JR
Old enough to know better
cherrybomb
Well it looked different in the ad to real life is a fair comment. It'd lost the speedlines and had 3 17" TSW and 1 15" cloverleaf on. The bonnet had acquired a dent to the right of the badge, where it'd been pushed probably. No battery, no airpipe from the throttle body and the airbox bracket gone. The ECU was missing too.
The main concern being that someones butchered the loom in a selection of ways. It was going to be a track car so there's a kill switch chopped in by the missing battery. Then there was an assortment of dodgy wires running all over the shop.
The good bits were the low mileage (67k), it had no signs of being in any collisions, in fact the bodywork looked quite straight. No visible leaks (from in the bay or from the sunroof)
i put the battery and ECU from the cabby in it and tried to turn it over but there was no spark. I didn't take a multimeter or any tools so i didn't get very far, just wanted to have a look. It had an original alarm and immobiliser, which are poo by all accounts.
So we agreed that he'd have a look at getting it running and if it goes i'd get it picked up on a transporter.
What needs doing:
replace whole interior, except the dash
Loom repair + alarm out
A battery + ECU
Airbox + assorted engine plastics
Cooling system is muddy as hell
Has 2 litres too many of oil in it
O/S rear arch repair
the dent in the bonnet
wing mirrors are cracked and peeling
Quite an involved project.
[BREAK=delivered + 1st inspection]
Apologies for the poor quality of the photos...
I used Shiply and got a fair price to transort the car. It got picked up from Eltham at 8.30pm and they dropped it off late on Saturday 18.08.12 The drivers kindly helped me push it in to the garage.
It was Monday when i got the chance to look at it in daylight.
I pulled out the Renault alarm & all the wiring for it which included internal sensors, wires to the remote sensor etc. and wires run all the way up to behind the indicators & soldered in. I also removed the kill switch.
As there was no battery or ECU i used the ones out the cabby again to see if it'd run...
gubbins and where it mostly came from
the push switch was part of the alarm - on the slam panel
The HT leads were in the wrong order so after rearranging them and a few checks it started 1st attempt! Sounded tappety, but then it would if its been standing, the tax disc in the windscreen dated 2009 (sure its been running since then). I let it run until warm but the debris on and around the engine caused it to smoke.
Seems all the electrics work which is nice, the widows move alot quicker than the cabbys and the rubbers are in fairly good nick. The lack of an interior is a mixed blessing. The car must've belonged to a HEAVY smoker for a sustained period and it still reeks even without any of the upholstery. As there's no harness on the passenger bucket seat i removed it as well, mmm - roomy!
I know there's going to be a lot of rust concealed under the sills and the arches are going. Oh yeah, free tools - hammer in the scuttle, spanner under the seat and pliers in the door
[BREAK=new shoes and a battery]
Made a short drive out to the local scrappy in the cabby to pick up a battery for the bomb. Guys in the yard absolutely loved the cab. I got a large (as large as the scuttle can take atleast) high ampage battery as there'll be a hefty sound system in the car. Then I hoovered out a lot of leaves etc from every nook and cranny inside and out!
Back & i fitted it, borrowed the ECU again and let the car run until i realised the nasty smoke was a bit of plastic that'd fallen out of sight on to the manifold (likely one of the missing ones off the cover for the leads, or both :lol
I love having a sunroof, being a cabby driver, electric is a novelty.
On to the new shoes...
I cleaned up the mating faces on the hubs/ discs but still had to sand down the bore to fit as the white powder coating had been applied inside and was preventing them going on. Took a while. Bit of a chore too. Well worth it though!
fair bit of dish on these 17" TSW's
guy i got the wheels off had done this one, not sure how, looks scraped. Then he sold his 5gtt project unfinished, was a top fella.
Shoes maketh the man (who said that?!) I love white wheels on a red car - chav?
Also changed the TREs on the cabby so that passed its MOT today, got the alignment done and shes driving really nice now... I'll put the bomb in asap and see what needs doing on her as i'd like to have it on the road asap. The cabby needs to have some engine work as it's really pissing out oil - its reached right back under the car as far as the torsion bar. I suspect a head gasket failure coming too as it's never been done and she's up to 112,000...
[BREAK=Shopping list (may grow!)]
engine+bay:
ECU
strut brace & plastic covers
scuttle covers
standard air filter box and bracket (plus some ducting)
clips for lead cover
Body+Exterior:
orange indicator lenses
wing mirrors
probably sills, if needed i may loose the skirts + use cabriolet ones due to being much more solid
ARB bushes
Interior:
Everything :lol:
I've got a top-notch sound system with hands free i'm itching to fit
[BREAK=MOT today 30.08.2012]
Cherrybomb is having an MOT today so I checked everything inside and out and underneath. No paperwork with the car but hey they can look it up.
Firstly one of the numberplate lights wasn't working so i sorted that, was due to corrosion and a loose connection. Noticed theres a phase 2 16v badge on her.
Then washer bottle was empty. Once filled i quickly realised why it was empty. The hose to the rear screen had been cut by the pedals and the back section removed so a syphon effect emptied the washer bottle into the drivers footwell, quite quickly too. I got some (slightly bigger) hose from Homebase and replaced it. Used a pin to clear the nozzles. Replaced the wiper blades with some crappy ones off the cabriolet.
Also got under the car and drained off the excess oil (due to it being over filled - not by me i hasten to add) total was 1/2 a litre out that left it full up to the top notch on the stick, kept it to put in the cab, as she is a thirsty bitch.
Whilst under the car i did a bit of sightseeing. Probably the original fuel filter judging by the old logo, still has the useless gearstick return spring which is nice, the decat stainless exhaust must be quite new as the brackets haven't started rusting yet. It's loud, too loud for my liking, could be because theres lots of holes in the car you can see the ground through :lol:
Adjusted the handbrake too, Lots of nuts on it which was a pain, instead of the load of washers used on the cab which is a much better arrangement.
I have ordered some white (instead of grey, so adventureous) coachlining so next i wanna get busy with the sticky stuff remover and a really thorough clean
...So as you may of read the test was aborted due to excessive smoke from the engine and exhaust. Apparently the weekday teaster doesn't approve of such vehicles and it'd be better to come do it on the weekend... we'll see on Sunday.
Other things i'll need to be doing on the car are...
new fuel filter
empty the gearbox oil and check the quality - probably replace
Try and work out how to wire in the pioneers stereo
[BREAK=2nd attempt at MOT]
After the abandoned attempt i had more time to tinker with the car. I noticed it needs a new rack gaitor. The QH replacement set wern't great because they're quite different, i modified them to fit and it will suffice.
I took off the cam belt cover to check the condition and it looks like its been replaced at some point. Condition looks ok so i'll leave it for 20k miles or so.
Also started wiring in the stereo. Only 1 dash speaker in the car for it to play through though. That will soon change. Got the head unit working. its been 3 years since i had a proper sound system in a car. The standard renault one in the cabby has been fun, buying old cassettes has become a habit. Randomly found one in the street the other day, it'd been run over a bit but still plays!
Wondering what i've spent so far..?
200 car
85 transporting it
300 wheels & tyres
150 stereo, cables amp and speakers
15 battery
4 terminal clamps
8 flush
10 gaitors
772 so far
The car has put some in too though because I sold the wheels it came on for 40 through ebay. The winning bidder, a large bald Polish guy, tried to haggle. I said "everyone knows, you bid you buy".
He tried to claim that the centre of one had been cut out and welded back in due to some scoring around the centre on the inside. Even had a theory about a special weld for alloy wheels. He spent ages rubbing them down with a cloth and mumbling. :|
You can see in the photo below where there's a light patch on the caliper because they'd rubbed the inside of the wheels.
[BREAK=clutch pedal, light stalk and sounds]
Since the last update i've done a few bits but the car has been neglected for a few weeks as it needed a new clutch pedal and that's a bit like going to the dentist.
I put new TREs on both sides, no pics.
Got a new clutch pedal off ebay, renault want £58 for one these days so i was happy to wait until there was one for sensible money. The problem was that the ratchet had lost its bite and the pedal slipped 1/2 way down which felt like the cable snapping every time i tried to change gear.
the old pedal with chewed teeth
job done. You'd think Renault would supply a new pedal rubber for £58 eh?!
As the car is getting tested (for real this time) on Saturday I fitted a new light stalk as the old one wouldn't hold the highbeam on although i'm not certain if that's an MOT requirement or not?
I have now wired in a Pioneer head unit, amp and sub in the boot. Pics to follow... sounds a bit rubbish at the moment as there's only 1 working speaker (a dash tweeter) plus the sub which is a massive tube, fills the boot.
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16.10.2012
Got Cherry back from her date with the mechanic. She failed. details below...
Nothing major. New back discs and pads new front lines and a bulb. Tried to undo the union for the front hoses prior to the MOT as i knew they need replacing but they're stuck, time for the blowtorch. Rear discs will be the expense with the bearings too.
Bizarrely no mention of the parking break dash light being permanently on.
Number 7 advisory = :lol:
I had a Police car behind me on the way back from the MOT station for a bit but no problems.
Just got to find time in the next 10 days to do it. Then shes a right little goer!
[BREAK=a week off]
Day 1
after the MOT last Saturday (13/10/12) i thought i'd be able to make a start on the Tuesday, but got overtime so the brakes had to wait until the following week, my 1st week off in over 4 months - feels like it too!
I have bought a bunch of stuff for the car recently, rear discs, bearings, rear pads, new handbrake cables, rear caliper repair kit (all the seals and rings) new front hoses and a litre of 4 dot to bleed the system.
When i got down to it the off side front hose had a rounded flare nut so i had to make up a new line, which meant buying 7m of copper and a flaring kit plus 2 nuts, I couldn't wait for deliveries so had to pay shop prices, the copper is £12 posted including 10 nuts but £20 with 2 nuts in my local motor factors.
The flare kit was 13+vat in www.ahc-camberley.co.uk/catalog/index.php which have a branch less than 2 mins walk from my house, which is very handy.
As i was warned the old hoses popped when i used the blowtorch to free off the flare nuts, whole lot caught fire and pissed brake fluid everywhere. Now fitted though so on to the rear brakes. I cracked off the retaining plate and removed the pads, which are about 1/2 worn. The discs are ropey looking and as worn and the near side piston seals is torn. I wound in+out the pistons with some fluid on and replaced the seal. That was as far as i got on Tuesday then i realised i'd put the car up on stands too close to the garage door to close it so i had to put all the wheels back on and back on the ground, in the dark, in the rain. The clocks go back on the weekend...
Quite pleased with my work
spent so far;
16 cables
20 2x bearings
27 rear discs
9 rear pads
20 copper pipe (used 0.5m of 7m)
6 front hoses
5 1l 4dot
25 caliper repair kit (only used 1 seal atm)
901 so far (excluding MOT etc)
25 new tools = flare nut spanner and silverline flare kit
Day 2
Started at 10. Got the easybleed kit out and hooked it up. There was a leak on the new line, tightened the flare nut and it went. Then i bled the rear calipers before moving on to the front. The fluid is old and murky, who knows when it was last changed.
When i undid the bleed nipple on the front near side caliper nothing came out, then i completely removed it, nothing came out... got my lovely assistant to press the pedal and pop-woosh fluid everywhere! I don't know what was blocking it but that's bound to have affected the effectiveness, it'll be why the car pulled right when braking.
Next up the back brakes, removed the brackets and wire brushed them (always improves the brakes performance), cleaned up the calipers and put them back together with new pads.
knackered seal
Then i got under the car and tightened up the handbrake with a few extra washers spacing out the nut and bracket. Whilst i was there i put a new fuel filter on.
After all that tidied up put the wheels on and i was putting some bolts on in the bay when i dropped one in the lower cam cover, damn. So off with the wheel again and fishing around for it... doh!
The MOT had foglight bulb out as a fail so i took the cluster off and found there was never a bulb there in the cars history, you can see a blanking panel.
Well there's a bulb there now. All set for the retest at 8.30 tomorrow...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 3
25/10/12
Sometimes things just don't go my way. Like today, took the car to the MOT and went to get breakfast. Came back and they'd not done it because there was a seatbelt in the passenger side and no seat, "well it wasn't an issue in the test" i point out. It turns out to be a blessing in disguise though because as i drive home to take the belt out and i realise the brake pedal is soft.
So i removed the belt and bled the brakes, properly this time. When it says in the Haynes manual the right of the car does it mean the drivers side? Ambiguous if you ask me. Then I head back to the MOT garage via a place to get the tracking done, they love their french cars and ask if the mileage is genuine etc. They also point out the hand brake is rubbish, i get that sinking feeling... So guess what....then the car fails on the hand brake. A pathetic score of 2 on the left side. Kindly they didn't log it so i come home again and put on the new discs i couldn't be arsed to do the day before.
Back to the garage (they are getting fed up of me by now i bet) but they can't do anything until tomorrow so i agree to collect it at 9am and leave it there. Back at my garage tidying up i realise the old discs are greasy, seriously, someones lubricated them! They weren't any thinner than the new one i'd put on either.
Greased brake disc, brilliant.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 4 (penultimate)
Straight round the MOT centre 1st thing... and it passed. Hooray now i can buy some tax and drive it to Glasgow, meet Chris H and get the interior. Just the 7 hour journey to cover, should be easy.
First hour is a blur of road noise and wondering if it going to breakdown. second hour and i'm used to the road noise and absorbed by the dash "computer" the mpg is creeping up past 120... hmm... time for the DAB radio i bought along.
Third hour is have a go at doing over a ton and try to ignore the road noise whilst mentally converting miles and gallons/ litres in to consumption for comparison with the cabby
time for a 1/2 way break at some services. The bucket seat is starting to be uncomfortable by now. Mmm Burger King!
4,5 hours are eventful, theres a rolling roadblock which i'm at the front of, branches in the road. M6 toll lady jokes i've got no boot in my car.
Rainy Scotland
6 & 7th hours see me cross the border and are spent shifting weight from 1 side to the other and sliding back and forth in the increasingly uncomfortable seat.
Sunny Scotland
Car does 450 miles exactly in 12 gallons, about 80 to 100 more than the cabby, which over the last 30,000 miles / 3 years driving equals £500 extra fuel per year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 5 last day!
Spent the night in a hotel near Chris's house, it was near 10 before i got round there on the Friday. It's fair to say i help rather than hindered the fitting out of the interior, i'm sure Chris would agree. It took about 3 hours all together, not bad! The sun even came out near the end, which was nice.
Every time i turned round Chris had assembled another section of the interior, he really does know these cars like the back of his hand!
I set off to come back at around 3.30 and got to Oxford in 4 hours. The difference to the drive up was massive. It is a real pleasure to drive now. Its my daily and the cabby can sit in the garage for the time being.
The traffic, as expected, was nasty coming back & there was enough of a queue on the M25 behind an accident to make me come through central London to get to the A3 (excuse to take Cherry through the west end really).
All in i did just over 1000 miles in 2 days. It has been a very good week off! Much better than a package holiday to some beach.
The plastics on the uprights that the seatbelts anchor through had to be removed to fit the belts due to the holes not aligning so i am looking out for replacement trim that will fit. I wouldn't mind fitting the adjustable height belt if needs be.
Here's some photos of the car with interior and then after the 1st wash whilst under my ownership (not washed by me mind you)
clean shots;
I took the boot carpet out and put it in the washing machine but its still manky so i think i'll get a new bit and use the old one as a template. The guys at the wash couldn't get all the dog hairs out the weave of the fabric.
Driving around and i'm still getting used to the difference to the cabby., not sure i'll keep the cabriolet at the moment... sure to miss it as soon as sold though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Nov 2012
Got some super cheap Pioneer 17cm 1 way dual cone speakers for the doors through post today so fitted them with the right grilles i had in the garage. The phase 2 ones on there were the MOST rattly junk i've ever had the displeasure of listening to.
Got the bass tube in the boot for a trial too, if it is too silly then i'll leave it at home. Got some new dash tweeters and some top notch 10cm rear speakers on order...
I also need an adapter for the steering remote and the radio antenna oh and to fit the cage for the head unit.
[BREAK=November 2012]
That giant bass tube in the boot can make the whole car rattle and move the hair on my head, turn it up a bit more and you can't hear the rattles, any further and it'd probably induce a bowel movement.
I had to get an ISO - DIN adapter for the arial to plug in to the radio. £4.99 in Halfords, £5.99 in Maplin and 2 for 99p with free delivery on ebay...
Also bought a cigarette lighter to replace the rusted out one on the car, need it for the sat. nav. I want to keep the orange plastic bit though for some reason
Got my new carpet delivered, just need to cut it to size and fit it.
Gave the coolant a flush, i say coolant but really it was rusty piss. I will get some stuff to clean out the system so i can get some proper antifreeze in before it gets too cold to just have water in it.
I got something through the post from overseas... Where to put it on the car though that's a tough one
but more on that later...
[BREAK=Speakers]
In my quest for the best sounds my next upgrade is in the rear
As the originals have seen better days I got some new 5" 2-way speakers for the back.
To fit the new 5" rears speakers i had to remove the plastic shelves and drill holes in the top of the grilles so i could use nuts and bolts, they are nice & subtle
got a 2nd amp for a soung from the same supplier. I'll hve to decide if i need it in cherry or start improving the sounds in the cabby
The tweeters in the new speakers are removable and supplied with pods so they can be mounted on top of the grille pointing in the right direction. I might fix them above the grilles, not decided yet.
I also replaced the driver side dash tweeter with one from my 1st 19 16v, a ph 2 cabby. It makes a big difference to the balance of the sound.
random car pic for no particular reason
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Put a new carpet in the boot and a pair of spacers on the back hubs/ wheels, 25mm. Also started preparing the OE air box bracket and hoses to replace the k&n filter. Got a plastic case for the ECU from Chris H when i was up in Scotland so fitted that too.
the photos are different angles but you get the effect. would like some 7.5" wide wheels too...
2 weeks ago the drivers door window stuck 1/4 open when i was in Reading at the London Irish Stadium (for a work thing) and i had to leave the window down whilst the rain poured all day. And then all the way home. I was so pissed off i put the car in the garage and drove the cabby for 2 weeks. Only after removing the doorcard did i realise it was the fuse. I wanted to give the card a good scrub anyway...
On the rear screen half the elements don't work and it looks like they're damaged with little 3 or 5mm sections that are burnt out, excuse the pic
[BREAK=after some months...]
Been off the road for ages, sitting in the garage. Recommissioned with a new battery and tax. Now struggles to start, takes 3 or 4 turns of the key from cold. I missed driving the hatch, as it is the lightest and quite nippy compared to the other 2 variants.
She made it to FCS on the Sunday (and back again) 80 miles each way. Have changed the front right engine mount and plan to do the others soon. Then it's MOT time...
Then shes gotta go, too many cars in my life!
SOLD TO DIGITAL BISCUIT IN MARCH 2015
This car was on gumtree and Humbertob put it on here a while ago, on behalf of his friend Jake. I wanted a project so i decided to go check it out as i had to collect some ebay purchases over that way. Here's the ad reproduced:
Well it looked different in the ad to real life is a fair comment. It'd lost the speedlines and had 3 17" TSW and 1 15" cloverleaf on. The bonnet had acquired a dent to the right of the badge, where it'd been pushed probably. No battery, no airpipe from the throttle body and the airbox bracket gone. The ECU was missing too.
The main concern being that someones butchered the loom in a selection of ways. It was going to be a track car so there's a kill switch chopped in by the missing battery. Then there was an assortment of dodgy wires running all over the shop.
The good bits were the low mileage (67k), it had no signs of being in any collisions, in fact the bodywork looked quite straight. No visible leaks (from in the bay or from the sunroof)
i put the battery and ECU from the cabby in it and tried to turn it over but there was no spark. I didn't take a multimeter or any tools so i didn't get very far, just wanted to have a look. It had an original alarm and immobiliser, which are poo by all accounts.
So we agreed that he'd have a look at getting it running and if it goes i'd get it picked up on a transporter.
What needs doing:
replace whole interior, except the dash
Loom repair + alarm out
A battery + ECU
Airbox + assorted engine plastics
Cooling system is muddy as hell
Has 2 litres too many of oil in it
O/S rear arch repair
the dent in the bonnet
wing mirrors are cracked and peeling
Quite an involved project.
[BREAK=delivered + 1st inspection]
Apologies for the poor quality of the photos...
I used Shiply and got a fair price to transort the car. It got picked up from Eltham at 8.30pm and they dropped it off late on Saturday 18.08.12 The drivers kindly helped me push it in to the garage.
It was Monday when i got the chance to look at it in daylight.
I pulled out the Renault alarm & all the wiring for it which included internal sensors, wires to the remote sensor etc. and wires run all the way up to behind the indicators & soldered in. I also removed the kill switch.
As there was no battery or ECU i used the ones out the cabby again to see if it'd run...
gubbins and where it mostly came from
the push switch was part of the alarm - on the slam panel
The HT leads were in the wrong order so after rearranging them and a few checks it started 1st attempt! Sounded tappety, but then it would if its been standing, the tax disc in the windscreen dated 2009 (sure its been running since then). I let it run until warm but the debris on and around the engine caused it to smoke.
Seems all the electrics work which is nice, the widows move alot quicker than the cabbys and the rubbers are in fairly good nick. The lack of an interior is a mixed blessing. The car must've belonged to a HEAVY smoker for a sustained period and it still reeks even without any of the upholstery. As there's no harness on the passenger bucket seat i removed it as well, mmm - roomy!
I know there's going to be a lot of rust concealed under the sills and the arches are going. Oh yeah, free tools - hammer in the scuttle, spanner under the seat and pliers in the door
[BREAK=new shoes and a battery]
Made a short drive out to the local scrappy in the cabby to pick up a battery for the bomb. Guys in the yard absolutely loved the cab. I got a large (as large as the scuttle can take atleast) high ampage battery as there'll be a hefty sound system in the car. Then I hoovered out a lot of leaves etc from every nook and cranny inside and out!
Back & i fitted it, borrowed the ECU again and let the car run until i realised the nasty smoke was a bit of plastic that'd fallen out of sight on to the manifold (likely one of the missing ones off the cover for the leads, or both :lol
I love having a sunroof, being a cabby driver, electric is a novelty.On to the new shoes...
I cleaned up the mating faces on the hubs/ discs but still had to sand down the bore to fit as the white powder coating had been applied inside and was preventing them going on. Took a while. Bit of a chore too. Well worth it though!
fair bit of dish on these 17" TSW's
guy i got the wheels off had done this one, not sure how, looks scraped. Then he sold his 5gtt project unfinished, was a top fella.
Shoes maketh the man (who said that?!) I love white wheels on a red car - chav?
Also changed the TREs on the cabby so that passed its MOT today, got the alignment done and shes driving really nice now... I'll put the bomb in asap and see what needs doing on her as i'd like to have it on the road asap. The cabby needs to have some engine work as it's really pissing out oil - its reached right back under the car as far as the torsion bar. I suspect a head gasket failure coming too as it's never been done and she's up to 112,000...
[BREAK=Shopping list (may grow!)]
engine+bay:
ECU
strut brace & plastic covers
scuttle covers
standard air filter box and bracket (plus some ducting)
clips for lead cover
Body+Exterior:
orange indicator lenses
wing mirrors
probably sills, if needed i may loose the skirts + use cabriolet ones due to being much more solid
ARB bushes
Interior:
Everything :lol:
I've got a top-notch sound system with hands free i'm itching to fit
[BREAK=MOT today 30.08.2012]
Cherrybomb is having an MOT today so I checked everything inside and out and underneath. No paperwork with the car but hey they can look it up.
Firstly one of the numberplate lights wasn't working so i sorted that, was due to corrosion and a loose connection. Noticed theres a phase 2 16v badge on her.
Then washer bottle was empty. Once filled i quickly realised why it was empty. The hose to the rear screen had been cut by the pedals and the back section removed so a syphon effect emptied the washer bottle into the drivers footwell, quite quickly too. I got some (slightly bigger) hose from Homebase and replaced it. Used a pin to clear the nozzles. Replaced the wiper blades with some crappy ones off the cabriolet.
Also got under the car and drained off the excess oil (due to it being over filled - not by me i hasten to add) total was 1/2 a litre out that left it full up to the top notch on the stick, kept it to put in the cab, as she is a thirsty bitch.
Whilst under the car i did a bit of sightseeing. Probably the original fuel filter judging by the old logo, still has the useless gearstick return spring which is nice, the decat stainless exhaust must be quite new as the brackets haven't started rusting yet. It's loud, too loud for my liking, could be because theres lots of holes in the car you can see the ground through :lol:
Adjusted the handbrake too, Lots of nuts on it which was a pain, instead of the load of washers used on the cab which is a much better arrangement.
I have ordered some white (instead of grey, so adventureous) coachlining so next i wanna get busy with the sticky stuff remover and a really thorough clean
...So as you may of read the test was aborted due to excessive smoke from the engine and exhaust. Apparently the weekday teaster doesn't approve of such vehicles and it'd be better to come do it on the weekend... we'll see on Sunday.
Other things i'll need to be doing on the car are...
new fuel filter
empty the gearbox oil and check the quality - probably replace
Try and work out how to wire in the pioneers stereo
[BREAK=2nd attempt at MOT]
After the abandoned attempt i had more time to tinker with the car. I noticed it needs a new rack gaitor. The QH replacement set wern't great because they're quite different, i modified them to fit and it will suffice.
I took off the cam belt cover to check the condition and it looks like its been replaced at some point. Condition looks ok so i'll leave it for 20k miles or so.
Also started wiring in the stereo. Only 1 dash speaker in the car for it to play through though. That will soon change. Got the head unit working. its been 3 years since i had a proper sound system in a car. The standard renault one in the cabby has been fun, buying old cassettes has become a habit. Randomly found one in the street the other day, it'd been run over a bit but still plays!
Wondering what i've spent so far..?
200 car
85 transporting it
300 wheels & tyres
150 stereo, cables amp and speakers
15 battery
4 terminal clamps
8 flush
10 gaitors
772 so far
The car has put some in too though because I sold the wheels it came on for 40 through ebay. The winning bidder, a large bald Polish guy, tried to haggle. I said "everyone knows, you bid you buy".
He tried to claim that the centre of one had been cut out and welded back in due to some scoring around the centre on the inside. Even had a theory about a special weld for alloy wheels. He spent ages rubbing them down with a cloth and mumbling. :|
You can see in the photo below where there's a light patch on the caliper because they'd rubbed the inside of the wheels.
[BREAK=clutch pedal, light stalk and sounds]
Since the last update i've done a few bits but the car has been neglected for a few weeks as it needed a new clutch pedal and that's a bit like going to the dentist.
I put new TREs on both sides, no pics.
Got a new clutch pedal off ebay, renault want £58 for one these days so i was happy to wait until there was one for sensible money. The problem was that the ratchet had lost its bite and the pedal slipped 1/2 way down which felt like the cable snapping every time i tried to change gear.
the old pedal with chewed teeth
job done. You'd think Renault would supply a new pedal rubber for £58 eh?!
As the car is getting tested (for real this time) on Saturday I fitted a new light stalk as the old one wouldn't hold the highbeam on although i'm not certain if that's an MOT requirement or not?
I have now wired in a Pioneer head unit, amp and sub in the boot. Pics to follow... sounds a bit rubbish at the moment as there's only 1 working speaker (a dash tweeter) plus the sub which is a massive tube, fills the boot.
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16.10.2012
Got Cherry back from her date with the mechanic. She failed. details below...
Nothing major. New back discs and pads new front lines and a bulb. Tried to undo the union for the front hoses prior to the MOT as i knew they need replacing but they're stuck, time for the blowtorch. Rear discs will be the expense with the bearings too.
Bizarrely no mention of the parking break dash light being permanently on.
Number 7 advisory = :lol:
I had a Police car behind me on the way back from the MOT station for a bit but no problems.
Just got to find time in the next 10 days to do it. Then shes a right little goer!
[BREAK=a week off]
Day 1
after the MOT last Saturday (13/10/12) i thought i'd be able to make a start on the Tuesday, but got overtime so the brakes had to wait until the following week, my 1st week off in over 4 months - feels like it too!
I have bought a bunch of stuff for the car recently, rear discs, bearings, rear pads, new handbrake cables, rear caliper repair kit (all the seals and rings) new front hoses and a litre of 4 dot to bleed the system.
When i got down to it the off side front hose had a rounded flare nut so i had to make up a new line, which meant buying 7m of copper and a flaring kit plus 2 nuts, I couldn't wait for deliveries so had to pay shop prices, the copper is £12 posted including 10 nuts but £20 with 2 nuts in my local motor factors.
The flare kit was 13+vat in www.ahc-camberley.co.uk/catalog/index.php which have a branch less than 2 mins walk from my house, which is very handy.
As i was warned the old hoses popped when i used the blowtorch to free off the flare nuts, whole lot caught fire and pissed brake fluid everywhere. Now fitted though so on to the rear brakes. I cracked off the retaining plate and removed the pads, which are about 1/2 worn. The discs are ropey looking and as worn and the near side piston seals is torn. I wound in+out the pistons with some fluid on and replaced the seal. That was as far as i got on Tuesday then i realised i'd put the car up on stands too close to the garage door to close it so i had to put all the wheels back on and back on the ground, in the dark, in the rain. The clocks go back on the weekend...
Quite pleased with my work
spent so far;
16 cables
20 2x bearings
27 rear discs
9 rear pads
20 copper pipe (used 0.5m of 7m)
6 front hoses
5 1l 4dot
25 caliper repair kit (only used 1 seal atm)
901 so far (excluding MOT etc)
25 new tools = flare nut spanner and silverline flare kit
Day 2
Started at 10. Got the easybleed kit out and hooked it up. There was a leak on the new line, tightened the flare nut and it went. Then i bled the rear calipers before moving on to the front. The fluid is old and murky, who knows when it was last changed.
When i undid the bleed nipple on the front near side caliper nothing came out, then i completely removed it, nothing came out... got my lovely assistant to press the pedal and pop-woosh fluid everywhere! I don't know what was blocking it but that's bound to have affected the effectiveness, it'll be why the car pulled right when braking.
Next up the back brakes, removed the brackets and wire brushed them (always improves the brakes performance), cleaned up the calipers and put them back together with new pads.
knackered sealThen i got under the car and tightened up the handbrake with a few extra washers spacing out the nut and bracket. Whilst i was there i put a new fuel filter on.
After all that tidied up put the wheels on and i was putting some bolts on in the bay when i dropped one in the lower cam cover, damn. So off with the wheel again and fishing around for it... doh!
The MOT had foglight bulb out as a fail so i took the cluster off and found there was never a bulb there in the cars history, you can see a blanking panel.
Well there's a bulb there now. All set for the retest at 8.30 tomorrow...
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Day 3
25/10/12
Sometimes things just don't go my way. Like today, took the car to the MOT and went to get breakfast. Came back and they'd not done it because there was a seatbelt in the passenger side and no seat, "well it wasn't an issue in the test" i point out. It turns out to be a blessing in disguise though because as i drive home to take the belt out and i realise the brake pedal is soft.
So i removed the belt and bled the brakes, properly this time. When it says in the Haynes manual the right of the car does it mean the drivers side? Ambiguous if you ask me. Then I head back to the MOT garage via a place to get the tracking done, they love their french cars and ask if the mileage is genuine etc. They also point out the hand brake is rubbish, i get that sinking feeling... So guess what....then the car fails on the hand brake. A pathetic score of 2 on the left side. Kindly they didn't log it so i come home again and put on the new discs i couldn't be arsed to do the day before.
Back to the garage (they are getting fed up of me by now i bet) but they can't do anything until tomorrow so i agree to collect it at 9am and leave it there. Back at my garage tidying up i realise the old discs are greasy, seriously, someones lubricated them! They weren't any thinner than the new one i'd put on either.
Greased brake disc, brilliant.
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Day 4 (penultimate)
Straight round the MOT centre 1st thing... and it passed. Hooray now i can buy some tax and drive it to Glasgow, meet Chris H and get the interior. Just the 7 hour journey to cover, should be easy.
First hour is a blur of road noise and wondering if it going to breakdown. second hour and i'm used to the road noise and absorbed by the dash "computer" the mpg is creeping up past 120... hmm... time for the DAB radio i bought along.
Third hour is have a go at doing over a ton and try to ignore the road noise whilst mentally converting miles and gallons/ litres in to consumption for comparison with the cabby
time for a 1/2 way break at some services. The bucket seat is starting to be uncomfortable by now. Mmm Burger King!
4,5 hours are eventful, theres a rolling roadblock which i'm at the front of, branches in the road. M6 toll lady jokes i've got no boot in my car.
Rainy Scotland
6 & 7th hours see me cross the border and are spent shifting weight from 1 side to the other and sliding back and forth in the increasingly uncomfortable seat.
Sunny Scotland
Car does 450 miles exactly in 12 gallons, about 80 to 100 more than the cabby, which over the last 30,000 miles / 3 years driving equals £500 extra fuel per year
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Day 5 last day!
Spent the night in a hotel near Chris's house, it was near 10 before i got round there on the Friday. It's fair to say i help rather than hindered the fitting out of the interior, i'm sure Chris would agree. It took about 3 hours all together, not bad! The sun even came out near the end, which was nice.
Every time i turned round Chris had assembled another section of the interior, he really does know these cars like the back of his hand!
I set off to come back at around 3.30 and got to Oxford in 4 hours. The difference to the drive up was massive. It is a real pleasure to drive now. Its my daily and the cabby can sit in the garage for the time being.
The traffic, as expected, was nasty coming back & there was enough of a queue on the M25 behind an accident to make me come through central London to get to the A3 (excuse to take Cherry through the west end really).
All in i did just over 1000 miles in 2 days. It has been a very good week off! Much better than a package holiday to some beach.
...just the beginning...
[BREAK=clean shot]The plastics on the uprights that the seatbelts anchor through had to be removed to fit the belts due to the holes not aligning so i am looking out for replacement trim that will fit. I wouldn't mind fitting the adjustable height belt if needs be.
Here's some photos of the car with interior and then after the 1st wash whilst under my ownership (not washed by me mind you)
clean shots;
I took the boot carpet out and put it in the washing machine but its still manky so i think i'll get a new bit and use the old one as a template. The guys at the wash couldn't get all the dog hairs out the weave of the fabric.
Driving around and i'm still getting used to the difference to the cabby., not sure i'll keep the cabriolet at the moment... sure to miss it as soon as sold though.
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1st Nov 2012
Got some super cheap Pioneer 17cm 1 way dual cone speakers for the doors through post today so fitted them with the right grilles i had in the garage. The phase 2 ones on there were the MOST rattly junk i've ever had the displeasure of listening to.
Got the bass tube in the boot for a trial too, if it is too silly then i'll leave it at home. Got some new dash tweeters and some top notch 10cm rear speakers on order...
I also need an adapter for the steering remote and the radio antenna oh and to fit the cage for the head unit.
[BREAK=November 2012]
That giant bass tube in the boot can make the whole car rattle and move the hair on my head, turn it up a bit more and you can't hear the rattles, any further and it'd probably induce a bowel movement.
I had to get an ISO - DIN adapter for the arial to plug in to the radio. £4.99 in Halfords, £5.99 in Maplin and 2 for 99p with free delivery on ebay...
Also bought a cigarette lighter to replace the rusted out one on the car, need it for the sat. nav. I want to keep the orange plastic bit though for some reason
Got my new carpet delivered, just need to cut it to size and fit it.
Gave the coolant a flush, i say coolant but really it was rusty piss. I will get some stuff to clean out the system so i can get some proper antifreeze in before it gets too cold to just have water in it.
I got something through the post from overseas... Where to put it on the car though that's a tough one
but more on that later...
[BREAK=Speakers]
In my quest for the best sounds my next upgrade is in the rear
As the originals have seen better days I got some new 5" 2-way speakers for the back.
To fit the new 5" rears speakers i had to remove the plastic shelves and drill holes in the top of the grilles so i could use nuts and bolts, they are nice & subtle
got a 2nd amp for a soung from the same supplier. I'll hve to decide if i need it in cherry or start improving the sounds in the cabby
The tweeters in the new speakers are removable and supplied with pods so they can be mounted on top of the grille pointing in the right direction. I might fix them above the grilles, not decided yet.
I also replaced the driver side dash tweeter with one from my 1st 19 16v, a ph 2 cabby. It makes a big difference to the balance of the sound.
random car pic for no particular reason
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Put a new carpet in the boot and a pair of spacers on the back hubs/ wheels, 25mm. Also started preparing the OE air box bracket and hoses to replace the k&n filter. Got a plastic case for the ECU from Chris H when i was up in Scotland so fitted that too.
the photos are different angles but you get the effect. would like some 7.5" wide wheels too...
2 weeks ago the drivers door window stuck 1/4 open when i was in Reading at the London Irish Stadium (for a work thing) and i had to leave the window down whilst the rain poured all day. And then all the way home. I was so pissed off i put the car in the garage and drove the cabby for 2 weeks. Only after removing the doorcard did i realise it was the fuse. I wanted to give the card a good scrub anyway...
On the rear screen half the elements don't work and it looks like they're damaged with little 3 or 5mm sections that are burnt out, excuse the pic
[BREAK=after some months...]
Been off the road for ages, sitting in the garage. Recommissioned with a new battery and tax. Now struggles to start, takes 3 or 4 turns of the key from cold. I missed driving the hatch, as it is the lightest and quite nippy compared to the other 2 variants.
She made it to FCS on the Sunday (and back again) 80 miles each way. Have changed the front right engine mount and plan to do the others soon. Then it's MOT time...
Then shes gotta go, too many cars in my life!
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