#1: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 11 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 10:18 am ---- Not a lot of people know this, but my 'beast' of a 1.6 (or not for those that insist a 1.6 cannot be such a thing) has finally succumbed to age and a general lack of time to keep 'her' up and running as the daily.
Over the years the alloys have gone to pot, the 'stereo' system has broken down, the engine hasn't been maintained as well as it should have been and the axle has finally given up the will to live.
The bonnet is verging on the edge of a motorway disaster, the air filter has definitely seen better days, the gearbox is idling like a tractor, the handbrake is nigh on vertical and the brakes are spongier than a self-perpetuating bouncy ball in a squash court. The blower motor decided to snap itself in a fit of depression years ago and to add the final nail in the coffin, one of the 3 year old Khumo's has given up and slashed itself somewhere secret in a bid for it all to be over.
Those that have met me know that what I know about the humble 206 borders on almost useless, I mean it's not hard to remember about swapping the red and yellow wire, right? And the most advanced thing I ever did to her was to replace the fan relays after 5 years of resorting to cabin heating to stop her sweating like a menopausal woman.
So last week, after blowing out the suicidal Khumo trying to get the old girl home on Tyre weld, I had a decision to make.
It's fair to say she's in a very sorry state and you might think now is the time to give up and concentrate on bigger and better things. But we already have the 308 5-door (which by the way, in the same week also decided to have an axle issue which was luckily repaired under warranty), and at the weekend we bought Mrs VorTechS a run-around Ford Ka(ck).
For only about the 3rd time in the 13 years of owning the 206, I took out the trusty Haynes manual and had a read through whilst scanning Facebook, Ebay and Gumtree for potential replacement vehicles and all the various problems they'd had in their previous MOTs.
A light went off. I can actually read this trusty guide to the 206 and you know what, I think I finally get it. The brake system isn't that hard to comprehend. Head gaskets blown? Replacing it can't be THAT hard can it? Heck, even the timing belt doesn't seem overly complicated.
I can custom build PCs, write and debug computer software, build ponds, stud walls, custom-made sheds and chicken houses.
I think it's time I learnt properly how to sort out a car!
So here starts Project Phoenix, a project that's going to teach me [a once car-ignorant 41 year old] new things and one where I'm going to dive in and do the stuff to bring the old girl back up to scratch to make me proud of her again! I always said, I'm going to keep her until she takes her last breath, and her time isn't up yet!
It's time to stick to my promise to her! Last edited by VorTechS on Mon May 08, 2017 1:17 pm; edited 9 times in total
#2: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: pAvax, Location: EssexPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:26 pm ---- I know that feeling! Seems we are roughly in the same boat here with our skills and whatnot.
Going to take "before" photos, before you start? I always enjoy seeing a transformation
#3: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:53 pm ---- Yes, I'll be taking pictures! The first of which should arrive soon!
#4: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: cainw1, Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 12:59 pm ---- Great idea best of luck with it all
#5: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: Addaz, Location: SuffolkPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 10:12 am ---- Brilliant to hear your keeping her going mate
If you need any advice just drop me a message on here or facebook
#6: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:22 am ---- Thanks all for the comments, and Addaz I'll be sure to nudge you for any questions!
So let's start from the beginning and review the exterior of the car:
The front's not in too bad nick. The bonnet is hiding a dirty secret though, which you can't quite see on this picture... but on the front grille there's a light orange patch. Yup, the underside of the bonnet is rusty to the point that it's only a matter of time before things start showing on the upper side and/or the catch loop gives up and comes away. It's also peppered with stone chips and like all 206s the front grille doesn't clip in properly on one side. The lights are in good working order still, although the light output is poor. The bumper needs a good cleaning, as my handy work with wax is smeared all over it.
Plans:
- New bonnet
- Re-secure the grille
- Replace the washer jet hose / jets
Similarly the back end is not too bad either. No, I haven't attempted to de-wiper (and nor do I plan to), but the arm has actually worked itself loose off it's securing nut and fallen off! The observant will notice that since my last public meeting there's a new exhaust on there. It's a LongLife exhaust from the Cat back with a twin slash pipe. It's taken a while to bed in, but it's sounding very nice indeed!
The very observant will also notice the addition of Richbrook anti-theft bolts on the number plate, since the last one got stolen.
Plans:
- Add new wiper
- Get spoiler re-painted (it has chips resulting from bird poo!)
The sides of the car aren't too bad at all either. The doors are in reasonable nick and apart from the obligatory moss growing in the window seals not much really needs doing. One of the front window tints needs replacing as it seems to have concertinaed. The alloys are horrendous, and frankly embarrassing.
Plans:
- New alloys
- Re-tint
- Clean out the moss
This is by far now the biggest problem with the car. There is no weight in the car whatsoever on this shot. Yes, it's been lowered and has a false floor, but what you see now would normally be the ride height with the full sound system put in. You can't tell from the rear shot either, but the car actually sits lower on one side where the speakers lived to the one side.
Also the arch shows the damage caused by my pregnant ex-wife when she decided to lose all sense of spacial awareness. Picking a fight with a wall, she lost. I doubt this will get repaired unless I get a sudden urge to try it myself. (I once tried spraying the spoiler when I first got it, and that didn't work out very well at all!)
Plans:
- Replace the axle
- Build new speaker box to distribute the weight evenly
Other plans:
- Strip and re-paint the rocker cover
- Replace brake hoses [possibly going braided!]
- General servicing (oil change, discs and pads)
- New cone for the GSR [which is staying!]
- Handbrake tightening
- Possible gearbox change [when I've reviewed how feasible it is]
My plan is to start with the axle change. It's strategically the most difficult given the space I have to work in. Here I have two choices:
1) Buy a re-conditioned axle
Pros:
- Re-built to a decent standard
- Delivered to the door
- Could get it fitted by the re-conditioners
Cons:
- Some don't come with everything, meaning a press is required for the bearings
2) Buy a donor vehicle
Pros:
- A recently sorned vehicle should have an axle in decent condition
- Buying the same engine, could yield spare parts
- Possible replacement gearbox available
Cons:
- Logistics of getting a non-runner home
- Could pay a lot more than just the cost of a replacement axle / gearbox
After a lot of thought, and scouring I decided that the best approach would bet to buy a donor vehicle for exactly the 3 reasons above and potentially a fourth. If Mrs VorTechS has the patience, the donor vehicle could be patched up and sold on.
After a week or so of disappointment, in which one car was sold before I had a chance to go and look at it with no contact from the seller to say it was sold, and another was sold a few hours before due to go and see [after being first on the list and assured we would get a first look at it], we finally found a potential replacement advertised as a Head Gasket failure.
Now, in my experience, a lot of people put 206s out of commission with 'Head Gasket' failure when in fact the car is just overheating due to the cooling fan relay problems. So we went to look at the car, and okay - it wasn't in great condition paintwork wise. The engine was okay [same engine as mine and same year which was a bonus!], and no signs of head gasket failure in the usual places. We ran the engine for a while and all seemed okay. Until after about 20 minutes we gave it some revs. Plumes of white smoke out of the tailpipe. That was that then.
Packing up and about to head back, the guy said he was going to scrap it on Monday as it was in the way and then a light-bulb moment was had! I said, if he was at a point where he was going to scrap it we'd take it off his hands for a nominal amount. The car was up for sale at £150, so I decided to offer him £50 for it. And he said yes!
£50 for an axle in not too bad condition, a gearbox that was nice and smooth and a bonus of some temporary alloys!
The only problem now, how do we get the thing 50 miles home with a definite head gasket failure?
I can sense a road trip coming on. Who do I know who might like a road trip near me ?!?!?
#7: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: MrWhite, Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 3:46 pm ---- Good to Hear dude I hope I can help with anything and if you want you can reach me on Facebook. Im off to Watford next friday and back on the sunday so may be driving past your way.
#8: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 6:31 am ---- If you're driving past and fancy a brew, pop in! You're more than welcome!
#9: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: Sim, Location: West CountryPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 10:50 am ----
VorTechS wrote:
The only problem now, how do we get the thing 50 miles home with a definite head gasket failure?
I can sense a road trip coming on. Who do I know who might like a road trip near me ?!?!?
Jag the pugpicker of course! Nice opener there VorTechS And so we set out on a sunny Sunday to the Shire (Wilts)
I was surprised to see that car has been to at least some scene standards: spoiler, *exus lights, custom plates you name it! And all hooked up
A sturdy tow pole (attended by a lithuanian) has been mounted, but the lack of power brakes and steering on that orange (ap)peal as well as myself inexperienced in rigid towing resulted in a too sharp of a turn just as we pulled out and crunched the front grille (hopefully repairable somehow? who's into plastic moulding?)
..and a bent pole! (again, no hate crime here)
Since the pole lost its integrity, it was half way through the journey that it decided to give up and just scrape the road. Good job I always have a towrope in the Jag Mrs VorTechS slyly suggested to run the gasket-fail engine on idle to just assist braking, for not to be rear-ending the Jag before every roundabout
It worked!
For the rest of the journey the orange engine sat nicely around 90, sometimes doing an impression of Jag-the-pendulum on steep downslopes. Luckily the good satnav managed to avoid the mad Dursley hills, and we reached the final destination without extra hiccups
Best friends (forever?)
France stance
What a roadtrip! Learning from adventures, and not repeating them (will do some other adventures instead! )
#10: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: pAvax, Location: EssexPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 11:07 am ---- Replace the plastic silly grill with mesh, would be my choice... If the grill is any different than the stock grill on 206cc, I think the plastic inner bit is horrendous, not forgetting to mention half closed too!
Happy to have a GTI bumper, including grill, now!
#11: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 7:19 pm ---- Thanks for the pics Sim!
One thing that we learnt for sure, don't even attempt to tow a 206 if you've got no electrics or a Halfords tow pole. Nothing can prepare you for the lack of braking and the pole itself really is not strong enough to survive the minor pulling/pushing on the winding roads that we took.
The pole gives you no reaction time if you need it, and restricts your view of the road as it is quite short. In comparison the rope was so much easier and the 206 easily handled the weight of the Jag. I say easy.... but there's a reason we had a picture about 10 miles from home!
The last 10 miles was basically a downhill journey. Being the ' leading car' in such situations this meant that I had to be on the brakes pretty much constantly, to the point that there was a very very strong odour of brake smoke! I decided that perhaps after the first major hill, we ought to give the brakes a chance to cool down in order to avoid any risk of a fire before we got the thing home!
So, now we have some of the bits we need to make a start! But having this additional car, in not too bad a condition, I have decided that I'm not only going to fix the ' beast', but also patch up this other one and possibly give it to my son ready for when he can drive.
Game on!
#12: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:09 pm ---- Project Day 1 - Original Axle Removal: Phase 1
I got a few hours today spare to make a start on the project. Before actually getting 'Tools on' though, a little preparation was needed.
During the week I ordered 10 Hockey pucks [bulk was a better buy] after hearing about their suitability for using as weight bearing protection for the cars sills. Obviously as they are hockey pucks, they themselves need some modification and so I set about them with a saw. I experimented with a hand saw, hack saw and a full saw. Things were easier with a full saw, and the ideaa was to cut out a groove big enough to fit the sill inside. I found the best approach was to make 3 cuts, all three quarters of the way down the puck and then to use a large screwdriver to jimmy out the groove. In total I cut out 3 pucks, one for each side of the car and one for the jack.
The car itself required two jacks to raise it up as it's been lowered. The second was a Halfords 2-ton trolley jack. And you'd be forgiven for thinking that the first was a special low jack. But no, I actually used the original jack that came with the car, which seems to be able to get very low to get an initial lift.
My original plan was to use 3-ton axle stands to put the car on in order to get maximum lift (they go to 50cm), but it became clear that would need to be done in two stages using the 2-ton existing stands I have. I sat the car on the peg level of the stands after I became concerned the trolley jack might not go much higher without putting too much pressure on the sills. As it happened, this was just enough for me (a fat old man) to crawl under and get from the back of the car up to CAT.
After having got it jacked up, I then wondered if perhaps it would have been prudent to at least loosen the wheel nuts while it was on the floor. The conclusion was probably yes, but ah well it's too late now.
A quick consultation with the trusty Haynes manual, and the next step is to loosen the Handbrake cable nut. Removing the rear of the center console was nice and easy, the mouldy gummy bear made Mrs VorTechS heave a little though! The aim was to completely disconnect the handbrake cable, by loosening the nut holding the plate tight.
I eventually found the most effective way of handling the adjustable spanner to leverage enough movement on the nut so as not to take half hour just undoing it! It was a nice easy job to do, and in doing so, I've learnt just how easy it is to tighten the cables too! It's unreal the amount you'd get charged for this simple task at a garage, for something as simple as tightening a nut!
With the nut loosened enough it was nice and easy to pull the cables through the plate to leave them free.
Next step, remove the exhaust system. As mentioned before it wasn't long ago that we had a new stainless system installed from the CAT back. The new system was simply clamped onto the CAT, and whilst one of the bolts was a bit rusty, a bit of WD40 soon worked that loose.
Probably one of the hardest jobs was removing the existing rubber mounts, where I'd raised it from the original install. Again, WD40 made light work allowing me to slide the rubbers along the mount and off so much easier than huffing and puffing with brute force.
Next up, is the removal of the Handbrake cable itself. And this is where I got stuck. I thought I knew where the cables were coming from under the car. But apparently, not! Inside the cab, the cables are black. Outside under the car I have some rubber tubes (which I assume are the brake hoses) and some green stiffened cables which I assume are what I need to under. However, the green ones don't match the ones pictured in the manual, and nor did I think the rubber hoses. Thinking perhaps I need to be looking behind a heart shield (as the manual suggests) I also remove the heat shield at the Fuel tank. A word of warning, the heat shield mounts are extremely fragile as they are small plastic screws which screw into, essentially white versions of the mushroom clips!
However, having called it a day at this point, re-consulting the manual suggests that my assumptions about the rubber hoses are wrong and it's these are what I need to be removing!
I've thoroughly enjoyed Day One! I've not gotten as far as I'd hoped (actually removing the axle) but it's to be expected as I'm taking my time to learn and get things right. I'm astounded at the state of the underside of this 16 year old car. It's practically immaculate! Compared to the rusting Ka that we just bought this is really one tough old bird!
It's not faultless, there's a strap holding the 'middle' of the fuel tank that looks like it's not far off breaking.
There's also a lot of hose clips that are rusting away. It looks like I'll be making a little shopping list of things to replace.
So here lies the shopping list:
1. Plastic mushroom clip screws
2. Fuel tank strap
3. Hose securing clips
4. Hub centre caps Last edited by VorTechS on Sun Sep 18, 2016 5:30 pm; edited 1 time in total
#13: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 1 Author: Timon2210, Location: PalestinePosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 2:40 pm ---- Finally you started the project :)...well done so far,keep up the good work my friend
#14: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 1 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:21 pm ---- Thanks Timon! It's coming along nicely!
#15: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 1 Author: pAvax, Location: EssexPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:49 pm ---- Vortech, how did you get the groove out of the puck? Cutting it is straight forward... but how did you go from a cut to groove?
I like this idea and I can make use of my 30 odd pucks finally (I am a hockey player).
#16: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 1 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:55 pm ---- Project Day 2 - Original Axle Removal: Phase 2
On Day Two I only got a few hours to play with the car and in all it was a slightly frustrating day, but still rewarding.
First we had a quick visit to Halfords to grab some replacement bulbs for Mrs VorTechS' KA(ck) oh and a butterfly as she's decided that as she has pink wheels, the thing definitely needs a butterfly atop the aerial! (You have to love her sense of humour!). At the same time I decided to grab some brake cleaner, copper ease, dust masks and some foam flooring to help my fat frame shift along the concrete without strangling myself.
At £10, it covers the underside of the car quite nicely and does make life a lot easier.
Having decided which cables / pipes were the right ones I managed to un-clip them from the bodywork after removing another section of heat shield. The Haynes manual dutifully says to remove them from the front, but not how! As I'm going to be servicing the brakes anyway, I've not done that yet, and will remove them from the hub instead. According to that trusty manual, it's to to get the hub off.
Ah. I've not got the wheels off yet!
So, I dropped the car and proceeded to look inside for the wheel nut wrench. I guess I removed that years ago! Luckily the previous owner of the donor car left me two. Starting with the smaller, I quickly gave up as it started bending as I yanked it!
The bigger one had a lot more luck, but knowing that these were previous done up by an air gun, it came as no surprise that I struggled a bit. They did eventually come out though, and thus began the task of trying to rock the things off the hub. Which also took some doing!
Next up, removing the hub dust cap. At first I couldn't even see a join where the dust caps were placed, but a few taps around the very edge soon dislodged them.
Next I was to grab a pointed chisel and un-stake the hub nut.
And this is where I got stuck!
I don't have a small enough chisel to drive in here. The small screwdriver I tried actually snapped off, and I don't have anything solid enough to drive in there to free this nut. As it happens even if I did, then I'd need to find a 32-34mm socket (judging by the posts I can find on hub nut removal) to fit whatever mis-match of tools I have.
And so, I think it's probably time I concede that really I should look to get some more tools in! I don't really want to be spending £150 on a tool kit. Halfords do have a sale on, and they've got a toolkit on sale right now for £80. Okay, I know this isn't really going to do the job as well as the Advanced stuff, but I'm leaning towards this.
But I'm open to any suggestions, specifically ones that are going to suit this particular and future tasks....?
#17: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 2 Author: spud_gti, Location: NottinghamPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 11:07 am ---- great progress so far to say you've not done anything like this before.
In my opinion you need a good tool set, buy cheap, buy twice.... I got bought a halfords tool kit at least 10 years ago from my mum and dad and It's still going strong so if you can manage to get a kit in the sale then it would probably be the best purchase to make especially as your doing all the work yourself.... It will make life soo much easier.
Haynes manuals are good but just take your time (and break less).
keep it up though fella.
#18: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 1 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 5:19 pm ----
pAvax wrote:
Vortech, how did you get the groove out of the puck? Cutting it is straight forward... but how did you go from a cut to groove?
I like this idea and I can make use of my 30 odd pucks finally (I am a hockey player).
I cut in 3 places, across the width of the groove and then used a large screwdriver to prise and chisel it out.
#19: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 1 Author: pAvax, Location: EssexPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:09 pm ----
VorTechS wrote:
pAvax wrote:
Vortech, how did you get the groove out of the puck? Cutting it is straight forward... but how did you go from a cut to groove?
I like this idea and I can make use of my 30 odd pucks finally (I am a hockey player).
I cut in 3 places, across the width of the groove and then used a large screwdriver to prise and chisel it out.
Sounds like something to do for me tomorrow. Cheers!
#20: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 2 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 9:36 am ----
spud_gti wrote:
great progress so far to say you've not done anything like this before.
In my opinion you need a good tool set, buy cheap, buy twice.... I got bought a halfords tool kit at least 10 years ago from my mum and dad and It's still going strong so if you can manage to get a kit in the sale then it would probably be the best purchase to make especially as your doing all the work yourself.... It will make life soo much easier.
Haynes manuals are good but just take your time (and break less).
keep it up though fella.
Thanks! (sorry I missed this the first time).
You're right about the toolkit, and so I have done exactly that. I've gone for the Halfords Advanced (new name for professional) that is currently at £100 (I got £30 back from the broken tow pole!)
Done a tiny bit more this morning (freed the handbrake cable from the front of the car) and removed one brake line. But guess which spanner I'm missing from the kit I bought? Yup an 11mm needed to undo the brake line! So that's gonna have to wait until pay day (probably)
I'm also a bit stuck on how to remove the flexi hose from the mounting bracket...
#21: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 2 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:17 am ---- So Days 3 & 4 were hampered as Mrs VorTechS was rushed to hospital last Wednesday where she has stayed since, stable but not very well. However, I managed to get a few hours in on the car.
Project Day 3 - Original Axle Removal: Phase 2
As mentioned above, I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and get some (half) decent kit to work on these two project cars, so with the £30 refund from the damaged Tow Pole, and a bit of extra added to it I bought this Halfords Advanced toolkit:
I also bought a centre punch with which to try and open the hub nut to make removal easier, but that seemed to just make things worse!
Of course the set I bought it was missing anything big enough to remove the hub nuts that I've been stuck with, so I added 3 more sockets to the kit, buying a 33mm non-impact socket, and 34mm and 35mm impact sockets (having reviewed various posts about hub removal on the forums).
It turns out the 33mm for my car was the right size. However, using a small breaker bar - too much force and the thing kept slipping off the nut. So a bigger bar is going to be needed I think!
Not having one doesn't help, so whilst waiting for a bar (kindly donated by Sim) I decided to alter the plan a bit. Back under the car, and rather than follow the instructions to remove the handbrake cable from the drums, let's remove them from the front!
That, was nice and easy:
This job is more easily performed if you push the clips from inside the cabin, which I learnt the hard way struggling from the outside to pull them through!
Next the manual says to trace the brake pipes (these are the green ones then!) from the front to the rear axle and remove them from where they are mounted on the rear axle.
In my case, they go to a junction box that sits on the axle:
...specifically these are the 3 that it says to remove:
Removing the first one at the brake hose, was nice and easy:
...but if you look carefully at the lower nut on the junction box, it's actually not the same shape as the one just above it. It's already been rounded off. Even the appropriate size spanner I bought for the job (11mm, the one size NOT in the toolkit I bought) wasn't good enough to get this bolt removed. And so, yet another 'spanner' in the works!
It's time to take stock, and come up with another plan!
#22: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 3 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Fri Apr 07, 2017 10:19 am ---- *cough* I know. I know. I've not done anything on this, having torn a mediate ligament and the weather not being very good over the last few months.
I think I'll try and rectify that at the weekend! (Despite the ligament still not being 100%).
I ended up cutting the flexi-hose pipes, figuring I can just the ones on the replacement axle, (assuming I can get them off without the same hassle!) and so the axle was finally removed. Of course, it's been months now, so god knows what state either car is in!
#23: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 3 Author: Sim, Location: West CountryPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:07 am ---- Looking at this weather, all your ligaments will heal whilst lying down in the sun under the car! Make sure you stick out the sore part for the rays
Good luck with the resurrection!! If you need a hand, I'm just down the road
#24: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 5 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:31 am ---- Project Day 5 - Almost 7 months later!
So almost 7 months after the last update, a few more hospital trips for Mrs VorTechS and myself tearing a mediate ligament during the F.A. People's Cup, the weather has turned good again and my knee is just about good enough to survive doing some work on the car.
The first task, tackling those pesky flexi-pipes. No-one actually really gave me a proper answer, except Timon who alluded they 'should just pull away'.
In fact for anyone in the same boat as me, who has never touched the flexi-hose before, the end of the pipe is grooved (very much like a cog) and 'inserted' into what is a female bracket. I tried to capture a shot to best illustrate this, so hopefully this will help people in the future.
A quick spray (for good measure) with penetration spray and a couple of taps with a hammer and the pipe came away nice and easily. The bracket into which the pipe is inserted is not very strong, so try to be a little careful about how you go about knocking the pipe out as it's all too easy to bend the bracket!
So. How far did I get on Day 5? Well, let's play a game of spot the difference here:
If you've not worked it out, yes the axle has successfully been moved from one car to the other! The hardest job was getting the replacement axle up to the bolt holes and in-line with just one trolley jack and a piece of board that kept falling off on every jack-up. Putting everything else back together, was relatively straight forward, although I do need to get some exhaust paste to refit the exhaust properly and am waiting for Pug to get some of the replacement bits above to me.
Day 6
Now as you can imaging, sitting around for 7 months not doing anything I wasn't expecting the car to fire up. The battery was dead. So I'd already gone out and bought a charger and now was the time to attach it to the battery (having removed it first of course!). However, the 9 month-old battery appears to be 'fully charged'. So I removed the (smaller) battery from the donor car and attached that. Same story. Eventually though the smaller battery did charge and 24 hours later, it was time to fire her up for the first time in a long time!
However, I wasn't quite prepared for this:
...perhaps a sign of removing the white door lining, mixed with temperature changes and general bacteria?
Even so. Key in and she turns over first time. She's still alive!
So Day 7 tasks are:
- Re-fill brake fluid (DOT 4 already purchased and ready to go)
- Deep clean that steering wheel
- Fitting of secret surprise purchase
Day 8, I'll be looking to do an oil change.
#25: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 6 Author: Sim, Location: West CountryPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 6:02 pm ---- Nice progress! How did/will you go about routing the brake hoses, as your donor axle has ABS, and the old one only had a distribution box?
After keeping me pugs in enclosed-ish places, couldn't know better about the damn mould! Main ingredients just like for any growth -- water and soil
You should check your seat belts, they won't look too inviting either
Cars have internal flap/vents at the back (you can still see them on C pillars of older ones), in order not to pop your ears and windscreen when you slam the doors.
I was hoping they'd be enough to keep the interior dry (with blower holes left open), but if your car isn't parked on a breezy place, equip yourself with a bottle of vinegar..
Same applies to cars kept in dry storage -- sometimes a roof above head is just not good enough to prevent moisture build-up (sometimes 4 walls even make it worse). Sucks even more when one can't leave windows open (due to dust and/or rain getting in)
But again I might be venting too much by now
#26: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 6 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:55 pm ----
Sim wrote:
Nice progress! How did/will you go about routing the brake hoses, as your donor axle has ABS, and the old one only had a distribution box?
After keeping me pugs in enclosed-ish places, couldn't know better about the damn mould! Main ingredients just like for any growth -- water and soil
You should check your seat belts, they won't look too inviting either
Cars have internal flap/vents at the back (you can still see them on C pillars of older ones), in order not to pop your ears and windscreen when you slam the doors.
I was hoping they'd be enough to keep the interior dry (with blower holes left open), but if your car isn't parked on a breezy place, equip yourself with a bottle of vinegar..
Same applies to cars kept in dry storage -- sometimes a roof above head is just not good enough to prevent moisture build-up (sometimes 4 walls even make it worse). Sucks even more when one can't leave windows open (due to dust and/or rain getting in)
But again I might be venting too much by now
The hoses didn't need re-routing, straight swap. The shell has clips for the ABS lines, but I do need to secure the plugs. No doubt a job for the trusty cable tie.
I'll check the seat belt, but I think it was fine. Even the sun visor was okay, so it's obviously just moisture. Feel free to pop in Sim if you're around, be good to catch up!
#27: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 6 Author: Sim, Location: West CountryPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2017 8:41 pm ---- We just fitted that secret surprise purchase, it looks like it's worth every penny and more
#28: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 6 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 7:35 am ---- Day 7
Day 7 was, according to Mrs VorTechS, meant to be a straight forward day of just patching up some joints on the exhaust system and doing the brake fluid.
The exhaust proved to be something of a pain. Firstly a quick trip to Halfords for some Holts Gun Gum Putty to patch up the joints between the CAT and the stainless system, thinking firing up the car would dry the joint and perform a seal. Bad move. All that happened is that moisture built up around the joint and eventually blew the sodden gum out. Then, I decided perhaps I could dry the joint (with some towels) re-apply the gum and use a hair dryer to dry the joint. For good measure, another quick trip to Halford to buy an exhaust repair bandage, which we applied. Surely that would create a nice tight seal? Putting the exhaust clamp on proved impossible. Just adding a couple of millimeters somehow meant the clamp bolts couldn't sit on their threads properly, and so we had to go to Halfords a 3rd time (60 miles each trip) for a replacement clamp. Luckily we had to do this journey to drop my girls off at their mums. Once back though, and clamped surely this should be an air-tight seal now? Nope! It's a lot better, but moisture is still building up and exiting from somewhere under all that lot! It's not blowing now though, so it'll do until it's time to revisit it.
Several hours later than intended and with all that done, time for the braking system. I'll try and produce and get some pictures up of how we did this, next time we need to do something with the brakes (which may be soon, depending on how things perform under proper testing).
I'd been told about using the 'gravity' method which involved little in the way of pumping, but also discovered the 'Gunson' method, which uses a sealed bottled and spare tyre air to flush the system. We opted for the latter and in one of the previous trips spotted and bought the appropriate kit (£20 RRP from your local Halfords)
Following the trusty Haynes manual instructions we started with the Front nearside, then Front offside, then Rear nearside and finally Rear offside.
The process is fairly simple, although not what I would call 'foolproof'; fill the supplied bottle with fluid and attach to the brake fluid reservoir. (We started with a mostly empty reservoir, but considered filling it before we started, and in hindsight next time we would part-fill it before doing the exercise). Attach the 'pump clip' end to a spare tyre that is inflated to a maximum of 20 PSI. Attach the supplied mini-hose to the bleed nippled and open it to allow air/fluid to be pushed out into a suitable container.
Pay attention to the colour of the fluid in your bottle, as old fluid is going to come out first and will be a darker colour. Once all of the air is expelled and new fluid pours through, re-tighten the nipple and move on to the next one. There are likely to be little bubbles in the fluid coming out of the nipple, so don't count this as 'air'. We found that the process didn't always push new fluid from the supplied bottle, so we had to turn it upside down to ensure the process started properly.
Also we hit an unexpected snag when doing the front offside. I managed to get my 'lefty loosy' and 'righty tighty' the wrong way round in a brain fart moment and snapped the bleed nipple off the caliper! Luckily, I'd had the foresight to buy a donor vehicle that was the same year / engine type, and so I had a spare. I had to 'quickly' learn how to undo, remove and replace a caliper. Which is a surprisingly a lot easier than you might think. We used the broken caliper as the learning exercise before releasing the donor caliper.
And that was that. Time to shut the bonnet, and she's ready to go back on the road. Except, the old girl had one last parting shot for us.
The bonnet catch, or more precisely the welded panel on the underside of the bonnet, has completely rusted through and separated from the topside! The bonnet will now no longer close!
A very, very frustrating day indeed. But one where a lot seems to have been done, and a lot has been learnt. So now, we need a new plan to get the old girl back on the road!
I put the old alloys back on, and got her moved up the drive to test both the brake and handbrakes. And all seem okay.
Despite this last set-back, I spent the rest of the afternoon (5pm by this time, from a 10am start) giving her a quick foam, wash and dry. So she was, at the end of day 7, sat like this:
In the meantime, we decided to treat her to some new 'shoes', and while we're at it, might as well get some new 'socks' too - seeing as it's my one biggest complaint when tidying her up. They arrived next day:
Sim by this point had got in touch, and so I thought I'd wait for him to fit them - as I know he likes little touches like this, and the extra pair of hands to give Mrs VorTechS a break would be useful.
Day 8 was planned!
#29: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 7 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 7:48 am ---- Day 8
Day 8 wasn't really a 'day' it was a couple of hours catching up with Sim and then the fitting of the new alloys. By the time Sim had finished at the unit and shown up, the weather had turned and dumped a load of rain. By the time we'd caught up and there was a decent break in the rain, there was no light to take any 'as we were doing it' pictures.
Anyway, after neglecting the old girl for so long, I figured she deserved these... and Mrs VorTechS thinks its going to stop me complaining about how she looks. (The car, not Mrs VorTechS - just so we're clear!)
Now, while we await some details about potential welding work (no pressure Sim!) here's how she's looking:
#30: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 8 Author: Sim, Location: West CountryPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2017 12:31 pm ---- Mate, why did you put up that photoshopped photo of your car raised? Here's the actual one:
#31: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 8 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Tue May 02, 2017 7:54 am ---- Day 9
As we last left it, the reinforcement in the bonnet had rusted through to the point where there'd be no chance it is able to securely hold the bonnet down even though half of the catch engages. The wrong type of wind would send it through the windscreen in no time.
I was left with 3 options:
1. See if the damage can be repaired / new reinforcement added.
Yes, it can be repaired by stripping out the old reinforcement and welding on a new plate. The process of doing this though, would generate too much heat to keep the paintwork on the bonnet tidy, meaning a re-spray would be required.
2. Replace the bonnet with the one from the donor car, and (eventually) re-spray it
Pretty straight forward. Although the replacement bonnet would actually (on the surface) be worse than the state the original was in prior to rusting through.
3. Source a replacement bonnet
Most of the ones I've seen on Ebay either have some kind of dent/ding worse than is present on the existing bonnet, or have the same signs of rust which has caused the current situation.
I ruled number 1 and 2 out. I don't want to be going backwards at any point, and Mrs VorTechS has the clock ticking on how long this thing has been off the road. (Basically, she thinks it'll be off the road over a year - to which I've said no!). Number 3 is the most achievable but previous hints haven't been very good. Using the old Bay of E, I located all the EYC bonnets and narrowed it down to 2. One in Worcester (very close to me) and one in Derby. The Worcester breakers weren't very helpful over Ebay with a response of 'Phone us in the yard on Monday'. It's Saturday. I 'm not in the game of patience right now, I want this thing fixed! The guy in Derby is much more helpful. 'It's as straight as a die, and I'll get a picture of the underside when I get back later'. And true to his word he did. Only, it was a video showing me all around the bonnet. Now that's service! It was my weekend with my kids, and so we couldn't get away until 7pm. , and by 9pm it was dark when we arrived, but the bonnet was picked up and ready to fit. But we had to wait a few days before that could be done.
And, like most people who have replaced their bonnet. It doesn't quite sit straight. Okay, it's not THAT bad, but I notice it ... and there's not a lot that can be done about it. I'm guessing this is because they're fitted in a different way at the factory. I suspect rather than the bonnet attached to the hinges which are already on the car, the hinges are fitted to the bonnet and then the hinges attached to the car. There's no movement at all at the bonnet side on the hinges. Well two of the securing holes are a straight round hole, whereas two are elongated giving an impression there'd be adjustment potential. Really, if all four were - then there'd be no problem. At some point, I'm going to fix that!
More importantly. In theory, this thing is ready to go back on the road!
Next up, time to sort out the M.O.T. and see what state it's in for being used on the road!
#32: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 9 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Thu May 04, 2017 8:26 am ---- Intermission
The sorting out of the M.O.T. came about a bit suddenly, brought on by the demise of the 308. Travelling home from work on Wednesday last week, the 308 threw its usual EML errors (something which Peugeot themselves haven't gotten to the bottom of) but then started throwing new ones which were different in that this time I was being told to "STOP" the vehicle and it went into proper limp mode. After a couple of these, I decided I should heed the warning and duly called out the AA.
Now the AA experience was a really unusual one. I gave him a brief history of the EML issues, and explained how this was different and in response I got a 'well, what do you want me to do about it'. This, kinda threw me. I was literally standing there thinking "What do you mean, isn't it YOUR job to determine what's the best course of action. Just because I know a LITTLE about what's going on, doesn't mean I know how best to deal with it!". Anyway, after a bit more thought I put forward a suggestion for him to read the codes off so I can make a better decisions. For the first time, (unsurprisingly) it's throwing a P-code. (For the un-initiated, a P-code represents a code related to the function of the Power-train - something I learnt a while back).
And this P-code was "Lubrication System: pressure not consistent with the atmospheric pressure"
The AA bloke asks me what I want to do, and we agree for him to tow me to my friends garage. Even though it's gone working hours, he happens to still be there and we summise what could be wrong. His initial reaction is "Turbo's gone. Typical with these". I'm not so sure. Prior to this latest EML there was no sign of the turbo, OR the engine struggling. It's been ticking over fine, there's been no throttle issues, no juddering, no-misfiring...it's just been plowing along and working... normally.
Having been to Peugeot a few times over the last few months, and them not solving the "EML comes on when using cruise control when it feels like", it's been a while since it was last serviced (I was going to try it myself) and they keep turning the SERVICE light off, meaning I keep forgetting to do it. So, I tell my mate to do an oil change and perhaps things are a bit gunked up and perhaps that's why the code is throwing? He reluctantly agrees, especially as his garage is out of commission because the floor has just been painted / lacquered and the guy doing the painting messed up and used 24 hour drying stuff instead of 4-hour.
I also ask about getting the 206 in for an M.O.T. and with the floor being an issue - he asks one of the guys to book it in for Sunday as he's going to be around.
In the meantime, after being picked up by Mrs VorTechS (who is not best pleased and worried now that the 308 is out of warranty it too is going to cost a fortune to fix) I head home. Where I clean out the 206 of all the junk, re-fit the handbrake centre console and generally tidy it up. I check the lights, indicators and wipers. Check the wipers again. Check them again. What the heck!?!? Why's there no fluid coming ou??? Actually. Hang on. Why's the washer motor not even firing? Gah!
Day 10
Time to learn a little more than I bargained for in this phase of getting the old girl back on the road! Today's task, checking the Washer Pump. First port of call, fuses. Could a fuse have gone?
A quick read of the Haynes manual, and there's no mention of the washer pump anywhere. It's probably linked to the wiper motors(?), and they're working fine. So it can't be a fuse related issue. The motor must have gone itself. A quick check here on info, and there's suggestion of there being an inline fuse. Okay, so it's time to get the motor out and for that according to Haynes it looks like it's:
- Offside front Arch Liner Out
- Disconnect the pipes
- Un-clip the electrical connector
- Un-do the mounting bolt
- Bottle out
So first, let's try this on the donor car. (I'm beginning to like having the donor car around for things like this!)
Everything was pretty straight forward, no real need for pictures about this. The mounting bolt is a little awkward to get to, but easy enough to do 'blind' (it's the bumper side of the bottle). If your hand / closed-eye co-ordination is good you should find it easy to get tools to the bolt without taking the bumper off. Otherwise you might find it easier to remove the bumper first.
With the donor bottle out I was able to pull the motor away from the bottle and on closer inspection I realise, there's no need to take the bottle out all.
I've taken some pictures here to show how the motor fits into the bottle.
Eventually I'm repeating the steps on my car, and draining away the fluid in the reservoir in no time:
..and whilst taking a picture of this exercise, I realise there's something hidden in the wing of the car! If you look carefully at this picture of the bottle emptying, there's an 'Orange Snap-on something or other' lying in the wing! Someone has obviously dropped this over the years and couldn't be bothered to retrieve it! It was a small screwdriver, looking worse for wear but hey!
Before putting everything back together properly, I test out the motor and all is good! Except one of the washer jets is gunked up and not working. Pretty typical, a quick check of the donor car, and that's running the MK1 washer jets, but I'm not phased as having ordered them before I also know the MKIII are not too expensive from the dealer. In the meantime, I rip the busted jet off, jam a pin in the front and resort to manual sucking and blowing to free up whatever is clogged. After about 10 minutes, something gives and the washer is working again.
A little bit later than requested, the car then gets dropped off for it's MOT....and I get on with the rest of the day.
Then later, THE call comes. "There was a problem with your rear number plate bulbs and one of the washer jets is out, but everything else is fine so I've passed it".
Woohoo! She's legal. And has been now for 5 days. The engine is sounding a bit worse for wear, but I'm guessing because it's time to give her that well needed service, which I'm going to save for Day 11. In the meantime, I've made a list of things that this first part of the service is going to consist of and after a bit of hunting around it seems EuroCar Parts is worthy of my money on this occasion:
You'll notice that I've gone for some Gearbox Oil there. The gearbox is sounding a little 'toothy', almost like the teeth are a bit dry, and whilst the recommendation is for gearbox fluid to be left alone there's also contradictory advice stating that you should change the oil because it's just a prone to wear and tear as the engine. We're on 111K miles now, whilst it's highly likely a new gearbox might be needed soon, for the sake of changing the oil at a cost of just over £15 - it's worth a shot to see if some new oil solves the problem. Of course, if it doesn't, I've got a spare gearbox in the donor car!
The washer jet will be a visit to the stealer (Part No. 6438 W2)
Then this weekend, I shall be attempting my very first oil change! I already have 5L of Premium grade oil ready to go, the additional in the list above is the cheapest I could get of similar grade that I can use to flush. If I'm right the process is:
1. Run car to temperature
2. Drain existing oil
3. Fill with new oil
4. Run car to temperature
5. Drain existing oil
6. Replace oil filter
7. Fill with new oil
I'm half tempted to flush it twice, but then perhaps I'll just wait a six months and do another oil change.
#33: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 10 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Mon May 08, 2017 1:17 pm ---- Day 11
There's not really a lot to be said for an oil change really is there?
Get the engine up to temperature, switch off, drain it, replace the seal and refill. So I didn't think the process warranted any pictures. Probably the biggest issue I had was not being able to use my toolkit to remove the drain plug, because of something getting in the way. Instead I had to opt for an adjustable spanner.
I did go through the method of doing a flush like I wanted to. I had 5L to play with and a full change is just over 2.5L on the NFZ engine. So, I drained and filled using the original sealing ring (so as not to compromise the new one) and then ran the new oil up to temperature, running the engine for around 20 minutes. Both the old and new oil came out looking pretty black ... so you can imagine how gunked up my engine was!
While I was waiting for the engine to warm up for the second time, I replaced the window wipers.
Once I'd drained the second lot of oil, I replaced the sealing ring and tightened up the plug. I chose not to use the new plug, as the one I bought appears to be round, and given the access issue I had earlier - re-using the old seems to make sense. I refilled the engine with the remaining oil and then ran it for a while to check for any leaks, of which there were none.
After replacing the faulty washer jet and took her out for a quick spin. I have to say, what a difference it's made to the performance of the car. Definitely much nippier, and quicker on the pick up than she was. So I wonder what difference a gear oil change will make? Talking of which, while I was under the engine I spotted this rather nasty looking patch of oil all over the gearbox:
....so there's a possibility that doing the gearbox is a worthwhile effort, and that is scheduled for Day 12!
#34: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 8 Author: Sim, Location: West CountryPosted: Sat May 13, 2017 11:23 am ----
VorTechS wrote:
And, like most people who have replaced their bonnet. It doesn't quite sit straight. Okay, it's not THAT bad, but I notice it ... and there's not a lot that can be done about it.
If you slacken all 8 bolts on the hinges, it should give you a room to play with, especially at the other end of the bonnet.
Another thing to consider is to pull up your front wings to fine tune that alignment.
Always wary if your doors don't catch after disturbing the wings.
In all cases, it's a two-people job, one holds the bonnet/wing in place, warped as needed, another tightens the nuts
VorTechS wrote:
If you look carefully at this picture of the bottle emptying, there's an 'Orange Snap-on something or other' lying in the wing! Someone has obviously dropped this over the years and couldn't be bothered to retrieve it!
And you've owned that car for quite a few years! What about the rattle when driving?
VorTechS wrote:
If I'm right the process [of engine flush] is:
1. Run car to temperature
2. Drain existing oil 2.1 Replace oil filter
3. Fill with new oil
4. Run car to temperature
5.0 Optional: drive about 500-1000miles
5. Drain existing oil
6. Replace oil filter
7. Fill with new oil
I've edited the procedure a bit, mainly because the new oil you put is thinner and essentially rinses out whatever's been trapped in the filter, and changes colour quite rapidly as it's sieved through it at high pressure.
VorTechS wrote:
So I wonder what difference a gear oil change will make? Talking of which, while I was under the engine I spotted this rather nasty looking patch of oil all over the gearbox
You can tell it's gearbox oil from the fact road gunk sticks to it like a glue.
Good you got your 308 back, put aside a few days for the gearbox job.
If you do get round to dropping a gearbox, it's best to get a new clutch kit for it, even when you feel your clutch still has some meat left on, as you'll see what a pain it is on a drive on axle stands. The most fiddly bit is to align it into the flywheel when putting back together, unless you got a special cone tool. Good ole Haynes should hopefully cover that. Also get a engine support that goes over the engine bay, gimme a shout if you need one!
Really chuffed your ole girl is back on road!!
#35: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 11 Author: Timon2210, Location: PalestinePosted: Mon May 15, 2017 3:36 pm ---- I love the new wheels,car looks great,glad that you got it back on the road again ...it need TLC now
#36: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 8 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Tue May 16, 2017 6:46 am ----
Sim wrote:
If you slacken all 8 bolts on the hinges, it should give you a room to play with, especially at the other end of the bonnet.
I could certainly try that as an avenue of exploration.
Sim wrote:
And you've owned that car for quite a few years! What about the rattle when driving?
You'd think it would rattle ... but it obviously didn't budge. Although, with the music I had in the car, I'd have been lucky to hear if a wheel fell off.
Sim wrote:
1. Run car to temperature
2. Drain existing oil 2.1 Replace oil filter
3. Fill with new oil
4. Run car to temperature
5.0 Optional: drive about 500-1000miles
5. Drain existing oil
6. Replace oil filter
7. Fill with new oil
I couldn't decide if it made sense to replace the filter at the first change. I guess I can see there being a point to it, and I could have just gotten the cheapest filter for that purpose. Ah well, what's done is done now!
Sim wrote:
You can tell it's gearbox oil from the fact road gunk sticks to it like a glue. If you do get round to dropping a gearbox, it's best to get a new clutch kit for it, even when you feel your clutch still has some meat left on, as you'll see what a pain it is on a drive on axle stands. The most fiddly bit is to align it into the flywheel when putting back together, unless you got a special cone tool. Good ole Haynes should hopefully cover that. Also get a engine support that goes over the engine bay, gimme a shout if you need one!
Yep, if I get the bottle to do the clutch I'll set aside 3 or 4 days to do it. There's a bank holiday coming up, but I don't think I'll risk it so close to everything else right now - just let things settle in for a bit. I might even draft you in as an experienced extra set of hands!
Sim wrote:
Really chuffed your ole girl is back on road!!
So am I, mostly because I can at least now say that I did it ... even if it is really basic stuff I've been doing!
#37: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 11 Author: VorTechS, Location: Gloucestershire, UKPosted: Tue May 16, 2017 6:47 am ----
Timon2210 wrote:
I love the new wheels,car looks great,glad that you got it back on the road again ...it need TLC now
And it's getting it. If those wheels aren't TLC enough, then the efforts getting her running smoothly again... surely must be?
#38: Re: Project Phoenix -> Teaching an old dog new tricks: Day 11 Author: Timon2210, Location: PalestinePosted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 12:01 pm ----
VorTechS wrote:
Timon2210 wrote:
I love the new wheels,car looks great,glad that you got it back on the road again ...it need TLC now
And it's getting it. If those wheels aren't TLC enough, then the efforts getting her running smoothly again... surely must be?
Glad that everything is sorted and it's running smoothly again.
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And so we set out on a sunny Sunday to the Shire (Wilts) 
and crunched the front grille 
(hopefully repairable somehow? who's into plastic moulding?)
