Your fleet running reports

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JonMad
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Currently Driving: 2015 Swift; 2012 Yeti; 2006 Fabia

Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by JonMad »

mik wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 12:12 pm
Matty wrote: Sun Aug 03, 2025 12:10 pm :shock:

Also, advertisement of personal businesses aren't allowed on this forum
The “KY” number plate can’t just be a coincidence :?

(Edit: it’s not a Y, but let’s not let the facts get in the way ;) )
There's a reason our blue Swift has the name, Jellybean, and it's not just because I had some blue Jelly Beans when I bought it and noticed the similarities (blue, small, curvy)
2024-04-12 09.04.45 - crop.jpg
2024-04-12 09.04.45 - crop.jpg (262.96 KiB) Viewed 1321 times
Anyway - MOT today. Flying colours etc.
I'm consistently doing around 3000 miles/year in it, and it remains a fun, very analogue way of getting around. It's currently nowhere near as clean as it is in this pic though.
Left over crest; tightens.
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John
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by John »

My car has been suffering from very weak washer jets, some days the water struggled to reach the windscreen. I suspected the usual washer fluid gunge in the washer bottle but I didn’t fancy removing the washer bottle as it’s a pain to get to so tried something I’d read about on the internet.

Drop a couple of denture cleaning tablets into the empty washer bottle and add a litre or two of warm water, give the washers a couple of squirts to fill the tubes and jets and leave for ten minutes. Absolutely perfect now, even the motor sounds more eager.
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Jobbo
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Jobbo »

John wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 1:55 pm My car has been suffering from very weak washer jets, some days the water struggled to reach the windscreen. I suspected the usual washer fluid gunge in the washer bottle but I didn’t fancy removing the washer bottle as it’s a pain to get to so tried something I’d read about on the internet.

Drop a couple of denture cleaning tablets into the empty washer bottle and add a litre or two of warm water, give the washers a couple of squirts to fill the tubes and jets and leave for ten minutes. Absolutely perfect now, even the motor sounds more eager.
I think it may be too late for that to work on our Mini but it's worth a try. Any particular tablets? Since yours seemed to work, what did you use?
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John
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by John »

Jobbo wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 3:40 pm
John wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 1:55 pm My car has been suffering from very weak washer jets, some days the water struggled to reach the windscreen. I suspected the usual washer fluid gunge in the washer bottle but I didn’t fancy removing the washer bottle as it’s a pain to get to so tried something I’d read about on the internet.

Drop a couple of denture cleaning tablets into the empty washer bottle and add a litre or two of warm water, give the washers a couple of squirts to fill the tubes and jets and leave for ten minutes. Absolutely perfect now, even the motor sounds more eager.
I think it may be too late for that to work on our Mini but it's worth a try. Any particular tablets? Since yours seemed to work, what did you use?
They were "Pro" which I think are a Tesco brand. I'm guessing any should do the job though.
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mik
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by mik »

The downside is that the washers now fire off into a receptacle by your side. On the right.
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Jobbo
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Jobbo »

Steradent were the only ones in the shop near my office so we'll try them. Might be £1.39 wasted but it's worth a go.
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mik
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by mik »

Jobbo wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 5:03 pm Steradent were the only ones in the shop near my office
I hope you’ve informed your insurance provider?
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Jimmy Choo
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Jimmy Choo »

Not sailing through an MOT.

Image

The E60 needed new rear pads and has advisories on the headlights being foggy and a deteriorating seal on the diff. At least this time it's not written the car off so that's still a win in my book.
Banal Vapid Platitudes
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Jobbo
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Jobbo »

mik wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 5:10 pm
Jobbo wrote: Fri Aug 08, 2025 5:03 pm Steradent were the only ones in the shop near my office
I hope you’ve informed your insurance provider?
It’s not insured 😄

Nor taxed nor MOTed. So getting the washers fixed will be really useful when I can’t drive it. But hey.
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Beany
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Beany »

Nothing to report on the Z4 other than that it could use an oil top up.

My neighbour, however, has made an interesting car purchase decision.

Image

There's no such thing as a Cube R BZ-R NISMO EDITION etc - but the silly bolt on arches and minilite-alike (and the super-dragger exhaust hidden out of the way) feels quite JDM-Max-Power and it's rare enough where I'll give it a pass for it's silliness.

So that's another unusual, lesser spotted car on the street. Just need to convince our other neighbour to buy a fucking Sterling Nova or something to replace their QashQai :lol:

Image
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integrale_evo
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by integrale_evo »

The muppetisation of the alfasud continues….

Ive always thought the front looked a bit chinless, the way the body wraps around under the bumper. The Ti models have a chin spoiler which squares the jaw off. While you can still find them ok, it means drilling holes and welding tabs to the front balance to support the bottom edge. No thanks.

Something like a mk1 golf GTi chin spoiler might work? Again, don’t want to drill and no way I’d trust tape to hold. Mk2 golf maybe? I’ve got one of the deep small bumper ones here. Propped it under with blocks of wood. Hmm, maybe a bit extreme, plus they’re a lot more expensive than I thought they’d be.

So kept looking. Spotted the regular mk3 golf GTi front lip. Quite a rare sight as everyone has stuck the deeper vr6 one on by now. Worth a punt for only £20!

They come in two halves so you get a join as standard, the bottom of a ‘sud is considerably smaller than a mk3 golf, so needed a substantial chunk out of the middle to get the corners sitting right, then another chunk off each end to stop it hitting the wheels!

Reattached the very end to close it off and make it look less like a hack job.

Made a couple of C shape brackets which attach to the ends of the front wind support bracket bolt, and another larger front one which bolts up using the front engine mount attachment bolts.

This is plenty to hold the whole thing in place, but for a bit of extra security I added a couple of strips of trim tape.

I’m happy with it, adds a bit of depth, hides the front subframe and towing eye but doesn’t actually reduce ground clearance at all. And best of all, I think it looks like if could have been there front the factory.

Image
Image
Cheers, Harry
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jamcg
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by jamcg »

£20 very well spent
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DeskJockey
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by DeskJockey »

Beany wrote: Sun Aug 10, 2025 2:10 pm Image
There's one rotting/decomposing a couple of roads away from home. It is a sad looking piece of junk.
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Driving a Galaxy far far away
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Beany
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Beany »

I saw a video recommended to me, about someone doing a project on one, and they described it as an 80s supercar or sports car, making out like it was something really special.

Oh, sweetie - sweetie no. It's a Beetle in a GRP dress.
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integrale_evo
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by integrale_evo »

There’s a chap on YouTube ‘restoring’ one with an alfasud engine. Hudson autos or something similar.

Well, he doesn’t usually restore, more like gets kind of running, cleans out the rats nests, paints with a roller and adds some stickers.

I think they’re awful, but also kind of cool by being so awful and so 70s 😄
Cheers, Harry
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mik
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by mik »

Another mod that work well Harry @integrale_evo :geek:
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Beany
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Beany »

integrale_evo wrote: Sun Aug 10, 2025 9:15 pm There’s a chap on YouTube ‘restoring’ one with an alfasud engine. Hudson autos or something similar.

Well, he doesn’t usually restore, more like gets kind of running, cleans out the rats nests, paints with a roller and adds some stickers.

I think they’re awful, but also kind of cool by being so awful and so 70s 😄
That's the one I saw.

I dug it out, it's worse than I thought. They describe as an 'abandoned 80s supercar'. That said apparently any piece of shit he drags from a scrapyard is a 'supercar'.

Christ.

https://www.youtube.com/@HudsonAutoFilms/videos
Last edited by Beany on Sun Aug 10, 2025 9:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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DeskJockey
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by DeskJockey »

Now I'm imagining what it would look like with MK3 "big bumpers" on it.

The lip looks good. Helps that the whole car looks good. Doesn't look like a bodge.
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Alex88
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Alex88 »

Alfa is looking great 8-)


I've long suspected the Mustang has been down on power. I've never timed it, but the arse Dyno says there's an issue and it just doesn't feel as quick as it should. It also often feels a bit strained at the top end. I'm thinking about what it could be.

Well, one of the catalytic converters has a sizable dent in it; looks like it been lowered onto something. The EML is intermittent and comes up for an 02 sensor when it's on.

My plan is to replace this section of the exhaust with a catted H/X pipe, and then do a full service (everything) before getting the engine tuned properly on a Dyno. There is a rolling road/tuner only 10 mins from me.

I think thats probably the best way forward.
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Rich B
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Re: Your fleet running reports

Post by Rich B »

integrale_evo wrote: Sun Aug 10, 2025 7:39 pm a chin spoiler
Looks factory - nice work (and i like the sharing of the process!)
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