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

[Supernaut]

Thanks to @midniteclassix and Royal Mail (it arrived 3 days early) we have a 1956 military storage box to go in the 1955 ex-RAF Land Rover.

[Supernaut]

Tail lights!

We'll just ignore the fact they're somehow wired to a permanent live rather than a switched live... But look!

[Supernaut]

I was talking a load of absolute shite about permanent lives etc.

I just went back out to the shed, reached into the Land Rover and turned the bakelite switch around the ignition key one click to the left. I switched on the battery isolator and lo, the lights stayed off. They even switched on when I switched them on. 🤣

[Supernaut]

Looks like I'm ordering rear shocks for the Megane, too!

I thought it looked a bit crusty but as soon as I tapped it with a hammer to free it from the axle it just pissed all the fluid out the side.

I may as well put the springs in so it can support its own weight in the meantime.

[Supernaut]

I reckon I'll stop play until the new shocks arrive, now.

Driver's side shock and spring are out (the spring was so gubbed it just lifted out in bits when I jacked the car up).

Passenger side is almost out but I'll need to cut the bottom nut off the shock with the angry grinder.

 

Essentially, the top of the shocks are held in with bolts whose heads are inside the boot and I assume go into captive nuts in the chassis. They both came undone just with my 1/2" ratchet. The bottom of the shocks have a threaded bit sticking out with a nut on them, pointing rearwards. The driver's side came undone with a wee bit of a fight with the breaker bar. The passenger side came off so far then started spinning the bit inside the shock. Still, there's a decent bit exposed now so getting a cutting disc in will be no problem.

 

For now, it's in the shed with the body on one pair of axle stands and the rear axle on another pair.

I actually put 30L of petrol in the BMW yesterday because I just had a feeling the Megane wouldn't be fixed immediately.

[Supernaut]

Springs in, just waiting for the new shocks.

I threw some rust converter around while I was under there.

Check out the suspension travel with no shocks in there, though!

I should see a big improvement when it's finished. Both springs had snapped and both shocks burst like overripe tomatoes on the first tap with the hammer. You can see the spray of shock absorber fluid in the first photo!

[Supernaut]

Holy fuck, what a fucking nightmare insurance is becoming.

I bought a multicar policy with Hastings as they lured me in with a low price for both cars.

 

The Megane is due in the middle of January, the BMW in the middle of March.
 

First, they send me an email saying "please send us photos of the vehicle by the 3rd of January or we will cancel your policy"

So I sent them photos of the Megane.

They send me exactly the same email a couple of days later, so I phone them.

On the phone I discover they actually want photos of the BMW. I got that sorted this morning and sent them through.

Almost instant response basically saying "NO FUCK OFF WE'RE NOT INSURING THAT. YOU DIDN'T DECLARE A MODIFICATION TO US."

No details of what modification, exactly. I tried calling and their lines are closed until the 2nd of January now.

 

My biggest worry is this now shows up on my record as having insurance cancelled for misrepresentation or whatever. I told them over the phone yesterday that it has stickers in the window and a factory fitted bodykit. They even mentioned that it shows as having been insured with modifications declared and I explained "why yes, it did have an aftermarket exhaust but not any more"

Fuck me sideways. I'm just completely in the dark right now but if this does go on my record I may as well just fucking mothball it in March. The Megane is already becoming difficult to insure with 3 points on my license, let alone the fruity car.

 

The Megane is still insured with Hastings but I'm close to cancelling it and sucking up the cancellation fee on sheer principle (but they're still fairly cheap actually).

Does anybody have any pointers for specialist insurers for the BMW who don't mind 3 points? It's currently with Footman James on some weird "modern classic" policy and they got a bit shouty with me asking for the exact mileage on the odometer RIGHT FUCKING NOW OR WE CANCEL when I first took out the policy, so that's a bit offputting. It was also £500 with a clean license just for 5k miles per year social only.

[Tayne]

@JJ0063 to the beige courtesay phone please.

[JJ0063]

They will give you a 14 day road traffic act cancellation usually, just cancel it before the 14 days are up then it’s you that’s cancelled it rather than them 👍 

 

[Supernaut]

12 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

They will give you a 14 day road traffic act cancellation usually, just cancel it before the 14 days are up then it’s you that’s cancelled it rather than them 👍 

 

Hmm.

Seems as though they have cancelled it themselves.

It says "cancelled as of 14th March 2025" because that was the date it was due to start...

Whatever.

[Supernaut]

I took matters into my own hands this morning.

I drove the farm workhorse Kia Sorento to the local town and collected a week worth of post.

Including a pair of rear shocks.

That's the Megane back on the ground and I also cleaned up the offside rear brake because it was dragging.

What a difference. I jumped up and down in the boot and it doesn't even bounce. I'm not used to cars doing that!

It still won't be going anywhere yet. The Sorento is the only thing with enough ground clearance. All the roads for several miles around are about 3-4" deep with frozen snow and tyre tracks.

I reckon the Megane might do it, but would drag the front air dam through the snow.

 

 

The forecast for tonight is potentially as low as -20! Probably unlikely but negative double figures are possible.

[Supernaut]

Some Britpart / Shitpart 7" H4 headlights have been sourced and fitted.

In true Shitpart fashion they required adjustments before working. The stainless steel ring around them that clamps them into place was a couple of mm too small and I had to enlarge them with a flap wheel on the pillar drill.

Still, they seem to be bloody bright! A lot better than sealed beams.

[Supernaut]

I can now join the ranks of Scotsmen having grief with Megane brakes.

I just attempted to drive it for the first time since mid December. While I was working on the rear suspension I also worked on the right rear brake.

I wound the piston back in and cleaned up the surfaces the pads slide on because it was dragging slightly.

I didn't disconnect any brake lines, but I did the usual thing of taking the cap off the reservoir when I was pushing the piston back in.

Now the car has very very little brakes. Soft pedal that basically goes all the way down no matter how many times I try to pump it.

No fluid pissing out and the brakes sort of do something, but barely. Feels like they need bled, despite me - as above - not disconnecting anything.

 

It basically feels like the first time you press the pedal after winding a piston back, but it just keeps doing that without improving.

[artdjones]

26 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I can now join the ranks of Scotsmen having grief with Megane brakes.

I just attempted to drive it for the first time since mid December. While I was working on the rear suspension I also worked on the right rear brake.

I wound the piston back in and cleaned up the surfaces the pads slide on because it was dragging slightly.

I didn't disconnect any brake lines, but I did the usual thing of taking the cap off the reservoir when I was pushing the piston back in.

Now the car has very very little brakes. Soft pedal that basically goes all the way down no matter how many times I try to pump it.

No fluid pissing out and the brakes sort of do something, but barely. Feels like they need bled, despite me - as above - not disconnecting anything.

 

It basically feels like the first time you press the pedal after winding a piston back, but it just keeps doing that without improving.

Maybe the self adjusting mechanism inside the caliper is slipping. Is the handbrake operating lever on the caliper right against the cable stop? Sometimes when that lever isn't releasing fully when the handbrake is released the internal mechanism can't self adjust.

[Supernaut]

9 minutes ago, artdjones said:

Maybe the self adjusting mechanism inside the caliper is slipping. Is the handbrake operating lever on the caliper right against the cable stop? Sometimes when that lever isn't releasing fully when the handbrake is released the internal mechanism can't self adjust.

That's something I'll look at after lunch!

The local mechanic did mention the handbrake levers on the calipers not quite sitting right. The handbrake is still good and gets through the MOT but it's definitely a consideration.

I wonder if I could yank the handbrake on as hard as it would go then press the pedal...?

[artdjones]

18 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

That's something I'll look at after lunch!

The local mechanic did mention the handbrake levers on the calipers not quite sitting right. The handbrake is still good and gets through the MOT but it's definitely a consideration.

I wonder if I could yank the handbrake on as hard as it would go then press the pedal...?

Just make sure those levers on the calipers are going as far as they can towards the back of the car first. Then press the pedal a few times with the handbrake off. You may need to work the caliper levers back and forth a few times to get full travel, or even de adjust the handbrake cable.

[Supernaut]

I think the right rear caliper may just require a replacement.

 

My mechanic suggested that the seal may be dry and sucking the piston back in. Clamping the hose on that corner got the pedal back again, then unclamping it made it soft again.

I got some penetrating fluid down the sides of the piston and the pedal came back but I can still push through it to the floor.

I've left it with a breaker bar wedging the pedal down a bit, but I feel like I'll be ordering a caliper.

[Supernaut]

Hmm. Having looked at the price of a caliper, I've ordered a rebuild kit from Bigg Red instead.

£9.22 posted to my door, as opposed to £60+ for a refurbed caliper.

[CGSB]

What is the idea with the land rover? Will it be used on the farm/a daily, or kept for shows etc?

[Supernaut]

Just now, CGSB said:

What is the idea with the land rover? Will it be used on the farm/a daily, or kept for shows etc?

I have no idea at this point.

A bit of column A and a bit of column B. At least that's how I'd want to use it but it's not mine to decide that.

 

[artdjones]

6 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Hmm. Having looked at the price of a caliper, I've ordered a rebuild kit from Bigg Red instead.

£9.22 posted to my door, as opposed to £60+ for a refurbed caliper.

 

40 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I think the right rear caliper may just require a replacement.

 

My mechanic suggested that the seal may be dry and sucking the piston back in. Clamping the hose on that corner got the pedal back again, then unclamping it made it soft again.

I got some penetrating fluid down the sides of the piston and the pedal came back but I can still push through it to the floor.

I've left it with a breaker bar wedging the pedal down a bit, but I feel like I'll be ordering a caliper.

I hope that's not the problem with the other Mégane on here with brake problems. After forking out large amounts for ABS pump rebuilds. The hose clamping thing was suggested a few times, though.

[Supernaut]

3 minutes ago, artdjones said:

 

I hope that's not the problem with the other Mégane on here with brake problems. After forking out large amounts for ABS pump rebuilds. The hose clamping thing was suggested a few times, though.

It's an odd one. Not something I've seen before.

I got the car to the point that the brakes work "well" in that I could drive it forwards and backwards in the barn and if I stamped the pedal it responded sharply and stopped dead. However if I continue to hold the pedal it would just sink down to the floor after the 'hard' point every time.

It does feel like the mechanic's theory holds water, that the seals have been disturbed by me pushing the piston back and are sucking the piston back or sucking air in with each application of the pedal. It's not leaking fluid or anything like that.

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

It's an odd one. Not something I've seen before.

I got the car to the point that the brakes work "well" in that I could drive it forwards and backwards in the barn and if I stamped the pedal it responded sharply and stopped dead. However if I continue to hold the pedal it would just sink down to the floor after the 'hard' point every time.

It does feel like the mechanic's theory holds water, that the seals have been disturbed by me pushing the piston back and are sucking the piston back or sucking air in with each application of the pedal. It's not leaking fluid or anything like that.

Well ,£9.22 isn't going to break the bank, anyway. 

Annoyingly,I just looked at my back discs on our Mégane, and found some nice grooves in one of the new discs I put on back in June.