Star garages - The Good, the Rusty, and the Delayed - General updates

[IronStar]

Got a pass on an inspection today!
Not before removing HIDs pre-inspection, though. Some years ago, they banned HID conversions, as people were putting them in the headlights that are absolutely not designed for them, and were dazzling others. There was a whole controversy around what defines a HID and what's a factory-installed HID, with the initial guide being "the car must be equipped with headlight washers if equipped with HIDs." That obviously made no sense, as there are quite a few cars that rolled off the assembly line with HIDs and no washers, and in a rare moment of journalistic integrity in Serbia, one of the senior police officials was bent over a barrel in our most popular motoring show. The entire fiasco was swept under the rug, and it kinda ended up being "needs to be a factory option", but what's factory is at the tester's discretion. Unfortunately, it's also at the inspector's discretion if they ever get an inspection, so quite a few of them err on the side of caution. 

So, today, pre-test, I was removing the conversion that's in the projector headlights and not dazzling anyone, and reinstalling them tonight. 🙄 Access is amazing* as expected, and you need to remove an intake pipe on the driver's side. 

I also briefly managed to get an oil pressure warning on very sharp cornering. Pulling the dipstick revealed a level below the minimum.  🤦‍♂️ I'll put some oil in tomorrow, but I've apparently been spoiled by the cars that tell you the oil level on key on. I have no clue where it went, as I can't recall a major leak, and it doesn't smell of burning oil, but heyho. It's due for a change on date anyway, but I'll pour in a liter as I tend to delay these for weeks until I have a bit of time, and I don't want to kill it for the sake of a liter of oil. 

[IronStar]

AS Star Garages corner of the shopping mall garage. At this stage, I think people realized that they all probably belong to the same owner, and are wondering who tf is paying for reserved parking for these. They’re not all resident, I dropped by to swap cars and took a chance for a photo op.

I picked up Yugo Cabrio’s hydraulic pistons from a rebuild. This should be the final piece of the puzzle to enable interior to be reassembled.

Picked up 2 sets of wheels from 607’s PO. Forgot to take photos, but it’s two sets of these, one in silver, other in gunmetal.

Silver ones are scratched from storage, gunmetal ones have been refurbished recently but have a deep storage scrape on the face of one. 🤦‍♂️ Came with two sets of tyres, Tigar Winter dated ‘19, and brilliant Sava UHP dated ‘22 on gunmetal. Gunmetal ones may be making a reappearance, as whilst they will never be my 1st, 2nd or 11th pick, they certainly are nicer than what’s currently on the car until I buy something nicer. The other ones will make an appearance on classifieds along with what’s currently on the car as soon as I find some time for that.
Speaking of 607, it went into a shop for a second round of why is it running like shit? As detailed on its own thread, bank 1 comp is pegged at +25% and it’s anything but smooth on idle, and even worse on LPG, so I’m bow suspecting a vacuum leak. I’m utterly confused that the running seems to randomly get better and worse depending on the day. It was undriveable few days ago, and went back to merely shit when I dropped it off. 🤷‍♂️
I also drove mate’s 2020(?) 308, if I ever needed a reminder why I don’t want a new car.  

It’s finally consistently double-digits here, so we’re seeing anti-gravity cars again.

I really need to change that sill and respray the bumper and the bonnet. 

Bravo keeps Bravoing, and being a best little runaround a person could ask for. I need to change oil when I get a minute. I bought Shell’s finest, but finding time (and I can’t remember where did I put the filter wrench!) is proving a challenge. Last year’s efforts and sinking 2x what the car is worth into AC system’s recommissioning resulted in ice cold air coming out of the vents. It saps so much power put of the engine it’s hilarious, and resulted in me stalling it first time I moved off the lights with it on. The vents need a clean, as does realistically rest of the interior. My detailing guy moved out of Belgrade, and I still didn’t find a suitable replacement.  I need to try harder. 

155x2 have finally moved off the street into in-laws yard, turning them from street furniture into lawn ornaments. As you guessed, I still didn’t find time or arsed to at least strip the door cards. I’ll do it this season, I promise.