Dollywobbler's Consolidated Tat Thread

[dollywobbler]

I did enjoy driving it more than I expected. That engine pulls so well.

[brownnova]

How long have you postponed Elly’s MoT for? 

[greengartside]

I’m with the guys on fixing the CityRover. These are getting rarer by the day and this one seems to have survived the odds and possibly would be a filing cabinet by this point if DW hadn’t stepped in and purchased it. Also agree with the fact it would keep the garage going too in this difficult time. You could even shove it back into storage and worry about it later, I don’t see that it would be in harm’s way there?

[dollywobbler]

As DHL still hasn't bloody delivered my speedometer cable, there's not much I can be getting on with on the GSA. The thrust bearing still whistles a bit, but I can't get a spanner on the adjuster nuts BECAUSE FRENCH, so I'll have to live with it. 

So I removed the wheel trims.

That's a shot from this week's shopping trip, which is my only excuse to take it for a drive. Thankfully the weather has been very un-Welsh since we got back, so I don't mind it sitting out. The dark blobs are because some birds shat on it, so I was forced to take it for a wash. 

The wheel trims weren't right for the model, though I'm not sure the wheels are either. However, stainless steel doesn't really suit the otherwise-bling-free GSA, so I'm glad the trims are off. One of the wheel mounts for the trims had sheared, so I was rather forced to remove one trim, then decided it looked better trims off. I wish I'd decided to do that BEFORE washing it mind you...

DHL reckons it may actually deliver the cable tomorrow (having failed to do so several times since 30th March, when it claims it DID deliver it) so if it does, hopefully that'll get the speedometer working again. Which would be nice.

The rest of the fleet is still 50 miles away from where I'm now living, so is effectively out of bounds. Frustrating, but hey, I'm virus free, so can't really complain. Oh, the CityRover is only about 30 miles away, but sitting at a garage that has closed down for now.

[Six-cylinder]

This was my dads GSA Special when it was a young car, the wheels look the same. I don't like the tiny centre caps on it but there were some other chrome caps that just filled the centre and covered the nuts.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, I'm wondering if the smaller 2CV hubcaps will fit as I have millions of the sodding things somewhere...

[MrSteve]

43 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Yeah, I'm wondering if the smaller 2CV hubcaps will fit as I have millions of the sodding things somewhere...

I think you'll need 4 of these as the centre hole is rather large.

 

[Retr0naut]

I prefer the Trims on the GSA ?

[dollywobbler]

8 hours ago, MrSteve said:

I think you'll need 4 of these as the centre hole is rather large.

 

It already has four of those for the four caps it came with. One broke a mounting screw, which caused me to remove that trim. Then I decided I prefer it without them.

[HMC]

My old one had some little chrome caps, and a different wheel design.....

[stuboy]

welcome back wobbly D.

[PiperCub]

Had totally forgotten what a fine looker the old GSA is, used to be everywhere when I was younger (70's & 80's). 

Still kick myself for not buying a tidy, running, yellow GSA at Ashford car auction in 1987 or 88 for about £80. 

[dollywobbler]

For weeks, I've been battling with DHL. I ordered a speedo cable from Germany, and DHL epically failed to deliver it because they are useless.

In the meantime, I got chatting to Rob at Chevronics and he said cables VERY rarely fail. So, I thought I'd better investigate.

Spare wheel out, heater hose out and I could see where the cable went into the gearbox. Oddly, nothing was holding it in. CLUE.

Sure enough the little metal clip was missing, so I tried to use a cable tie to hold it for now. It certainly worked for a drive around the car park.

GREAT SUCCESS

 

Getting the cable attached at the speedo end is HORRIBLE. You have to stick your hand in through the speaker hole and can JUST reach the back of the speedo. Typically, it's much easier on LHD...

RHD does this.

 

Also, I was showing a neighbour around the engine bay and she spotted a breather hose that wasn't in place. That has now been reconnected.

Now I just need to wait another week for the weekly shop so I can enjoy knowing how fast I'm going.

[Retr0naut]

It would have been easier if your arms weren't so muscular ? Good to see both barrels rolling!

[Cookiesouwest]

Find a food stuff you like. Eat all of it. Then you don't have to wait a week. You can go for supplies tomorrow  and enjoy a working speedo.

 

[timolloyd]

2 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

 

Also, I was showing a neighbour around the engine bay and she spotted a breather hose that wasn't in place.

She’s a keeper.

[Shirley Knott]

4 hours ago, timolloyd said:

She’s a keeper.

Agreed, without intending to be sexist that's a pretty rare skill IME. There'd be more chance of Elvis returning to earth in a UFO and landing on the nose of the loch ness monster than Mrs Knott being able to spot a loose vac hose. 

[Zelandeth]

The working Speedo is nice to see...it ignition light on at 20mph, that might be more of a concern?

Still has to be one of the best dashboards out there...

[somewhatfoolish]

18 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Also, I was showing a neighbour around the engine bay and she spotted a breather hose that wasn't in place. 

Are you Mr Gimlet and is your neighbour Mrs Saunders? Snurk.

[dollywobbler]

On 4/25/2020 at 12:22 AM, Zelandeth said:

The working Speedo is nice to see...it ignition light on at 20mph, that might be more of a concern?

Still has to be one of the best dashboards out there...

The charge light stays on most of the time, but it does charge. Will investigate once I can get my multimeter.

[dollywobbler]

On 4/24/2020 at 10:36 PM, Shirley Knott said:

Agreed, without intending to be sexist that's a pretty rare skill IME. There'd be more chance of Elvis returning to earth in a UFO and landing on the nose of the loch ness monster than Mrs Knott being able to spot a loose vac hose. 

My neighbour is not my girlfriend, so that puts paid to the keeper bit. However, she's into Subarus and knows her way around motors a fair bit, while the chap below has a Volvo 740. Which is nice.

[dollywobbler]

2CV MOT. How did that go?

FAIL. One rear wheel cylinder seems to have inexplicably broken up around the brake pipe connection - no leak, but right to flag it as not ideal. Also, a noisy rear wheel bearing (naturally the opposite side).

The offside headlamp played silly buggers despite my best efforts. It was working at my unit, not at the test centre. The lights are entirely French. Before the test, the offside front indicator packed up as I arrived. I smacked it before it went in. Fixed. On the test, the offside front stopped working at first, but then did work (at which point the rear one stopped working, but he didn't see that.). While he was playing with the headlamp switch trying to get the offside headlamp to work, the rear sidelights stopped working entirely.  I need a new headlamp switch and to go through all the bullet connections too. BECAUSE FRENCH.

The passenger door wouldn't unlock. An annoying occasional problem that began last year and was safely ignored because I never unlock that door. It worked fine at the unit, but not on the test. Stroppy car.

Bit of a disaster for my 'quickly swap to another car' plan. The GSA has picked up some niggles, and I thought a change was a good idea. Nope! I should have spent the day fixing niggles instead.

I'm not sure what to do next, as stripping the rear brakes involves a 44mm nut that needs tightening to over 200lb.ft of torque. And therefore also needs some pretty serious welly to undo. 

I could MOT the Matiz, but I've no idea if that will do any better. So far, my MOTs this year have been a complete disaster (CityRover suspension turrets and welding). The Reliant Fox has many issues and is very full of stuff. The Invacar has lost the top half of one door. The Toyota Tercel is not going to see an MOT anytime soon.

Anyone else think it sounds like time to buy another car?

 

[LightBulbFun]

like for things happening, not MOT fail!

(I bet one of those MOT mileage trackers would have a field day with Elly!)

 

TWC is still taxed and MOTed (not that the later matters with her! but she is the last Model 70 to still have an MOT AFAIK!  )

is it possible to take her out? I know the window frame fell out, but thats a known/common Model 70 weak spot sadly, but I think should be relatively easily fixable, I know @Zelandeth did some sort of repair to TPAs window frames that involved bolting them back down to the door IIRC

(I certainly don't think you need an entire new door like you alluded to in one of your videos, unless there are other issues?)

 

one thing I will say on the door front, is if you can make sure to grease the door runners and the bobin rollers etc, as those can gum and size up which will not only make the door more difficult to use, but can end up wearing a groove into the bobbin roller 

just figured id mention that bit of Model 70 specific preventive maintenance while I was at it  

[dave j]

Definitely sounds like you need to buy another car, one with a current MOT! 

[Six-cylinder]

36 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Anyone else think it sounds like time to buy another car?

If you can get to Tiverton you can borrow my Rover 216 SLi Auto that I haven't yet collected from HMC.

It has MOT and tax and will show up on the data base as insured, but you will need your own 3rd party as my insurance won't cover you. 

[dollywobbler]

Thanks 6-cyl, but the way Wales is at the moment, I think that's a journey too far. It's the getting to Tiverton bit that would be tricky. Public transport not being particularly recommended right now.

A shame, as I have family in Tiverton! A further shame as I've always been keen to try an R8 auto.

[Six-cylinder]

13 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Thanks 6-cyl, but the way Wales is at the moment, I think that's a journey too far. It's the getting to Tiverton bit that would be tricky. Public transport not being particularly recommended right now.

A shame, as I have family in Tiverton! A further shame as I've always been keen to try an R8 auto.

I understand the problem or I would have collected it by now.

It is there, I don't need it for transport. I just bought it because I wanted an R8 again so if anybody can smuggle it into Wales for you that would be just fine.

[stuboy]

time to scowl ebay for sub 250 shiters with mot..lol

[jollysmart]

Just read an article in WhatCar on line about the best city car to buy under £2K and what not to buy at any cost. What not to buy was Chevrolet Matiz and worst of all  a City Rover so once again DW is bang on the Autoshite, (very little),  money. Congratulations, a 2 times hero if you please.

 

Top 2 buys, not that anyone besides Aston Martin will be concerned, at 2 Fiat Panda and 1st Hyundai i10 .

[dollywobbler]

It's my birthday. Its been lovely.

 

A closer look at the cake in the backround. Yes, my girlfriend made a cake that features the seat stitching of the Citroen GSA. Wow.

She also made a Daewoo logo, out of sight, but she said the Reliant one could piss off.