Piss Balling about with banger Fords

[sierraman]

10 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Have you tried with a lambda socket? The one I did where I was replacing the mani-cat itself - all four of the sensors were murderously tight as if they were seized in but they eventually gave and came out no bother. Might be worth trying although they'd round off easily with an open ended spanner given the amount of force you'll need so a lambda socket is best

Yes though this was on the car on ramps with a lambda socket, though as you know the access is awful, it would be much easier with the manicat in a vice perhaps with some heat. 

[sierraman]

Since when did a new Focus cost forty thousand quid? 

[sierraman]

New Airbag fitted, also mended the steering wheel controls at no cost so very pleased with that. Did get the inevitable Condition Report at the end but it was all green apart from scoring two tyres at 4.5mm as advisory. 😂

[Dobloseven]

7 hours ago, sierraman said:

Since when did a new Focus cost forty thousand quid? 

Quite a long time, obviously, it's covered in cobwebs!Seriously, a while back I mentioned a 1.0 Ecoboost estate in the CaravanClub magazine for around that. 

[sierraman]

Focus passed test again with just the handbrake adjusting. Did pick up on a rear ball joint on the slide but I’ll fuck about with that next year when weathers better.

[beko1987]

May as well smash the last of the life out of it over the winter of shit roads for sure! If you changed it now you could fuck it again by then just by normal driving

[sierraman]

Just now, beko1987 said:

May as well smash the last of the life out of it over the winter of shit roads for sure! If you changed it now you could fuck it again by then just by normal driving

Can’t recall ever fitting one in last 5 years in fairness so it’s done well. 

[beko1987]

Might even stay as an advisory for a few more years 😂

But it sounds like the sort of job that the longer it wears the more it fucks everything else attached to it... I swerved the common laguna 2 rear arm bushes by binning the car for other reasons before they got more than an advisory 👌 I give the Xsara a cursory glance now and again if I catch it parked on the flat to make sure the rear wheels are still straight and so far they are

[sierraman]

For £15-20 I’ll just change it, the rattling will annoy me. If it was the bastard rear trailing arms I’d leave it till they get really bad as they’re a fucking nightmare, not really a driveway job at all. 

[sierraman]

Blew a full £7.75 on a new genuine badge, on a £1200 car... but I think it looks a lot better. 

[sierraman]

Nothing major to report apart from a replacement parcel shelf after the old one was run over (... yes that’s right). £28 delivered but it was a struggle to find one not absolutely fucked, this one has a slight split but not noticeable. 
 

Seems to be dry in the boot following sealing the loose boot flap vent thing up. Used the excellent Depstech Camera from eBay for £43, not the highest resolution all singing and dancing model but plenty good enough for jobs like this. 

[sierraman]

Nothing much to report other than oil change time, genuine Ford Filters at £7.99 delivered why fit anything else. Hydro mount on the timing belt is leaking so amongst the rear drop links that will be next job. 

[RoverFolkUs]

Another MK2 sill welded up on the cheap 😇

Those rear anti roll bar links never seem to get bad enough to fail an MOT, they make quite a noise though when they go

[sierraman]

Nothing huge to report (don’t speak so soon…) just replacing the pollen filter on the Focus, well worth it as the old one was clarted in crap, but what a cunt of a job. Then it started a mild misfire as you slow down, thinking coil but one of the wires had come loose where I’d previously crimped it years ago, 2 minutes with the crimpers and it was running like dream sir. Total spend including filter £4.71. 

[sierraman]

Nothing major to report apart from the perennial rear drop links on the Focus but at £12 a piece for some Febi ones it was neither here nor there. Engine mount next job as the diaphragm has gone, £36 delivered and half hour to fit. 
 

[sierraman]

Decided to do something about the holes in the bottom of the wing, brand new sprayed wings are £160 but I’ve got a metric shitload of other expense at the moment so that can wait. In the interim I’ve bodged repaired it with whatever I’d got to hand, seasoned restorers or originality freaks look away now…

The complete leading edge had gone so I’ve pop riveted a section of stainless steel plate in. Welding would have been a waste of time as the metal is pretty thin now, so this will have to suffice - so glad I never threw those AA Book of The Car copies away… 😂. A skim of Fibreglass filler and some paint should be fine for now, I'm sure some of you will recoil in horror at this but it’s a 20 year old Focus, if it lasts a year or two then that’s fine or until I can get some wings. 

[jonathan_dyane]

Very extravagant using stainless steel, alloy mesh is quite sufficient to hold the bodge in.

[sierraman]

31 minutes ago, jonathan_dyane said:

Very extravagant using stainless steel, alloy mesh is quite sufficient to hold the bodge in.

I just happened to have some on one side, it wasn’t a conscious choice!! That said it should add some stiffness into the job and of course not rust. 

[sierraman]

Sanding the fucker back now.

[jonathan_dyane]

One of the best tools I bought was a bodywork file, makes light work of this kind of thing then after a light bed of wet and dry and aerosol good as new.

[sierraman]

Dreading spraying the silver paint, I don’t know why but it always ends up looking fucking awful. I figure building it up in loads of light layers should be best course then a lacquer. 

[jonathan_dyane]

Dark grey primer first and it'll be grand

[Mrcento]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Dreading spraying the silver paint, I don’t know why but it always ends up looking fucking awful. I figure building it up in loads of light layers should be best course then a lacquer. 

And polish the absolute fucking bejeezus out of it after.

It's amazing how much difference that makes.

Even if the paint isn't great, slightly different shade, whatever, if it has the right level shine to it, it covers most of the sins, most of the time.

[sierraman]

Covered it in a coat of Rustbeater, this helps fill in some of the minor divots and pocks. Bit of a pain to sand the brush marks out though, it’ll need a few more passes with the filler in various areas. 

[horriblemercedes]

I'm hoping you saved some of those zx cola cans in case you need to sleeve the exhaust 

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, horriblemercedes said:

I'm hoping you saved some of those zx cola cans in case you need to sleeve the exhaust 

I find cans of lager are much better for that. 

[RoverFolkUs]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Covered it in a coat of Rustbeater, this helps fill in some of the minor divots and pocks. Bit of a pain to sand the brush marks out though, it’ll need a few more passes with the filler in various areas. 

Get that filler smooth and then add a layer of knifing putty. About £3 a tube from Halfords and it lasts ages, sands back a lot smoother, finish off with about 600 grit sandpaper, then ideally filler primer if you want an even further improved finish

I was going to do what you've done there but then I managed to find a pair of pattern wings for £20 on FB marketplace. Hopefully I can rattlecan an acceptable finish onto them once the weather stays a bit more consistent 

[beko1987]

I bodged my drivers wing almost similarly last year (didn't have filler so used no nails as a skim coat) and it tidied it up no end! 

Rust is starting to bleed through again now so at the end of summer I'll touch it up before the mot and maybe get away another year without having to spend £80 on a wing that still needs paint 👌

Proper job like that will last for years

[sierraman]

Getting there…

[jonathan_dyane]

Could be a photo from Haynes 'minor body repair '