THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[forddeliveryboy]

or a 96/97 A6 2.5tdi for £1500-2k. Won't impress the naybors as much but will impress the driver, conductor and cargo more than any 4 pot VW-Skoda.

[wuvvum]

Took the Volvo up to the jet wash today as the amount of mildew on it was starting to get embarrassing. It was the first time in three years that it's moved further than the end of the driveway. It ran absolutely fine (OK, it pinked badly and ran on when switched off, but it always did that on 95 octane unleaded), got up to temp OK, heater got nice and warm, lights, wipers and indicators worked, but the brakes were pretty much non-existent (made worse by the fact that the engine was idling rather high, so being an auto it was pulling against the brakes). Still, they were pretty bad when I stood the car up, and I was expecting to have to strip'n'rebuild them, and replace the warped front discs. It's still a lovely old thing to drive though.

[oldford]

At that sort of mileage you want to ensure that the Octavia has had it's cam belt (using a kit) and waterpump done.

[pogweasel]

Who'd have thought that five large for a six year old Skoda would be cheap!

How times change.

[Cavcraft]

Agreed.

 

Was looking at 2004-ish Audi diesels recently and they're also fetching stupid money, even 2001 stuff is crazy. To be fair to Skoda they don't half seem to have got their act together now.

[garethj]

I changed the front pads on the Volvo 740 yesterday. The wheel nuts were on really tight and they were hard work to wind all the way off. By the time I'd taken the wheel off, I was knackered

 

Other than that, it all went smoothly. The drop link for the antiroll bar has a split bush which I imagine will be an MoT fail in April

[Pete-M]

or a 96/97 A6 2.5tdi for £1500-2k. Won't impress the naybors as much but will impress the driver, conductor and cargo more than any 4 pot VW-Skoda.

 

That'll be an A6 C4. You can get an A6 C5 for that money, and the C5 is a much nicer car. Which the Superb shares lots of bits with, and has more space than.

[Rocket88]

Agreed.

 

Was looking at 2004-ish Audi diesels recently and they're also fetching stupid money, even 2001 stuff is crazy. To be fair to Skoda they don't half seem to have got their act together now.

 

 

Hold their money far better than anything else VAG. A decent dizzler Octavia tdi is pretty much unobtainable for less than £1750. You pay more for an equivalent Passat!

[Cavcraft]

Hmm. After reading the last page on this thread I had a flit through eBaY. Despite having the wrong badge (for me) I have to say a TDi A6 with leather and an autobox is actually quite appealing to me.

 

Anyway...

 

the Omega has gone. It's going to be banger rallied, which I wasn't overly chuffed with tbh, but the lad says he'll be bringing it back rather than dumping it at it's final destination. Just hope it doesn't get a 'comedy' paintjob or a load of stupid shit glued all over it. To be fair if I could afford the fuel I'd drive that car all over Europe, 'twas an absolute belter of a thing to drive.

[seth]

Had reasonably productive week this week. Tuesday saw me out in the street fitting new shoes and drums to the rear brakes of the Herald and it was actually almost pleasant to be out there. The sun was shining, there was no wind and the temperature was possibly into double figures. Been a long time since street based tinkering has felt like that, even if id did involve drilling a drum retaining screw out and lots of hammering to get the old ones off. I was expecting that so at least no surprises were had.

 

 

I may have made an error in not painting the new drums red since they may not work as well as they might.

 

 

I've been busy with work the rest of the week but pottered down to the dungeon today, welded another bit of metal into the Oxford and helped shift some stuff around. With the Borgward out of the way mine and PaulW's area is coming together nicely. Proper workbench plan was hatched today, along with general plan of action with his current Caterham/Honda N600/Nostalgia Dragster projects.

[seth]

I know what you mean Norm. I nearly did leave them out of the new drums as the countersunk holes don't seem to be in quite the right positions so the screws only just did up flush to the wheel mounting surface.

[Negative Creep]

Went out to start the car and was greeted with nothing whatsoever so now awaiting the breakdown company to give me a jumpstart. Arse.

[Shep Shepherd]

In anticipation of a long/fast drive to Yorkshire next week and a dyno session (just for laughs) a few days afterwards, I changed TV2's engine oil today. A nice, easy job, but as is my wont, I created a lovely big oil spill when draining the old stuff due to not anticipating changes in the oil's exit angle as the sump emptied. It's times like this that I'm glad I keep a stock of degreaser handy

[Negative Creep]

Tested the battery and that shows as ok, voltage is 13 when idle or 13.8 under load. According to the inbuilt voltmeter it sometimes runs higher just within the "safe" level. Alternator playing up or just battery flat from disuse?

[Parky]

Currently freezing my proverbials off in Helsinki, but this place is a bit of a mecca for shite. So far have clocked tidy Mazda Familia, Fiat Tempra, minty Renault 19 chamade and a mk 1 Toledo. Seat flavoured.

 

Once I get the troublesome business of being here on business out of the way I'll be out getting snaps. Have to be a bit careful though, just took pic of me in a load of snow to illustrate to colleagues its brass monkeys and some tall bloke just came over having a go at me wanting to know if I took his picture? Interestingly he started in Finnish, but as soon as I started to speak he immediately converted to perfect English to continue his rant. Got to hand it to the Scandinavians!

 

Oh, and Santa drives a Honda Jazz in case you are interested.....

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I fitted some new plugs and HT leads to my Rover yesterday after Smithsons came up with the goods. Doesnt sound like a very big deal, but its completely transformed the car!!! Now it starts first click even after a miserable rainy night, and the engine is supa sweet with no sign of even the slightest hiccupping or misfiring at any time. It feels a lot more responsive and I think it must have been misfiring a bit during fast driving cos now its a lot more willing to burn off dawdlers than it was. I'll be interested to see the fuel consumption this week.

[dollywobbler]

I now have a brake hose clamp and a 16mm spanner, so only writing, laziness and incompetence stand between me and a Mini with lovely rebuilt calipers. Hoping to have some time to crack on with that job tomorrow.

 

Land Rover now has a working oil pressure switch. I say working - doesn't come on for at least ten seconds after the engine has stopped. A lot of use that'll be if the pressure drops then. Did grease the propshafts and discovered that one of the grease nipples is missing. Oh dear. Green laning this weekend, hoping I won't get laughed at for the feeble tyres, lack of tree/rock/child sliders, lack of chequer plate and lack of driver's ability. Oh, and the rather blowy exhaust.

[wackywacerwill]

Put a nice divit in my thumb today with a 4mm cutting disc on the angle grinder 'kin hurts it does. I'll mostly be smoking tailor mades for the next week or so.

[Angrydicky]

Put a nice divit in my thumb today with a 4mm cutting disc on the angle grinder 'kin hurts it does. I'll mostly be smoking tailor mades for the next week or so.

 

I did that last week - it's horrible isn't it!

[wackywacerwill]

 

I did that last week - it's horrible isn't it!

 

Not nice at all, if I was less lazy I'd have changed for the 1mm disc which would heal a lot quicker. Did make me laugh at A+E when she asked if I done it delibratly She then went on to tell a tail of a chap how had be hammering nails into his head for shits and giggles over a period of a few weeks Nowt as queer as folk.

[HillmanImp]

I have got some of those super thin discs and am really worried about cutting my finger with one of those. I have cuts all over my hands from from many years of 2.5mm discs but reckon the 1mm would go through my finger like butter. Have not had an accident for a while mind touch wood.

[M'coli]

Leather gloves in helping to prevent grinder disc trauma shock! is all that really needs to be said...and yet I still don't always put them on!

[skattrd]

Just got home in my latest acquisition, a Lancia Thema LS turbo. Cheap, rough around the ages, but damned fast and so far all electrics working.

Downside, front discs were slightly warped when I test drove the car; after the drive home I think they're now shot, sensible driving until they're fixed.

 

I'll start a thread later on about this car and its rival, arriving Saturday ... only one can stay, but I've got a feeling I'll want to keep both

[Barry Cade]

Just bought a turbo powered X1/9- hooking up the car trailer to the old Astra on friday to go and collect, looks a goodun Trabant project possibly for sale...

[Spottedlaurel]

At the beginning of yesterday morning, my driveway looked like this:

 

My fleet, February 2011 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Then Istarted taking bits off the Camry estate:

 

1996 Toyota Camry 2.2 estate - stripdown begins by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Bumper next, then bonnet. Slightly awkward-to-access pair of fixings between wing and bumper thwarted complete removal of it for the moment.

 

At the weekend I've made plans with Marky off the Datsun forum to strip the remains of the dead Laurel in the background.

 

This is as far as I've got so far with the new Camry project:

 

Fruit of today's labours by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I've got a price for paint off local body-and-paint ace Nick, in the meantime he says I can swap the panels over at his place and he'll lend a hand/give advice as necessary.

 

The estate still runs and drives and I want to keep it that way, having a dead car on the drive is a pain. I thought its stance looked rather mean, turned out the front springs had popped out of the cups and it was sitting rather lower than Toyota intended...

[Akron]

This afternoon i went and took this for a test drive.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/04-04-Skoda-Octav ... 519780ac05

 

A bit flashy i know for autoshite but it ticks all the boxes for what I'm after, I was very impressed with it, It's very comfy, quiet, smooth and very roomy inside with a massive boot.

 

I was hoping to trade in both my Micra and the Bora in for it but the garage doesn't want them as they are a Ford specialists and only offered silly money for them.

 

I've now got to try and sell them both privately and hope the car is still for sale by the time they have (or if) sold.

 

On the plus side my dad said that if i sell the Micra he'd lend me the extra money until i sell the Bora, the garage said he's let it go for £4750 but I'll try for £4500 if i can, Anyone want a Bora or a Micra?!

 

Old post I know but IMHO avoid the 2.0PD Tdi, loads of problems porous heads, eats turbo's for fun and you cannot get a single mass flywheel conversion for them the 1.9 is a better bet if you must have a Diesel. VAG petrols on the whole are a load of crap unless you are looking pre FSI.

Superbs are great cars you have to be aware that the old shape did not get folding rear seats till allmost the end of it's production span and they are all saloons . On a Superb the problems you will get are the same as Cavette had with his Passat - water ingress from the front scuttle giving horrific electric issues. Also the front suspension is a nightmare of rusted up pinch bolts.

[The Moog]

I haz MOT. the old swedish beast went through with just a split CV boot and rear wheel bearing needed. rear wheel bearing was jsut adjusted by the garage so now I have turbo poweerrrrrr.

 

Saying that I need to fix the brakes first, they dont really stop, more just ecnourage the car to slow slightly... I think it is the fluid that is knackered.

[dollywobbler]

The BX's clutch is definitely on the way out. I discovered this while trying to use the BX to reshape an iron hoop. Don't ask. It didn't really work.

 

I've now actually started on the Mini. No idea what size the brake hose nut is supposed to be - ended up smacking a 9/16 (I think) spanner on to it, which got it undone. Got the caliper off nice and easily, then decided to take the disc brake off. It was at this stage that I discovered that the very first thing I should have done at the start of this job was undo the driveshaft nut. Oops. With the car on stands, there wasn't much I could do but quick-thinking led to me jamming a ramp under the raised wheel and with the handbrake on, I could safely undo the nut. Didn't want to get into getting it back off the axle stands as my jack was elsewhere and doesn't actually fit underneath the Mini anyway. Faff!

 

With lots of penetrating oil, the old pistons were soon out of the caliper. What a mess they were! New seals were fitted, but I ended up re-using the old seal housing things as the new ones appear to be made out of cheese. New pistons were soon fitted. Sorted.

 

Sadly, during my driveshaft nut issues, I noticed that I'd managed to mangle the thread on one of the wheel studs. Work now at a halt while I await delivery of a new one. Can't reassemble things until I've received that. Bit frustrating as I was quite enjoying myself. Have got cleaned up now though, so the other side can wait a bit.

[wuvvum]

Just refit the offending wheel with three wheelnuts. If it's good enough for the 2CV...

[skattrd]

The clutch on the Saab is knackered as well as the slave cyl, so thats more £ on a car I was hoping to sell without losing money on.

Contract finished with work today, so I'm officially unemplyed.

 

On the plus side I've got someone coming to look at the Charade and he might want an engine as well.

Tomorrow I'm picking up another car, train down to London then driving back in a Mitsubishi Galant Sapporo .... I'm quite excited about the velour.