Your fleet running reports

[Beany]

Must admit, I'm not sure the local environment justifies a full blown hot hatch - there's not that much in the way of local backroads. And I do still buzz back and forth to Scarbs regularly (as I did today). So a Focus ST might not be in it's element for that.

A 2.5T Mondeo with some choice tweeks up to near 300hp however, is a very, very interesting prospect, given how much I like q-cars (and given that I really quite like the long-legged way the mondeo just eats up roads).

Oh well, I'll have a sniff around autotrader and no doubt start looking at dog-eared Impreza WRXs instead knowing me. And RX8s....

[nuttinnew]

I think all ST500s had red leather Recaros (maybe the stripes as well).


re aircon, that's something putting me off having an old car again, something that you'd get out in this weather. That and cruise control, though that'd be easier to figure out a way round (maybe not active/radar cruise).
I'd like it if the vag ac I use went lower than 18, quite often need it just to dehumidify.


Edit; 18, not 16

[Beany]

Mondeo has a LO setting where it just cracks the high pressure system up as far as it can go. Currently getting vent temps of 12 deg, verified from the Body Control Module and a seperate thermostat.

Air con isn't *tricky* per se - I could have fixed the AC on the Puma for about £100 (replace reciever/drier, o-rings, recharge system), but to be blunt, the AC was the least of my problems towards the end...

WRT to Focus STs, I think I'd want an ST3 with the fancy pants seats and climate pack at a minimum - those are a bit rare in my price range.

[nuttinnew]

Yup, the vags have LO also, I think I'd like the temp setting to go to maybe 14, 16 for sure.
Something I do when first opening the car, open two doors on one side, go to t'other side and open and close those doors. It helps get the heated air in the car out quickly.

What is tricky with ac is putting it in a car that never had it at all, at least with the Puma there was a system there to fix.

[240PP]

Beanz, if you want a Focus ST with al teh stuff, fucking buy one.

I remember *squints and waves stick around* when you and some cvnt called Blain used to talk about RWD XR4s and shit (2001). I dunno how much a Focus ST is? Couple of grand? Stop fucking around and buy a fast Ford if you want one. Cvnt.

[V8Granite]

Defender - runs lovely still but needs a few jobs now after years of abuse. Drivers side rear chassis leg has a bit of rot by the spring hanger which I need to decide how to repair. Either a good patch or a chassis leg. 236,000 miles.

ML500 - going well and still enjoying it. A slight noise upon starting means a pulley bearing is on its way out, I’ll investigate that when I gets a big service, all fluids, plugs, belts and I’ll replace whatever pulleys are running a bit grumbly. A particularly wanky MG ZR 45 felt the full silliness of its handling (for a bus) a few weeks back when it couldn’t shake me and then I overtook it.
No desire to change it until I see another ML63 or it starts to be in-reliable. 104,000 miles now.

Audi TT - the downpipe split about 6 weeks ago. I got a new downpipe and went to fit it just before my last work shift. The cat was minty inside but the flanges were kaput, I drilled out a few captive bolts but by the time I’d have a flat flange again there wouldn’t be much left. I then started to remove the downpipe, ar4e. After much fiddling, on the Quattro there is not much space to get the downpipe in, even after removing the lambda sensor and only having the flexi and turbo flange section there was not enough space to remove.
So after some internet geekery I decided to park it up and wait till I came home from my next trip.
Rang Flewy, followed his advise and dropped the rear of the subframe, supported the wheels and lowered it enough to get the prop out of the way and the downpipe went in with a wiggle. Hateful job. Still waiting for the new Cat before I see if I have it lined up well enough after the subframe drop but will get an alignment anyway. With just a downpipe it sounds like an F-type with its mid life crisis pops and bangs just parking it on the drive. 155,000 miles

The stars have aligned and I have some money to sort the underside of the 500e. So I’ll be driving to Flewy to ask him to remove parts starting from the rear bumper, cleaning, painting, powder coating and changing rubber still I run out of money or the front bumper is reached. Then I have a few engine jobs to do. Viscous fan, VVT solenoids (to cure a leak) and possibly a de-cat as I feel the need to be noisier as my friends new Mustang drives past every now and then and I feel under-endowed musically

Motorbike is a jungle Jim for my boys, I pretend I don’t miss riding and just get on with family stuff.

Dave!

[JLv3.0]

mid life crisis pops and bangs

I'm stealing that one, it's perfect

[JLv3.0]

Same level of trust in me as always then

It'll be fixed and look and work like new.

It's not my first rodeo

Update time. So the bumper and bootlid have been repaired, filled and painted. I don't think they've done the final cut and polish but I'll go take a look today. I also agreed a price with them to replace the headlining as it was sagging like a pair of old African tits, and they're getting on with the rimjob at present. Yes, I said rimjob. I sourced the new rear lights, Hella / OEM so they should be OK. Hopefully get it back this week.













And tell me these aren't the best axles stands ever

[unzippy]

Getting there

[Rich B]

Flared arches and deep dished wheels. The perfect combo.

Looks good, good call on doing the wheels and other bits whilst it’s being sorted.

[JLv3.0]

I got the wheels included with the price I agreed between the shop and the crasher - they're my sweetener

[Sundayjumper]

The trailer now has fully operational brakes

The workshop arrangement has fallen through, onerous lease terms from the owner make it uneconomical

I was planning on storing the trailer and the Compact at the workshop.... d'oh.....

[JLv3.0]

I got the wheels included with the price I agreed between the shop and the crasher - they're my sweetener

And they did a nice job:



For something that was a bit of an afterthought, I just realised getting the headlining done might be a bit of a masterstroke. As per they're doing a cracking job (although the photo doesn't quite do it justice) but I also remembered the sunroof has rattled since the day I got it - and was the cause of a near-4k estimate from Audi to replace it! - to the point that I decided to just put with it.

Had a look in there today, couple of loose items that can be refixed - sorted.



And here are the benefits of cheap labour - 3 guys working on it today!



Damn it feels good to have a decent bodyshop in your knowledge arsenal.

[JLv3.0]

30% down, 70% to go

[scotta]

Yeah that seems to be the consensus on the loltus forum. Not much more expensive than the 1144's anyway so im going to order the CL5's.

CL RC5s are awesome. RC6 even more so.

I had a few callipers on mine, they seemed to get sticky and new ones went on to sort. But with good working callipers, EP alu-belled discs, CL pads, braided hoses and Superblue (that isn't blue anymore) the brakes were utterly fantastic.

RC5's ordered. Its got Type 200 fluid in it. running Pagid discs atm. The EP bells look good to replace them next though.

MOT Now passed without advisories. Specialist had a set of part worn front pads he'd taken off a car he was doing a bells and rotors upgrade on. He checked the fluid as well and said the Type 200 had gone off (Was brown) so flushed it with some unspecified DOT4. CL's Should hopefully arrive for the weekend so ive bought a new piston tool, Brake cleaner, Copper slip and Emery Cloths to change them at the weekend. Whilst im in there im going to clean and lube the nitrons as the stems are getting a bit squeaky again. Also ordered more Fuchs Pro - S as ive done 3 trackdays on the oil. Probably overkill but mhey. So Saturday will be a spanner day.

Still to do the heatsheild material on the bulkhead but the temp fix myself and the wookie did seems to be working well enough to leave that as a winter job. Might need the rear clam off for it...

[scotta]

CL RC5s are awesome. RC6 even more so.

I had a few callipers on mine, they seemed to get sticky and new ones went on to sort. But with good working callipers, EP alu-belled discs, CL pads, braided hoses and Superblue (that isn't blue anymore) the brakes were utterly fantastic.

RC5's ordered. Its got Type 200 fluid in it. running Pagid discs atm. The EP bells look good to replace them next though.

MOT Now passed without advisories. Specialist had a set of part worn front pads he'd taken off a car he was doing a bells and rotors upgrade on. He checked the fluid as well and said the Type 200 had gone off (Was brown) so flushed it with some unspecified DOT4. CL's Should hopefully arrive for the weekend so ive bought a new piston tool, Brake cleaner, Copper slip and Emery Cloths to change them at the weekend. Whilst im in there im going to clean and lube the nitrons as the stems are getting a bit squeaky again. Also ordered more Fuchs Pro - S as ive done 3 trackdays on the oil. Probably overkill but mhey. So Saturday will be a spanner day.

Still to do the heatsheild material on the bulkhead but the temp fix myself and the wookie did seems to be working well enough to leave that as a winter job. Might need the rear clam off for it...

5 mins later the CL's have arrived!

[Zonda_]

Beanz, if you want a Focus ST with al teh stuff, fucking buy one.

I remember *squints and waves stick around* when you and some cvnt called Blain used to talk about RWD XR4s and shit (2001). I dunno how much a Focus ST is? Couple of grand? Stop fucking around and buy a fast Ford if you want one. Cvnt.

I thought it was Beany always banging on about Sierras?

[scotta]

RC5's ordered. Its got Type 200 fluid in it. running Pagid discs atm. The EP bells look good to replace them next though.

MOT Now passed without advisories. Specialist had a set of part worn front pads he'd taken off a car he was doing a bells and rotors upgrade on. He checked the fluid as well and said the Type 200 had gone off (Was brown) so flushed it with some unspecified DOT4. CL's Should hopefully arrive for the weekend so ive bought a new piston tool, Brake cleaner, Copper slip and Emery Cloths to change them at the weekend. Whilst im in there im going to clean and lube the nitrons as the stems are getting a bit squeaky again. Also ordered more Fuchs Pro - S as ive done 3 trackdays on the oil. Probably overkill but mhey. So Saturday will be a spanner day.

Still to do the heatsheild material on the bulkhead but the temp fix myself and the wookie did seems to be working well enough to leave that as a winter job. Might need the rear clam off for it...

5 mins later the CL's have arrived!

Hmm...Wrong compound for the fronts...

IMG_0509 by Scott Armstrong, on Flickr

[ste]

I'm considering a proper swap about.

Anyone interested in a Caterham Superlight R or an E70 4.8i Sport? Drop me a message if so.

[NotoriousREV]

Stick the V8 in the Caterham and we’ll talk.