The irregular irrigations of Semi-C.

[Schaefft]

Looking forward to seeing it's journey continue on here. As mentioned before, for the asking price buying a running and driving W140 WITH MOT is an absolute no brainer. If I was closer I would have jumped on it despite already having one in the drive!

[Semi-C]

Whilst it might not look like it, this trip odometer reading indicates a significant mille-stone, 1048.1 miles achieved in my first month aboard the ex @HMC w140. 
It has been a 1st klasse experience for me, never have I enjoyed so much leg room in a car (After a liberal dose of contact cleaner was applied to the electric seat controls!). 
I have been busy attending to some of the car’s faults but not in photographing all of the processes...
The viscous fan coupling and the thermostat were changed promptly which was an improvement but not the complete solution. The radiator didn’t feel like it was getting evenly hot, suggesting impeded flow so citric acid was introduced to the coolant and left to work it’s magic. 
After a week in the system, the radiator was now warming evenly so the citric-coolant-cocktail was drained and the system flushed and refilled. 

The cause of the radiator clogging was diagnosed as a leaky transmission oil cooler, which passes through the radiator, so bypassing it was the preferred/cost effective option.

Since the bypass, radiator clogging has reduced wholesale and transmission expiration has yet to manifest. A filter and oil change are in the immediate future of the gearbox as a reward for its compliance.

Not all of the improvements* have been mechanical ones, the o/s/r door had two holes drilled in it and it’s handle had been forced, these issues were resolved with silicon, a 2p piece and a 10€ cent.

The reinstatement of the wooden trim from the front of the ashtray was not as easy as I assumed but with an assistant, anything is possible...

Also on the list of repairs was to put an end to the petrol smell that would infrequently overwhelm the cabin, the seals around the fuel gauge sender were found to be harder than Fedor Emelianenko, swapping those for some freshies banished the stink.

And that is where we are up to in the story so far, tune in some other time folks.

[beko1987]

Nice, some nice easy* jobs ticked off there! 

You don't want to be overheating in the last few hours of summer we have left now

[Semi-C]

14 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Nice, some nice easy* jobs ticked off there! 

You don't want to be overheating in the last few hours of summer we have left now

Thanks, I’m fairly sure the ashtray trim was the hardest job yet, not only tightening the screw that holds it on to the ashtray module but achieving the sort of even shutlines that a car of this calibre deserves...

Ahem!

[Semi-C]

Owing to the w140’s arrival, my s210 has had a fairly relaxed time of late, it’s still getting used but mainly when the roads are dry. So, practically never then! 
I have managed to achieve a full (picture free obviously...) service of it though, and to replace the fractured expansion tank:

You can just about see the pink residue of crack evident in this picture.

Crack free tank installed, nice.

All was confirmed as grand following an extended test drive to Brighton. I truly love this car, comfortable, capable, cool as you like and capable of both irresponsibility and economy, RATED!

[Semi-C]

Warning: Hardcore ANNUAL content.

Where to start? A redundancy impacted the fleet with the w140 leaving, thankfully my e320 has blessed me with precious little to report other than a couple of oil changes, a puncture and a failed injector. 

Here it is enhancing the views of Wales earlier this year.

Mrs-C's Corolla was involved in a dispute with a van leading to its shunted up front and passing resemblance to Sam Dingle

several minutes spent coaxing some alignment back into it and...

This was considered fixed enough to be taken in part exchange against a fine Mercedes CLK320, an instant Mrs-C favourite with its heated seats and half wood steering wheel!

With a household total of merely two roadgoing cars something had to put an end to this madness...

[Semi-C]

...yes, that's correct, more madness is the answer.

Not that it's particularly mad at all actually, I mean, how can you go wrong with a cheap* blue mk2 Granada?

Thanks to the super fab @rob88h, I was able to arrange a viewing and collection of the car upon returning from a trip to Prague, maybe my best "last day of holiday" ever!

All I can report so far is it's ace, I've been using it more than I've been photographing it. Here it is lifting the mood in the works carpark.

Rated.

*adjusted for 2024 expectations of affordability. I bought a cheap blue 2.8 ghia x granada for £150 in 2004.

[Semi-C]

ICE Installation episode.

This has been a very pleasant sight to behold, the 18+ years since my last daily driven Granada have meant that the experience of owning one again is reassuringly surprising. A heater that warms up quicker than the one in the Mercedes and seats soft enough to drown in have seen it getting more commuting duties than the w210 at the moment, it's loftier ride height also being a factor as some of the roads on my route to work are best described as derelict. Driving wise it couldn't be described as either fast or frugal but it could be described as adequately competent and smart as fuck.

I wanted to broaden the music options so fitted a different head unit (pioneer deh p77mp) as I have more CDs than cassette tapes and I also fitted the other speaker that @rob88h had supplied.

Apart from that it's mostly been just driving and revelling, I'm almost 900 miles in and it's been glorious. 

In the interest of fairness and context, I have been using the w210 as well, it's tardy heating tendencies require yet another thermostat to rectify, the rear brakes are nearing replacement and if I was being fussy, some Yokohamas would be nice.

[BorniteIdentity]

Hay!

I wish you'd offered up the Corolla!  It's precisely the car I need atm.  Not to worry!

I had no idea you'd taken on the Granada.  You got eyeballed yesterday on Facebook.

The terrible photos do it - perversely - justice!

 

[HMC]

Brilliant! looks like screen shots from a 1990s Bill episode.

[3VOM]

19 hours ago, Semi-C said:

I wanted to broaden the music options so fitted a different head unit (pioneer deh p77mp) as I have more CDs than cassette tapes and I also fitted the other speaker that @rob88h had supplied.

Quality head unit there, good choice.

[Semi-C]

5 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Hay!

I wish you'd offered up the Corolla!  It's precisely the car I need atm.  Not to worry!

I had no idea you'd taken on the Granada.  You got eyeballed yesterday on Facebook.

The terrible photos do it - perversely - justice!

 

Can't even outrun June Ackland without getting clocked these days!

Forgive me for not mentioning the Corolla to you, I was partly motivated by not wanting to share it's sad state with anybody and also the misaligned front end was fair out of square, I didn't want to pass that headache on to anybody I know.

 

[Semi-C]

Welcome back to the thread that just keeps on giving.

Extended periods of inactivity and precious little else. 

Since the last time I posted I have failed to photograph much in the way of mechanical adventure, there has been oil changes and bulbs replaced upon the Mercedes and the accumulation of parts for a brake and suspension refresh.

Here it can be seen en location in the Peak district last month on the way back from a trip to Leeds, it still impresses me with its ability to cover distance comfortably and pretty economically too.

The granada has continued to provide faultless service also, over 3k miles so far in my ownership.

snow or sunshine,

local or cross country, it just goes and it gets plenty of attention while doing it. Maybe it's the BUH effect? (Suffolk dialect) 

Of all the attention it receives, the common theme is that people seem to want to buy it from me, with more than one of those offers being tempting. I am considering advertising the granada for a little bit more than those offers and replacing it with something cheap as I am having a bit of a difficult time of late and could use the money. 

Mrs C's CLK has continued to be excellent, a 3 week old tyre destroyed by puncturing the only issue. 

My cortina and GSXR have both seen zero action this year, hopefully one day...

 

 

[Semi-C]

Hello everybod's peeps, I'm in the afterwards of the change in plans with my cortina and I am feeling enthused about it. 

The advice/opinion given to me by the person that came to see it was much appreciated and the kind attitudes of folk on here really have given my outlook a bit of a lift. I know it takes more than a little fluff to nurture a semi but I am aiming to get some actual progress going.

This was the first time it had been moved in about 3 years, brakes not seized on, clutch not stuck on and after 2 goes it started up sweetly. The rust hasn't really got any worse since sitting idle but it is reasonably* bad. I'm hoping to get back to it Tuesday/Wednesday to poke at it and suss out exactly what's what rot-wise.

The hurdle for me is finding somewhere to weld it up, no units locally that want to entertain cars or "hot works" and my current unemployment aren't helping the search. I'm hopeful that something will come along on both fronts.

Thanks again to anybody who made it through this post, your reward is this shot of the ex @SRi05 xj6, still loved and cherished by my dad and seen outside my house this morning before the rain came.

Cheers.

[Semi-C]

The plan to get back and assess the Cortina's rot was baulked by a loss of coolant from the w210, the passenger end cap had gone from a slight weep to crying it's eyes out.

In a cracking piece of luck, my friend sponsored me a leak free radiator from a long dead e320 which I cleaned up as best as I could be bothered. I thought now was a good time to replace the failed thermostat I had fitted shortly after I bought the car.

Not the most convenient to get at but at least it's close to the front of the car, took more swearing than time to get it removed but remove it I did...

...and in doing so broke one of the diesel pipes to the high pressure fuel pump.

I reasoned that it was better to break outside my house than somewhere else although I doubt it would have broken had it not been in the firing line of thermostat removal. A fresh pipe was ordered from Mercedes and the reassembly process began.

"Quality" thermostats seem to be hard to find, genuine ones don't exist and the Mahle ones don't come with the housing so I hollowed out the failed one and installed this Mahle one in its shell, great!

I didn't photograph the diesel pipe installation as it was a bit of a job but it finally went back together and with the thermostat and radiator back in place I ran the thing up to check for success/failure...

A bit of both was the result. No leaks from the radiator and no leaks from the diesel pipe however the thermostat does not function properly, engine temperature barely reaching the 1/4 mark on the gauge! I fear the Mahle part hasn't appreciated being installed in an apec housing causing it's sulk/failure, it's looking like an auto doc order for a complete part with housing is on the cards.

Might need to order a locking wheel nut key too...

SAKES!!!

[Semi-C]

It's been a bit more of a successful time this end since the last gripping* instalment.

The 4 locking wheel nuts are no more! A double-hex 18mm socket, a lump hammer and a breaker bar saw them off and 4 x replacements were sponsored to me by my friend who hooked me up with the radiator, top boy that Valentin.

My next job was to replace the body to anti roll bar bushes and the drop links too. 

It wasn't difficult removing anything, all the bolts came undone and the ARB was extracted without issue.

Definitely think it was time for some new bush action!

Steam powered cutting equipment deployed and the tired old links were history. 

I didn't document the reinstallation as I was on a roll but here it is back in place.

Nice.

[Snipes]

Never seen ARB links like that before!

[beko1987]

Similar looking setup to the back of my qashqai. It has some clonks from back there and I'm hoping the mot man advises that their those bushes rather than the main subframe ones 🤞🤞

Did yiu have to undo both sides at once? I see you've got both wheels odd. I have fears of something pinging down off the spring that I can't get back on if I ever get that far 😂

[Semi-C]

1 hour ago, beko1987 said:

Similar looking setup to the back of my qashqai. It has some clonks from back there and I'm hoping the mot man advises that their those bushes rather than the main subframe ones 🤞🤞

Did yiu have to undo both sides at once? I see you've got both wheels odd. I have fears of something pinging down off the spring that I can't get back on if I ever get that far 😂

With the wheels off and the car on stands, I put a jack under each hub when I undid the bolt that holds the link to the bottom arm, they didn't drop much but enough to have loaded the thread of the bolt. With both links undone I then undid the 4 bolts holding the anti roll bar to the body (2 each side in this case, I'm not familiar with a qashqai's undercarriage arrangements!) and withdrew the anti roll bar using the aforementioned trolley jack to take some of the weight. Reinstallation was the same process reversed.

If* your Nissan's set up is similar to this one it shouldn't be a horrible job, main subframe bushes on the other hand...

[beko1987]

From my untrained eye it looks similar, aye! Cheers for the pointers! Subframe bushes is one of the things that will write off the car, their not worth doing without bolting a shit load of fresh chunky parts on "while your in there"

Its only on certain bits of road though and their FUCKING SHIT anyway, my mates mondeo thumps across them too, and the ex's kuga and dad's enyaq so I'm optimistic