Bear's bangers: gathering thoughts and trying to plan... C-Class, RX-7 and Audi

[Bear]

15 hours ago, Sheefag said:

Bollocks. Just noticed your Bio says Derbyshire..!! Sorry mate.

Eh, still useful to know that such services exist. I need a four-post setup anyway, but I need to have something where I can tinker for hours and faff - as I think the problem with the C6 handbrake is fixable, but needs to not be on the clock.

[Bear]

It's slowly getting each bit cleaned up. I've been told "don't worry about the old ICE" so while I'll still keep an eye out for bits, I might remove the aftermarket cables - I've taken the BFO red cable and fuse out of the engine bay and am shopping for a new fuse box cover.

In the meantime the C6 keeps plodding on, the Porsche is fun but I do wonder about some of the noises it makes - and am weighing up a good used roof for £695 vs fixing mine, which is a bit frayed.

And my gf has announced she wants to try a manual car. So now I'm looking for a suitably cheap thing to replace her C3 Nonsenseodrive (which has the world's most horrible serpentine belt tensioner and I now hate).

[Bear]

I have no idea how Amazon gets it so wrong on 'what fits a car', but the other parts sites were equally wrong.

C3 2005 Stop Start. 1.4-litre 16V.

I can find the parts - I have the belt tensioner spring - but it's like the thing never existed so instructions for fixing it were almost impossible to figure out.

Basically the old belt comes off by levering it then shoving a pin in the tensioner, but not like the torsional rotating ones.

If the new belt is too long (thanks Amazon), it's not possible to de-tension.

The screw holding it in is a 12-point 8mm like a spanner. There is NO clearance. The way to remove it was an 8mm allen  bit with an 8mm ratchet spanner and be grateful the 8mm part of the bit was deep enough to engage AND have a purchase for the spanner.

Second new belt - recommended on many parts sites. Too short.

But only a bit.

So I will have to fight it off the car. Or cut it off and post it to Amazon with a note saying 'stop sending parts that don't fit the cars after your own bloody 'does it fit' thing told me it does'.

Waiting for a 6PK1050ES/HD belt.

And no. It won't start to move it when the alternator belt is disconnected, because the alternator is the starter.

It pushed me to decide I was done with Citroens, FOR GOOD THIS TIME.

Meanwhile, a good replacement for the BMW /and/ the C3 appears, a purple HR-V. I arrange to see it, and agree a price to end the auction. Well in advance.

Travel up.

Guy's there with jump leads.

I check the car over, it has sills, clean suspension, still has rear arches. I want it. But it will not start. We try new battery, easy start, more jump starts, checking the relays, fuses and earthing block to battery directly. ChurnvhurnchurnALMOST*ded*.

After nearly two hours my sister and BIL are bored, I'm really sad (I wanted to solve the problem of broken cars this weekend so we could have a week of looking for jobs etc.) and the guy does offer me it for less if he can get his mechanic to start it on Monday, but the logistics of getting up there etc. are just... no. It's just inconvenient.

I wanted to get this stuff sorted now. Not 'sometime in the future'. EVERYTHING is sometime in the future and of course I get back and there's the ungrateful little shit of a C3 plonked immobile in the middle of the drive, blocking the carport, garage and parking space still.

As with the BMW - just ONE working practical car. Just ONE. Not every week trying a repair, parts always 10 days order away, and between deciding to fix a piece, and the parts arriving, ANOTHER need to go somewhere. I could have fixed the BMW by now if I didn't have to keep on using it, etc.

Mood decidedly low, but improved by rinsing the sahara dust off the Boxster and the water beading like it's allergic to paint. Turtle Wax Hybrid Ceramic is not bad.

[Bear]

THE C3 LIVES!

Thanks to @gadgetgricey forgetting a Ford when collecting a C6, my lack of sensible car problem was solved long enough to find the Sheffield EuroCarParts that is open on Sunday and acquire the correct, 6PK1033 belt (not 6PK1030, 6PK1050, 6PK1070 in disguise from Febi, or 6PK1029 that Amazon suggested).

Upon which it fitted, the tensioner tensioned, and the car starts with barely a sneeze and no longer squawks, squeaks and chirrups, and the A/C fires up with vigor.

Now I have a Focus window to resurrect, but the "I have let my girlfriend down her car is broken and so are mine" is done. I've never been more grateful and relieved to have a car left here for a bit 😂

It's also lovely meeting more AS people, particularly when they're brave enough to take on PT Cruisers AND C6s...

(the answer to a dropped passenger window not looking daft? Roof down, stereo up, of course!)

[Bear]

I am a mechanicking genius!

Problem!

Access

Roomy!

Science!

Care taken (also it is set slightly low to clear the channel)

If I had the parts I could have fixed this faster than swapping the alternator belt on this

*grits teeth*

Delightful and advanced small French city car.

To be fair if Amazon/a parts supplier had sent the right part I'd have been fine. Not even Citroen's own online parts shop acknowledges the existence of this thing or parts to make it work.

And it is clever. I just needed better info.

Oh, yeah, the Focus window regulator has snapped and tangled cables, so I couldn't fix it,  but it'll be a cinch to replace the bits and I'll waxoyl in the door and replace some bent clips at the same time.

[Bear]

The C3 did - F at me at a zebra crossing.

On the flat.

I am used to it being a little git on hills, but this was new, so I applied a new determination to find this mystery second battery.

Aha! In a box under the passenger seat. Easy to get to. My back hurts now.

Lurking.

Evicted.

Examined.

12V? But we have 12V at home!

YBX4LSB. £33 from Halfords. 50A 3.2Ah = 40A 4Ah I think?

Tested at 12.7 V.

Wonder if it will make the slightest bit of difference to the damn thing.

[Bear]

The thing with not having a job - every time you sell something, you end up paying bills instead of buying a replacement...

...so getting this for the money I had in cash and not touching the bank, and a bit (lot) of effort to make it move without spending more, is a massive help for my stress levels - almost as much as @gadgetgricey's Focus CC has been this week.

Ah, the '90s. This feels less aggressive than the BMW.

Honey, I shrunk the 850.

Need to replace this. How will anyone know if it doesn't have an H?

Clean and dry!

Timing belt? Completed it mate.

Crisp and dry - I will replace this purely because it is letting the side down.

Not bad for a 25 year old Honda. And you know what's going to happen to it.

The seller even let me keep the new battery and receipt for it. I might give him that £50, since I got home without buying an alternator or even an alternator belt (though it's damaged and needs replacing ASAP).

Some battery powder in this area - I will clean it all away and waxoil.

Small, but perfectly formed

It is small. I keep hitting my head on the open tailgate because it looks like it should be a bigger car overall.

Which means this is almost eye level for me. I will be cleaning it all out later - and fitting the old radio from the camper so it has bluetooth.

[gadgetgricey]

Does it still have the lidded cup/ashtray?

[Bear]

No! It looks complete and undamaged generally, but doesn't have many accessories. I've seen some genuine roof bars so might get those. Now I need the ashtray 😂

[bangernomics]

I’m with you on the not working and stressing out bit even if it is irrational at times. I’m onto my 5th month but I’ll look properly in winter.

After following the same pattern for the last 15 years I’d say don’t stress if finances allow and actually enjoy it as best you can. Motivation is my enemy or lack of.

Smashing not purchase that, reminds me of the two girls who worked in the local Chinese chippy (their parents) they had one gifted to them by mum and dad and were the most flirtatious pair. Pretty too which is probably why I have a fondness for these still. It certainly was a joy machine when they were in it.


Gzongenflatch
In memory of Phil.

[Bear]

I don't think these match:

[mk2_craig]

1 hour ago, RichardK said:

I don't think these match:

@alcyonecorporation

[Bear]

13 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

@alcyonecorporation

My first thought as well 😂

I am ordering a set of "tailored car mats" since finding genuine original HR-V ones seems like a scrapyard or owner's club mission (I bet JDM had some funky ones).

Since it's warm, I'm thinking about ICE.

Double-DIN loses the nice digital clock.

Single-DIN CarPlay can be flawed.

Floating single-DIN screen seems appealing. But do I fit the weird generic reversing sensor metal strip (for Citroens) I bought on here years ago, or get a reversing camera? Yes, it's a box on wheels - but I struggle with short cars and keep leaving acres of space behind me. I'm even worse with the Porsche (the beeps are too quiet 😂)

[Bear]

Prepping for rustproofing:

Sill covers absolutely full of sandy mud. Why don't people wash their cars properly? The little rust spots in the boot are from sandy (damp) camping gear I think, too - some sand when you lift the trims.

Really I should remove the sill covers, but ignorance is bliss - and I haven't washed any chunks of rust out, so cavity fill and spray into the plastic trim side then heat up will suffice I think.

Back of the sills and inside the arches I'm going to use some rust eater/converter gel, make sure it's all dry, then maybe use black, thicker/not so sticky waxoyl rather than the usual clear but I wanted to see the purple paint in the wheelarches first 😂

Either way, it's done well for a 1990s Honda to get this far and I'll do my best within reason to make sure it stays here rather than getting worse.

[Stinkwheel]

27 minutes ago, RichardK said:

Prepping for rustproofing:

Sill covers absolutely full of sandy mud. Why don't people wash their cars properly? The little rust spots in the boot are from sandy (damp) camping gear I think, too - some sand when you lift the trims.

Really I should remove the sill covers, but ignorance is bliss - and I haven't washed any chunks of rust out, so cavity fill and spray into the plastic trim side then heat up will suffice I think.

Back of the sills and inside the arches I'm going to use some rust eater/converter gel, make sure it's all dry, then maybe use black, thicker/not so sticky waxoyl rather than the usual clear but I wanted to see the purple paint in the wheelarches first 😂

Either way, it's done well for a 1990s Honda to get this far and I'll do my best within reason to make sure it stays here rather than getting worse.

That does look amazingly rust free for one of those

[Bear]

It's not too bad. End of the sills needs catching now but wouldn't need it at all if previous owners had been awake and armed with a pressure washer.

[Bear]

So, sills cleaned out - need to let it all dry out now.

Rear edge of inner sill and that area generally is the place that needs attention for this car to live to classic status. I can hold it off - but I think proper repairs would be worth every penny if it weren't such an involved part of the bodywork.

Shame people didn't take better care of it really!

 

[Bear]

Reduce, reuse, recycle:

Extracted about 55 litres of fuel from the RX-7, which is now showing 1/3rd tank. Fiddly getting a hose in - there are baffles to stop siphoning fuel.

Still smelled potent so 16 litres into this...

and 18 into the C3

Then fit the radio from the camper to the HR-V.

I like that I can program the light to match. More to the point if anyone phones me I now have hands free.

These are shit, though. And only two of them. It might take 16.5cm upgrades.

I like to think that people see and hear it and wonder if there's a glitch in space/time that let some '90s sneak through.

Efforts to prevent rust sneaking through are ongoing.

Meanwhile I keep looking at this.

It's too expensive against others on the market, but the combo is striking. 

[gadgetgricey]

Assume it needs work as per the odd wheel, not much details listed but black with tan leather over on the facebook cc owners club. (Cornwall way though)

[Bear]

Ever regret starting a job?

This was a Focus window regulator

These are bits I found in the door

I bought new cables, thinking "snapped cable", but one of the bits I found in the door explains why there are bits of cable and chewed foam everywhere

So now I need to order another bit. And put plastic over the windowless door again.

Why don't the kits come with these, and why are they flimsier than the Porsche mechanism when the door is huge and heavy?

Nearly managed to reassemble the auto tensioner (springs, teeth, toothed rod) though!

[Bear]

Okay, back to plan A and a complete regulator...

Not only is winding a capstan against springs a bastard... (the old one chewed up - the "foam" was the remains of the motor's seal)

...the window guide clip broke the instant I tried closing the window with the door closed.

It worked for a glorious moment but needed closing to let the window set the closed position instead of sitting half-open.

I can't find replacement guides anywhere. Volvo used metal ones. It is a truly shit, cheap design from Ford for a miserable bit of cost-cutting on a car that otherwise probably cost a fair bit to make and should have been a halo model.

 

 

[IronStar]

Still better quality and more sturdy than 307CC power windows. Otherwise very tame guy that runs power window repair shop starts cursing and saying no, fuck those, those are unfixable, the very moment he sees one on his parking lot. Took me 20 minutes to convince him to try fixing it, and he warranties it until it rolls down first time. 😄

Can you get an entire replacement mechanism, and just fit it? Valeo or something? 

[Bear]

12 hours ago, IronStar said:

Can you get an entire replacement mechanism, and just fit it? Valeo or something? 

Probably, but a significant chunk, of money. Secondhand units are £150+.

As it happens I can't find any new/OEM ones - not even Autodoc's spamtastic search results have anything suitable!

I have a plan. It involves a piece of pipe.

[Bear]

Mechanism out again - I think I am lucky and the cables haven't snagged, though I need to rewind the capstan since they did pull to the extent of the travel.

The problem - that plastic channel to hold the cable. Glued wasn't strong enough for the window closing against the seals, so I think the answer is to get a tube of metal or a clip - something to hold both ends of the cable - that then slots into the plastic guide and can be secured.

I think a suitable diameter of copper pipe cut off, flattened, and slotted at the ends to hold the cable will sort it, the only question then being how to prevent that from pinging out of the slider. The sliding surface is opposite so a cable tie may be tricky. Maybe JB weld the whole lot into place 😂

 

[Bear]

Aha! The lack of window vs. time to find parts has a solution.

And the car is now 20x more interesting.

[Bear]

Decided to see what's up with the RX-7 coolant

Getting the air filter off involves far too many hoses

Ugh

It's been smoking!

This is not easy to get to. Time for a  break.

Also:

Hmm. Feels crispy.

Bugger.

That'll need sorting before it takes out a chassis leg.

[Bear]

I am a very stubborn bear.

Aha! The right grade of metal springy won't ping back material and the right width to engage with the slot. Perfect.

(One vice and hacksaw scene later)

Snug fit and success

Not pretty, but it should hold for a while

Window installed

Drops slightly as it should

Didn't fall out

So that's where that lived!

Closed

Now I need to wash the grubby paw prints off.

And the clips provided to replace the door clips are horrible and the sound of tiny plastic fragments as each one broke instead of operating correctly was depressing, but the door seems to be trimmed. There's a noise from a window cable shifting as a cable clip has vanished somewhere 😕

But for a little while at least @gadgetgricey can enjoy a window that seems to be windowing!

[Bear]

Fail!

Washed it. Window leaked.

Adjust stop.

Window goes up, the joined cables ping out, the back of the window drops.

Argh. I am not taking the door apart again unless I can fix it properly, though at least the cables didn't go on the loose.

[Bear]

Clean bum

Some cars don't quite have the attitude to carry off my usual plate combo...

[Bear]

HR-V time!

First of all, sort the manky key fob...

Easy

Now these. The adaptors do match the holes in the speaker, but the bigger holes are to attach the basket. Argh.

The fitment holes are inside the ring.

MDF is naff. Besides, it loses the splash guard.

No mods.

Except to the basket.

Floating spire clips and foam gasket! Two slots by dremel to secure the screws.

Snug

Foam seal

Finishing toucb

While at it I waxoyled inside the doors, usual thing.

Put some in here too

Solid Honda

Except

This engine mount is squishy and tired. I shall replace it. Explains the grumble when I floor it sometimes, a victim of Bradford hills I bet.

Rear speakers are definitely 10cm - the original brackets mount to the body to support a four-point attachment but for some reason the aftermarket stuff uses the three points on the shelf. I got Pioneer 3-way coaxials and used large washers for now - could have got 12cm speakers in I think. Will have to find a car breaking that has rear speakers to raid the proper brackets - or, a full manky interior I can abuse to go full Max Power '90s idiocy on (rear 1/4s are ideal for some big speakers, then crossovers, clean mids in the deck spaces and tweeters on the top of the C-pillar).