Amelia's Automotive Adventures - One out, One in...

[stuboy]

9 hours ago, Amelia said:

So, where are we now?

Got a job! Yay 😊 Start next week. Lower pay and a bit of a commute, but I can cope with that.

Renault still needs to go, I can't afford to be having a project car at the moment. 

Mini is due MOT in September, so I'm going to put her through early to see what she needs. I suspect too mount, steering rack bearing, and new plates.

 

I'm so funny... not

flip then N to become a Z one

[loserone]

Or a noze

[somewhatfoolish]

A Zen, ideal for Robert Pirsig fans. A wow, for the easily impressed.

[Christine]

Your  nuts.     

 

 

[Amelia]

9 hours ago, Christine said:

Your  nuts.     

 

 

Not any more, not since the op 👍🏻

I know you think you're hilarious, but most people are just like 🙄🙄🙄 now. 

It was maybe funny the first time. 

[Amelia]

Bella is going for her MOT next Saturday, hoping for an easy pass.

My new job entails driving 30 miles from Southend to Beckton, East London and back daily. I've definitely noticed that she's not the greatest economy-wise. I'm getting less than 30mpg!

Which equals around £2300 per year on fuel.

For comparison, a 2010 Kia Picanto 1.0 would get 40+mpg, and would be £1660 per year. Saving £640.

Someone once said though that the cheapest car is the one you already have, or something like that. Is it worth looking to change? I love my Mini, but is it worth the extra cost? Just musing. 

 

[IronStar]

9 minutes ago, Amelia said:

Bella is going for her MOT next Saturday, hoping for an easy pass.

My new job entails driving 30 miles from Southend to Beckton, East London and back daily. I've definitely noticed that she's not the greatest economy-wise. I'm getting less than 30mpg!

Which equals around £2300 per year on fuel.

For comparison, a 2010 Kia Picanto 1.0 would get 40+mpg, and would be £1660 per year. Saving £640.

Someone once said though that the cheapest car is the one you already have, or something like that. Is it worth looking to change? I love my Mini, but is it worth the extra cost? Just musing. 

 

Would you be willing to go from a car you like to 1.0 Kia Picanto and drive it for 60 miles every day to save £640 a year, which is ~£50 a month? I know I wouldn’t want to sit in a car that makes me miserable every day for an hour or more for that kind of savings. but that’s really individual and also a question of how big of a difference £50 a month makes for you.

[New POD]

40 minutes ago, Amelia said:

Bella is going for her MOT next Saturday, hoping for an easy pass.

My new job entails driving 30 miles from Southend to Beckton, East London and back daily. I've definitely noticed that she's not the greatest economy-wise. I'm getting less than 30mpg!

Which equals around £2300 per year on fuel.

For comparison, a 2010 Kia Picanto 1.0 would get 40+mpg, and would be £1660 per year. Saving £640.

Someone once said though that the cheapest car is the one you already have, or something like that. Is it worth looking to change? I love my Mini, but is it worth the extra cost? Just musing. 

 

I once sold a perfectly good 1.6GL mk2 cavalier for £500, and bought a 1.4D AX for £2500, in order to save money.  

No doubt that I did save money, but my journey to work became miserable. 

[myglaren]

Youngest has a Picanto.  Not terribly enthused about it but it was saving her money going to work compared to the Megane it replaced.

She likes bigger cars, had a Rover 75 and a couple of SAABs.  Makes do with the Kia as she is spending quite a bit on home improvements, new roof, new windows, new kitchen and a new bathroom soon.

She has saved a lot of money on her journey to work though.  Changed jobs and now walks the half mile to work.

[stuboy]

10 hours ago, New POD said:

I once sold a perfectly good 1.6GL mk2 cavalier for £500, and bought a 1.4D AX for £2500, in order to save money.  

No doubt that I did save money, but my journey to work became miserable. 

rash decision..

[stuboy]

11 hours ago, Amelia said:

would be £1660 per year. Saving £640

£2.47 a day saving if only work 5 days a week....  comfort and kudos to keep Bella

[bangernomics]

Charging at work available? You need Arfur “Kiltox” Daley.

[EyesWeldedShut]

19 hours ago, Amelia said:

Someone once said though that the cheapest car is the one you already have, or something like that. Is it worth looking to change? I love my Mini, but is it worth the extra cost? Just musing. 

 

R55/R56 Mini with the 1560cc Diesel (that's the same as in the PSA cars) will give you 55 - 60 mpg. Cam belt. No chain. Roughly 2007 - 2010 models.
Just musing

[Amelia]

Pics today, driving a 1983 Land Rover 88"

 

[Amelia]

As for Bella, she's putting in sterling work as a commuter car, 60 miles per day. MOT passed with only an advisory on a damaged tyre, which I sorted by just buying a full set of steel wheels with tyres for £85, as you do.

[Austin-Rover]

Love the steel wheels. Just need some MINI branded caps to finish them off. 😍

[Noel Tidybeard]

to be fair the bini steelies are a decent looking wheel

[Madman Of The People]

On 19/02/2024 at 17:25, warren t claim said:

I'd rather have the whole Fiero.

 

Here you go...

https://www.streetsideclassics.com/vehicles/4529-nsh/1986-pontiac-fiero-gt

This one is for sale near me.  I'll be more than happy to take it out for a test drive on your behalf.  You know, for "evaluation" purposes...

 

[Amelia]

Back home with the roffle win Astra!

Mini is being relegated to parking out on the road for now, it's getting crowded in the car park.

 

[Amelia]

It's alive!

 

Turns out it was fine after I did the HG.

My  friend who is a Renault 5 enthusiast came to visit, she bled the system, fixed the rad fan switch and let it idle for ages. Everything works fine, the only issue is the temp light which looks like a dodgy sensor! She says the engine runs sweet and there's currently no head gasket issues.

 

 

[Amelia]

In other news @flat4alfa, I've done the exhaust manifold gasket on the Astra, took me less than 20 mins. The bolts weren't that tight, which won't have helped! 

Should I put locking washers on exhaust nuts anyone? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Andyrew]

23 hours ago, Amelia said:

In other news @flat4alfa, I've done the exhaust manifold gasket on the Astra, took me less than 20 mins. The bolts weren't that tight, which won't have helped! 

Should I put locking washers on exhaust nuts anyone? 🤷🏻‍♀️

The two bolts from the manifold to down pipe? 

They came loose a few times when my mate owned it. We ment to get some new bolts to try.

 

 

[Amelia]

On 20/10/2024 at 22:43, Andyrew said:

The two bolts from the manifold to down pipe? 

They came loose a few times when my mate owned it. We ment to get some new bolts to try.

 

 

No, all 8 manifold to engine. Hardly any effort needed to remove them, and I'm quite weak. 

[Andyrew]

1 hour ago, Amelia said:

No, all 8 manifold to engine. Hardly any effort needed to remove them, and I'm quite weak. 

Woah! 

Interestingly i replaced that gasket when i got the car from the girl at work 3 or so years ago,  it was the reason she wanted rid. her words were "it sounds like its going to explode". Which was the blowing gasket ticking away.

They were loose ish then. 

Clearly just too much 8v power

 

 

[DSdriver]

Did you use a torque wrench in which case check again in another three years.

[Christine]

Eat more spinach

[Amelia]

Fucksake. 

Wipers stopped working on Mini. 

It's not the fuses or relays. Ordered a new motor. Apparently it's a pig of a job to do. I'm definitely gonna break a nail or two! 😭

[Amelia]

20 hours ago, DSdriver said:

Did you use a torque wrench in which case check again in another three years.

I torqued them to FT 🤣

Astra is going to a friend this weekend because her husband needs a car. I'll let them know 😁

[DSdriver]

My Saab specialist started doing Minis as well, their logic being that as there was a diminishing number of Saabs they would never be slack with Minis.

[Amelia]

So, Rosie is gone!

She's staying on the forum, I'll let the new owner introduce themselves.

I had agreed to deliver the van to a halfway place for the new owner, some 45 miles away in Kent. 

I was relatively confident she would make it, but to be safe I enlisted the help of my tame Renault/Citroen enthusiast friend (she has 2 R5s and a BX) to assist.

We set off at 6.10pm. I followed her in my Mini, and all went well. For half a mile, then the rear doors flew open.

Tied them up with my tow rope and got on our way.

3 miles later she pulled over again. Engine getting too warm. Header tank bubbling up a bit - air lock? 

Did another mile and a half or so and Cam said she wasn't happy to risk driving the van any further. 

We ended up behind Pitsea Tesco and decided to hook up the towing bar we had brought along for this eventuality.

She sorted the connections, while I made myself busy with masking tape creating and 'on tow" graphic for the back. 

 

 

The rest of the journey went pretty well, but involved a slow (ish - 45mph) drive , including the M25 over the Dartford crossing and then heavy stop start traffic on the A2. I have to say I was very much on edge the whole way! Especially with lorries overtaking us and a few disgruntled beeps from impatient truckers. Cameron was unfazed by the mission, she obviously has nerves of steel! 

Dropped van off at its temporary home about half 8, then treated ourselves to a late night Maccys afterwards, and got back around 10.20pm.