Davies four wheeled fun

[Daviemck2006]

I'm missing running about in the bora to be honest. I think I maybe presented the wrong car for MOT today. I put the Hilux in. I knew it was going to fail so my usual MOT man did not log it on to the computer. The things it needs doing are

Both front springs broken
Both rear shocks leaking
Hole on nearside inner sill
Exhaust burst
Leaking power steering pipe *
ABS sensor *
Handbrake not holding driver side *

The defects marked by an * are what I knew about. The exhaust decided to burst on the way to the test station. It was in a garage to get any MOT work done and has been there over a week, and this is bloody typical of garages around here that they had not even looked at it. My MOT man is one of these single man operations who only does MOT and no servicing or repairs. This is a try of a garage I have not tried before, but it's not looking good. He says it will be done and ready for test in a couple of days. I wont be holding my breath. I saw the underside of the hilux while it was up on the ramps and the entire underside looks as it could be doing with the wire brush in the grinder then a coating in anti rust paint and then a helping of waxoyl or similar. That is something I shall do myself in the summertime. The vehicle is 11 years old so another few months wont be the end of the world.

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[Daviemck2006]

The leon which I have owned for two years is finding itself going to a new owner tomorrow. It's not going far, it's going to be owned by my boss, and delivering hot food 7 days a week. Both the shop Vauxhall combos have died this week, I dont know if two may be able to be made into one, but it's not my problem. The boss asked me to have a look for a small van for about 5 to 6 grand. Theres plenty about in the region of 3 to 4 years old but have usually covered like 150000 miles. I said to him do you fancy my leon? He also has a 57 plate golf tdi with the dsg box, and likes it. So the leon is essentially the same car so a deal was reached. I was fully intending on selling it in another couple of months anyway. So that leaves me with just the rover right now, the hilux is still awaiting a part for its mot. The bora is on sorn, I think I may still leave it on sorn for a couple of months.

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[DoctorRetro]

Good old Fenlander still plodding on, that's nice to hear. 

Did you notice there's chrome plates also on the back door sills? It was a little touch my littlun asked me to do, I cut down the front ones from another car and screwed over the top of the plastic ones. 😁

[Daviemck2006]

Good old Fenlander still plodding on, that's nice to hear. 
Did you notice there's chrome plates also on the back door sills? It was a little touch my littlun asked me to do, I cut down the front ones from another car and screwed over the top of the plastic ones.

I hadn't noticed that, but made a point of looking yesterday, its classy. It seems to be excellent on fuel, obviously with the speedo not working I cannot work it out, I am just going by how much I am putting in. £20 a week has never covered my usage for my work, but it does in this. It helps that this car pulls strongly from 1000 rpm in 5th gear, so will take 5th at 30mph no problem. I tend to go 1,2,3,5 in this and rarely use 4th and dont need to use lots of revs in the gears. It's a pity about the lowered suspension, that makes it a car I wont keep, although it looks good it transmits every bump directly into my spine which is knackered enough as it is. Once the snow and cold is all past the Bora will be getting sorted out and be back on the work duties so the rover will become surplus to my requirements so probably will get moved on.

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[Daviemck2006]

The rover really is not much use to me. I still have not got the hilux back with a MOT, so only have the rover running just now. Its comfy enough in the seats and driving position, but the suspension totally runs it for me. It's too low for my bad back getting in and out of it, and every bump in the road sends a massive jolt up my back. I think the idea of leaving the bora on sorn to delay its MOT is now going to get shelved. Due to the snow drifts here two of our drivers who live in the country couldn't get in, so I worked 2 extra evenings, which I am not fit for. Had I been using a comfier, better car I would probably be ok, but my condition just now is poor, if not even very poor. So next stop will be the bora sorted out and MOT passed. The problem with the hilux is no Toyota dealer has the necessary abs sensor, it is on order and coming from Germany, it has been sent but presumably held up in the brexit shit. Two weeks since it was ordered, fucking nightmare!

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[Lacquer Peel]

I am interested in the Rover if you come to sell it. 

[Daviemck2006]

I am interested in the Rover if you come to sell it. 

I shall bear that in mind. I do like it, but it would need standard springs for it to like me!

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[Daviemck2006]

I may have done a buyage. It's not really an autoshite car being a 6 year old VAG group car to replace the departed Leon. Skoda Yeti elegance 2.0tdi dsg gearbox. Coming from a skoda dealer done 53000 miles and just had a very major service consisting of service, timing belt and waterpump, dsg fluid changed, haldex fluid changed and discs and pads all round. And the dreaded xenon headlights which nearly put me off it. But there isn't many 2.0tdi dsg for sale in the entire country, there is plenty 1.2tsi dsg about, but to my mind a 1.2tsi is not a strong enough engine for a car the size of a Yeti, not that it is a huge car, and I have been advised in the past, by a vw tech not to but a 1.2tsi. There will be no collection thread as it will be getting delivered to meat the weekend sometime.

This means the hilux will be up for sale once it gets an ABS sensor and fresh MOT, as this yeti is 4wd and I dont need two 4wd vehicles, the rover will be used still for deliveries for either 2 weeks or 6 weeks when the bora will get a fresh MOT and back on the road for deliveries.

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[Patent]

These are incredibly cool! I had a go in one around a 4x4 course and it went though stuff I wouldn't have thought it was capable of

[Daviemck2006]

The leon was an incredibly boring car, but just did what it was supposed to, and I owned it over two years, which is longer than most cars .I have ever owned. I'm hoping that the yeti is just as boring so I can keep it over 2 years again.

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[Daviemck2006]

Heres the only 3 pics I took of the yeti when I picked it up. It was going to be delivered but there was a change of plan. The transport to the garage, 19 miles distant from home can just be seen in the second pic, my daughters seat leon estate in blue. I used it for my deliveries on Saturday night, did over 100 miles. It's a lovely thing to drive, feels quite a bit quicker than my old Leon 1.6tdi. I can certainly feel the extra 400cc and 35bhp. It's just had about a grand worth of work, a service, timing belt and waterpump, two new tyres, new discs and pads all round, dash oil and filter changed, and haldex oil changed. It's done 53k and has two service stamps in the book from an independant service station. The higher driving position and heated seats are bliss for me!

So today I thought I had better shift cars about on the drive. I hadn't started the bora for over a month and it was always a slow starter. Turned the key and there was not enough kick to start it. I had a look in the rovers engine bay, as it always starts instantly after heating the glow plugs. My jump leads are in the hilux at a garage 10 miles away so I swapped the batteries, as they both are the same size physically. The bora then started instantly, much better than it did before. The rover also started after a heat of the glow plugs with the battery that wouldnt start the bora. So the batteries are going to stay put for now. The rover now lives on the street, but will be going over to my sons, as there is more room there. The bora is positioned so I can get it jacked up and the brakes done prior to going for MOT when the hilux comes back. The hilux is about 90% likely to be put up for sale and son can keep the rover for now. I will then use the bora for work, which is the high mileage hard use mileage I do and the Yeti for everything else. Because the yeti is white I am now dubbed the abominable snowman.

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[Daviemck2006]

I'm loving the Yeti, but it is too good to wreck doing deliveries in, and the rover is not good for me, being too low for me getting in and out of. The MOT for the hilux was booked for tomorrow, but it's being problematic getting parts for it. Now waiting on the correct power steering pipes to arrive. The garage has been sent the wrong ones twice. So today, I made an executive decision and decided to get the bora mot ready. So new discs and pads all round and a new track rod end fitted. I dont think there will be much else, it will get an advisory for one tyre, and for a cracked door mirror. If it fails on the one tyre it will be easy to throw on the 16 year old unused spare which is the correct size. I had forgotten how nice it is to drive, had a run out after the jobs done. It has no mot or tax, but I will enjoy the 15 mile run to my normal test station tomorrow.

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[Daviemck2006]

Bora failed its MOT today. One tyre below 1.6mm, expected, front left lower balljoint worn, expected, both CV boots split, rear axle bush worn, and a hole on the offside sill.

Not really a lot then, hopefully sorted out and retested in a couple of days. Graeme,the tester remarked how sound the car is for 16 years old and 245000 miles. The hole in the sill is localised, about the size of a pound coin, and not a sign that the car is rotten, it is solid underneath. As well as changing the brakes yesterday I attacked the yellowed headlights with the orbital sander, 240 grit, then 400, then 1200 then 3000 trapezoid discs, then t cut. They look perfect now, but I will need to get some sealant of some kind to protect them before they go yellow again.

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[Daviemck2006]

The bora is now ready for its retest, which should be tomorrow. The garage that is trying to get the power steering pipes for the hilux did the garage bits and I had a set of alloys with two decent tyres so they went on. The garage is going to see if the local shipyard can make up hydraulic pipes that can be used instead of the steel pipes that are there. Hopefully they can do so I can get it tested and then it's going for sale

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[Daviemck2006]

Bora is now got a MOT and 12 months tax, ready to resume delivery work. For its MOT it had discs and pads all round, lower balljoint front left, track rod end front right, rear axle bush right, small hole in right sill patched, rear numberplate screwed on, two used tyres on the front. The tyres are a temporary fix, it's two 15" wheels I had on a skoda fabia that were lying in my lockup. They have falken tyres one size narrower as well as 15" instead of 16", but will do for now until I save up for two new tyres. I will need to wait and see what the hilux costs for MOT repairs before I buy tyres for this. The 15" falkens will be fine for now.

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[Daviemck2006]

After two nights back on the pizza runs the bora is performing faultlessly. And the headlights are much better! I had a go at them with the orbital sander, started with 240 grit, then 400, then 1200, then 3000 trapezoid, then t cut. The headlights are still not what I would call great, but a vast improvement on what they were. The only thing which annoyed me was when I clattered my shin off the towbar, which I had forgotten was there! Hardly the fault of the car though. I always preferred the bora over the Leon, and the Yeti is better for me than the Leon was, but what's the best now, bora or yeti? I honestly cannot answer that question. Both have good points, if anything I would say the bora edges it just now, but when my health takes a dive which it does at times then the yeti will be the best.

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[Tadhg Tiogar]

7 hours ago, Daviemck2006 said:

After two nights back on the pizza runs the bora is performing faultlessly. And the headlights are much better! I had a go at them with the orbital sander, started with 240 grit, then 400, then 1200, then 3000 trapezoid, then t cut. The headlights are still not what I would call great, but a vast improvement on what they were. ...
 

I gave up on the periodic polishing eventually, and recently splashed out 45 quid on a good used pair with non-foggy lenses. Will fit those and the replacement wing when the weather warms up.

[Daviemck2006]

My passenger wing is recent, the drivers side showing a bit of grit round the wheelarch now. If I still have this car next year at mot time I may replace the headlights, as they are bound to be yellow again by then, and the drivers side wing. That's a long way away for me though!

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[FakeConcern]

Some of the light refurb kits have some kind of sealant that's meant to stop them discolouring again. I have thought of trying it on Mrs Concern's Moodus.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

2 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

Some of the light refurb kits have some kind of sealant that's meant to stop them discolouring again. I have thought of trying it on Mrs Concern's Moodus.

Yes. It doesn't last, though.

There are eBay sellers who offer replacement headlight lenses, but for the price and effort involved in fitting, you might as well just fit complete units anyway.

At least the wing panels are bolt-on and relatively painless to work on.

[Daviemck2006]

MOT day for the hilux tomorrow at 2pm. It has just had £750 of repairs done to it, addressing all the points brought up on the pre mot it had about a month ago. So It should pass without any problems. Famous last words lol

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[Daviemck2006]

Famous last words as I said! A hole the size of a 5p piece at the end of an outer sill. Fail! Drive to a mates house, 15 minutes with a welder, back to garage pass, thank fuck! It's been the worst one to get an mot on for a while, mainly due to the difficulties getting parts. The power steering pipe that was bust is "fixed" and got an advisory. The proper pipes are on order from toyota, I have no idea when they will arrive. I hope the "fix" lasts long enough!

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[Daviemck2006]

I scored last week. 2 x Michelin cross climate in 205/55x16 bought for £70 and fitted to the bora wheels for £20. The wheels are not on the car yet, I will put them on the back and move the two mismatched budgets to the front. Then keep my eyes peeled for another two decent tyres for when the budgets wear out.

Last weekend showed up why I want an elderly car for my work. A fox jumped out on me in the dark while I was doing 70 on an out of town delivery. Result one broken front bumper and probably one dead fox. I did not stop to check. I have not looked properly at it yet, I expect it will get either holes bored and zip tied together, or duck taped together. That will do fine, I need the bora to be mechanically sound, which it is, and comfortable, which it is, and I'm not too worried what it looks like. A split bumper, and it is all in the black bit under the numberplate has absolutely no bearing on how the car works.

I have not seen the rover since I put the bora back on the road. I gave it to my son.

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[Daviemck2006]

The wheels on the bora sorted out, it has 4 the same now instead of 2 x 16" standard and 2 x 15" old fabia alloys. That was just a get me through the mot wheels. The damage caused by the fox has been investigated. The aircon radiator is bust, but the aircon needed regassing which it was not going to get so no great loss. The normal radiator is ok. The front bumper split is held together with cable ties and the lower grill and both fog lamp blanking grills are gone. Nothing in the slightest that stops the car running or affects it in any way.

I now have a personal plate on the skoda

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[Daviemck2006]

The two unmatched budget tyres that were on the back of the bora and are now on the front are absolutely crap! They were ok on the back with worn winters on the front, the whole car gently went sideways if the cornering was enthusiastic. Now with decent michelin cross climate on the back and the budgets moved forward the car has terminal understeer and lack of traction. It will not be long before they are replaced. I shall be keeping a good eye on gumtree to see if there is another decent pair of tyres turn up.

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[Daviemck2006]

I am now reconsidering my motoring needs. Its caused by my health being poorer. Tonight at work I found very challenging getting into and out of the bora, lovely car that it is. 1/2 way through the night I came home and swapped into the yeti. It's so much easier to get in and out of for delivering, and being auto is easier on my fucked left leg. The hilux is also easy for me getting in and out of, and also is auto. So I am debating selling the bora, or if my son wants to take it over he has to buy it the same as anyone else, in which case I will be selling the rover. The rover I have done absolutely nothing to since it arrived here, son has been running it for more than a month and I have just seen it in the passing. It would be very cheap. The bora on the other hand has had good money spent on it. Since coming here with 237000 miles on it it has had oil and filters changed, timing belt, waterpump and tensioner changed with good quality parts. Discs and pads all round, the fronts were in the boot, one track rod end, one front balljoint, one rear axle bush, a mini hole on the drivers sill patched, two part worn michelin cross climate tyres fitted. All in it's now cost me just under a grand. Current mileage is 246000. Mot near a full year. Driving perfectly. Everything works as it should apart from the aircon, as the aircon radiator is fucked. My current thinking is use the yeti for deliveries, or say to work that I need to use a shop vehicle for work, in which case I would probably use my old leon, which although auto would still fuck my legs and back cos it is too low, or get their caddy van, better height but manual. Theres no chance I would use the combo van, it's just not for me. So my options seem to be use the yeti for work, which will be hard on it and keep the hilux for fun and dispose of rover and bora. Or also sell the hilux also and get something with a higher driving position and auto to wreck at work, keep the yeti for good. Totally undecided.com

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[DoctorRetro]

You need something like a Suzuki Wagon R. 

I'd ask about getting the Rover back, but it's a bit far! 

[Daviemck2006]

I've gave the rover to my son. He likes an older style car too and wanted a cheap to run car! My dad had a wagon r auto brand new in 2001 until he had to stop driving in 2009. It would have been ideal for my work now. I sat in a Nissan note today, it would be good for me too. All this needs to wait until the bora has gone though.

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[FakeConcern]

Mrs Concern has a Modus which is basically the same as a Note, she really likes it and to be honest so do I. It is tiny on the outside and quite roomy inside and as it's fairly upright, my 93 yr old mother can get in & out of it easily. I believe they made them in Auto as well.

[Daviemck2006]

I have looked on ebay. This is at a mates who does the same as me, buys a car occasionally just to do up and sell. Its 58reg very recent mot needs a clutch, which he is doing at the weekend. If the bora happens to sell before then I will have a run in it. It's a 1.4 petrol but would do fine for work. Must be about 6 inches higher than the bora! It's the height getting in and out that's bothering me far more than a manual box. All the autos I see are 1.6 petrol, might be bordering on being too gutsy on fuel for me.

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