issue on this car, and if it turns out to be, they would either be aware of the signs or look for evidence of a repair.

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Quick question for you, DW.

What is the setup you use for in-car video.  In particular your most recent one where you had TWC out?

I've been reading my hair out trying to get anything even vaguely resembling stable footage...despite having tried a plethora of different mounts.

The only one which seems to work reasonably well is the one with the Not-Actually-A-Go-Pro, but while the video is decent on that the audio is pants and it doesn't have a separate mic input.  I'd *really* rather not have to faff around dubbing audio into video from a separate source as ensuring everything was perfectly in sync sounds like it's going to be a massive post processing headache.

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5 hours ago, Tim_E said:

I can't remember which but one of the older GM floor plans was susceptible to cracks in the bulk head.

 

That's J-Car based stuff, and it's usually the power steering that they can't handle. We had a 9-3 cabriolet which survived this problem unscathed. I sold an Espero last year with a cracked bulkhead that someone had seen fit to use silicone sealant on. My old MoT tester remembers taking Esperos to bits for warranty repair to the bulkhead back in the day...

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5 hours ago, Tim_E said:

I can't remember which but one of the older GM floor plans was susceptible to cracks in the bulk head.

If you catch it early it's a simple patch that can be welded on for a repair, if not the entire bulkhead can split, and that's the car unusable. 

It happened to my Saab 9-3 from the same era and was a common fault across that particular GM platform, though I'm not one hundred percent sure if it's relevant to yours, but it's well worth finding out.

It only happens on well used cars, so high milers or old cars.

Early signs are what looks like play in the front suspension or track rods or the steering rack, but actually it's tiny holes appearing in the bulk head where the steering rack is bolted in.

If your steering wheel rapidly goes out of alignment that could also be a sign.

The wise would just make sure it's not a potential issue on this car, and if it turns out to be, they would either be aware of the signs or look for evidence of a repair.

The mk2 cavalier convertible, has a particularly bad reputation. 

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