Dave continues to be an idiot.

[DaveDorson]

 

Alright Dudes. (and of course Dudettes)

So given the golf is absolutely fine, reliable a bit in your face and noisy and ticks most of the boxes of being a decent car, the fact the Range Rover is currently mid 200 years or welding, and I've got WAY too much to keep me busy, I decided the best course of action to aid my financial ruin, would be to buy this:

 

My main reasons are, the golf could use the Turbo replaced, I have it.. I've not done it because I need a car to use.

The Golf is many shades of red, and has very bad laquer peeling, which I'd like to resolve.  So the sensible thing would be to buy a cheap dinger to use for a bit then frag while I sort it.. Instead, I saw this, thought I quite fancy having one for a bit, so why not improve this, then sell it at a massive financial loss.

Some may have seen this fail to sell on ebay, here's the skinny:

Quote

 

Nice clean car for its age.

Owned by me since 2018

Serviced by me 

Clutch done

Belt done

Brakes done

 

Air-con doesn't work (fan dont blow)

Radio needs a code

 

Drivers plastic door handle clip inside is broken

Gear stick gator surround come un clipped

 

 

It's done 184k, doesn't feel a thing like it though, drives lovely.

It's been a local to me car for ages, the previous owner is a guy who races American NASCAR type trucks, and does custom fabrication of camper interiors, beds, mezzanine staircases and stuff.

It isn't without issues, but crucially it's had recent cam belt, clutch, and brakes sorted, it's got 4 tyres on that aren't shagged but also aren't good brand ones, and it's got a healthy lengthily MOT. 

The rear arch has been like this for the last 3 years at least that I know of.

The radio doesn't need a code, it needs coding to the car, which is dealer level tools job.. and you're left with a shit radio at the end of it.

There's some bits that want sorting, but mostly it's nice, it's straight, it works, it makes funny noises (has been to K-Tec in its lifetime and has some bits on it) 

Plan so far.

Address the lack of working internal fan.  I've already got the dash out and the fan out, and checked and power is getting to it, but the fan is dead.. proper dead.. New one should arrive today.

Sort out the TPMS Fault.. it's got a wheel with no sensor in.. I have some dodgy renault software coming.. lets see what I can sort.

Refurb the wheels and wrap them in some more premium tyres.

Sort the bodywork out

Sort out something around the stereo, because I want that to work,

Resolve the bits of shakey, loose and broken trim.

All "rolling project" stuff, so I don't need to take it off the road to sort it like I might the golf.

Then decide, when both are done.. which one goes.  Likely sell this at a massive financial loss, once it's proven to be a brilliant car.

[comfortablynumb]

So let me get this straight @DaveDorson.

You've got several cars that need work, including a range rover that needs welding ( snap!!) so you've bought another car, and promptly stripped it because it needs work?

Excellent!! 👍 👍 

Fantastic work. Reward yourself immediately with another purchase...😁

[DaveDorson]

6 minutes ago, comfortablynumb said:

So let me get this straight @DaveDorson.

You've got several cars that need work, including a range rover that needs welding ( snap!!) so you've bought another car, and promptly stripped it because it needs work?

Excellent!! 👍 👍 

Fantastic work. Reward yourself immediately with another purchase...😁

Worse than that, I'd actually initially started to look at Aircooled VW's that I can chuck some random purchase VW Sprintstars on and ended up with another expensive project..

[tom13]

I will buy this when you sell if for a loss. Nice buy

[mintwth]

35 minutes ago, DaveDorson said:

The radio doesn't need a code, it needs coding to the car, which is dealer level tools job.. and you're left with a shit radio at the end of it

Didn't think the radio was coded to the car on these. If there's been no power to the radio, the radio will need its code entering though. 

There's a RS225 group on Facebook. I'm sure I've seen people who don't know their code get it for free after bunging up a pic of the radio's serial/security number label on there. 

The code for mine was written on a bit of paper in the handbook. 

[DaveDorson]

13 minutes ago, mintwth said:

Didn't think the radio was coded to the car on these. If there's been no power to the radio, the radio will need its code entering though. 

There's a RS225 group on Facebook. I'm sure I've seen people who don't know their code get it for free after bunging up a pic of the radio's serial/security number label on there. 

The code for mine was written on a bit of paper in the handbook. 

 

Later ones are coded to the UCH or whatever they call it, mines got an update list HU which is doing a certain sequence of beeps, outputting in low volume etc.  That usually means the car VIN or whatever it pulls isn't recognised by the EPROM, so it won't play nicely.

[IronStar]

RE radio:

This of any use?
https://www.radio-code.lt/radio-renault

[DaveDorson]

4 minutes ago, IronStar said:

RE radio:

This of any use?
https://www.radio-code.lt/radio-renault

It's not a "code needs entering" job, the EPROM needs to be programmed for the car it's fitted to.

Doesn't matter as I'm going to change it for another unit as the Renault one is shite.

[Brigsy]

Didnt know the later units needed coding in. 

Fuck the oem stereo right off for aftermarket, miles better.

[DaveDorson]

3 minutes ago, Brigsy said:

Didnt know the later units needed coding in. 

Fuck the oem stereo right off for aftermarket, miles better.

No, neither did I until I dug a bit deeper into it.

Took a gamble on being able to get a free/cheap code, and it didn't pay off this time.  Never mind.

[dave j]

3 hours ago, DaveDorson said:

Worse than that, I'd actually initially started to look at Aircooled VW's that I can chuck some random purchase VW Sprintstars on and ended up with another expensive project..

Nice wheels! I really wanted a set of staggered Sprintstars for my Beetle but I sold it last year. 

[DaveDorson]

3 hours ago, dave j said:

Nice wheels! I really wanted a set of staggered Sprintstars for my Beetle but I sold it last year. 

I ran into Jonny (the late brake show) Smith and he was in his beetle, which is wearing staggered sprints.. jokingly said. "Sell me your wheels mate" to which he obliged.. 

What I really need to learn to do is shut my fucking gob, it'll save me a fortune.

Anyway, they're coming to me when he swaps them over to his new wheels.

Progress report.. I need a temp sensor for the door mirror as it thinks it's -15c outside.

I now have working fans inside the car, on all 4 speeds, and aircon that doesn't work.. possibly due to the mirror sensor being  broken, I don't have any spare resistors to test my theory unfortunately.

I've a lovely refurb pioneer double din android auto and car play compatible head unit coming along with all the bits I'll need to make them fit thanks to @philibusmo sorting me out with some actual answers of what I need to buy to make it all work together and not look like absolute shart, thanks again for the help with that.. it's amazing how shit searching for answers has got now everyone wants to force hallucination ridden AI down our necks.

I also ordered a reversing camera that fits via a new numberplate light so I don't have to hack the bumper, so that's another job to do when everything else arrives.

Then, I need to get some trim bits to fix the broken trim bits, and make a start of trying to tart it up a bit.

[DaveDorson]

7 hours ago, tom13 said:

I will buy this when you sell if for a loss. Nice buy

Might be a while.

 

I want to make it as good as it can be before I do the stupid thing of selling it and regretting it forever 

[DaveDorson]

Boxes of parts have arrived so this weekends plans, between watching Monster trucks and carting the wife about, is to get some banging tunes running in the car.

 

If I remember to take photos while I work I will do.. I usually forget though.

[DaveDorson]

As expected, no picture because I was busy actually doing stuff and not taking photos, but I now have a shiny pioneer android auto head unit that actually looks properly installed and not super Halfords special.

I didn't fit the reverse camera as the boot garnish is held on with hope and zipties at the moment so when a better one comes thatll be finished but the cable is now tucked up behind the boot liner.

Today a thermistor for the mirror turned up, the car no longer things it's -24c outside and the Aircon seems a bit less crap as a result.

The bumper seems to pop out of its clips near the wing after some spirited driving so that wants looking at, and the exhaust, which is basically missing all silencing means that I'm around 68db at 70mph in the cabin, which means it's a bloody racket outside, so really unacceptable for me at least, although the wife seems to think it's quieter than the golf..I doesn't feel it.

Currently still at risk of being sold when done.

 

 

[DaveDorson]

Took it down to caffeine and machine the bowl this evening, a mix of some B roads and bits of the A1, which was nice.

It's not a motorway car.. and it seems to drink fuel more than the golf does too, but it really comes alive on the right bit of road.

I took a detour on the way back, and I've just got through the door.

It needs better tyres, but it's fun and I don't think absolutely knackered after a nice drive like I can do once I've wrestled the golf about a bit.

[DaveDorson]

Someone else took a photo..

[DaveDorson]

Owning this has been entirely uneventful.. It's currently on loan to my cousin Guy, and I've not actually missed it, so I'm considering selling it on.  Having a long weekend away with Sarah this weekend in that Yorkshire area , I've asked Guy to get some up to date photos for me and give it a good wash and vac, and then I guess I'll put together an advert for it.  Advanced early warning