Workshop/Project car going ons. The (owner needs a) Miracle (for this) Maestro

[JMotor]

Lovely run out yesterday.

Me and a few friends went for lunch and then a trip down to the beach afterwards.

Happy I'm able to put miles on the car.  Some niggles still need to be attended to. Then again is a project car ever finished fully?

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, JMotor said:

Lovely run out yesterday.

Me and a few friends went for lunch and then a trip down to the beach afterwards.

Happy I'm able to put miles on the car.  Some niggles still need to be attended to. Then again is a project car ever finished fully?

Two yobs and an elderly gentleman...

[JMotor]

On 11/05/2025 at 15:44, AnnoyingPentium said:

Two yobs and an elderly gentleman...

That could be interpreted in many ways 😆.

I have been rediscovering mid 90's dance tunes too. As it feels correct music to listen too while driving the Corsa.

[JMotor]

Small update time. 

Altezza is back to daily duties. The Corsa is fun, just I'm not the ideal size for one. 

With two cars good enough for use. Maybe time to look at the other cars? I could get cracking on with the Maestro and the Astra. 

Oh heck...

Yeah, found something else to distract me. This isn't mine. I'm doing some welding to that. It's a 93 Aero. The older gentleman who owns it has been doing it up. Nothing spectacular work wise. Just getting it good enough for the road. 

I offered to sort some rusty areas out. 

Me drawing stupid shapes of how much I wanted to cut. 

Tiny patch required then. Well let's get that done.

Gave in behind a dose of weld through primer. Then welded it on. 

Run over with a grinder should make it presentable.

Drivers side to do. Which will be next weekends job. 

[JMotor]

Today's session on the Saab.

Drivers side inner tub repairs.

I fully understand if my doodles look daft. It helps me.

Done! Knocked the welds down a wee bit. Dust over with some weld through for now. 

Just one spot left to do.

Have a nagging feeling it's gonna be a fiddly one to fix. We'll see tomorrow.

[JMotor]

Today's job. Sort that hole in the inner wing.

Die grinder worked a treat to remove the rotten metal. 

Patch made. 

Had to turn the welder down to zap it in. Welds tidied up after.

Splashed some red oxide on all the welded areas. 

Job jobbed! 

Brakes to bleed next weekend. Then it's oot and awa! 

[JMotor]

Saab now finished and gone. 

Bled the brakes up. Eezibleed for the win. Reason for doing this is my space is downhill from the workshop the car was going too and a few yards away. Push the fucker out and down. Easy job.

Then the master cylinder gave up mid bleeding of the clutch. Well shit! Likely will be an utter sod to replace. 

Well the Corsa is now back. It's in for an MOT this Friday. I'd have to be extremely unlucky for it to fail. Then again, I don't care if it did. It'd be fixed anyway. 

Maestro. Still sat. CBA with it. 

[JMotor]

Corsa's MOT went as expected.

It's only done 1800 miles since the last test. So there shouldn't of been anything really to worry about.

[JMotor]

*Sigh*

Ever had a job that you thought was fixed? Then you find it wasn't?

Fuuuudge.

Both sides have cracked again. I even put the plates from a later car in to stop this from happening. My fault, I'll had thinned the outer steel too much.

Well. Just have to fix them. 

This time around I removed the torn metal and built the weld from the reforcement plate up to the outer steel. In theory I won't have the same issue.

Hope I explained that with some sense? Can be difficult for me to explains things in a way that makes sense 😆.

A good coat of etch primer over them and a go for a spirited drive to see if it'll happens again. Then fling it back at the body shop to pretty it up.

T'other side will be tomorrows job.

[Tenmil Socket]

Any idea how much you’d like for the Corsa?

[JMotor]

Good question.

It's something I've agonized over for a while. 

Was going put it up for 3k or near offer. That could be either REALLY expensive or cheap for a B. Genuinely don't know 😆.

I will be getting a few more jobs done before it heads away. 

Edit - I'll type up a proper for sale ad up very shortly. I would like to find the Corsa a new home in the very near future. 

[JMotor]

Had a shuffle about in the unit today.

Dragged this out.

To fix this.

Yes. I have it up for sale. But I would like to do right by the car as well.....

FFS!! Why do I always do this to myself!?

Spoken to the bodyshop about the Corsa. Have to wait for a slot. But they will sort up those B posts.

[Matty]

Surely the Corsa sold?!?

[JMotor]

Corsa is still here.

Not had a bite yet. But that's on me, I haven't cast the net out further yet. 

[Matty]

Remind me how much? Still can't have it but I've got a couple of people in mind I'd like to bully into it.

[JMotor]

Ideal world. 

£3.5k. 

No rush at the moment. Because of the B posts needing repainted. 

I chucked an ad for it up on here as it was a good kick up the arse for me to get that and some other small niggles (like stuff that makes it work or looks crap) done. 

The new owner can finish the rest of the wee tidy up jobs. 

[JMotor]

Ok. Let's see how bad this arch is. 

There was an aluminium strip riveted on. That turned out to be the main structure to the arch. It looked bloody awful! 

Tried something different. Chopped the outer arch just above the lip of the arch. The arch lip was chopped up in little sections. This was quicker and less destructive method. 

I'm guessing that is not terrible for a Maestro?

The inner will need rebuilt. On the other hand, there is plenty of the original left to work out where it needs to be. 

Another project of getting it solid without going overboard. At least a ten footer good 😆.

[JMotor]

Weekend is here. 

Let's get on with some metalwork. 

Started to chop a little more arch out. Then vacuumed out the sill void. 

Oooh errr. Looks crispy in there. Ah, looks like I'm patching the sill too. 

Luckily it wasn't too large of a hole that had to be cut out.

Fresh patch made. Mostly welded in at this point.

The welds will be dressed down and any missed gaps filled with more weld tomorrow. With the back side of the patch being drowned in red oxide to protect it. 

Puts me back to where I was going to fix first. That inner arch lip. 

I still think it could have been MUCH worse. Although the drivers side might be hiding more horrors than first thought. 

[Matty]

1 hour ago, JMotor said:

Weekend is here. 

Let's get on with some metalwork. 

Started to chop a little more arch out. Then vacuumed out the sill void. 

Oooh errr. Looks crispy in there. Ah, looks like I'm patching the sill too. 

Luckily it wasn't too large of a hole that had to be cut out.

Fresh patch made. Mostly welded in at this point.

The welds will be dressed down and any missed gaps filled with more weld tomorrow. With the back side of the patch being drowned in red oxide to protect it. 

Puts me back to where I was going to fix first. That inner arch lip. 

I still think it could have been MUCH worse. Although the drivers side might be hiding more horrors than first thought. 

Tbh once you've finished you might as well keep it.

#youknowitmakessense 🫡

[JMotor]

That's what will happen. 

It can stay for a while yet.

I wasn't going to get any interest in the car with the knackered back arches anyway. 

A better car could be had for not much more coin. 

Does mean the Corsa is definitely for the chop though. 

[Matty]

28 minutes ago, JMotor said:

Does mean the Corsa is definitely for the chop though. 

Fuck me man, don't cut it up!! Someone will buy it 🤣

 

Joking aside, what a world where a man sells a fast Corsa in order to make space for a 1275 Maestro! Absolutely love it 👍

[grogee]

I can't remember properly, but did @JMotor repair the Maestro heater pipes? 

Saw this, but the price means most people would probably still do the same and repair what they've already got. 

[JMotor]

Yeah I pretty much iced them like a cake with chemy metal 😆.

I'm tempted to buy those. Then that job is just done. 

Aye I could make or repair some. Is it worth the time and aggro?

[grogee]

3 hours ago, JMotor said:

Yeah I pretty much iced them like a cake with chemy metal 😆.

I'm tempted to buy those. Then that job is just done. 

Aye I could make or repair some. Is it worth the time and aggro?

I'm tempted too. 

It's an affliction, isn't it? 

[Matty]

17 minutes ago, grogee said:

I'm tempted too. 

It's an affliction, isn't it? 

In your shoes I'd be viewing it as

I intend to keep the car

These are like rocking horse shit

It's only money.

Do it once, use good quality anti freeze and change it every so often. Bit of wax oil on the outside and jobs done for life.

[JMotor]

Sounds like a plan. 

The amount of leaks I've had from those sodding pipes has made sure the antifreeze is replaced regularly 😆. 

Can see an order for those pipes going in this week.

Unfortunately I don't have any pics from today's work. Finished welding the sill and made a small patch for the inner arch tub. Figured I needed a start point. 

I have also purchased a shrinker stretcher tool to help with this. If I can suss out how to use it there will be plenty of work for it. 

[jim89]

10 minutes ago, JMotor said:

Sounds like a plan. 

The amount of leaks I've had from those sodding pipes has made sure the antifreeze is replaced regularly 😆. 

Can see an order for those pipes going in this week.

Unfortunately I don't have any pics from today's work. Finished welding the sill and made a small patch for the inner arch tub. Figured I needed a start point. 

I have also purchased a shrinker stretcher tool to help with this. If I can suss out how to use it there will be plenty of work for it. 

https://thecarheatershop.co.uk/shop/double-pipe-for-austin-montego-maestro-heater-matrix/

 

Smidge cheaper potentially?

[JMotor]

31 minutes ago, jim89 said:

https://thecarheatershop.co.uk/shop/double-pipe-for-austin-montego-maestro-heater-matrix/

 

Smidge cheaper potentially?

As a self confessed penny pincher.

I naturally went for that one 😆.

Nearly sure that's the firm who sold me the heater matrix for my car. It was very nicely made. 

Thank you for the tip off for that one 🙂.

Checked the description. They make these ones out of brass. So hopefully it's a fit and forget job. I'll report when it arrives.

[grogee]

2 hours ago, jim89 said:

https://thecarheatershop.co.uk/shop/double-pipe-for-austin-montego-maestro-heater-matrix/

 

Smidge cheaper potentially?

Cheers Jim, good spot... Might come in handy if mine spring a leak. Which reminds me, I need to back flush them as the heater is a bit lame. 

[JMotor]

Ordered these off that link @jim89 gave.

Next day delivery. Comes with new rubber gasket to matrix. Look very nicely made.

Aye, not cheap. On the other hand. They are million times better than what I have. Be nice to fit these and that be the end of the problem.