THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[HillmanImp]

Volksy took the Saab for its MOT today in return for me welding up his camper the other day.

 

It was a FAIL but only a small one.

 

Sticking caliper

Some brake pads (cant rememebr which ones he said)

Bit of welding in a really awkward bit under the front wheelarch.

 

Result! He is doing the caliper this afternoon. I will get the welding done one night this week (weather permitting) and just fit the brake pads as soon as I have been to the local motorfactor.

 

Am pretty happy with that.

[M'coli]

[HillmanImp]

 

Indeed. Am proper chuffed with it. Will buy you a couple of pints next time I see you.

 

As I dont think the spraying course is going ahead, as it looks like I am keeping the SAAB I am going to sort the wheel arches out on it and spray them as a practice, move onto the minor bodywork on the DAF (its welded just needs finishing) and then the GT6 (some pretty big repairs) before finishing on the Imp (welded but down to bare metal shell plus Hydrate 80) to practice my bodywork finishing. It should hopefully be passable by the time I get to the Imp.

[Volksy]

Just run in from 'Doom Rain' that has just started...

 

Autoshite bike: Managed to free the N/S caliper off, but the piston is proper crusty, tried cleaning it up as best I can but may need further work. Needs a set of rear pads (£18.50), and this welding on the inner wing/chassis leg just above where the lower wishbone passes through. Looks a bit of an awkward place, but after welding the Renault Master up on sat, M. Imp should be well used to a bit of contortionist action

 

New caliper if needed is about £43.00, which is still pretty reasonable...

 

In other 'Look North' news....

 

Ordered the steering rack gater for the master, has gone on back order from the factory, which sucks, as I needed it finished for Saturday, so a change of plans may be in order for themove south this weekend. Bumhats!!

 

Although the Volvo is back on the road after is six months in storage and running great, forgot how much I love this car, with it's lazy, almost V8 esque burble, and super comfy seats.

[dollywobbler]

I am feeling dead chuffed. Not only has the Rangie cleared its MOT, it's absolutely sound underneath! Some very slight surface corrosion on the rear crossmember and the rear bumper's a bit knackered, but the sills, rear arches, body mounts, chassis etc are absolutely spot on. Brilliant! However, proving it possesses a large dose of HERITAGE, the driver's door refused to open after I taxed it. I think the combination of poor lock adjustment and a slightly broken interior lock thingy combined to force me to clamber aboard from the rear seat.

 

Sorry, still no pics as I've got a spell of work to get on with, but I'm hoping to give it a good jet wash tonight and take some photos afterwards. You know, the classic "Ebay - I've just washed my car" shots.

[michiel]

Oh dear, after just 11 weeks of 2CV-ownership I have swapped it.... for another one! More later.

 

[Angrydicky]

Just taken a deposit on the Landcrab from a nice couple from Westcliff so it's staying local, which is nice. They didn't even try to haggle either!

[Cavcraft]

Squeezed 30mpg out of the Cav which isn't too shabby really considering it's a 2.0 automatic. Is the Hyundai off to a new home? Watch this space...

[tonedepear]

Is the Hyundai off to a new home? Watch this space...

 

Fingers crossed.

[Cavcraft]

You are the new lucky omen-it's gone!

[tonedepear]

 

Winnar.

[Volksy]

Good News: The Rack Gaiter for the Renault turned up this morning, so can get on with fitting that tomorrow!

 

Bad News: Went to the Volvo to go and get the above part, and the battery was as flat as a pancake, much comedy ensued as I had to get in through the boot, its a saloon, so not the easiest task. Turns out with being stood, the courtesy light switches are a little dodgy, meaning the footwell lights were on all night.. They are part of the lock mechanism, so ended up with both door panels off this morning to get some WD40 in their general location... Whats wrong with push switches in the door jamb..

[KruJoe]

-it's gone!

Collected already? £280! Winnar. Well worth the effort then, plus the bonus of a warm feeling that you've resisted the temptation to frag the bugger.

 

@DW, you must be well chuffed, and glad you weren't put off by the non-TDi-ness of it.

 

I've lost one of these

 

 

So the BX is looking proper tatty just now. I think it will be sporting silver Subaru trims one one side until I can find a replacement. Anyone have one lying about?

I still have the retaining ring that wedges into the rim.

[Cavcraft]

Tim on BXC will have one Joe, failing that try the legendary Doc on thje same forum.

[trigger]

I'm back to 4 cars again... My wife hates driving the Escort so I've been looking for a replacement as she's using my Mondeo and I'm not really a fan of using the Mk3 everyday for work.

 

I've been looking on ebay at lots of different stuff, Audi Coupes, Golf GTi's etc but she wants a convertible as she's says I always buy what i want, why can't she have what she wants.

 

So i spotted this Golf Cabriolet that was ending this evening on ebay tonight locally for sale, I didn't sell for £800 so I rang the seller to go and have a look.

 

It's a 2 owner, 70k 1.8 model, Full working electric hood, Tons of history, Drives well but has a scab on the arch that can be fixed, a few light scratches, top of the dipstick was broke, slight hum on the alternator, drivers side electric window doesn't work (Owner said it's the switch in the door?) and a blue dash and needs a bloody good clean, but with MOT until January and a few days tax left I managed to get it for £700.

 

The first owner was a 80 year old lady who was a friend of the current owner who died and they have owned it for two years but are now selling it due to a hip replacement. Mrs T is now happy again, I'll tell you in a few days when it breaks down or something falls off.

 

 

[Guest]

Nice purchase Trig.

 

I think Mk3 Golfs are fucking vile but provided Mrs T likes it, that's the main thing. I should probably explain the roots of my hatred, in that watanabe_Ex_girlfriend had a 1400 that was done up to look like a GTI. What a piece of shit. She then scrappaged it, bought a Bini One (that was done up to look like a Cooper S) and stuffed it into a bus shelter.

 

Yeah, I did laugh.

 

We don't talk now, actually.

[Pete-M]

Brilliant! However, proving it possesses a large dose of HERITAGE, the driver's door refused to open after I taxed it. I think the combination of poor lock adjustment and a slightly broken interior lock thingy combined to force me to clamber aboard from the rear seat.

 

Ah, yours will have the Montegoid internal door lock buttons. Crap design, the plastic surround catches on the button itself causing much hilarity when it comes to Rangie central locking and dead solenoids. Spend a bit of time making sure the button can move freely and it'll probably be ok, although it's odds on when you take the door trim off you'll snap the bloody thing Takes practice to get those things off without ending up with a handful of beige plastic bits.. Unless the lever on the back of the Marina external door handle has fractured (not unusual), or the release rod has bent.

 

More often than not a good coat of looking at and a bit of judicious lubrication is all that is needed. Rangies are buggers for it, but they're normally not that hard to sort out. I've had to fiddle with the door locks / handles on every one I've owned.

[tonedepear]

Mk3 golf window regs are notoriously prone to shitness. Easily available though.

 

I know it's not hip to admit, but I really liked my Mk3. It wasn't perfect (the rear window regs were wanked, for one), but it went ok, was ok on fuel, was comfy and generally a nice place to be. It also felt like an old car, even though it wasn't really. I'd have another. Course, they'll be worth fucking bajillions in 10 years or so, so maybe I should hoover up a tidy giffer spec one and stick it in the garage or something while they're still cheap.

[Pillock]

That looks like quite a nice Golf - I rate the Mk3s for value - they're not that different mechanically to Mk2s so they handle OK if a little wallowy. Contrary to popular opinion the quality isn't worse either, it's just all the shitbox Mk2s are scapped and all the shitbox Mk3s are still on the road so people compare a crap Mk3 to a Mk2 that's had lots of attention.

 

I've got some Mk3 Window switches somewhere if you want me to dig them out - they are indeed a weak point but can be prised apart and cleaned up. Does it have a positive "click" when you press it or a dull flop? Unfortunately the mechanisms in the door are also a major arsearche, being made of Dairylea.

[Pete-M]

In other news... message from the chap in Czech who's meant to have the Escort finished for the end of July...

 

"There is much rust, heavy work, I am working on it a few hours a day...".

 

FFS, it's been there TWO F*CKING YEARS and I bought proper replacement panels for every bit of rot on it, two years ago. Told him to leave the engine alone as I know it's a good one, so he stripped the engine 'to check it', painted the bloody engine, and put it back together "It's fine, there's nothing wrong with it' - the bloody engine is coming out anyway as it's getting something more fun fitted when it gets here, so he's spent a week polishing and painting what was only going to be used for a thousand miles and end up as a door stop... I am beginning to lose patience. It's a few of days cutting and welding, tops, a couple of days prep and then a couple more in a paint shop, and a couple of days to put it back together. Couple of weeks maybe to get the thing right.

 

I have booked a week off work to go and collect the bloody thing at the end of July and it ain't gonna be ready. I can see myself driving over there in the Heep with a trailer, bolting the Escort back together and dragging it to the lads who're doing the 604.

 

Turned into a bloody disaster this.

 

Oh, and I appear to have said "Imbeciles only" when it came to advertising the Mondeo. £750 for a 53 plate car and all I'm getting is idiots who want a mint car for pennies. "It's got a dent", "That's why it's so bloody cheap", "Can't you knock more off?", "Have you not noticed it's the cheapest one in the country?", "Yeah, but it's got a dent", "Fuck off.".

[trigger]

I've got some Mk3 Window switches somewhere if you want me to dig them out - they are indeed a weak point but can be prised apart and cleaned up. Does it have a positive "click" when you press it or a dull flop? Unfortunately the mechanisms in the door are also a major arsearche, being made of Dairylea.

 

I think it was a dull click but i can't remember, the owner said that the windows open and shut with the key ok?, I've ordered a S/H switch of ebay for £10 just to be safe side but i guarantee that i won't need it and end up punting the switch on again.

 

I collect it tomorrow afternoon once the insurance is sorted out so I expect I'll find a fault list as long as my arm once it's home.

 

On the plus side the electric roof looks dead cool when your opening/shutting it, even if it does make me look like a hairdresser.

[Pete-M]

I think it was a dull click but i can't remember, the owner said that the windows open and shut with the key ok?, I've ordered a S/H switch of ebay for £10 just to be safe side but i guarantee that i won't need it and end up punting the switch on again.

 

I'm pretty sure that'll have VAGCOM, which covers all the windows etc. Next to the radio there's a little panel on the left, slide it out and if there's an OBD type socket there, go to your local bloke with diagnostic stuff and get him to tell you what's wrong.

 

If you were about 180 miles nearer I'd sort that for free.

[Guest]

 

Turned into a bloody disaster this.

 

Oh, and I appear to have said "Imbeciles only" when it came to advertising the Mondeo. £750 for a 53 plate car and all I'm getting is idiots who want a mint car for pennies. "It's got a dent", "That's why it's so bloody cheap", "Can't you knock more off?", "Have you not noticed it's the cheapest one in the country?", "Yeah, but it's got a dent", "Fuck off.".

 

Yeah, but can I buy it online?

[M'coli]

I set out this morning to go to Wilkinson's in Lincoln, but the Cavalier developed a puncture somewhere north of Doncaster without me realising it, so I drove for about 4-5 miles on a completely flat tyre - it did pull to the left a bit, but not enough to make me sus about it, it was only hitting a cat's eye that told me it was flat. I swapped over to the spare which in itself isn't to good because it's worn unevenly - still, it holds air - and drove home, thinking about tyres.

 

Then I remembered, I've got a spare one in the shed! It's a directional, so got home, grabbed it and went to my tame garage, who weren't busy and were able to swap it over. Then I spotted what looked like a part-worn in the correct size on their tyre rack! I asked about it ("There's nowt wrong with your glasses, is there? I can't read that from this distance!"), so got that put on the wheel with the shonky tyre, I paid and took the 2 old ones off to the coup.

£30 plus vat for the fitting and the part-worn - I'm pleased with that.

[Negative Creep]

MOT PHAIL

 

 

Not too bad though, needs a tyre, 2 front brake pipes, balljoint,a rear brake line and a tyre. Been quoted £220 including vat for everything but the tyre. I can't do any of that lot myself so seems a fairly reasonable price?

[trigger]

I picked the Golf up this afternoon, seems to drive nice but a bit tattier then i first thought last night, Needs a bloody good clean inside and has lots of scratches that will need a good polish as well as a nasty rust repair on the front wing.

 

I fancied a bit of a project though so i don't mind, I've already stripped the seats out in readiness to clean the inside tomorrow, And i think the window problem might be a regulator as It doesn't work by the key like the owner said but the other windows do... (Anyone know how to fix this?)

 

1994 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Cabriolet by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

1994 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Cabriolet by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

 

1994 Volkswagen Golf 1.8 Cabriolet by Trigger's Retro Road Tests!, on Flickr

[tonedepear]

Looks pretty smart to me, that.

[Cheggers]

Aye, that looks like a pretty sound purchase.

 

I seem to have agreed to having my legs waxed as part of the fundraising effort for my 2 day, 300 mile bike ride...what a cock

[dollywobbler]

I seem to have agreed to having my legs waxed as part of the fundraising effort for my 2 day, 300 mile bike ride...what a cock

 

Um, I think you should keep that well out of the way by the sounds of it!

[tonedepear]

I seem to have agreed to having my legs waxed as part of the fundraising effort for my 2 day, 300 mile bike ride...what a cock

 

Good luck with the ride, anyway! Where you riding/what's it in aid of?