The Chat Thread - Still here, despite the wind - WC 22/01/24

[HoTWire]

Hey Folks!

Another week, another weekly chat, your place for stuff that may not warrant a full thread or stuff that is just going on right now that you want to share.


Hopefully everyone else (and their cars) got through the storm without damage.

All guns blazing here for event launches at the end of the month, just before I go on holiday and turn off my phone/email, so nicely timed.

Also Club RR 2024 sticker, and gift for GTi level memberships is in the works, nailing down details for the summer meet up/20th birthday celebrations too. Should be a good one!

Just read that Brighton Speed Trials is at an end, although that should probably be a new thread.


Previous Thread : forum.retro-rides.org/thread/226366/chat-thread-weather-wc-15

[stealthstylz]

Sad news about the Speed Trials.

I've had a good car week. It's stopped raining enough that I've got all the fiddly fabrication bits done on our lasses Qashqai and it's almost done. Hopefully it won't rot away again, she is now going to be a lifetime Nissan Qashqai owner lol. I've also been using the Carlton every day, so it's done almost 700 miles in a week after doing <2000 a year for the last 15 years. Going pretty well so far. Took it to the Motorist for a hour yesterday. Meet was a bit curse word really as I went early and it was mainly stuff that I have to repair at work so I know how curse word they are I have no interest in, but did park next to this VVC converted Metro and had a chat with the owner.

[vulgalour]

Jan 22, 2024 14:09:23 GMT HoTWire said:

Also Club RR 2024 sticker

I'm probably moving house about when these go out, what's the most reliable way of informing of a change of address so I don't miss out?

[igor]

As of Monday we now have three legal and fully functional cars to use. Now there's just the Laser with a probable blown head gasket to sort. At some point I will have to get the Falcon going again too but that has already been waiting over two years so can't rush it.

[adam73bgt]

This week in cars started off with an odd noise while driving my gf's 207, turns out both the rear exhaust mounts had broken off the backbox and the rear beam was now supporting most of the exhaust system..



new backbox has arrived so that's my job to fit next.

Also been speaking to a mobile welder about the Crossfire, as I need that back on the road to stop me from buying something else

[Rich]

Jan 24, 2024 22:21:58 GMT adam73bgt said:

This week in cars started off with an odd noise while driving my gf's 207, turns out both the rear exhaust mounts had broken off the backbox and the rear beam was now supporting most of the exhaust system..



new backbox has arrived so that's my job to fit next.

Also been speaking to a mobile welder about the Crossfire, as I need that back on the road to stop me from buying something else

Weld those back on for a past time on most never PSA cars. Always falling off 😂

[Rich]

Had this gem at work.



Owner bought the van on cheap coilovers, rode like it was on bricks not springs and wanted it back to standard. PO had fitted the suspension minus a few important nuts allowing the shock rod to saw through the top mounts and start eating the body of the van. Impressive fail.

[adam73bgt]

Judging by what looks a bit like MIG wire near the break, it probably wasn't this backboxes first time

[Rich]

Jan 25, 2024 18:07:09 GMT adam73bgt said:

Judging by what looks a bit like MIG wire near the break, it probably wasn't this backboxes first time

Yea, you aren’t wrong. I like to keep a few ARB link rods handy to make new hangers with.

[vulgalour]

Been doing a bunch of small jobs on the Princess today that the weather (and, I'll be perfectly honest, my own procrastination) has been preventing me from doing. Replacing the broken wing mirror will definitely make driving the car nicer than looking at the old one that was held together with sellotape and condensation.



Kinda frustrating I can't do bigger jobs due to the pending house move (five weeks to go) and have to wait until after that's done, but that also means this spring/summer I should be able to make some really decent progress on fixing the Princess up after a couple of years of deferred jobs.

[gtviva]

stealthstylz If you havent got a spare these are very common to fail, super cheap at the moment at just over £20 delivered if you use the janpay20 code
Take no notice of the listing description it fits them all non aircon and aircon models
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335229545373?hash=item4e0d3ceb9d:g:t3sAAOSwdK5ltIqq&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4FbLigBJQ87TCFqZAZjFS%2FEitKeRWudVxo4ohh2E7nQm2uTUec7JihKm86GJOc3hh9IMLBVVlhh1LZzwXCT%2FjJ369bt0EwslvEHz5F1Shou0MyKnOfzg34yQqBLa1FMVwhTY9ny4iMQWjNm849ncmjf45ex1IkV7y2%2B6dhohD78ErJtoERPQGXsrkUVOwl4P%2Bk2l%2BsXdjBJVl69TT1kL%2F4G2404iV7vnt2%2BK2bOPWzEtLuzb7ULUy7eI9JJe7x5vuPYxvVmXr%2BBBewXvwAn5297jP5EBSwgMKqI%2FGWtGt7LI%7Ctkp%3ABFBM1uG-iKpj

[stealthstylz]

Jan 28, 2024 14:50:24 GMT gtviva said:

stealthstylz If you havent got a spare these are very common to fail, super cheap at the moment at just over £20 delivered if you use the janpay20 code
Take no notice of the listing description it fits them all non aircon and aircon models
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335229545373?hash=item4e0d3ceb9d:g:t3sAAOSwdK5ltIqq&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4FbLigBJQ87TCFqZAZjFS%2FEitKeRWudVxo4ohh2E7nQm2uTUec7JihKm86GJOc3hh9IMLBVVlhh1LZzwXCT%2FjJ369bt0EwslvEHz5F1Shou0MyKnOfzg34yQqBLa1FMVwhTY9ny4iMQWjNm849ncmjf45ex1IkV7y2%2B6dhohD78ErJtoERPQGXsrkUVOwl4P%2Bk2l%2BsXdjBJVl69TT1kL%2F4G2404iV7vnt2%2BK2bOPWzEtLuzb7ULUy7eI9JJe7x5vuPYxvVmXr%2BBBewXvwAn5297jP5EBSwgMKqI%2FGWtGt7LI%7Ctkp%3ABFBM1uG-iKpj

Top Man. The heater is a bit curse word so I was gonna try and flush it, makes sense to have this in stock incase it starts leaking when I do. Think you can swap them without taking the dash out in a auto by the looks?

[gtviva]

Jan 28, 2024 15:06:14 GMT stealthstylz said:

Jan 28, 2024 14:50:24 GMT gtviva said:

stealthstylz If you havent got a spare these are very common to fail, super cheap at the moment at just over £20 delivered if you use the janpay20 code
Take no notice of the listing description it fits them all non aircon and aircon models
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335229545373?hash=item4e0d3ceb9d:g:t3sAAOSwdK5ltIqq&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4FbLigBJQ87TCFqZAZjFS%2FEitKeRWudVxo4ohh2E7nQm2uTUec7JihKm86GJOc3hh9IMLBVVlhh1LZzwXCT%2FjJ369bt0EwslvEHz5F1Shou0MyKnOfzg34yQqBLa1FMVwhTY9ny4iMQWjNm849ncmjf45ex1IkV7y2%2B6dhohD78ErJtoERPQGXsrkUVOwl4P%2Bk2l%2BsXdjBJVl69TT1kL%2F4G2404iV7vnt2%2BK2bOPWzEtLuzb7ULUy7eI9JJe7x5vuPYxvVmXr%2BBBewXvwAn5297jP5EBSwgMKqI%2FGWtGt7LI%7Ctkp%3ABFBM1uG-iKpj

Top Man. The heater is a bit curse word so I was gonna try and flush it, makes sense to have this in stock incase it starts leaking when I do. Think you can swap them without taking the dash out in a auto by the looks?

Has yours got air-con?

[stealthstylz]

No.

[gtviva]

Jan 28, 2024 15:46:38 GMT stealthstylz said:

No.

You should be ok then, if its got air-con its a pull the dash out job, if its got the origional matrix it may be tight getting it out, the aftermarket ones are a weeny bit smaller so they go back in easier

[stealthstylz]

Jan 28, 2024 16:00:56 GMT gtviva said:

Jan 28, 2024 15:46:38 GMT stealthstylz said:

No.

You should be ok then, if its got air-con its a pull the dash out job, if its got the origional matrix it may be tight getting it out, the aftermarket ones are a weeny bit smaller so they go back in easier

Cool. TBF it could probably do with the heater box removing and redoing all the seals as it sounds like it's moving a lot more air than actually comes out of the vents so I think it's probably leaking round the flap seals.

[adam73bgt]

Sorted.



Even took the time to wave a wire brush at some of the surface rust on the underside of the boot floor and do a Vice Grip Garage style restoration on it

[braaap]

Jan 28, 2024 17:52:56 GMT stealthstylz said:

Cool. TBF it could probably do with the heater box removing and redoing all the seals as it sounds like it's moving a lot more air than actually comes out of the vents so I think it's probably leaking round the flap seals.

Probably the same issue that passat b3 & b4 suffer from. The flaps are covered with some selfadhesive foam material, that desolves after 15+ years leaving the heater box with no real function. But with foam flakes coming out of the vents as a bonus.

[gtviva]

Jan 28, 2024 17:52:56 GMT stealthstylz said:

Jan 28, 2024 16:00:56 GMT gtviva said:

You should be ok then, if its got air-con its a pull the dash out job, if its got the origional matrix it may be tight getting it out, the aftermarket ones are a weeny bit smaller so they go back in easier

Cool. TBF it could probably do with the heater box removing and redoing all the seals as it sounds like it's moving a lot more air than actually comes out of the vents so I think it's probably leaking round the flap seals.

I guess your aware its quite major to get to the heater box, your right on the foam degrading if you look at the photo you can see all the disintegrated foam from the internally lined top center vents, I havent got as far as stripping the heater box yet to see whats actually inside

[stealthstylz]

Yeah I thought it'd be full dash out. Just had a email to say that they haven't got the matrix in stock, will look for alternatives when I get chance.