glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,336
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Dec 16, 2017 19:06:45 GMT
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Dear lord, what a rubbish design!!
I don’t suppose there’s much you can do about it though, other than clean, service and wait for it to happen again. 😟
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Dec 26, 2017 15:28:03 GMT
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Haha love this thread - so many memories! I started my apprenticeship in 89 at a Vauxhall garage (Baker West Aldershot) and these were a staple back then. Then had one as a company car in my next job and no matter what I done to it, the poor thing just wouldn’t die. Was filled to the gills with ICE (til the night it was all stolen  ) and although it would take a while to get there, it would do over 100  Went everywhere in that thing... |
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düdo
Part of things
wide as house
Posts: 770
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Dec 27, 2017 11:38:40 GMT
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I just read through the whole thread - good read and straight up business! We had a 1986 Opel Kadett Kombi D when I first moved to Germany in 2004. The same car as yours. It was economical and no nonsense but well used so didn't last.
Then I read your Bomber thread - great stuff.. I recall only ever seeing one out on the streets in the early 80s as they were quickly eclipsed by BMXs which everyone I knew ( except me sadly) seemed to have had. Raleighs became old hat around 1983 - the amount of Grifters and Choppers that I saw at jumble sales around that time!
I bought a blue Bomber from a junk shop in Fulham around '91 for twenty quid which my then girlfriend rode everyday from Brixton to Camberwell Art College. When she did a bunk I couldn't look at the bike so I gave it to my Dad who had just retired and that was his shopping bike. As it was pre-internet there was no way of finding parts so as things wore out - like the blue tyres and saddle - he just replaced them with whatever he could find and it ended up looking right mutant. I think he's still got it in the shed but he's in his mid 80s now - probably not the punter Raleigh had in mind when they designed it?
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Last Edit: Dec 27, 2017 11:41:18 GMT by düdo
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Dec 27, 2017 19:00:29 GMT
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Haha love this thread - so many memories! I started my apprenticeship in 89 at a Vauxhall garage (Baker West Aldershot) and these were a staple back then. Then had one as a company car in my next job and no matter what I done to it, the poor thing just wouldn’t die. Was filled to the gills with ICE (til the night it was all stolen ) and although it would take a while to get there, it would do over 100 Went everywhere in that thing... thanks Jamie  I just read through the whole thread - good read and straight up business! We had a 1986 Opel Kadett Kombi D when I first moved to Germany in 2004. The same car as yours. It was economical and no nonsense but well used so didn't last. Then I read your Bomber thread - great stuff.. I recall only ever seeing one out on the streets in the early 80s as they were quickly eclipsed by BMXs which everyone I knew ( except me sadly) seemed to have had. Raleighs became old hat around 1983 - the amount of Grifters and Choppers that I saw at jumble sales around that time! I bought a blue Bomber from a junk shop in Fulham around '91 for twenty quid which my then girlfriend rode everyday from Brixton to Camberwell Art College. When she did a bunk I couldn't look at the bike so I gave it to my Dad who had just retired and that was his shopping bike. As it was pre-internet there was no way of finding parts so as things wore out - like the blue tyres and saddle - he just replaced them with whatever he could find and it ended up looking right mutant. I think he's still got it in the shed but he's in his mid 80s now - probably not the punter Raleigh had in mind when they designed it? thanks dudo sounds like you scored (pun intended ) a super bomber which were chrome with a blue lacquer over the top. they are pretty much cream of the crop in terms of desirability now (other than very early single speed original bomber) excellent ones are changing hands for scary amounts on ebay (400-500 quid) mostly due to rarity i think. absolutely agree that raleighs suffered hard in the 80s, super uncool ! even my own bmx at the time was a chrome burner which may aswell have had the plague |
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Last Edit: Dec 27, 2017 19:03:33 GMT by darrenh
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Waaaaaaay too many doors |
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Feb 12, 2018 22:24:46 GMT
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Still following all the updates! I've realised one of these would be perfect for me. I often need space to carry stuff and occasionally need back seats. They're not easy to find these days though! seen about 5 go through the facebook page in the last few months ! this was one was a corker, sold for 695 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Astra-Estate-1-3L-/322742107904?Turns out this didn’t sell. Picked it up a couple of weeks ago, very happy with it:) |
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Maximum signature height: 80 pixels
87 Nissan Bluebird
88 Mk2 Vauxhall Astra
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Feb 12, 2018 22:26:55 GMT
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Turns out this didn’t sell. Picked it up a couple of weeks ago, very happy with it:) did you get it for a good price ? |
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Feb 12, 2018 22:36:08 GMT
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i got a manual yesterday for one of them
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Feb 12, 2018 22:38:16 GMT
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We had three MK2 Astras in a row, red, white and blue in that order when i was a young lad. Back them they were a hundred quid runaround on the cherry with the Isuzu 1.7...
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Feb 12, 2018 22:43:40 GMT
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Turns out this didn’t sell. Picked it up a couple of weeks ago, very happy with it:) did you get it for a good price ? Yes I think so, previous owner had it for 23 years! It’s not quite as good as the pics suggest but it is still good:) Gave up trying to post pics for the minute! Do you know if you can get the trim ‘grommets’ from the interior door handles? I would show you but I’m struggling to get Flickr to play nice! |
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Maximum signature height: 80 pixels
87 Nissan Bluebird
88 Mk2 Vauxhall Astra
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did a thing ! rear brakes have been outstanding (by that i mean the adjective "not yet dealt with" but hopefully becoming the other adjective "excellent or marvellous") erroneous nearside cylinder, turned out the 22 stamped on the side was red herring, it was actually 19mm which is right but the cylinder is physically too long and is inverted in the ends. judging by the backplate i think the person who fitted the cylinder also builds dams with his teeth in his spare time.  new bosch cylinder fitted, the G clamp is just so i can bleed the brakes without the shoes fitted, and also wind the slaves back so there is less area likely to trap air.  other side with new cylinder and shoes fitted plus all the not-self adjuster bar. this is a threaded expander between the top of the shoes, its supposed to screw itself outward with a ratcheting motion, actioned by a little lever blade thingy on a toothed wheel. probably worked brilliantly in 1989, but now its running on 75% hope and dreams.  new bosch drums which i previously painted in this natty shade of admiralty blue, or "grey" as normal humans call it.  i did start replacing all the brake fluid back at step2, but it was coming through 50% brown sludge 50% scrap yard. bit wasteful on the fluid so i syringed the reservoir out, pulled it off, cleaned it out and started again.  that 2015 hover conversion comes in handy for the bleeding. everything went to plan kind of, no disasters, rear was a pain to bleed because of the load sensing valve being at its highest (so allowing the least amount of pressure through) brakes are also pretty horrific, lots of pedal travel until approx september 2019 when the self adjusters will have edged themselves round.  |
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Last Edit: Apr 8, 2018 8:37:33 GMT by darrenh
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Apr 14, 2018 19:36:19 GMT
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well the brakes didnt get better, so i stuck 100 kilos of stuff in the boot (to lower the suspension and open the load sensing valve) then re-bled the back brakes. Still the same. Next option was to investigate inside the drums again. to my surprise the drivers side self adjuster had nudged its way round and found a happy medium just slightly brushing the shoes on the drum (oh cynical me) i opened the passenger side and the adjuster had not moved at all, then noticed my error. i was fully aware that the forks at the end of the adjuster bar need orientating specifically, in my mind i had followed this rule, but the fact is it was just wrong. there's so much parts juggling when you reassemble it must have just flipped with gravity. this red arrowed thing with the dog tooth, that has to be facing you when everything is assembled, its that tooth which nudges the quadrant/lever blade thing. so anyway, rectified that, adjusted the self adjuster myself, reassembled, brakes are good !  in other news, noticed last week that one of the track rod balljoint boots had split in half, i got a pocket full of new boots at not-billing so replaced it  |
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Apr 14, 2018 21:04:54 GMT
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Auto adjusters that actually work? I'm not sure I knew that was a thing.
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mexicansteve
South West
Posts: 683 
Club RR Member Number: 31
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Just read all of this, now I understand your Yoda-esque knowledge of my van.
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BeQuietandDrive
1989 Bedford Astra Van
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Just read all of this, now I understand your Yoda-esque knowledge of my van.  in part, yeah, but mostly owning mk2s for the last 20 years and being admin on mk2 owners club  |
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Jun 27, 2018 13:19:18 GMT
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couple of quality of life things, both related to each other. first is a new battery, the old one was fine, held charge and took charge ok, but just had no guts if you spent more than 10 or 15 seconds on the starter motor. probably an age thing but i went up quite a step in spec with the new one also.  the other thing related to the battery, after a long run and i switch the engine off it just wont restart. engine turns over abnormally slow and will kill the battery quick sticks. if you let it cool down its absolutely fine again, turns over quick, starts immediately. anyway on monday this manifested further when the engine wouldn't turn off at all. turn key, remove key form barrel, battery light comes on and engine continues to run! i was having to stall the engine by lifting clutch in 5th ! as these old mechanical diesels only need 1 wire to run it could only be the fuel stop solenoid at fault. so i bought a brand new genuine delphi unit £23.99 (delphi bought lucas CAV in year 2000) and its completely sorted it. (its the bit with turquoise collar in the photo and eyelet bolted to the top) another cheap and quick fix, which i am grateful. the pumps are relatively simple in operation, but finely machined and lots of componentry which you should be glad keeps on ticking away !  |
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Last Edit: Jun 27, 2018 13:19:54 GMT by darrenh
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Jun 27, 2018 14:01:57 GMT
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Oh man, I love this car for some reason. Am I dying?
Cool thread. Local too.
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Jul 15, 2018 12:41:34 GMT
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paint scraper the bird shoite off the roof, get the black pigmented scratch remover polish out. it can only mean one thing, VBOA rally !  |
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Last Edit: Jul 15, 2018 12:41:56 GMT by darrenh
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Jul 15, 2018 20:04:54 GMT
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^^^ my word that looks clean. Nothing like a dark colour to show up blemishes and that is spot on.
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) and although it would take a while to get there, it would do over 100 
Went everywhere in that thing...
in part, yeah, but mostly owning mk2s for the last 20 years and being admin on mk2 owners club 
