Wibble’s Wittering - Cortina, Senator & occasional Skoda & family ramblings, soz!

[Wibble]

 

It’s not often they’re out together and still looks ok from a distance.

 

[Wibble]

The first part of my last post seems to have disappeared so the verdict on the Cortina is as follows:

The upper ball joints are knackered and the left is seized, hence the heavy steering, as suspected. Interesting that they are the riveted originals, so but of a ball ache to do. Previous owner said he’d replaced the but only the lowers have been done.
 

Bushes in front crossmember are worn, one starting to pull through, knocking it out of alignment, hence the wandering feel.

It needs a small patch welding in to the near side inner and outer sill but is totally solid and rust free underneath apart from that. The garage said it is unbelievably good underneath.

A fuel pipe has dropped and been rubbing in o/s/r tyre. Caught and cable tied up but needs replacing.

Brakes need a strip, clean and rebuild to remedy an imbalance. This I knew also.

I need to sort the indicators and speedo. The garage are unable to fit all this in until next year now, so I took it home and put it back to bed.

[danthecapriman]

Not a bad list really for an infrequent use car. It’s not really the time of year for using cars like that anyway so you’ve got a while to get it sorted. 
The important thing is it still looks a right peach!👍

[Wibble]

Out and about in the Senny today and surprised to have a low screen wash warning light. This was on when I collected the car from MOT last week. I’d assumed they’d used loads trying to clear the blocked drivers side washer, which was an initial failure, as I’d made sure it was full before going for the MOT, so just topped it up when I got home.

Now it’s empty again🙁Looks like the reservoir must have failed somewhere. I’ll have to investigate and try and repair it somehow, as they’re not exactly readily available.

[danthecapriman]

I’m sure someone on here fixed a split unobtainable washer bottle with a soldering iron and section cut out of an old milk bottle or something. I can’t remember who it was though.

Pretty sure it was essentially like welding but with plastic😆 Just using the hot iron tip to melt the plastic all together.

[Wibble]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I’m sure someone on here fixed a split unobtainable washer bottle with a soldering iron and section cut out of an old milk bottle or something. I can’t remember who it was though.

Pretty sure it was essentially like welding but with plastic😆 Just using the hot iron tip to melt the plastic all together.

Cheers Dan, that’s kind of what I’m thinking as I seem to remember someone else doing it too. Either that or two pack resin. I’ll decide once I’ve found the leak.

[DVee8]

Was it not,  @tooSavvy who made a makeshift washer bottle?

[High Jetter]

16 hours ago, Wibble said:

Out and about in the Senny today and surprised to have a low screen wash warning light. This was on when I collected the car from MOT last week. I’d assumed they’d used loads trying to clear the blocked drivers side washer, which was an initial failure, as I’d made sure it was full before going for the MOT, so just topped it up when I got home.

Now it’s empty again🙁Looks like the reservoir must have failed somewhere. I’ll have to investigate and try and repair it somehow, as they’re not exactly readily available.

Where's the pump on these? I can remember an old dodge if the pimp is on the lid, or it sucks the screenwash out through the lid, a plastic bag can be inserted in the bottle to hold the water.

[Wibble]

5 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Where's the pump on these? I can remember an old dodge if the pimp is on the lid, or it sucks the screenwash out through the lid, a plastic bag can be inserted in the bottle to hold the water.

It has two pumps attached through the lower front of the bottle.

[tooSavvy]

46 minutes ago, DVee8 said:

Was it not,  @tooSavvy who made a makeshift washer bottle?

👍

🚙💨

[tooSavvy]

1 hour ago, Wibble said:

It has two pumps attached through the lower front of the bottle.

Savvy [..above] has two pumps in a bottle, in front of/behind wing liner/bumper 😕

Screen tin motor just rotted to dust.... I needed water for MOT so 'quick fix' needed.

Peugeot pump.... Bleach bottle.... Snipped wires and got a length of rubber wash hose with the Pug pump.  Straightforward job 👍

🚙💨

[Wibble]

On 08/08/2022 at 00:24, Wibble said:

Well Wiblet junior wanted to make film so here it is:

Thanks to @Mrs6Cfor helping.

Can you put my film up again please Dad? No! They’ve all seen it. Pleas dad, oh ffs ok.

[Wibble]

I haven’t got around to looking at the Senator’s washer bottle issue yet, thanks to the weather but the Superb pinged up an inspection due in 20 days alert, despite it just having had an oil service and inspection. 
 

Nope, not happening, so just reset it using the odd combination of hazards on, then holding down the trip reset, turning the ignition on, then clicking ok. Can’t deal with the expense at the moment.

Then Mrs W’s Yeti pinged up ECP problem. FFS! Told her to switch off and on again, which has cleared it for now. Really don’t need these issues with no income at the moment.

[Wibble]

The Superb failed its MOT today on a front tyre. Yes I should have been more vigilant but it was on inner edge. I should have checked but I didn’t and just made sure the lights and plates were clean and the screen wash was full. My fault entirely (apart from our shit roads full of pot holes knocking the tracking out as the fronts are 2013*dated) but other things on my mind.

Anyway, two new tyres, tracking and MOT relieved me of another £275. I need to find a job soon.

*edit: 2023 not 2013!

Edited January 15 by Wibble
Wrong date

[Wibble]

The latest issue of Classics World magazine arrived this morning. I’ve been meaning to cancel this for ages, as the continuous obvious errors have pissed me off. Take a look at this issues cover:

See what I mean? The article header also says Mk2 before the actual article says Mk1.

I will give it another month but only because it would appear that my Cortina is in the next issue! No doubt it will be a reprint of an old article being used as a cheap filler:

[Wibble]

Just had a face time call from an old friend in Australia. We were at school together in Maybole from 1976-82 and have always been best friends.

He finally got married a couple of years ago and had a son, who I’ve just been watching playing and having a story read to him. Remember those days? Magic! My mate looks knackered though😆. I’m 55 next week and he will be in June but I’m so glad he’s finally become a Dad and is doing so well and giving his son all the love he never got when we were small😁

[Wibble]

It is/was my birthday today. Nothing special, Mrs W was on a conference call for 4 hours, so after the school run, I laid in bed looking at job sites.

Nice curry takeaway tonight, not that I have much of an appetite these days and eldest son bought me these to wash it down:

It’s ok, is all I can say. Just wondering where the last 55 years have gone and how can things have changed so much in just 2 years? Oh well, that’s life I suppose. Hoping for more positive things to come soon 🙂

[High Jetter]

They will, hang in there.

[Wibble]

5 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

They will, hang in there.

Thanks mate, trying to👍

[danthecapriman]

Happy B day!🥳

😆 

[Wibble]

9 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Happy B day!🥳

😆

Cheers Dan😆

[Snake Charmer]

Many happy returns. l will be 60 within a month, enjoy your 50's! 👍

Life can go downhill quickly, also go up just as fast.  😊

[Wibble]

40 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

Many happy returns. l will be 60 within a month, enjoy your 50's! 👍

Life can go downhill quickly, also go up just as fast.  😊

Thank you mate. You have been a good friend here and I wish you a very happy 60th!

[Wibble]

The Superb pinged up the EML light yesterday. Still drives fine but plugged a code reader in to get P0121. I think I’ve had this before, about five years ago, when the car was five years old. 
 

The garage that maintained our fleet said it needed a new throttle body and quoted just under £400. I removed and cleaned it and it’s been fine since, until now. I’ve cleared the code for now and it hasn’t come back on yet. Will I get lucky with cleaning it again? We’ll see.

[Westbay]

8 hours ago, Wibble said:

The Superb pinged up the EML light yesterday. Still drives fine but plugged a code reader in to get P0121. I think I’ve had this before, about five years ago, when the car was five years old. 
 

The garage that maintained our fleet said it needed a new throttle body and quoted just under £400. I removed and cleaned it and it’s been fine since, until now. I’ve cleared the code for now and it hasn’t come back on yet. Will I get lucky with cleaning it again? We’ll see.

🤞

[Wibble]

44 minutes ago, Westbay said:

🤞

It came back on this morning☹️but it’s pissing down, as usual, so can stay on for now.

[Wibble]

And went off again a day later. Hopefully it will stay off until we have a longer period of dry and warmer weather 🤞Then I’ll take it off and clean it again🙂

[Wibble]

EML light has come on and gone off again a day later, so I’m still ignoring it. 
 

Today my parents estate was finally concluded, final accounts approved by auditors and I should receive my share tomorrow, after deduction of £18k solicitor's fees!
 

Ironically, tomorrow would have been pay day, had I still had my job, so I suppose it is. Feels kind of weird that it’s all over now. Just hoping a job follows soon🤞

Also hope I can find the motivation to sort the Senny’s washer bottle and the Cortina’s ball joints and brakes but mood has been very low of late. Onwards, hopefully!

[High Jetter]

I that things being finalised will take some weight off. It takes time, but the pain gets less with time. It's Spring, hopefully this is a corner turned and things will pick up for you pal.

[Wibble]

14 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

I that things being finalised will take some weight off. It takes time, but the pain gets less with time. It's Spring, hopefully this is a corner turned and things will pick up for you pal.

Thank you mate 🤞