Supernaut's Cars - 323i / Megane

[JakeT]

I’d get a Y-piece at the end to make it look better. 320 and 323 had single exhaust tips. 325 and 328 had two. Early 320 and 325 models have little silencing compared to later ones and sound quite fruity in comparison.

[Supernaut]

48 minutes ago, JakeT said:

I’d get a Y-piece at the end to make it look better. 320 and 323 had single exhaust tips. 325 and 328 had two. Early 320 and 325 models have little silencing compared to later ones and sound quite fruity in comparison.

Aye, I can get a twin pipe trim thing for about £15 off ebay.

I took it for a drive and it's great. Slightly throaty under load but silent otherwise, with a nice crackle from the intake (because I unclipped the resonator inside the air box a while ago).

[Supernaut]

I measured the gap in the bumper at just under 180mm. The exhaust tip is 55mm!

I decided to be different and have ordered a roughly 120mm wide oval tip. Yes it'll still have a gap either side but nowhere near as huge!

 

I took it out for a drive just before lunch, and nipped into the local shop. On the way out, the old boy in front of me was having a good look at it, then when I quietly unlocked it he had a good natter about it for a few minutes and was very complimentary about it.

It's a nice old bus, really.

[Supernaut]

Today I repainted the wheels on the Megane, but I used some rust converter this time round. I didn't do that back in April, with predictable results.

Ta-da!

 

Then, this afternoon, in an experience reminiscent of online dating... The supposedly 86mm tall - and somewhat wider because oval - tailpipe trim arrived for the BMW.

It's actually only 86mm wide and somewhat less tall.

Still better than the peashooter but mildly disappointing.

[Supernaut]

New belts on the SLK!

Still waiting for the oil and filters to arrive.

It also really needs a new battery. However, I plan to SORN both this and the BMW at the end of October, so the new battery can wait until spring. For the meantime, my Lidl jump pack is keeping the SLK going. The cubby between the seats is almost designed for storing a jump pack in, it fits perfectly.

[Supernaut]

Fresh oil and filters. They were definitely due.

[Supernaut]

The painted steelies seemed to be determined to flake and rust almost instantly.

I looked up how much some official Renault trims would be. People on eBay seem to want £15-20 each for obviously damaged ones, with no full sets available.

Most aftermarket trims are eye-bleedingly awful.

Then I found a company selling sets of non branded replicas of Transit Connect trims for £30 a set.

Boom!

They work better than I expected.

[reb]

38 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

The painted steelies seemed to be determined to flake and rust almost instantly.

I looked up how much some official Renault trims would be. People on eBay seem to want £15-20 each for obviously damaged ones, with no full sets available.

Most aftermarket trims are eye-bleedingly awful.

Then I found a company selling sets of non branded replicas of Transit Connect trims for £30 a set.

Boom!

They work better than I expected.

They look shit but in an "idgaf" way

[Split_Pin]

Same with all genuine plastic trims, most are for sale as a single item for about £45 and in less than spruce condition. Probably just a cheap to get a set of 2nd hand alloys with tyres!

[Matty]

I take it the Megane is still being a well behaved an car. Renault really seemed to have nailed good car since the early 2000s. And I even liked those cars!

[Split_Pin]

MK1 Meganes were good cars, mine got me away from perpetual Vauxhallism.  An 02 plate example was behind me today!

[Supernaut]

54 minutes ago, Matty said:

I take it the Megane is still being a well behaved an car. Renault really seemed to have nailed good car since the early 2000s. And I even liked those cars!

Aye. The MOT is due on the 21st.

I took it to my neighbour the other day. He's also a mechanic, and an MOT tester at the local garage.

 

Got it up on the lift and he said "I like these Renaults, they don't rust. Galavanised brake lines too, they don't rust... apart from that right rear one. That'll need replaced." 🤣

Otherwise it got a clean bill of health, and it's bloody spotless underneath.

 

So he'll get back to me and get it in his workshop to do the brake line then take it for the test the next day. It'll likely be the week after next.

[Supernaut]

Lifted the wings roughly into place.
 

[Supernaut]

That'll do.

It needed a front wheel bearing (and ABS sensor due to collateral damage) and a small section of brake hose on the rear.

[paulplom]

On 03/10/2024 at 13:13, Supernaut said:

The painted steelies seemed to be determined to flake and rust almost instantly.

I looked up how much some official Renault trims would be. People on eBay seem to want £15-20 each for obviously damaged ones, with no full sets available.

Most aftermarket trims are eye-bleedingly awful.

Then I found a company selling sets of non branded replicas of Transit Connect trims for £30 a set.

Boom!

They work better than I expected.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400033219363

These or similar. I buy cheap replica wheel trims and stick citroen centres on them to make them look less shit.

 

[Supernaut]

1 minute ago, paulplom said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400033219363

These or similar. I buy cheap replica wheel trims and stick citroen centres on them to make them look less shit.

 

Because a bloody 1.5 dci is really deserving of Gordini stickers!

[Supernaut]

Just been checking this thing over today.

Tyre pressures and fluid levels are perfect.

The leaves should blow off when I get up to speed...

 

I'm setting off for a lap of the NC500 tomorrow for the whole weekend. I'll be meeting two other people from here who I've never met in person, plus several more!

 

 

Meanwhile, the SLK is even more "eco friendly"

I'm planning to SORN both of them at the end of the month and leave them there until March. They'll look like compost heaps by spring.

[Supernaut]

Those gearbox mounts on the BMW were definitely overdue.

It was a piss easy job, too. Took me about half an hour including faffing about dropping things and realising my arms don't bend that way or that way.

[Supernaut]

I spent yesterday afternoon improving* my sister's Fiat Panda by painting the sills with black stonechip.

Well, it's registered in her name but my BiL drives it while my sister has her fancy new salary sacrifice MG4.

It's a 2013 model that she bought in Inverness at about 2-3 years old, and has since lived in Aberdeenshire.

It's also a small Fiat.

I was peeling paint off the edges of the front arches and the bottom of the doors. The arches, lower corners of the wings, lower edges of the doors, and the entire sills got lots of kurust / aquasteel on them, then as you can see the sills got done in black.

The worst part was just at the bottom corner below the rear doors where the sill sticks out and catches stones. It was worn down to the metal there...

I reckon it's worse than my SLK and it's only 11 years old!

I reckon it'll get through one more MOT, maybe two.

[Supernaut]

Just drove the BMW.

I'm kicking myself for not doing the gearbox mounts sooner.

What a difference!

It's got a significantly lighter and more accurate gear change, plus the clutch is noticeably lighter too.

 

I just thought E36s had fairly agricultural gearboxes. Turns out every single one I've driven previously just had gubbed gearbox mounts.

[Supernaut]

Interesting conundrum with the SLK today.

The battery is as flat as a witch's tit, but the bonnet release is also completely seized solid.

Bugger. Any tips? Besides burning it to the ground.

[Supernaut]

Never mind.

I sat on the leading edge of the bonnet and bounced it a few times. That released it.

The battery is now boiling away on the mains charger.

 

I tried my jump pack first. Didn't even get the clock on the dash, but the alarm went off! I promptly found the connector on the siren part and unplugged it.

It really does need a different battery. I just so happened to find one in the shed that's the same dimensions but a tiny bit higher rated...

[Supernaut]

For those who care; the SLK was simply low on electrons.

Freshly boiled battery hooked up and the hazards went mental (but no siren because I unplugged it after it made me shit myself yesterday). Plipped the key, fired right up, roof down and went for a blast.

The exhaust still makes a hilarious rattle under load but otherwise meh.

[Supernaut]

I suppose it can stay there until spring, then.

[Six-cylinder]

30 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I suppose it can stay there until spring, then.

Good to see it safe and well. I am having a curry with a previous owner tonight.

May I suggest a cheap cover to keep the dust off.

[Supernaut]

Just now, Six-cylinder said:

Good to see it safe and well. I am having a curry with a previous owner tonight.

May I suggest a cheap cover to keep the dust off.

I have a few tarpaulins lying around... 🤣

[Supernaut]

I saw some Mazda wheels on gumtree with Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D tyres on them. They were exactly the amount of money I had in my pocket.

Hurr. They look silly.

 

Mazda and Renault use the same PCD and the Mazda centre bore is less than 1mm larger than the Renault centre bore. The alloys even have tapered seats that the standard wheel bolts fit perfectly.

I've seen Mazda wheels on mk3 Meganes before, which got me thinking...

[Supernaut]

Squeaky bum time!

Guess who just threw the wheels on the Megane yesterday with the wheel brace on its shortest setting?

Guess who drove about 5 miles then went "oh no... What's that noise from the front left? Fucking wheel bolts!"

I extended the handle and tightened them proooperly this time. Yes, I went round all the wheels.

 

Guess who has done exactly this before with the BMW a few months ago?

[Tickman]

I've always used the shortest setting on those extendable wheel braces to do wheels up so I don't overtighten them.

Think I checked once with a torque wrench and it seemed to be spot on.

[The Moog]

Been there and done that.  I managed to sell a Xantia to Vulgalour with loose wheel bolts that he found a few miles down the road!