THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[Vin]

Also. Just realised I posted regard the Panda 4x4 rebuild (obviously posted when drunk....)

 

History. I took all the rear suspension and propshaft off as I had to weld up the rear cross member at the jacking point/towbar mount and the rear corner near the shocker. Also the propshaft needed new bearing supports as the rubber mounts had perished. After fruitless searches in the UK, I got some from Italian Ebay.

 

I spent ages trying to split the propshaft at the UJ (in order to change the bearings) But then looking on the web and 'Ehow' and a film showing how to deal with the UJ on a Ford Explorer, I'd split the propshaft in 10 minutes....

 

I did get the springs and axle (all de-rusted and smoothrited) back on, with nice clean bolts and nylocs too...

 

Today though (Wednesday), I got the shockers back on (also with nice clean bolts and nylocs). Nice new rear brake pipes. New brake cylinders, new shoes and hold down clips. New handbrake cable fitted.

 

Handbrake all works fine now as usual Fiat self adjust had all seized up.

 

Towbar back on tomorrow. Put the propshaft back together and fit it. Also bleed the brakes. I'll put a new rear bumper on too, the one that came off the Panda I broke at the end of last summer.

[Angrydicky]

Maestro goes for its MOT tomorrow...

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Thought I'd pull my rear seat out and investigate one of my MOT advisories: Nearside body slight corrosion.

 

Slight corrosion! The metal here is so weak I could punch it out. Welding time.

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Today I set about my landcrab with polishing mop, farecla, wet and dry, glass cleaner, brasso etc etc etc. I have never cleaned it since it hit the road, and the bits I painted have never even had a coat of wax! Poor efffort I know, but I hate cleaning cars, beyond chucking a bucket of soapy water at them. Anyway heres how it looks now:

 

 

 

I've been thinking about lobbing this crab up for sale, but it loks so much smarter it might get a reprieve, for the time being at least. The roof, bonnet and boot still need mop attention (i'm thinking of respraying the bonnet), if i did that lot it would look surprisingly decent i think.

[meggersdog]

That looks very smart Mr B. Mopping is very messy but the results are great,don't you think ?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Yeah defo. If you can do it outdoors with a hosepipe not too far away you can keep the mess levels down though. I must say, having done that, i'm hoping I can wax it a few times then forget about cleaning it for yonks again!

 

I should have buffed it ages ago TBH, its looked scruffy ever since I got it on the road, now i would not feel too ashamed of putting it in a local show or something.

[Cavcraft]

Maestro goes for its MOT tomorrow...

*Fingers crossed in Cheshire, let us know how you get on please.

 

Going to give the Astra Mk3 a short run out tonight, probably take swmbo to work in it.

 

100 or so mile run on the scoot today, all was fine until we got to Shrewsbury town centre and it was revving it bollocks off. GR8 4 SMOKIN OWT SALOPIANS.

Got to our destination, my mucker has the panel off in seconds flat and a quick twiddle with a screwdriver saw tick-over how it should be.

 

Belting ride out. A41 to Whitchurch, bacon and egg on toast with a cuppa at The Raven truck stop, then A49 to Shrewsbury. Haven't been that way in years and was like a trip down memory lane.

Route back saw us cut through Ellesmere, stopped at the lake for a cuppa and what not and home for 6.00pm after leaving at 10.00.

 

*Brucie bonus: got two sets of raffle tickets at the 'do', got second prize and came home smelling of two stroke and fifty sovs richer-happy days!!

[Rocket88]

Bollox goes Concourse D'Elegance!

[Angrydicky]

That 1800 is absolutely lush. Snot green crabs FTW! Fancy a swap for a Maestro?

 

Cavette, cheers, the 'stro failed on emissions, nothing else though and didn't get one advisory. A carb strip down identified a sticking jet and plenty of crud in there. A test on the CO meter shows readings of between 2.5-3% where before it was up around 5%.

 

So second time lucky hopefully, I'm going to try and get the retest for tomorrow

[Mr_Bo11ox]

give the mixture a little tweak to weaken it as well, you can always tweak it back again once you've got the certificate!

[Mr Lobster]

Sprinter passed its MOT! Good news as I'm always a bit worried about the first time you get something 'new' tested. Just as well as it's being kept pretty busy at the moment

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Got my Maz 929 started last night! Like all these old jap cars, basically you just stick a £10 battery from the scrapyard on and they fire up, no matter whats been happening for the previous 10 years.

 

I have now taken the locks off it to see if i can get some keys made up for them, and investigated the knackered window winder mech.

[meggersdog]

Collected this today

The waterpump is leaking and although there was water in the headertank it hadn't been bled properly.I had to stop half way home to bleed the top hose.Then it took ages to bleed the heater hose.When I got home I bled it again.Have to do it all over again when I find and fit a new waterpump.

Same owner for the last 22 years and genuine service items in the boot.Lived in London all that time so it has a few scrapes and the rear light lens I need.86k and every MOT since 1985 to back it up.

[seth]

Finally have carpet back in the Herald for the first time since the engine swap. Its all the handbrake gaiter's fault.

 

The old one was falling apart so while the car was in pieces it was the ideal time to fit a new one. I unpicked the staples that held it to the hardboard cover months ago but just hadn't got motivated to sort out a way of fixing the new one down. Finally I popped down to a local print/copy/binding shop on Monday with the bits. The bloke told me to follow him through to the back and he got out the "big" stapler, messed about with it for a minute then punched some big staples through rubber and harboard. Didn't charge me either which was nice.

 

So today, I took the seats out, plopped the gaiter over the handbrake and got on with cutting the underlay soundproofing and carpet so that it would fit over the now modified tunnel. We need a new section really to cover the complete tunnel section but hopefully what is in place now will make it a quieter more pleasant place to be.

[trigger]

I've just sold the 1602...

 

I got a fair price for it in the end, It's now of to North Suffolk for the weekend before heading to it's new owners home in Dorking.

 

On the plus side i now have a pocket full of wonga!

[Cavcraft]

Excellent, what's next on the radar then Trigger?

 

 

Tonight I picked up the Escort Mk6/7/8/whatever. As much as I don't like these things it drives bloody well indeed for an old banger.

 

O/s/r floor wet on the Pisshat, Google scan reveals it's likely to be the pollen filter housing leaking which is a common fault it seems.

The interior heater went west last week too, another common fault it would appear but (hopefully) a relatively simple job of taking the glove box out, removing the heater unit and replacing some bushes.

[Mike D]

Ive been umming and arring the past few weeks whether to fit a rear spoiler to my Capri.... tonight i bit the bullet and drilled some holes and mounted it up, I'm glad I chose to, it just finishes it off nicely

 

Also texture blacked the rear bumper corners as they were looking a bit ropey.

 

Pretty much set for the Retro Show at Santa Pod at the weekend now

[Minimad5]

Pretty much set for the Retro Show at Santa Pod at the weekend now

Stand by your car so i can say Hi (As i have no idea what you look like)

I shall have to take some nice snaps of your Capri

[M'coli]

The back box fell off the Cavalier last week. Sunday I dug the spare one out of storage and also, a Minispares Metro performance system that I bought 6 years ago and was soon replaced on the Metro by a bargain Janspeed.

So I cut the centre section about and welded it up into a back box for the Cavalier. Not too loud, but nice tone to it.

[trigger]

Excellent, what's next on the radar then Trigger?.

No idea as yet, Well i say no idea, I have lots of ideas but that's the problem as i can't decide!, I'll see what comes up but having over £1600 burning a hole in your pocket it's easy to get carried away!.

[Angrydicky]

Buy the £100 Maestro on here as a start Trig, I reckon you could build up a GR8 tat collection with £1600

[Mike D]

 

Pretty much set for the Retro Show at Santa Pod at the weekend now

Stand by your car so i can say Hi (As i have no idea what you look like)

I shall have to take some nice snaps of your Capri

Good Looking, no hair!

 

If you see someone near it looking mega hungover, it'll be more than likely be myself!

[The Moog]

Fitted a pair of Saab 93 seats to Dollybwobblers old Camper today.

 

Took most of the day but alot of that was back and forward for bits. Had to get some flat bar to bolt it all up.

 

But now feels very comfy and a bit safer

[Station]

Put V6 in car, mated with gearbox, made space for radiator (Jesus Christ!), broke fan/surround, made a proper mess of the driveway. Looked at the wiring, and thought I'll finish it tommorow. Got to make spacers for the engine mount, but a new driveshaft, etc.

 

So:

 

Taking engine out, and putting new engine in = 2hrs.

 

Connecting a few bolts/plugs = 10hrs.

 

Always the way.

[Pillock]

That's embarrasing. In the time it took you to remove an engine and slot something else in, I managed to change four wheels.

 

I ARE CRAP MEKANIK.

[jnoiles]

HT leads crumbled to dust on the mr2 leaving me stranded. Walked home 2 miles to get the spare set only to discover on my return that they're the wrong ones. Next day I was up until 3am blowing grime out of the X1/9 with a high pressure air gun and changing the brakes. It now stops in slightly less frightening distances. On balance I think we'll call this a draw.

[pogweasel]

Waved goodbye to my Maxi today, after it sitting in my garage for 9 months it was abundantly clear that I was not going to get time & cash in equilibrium any time soon.

It's gone to live in Wales.

Irritatingly, it still sounded "well lush" as I drove it out & onto the geezers trailer.

Most likely I will have to forego 'proper' shite for a few years now.

[Futuramic]

I like this. Last car thing: changed a dashboard lightbulb on the E36. It took ages owing to utterly ludicrous complication and me doing too much of a job.

 

The easy way involves just removing the front panel of the heater controls. My way took in complete dismantling of the centre part of the dash and fiddling with the PCB. It all went back together and now all my lights work.

 

I was so excited I polished the thing and vacuumed the inside.

[Guest]

Bad news for scumbags - fitted a new quarter window glass to the 626, which came from Malaysia at a very reasonable price. Not only that, it's a brand new bit of glass with the correct blue tint, so it's like nothing happened (other than me paying a premium for owning a brick).

[seth]

We took both cars up to Santa Pod yesterday for the Retro Show. Grabbed the rather rare opportunity to get a photo of them away from our own street.