ruffgeezer Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Bought this a few weeks back from @DaveDorson and have been spending time on it here and there when circumstances allow. On that day I attempted a morning brew but Pickle, had other ideas... I was lucky to get a loan of a trailer from work to drag the car back with, the trip down was uneventful, the volvo cruised well with the trailer on the back, and it wasn't too bad when laden either... In the course of the next week, I discovered an almost complete lack of any service history so set about replacing the the service items. A mixed bag, the cabin filter was 7 years old, fuel filter around 6 and the air filter wasn't too bad, but got replaced all the same. A cursory tickle with the pressure washer has it looking a lot happier A3 I've since flexed my trade card at Halfords and bought a touch up kit to address the scabby bonnet, it isn't perfect but it isn't anywhere near as offensive to the eye now. Next I moved on to the interior which was, as promised when I bought it, minging. The rear bench was so bad, I removed it from the car and took it to the garage for a proper scrubbing. Bleugh! Time to borrow a helper... Now I'm sure @beko1987will confirm that this isn't meant to smoke whilst you use the wet vac function, but it did. It does still work however. The rear seat now looks considerably better for it. The boot carpet I put in the washing machine. Lastly I'd noticed that the boot would no longer open electrically, so pulled off the trim to investigate. Luckily it was just a tired boot solenoid, and so ebay provided a Chinese cheap to replace it. beko1987, greengartside, Carlosfandango and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveDorson Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Those filters are grim. I'll be telling Rob who I got it off that he needs to learn to actually service stuff or at least get it done. It's not like it's expensive to do on a car like that 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 I think they had been done at some point but no one has been near the service book at all. Weirdly it had cover 50k in the first 3 or 4 years, and then only another 37 in the 8 since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveDorson Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 51 minutes ago, ruffgeezer said: I think they had been done at some point but no one has been near the service book at all. Weirdly it had cover 50k in the first 3 or 4 years, and then only another 37 in the 8 since. He used to commute up the A14 to a job in Cambridge every day in the first 3-4 years then got the role in Peterborough so that stopped. That'll explain it 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beko1987 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Ha, nice 121! Its probably the supressor going, did it smell a bit acrid? You'll need a long extension and a 10mm socket to get in and remove it https://manchestervacs.co.uk/DysonForum/index.php?topic=1849.0 Do that and it'll be a canny wet vac for you! It's not pumped though so you cannot clean above its waterline. Sit it above the seats on a table or summat and it'll be way better. If you gently tap all around the wheel ring comes off the bucket (but don't smash it as you can't find them nowadays...) and you won't drag it off whatever you precariously perch it on! I'll go read the rest of the post now... ruffgeezer, rainagain and stripped fred 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted November 29, 2020 Author Share Posted November 29, 2020 In the morning light, the paintwork... Metallic is always a pain to match, especially when daubed on by a cack-handed mechanic, but it certainly draws the eye from it. Inside, a coat of satin black to improve the backs of the front seats; they were fairly scuffed and tatty. Boot carpet came out of the washing machine in one piece... Drove it for the first time (apart from loading it) today, the brakes will all need stripping and cleaning, and it feels just a little flat but save for that, it gave good account of itself. It's got an excellent spec, electric folding mirrors, heated front screen, 2 remote keys, nifty little boot spoiler. I'm quite impressed, it's a filing cabinet deluxe. Burnside, rainagain, GrumpiusMaximus and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christian6984 Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 Nice little car, cleaned up well and so cheap to run. I've owned two diesels now but the 1.6 Tdci's. Only thing that bugged me about them is the 'you've been tango'd' front indicators Burnside 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 Nice mod that, certainly tidies the front up! "Hasn't he finished that bloody car yet? " Burnside, Twiggy, GrumpiusMaximus and 3 others 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 One side polished, just looking for a replacement door handle now! Dan302, Burnside and theshadow 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveDorson Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 That's coming up well. If it's still flat to drive as I mentioned I'd check the air flow readings out on the live data, as they love to kill a MAF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 It didn't feel too bad after the new fuel filter, but I'm hoping to get it into work this week for a check over underneath, oil change and a scan of the fault codes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 6, 2020 Author Share Posted December 6, 2020 Ah ha! just secured a full set of panther black handles, which although they won't match, will certainly look better than the scruffy, chipped examples currently on display. (3 of the 4 now have paint missing) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Nice little runabout this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Maybe future interest. ruffgeezer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montytom Posted December 9, 2020 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Sorry nothing to say about the car but what a lovely woofer. Love the chunky little legs. Sorry carry on Twiggy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bezzabsa Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 sounds like this needs an Italian tuneup...my pickarse dizzel, always felt flat - until it had a spirited drive into, and around , Wales... purplebargeken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 12, 2020 Author Share Posted December 12, 2020 A bit more fettling this morning, in the week I ordered a set of panther black door handles as the old ones had a lot of paint damage. I could have gone for a plain set but I hought these might look a bit nicer. Fitting really is child's play, Izzy and I had the full set changed in half an hour, including polishing the bits behind the handles and the new handles themselves. Mr Laurence, Twiggy, sutty2006 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty Posted December 12, 2020 Share Posted December 12, 2020 Personally I like the youve been tangoed indicators! Did you get sorted on the job front @ruffgeezer? Last I heard you were getting redundancy. Take it things worked out well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 Yeah got sorted fairly quickly thank you, I'm now working at a garage in the nearest town, it's mega busy and family owned. Matty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 Real do. Bet that was a relief Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 Yeah totally, it was a bit of a shock to the system, but I'll have been at this place a year in late Feb, where on earth has that gone? Matty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutty2006 Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 You’ve at least doubled its value now! Neat little motor that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 Yeah, I've to get a fresh set of boots on it and possibly(probably) a cambelt before it can be sold on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leafsprung Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 I had one of those. Great little cars. I rather miss mine. Driving it like a nun I once wrung 80mpg out of it (1.4 tdci). The only thing it ever needed was injector seals which my friendly Ford independent said were more or less service items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 I'm in isolation at the moment so yesterday I started out on replacing the cambelt. It's quite a straightforward job on one of these, save for the broken bolt in the expansion tank that needed dealing with. What I hadn't anticipated was arsing up the waterpump gasket, and only finding out it leaked at dusk, once I had it almost fully back together. I made the scene as safe as I could, got the hump and put it away for the night. This morning as the weather was OK, I began the autopsy. It was a lot easier this time around as I could leave the engine mount in place and just fish the pump out from behind the belt. Like a prize cock, I'd managed to miss one of the bolt holes in the gasket and it had popped inside the pump housing, it couldn't be seen from the outside until the water came pissing out. I rectified my error and built it back up, it runs sweetly now. Matty, Craig the Princess, GrumpiusMaximus and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 Took the maf sensor off for a nosey today... What's that I see? Looks to be a bit of leaf wrapped around the probe. No matter, I had pre-emptively got a replacement so have got that fitted. purplebargeken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplebargeken Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 Nice work, still interestated..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greengartside Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 On 12/6/2020 at 5:33 PM, ruffgeezer said: Ah ha! just secured a full set of panther black handles, which although they won't match, will certainly look better than the scruffy, chipped examples currently on display. (3 of the 4 now have paint missing) That’s exactly what I’m after at the moment! A set of Panther Black handles and the rear number plate trim bit that doubles up as the boot handle, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 Well I'd trade for a set in ocean blue if you find them! 😁 greengartside 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruffgeezer Posted January 14, 2021 Author Share Posted January 14, 2021 Forgot to update this, after a lot of hunting, I gave up and bought a set of new budget tyres for the little Fez. Plan is to have it MOT'd next week and up for sale shortly thereafter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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