Car D.I.Y.

[cosmicbike]

Yesterday I took one rear wheel off the Volvo in an attempt to clean off 27 years of ingrained iron. Not a chance. When I asked SWMBO which wheel she thought I'd cleaned she pointed to the wring one
Anyway, I noticed some of the underseal coming adrift whilst under there, so this morning Grave had her bum in the air, rear wheels off and arches brushed out. In my wisdom I removed the mud flaps, shearing the 3 very rusty retaining screws. Installed rivnuts instead, and no she's back on all 4 with nice arches, on the inside at least.

 

[PeteXXX]

I finally got around to change the mirror indicator on my Jazz.
Bit of a phaff getting the mirror glass off intact, then the plastic cowl clips.
Four electrical connectors and two Hex screws to change the led indicator, then reverse the procedure to clip it all back together but not before de-spidering the area!!

And a bonus ¾ hour listening to the new release of Goats Head Soup.. 👍🏼

 

[fossyant]

My son made some car ramps from timber a few weeks ago. They are very good and I've used them twice now - saves jacking the car up.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Yesterday evening was quite busy, I was plodding along quite merrily removing stuff to get the MX5 engine & gearbox out of the donor MX5, when my son turned up & decided to help, things then speeded up & quite quickly the engine & box was taken out of the car, albeit with a lot of gearbox oil all over the driveway. We were then stood deciding on the best course of action to get the existing engine out of the kit when his mate who is a professional mechanic turned up. All hell seemed to break loose at that point, within the next couple of hours, the kit engine was removed & replaced with the one we'd just taken out of the MX5 along with a clutch change, although working in the dark by phone & torch is not good.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Bit further on with the kitcar, unfortunately backwards, started by getting rid of the shell

Then I started with

Then replace the shocks & springs with new ones

Then eventually ended with

Gearbox change tomorrow, then the build can actually start by revering what I have done tonight

 

[cosmicbike]

Finally got around to replacing the front lower suspension arm bushes on the Volvo over the past couple of days. Nightmare to make the new bushes fit the arm, I know they should be a tight interference fit, but I don't need my Zeus book to know that a bushing measuring 34.8mm OD is not going into a hole measuring 34mm ID..
Spent some time adjusting diameters with files and dremel, then it all went together like magic. No more rattles and bangs every time I go over a pothole or drain, wonderful.

 

[tyred]

The wheels on the Skoda were pretty rusty. I removed them today and cleaned them up a bit and gave them a coat of paint. It's not done properly I know as I didn't remove the tyres but it tidies things up a bit. Car actually looks pretty good now I think (apart from being bland and having a face that only it's designer could love). Just needs a good wash and a bit of polish. When I had the wheels off I noted that the gaiter things which protect the rear shocks have self-destructed but it's possible to do DIY versions (practice from MKI Golf ownership where they failed in the same way - what have VW learned in 50 years?). That black trim stuff on the doors/B post is starting to blister up and peel off too. Seems to be some sort of vinyl wrap stuff. I'll live with it.

If I wasn't so tight I'd buy a set of wheel trims

Bodywork seems to be genuinely completely rust free although the exhaust system looks to be in it's twilight years.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I spent 9 hours in the workshop finding the floor, the workbench & space on my shelves, I've listed 20 items on Fleecebay which I think somebody may buy & thrown lots of other stuff I just know somebody out there wants/needs but too much hassle to deal with. The scrap lads who come around in their transits had a field day, there was 6 piles of stuff collected through the day, the lad who dropped lucky on the 6 alternators & 5 starter motors was over the moon.

 

[raleighnut]

The wheels on the Skoda were pretty rusty. I removed them today and cleaned them up a bit and gave them a coat of paint. It's not done properly I know as I didn't remove the tyres but it tidies things up a bit. Car actually looks pretty good now I think (apart from being bland and having a face that only it's designer could love). Just needs a good wash and a bit of polish. When I had the wheels off I noted that the gaiter things which protect the rear shocks have self-destructed but it's possible to do DIY versions (practice from MKI Golf ownership where they failed in the same way - what have VW learned in 50 years?). That black trim stuff on the doors/B post is starting to blister up and peel off too. Seems to be some sort of vinyl wrap stuff. I'll live with it.
View attachment 549292

If I wasn't so tight I'd buy a set of wheel trims

Bodywork seems to be genuinely completely rust free although the exhaust system looks to be in it's twilight years.

Sooner have the 205.

 

[tyred]

Sooner have the 205.

Me too. Whoever styled that must have had a few too many Praga the night before.

 

[Illaveago]

The wheels on the Skoda were pretty rusty. I removed them today and cleaned them up a bit and gave them a coat of paint. It's not done properly I know as I didn't remove the tyres but it tidies things up a bit. Car actually looks pretty good now I think (apart from being bland and having a face that only it's designer could love). Just needs a good wash and a bit of polish. When I had the wheels off I noted that the gaiter things which protect the rear shocks have self-destructed but it's possible to do DIY versions (practice from MKI Golf ownership where they failed in the same way - what have VW learned in 50 years?). That black trim stuff on the doors/B post is starting to blister up and peel off too. Seems to be some sort of vinyl wrap stuff. I'll live with it.
View attachment 549292

If I wasn't so tight I'd buy a set of wheel trims

Bodywork seems to be genuinely completely rust free although the exhaust system looks to be in it's twilight years.

That black plastic vinyl will come off with a heat gun . The remaining sticky stuff will come of with white spirit and some work , it should be the same colour as the car underneath .

 

[Drago]

Ordered some poly strut bar bush inserts for my XC90. And easy fit, by all accounts. We'll have to see how they perform.

 

[tyred]

That black plastic vinyl will come off with a heat gun . The remaining sticky stuff will come of with white spirit and some work , it should be the same colour as the car underneath .

Does seem to be the case although it would look a bit odd I think with body coloured B posts as they all seem to have black there.

 

[Drago]

How about remove the failing drcals and redo them in satin black spray paint?

 

[Illaveago]

Does seem to be the case although it would look a bit odd I think with body coloured B posts as they all seem to have black there.

You could start a new trend in colour coding .
I personally can't stand all the black plastic trim that manufacturers insisted on sticking everywhere. It was a right pain to clean and keep black . I'm glad to say that my newer car has the absolute minimum .