I’ll have a P’icasso please Bob.

[purplebargeken]

Right, more of an update.

Have sorted one sill neatly and well. The N/S sill is solid but just a bit ugly looking, surface rust has been removed, rust killed and painted over with POR15, it will be painted over shortly. The wing will have a repair for now. 
The backbox has been done.

Took the car to a local gearbox specialist who has good reviews, they thought initially it might have been either a bush or stabiliser, however after a test drive it seems to be the gearbox bearing itself and we are looking at around 750.

Yay for buying a car with a duff gearbox.

What to do…..

[purplebargeken]

Fuck it, it’s booked in. 
It’s had the timing belt and all the associated stuff done, it’s been serviced. It runs well, it’s spacious and comfy.

It could do with a new rear tyre,  a couple of ball joints and tracking.  Not earth shattering.

If I went out and spaffed the same on another one, I would only have to repeat the fuckery of having to sort out the neglect of someone else’s shit car for sale, so no point tbh.  

[maxxo]

I can only apologise for that

i honestly had no clue regarding the gearbox as it had always felt that way since they purchased it in 2019

albeit it did 10k in that time

glad its gone to a good home

[purplebargeken]

It’s just what it is mate,  I thought it was a bush, most Picasso folk thought it would be a bush. The gearbox folk thought it might be a stabiliser bar. It wasn’t sadly. It will get done on Thursday and will then be a much better driver experience hopefully.

Just a thought, gearbox oil. No idea when it was changed, or even what the level was, so that might have been a contributing factor, who knows?

I got hit with a fair bit of work needing to be done on the Jag and then the Picasso, the Despair Fairy kicked me in the nuts and it was ‘fuck this shite’ for a couple of days, but it is all ok now tbh.

Have had the two ball joints done as they were noted as worn on the MOT and the front end does feel better for it.  I will get the loss of air issue checked out on the rear tyres at the end of the month.  Might just need a reseal……

Did a tip run yesterday so  all three seats were folded up for that and wow, masses of load space ensued.  Really quite bloody impressive 😊😊

Got the Bissell out today and cleaned the front seats and footwell carpets, the seats looked quite decent anyway and I was very, very surprised with the amount of icky coffee coloured fluid that filled up the Bissell. The seat trim doesn’t actually look hugely different given what came out. Maybe when it properly dries it might look more noticeable. I was genuinely surprised at the outcome though. Some trim hides dirt better than others, without a doubt.  Passenger footwell carpet is immediately visibly quite improved though. Load area carpet came up really well also.

Just want to get the car in good order for a planned trip to France in the Spring. Might get that A/C sorted after all given the weather temp nowadays. We shall see.

[purplebargeken]

Gearbox got done, has improved it but there is still a small amount of movement in the lever at times.

Track rod ends done, feels a lot better tbh. Never did get the tracking done, hey ho.

Will lob a bit of tape over the hole in the wing as the mot is getting done next week. Fuck, must sort the other washer jet!

Had an attempt at trying to pull stepdaughters Astra out of a Welsh ditch that disguised itself as a passing point. Failed as properly wedged in, succeeded in removing about a years worth of life from the clutch. Still trying to rid the car of clutch smoke. Passing very large tractor sorted it out. Clutch seems to work okay which is good as a quote of £850 was provided. I have only just stopped laughing.

Rear tyres are still losing air, that will be sorted post mot if it passes.

Other than all that, it just happily trundles along.

[purplebargeken]

Clean MOT pass obtained,