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

[PrinceRupert]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

 

Then in the afternoon I went and had a look at Glen Finglas reservoir / dam. Had to make sure the brakes were behaving themselves, of course.

 

 

 

 

This is what I miss most about living in Scotland - being able to get to this sort of place (and quiet roads!) easily and quickly.  

[Supernaut]

A New Year's Day anti-clockwise lap of Loch Lomond. I originally intended to go up Glencoe, but things were getting sketchy before I even got as far as Crianlarich.

I definitely did not exit any laybys in 2nd gear with the speedo reading 50mph, officer. Nope. Not me...

I also reckon my camera is getting a bit tired. These were both taken with the ISO down at 200 and they're still a bit noisy. Hmmm.

[Supernaut]

Expect this to turn into a collection thread on Saturday.

[Supernaut]

Now that the Rexton is a functional vehicle, it can live in this thread now.

Today I have mostly been cleaning it.

First, I clogged up the local car wash's vacuum cleaner this morning by attempting to clean just the rear half of it. I quietly (as quietly as you can in an OM662 powered vehicle) skulked away and did my shopping instead.

Turns out, pootling about in a battered Rexton in oil-stained clothing while listening to the relaxing tones of some heavy metal means people don't tend to get in your way. I could get used to this.

 

Then, I went over all of the interior surfaces with some various cleaning products and rags. It's not perfect but I feel about 83.7% less likely to catch an infectious disease while using it. I even sprayed all the seats with Febreze!

I discovered some potential crime scene evidence in the driver's door pocket:

 

But then I also found a free screwdriver in one of the pockets in the boot:

 

Lastly, I discovered that the gear knob is threaded. Thus, the only logical thing to do was to be a massive child:

Yep, that can stay on there.

 

 

I still need to delve behind the glovebox and see if I can at least manually set the blend door to the windscreen and foot wells, but the wind is picking up.

The windows still don't work either. They sound like they're trying to do something going by the clicking every time I try one of the switches. I wonder if the main switch pack in the driver's door has failed into the 'locked' setting? Who knows.

 

Perhaps I'll have another look later today, or another day. Now, I'm going to have a cup of tea.

 

 

The new thread title is based on the pickled cucumber jar lid I found in the back and which now lives in the centre console, as shown above.

[dome]

46 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Now that the Rexton is a functional vehicle, it can live in this thread now.

 

Turns out, pootling about in a battered Rexton in oil-stained clothing while listening to the relaxing tones of some heavy metal means people don't tend to get in your way. I could get used to this.

 

 

Sounds a lot like this old Exploder of mine. 

Fairly shonky to look at but drove well. The air con even worked. I had a pleasant summer smoking about in it til the LPG system failed. People did tend to get out of your way which was enjoyable.

[Noel Tidybeard]

2 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Yep, that can stay on there.

 

cor mista is it a 8 speed? 🤓

[Supernaut]

18 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

cor mista is it a 8 speed? 🤓

10 speed, actually.

5 speed box with a high/low transfer case.

[Supernaut]

That was an easy fix.

This photo was taken with my phone resting on the clutch pedal.

That's the blend door motor and associated gubbins just sitting there at the edge of the foot well, unprotected. All I had to do was clip the rod connected to the 'wheel' back into place and I restored full functionality to the vents.

 

 

Just the windows left to sort now.

[dome]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

That was an easy fix.

This photo was taken with my phone resting on the clutch pedal.

That's the blend door motor and associated gubbins just sitting there at the edge of the foot well, unprotected. All I had to do was clip the rod connected to the 'wheel' back into place and I restored full functionality to the vents.

 

 

Just the windows left to sort now.

Excellent work!

[jaypee]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

That was an easy fix.

This photo was taken with my phone resting on the clutch pedal.

That's the blend door motor and associated gubbins just sitting there at the edge of the foot well, unprotected. All I had to do was clip the rod connected to the 'wheel' back into place and I restored full functionality to the vents.

 

 

Just the windows left to sort now.

That's a nearly new moter now sir! 

[Supernaut]

The perfect two-car fleet.

One sounds hilarious and drifts, the other is a modest mid-90s coupe.

 

I did some improvements the other day.

First, I painted the wiper arms and set them to the correct position. They no longer clatter into the a-pillar when in use.

 

I also did some invisible* rust repairs on the front wing.

 

 

Yes, the thread title change means the Civic has officially left the fleet.

 

I have enough in the bank to go out and buy a sensible petrol supermini if the Rexton suddenly expires. I still don't entirely trust it to not do exactly that, but it seems fine for now. I've gradually learned that driving it absolutely flat-out with very little mechanical sympathy actually makes the driving experience smoother and more enjoyable. It also has lots and lots of veg oil in it now. It loves it.

[loserone]

Just now, Supernaut said:

I've gradually learned that driving it absolutely flat-out with very little mechanical sympathy actually makes the driving experience smoother and more enjoyable.

I found that with @Jim Bell's, though don't tell him I drove it like that 

[Supernaut]

1 minute ago, loserone said:

I found that with @Jim Bell's, though don't tell him I drove it like that 

I've seen how he drives it. I think he won't mind.

But genuinely, though. If I try to drive it gently, the gear changes are shit and it just doesn't feel happy. Kicking absolute fuck out of it everywhere makes progress much smoother (if not any quicker).

[Supernaut]

I will soon be getting intimately acquainted with that clutch master cylinder.

It shat the bed yesterday.

 

I still have the BMW to use in the meantime. It'll no doubt be happy to get used, as I haven't even cranked it over since I got the Rexton running...

 

 

I've already got all the fittings on the master cylinder soaked in GT85 and a replacement cylinder ordered. The price of a clutch master cylinder is still less than what I'm saving per tank of veg oil I put through this rolling roadblock.

[Supernaut]

I should also post this photo from Sunday, actually.

Yes. I got the windows working!

Turned out the relay above the pedals that controls the windows had failed. It failed because it had got rather damp.

I do recall removing about half a tree's worth of dead plant material from the scuttle while tidying up the wiper arms...

 

To achieve that photo I borrowed the heated window relay from the engine bay. I'm waiting for the replacement relay to arrive, so the windows are back to being non-functional for now.

[Supernaut]

That was quick.

[Matty]

Looks a really good two car job. I've love my old 6 pot BMWs (had a few) and those Rextons look really appealing! Finding myself looking them up on ebay now. Can't do better than owning completely different cars for different moods 👍

[Supernaut]

Fixed.

[stuboy]

Bit random..I spotted a rexton... sadly sans current mot.

[Barry Cade]

Funny, I spotted one today as well. Lying in a driveway in Freuchie with the nsr wheel at a strange angle.. looks serious..

[Supernaut]

2 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Funny, I spotted one today as well. Lying in a driveway in Freuchie with the nsr wheel at a strange angle.. looks serious..

Aye, very serious considering they have a live rear axle!

[Supernaut]

I got bored and decided to take some 'glamour' shots with my new camera and lens.

 

[Supernaut]

A day of a positive and a negative.

Positive, a pair of hardly worn 245/70/16 Landsail tyres for £20 to go on the front of the Rexton.

 

Negative, I collected a random bit of debris on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route at about 75mph.

Indicator still works. I ordered a pair of housings for £25 posted.

I just need to tape some plastic over it for the 150 mile southbound journey on Monday.

[GregZX]

On 2/4/2023 at 4:05 PM, Supernaut said:

I've seen how he drives it. I think he won't mind.

But genuinely, though. If I try to drive it gently, the gear changes are shit and it just doesn't feel happy. Kicking absolute fuck out of it everywhere makes progress much smoother (if not any quicker).

That's very much like my 2020 Skoda Octavia. Try to drive slowly and conservatively and it's an absolutely shite experience. Boot the hole out of it and it's quite pleasant. Not ideal when it's a taxi and you have passengers though.

[Supernaut]

Fixed*

[Supernaut]

Got the two Landsail Trailblazers fitted to the front of the Rexton yesterday. Bloody things are almost new going by the amount of tread on them, and the nubs are still on the sides of them. Not bad for £20 plus £35 to get them both fitted (and disposal of the other two tyres).

Today I have just done this:

Well, it's better than the manky double DIN radio that was just thrown in there by the seller, without even a cage around it.

The centre console on these is hilarious. I just yanked underneath the cupholders and that entire 'wooden' part unclips and comes completely out. Makes fitting a radio really easy!

[Supernaut]

A pair of replacement indicator lenses and a half-arsed wash later...

[Supernaut]

Facelift tail lights!

Not for the bling, but just because they're in better condition.

Remember the fun* I had with these? @Lacquer Peel managed to grab the looms for them, and they plug straight in! The only different bulb is the reverse light. I had a spare one sitting around, so I have one functioning reverse light until I stop past somewhere and grab another festoon bulb.

[Lacquer Peel]

Fancy! The design looks a bit cleaner than the older lights I think. 

[Supernaut]

Instead of paying through the nose for two 501 bulbs at Halfords, I ordered 10 of them to be delivered to my door in the next few days for under £4.

They'll be useful to have in stock as the Rexton alone uses them for the number plate lights, the front side lights, and now the reverse lights too. The 323i also has them in the front sidelights, and possibly elsewhere.

 

 

I'll shut up about light bulbs now, though. That ain't my thing!