Supernaut's Cars - E36 323i / mk3 Megane / S1 Land Rover

[loserone]

[Supernaut]

See! Now it's green in those photos!

[loserone]

I went to look at @Lacquer Peel's whilst @sdkrc was stuck at the side of the M80, and it's a totally different colour again.

[captain_70s]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

My phone can't decide whether the car is blue or green. Nor can I!

Bleen, or grue.

[Six-cylinder]

3 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I took the BMW 323i out for a drive yesterday, after having not driven it for a fortnight. It feels lardy compared to the 205, but it's also significantly faster. Big smiles were had. It's still absolutely fine, no work pending on it. I might do an oil change in the spring, even though it came with what looked like brand new oil when I collected it in September. It's still a nice golden syrup colour right now. The 205 could do with oil at some point. Well, I assume so as I haven't really looked at it!

I believe I had the oil changed Oct 2020 at the MOT 175,328 miles.

I also changed the water pump and rear shock absorbers in 2020.

[Supernaut]

Periodic update time.

Last Sunday I changed the oil, oil filter, air filter and rocker cover gasket on the 205.

Yesterday I rotated the tyres and gave all the wheel bolts a tiny bit of copper grease. Some of them were so dry they echoed around the neighbourhood as I undid them.

I also turned the idle on the fuel pump back up a tiny bit. Since I wound up the max fuel screw and turned the idle down to compensate I reckon I turned it down too much. It wasn't starting too well in the cold. With the idle back up again it's once again keen to start in any condition.

 

I went to the shops and discovered that a 205's rear wiper motor is strong enough to lift up a seagull too. One of them landed on the rear wiper blade as I was leaving the parking space, so I flicked the wiper on and lifted the stupid git a few inches before it flew off. A wee boy across the car park was in creases at all this unfolding in front of him too.

 

Then I climbed a big hill outside Alva.

 

[Supernaut]

With help from @juular and @DodgyBastard a shiny bit is now fitted to the 205.

Yeah, it's only held in with one bolt, but that's one more than the the previous hose was held in with.

This means it also has fresh coolant in it now.

I also filled the rear engine mount with tiger seal. It actually works.

 

I'm not sure what else needs done to it now.

 

Hmm. Put fuel in it (once in a blue moon), drive it, and maybe wash it once in a while.

I'd like to find some nice wheel trims for it at some point, but 90s Peugeot 13" wheel trims seem to be made of solid gold going by the prices of them. So I may just end up touching up the black paint on the steelies.

It was reassuring to see underneath it on the ramp and confirm that it's a good'un too. Looks pretty solid under there.

It's all ready for a trip up to Aberdeenshire on the 24th (and perhaps to the NE England meet whenever that's confirmed for).

 

 

Driving westwards along the Forth Valley on the A91 earlier as the sun set was lovely. The hills to the north were all snow-capped and the low sun was making them glow orange. All accompanied with the soundtrack of an XUD7 going flat-out.

[juular]

45 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Driving westwards along the Forth Valley on the A91 earlier as the sun set was lovely. The hills to the north were all snow-capped and the low sun was making them glow orange. All accompanied with the soundtrack of an XUD7 going flat-out.

That was a damn fine evening to drive back. I took the A985 and had to force myself not to stare at the cracking view of the snow capped Ochils.

A successful day and good to finally meet @DodgyBastard

 

[Supernaut]

As a Valentine's present to myself, I've bought steering wheels for both cars.

The 205 has one of those facelift 205 wheels that's a GTI lookalike but just in standard rubber / plastic. It seems to be coming away at the top and it sort of twists in my hand.

I found this very cheap 2-spoke 205 wheel in really good condition, so I ordered it:

 

 

Second of all. I've lamented the 323i's steering wheel since I bought it. I find the M-tech wheels big and ugly, here's one for reference:

Apparently worth enough to pay for both steering wheels I've ordered plus a few beers on top.

I still hate it.

I much prefer the standard E36 wheel, as seen in both my previous E36s. So I ordered one of them too, also in exceptional condition:

They're also cheap AF because they're just the standard steering wheel rather than a sporty model one.

[AnnoyingPentium]

I love that two-spoke wheel for the wee Pug!

[Supernaut]

Just now, AnnoyingPentium said:

I love that two-spoke wheel for the wee Pug!

Aye.

I had a 306 as my first car back in 2010 and it ended up with a 2-spoke out of an early 106. It looked absolutely ace, and had a lovely dish to it.

[Supernaut]

One down, one to go.

It's bloody immaculate. I probably won't get round to fitting it until the weekend because weather is occurring. [Dons appropriate footwear]

[Supernaut]

I did a thing earlier.

It feels much nicer having the skinny standard E36 wheel.

[Supernaut]

[Supernaut]

I suppose I should probably ask this in here:

The front of the 205 still knocks / clunks over some bumps.

I've already replaced both front lower arms, both upper engine mounts (and filled the lower rear with tiger seal) and both front wheel bearings.

It's not a particularly heavy clunking noise, and it's only over short, sharp bumps. I've checked the exhaust too and it's rock solid.

It happens if either front wheel hits a short, sharp bump. So it's not limited to one side. It almost sounds like it's coming from the middle of the car, but I can't quite tell.

I've had strut top mounts suggested, but in my experience they grind and crunch when steering if they're on the way out.

 

Is there a common gotcha on 205s that I haven't thought of?

[Jamie]

drop links?

[reb]

18 minutes ago, Jamie said:

drop links?

No drop links on a base model. They do have an ARB though, so I suppose it could be the bushes on that.

Yay for parts darts.

[Supernaut]

9 hours ago, reb said:

No drop links on a base model. They do have an ARB though, so I suppose it could be the bushes on that.

Yay for parts darts.

Yeah, I was thinking maybe ARB bushes too.

It's like a rattle rather than a heavy clunk. When I had my head under it the other day looking at the exhaust I noticed the ARB goes straight into the lower arms, no drop links.

 

Not like they're expensive either: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324791103789

 

 

I just went outside and looked in the wheel arch. The ARB goes over the top of the subframe and is held in place by the bushes. If those bushes are knackered that would explain the sound of it clattering off the subframe then...

I'll have a proper look at it on Friday, as I'll be at the parents' farm so can get it up in the air.

 

[reb]

22 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Yeah, I was thinking maybe ARB bushes too.

It's like a rattle rather than a heavy clunk. When I had my head under it the other day looking at the exhaust I noticed the ARB goes straight into the lower arms, no drop links.

 

Not like they're expensive either: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324791103789

 

 

I just went outside and looked in the wheel arch. The ARB goes over the top of the subframe and is held in place by the bushes. If those bushes are knackered that would explain the sound of it clattering off the subframe then...

I'll have a proper look at it on Friday, as I'll be at the parents' farm so can get it up in the air.

 

I should probably do them on mine, since mine is older and has similar clattering. Or it did when it was last on the road.

[Supernaut]

Just now, reb said:

I should probably do them on mine, since mine is older and has similar clattering. Or it did when it was last on the road.

I can't be certain without putting a big bar on it and trying to move it.

As I said, I'll have a proper look at the farm then I can decide whether to order them or not.

They don't look too bad to do. It's just a metal U-shaped bit bolted through the subframe, and the bushes are right at the edge of the subframe too.

[Supernaut]

That was easy.

[jmsguzzi]

I don’t like that M Sport wheel in my 528i either, the standard wheel in my old 523i was much better and let you actually see the trip computer, really doesn’t feel like the M wheel was designed to be in an SE spec E39.

Glad to see the 205’s getting sorted, I didn’t have the mechanical nous to even identify half the stuff that needed doing to it.

[Supernaut]

1 hour ago, jmsguzzi said:

I don’t like that M Sport wheel in my 528i either, the standard wheel in my old 523i was much better and let you actually see the trip computer, really doesn’t feel like the M wheel was designed to be in an SE spec E39.

Glad to see the 205’s getting sorted, I didn’t have the mechanical nous to even identify half the stuff that needed doing to it.

Aye. I've experience of old diesel PSA cars though. In fact every PSA product I've owned has been diesel!

The one thing that concerns me still is how high the clutch bite point is (very high). But... it's not slipping and still drives fine, it could go on like that for a while yet.

[Andyrew]

Knocking noise maybe worth a quick fondle of the inner tie rod joint on the steering, or play in the rack. 

Where do you you feel the clonking? Steering, Brake pedal or Your arse?

 

[Supernaut]

3 hours ago, Andyrew said:

Knocking noise maybe worth a quick fondle of the inner tie rod joint on the steering, or play in the rack. 

Where do you you feel the clonking? Steering, Brake pedal or Your arse?

 

That's the problem. I don't feel it anywhere. I just hear it.

If anything I feel it through the floor, with my left foot.

[Andyrew]

On 1/17/2022 at 3:12 PM, Six-cylinder said:

I believe I had the oil changed Oct 2020 at the MOT 175,328 miles.

I also changed the water pump and rear shock absorbers in 2020.

Oil was changed out when i had it to fix the spoiler, 

5w40 technolube (its actually granville brand with a different label) fully went in , oil filter and air filter too.  Filters are probably bosch or wix brand. 

[Andyrew]

Found it, sometime in july it seems.

[Supernaut]

This morning, Stirling looked like this:

I got to the parents' farm in Aberdeenshire at about 1pm. It looks like this:

 

I grabbed a couple of things from the house in Aberdeen, including my CB radio, as is evident.

 

I decided to go up Glendevon for the first part of my journey, then joined the A9 at Gleneagles. That was fun! About 4 inches of snow and I was just following tracks. By Dundee it was just a sunny spring day...

[Supernaut]

Dukes Pass yesterday evening.

[Supernaut]

I've just spent the weekend doing a lot of driving.

 

A lot.

Stirling to the isle of Skye via Glen Shee, the Lecht and Inverness yesterday, then down the west coast today, via Glencoe and the Skyfall glen, plus Dukes Pass before getting back to Stirling.

The 323i managed to hold its own in the company of the more modern cars in the group. Partly because I knew some of the roads a bit better...

 

 

It somehow still managed mid-30s mpg while having its cunt absolutely kicked in. I saw 6k rpm+ many, many times. God, the noise it makes...

I also need a better camera.