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Good to meet you today lad.
The Continuous Car Thread of S_S - Skodas, BMWs, Austins...
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Thought you two would get along very well indeed 
surprising_skoda
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- #178
Sensor came for the MG, and it did not cure fault. Replacement requested and that is also now fitted, waiting on diagnostics tomorrow.
Ages ago, months, I don't think quite a year yet, I took the radiator out of the S110R to get it fixed as it had a leak at the top.
A by-product of living in this country, as opposed to England, is that while it is lovely and there is plenty of space, the relative lack of population density means that specialist services are further away. Where a big city might have half a million people and therefore a lot of tradespeople, we have less than 2 million people squeezed into almost 5500 square miles (in fact, looking this up - 133 people per sq km compared to 413 in England). This means that while one English city might have two or three people that can do alloy welding or fabricate exhausts or re-core a radiator as I need - here, it's maybe three or four towns away, a different county even.
Thankfully the radiator people are only 20 miles away and I remembered to drop the rad in a couple of weeks ago. I got a call then to say that it was split and needed a recore, a snip at £156+vat. As radiators for 1970s Skodas are not off the shelf any more, I gave the go-ahead.
I picked it up just before the bank holiday and went to fit it the next day...
The header tank was only on the wrong way round!
So the next day after that it was back in the car and off down the motorway again
Left it another couple of days and they swapped it round. Should hopefully hold now.
Haven't done much else apart from completely forget / not bother to sort out the bike as it failed MOT on a weeping front fork and it's one of those "gahhh" instances where I just don't even want to look at pulling a fork apart.
And today bought (at last) a new (to me) trailer. The Woodford has been a fantastic piece of kit and I'm really, really sad to be replacing it, but it's done a lot of heavy work and needs to retire to an easy life now.
Here it is with an E30 on board, pulled up from Athlone and you wouldn't even have known it was hitched to the van, so settled and light on its feet.
It's a bit silly maybe to sing the praises of 'just' a trailer, but I really do appreciate a quality piece of machinery and the work and abuse this thing has taken just astounds me.
I went last week to a "dealer" to buy a brand new one the same. Price was advertised as £3k all in so off I went armed with £3k cash as I don't like mucking about, I like things sorted in one go without unnecessary delay (unless its something awkward like a Triumph fork seal). "Plenty in stock" actually turned out to be three trailers and one of those was sold. The only other suitable one needed some parts fitted still but was available... and had add-ons I didn't need so it was actually £3180 all in. Frustrated I checked all my pockets and including my lunch money I turned out £3130 but apparently the margins were too tight to let me away with £50 (notwithstanding I would have to change the hitch over to a supplied replacement when I got back with it as well). Also I'd waited on service for 45 minutes and looked round it for another 20 so I didn't even have time to get to the next dealer an hour up the road. I came home empty-towbar'd and miffed.
"Come on God," I prayed on the drive back, "How hard can it be? Give me a good trailer!"
"(please!)"
The last time I prayed that, I'd sold a wrecked Keenan flatbed that weighed a million tons and struggled to replace it, and then just two miles from work I found the Woodford for just a few hundred more than I'd sold the Keenan for, complete with tyre rack and only being used to carry a stockcar a few times a year. It's been the best trailer I've had to date.
And this time... I thought the 'right' trailer was a new one, but as it turns out it is actually not. A friend tagged me on space-cadet-book last night on a BJ Clubman advert and I immediately said Clubmans aren't big or strong enough for us, but i asked anyway, and it was rated for 2100kg... really?
Off we went to look at it today and back we came with a 2100kg payload 16ft BJ in super condition, again used to tow around a drift car occasionally and upgraded to LEDs all round, with a centre deck and stands at the rear, winch and folding arches. For only a couple of hundred more than what the Woodford is still worth.
Happy smiles today.
Ages ago, months, I don't think quite a year yet, I took the radiator out of the S110R to get it fixed as it had a leak at the top.
A by-product of living in this country, as opposed to England, is that while it is lovely and there is plenty of space, the relative lack of population density means that specialist services are further away. Where a big city might have half a million people and therefore a lot of tradespeople, we have less than 2 million people squeezed into almost 5500 square miles (in fact, looking this up - 133 people per sq km compared to 413 in England). This means that while one English city might have two or three people that can do alloy welding or fabricate exhausts or re-core a radiator as I need - here, it's maybe three or four towns away, a different county even.
Thankfully the radiator people are only 20 miles away and I remembered to drop the rad in a couple of weeks ago. I got a call then to say that it was split and needed a recore, a snip at £156+vat. As radiators for 1970s Skodas are not off the shelf any more, I gave the go-ahead.
I picked it up just before the bank holiday and went to fit it the next day...
The header tank was only on the wrong way round!
So the next day after that it was back in the car and off down the motorway again
Left it another couple of days and they swapped it round. Should hopefully hold now.
Haven't done much else apart from completely forget / not bother to sort out the bike as it failed MOT on a weeping front fork and it's one of those "gahhh" instances where I just don't even want to look at pulling a fork apart.
And today bought (at last) a new (to me) trailer. The Woodford has been a fantastic piece of kit and I'm really, really sad to be replacing it, but it's done a lot of heavy work and needs to retire to an easy life now.
Here it is with an E30 on board, pulled up from Athlone and you wouldn't even have known it was hitched to the van, so settled and light on its feet.
It's a bit silly maybe to sing the praises of 'just' a trailer, but I really do appreciate a quality piece of machinery and the work and abuse this thing has taken just astounds me.
I went last week to a "dealer" to buy a brand new one the same. Price was advertised as £3k all in so off I went armed with £3k cash as I don't like mucking about, I like things sorted in one go without unnecessary delay (unless its something awkward like a Triumph fork seal). "Plenty in stock" actually turned out to be three trailers and one of those was sold. The only other suitable one needed some parts fitted still but was available... and had add-ons I didn't need so it was actually £3180 all in. Frustrated I checked all my pockets and including my lunch money I turned out £3130 but apparently the margins were too tight to let me away with £50 (notwithstanding I would have to change the hitch over to a supplied replacement when I got back with it as well). Also I'd waited on service for 45 minutes and looked round it for another 20 so I didn't even have time to get to the next dealer an hour up the road. I came home empty-towbar'd and miffed.
"Come on God," I prayed on the drive back, "How hard can it be? Give me a good trailer!"
"(please!)"
The last time I prayed that, I'd sold a wrecked Keenan flatbed that weighed a million tons and struggled to replace it, and then just two miles from work I found the Woodford for just a few hundred more than I'd sold the Keenan for, complete with tyre rack and only being used to carry a stockcar a few times a year. It's been the best trailer I've had to date.
And this time... I thought the 'right' trailer was a new one, but as it turns out it is actually not. A friend tagged me on space-cadet-book last night on a BJ Clubman advert and I immediately said Clubmans aren't big or strong enough for us, but i asked anyway, and it was rated for 2100kg... really?
Off we went to look at it today and back we came with a 2100kg payload 16ft BJ in super condition, again used to tow around a drift car occasionally and upgraded to LEDs all round, with a centre deck and stands at the rear, winch and folding arches. For only a couple of hundred more than what the Woodford is still worth.
Happy smiles today.
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
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- Thread Starter
- #179
Minor update.
BJ trailer has had it's first couple of runs, having been used for red E30 delivery and black E30 collection for it's first couple of trips. Not just as chuckable as the Woodford in my mind but all very capable so far.
MG is finally free of airbag light woes as the right side impact sensor fault that wouldn't go away turned out to be the left side sensor. British build quality is amazing.
So up it goes:
And... no. Needs a wishbone and some brake lines were a bit crusty looking but actually came up fine with a little rub, and handbrake a bit woeful. Felt fine in use but only 14% efficiency which is rubbish. Otherwise am-aze-ing so hopefully a retest next week and I will have a nice car in time for several upcoming weddings, none of which are mine unfortunately but one of which I'm organising the stag-do for and the other I'm assisting in officiating at, so maybe not so much car stuff going to get done this month...
BJ trailer has had it's first couple of runs, having been used for red E30 delivery and black E30 collection for it's first couple of trips. Not just as chuckable as the Woodford in my mind but all very capable so far.
MG is finally free of airbag light woes as the right side impact sensor fault that wouldn't go away turned out to be the left side sensor. British build quality is amazing.
So up it goes:
And... no. Needs a wishbone and some brake lines were a bit crusty looking but actually came up fine with a little rub, and handbrake a bit woeful. Felt fine in use but only 14% efficiency which is rubbish. Otherwise am-aze-ing so hopefully a retest next week and I will have a nice car in time for several upcoming weddings, none of which are mine unfortunately but one of which I'm organising the stag-do for and the other I'm assisting in officiating at, so maybe not so much car stuff going to get done this month...
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
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- Thread Starter
- #180
MG passed the retest once the brake pipes had been rubbed down and smeared with grease. They were fine, no pitting, just a result of having sat still since the MOT ran up.
Time to crack on with something else. Finally, finally after many false starts and falsely advertised cables, a new choke cable arrived that actually works as intended. It's a generic one and looks naff but it's all could get, unfortunately.
Then after fitting that I set to finding out why the Austin 7 did not have the correct passage of electricity in it. I say I, I mean my dad, and between one and four of the staff were all poking at it at various points, some of them even helping, but mostly just poking.
Dials and ignition switch out for continuity testing. All good. Hmm.
Checked the fuses. One was blown but most were getting power. Some were not, about half. Ah, traced those back to the kill switch. One wire coming from that was not taking its feed. Hotwired it across and those fuses got power in. Managed to touch the earth side of the kill switch while holding an exposed + wire so burnt the end of my finger. But still no electrics worked. We were concentrating on getting the lights to work as everything else would fall in line if that worked, the lights are the most fuse and relay laden circuits.
Maybe the lights are faulty. Took them apart. Nope! Messy, but fine.
Ok, next stop relays.
Pulled them out and checked, power coming in. Hotwired/jumped the relays and the lights came on!
So, relays must be faulty? Replaced relays. Lights did not work...AGH!
Checked relay power feed again. Fine. Checked switched live. fine. Checked earth. Also had power. Wait, the earth line has positive power? That's, erm, not right...
As the relays are tightly wired in to a little enclosure I made for them, the only way to test the earths was to chop the wire and quickly fit another earth line straight to body. Did that and immediately the fuel pump started priming. That's a good thing! Switched off ignition, wired it up temporarily, and put it back on.
And now the lights, and everything, work. All the circuits that weren't working went through the relays and the relay ground wires are, were, wired up wrongly somewhere. So run an earth there, sort a small jumper cable on the kill switch, wire the coil in and the electrics are done.
That was four hours of work and fault finding by the way.
Also painted the floor again.
So now, fit mudguards, seats, new spark plugs, HT leads, and set timing and it should run.
Small leak at the petrol tank to sort but the straps my dad made he fitted yesterday too.
Then, possibly, it might be, dare I say, done..! And only a year and a half over schedule!
Time to crack on with something else. Finally, finally after many false starts and falsely advertised cables, a new choke cable arrived that actually works as intended. It's a generic one and looks naff but it's all could get, unfortunately.
Then after fitting that I set to finding out why the Austin 7 did not have the correct passage of electricity in it. I say I, I mean my dad, and between one and four of the staff were all poking at it at various points, some of them even helping, but mostly just poking.
Dials and ignition switch out for continuity testing. All good. Hmm.
Checked the fuses. One was blown but most were getting power. Some were not, about half. Ah, traced those back to the kill switch. One wire coming from that was not taking its feed. Hotwired it across and those fuses got power in. Managed to touch the earth side of the kill switch while holding an exposed + wire so burnt the end of my finger. But still no electrics worked. We were concentrating on getting the lights to work as everything else would fall in line if that worked, the lights are the most fuse and relay laden circuits.
Maybe the lights are faulty. Took them apart. Nope! Messy, but fine.
Ok, next stop relays.
Pulled them out and checked, power coming in. Hotwired/jumped the relays and the lights came on!
So, relays must be faulty? Replaced relays. Lights did not work...AGH!
Checked relay power feed again. Fine. Checked switched live. fine. Checked earth. Also had power. Wait, the earth line has positive power? That's, erm, not right...
As the relays are tightly wired in to a little enclosure I made for them, the only way to test the earths was to chop the wire and quickly fit another earth line straight to body. Did that and immediately the fuel pump started priming. That's a good thing! Switched off ignition, wired it up temporarily, and put it back on.
And now the lights, and everything, work. All the circuits that weren't working went through the relays and the relay ground wires are, were, wired up wrongly somewhere. So run an earth there, sort a small jumper cable on the kill switch, wire the coil in and the electrics are done.
That was four hours of work and fault finding by the way.
Also painted the floor again.
So now, fit mudguards, seats, new spark plugs, HT leads, and set timing and it should run.
Small leak at the petrol tank to sort but the straps my dad made he fitted yesterday too.
Then, possibly, it might be, dare I say, done..! And only a year and a half over schedule!
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
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- Thread Starter
- #181
The next day my dad came up again and started re-shaping the muguards that I bent a bit before - when I bought the silver Austin it came with a little single axle Brenderup trailer which was a really nice piece of kit but had a folding tailgate and was an inch too short for an A7 so it kind of got forced home, bending the guards.
The new work trailer has a bed in the centre which should take care of movement concerns for now - although a 16ft trailer to pull around a car just over 8ft long is, well, ridiculous.
Anyway he was doing that so I made up some new, proper wires, triple checked and wired up the coil properly, and together with everyone in work that day we set the timing, once I'd found a spare main HT lead. It came off a Skoda Favorit pickup so again the Favorits' come to the rescue. (It'll be restored in due course as well.)
New plugs in, everything set, new fuel pipe connection made, lots of PTFE tape to stop the screw-on joints from leaking (that's the right way to fit fuel pipe, yeah?) and test fire #1 commenced. New choke cable that I'd fitted this week pulled out - and holds! - fuel primed - jumper battery connected - and... bang. first turn. running like a champ. Much too fast so I adjusted the idle right down.
Fitted the coolant hoses, adjusted the fan belt a bit with a hammer, put a charged battery in, and found a bit of oil lying around the filter. Fired it up again and my dad gave the kill it signal - oil spewing out of the pressure dial feed. It was cracked about an inch up from the housing. So Vinny called upon to cut down and flare it out - but ever the craftsman he cut the pipe, flared and turned coils in a new piece and joined it in. Lots more PTFE tape and I fitted that in, no more oil leak.
And then having ironed out all the immediate problems, I bolted the seats in (which took an hour, you don't really see the time passing from a written post like this! and it was ready for a test drive. Oh, and fitted the steering wheel of course.
Couldn't find reverse so had to push it round to get it out but once out off I went. Got right up to third gear (of four) and it was all over the place and impossible to see out of and the brakes were hopeless. So back to normal then! Still cannot find reverse, but it runs fine in all the forward gears, so currently it's semi, almost enough, fixed.
Just need to dial in the timing now, and test the charging circuit as it would be really good if that would work.
The coolant is getting very hot very quickly, which means it's probably too far advanced on the timing, but if we can get this all sorted the next vintage event is an autotest (the event I'm best at) in about 3 weeks. Maybe...
The new work trailer has a bed in the centre which should take care of movement concerns for now - although a 16ft trailer to pull around a car just over 8ft long is, well, ridiculous.
Anyway he was doing that so I made up some new, proper wires, triple checked and wired up the coil properly, and together with everyone in work that day we set the timing, once I'd found a spare main HT lead. It came off a Skoda Favorit pickup so again the Favorits' come to the rescue. (It'll be restored in due course as well.)
New plugs in, everything set, new fuel pipe connection made, lots of PTFE tape to stop the screw-on joints from leaking (that's the right way to fit fuel pipe, yeah?) and test fire #1 commenced. New choke cable that I'd fitted this week pulled out - and holds! - fuel primed - jumper battery connected - and... bang. first turn. running like a champ. Much too fast so I adjusted the idle right down.
Fitted the coolant hoses, adjusted the fan belt a bit with a hammer, put a charged battery in, and found a bit of oil lying around the filter. Fired it up again and my dad gave the kill it signal - oil spewing out of the pressure dial feed. It was cracked about an inch up from the housing. So Vinny called upon to cut down and flare it out - but ever the craftsman he cut the pipe, flared and turned coils in a new piece and joined it in. Lots more PTFE tape and I fitted that in, no more oil leak.
And then having ironed out all the immediate problems, I bolted the seats in (which took an hour, you don't really see the time passing from a written post like this! and it was ready for a test drive. Oh, and fitted the steering wheel of course.
Couldn't find reverse so had to push it round to get it out but once out off I went. Got right up to third gear (of four) and it was all over the place and impossible to see out of and the brakes were hopeless. So back to normal then! Still cannot find reverse, but it runs fine in all the forward gears, so currently it's semi, almost enough, fixed.
Just need to dial in the timing now, and test the charging circuit as it would be really good if that would work.
The coolant is getting very hot very quickly, which means it's probably too far advanced on the timing, but if we can get this all sorted the next vintage event is an autotest (the event I'm best at) in about 3 weeks. Maybe...
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #182
On Saturday past I went to Event #3 of the vintage car clubs competitive year. As previously mentioned I ran the Spring Rally with my dad's help and before that there was a Spring Trial (driving up slippery hillsides) which I missed.
This one was a "driving test" (autotest) event in Ballywalter Park, which is a superb estate with lots of yards, lanes and an operational farm.
I went just for a day off/day out, and it was incredibly warm and sunny so that made it all the better. I did voluntarily let myself be roped into doing some marshaling as they were short a body or two. But while there, I took the opportunity to pore over one of the fastest Austin 7s around, to see what I could glean. It's running decked Renault 4 pistons and a straight cut gearbox, notes I embedded away. I talked with the owner of it, and another owner that's built a couple of fast 7s, and another guy who has a Ruby-based Ulster replica. The latter has a very fresh rebuilt 4 speed gearbox which is amazingly positive and gave me chance to feel how a tight box should be, which now means I can figure out why the gearbox in the silver special (also Ruby based, hence 4-speed) doesn't engage reverse. It was not-so-affectionately referred to by one or two people as "the Spam-can" which I don't like, so I will have to do something to it to warrant a new, more pleasant, name.
For now though, here's a couple of pictures to share seeing as I've no updates of any work done.
This Riley has just, finally, been finished and was out for what I think might be it's competitive debut. I'm not sure if I took this photo in some tropical paradise or the Ards Peninsula, but the car would be at home in either.
And I managed to confuse one of the Austin 7 guys pretty well. Oh, he says, I haven't seen you out for a while. Did you get it finished?
No, not yet, I said.
What are you in today then? he asked
My MG, said I.
MG? I didn't know you had an MG! PA? TF? What is it?
A ZT...
"Oh."
It looked pretty fine even after following the little old cars with their skinny wheels up muddy tracks and sliding all over the place.
This one was a "driving test" (autotest) event in Ballywalter Park, which is a superb estate with lots of yards, lanes and an operational farm.
I went just for a day off/day out, and it was incredibly warm and sunny so that made it all the better. I did voluntarily let myself be roped into doing some marshaling as they were short a body or two. But while there, I took the opportunity to pore over one of the fastest Austin 7s around, to see what I could glean. It's running decked Renault 4 pistons and a straight cut gearbox, notes I embedded away. I talked with the owner of it, and another owner that's built a couple of fast 7s, and another guy who has a Ruby-based Ulster replica. The latter has a very fresh rebuilt 4 speed gearbox which is amazingly positive and gave me chance to feel how a tight box should be, which now means I can figure out why the gearbox in the silver special (also Ruby based, hence 4-speed) doesn't engage reverse. It was not-so-affectionately referred to by one or two people as "the Spam-can" which I don't like, so I will have to do something to it to warrant a new, more pleasant, name.
For now though, here's a couple of pictures to share seeing as I've no updates of any work done.
This Riley has just, finally, been finished and was out for what I think might be it's competitive debut. I'm not sure if I took this photo in some tropical paradise or the Ards Peninsula, but the car would be at home in either.
And I managed to confuse one of the Austin 7 guys pretty well. Oh, he says, I haven't seen you out for a while. Did you get it finished?
No, not yet, I said.
What are you in today then? he asked
My MG, said I.
MG? I didn't know you had an MG! PA? TF? What is it?
A ZT...
"Oh."
It looked pretty fine even after following the little old cars with their skinny wheels up muddy tracks and sliding all over the place.
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #183
The MG was being a pain in the backside by recently only managing 23mpg. Yes I drive it like a tool but still, it used to do 30 all the time.
This weekend saw another long run, driving from Dungannon to Armagh to pick a couple of people up and taking them to church in Kilrea then back again, think it's about 110 miles all in but the MG is up to 29.7mpg now so that's something to be relieved with.
Last week (after making a policy decision to spend the summer months making a concerted effort in my evenings off) I took to (at last) fitting the trial wheels on the S110R.
13" Minilites Currently fitted:
15" Revolutions with 195/50:
with 185/50:
They all fit fine, but..meh.
And they make it sit too high. I asked a couple of friends who's opinion I value and they didn't like them either.
These 13" magnesium Revolites are for my white Rapid, which was meant to become a high powered street car, but is looking more and more likely to retain its 5,413 mile original engine and I will big-engine my spare white Rapid (because I have two of them, as you do).
So:
While I don't like them (opinions invited) they definitely show what a couple of hours research confirmed - all the best looking S110s out there have tiny, dishy wheels. So this is the next plan, find some better wheels. I don't think I like these on it, although they are OK, but they will be spectacular on the Rapid, for which I don't have anything else nearly as cool.
I counted up and I have about 8/9 sets of wheels for the 6 RWD Skodas with this PCD so I can play around a bit to see if i can find something suitable in my stash of wheels.
it's currently looking a bit like this:
But that at least shows one thing - yes, the refurbed radiator is now fitted.
Of course even after being fixed, the inlet for the rad is in the right place at the wrong angle, so the fuel line cannot get past it as it's now too close to the carb.
The carb was the wrong one anyway, it's a big Weber stuck on the top of this little engine so it's terribly thirsty and has taken to cutting out when warm.
I've been trying for a year to track down a replacement, but there's not much hope of that. The car originally had a 1.1 engine but now has a 1.2 from a later saloon version (S120L) so I needed one of those, and they're almost as rare as the coupe.
Anyway I've given up now. I don't have the correct carb in "stock" - this is something I've noted, is that when, ten years ago, I bought everything I could find for these cars, I thought I had far too much crap and have since been trying, not very hard, to shift some of it, but not much went and what I did sell to local friends has mostly ended up back with me anyway, and now, when the last RWD Skoda is 26 years out of production rather than the 14/15 years when I first started buying them, I am ever so glad that I still have sheds full of parts that simply have disappeared and cannot be got, anywhere, at all.
So, I did have a plan. I have a 1985 120L which although actually a different engine version, is at least the same displacement, and that ran (5 years ago) and had the original carb. So I went off on a mission to stamp down some weeds and get into the engine of that. Easier said than done as the doors are seized shut (a common problem on Estelles) so I went in from underneath.
This car is going to be restored but will get a Rover K series fitted when it does as a friend of mine has developed a kit to do so, and I have a spare 88k engine "in stock" from a 214si I had, and loved, about 6 years ago.
So the carb was spare, sort of.
An easy removal once I was in there.
The Jikov fuel inlet pipe is on the opposite side to the Weber and the choke and throttle cables are in the proper place so this will mount properly in the S without adaptations or compromises as the Weber had.
However this carb is a Jikov 32SEDR and the S series needs a 32EDSR.
So a couple of hours spent on the internet found me this comparison table of all the Jikov Carbs for the relevant era.
I can only speak about 20 words of Slovakian and even less in Czech, none of which relate to carburettor jetting, so this took ages, but I eventually managed to figure out the difference between the carbs and the one I have might make it run too lean. However I can get a rebuild kit for it - something I've never done before, but there is little other option - so it looks like that is the way forward.
I can however tell you the carb inlet port diameter and float chamber capacity of a 1977 Tatra now though, if anyone is interested...? Maybe not.
Also during the last week, I had to get a screen fitted to my Mums Arosa as it had developed a crack for no reason, and took it up for MOT. Needs a back-box now, great joy. I don't really like spending money on sub-£1k cars I'm trying to sell.
However I did sell another E34 and got this rather nice E36 as px.
Traded in at 6pm and had it sold at 8.30pm that evening, celebrated by playing pool with the new owner until 11pm. He gets it tonight as I needed it to drive home and he needed to get insurance sorted.
The Fiat van has developed a strong whine from the front end which sounds like the bearings are about to fall out of it. It's done several thousand miles in the last 6 weeks picking up cars everywhere so it's not undue, but my 330d has been side-tracked as the company van at the minute.
Coincidentally I took an E34 V8 manual with straight-pipes up for MOT on Friday and it passed first time, so I have a popping, banging, snarly motor to use until the 330d is returned. Or maybe I'll just keep using the V8 instead
Right off to work now, my dad is coming up to show off his new car. Suzuki Swift has been returned after 3.5 years of super service, and a Yaris Hybrid is replacing it...
This weekend saw another long run, driving from Dungannon to Armagh to pick a couple of people up and taking them to church in Kilrea then back again, think it's about 110 miles all in but the MG is up to 29.7mpg now so that's something to be relieved with.
Last week (after making a policy decision to spend the summer months making a concerted effort in my evenings off) I took to (at last) fitting the trial wheels on the S110R.
13" Minilites Currently fitted:
15" Revolutions with 195/50:
with 185/50:
They all fit fine, but..meh.
And they make it sit too high. I asked a couple of friends who's opinion I value and they didn't like them either.
These 13" magnesium Revolites are for my white Rapid, which was meant to become a high powered street car, but is looking more and more likely to retain its 5,413 mile original engine and I will big-engine my spare white Rapid (because I have two of them, as you do).
So:
While I don't like them (opinions invited) they definitely show what a couple of hours research confirmed - all the best looking S110s out there have tiny, dishy wheels. So this is the next plan, find some better wheels. I don't think I like these on it, although they are OK, but they will be spectacular on the Rapid, for which I don't have anything else nearly as cool.
I counted up and I have about 8/9 sets of wheels for the 6 RWD Skodas with this PCD so I can play around a bit to see if i can find something suitable in my stash of wheels.
it's currently looking a bit like this:
But that at least shows one thing - yes, the refurbed radiator is now fitted.
Of course even after being fixed, the inlet for the rad is in the right place at the wrong angle, so the fuel line cannot get past it as it's now too close to the carb.
The carb was the wrong one anyway, it's a big Weber stuck on the top of this little engine so it's terribly thirsty and has taken to cutting out when warm.
I've been trying for a year to track down a replacement, but there's not much hope of that. The car originally had a 1.1 engine but now has a 1.2 from a later saloon version (S120L) so I needed one of those, and they're almost as rare as the coupe.
Anyway I've given up now. I don't have the correct carb in "stock" - this is something I've noted, is that when, ten years ago, I bought everything I could find for these cars, I thought I had far too much crap and have since been trying, not very hard, to shift some of it, but not much went and what I did sell to local friends has mostly ended up back with me anyway, and now, when the last RWD Skoda is 26 years out of production rather than the 14/15 years when I first started buying them, I am ever so glad that I still have sheds full of parts that simply have disappeared and cannot be got, anywhere, at all.
So, I did have a plan. I have a 1985 120L which although actually a different engine version, is at least the same displacement, and that ran (5 years ago) and had the original carb. So I went off on a mission to stamp down some weeds and get into the engine of that. Easier said than done as the doors are seized shut (a common problem on Estelles) so I went in from underneath.
This car is going to be restored but will get a Rover K series fitted when it does as a friend of mine has developed a kit to do so, and I have a spare 88k engine "in stock" from a 214si I had, and loved, about 6 years ago.
So the carb was spare, sort of.
An easy removal once I was in there.
The Jikov fuel inlet pipe is on the opposite side to the Weber and the choke and throttle cables are in the proper place so this will mount properly in the S without adaptations or compromises as the Weber had.
However this carb is a Jikov 32SEDR and the S series needs a 32EDSR.
So a couple of hours spent on the internet found me this comparison table of all the Jikov Carbs for the relevant era.
I can only speak about 20 words of Slovakian and even less in Czech, none of which relate to carburettor jetting, so this took ages, but I eventually managed to figure out the difference between the carbs and the one I have might make it run too lean. However I can get a rebuild kit for it - something I've never done before, but there is little other option - so it looks like that is the way forward.
I can however tell you the carb inlet port diameter and float chamber capacity of a 1977 Tatra now though, if anyone is interested...? Maybe not.
Also during the last week, I had to get a screen fitted to my Mums Arosa as it had developed a crack for no reason, and took it up for MOT. Needs a back-box now, great joy. I don't really like spending money on sub-£1k cars I'm trying to sell.
However I did sell another E34 and got this rather nice E36 as px.
Traded in at 6pm and had it sold at 8.30pm that evening, celebrated by playing pool with the new owner until 11pm. He gets it tonight as I needed it to drive home and he needed to get insurance sorted.
The Fiat van has developed a strong whine from the front end which sounds like the bearings are about to fall out of it. It's done several thousand miles in the last 6 weeks picking up cars everywhere so it's not undue, but my 330d has been side-tracked as the company van at the minute.
Coincidentally I took an E34 V8 manual with straight-pipes up for MOT on Friday and it passed first time, so I have a popping, banging, snarly motor to use until the 330d is returned. Or maybe I'll just keep using the V8 instead
Right off to work now, my dad is coming up to show off his new car. Suzuki Swift has been returned after 3.5 years of super service, and a Yaris Hybrid is replacing it...
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #184
I haven't updated in a month because of photobucket failing and the first couple of pages were all pics I had on there, but some of them still appear to be working. At some point I will rescue them all and update, maybe when I next have a few days off - so Christmas, then.
The more cynical would say that I haven't updated because there has been nothing to report. Well, I'm pleased to say that in fact there has been.
Small news first. The snarly V8 E34 was put up for sale. It had an exceptional exhaust note so I made a video of it (my first serious foray into the world of video advertising) and the video actually sold the car. The next day. Less than 24 hours after the video uploaded.
Needless to say I've since invested quite a lot of money in new video equipment and there will be much more of that coming.
Checked the MG for oil and water again and it needed a couple of litres of each. But ran perfectly without the slightest sign of overheating or rattling - it continues to be self-servicing, just using enough fluids to accommodate the top-ups. I really need to treat it to a double din touchscreen radio for its loyalty and sound service.
Found a set of wheels for the orange Skoda. The trial fits and checks confirmed the 15"s were far too big so kept and eye out for some 13" wheels that would stand out, suit the car, and also be period correct. On an old, unrestored car, it wouldn't be right to use some factory fresh wheels. Anyway in the pursuit of the right thing I threw the PCD requirements out the window as 4x130 is uncommon and I wanted more "out there" than that PCD usually caters for. Anyway they are in the hands of some courier at the minute and there will be pictures up soon once they're trial-placed. I can't trial fit until I order the adapters to suit.
That all aside, in between taking a few days away and closing down work for a week in July as usual, I found enough time to bolt some more parts on to the Austin. The day before I flew out, my dad and I spent the afternoon sorting the timing, the choke, the idle, the cooling, and just making sure everything was running right. Then he set about securing a couple of the instruments that were loose and I fitted the mudguards that he had previously tidied up, braced, and re-profiled.
Suddenly, without much warning, I stepped back and realised that it was done. Not finished done, but it was there. Everything left to do was cosmetic. Well, that of course must mean that it's time for a test drive! So I took it out. Immediately.
I took a quick spin around the yard, and it seemed OK. Took it up the road and it was wandering all over the place, the brakes were rubbish, only half the dials worked and it was really, really noisy. I drove it back in and my dad asked, "so, how is it?"
"Perfect!" I replied. "Everything is back to normal." Because that is exactly how an Austin 7 drives.
So now, I have the same thought process as has been aforetimes documented in this compilation; Now that it runs, let's go racing!
Up above there are a few snaps from the last "Driving Test" event. Well, the next one of those was Saturday 29th. So I went off to somewhere there is no phone reception (bliss) and my dad sent in an entry for me.
When I landed back in reality it dawned on me that I had double booked myself and I had a thing that I had to go to on that day so with great sorrow I told my dad, and proceeded to totally forget to let the competition organiser know I couldn't make it.
Except on the Friday evening at 8.15pm the other thing was cancelled. So, no trouble then, apart from not having anything ready, like the van, or the trailer, or spare petrol, or any petrol at all, or spare oil, or water, or batteries, or tools, or food, or any idea what time scrutineering was at, or a sleep plan - because I like A LOT of sleep, and morning is a source of great erraticness for me, and there is no guarantee an alarm will wake me if I have to rise early.
So anyhow I won't bore you with all the details of that, lets just say the next morning I was there, exactly on time, before most other people in fact, with 2 hours sleep.
A hastily loaded shiny 7 - a couple of the guys in work washed and polished it for me - not too much polish, just enough to make it look like I take care of it:
And so we arrive in another big country estate ready to go:
And all the stuff that has to be loaded in to the cars:
Please excuse the poor pictures. Taken on my appallingly useless 16MP S5!
Given the nature of the estate, if you want to eat lunch you have to bring it with you. The lunch stop is miles away at the other side and these tests are all spread out in various farm yards and among the lanes in the forests.
Also I packed jump leads and a spare battery, because I hadn't actually tested the charging circuit fully at this point. I thought I had, but when I tried to charge the battery I had been running it on, which I thought was just flat, it turned out to be dead. The car would run if I jumped it, but the battery didn't charge on the charger, which means all the multimeter testing I did can go out the window as the alternator might have been charging but the battery was sucking it all out. So I fitted the only known good battery that was small enough - almost! - to fit - the one out of my mums Arosa. And the only other known good battery that was charged that I could use as a spare was the huge one in the M3 on the lift.
So, back to the picture - behind the seat is a big battery, covered by my coat, in case it rained. Given the last three days there had been torrential, torrential flash storms happening, prospects were poor. Hence the brolly, also hastily retrieved from the back of the cupboard under the stairs. Also loaded was a gallon of water, and some tools, and my ipad, to complete the 1930s theme. And several bottles of BPM to keep me awake.
You may wonder why, in an event where speed and agility reign, why I want a massive 19" spare on the back when the car is running 17"s, and a battery and bucket of water and tools and all sorts in the back of my car. Well, Austin 7s have a very annoying thing called axle tramp when they reverse. Especially light weight racing specials. This one really suffers very badly with it as there is virtually nothing over the rear axle, body-wise. So the extra weight was in fact for traction, which leads to grip. I have a very, very quick gear-change in this car. Most of these cars are pre-selection or double de-clutch. A combination of skill, persistence and worn parts mean I can shift between reverse, first, and second on a single depression with a minute kick in between. The other gears operate as normal. So to make the most of this I need the car to not kick up or shake around while I'm sliding forward, brakes locked, banging it into reverse, and hitting to go pedal, all in the quest to get a tenth of a second advantage over cars all unequivocably much larger, faster, and better piloted than I.
Hence, weight is good.
This is signing on:
And this is the first test - up the lane, down the lane, into the yard, swizzle, back to lane:
Alas, I have no pictures of me or my car, for what I imagine to be a fairly obvious reason.
I did take this though, and I can say in the fullness of integrity that this was taken on a closed, private road with no public access, so there you are, a picture taken on my phone whilst driving. Ha!:
I ended up behind this guy who treats this MG to unending abuse, much to the delight of anyone watching:
He did go full broadside at every corner of this short, mucky test.
So did the guy before him, so I figured, too much throttle, not enough grip. So I tried to go round it at a steady pace, not slowly, but without mashing the loud pedal, hoping that it would prevent the sliding. It didn't. I went sideways all over the place as well.
This was lunch.
The sun came out. It turned glorious. So instead of putting the coat on I shed a layer instead. And then the car wouldn't start. The fuel pump would prime but no action when I pulled the starter knob. I flipped the bonnet off, a matter of undoing two tight straps then lifting the entire bonnet off the car in one go, handy that. Connected my spare battery and still no go. Stuck my hand into the engine bay and pulled directly on the starter motor lever and it whirred. Tried again. Turning over. More choke? Nope. Give it a kick? Nope. Finally got the right combination of levers and knobs and it fired up.
So I disconnected the leads and it stayed running. Put the bonnet on (even less straightforward than removal as it needs precisely put in place - except you are holding it so you are blind to where the bottom corners are - and lined up before strapping. Not forgetting that the battery in it almost fits so you have to squeeze the bonnet around that too, and all while hoping it doesn't cut out so I don't have to repeat this process, and everyone else has left and gone to the next tests so I need to hurry up, and the car is getting hot...
This was the last test before lunch, and with a slight change that caught out a couple of folks, also the test after lunch.
In order not to go through the ten minute rigmarole of getting the car started every test, I couldn't switch it off to cool it down. The cooling my dad and I put back to standard, which is absolutely fine when driving along, but not for extended competitive thrashing with no cool-down period. So that's what I did for the last three tests, hanging back on the drive in between each one so that there would be no queue when I got there.
It worked OK and I got them all done, albeit without walking around the last couple because I just didn't want to leave the car sitting alone for that long, so I did them unsighted, without checking the ground surface, the turning angles or space, just hit and hope.
As I finished the last one, which was marshalled by a buddy of mine, we celebrated the completion of the days event with a cheer. It's 2.5 years since this car was out, the only time I had it out, when it overheated right after I purchased it, when the previous owner had promised it would be in ready-to-use order. And before that the red 7 had been giving me serious bother, so it is at least 3 years since I finished an event.
As I pulled away and headed back to the trailer, the car started running really rough and it sounded like it went onto 3 cylinders.
Yes. Really. Really?
So I nursed it back, not wanting to have it cut out miles from the van on a tiny stony track in the middle of a forest in the middle of a private estate with thunder clouds now rolling in.
Got it back, shut it off. Tested it and it still didn't re-start. Pushed it on to the trailer. Everyone else left then, so I did too. Wasn't a mile up the road when the lower heavens opened, but I was in the van with a roof and a heater now so back home it was.
And back at the yard, pulled the bonnet off and tried the starter motor, and it fired up. So actually, the battery had not run out, but the starter cable had stretched, so that's an easy fix, and the charging circuit might be operative.
That will be something to check out next week, along with washing the car because it is covered in mud again, and then, then, it will go up for sale.
And then I can start building the next one.
The more cynical would say that I haven't updated because there has been nothing to report. Well, I'm pleased to say that in fact there has been.
Small news first. The snarly V8 E34 was put up for sale. It had an exceptional exhaust note so I made a video of it (my first serious foray into the world of video advertising) and the video actually sold the car. The next day. Less than 24 hours after the video uploaded.
Needless to say I've since invested quite a lot of money in new video equipment and there will be much more of that coming.
Checked the MG for oil and water again and it needed a couple of litres of each. But ran perfectly without the slightest sign of overheating or rattling - it continues to be self-servicing, just using enough fluids to accommodate the top-ups. I really need to treat it to a double din touchscreen radio for its loyalty and sound service.
Found a set of wheels for the orange Skoda. The trial fits and checks confirmed the 15"s were far too big so kept and eye out for some 13" wheels that would stand out, suit the car, and also be period correct. On an old, unrestored car, it wouldn't be right to use some factory fresh wheels. Anyway in the pursuit of the right thing I threw the PCD requirements out the window as 4x130 is uncommon and I wanted more "out there" than that PCD usually caters for. Anyway they are in the hands of some courier at the minute and there will be pictures up soon once they're trial-placed. I can't trial fit until I order the adapters to suit.
That all aside, in between taking a few days away and closing down work for a week in July as usual, I found enough time to bolt some more parts on to the Austin. The day before I flew out, my dad and I spent the afternoon sorting the timing, the choke, the idle, the cooling, and just making sure everything was running right. Then he set about securing a couple of the instruments that were loose and I fitted the mudguards that he had previously tidied up, braced, and re-profiled.
Suddenly, without much warning, I stepped back and realised that it was done. Not finished done, but it was there. Everything left to do was cosmetic. Well, that of course must mean that it's time for a test drive! So I took it out. Immediately.
I took a quick spin around the yard, and it seemed OK. Took it up the road and it was wandering all over the place, the brakes were rubbish, only half the dials worked and it was really, really noisy. I drove it back in and my dad asked, "so, how is it?"
"Perfect!" I replied. "Everything is back to normal." Because that is exactly how an Austin 7 drives.
So now, I have the same thought process as has been aforetimes documented in this compilation; Now that it runs, let's go racing!
Up above there are a few snaps from the last "Driving Test" event. Well, the next one of those was Saturday 29th. So I went off to somewhere there is no phone reception (bliss) and my dad sent in an entry for me.
When I landed back in reality it dawned on me that I had double booked myself and I had a thing that I had to go to on that day so with great sorrow I told my dad, and proceeded to totally forget to let the competition organiser know I couldn't make it.
Except on the Friday evening at 8.15pm the other thing was cancelled. So, no trouble then, apart from not having anything ready, like the van, or the trailer, or spare petrol, or any petrol at all, or spare oil, or water, or batteries, or tools, or food, or any idea what time scrutineering was at, or a sleep plan - because I like A LOT of sleep, and morning is a source of great erraticness for me, and there is no guarantee an alarm will wake me if I have to rise early.
So anyhow I won't bore you with all the details of that, lets just say the next morning I was there, exactly on time, before most other people in fact, with 2 hours sleep.
A hastily loaded shiny 7 - a couple of the guys in work washed and polished it for me - not too much polish, just enough to make it look like I take care of it:
And so we arrive in another big country estate ready to go:
And all the stuff that has to be loaded in to the cars:
Please excuse the poor pictures. Taken on my appallingly useless 16MP S5!
Given the nature of the estate, if you want to eat lunch you have to bring it with you. The lunch stop is miles away at the other side and these tests are all spread out in various farm yards and among the lanes in the forests.
Also I packed jump leads and a spare battery, because I hadn't actually tested the charging circuit fully at this point. I thought I had, but when I tried to charge the battery I had been running it on, which I thought was just flat, it turned out to be dead. The car would run if I jumped it, but the battery didn't charge on the charger, which means all the multimeter testing I did can go out the window as the alternator might have been charging but the battery was sucking it all out. So I fitted the only known good battery that was small enough - almost! - to fit - the one out of my mums Arosa. And the only other known good battery that was charged that I could use as a spare was the huge one in the M3 on the lift.
So, back to the picture - behind the seat is a big battery, covered by my coat, in case it rained. Given the last three days there had been torrential, torrential flash storms happening, prospects were poor. Hence the brolly, also hastily retrieved from the back of the cupboard under the stairs. Also loaded was a gallon of water, and some tools, and my ipad, to complete the 1930s theme. And several bottles of BPM to keep me awake.
You may wonder why, in an event where speed and agility reign, why I want a massive 19" spare on the back when the car is running 17"s, and a battery and bucket of water and tools and all sorts in the back of my car. Well, Austin 7s have a very annoying thing called axle tramp when they reverse. Especially light weight racing specials. This one really suffers very badly with it as there is virtually nothing over the rear axle, body-wise. So the extra weight was in fact for traction, which leads to grip. I have a very, very quick gear-change in this car. Most of these cars are pre-selection or double de-clutch. A combination of skill, persistence and worn parts mean I can shift between reverse, first, and second on a single depression with a minute kick in between. The other gears operate as normal. So to make the most of this I need the car to not kick up or shake around while I'm sliding forward, brakes locked, banging it into reverse, and hitting to go pedal, all in the quest to get a tenth of a second advantage over cars all unequivocably much larger, faster, and better piloted than I.
Hence, weight is good.
This is signing on:
And this is the first test - up the lane, down the lane, into the yard, swizzle, back to lane:
Alas, I have no pictures of me or my car, for what I imagine to be a fairly obvious reason.
I did take this though, and I can say in the fullness of integrity that this was taken on a closed, private road with no public access, so there you are, a picture taken on my phone whilst driving. Ha!:
I ended up behind this guy who treats this MG to unending abuse, much to the delight of anyone watching:
He did go full broadside at every corner of this short, mucky test.
So did the guy before him, so I figured, too much throttle, not enough grip. So I tried to go round it at a steady pace, not slowly, but without mashing the loud pedal, hoping that it would prevent the sliding. It didn't. I went sideways all over the place as well.
This was lunch.
The sun came out. It turned glorious. So instead of putting the coat on I shed a layer instead. And then the car wouldn't start. The fuel pump would prime but no action when I pulled the starter knob. I flipped the bonnet off, a matter of undoing two tight straps then lifting the entire bonnet off the car in one go, handy that. Connected my spare battery and still no go. Stuck my hand into the engine bay and pulled directly on the starter motor lever and it whirred. Tried again. Turning over. More choke? Nope. Give it a kick? Nope. Finally got the right combination of levers and knobs and it fired up.
So I disconnected the leads and it stayed running. Put the bonnet on (even less straightforward than removal as it needs precisely put in place - except you are holding it so you are blind to where the bottom corners are - and lined up before strapping. Not forgetting that the battery in it almost fits so you have to squeeze the bonnet around that too, and all while hoping it doesn't cut out so I don't have to repeat this process, and everyone else has left and gone to the next tests so I need to hurry up, and the car is getting hot...
This was the last test before lunch, and with a slight change that caught out a couple of folks, also the test after lunch.
In order not to go through the ten minute rigmarole of getting the car started every test, I couldn't switch it off to cool it down. The cooling my dad and I put back to standard, which is absolutely fine when driving along, but not for extended competitive thrashing with no cool-down period. So that's what I did for the last three tests, hanging back on the drive in between each one so that there would be no queue when I got there.
It worked OK and I got them all done, albeit without walking around the last couple because I just didn't want to leave the car sitting alone for that long, so I did them unsighted, without checking the ground surface, the turning angles or space, just hit and hope.
As I finished the last one, which was marshalled by a buddy of mine, we celebrated the completion of the days event with a cheer. It's 2.5 years since this car was out, the only time I had it out, when it overheated right after I purchased it, when the previous owner had promised it would be in ready-to-use order. And before that the red 7 had been giving me serious bother, so it is at least 3 years since I finished an event.
As I pulled away and headed back to the trailer, the car started running really rough and it sounded like it went onto 3 cylinders.
Yes. Really. Really?
So I nursed it back, not wanting to have it cut out miles from the van on a tiny stony track in the middle of a forest in the middle of a private estate with thunder clouds now rolling in.
Got it back, shut it off. Tested it and it still didn't re-start. Pushed it on to the trailer. Everyone else left then, so I did too. Wasn't a mile up the road when the lower heavens opened, but I was in the van with a roof and a heater now so back home it was.
And back at the yard, pulled the bonnet off and tried the starter motor, and it fired up. So actually, the battery had not run out, but the starter cable had stretched, so that's an easy fix, and the charging circuit might be operative.
That will be something to check out next week, along with washing the car because it is covered in mud again, and then, then, it will go up for sale.
And then I can start building the next one.
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #185
Ohhh... the nerves have just spiked. The results email is just in.
The PDF table is sitting open in another window and I'm biting my lip and shivering with anticipation. I'm not expecting much, but having not finished an event in this club for years, the thought of even showing as a finisher is quite exciting.
OK. Let's see.
WOAH YEAH!
First in Class! Second Overall!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
The PDF table is sitting open in another window and I'm biting my lip and shivering with anticipation. I'm not expecting much, but having not finished an event in this club for years, the thought of even showing as a finisher is quite exciting.
OK. Let's see.
WOAH YEAH!
First in Class! Second Overall!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Last edited:
j44nty
RMS Regular
- Messages
- 8,167
Well done you certainly put the hours in for it after reading through this thread.
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #187
I previously said, and I quote:
"they definitely show what a couple of hours research confirmed - all the best looking S110s out there have tiny, dishy wheels. So this is the next plan, find some better wheels."
Well, they arrived:
Refurbished 13" Centras. I love Centra wheels.
Unfortunately:
They look cack.
So, have to try again.
Jikov carb rebuild kit also arrived from Hungary or somewhere else with funny writing so I have that to rebuild some evening now as well.
"they definitely show what a couple of hours research confirmed - all the best looking S110s out there have tiny, dishy wheels. So this is the next plan, find some better wheels."
Well, they arrived:
Refurbished 13" Centras. I love Centra wheels.
Unfortunately:
They look cack.
So, have to try again.
Jikov carb rebuild kit also arrived from Hungary or somewhere else with funny writing so I have that to rebuild some evening now as well.
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #188
My attempts towards finding nice wheels for the Skoda have been frustrating so far.
As per the previous post the ones I found don't look nice 'on' it. it has literally been giving me a headache every time i try to come up with a better solution. So here beside the car is a trial of everything I have sitting about that --might-- work. I have loads more wheels in the right (and wrong) fitment, but none that will look good on the car. These are the ones that I think might look OK.
14"s that were bought for the 635 in work
13" Early 80's Skoda KN Apollo 12 spokes that I repainted about a dozen years ago
I remembered that there was another set of KN wheels hiding at work somewhere. After figuring out where they were (isn't a good memory a wonderful thing?) one of the boys went diving for them
And dug out the mid-90's KN Apollo II 13"s
In gold, and very dusty white. Which look silver in the picture.
I'm not convinced by any of them, and all the Apollo wheels, while a direct fit, are 5.5j which is poor.
Current top of the leaderboard is a set of PLS Hockenheims but they are £700 plus shipping. Plus then £200+ for the adapters and the same again for tyres. Blowing over a grand on some 13" wheels seems a bit rash.
I left the 330d in to get it aligned. I forgot to pick it up before they closed (and they couldn't align it anyway). A couple of the boys in work were hanging about late and the banter was mighty, and before I had time to think sensible for one minute we were on a roadtrip (albeit a rather tame 30-35 miles each way) to pick me up a new car. I'd been nonchalantly flicking through Gumtree and found what I thought was a bargain, and after being cajoled into ringing up about it, it was pretty much determined there would be a new addition to the stable.
So I present to you the result of a few moments of silliness...
Yep, a red MG ZT V6 with black half leather and 18" alloys. And in the background you can see my other red MG ZT V6 with black half leather and 18" alloys.
But the new one has had the wheels repainted in black and doesn't have Xenons, so it's clearly a very different car.
In reality the difference is; New ZT to Old ZT:
High miles! of 113k compared to 95k
No Xenons
A Towbar
And no radio.
Which of course was the first thing I fixed.
I found a Judge Jules CD in the car so now the speakers are blown. But at least I can't hear the balljoint knock.
It also does 2500rpm at 70 while my first one does 3krpm so it should not only be easier run but quieter and nicer on the motorway. Did the later cars (albeit just 3 months newer) get a revised gearbox to bring the revs down or has my other one got a short ratio box or maybe a replacement one from a ZS or something which might be differently geared? I am curious about this.
Oh, it also uses quite a lot of water, but never overheats. Fine by me.
Mid August 2017 and I need a recount.
Please ignore this bit, I'm just trying to keep a record of where I am and see where to turn my attention to.
1930 Austin 7 Ulster - in bits
1936 Austin 7 Special - Finished (or near enough) and Roadworthy (or near enough) - photos and sell
193x Austin 7 bitsa - in many bits
1979 Skoda 110R - Rebuilding Carb, (unsuccessfully) picking wheels
1979 Cadillac CDV - awaiting paint and interior and engine pepping and lows
1985 Skoda 120L - long term awaiting engine conversion
1985 Fiat Regata - waiting on opportunity to paint it and service it
1986 Skoda 130 Rapid - long term awaiting serious engine/driveline conversion
1986 BMW M535i - waiting on small amount of welding which might now be a big amount of welding
1987 Skoda 136 Rapid - waiting on long-delayed meticulous restoration
1987 Skoda 130LSE - now a full 13 years since I bought it and almost 12 years waiting to be restomodded
1992 Skoda FavoRat - still counts as a car, will one day get rescued from field and get its engine conversion
1994 BMW 740i - soon to be started on manual conversion
1993 Alfa Romeo 164 - also waiting on an opportunity to paint and service it
1994 Skoda Favorit Estate - anxiously awaiting paint and recommissioning. Just needs time spent.
2001 Alfa Romeo 156 SW - waiting on Timing Belt to be done
2002 Triumph TT600 - waiting on me to find time to do fork seals
2002 MG ZT - super
2002 MG ZT - also super
And given that I'm in that there motor trade there are always a few cars hanging around that are sort of mine but not just mine, they might be slightly more work related...I will drive them when they're done, I may or may not sell them, they might just be demo cars... I find it hard to know whether those cars are included or not...
1983 BMW 635i - in the process of being restored
1986 BMW 325i - waiting to be restored
1990 BMW 535i - waiting for serious engine conversion
1992 Skoda Favorit Pickup - waiting on restoration and engine conversion
1994 BMW 525tds Estate - waiting on minor restoration
2001 BMW 330d Sport - daily driver
2007 BMW 325i - semi-complete V8 conversion
And my mums cars, which I have tasked with selling but are still here and floating around
2000 BMW 528i Touring - seriously considering mad engine conversion and paintjob
2002 Seat Arosa - cannot fathom why this has not sold
And you know, that has actually just worked. I've realised that my Alfa (the 156) which has been languishing on my drive since April is really only waiting on the TB being fitted, which I already have for it, and it's perfect otherwise - it still drives fine, I just refuse to use it with 100k on it now and no proof of a TB in it's history - BUT, I've been waiting all that time for a gap at work to get it done and one has not appeared, when I know loads of other very capable mechanics - I think the answer might be to pay someone else to do it. Yup. See, progress already.
As per the previous post the ones I found don't look nice 'on' it. it has literally been giving me a headache every time i try to come up with a better solution. So here beside the car is a trial of everything I have sitting about that --might-- work. I have loads more wheels in the right (and wrong) fitment, but none that will look good on the car. These are the ones that I think might look OK.
14"s that were bought for the 635 in work
13" Early 80's Skoda KN Apollo 12 spokes that I repainted about a dozen years ago
I remembered that there was another set of KN wheels hiding at work somewhere. After figuring out where they were (isn't a good memory a wonderful thing?) one of the boys went diving for them
And dug out the mid-90's KN Apollo II 13"s
In gold, and very dusty white. Which look silver in the picture.
I'm not convinced by any of them, and all the Apollo wheels, while a direct fit, are 5.5j which is poor.
Current top of the leaderboard is a set of PLS Hockenheims but they are £700 plus shipping. Plus then £200+ for the adapters and the same again for tyres. Blowing over a grand on some 13" wheels seems a bit rash.
I left the 330d in to get it aligned. I forgot to pick it up before they closed (and they couldn't align it anyway). A couple of the boys in work were hanging about late and the banter was mighty, and before I had time to think sensible for one minute we were on a roadtrip (albeit a rather tame 30-35 miles each way) to pick me up a new car. I'd been nonchalantly flicking through Gumtree and found what I thought was a bargain, and after being cajoled into ringing up about it, it was pretty much determined there would be a new addition to the stable.
So I present to you the result of a few moments of silliness...
Yep, a red MG ZT V6 with black half leather and 18" alloys. And in the background you can see my other red MG ZT V6 with black half leather and 18" alloys.
But the new one has had the wheels repainted in black and doesn't have Xenons, so it's clearly a very different car.
In reality the difference is; New ZT to Old ZT:
High miles! of 113k compared to 95k
No Xenons
A Towbar
And no radio.
Which of course was the first thing I fixed.
I found a Judge Jules CD in the car so now the speakers are blown. But at least I can't hear the balljoint knock.
It also does 2500rpm at 70 while my first one does 3krpm so it should not only be easier run but quieter and nicer on the motorway. Did the later cars (albeit just 3 months newer) get a revised gearbox to bring the revs down or has my other one got a short ratio box or maybe a replacement one from a ZS or something which might be differently geared? I am curious about this.
Oh, it also uses quite a lot of water, but never overheats. Fine by me.
Mid August 2017 and I need a recount.
Please ignore this bit, I'm just trying to keep a record of where I am and see where to turn my attention to.
1930 Austin 7 Ulster - in bits
1936 Austin 7 Special - Finished (or near enough) and Roadworthy (or near enough) - photos and sell
193x Austin 7 bitsa - in many bits
1979 Skoda 110R - Rebuilding Carb, (unsuccessfully) picking wheels
1979 Cadillac CDV - awaiting paint and interior and engine pepping and lows
1985 Skoda 120L - long term awaiting engine conversion
1985 Fiat Regata - waiting on opportunity to paint it and service it
1986 Skoda 130 Rapid - long term awaiting serious engine/driveline conversion
1986 BMW M535i - waiting on small amount of welding which might now be a big amount of welding
1987 Skoda 136 Rapid - waiting on long-delayed meticulous restoration
1987 Skoda 130LSE - now a full 13 years since I bought it and almost 12 years waiting to be restomodded
1992 Skoda FavoRat - still counts as a car, will one day get rescued from field and get its engine conversion
1994 BMW 740i - soon to be started on manual conversion
1993 Alfa Romeo 164 - also waiting on an opportunity to paint and service it
1994 Skoda Favorit Estate - anxiously awaiting paint and recommissioning. Just needs time spent.
2001 Alfa Romeo 156 SW - waiting on Timing Belt to be done
2002 Triumph TT600 - waiting on me to find time to do fork seals
2002 MG ZT - super
2002 MG ZT - also super
And given that I'm in that there motor trade there are always a few cars hanging around that are sort of mine but not just mine, they might be slightly more work related...I will drive them when they're done, I may or may not sell them, they might just be demo cars... I find it hard to know whether those cars are included or not...
1983 BMW 635i - in the process of being restored
1986 BMW 325i - waiting to be restored
1990 BMW 535i - waiting for serious engine conversion
1992 Skoda Favorit Pickup - waiting on restoration and engine conversion
1994 BMW 525tds Estate - waiting on minor restoration
2001 BMW 330d Sport - daily driver
2007 BMW 325i - semi-complete V8 conversion
And my mums cars, which I have tasked with selling but are still here and floating around
2000 BMW 528i Touring - seriously considering mad engine conversion and paintjob
2002 Seat Arosa - cannot fathom why this has not sold
And you know, that has actually just worked. I've realised that my Alfa (the 156) which has been languishing on my drive since April is really only waiting on the TB being fitted, which I already have for it, and it's perfect otherwise - it still drives fine, I just refuse to use it with 100k on it now and no proof of a TB in it's history - BUT, I've been waiting all that time for a gap at work to get it done and one has not appeared, when I know loads of other very capable mechanics - I think the answer might be to pay someone else to do it. Yup. See, progress already.
svensktoppen
RMS Regular
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I think those gold appolos look good on the Skoda, at least in the pictures
NI_Volvo_Nut
RMS Regular
I like the minilites on the Skoda!
richie_mck
RMS Regular
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surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #192
I have one of those
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #193
A full two months since I last posted a post - since I last did anything. Hard to fathom. Actually the last two months I have been entirely consumed with starting up and getting going a Youtube Channel for work where the plan is to continue with regular episode length (20min +) videos of shenanigans posing as car builds.
Anyway a job I've been eyeing up for many months is to upgrade the radio in the good MG to a better unit. Oh, by the way, the cheap MG I picked up in the last post lasted a few weeks then the drinking problem really did take over and totally ruined the engine. I was about 30 miles away from home and managed to get back, just - actually that's a strange story, but another time maybe.
So tools first:
OK we've been here before, no need to go through the disassembly of a 75/ZT console again.
To pull out the standard radio. Note the top corner retaining screws which actually are all that holds the radio in
Which poses the main problem of this. I can get a single DIN fascia and mount, but not a double. A quick scan of the online for sale avenues showed no available DD cage/mount or even a fascia.
However, the fact that BMW owned MGR at the time this car was made has not been lost on me. I have this Pioneer unit that came in in some BMW ages ago that I probably crushed. Anyway I saved it for later, knowing I'd use it for something like this.
It must have come in an E46 as I have a DD E46 fascia as well. So, to an E46, to remove it's mount
and I thought it would be pretty close, and it is.
The side tabs will need to come off. The most of the internals will need removed. But somehow I have to make it hold the unit, as there is no other support available.
And so I began to actually make something for the car. Proper modifying, like what we used to do in the 90s/00s before the internet starting selling us ready-made parts... right? anyone?
Cut the frame way down. Had to revise once or twice but eventually got a really nice fit around the unit.
And then started plugging stuff in
Found a hole to thread the ipod/usb/etc leads through - can adapt the trim for here later (more modifying!)
Pushed the Pioneer home:
Sweet! The frame is a perfect fit, and it holds and supports the headunit very snugly. No movement at all. The screw holes at the top of the plastic frame even, just about, line up with the MG dash...
Although as you can see the E46 fascia doesn't quite work, the bottom of it is too deep and wont fit under the screen. I reckon it will still work upside down though. The swage line on it that matches the E46 trim doesn't correspond with anything in an MGR so it will not look weird turned over.
However, you will not that the screen has not changed from the start-up warning. And that is because, as I looked up and found out, these units are totally unreliable, Pioneer doesn't want to know (no warranty or goodwill coverage at all) and the screens tend to fail on them, ALL the time. This one worked when I put it away, but now - well - not so much. Without the touchscreen working, there is no way past the warning which has to be OK'd. There is no remote as it has full connectivity so you are supposed to use your phone as the remote - after you pair them, which requires getting into the menu.
What joy.
What I couldn't see when I was doing any of this, until I got a bit of morning sun on it today:
That's terminal.
So, there we are.
One of my buddies reckons he has a chinese double din unit going spare, which might find its way in here for now. Really wanted to - 1. Have a quality unit in my nice car; 2. Effectively complete a free upgrade, given the Pioneer owes me nowt. There's some guy in England selling custom made Dynavins or something with full integration and satnav that come up with MG on the start screen, which would be really cool, but they're like £300 and the whole point of this was to have something similar for about 300% less than cost.
Still, we'll see. There are many wheels to purchase first.
Anyone want a Pioneer headunit? Going cheap...
Anyway a job I've been eyeing up for many months is to upgrade the radio in the good MG to a better unit. Oh, by the way, the cheap MG I picked up in the last post lasted a few weeks then the drinking problem really did take over and totally ruined the engine. I was about 30 miles away from home and managed to get back, just - actually that's a strange story, but another time maybe.
So tools first:
OK we've been here before, no need to go through the disassembly of a 75/ZT console again.
To pull out the standard radio. Note the top corner retaining screws which actually are all that holds the radio in
Which poses the main problem of this. I can get a single DIN fascia and mount, but not a double. A quick scan of the online for sale avenues showed no available DD cage/mount or even a fascia.
However, the fact that BMW owned MGR at the time this car was made has not been lost on me. I have this Pioneer unit that came in in some BMW ages ago that I probably crushed. Anyway I saved it for later, knowing I'd use it for something like this.
It must have come in an E46 as I have a DD E46 fascia as well. So, to an E46, to remove it's mount
and I thought it would be pretty close, and it is.
The side tabs will need to come off. The most of the internals will need removed. But somehow I have to make it hold the unit, as there is no other support available.
And so I began to actually make something for the car. Proper modifying, like what we used to do in the 90s/00s before the internet starting selling us ready-made parts... right? anyone?
Cut the frame way down. Had to revise once or twice but eventually got a really nice fit around the unit.
And then started plugging stuff in
Found a hole to thread the ipod/usb/etc leads through - can adapt the trim for here later (more modifying!)
Pushed the Pioneer home:
Sweet! The frame is a perfect fit, and it holds and supports the headunit very snugly. No movement at all. The screw holes at the top of the plastic frame even, just about, line up with the MG dash...
Although as you can see the E46 fascia doesn't quite work, the bottom of it is too deep and wont fit under the screen. I reckon it will still work upside down though. The swage line on it that matches the E46 trim doesn't correspond with anything in an MGR so it will not look weird turned over.
However, you will not that the screen has not changed from the start-up warning. And that is because, as I looked up and found out, these units are totally unreliable, Pioneer doesn't want to know (no warranty or goodwill coverage at all) and the screens tend to fail on them, ALL the time. This one worked when I put it away, but now - well - not so much. Without the touchscreen working, there is no way past the warning which has to be OK'd. There is no remote as it has full connectivity so you are supposed to use your phone as the remote - after you pair them, which requires getting into the menu.
What joy.
What I couldn't see when I was doing any of this, until I got a bit of morning sun on it today:
That's terminal.
So, there we are.
One of my buddies reckons he has a chinese double din unit going spare, which might find its way in here for now. Really wanted to - 1. Have a quality unit in my nice car; 2. Effectively complete a free upgrade, given the Pioneer owes me nowt. There's some guy in England selling custom made Dynavins or something with full integration and satnav that come up with MG on the start screen, which would be really cool, but they're like £300 and the whole point of this was to have something similar for about 300% less than cost.
Still, we'll see. There are many wheels to purchase first.
Anyone want a Pioneer headunit? Going cheap...
Steve750
RMS Regular
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I noticed you mentioned your e28 m535i which i've been stalking for some time now haha. Does it need an awful amount of welding??Apart from welding the bodywork can be saved. Cant decide if my type 2 or type 1 schnitzers would suit it tho. ever since i lost that 850i i as after i am pining for anther car even tho my project car is a daily driver and my other project car is in a shed lol. Maybe its because i haven't had my daily for 5 weeks now as its getting some bodywork done... or alot of body work done...
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #195
My black M535? I hope it never has Schitzers on it, ever. I hate them, and I'm not selling it.
If however you want a project with much welding, we've a silver M535i manual, the last known registered model in the UK, that needs a good deal of (do-able) bodywork.
If you want something right now though, can I tempt you with a black E39 535i manual Sport?
Steve750
RMS Regular
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- 2,937
- Drives
- 750i
Yeh i ment the silver one thats on your website that needs welding. I wouldn't like to go from a 540 to a 535, next on the e39 list is an m5 hopefully.. depends how much id get for the 540
I think this one is cheap
2000 (W) BMW M5 5.0L V8 E39 6 SPEED MANUAL | eBay
Have you any e39 m5s in for breaking? If you ever get any rare interiors (blue or caramel) please let me know
Thanks
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #197
Ah I thought you meant my black one that I've talked about in here, sorry.
Silver one is very saveable. Just needs usual E28 bodywork. Would be a great project.
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #198
Update to the radio saga.
I'll keep the words short this time.
Empty hole not much good
Plug mates unit in. No sound.
Plug Alpine that I put into the other MG in. Works fine.
Compare...
Find disconnected remote lead on mates unit. It never needed it in any other car. MG does not have an external amp so it shouldn't need it connected either, but when connected up, sound returns.
Cage on new unit is too small for the gaping hole I cut out out of the E46 mount. Swap cage from dead Pioneer onto new unit (much squeezing involved)
Finally. Does not sit right, and surround totally does not sit well with new unit. Only held in by the "brow" piece otherwise it would just fall off.
Disappointed overall, bad fit, bad finish, new unit works but is very Citroen Saxo circa 2004, but for now I have tunez. Without doubt will be revisiting this in the future, after I spend some more time I don't have finding a unit I like and the cage and surround to fit it in nicely.
or just stump up the £300 for the Dynavin that I was trying to avoid :
I'll keep the words short this time.
Empty hole not much good
Plug mates unit in. No sound.
Plug Alpine that I put into the other MG in. Works fine.
Compare...
Find disconnected remote lead on mates unit. It never needed it in any other car. MG does not have an external amp so it shouldn't need it connected either, but when connected up, sound returns.
Cage on new unit is too small for the gaping hole I cut out out of the E46 mount. Swap cage from dead Pioneer onto new unit (much squeezing involved)
Finally. Does not sit right, and surround totally does not sit well with new unit. Only held in by the "brow" piece otherwise it would just fall off.
Disappointed overall, bad fit, bad finish, new unit works but is very Citroen Saxo circa 2004, but for now I have tunez. Without doubt will be revisiting this in the future, after I spend some more time I don't have finding a unit I like and the cage and surround to fit it in nicely.
or just stump up the £300 for the Dynavin that I was trying to avoid :
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #199
Nothing exciting to report just yet.
Daily has changed. After the red 330d Sport ran out of test it was going to get put through again, but a combination of an upcoming project that will utilise it's running gear plus the rusty rear axle mounts (it is an E46 after all) decided it wouldn't get MOT'd.
I drove around a couple of other things for a week or two and then a silver 320d MSport came back my way that I'd sold before. That fell at just the same time that someone I know wanted a car around that size but had to sell their Audi first - so I drove the 320d around for a while waiting on that to come forward. part of the deal is that I'm getting the bubbling arches repaired and repainted and it's time now for it to go be done. Plus i was getting bored of it. 55mpg is good but it's an annoying little car with no power.
So just at that time we finished off working on a 728i so I decided I'd use that temporarily and started looking for an X5 again.
Which is when I came across a forum-advertised 330d MSport with a little bit of damage.
I couldn't get down to look at it so I sent one of my guys to go check it out. He's never bought a car for me before so it was half trial, half make sure to buy it as it looked good value. Damage was all to the steering and wheel. He bought it then reported back that the drive was too narrow and steep to reverse the trailer up, so we decided he would go down again in a few days and swap over all the suspension arms to make it steerable. And if we're doing that, we might as well put in good ones as the car was tidy enough to MOT.
It was paid for Saturday week ago. They went down and sorted the suspension (at 6/7am!) last Wednesday, and I collected it at about 10. And after a few minor tweaks, checking it over, and one ABS error - and putting on a different set of wheels because I hate MV2s - I booked an MOT for it yesterday (Monday) and it's through.
So here's my new daily:
(parked between my two previous dailies!)
And despite being Cat D and 187k, it drives as solid as the 7 series, way more planted and quieter than the 320d.
So I can't sell it - mileage and category see to that - so I'm forced to use it myself. It's a late 03 model so it has the 204bhp engine and 6-speed manual.
Oh and happily, there was one good (i.e. non-welded) MV2 rear wheel on it which completed another set I had in the workshop, which one of the guys then sold yesterday, so a bit of return as well.
Daily has changed. After the red 330d Sport ran out of test it was going to get put through again, but a combination of an upcoming project that will utilise it's running gear plus the rusty rear axle mounts (it is an E46 after all) decided it wouldn't get MOT'd.
I drove around a couple of other things for a week or two and then a silver 320d MSport came back my way that I'd sold before. That fell at just the same time that someone I know wanted a car around that size but had to sell their Audi first - so I drove the 320d around for a while waiting on that to come forward. part of the deal is that I'm getting the bubbling arches repaired and repainted and it's time now for it to go be done. Plus i was getting bored of it. 55mpg is good but it's an annoying little car with no power.
So just at that time we finished off working on a 728i so I decided I'd use that temporarily and started looking for an X5 again.
Which is when I came across a forum-advertised 330d MSport with a little bit of damage.
I couldn't get down to look at it so I sent one of my guys to go check it out. He's never bought a car for me before so it was half trial, half make sure to buy it as it looked good value. Damage was all to the steering and wheel. He bought it then reported back that the drive was too narrow and steep to reverse the trailer up, so we decided he would go down again in a few days and swap over all the suspension arms to make it steerable. And if we're doing that, we might as well put in good ones as the car was tidy enough to MOT.
It was paid for Saturday week ago. They went down and sorted the suspension (at 6/7am!) last Wednesday, and I collected it at about 10. And after a few minor tweaks, checking it over, and one ABS error - and putting on a different set of wheels because I hate MV2s - I booked an MOT for it yesterday (Monday) and it's through.
So here's my new daily:
(parked between my two previous dailies!)
And despite being Cat D and 187k, it drives as solid as the 7 series, way more planted and quieter than the 320d.
So I can't sell it - mileage and category see to that - so I'm forced to use it myself. It's a late 03 model so it has the 204bhp engine and 6-speed manual.
Oh and happily, there was one good (i.e. non-welded) MV2 rear wheel on it which completed another set I had in the workshop, which one of the guys then sold yesterday, so a bit of return as well.
surprising_skoda
RMS Regular
OP
- Thread Starter
- #200
There's a little job I've been putting off since, ohh, April or so, that I mentioned a post or two back - the 156 Timing Belt. Finally I freed up some ramp time (yes, I know it's actually a lift, but lift time doesn't sound as cool as ramp time) so I dug the very sorry looking Alfa out of the corner of my driveway. And what it a mess it looks:
I've probably broken some sanctimonious AR owners by-law; I mean, just look at this...
Anyway it's washed now. I would say it looks much better, but when it's washed, it just reveals how severely faded that front bumper actually is.
I bought the TB kit ages ago (from France) and set Vinny on to getting that job done while I did something else much less complicated. It was originally intended to be an engine-drop job but he figured he could do it in situ and it would be much quicker. It means I can't sort out one brake pipe that should run down the bulkhead but is currently diverted around the strut tower. OK, it will just have to stay there.
He dug in a bit and found the idler pulleys for the aux belt were all in bad shape too. One was seized tight, one was wobbly and loose. The tensioner was tensioning and the belt was only £11 so all of that had to get ordered too.
The whole kit (from France) would have been over £135 but I managed to buy the bits singly (pulleys from England, tensioner from Poland, belt from Newtownards) and save myself £20. Was it worth 2 hours of cross referencing? Probably not. All still genuine and/or OEM supplier made. I don't like putting crap on my car.
Which is probably why I was so annoyed when ordering a water pump from the dealer, they said they had one coming in a couple of days and we stripped the engine down ready to fit it. When a pump came for a 2.0 twinspark came, which is entirely, entirely different, in shape, size, part number and weight - I mean the V6 one is absolutely massive with big wings, it's over a foot wide - I was pretty annoyed.
Rang the dealer back and the guy that had made the mistake literally could not muster one single toss, and had no solution other than to tell me one would arrive on Dec 20th if I ordered one. yes, that's right, it hadn't even been ordered.
It's not like I hadn't given him the VIN off the car or anything, and I know the Alfa EPC is pretty good.
Gah! So I ordered the only one available, a Firstline one, yesterday, from the local factors. Which arrived today at noon. That's better - but also worse. Anyway, need to get the car built.
Let's move on.
My silver Austin 7 was up for sale and someone from France got in touch who spoke only slightly more English than I do French - that is, exceedingly little.
Through emails over the course of a few weeks we managed to understand each other and finally after money had transferred and cleared, (without ever meeting or viewing, because that's how proper vintage car owners roll), Philippe and Francoise embarked on an extended camping weekend avec la campere, et une trailure, sur l'Irlande. Is that correct? I doubt it.
I'm not joking we spoke barely a word of each others language, but they caught a ferry to the south of Ireland, camped over, drove up to mine on Saturday morning and there we met, in front of a dishevelled looking Austin as I searched frantically for the radiator cap and tried to jam some charge into the battery.
Prepared, I am not.
Anyway after a few minutes looking around it - not examining it, just admiring really (that's all I did when I bought it too you know, that's how proper vintage car buyers roll) he someone indicated that he would reverse his camper and trailer up so we could push it on. What! said I, and the couple of staff that were in that morning - we shall drive it on!
So it quickly fired up on the 8th attempt, and I 9-point turned it out of the workshop and off to his rig parked just up the road.
And it went on on the second attempt. It was very slippery so it slid back off the first time.
I disconnected the battery, showed Philippe were the kill switch and fuel cut-off were, and because I never used it and had totally misplaced the tonneau cover, I said to the workers to wrap a bit of pallet wrap over the seats. But they didn't stop at that...
Sigh.
Our delightful French couple loved the humour though and looked both delighted and excited the whole time.
He emailed me this (Tuesday) morning to say they'd got back home safe (must be using google translate) and I must read it again, either inviting me to come out to France, or look them up if I'm over there. Either way - that's how proper vintage car owners roll.
You can see it's thick with snow too.
On Sunday I cleared it off the windows of the MG before driving off. I was waiting for it to melt and as soon as I would see it moving I'd of stopped and brushed it all off, but it has stayed so cold here that even after 25 minutes of driving it was still frozen to the car.
Ah well.
The good MG has the black wheels off the broken cheap MG I bought a few months ago, because they have good tyres. Eventually I will replace the bulged Bridgestones on the silver wheels and put them back on.
And a buddy is trying to get me to swap the black 330d E46 I'm driving for a diesel X5, but I'm resisting that move. I like the 330d too much.
I've probably broken some sanctimonious AR owners by-law; I mean, just look at this...
Anyway it's washed now. I would say it looks much better, but when it's washed, it just reveals how severely faded that front bumper actually is.
I bought the TB kit ages ago (from France) and set Vinny on to getting that job done while I did something else much less complicated. It was originally intended to be an engine-drop job but he figured he could do it in situ and it would be much quicker. It means I can't sort out one brake pipe that should run down the bulkhead but is currently diverted around the strut tower. OK, it will just have to stay there.
He dug in a bit and found the idler pulleys for the aux belt were all in bad shape too. One was seized tight, one was wobbly and loose. The tensioner was tensioning and the belt was only £11 so all of that had to get ordered too.
The whole kit (from France) would have been over £135 but I managed to buy the bits singly (pulleys from England, tensioner from Poland, belt from Newtownards) and save myself £20. Was it worth 2 hours of cross referencing? Probably not. All still genuine and/or OEM supplier made. I don't like putting crap on my car.
Which is probably why I was so annoyed when ordering a water pump from the dealer, they said they had one coming in a couple of days and we stripped the engine down ready to fit it. When a pump came for a 2.0 twinspark came, which is entirely, entirely different, in shape, size, part number and weight - I mean the V6 one is absolutely massive with big wings, it's over a foot wide - I was pretty annoyed.
Rang the dealer back and the guy that had made the mistake literally could not muster one single toss, and had no solution other than to tell me one would arrive on Dec 20th if I ordered one. yes, that's right, it hadn't even been ordered.
It's not like I hadn't given him the VIN off the car or anything, and I know the Alfa EPC is pretty good.
Gah! So I ordered the only one available, a Firstline one, yesterday, from the local factors. Which arrived today at noon. That's better - but also worse. Anyway, need to get the car built.
Let's move on.
My silver Austin 7 was up for sale and someone from France got in touch who spoke only slightly more English than I do French - that is, exceedingly little.
Through emails over the course of a few weeks we managed to understand each other and finally after money had transferred and cleared, (without ever meeting or viewing, because that's how proper vintage car owners roll), Philippe and Francoise embarked on an extended camping weekend avec la campere, et une trailure, sur l'Irlande. Is that correct? I doubt it.
I'm not joking we spoke barely a word of each others language, but they caught a ferry to the south of Ireland, camped over, drove up to mine on Saturday morning and there we met, in front of a dishevelled looking Austin as I searched frantically for the radiator cap and tried to jam some charge into the battery.
Prepared, I am not.
Anyway after a few minutes looking around it - not examining it, just admiring really (that's all I did when I bought it too you know, that's how proper vintage car buyers roll) he someone indicated that he would reverse his camper and trailer up so we could push it on. What! said I, and the couple of staff that were in that morning - we shall drive it on!
So it quickly fired up on the 8th attempt, and I 9-point turned it out of the workshop and off to his rig parked just up the road.
And it went on on the second attempt. It was very slippery so it slid back off the first time.
I disconnected the battery, showed Philippe were the kill switch and fuel cut-off were, and because I never used it and had totally misplaced the tonneau cover, I said to the workers to wrap a bit of pallet wrap over the seats. But they didn't stop at that...
Sigh.
Our delightful French couple loved the humour though and looked both delighted and excited the whole time.
He emailed me this (Tuesday) morning to say they'd got back home safe (must be using google translate) and I must read it again, either inviting me to come out to France, or look them up if I'm over there. Either way - that's how proper vintage car owners roll.
You can see it's thick with snow too.
On Sunday I cleared it off the windows of the MG before driving off. I was waiting for it to melt and as soon as I would see it moving I'd of stopped and brushed it all off, but it has stayed so cold here that even after 25 minutes of driving it was still frozen to the car.
Ah well.
The good MG has the black wheels off the broken cheap MG I bought a few months ago, because they have good tyres. Eventually I will replace the bulged Bridgestones on the silver wheels and put them back on.
And a buddy is trying to get me to swap the black 330d E46 I'm driving for a diesel X5, but I'm resisting that move. I like the 330d too much.