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. 

[IronStar]

Picked it up from the specialist that would get to it in a year, maybe. Can’t blame him with what’s going on home outside the cars.

Ran fine(ish), with two big misfires on the way to another shop. It’s missing 1/2 liter of coolant and there’s a whiff of coolant when it starts, so it didn’t magically fix itself. Hopefully Victor Reinz fixes it.

To my great annoyance, one of the headlight surrounds has flaked off, so there’s a bit of black missing there. 

Think you folks will like his latest purchase. 1.3 E90 Corolla XL with 38k km on the clock. Laid up in a garage since 2020, absolutely pristine inside but has some hail damage on the outside. He bought it as a distraction from everything else that’s going on in his life. I’m sure he’ll make it absolutely pristine once he has a bit more time.

Oh and he still owes me a silver Rover 45 that’s still being used as a parking cone. 😄

[DSdriver]

My wife's cousin had an alfa Julia (60s vintage) which he had stored in her gran's garage. He'd brought it over from Australia with significant hail damage and was going to get around to it one day. I must try and find out what did happen to it after gran died and the big house was sold but it is probably not going to be a happy ending.

[IronStar]

2 hours ago, DSdriver said:

My wife's cousin had an alfa Julia (60s vintage) which he had stored in her gran's garage. He'd brought it over from Australia with significant hail damage and was going to get around to it one day. I must try and find out what did happen to it after gran died and the big house was sold but it is probably not going to be a happy ending.

If it's not dead but still stored somewhere rotting, is it time for what's probably the most ambitious collection thread on AS? 😄

[IronStar]

Just received a photo from the upholstery bloke, new steering wheel for 159 inbound

About the time I replaced the slowly disintegrating one in the car I daily 🫣

[IronStar]

Ma che cazzo fai con quegli attrezzi?! 
Just removing some bits

Ma perché cazzo stai smontando una macchina così bella, barbaro serbo?! 
Why is a retainer for airbag hidden behind your steering cowl, Alfa?! 
BASTA! 

Quello non è strumento autorizzato di fabbrica?!
Why do I need to start the car to turn the wheel to detach the airbag, Alfa? Is it not asking for trouble with porta-claymore, Alfa?
Non rimuovere airbag, idiota! 
Too late

 

Madonna mia…
*battery disconnect* Some peace and quiet.

Two very creatively routed cables disconnected, one 24mm retaining nut later

Three Philips head and 4 star screws later:

Refitting is reverse of disassembly 

Some leather cream to even out the colour 

 

Much better then the old one