xrmike
Part of things
Posts: 165
|
|
Feb 20, 2013 16:00:51 GMT
|
Now please don't take this the wrong way, but You really need to get the rot issues sorted first, as that all looks like its gonna make the car pretty terminal for someone without the skills to repair it. I'm sure its great making the car clean and lovely inside and the bits that will go shiny shiny, but it looks like the entire boot might fall off soon, looking at the rear quarter panel, arches and underside. I'm not entirely clued on the structure under that back of the estate, but that looks like some pretty enhanced corrosion issues that are only going to get worse. Sorry +1. Get saving, have it welded up and undersealed. I've got a 9 year old laguna that I've just spent two nights on it to PREVENT rust before it starts on stone chips, as I know if I leave it it'll cost more money and time. It'll be the best thing you do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2013 20:42:48 GMT
|
No harm in cleaning up the grubby bits, something to crack on with whilst funds are assembled/stolen.
|
|
Currently: 1974 Beetle - Golf -
Previously: e38 735i, e34 525iSE, 1972 Beetle, 1991 Scirocco Scala, Morris Minor, 1983 Polo Breadvan, 1991 Mazda MX6
|
|
dbdb
Part of things
Posts: 821
|
|
Feb 21, 2013 11:41:31 GMT
|
I agree. It keeps you motivated when you do what can be achieved now whilst getting the money together for the more expensive stuff which you might need to save up for.
Besides, I like a clean car! ;D
David
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2013 12:20:11 GMT
|
Looking around at what's on the market for a good second hand mig - seems the most versatile choice - and the safety gear, some metal, some paint and some rust protection I'm going to be spending about £300-500 to get everything done. That's a lot cheaper than booking it in at a bodyshop and I get the added bonus of a welding machine and an improvement to existing skills. AND I get to sort the Princess' bodywork niggles out.
I've been fancying having a go at some welding sculptures lately too, my parents have a fair amount of space for me to construct big rusty heaps of curse word in their garden and it'd be a good way to practice my welding before setting to work on the cars.
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 21, 2013 12:20:58 GMT by Deleted
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2013 12:54:28 GMT
|
Sounds like a plan to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2013 15:39:31 GMT
|
.... my parents have a fair amount of space for me to construct big rusty heaps of curse word in their garden...... ;D Very sensible decision, now cannot wait for the millions of pictures of you guiding us through the learning process. John
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2013 17:50:39 GMT
|
The thought of art happening is giving me the fear.
|
|
Currently: 1974 Beetle - Golf -
Previously: e38 735i, e34 525iSE, 1972 Beetle, 1991 Scirocco Scala, Morris Minor, 1983 Polo Breadvan, 1991 Mazda MX6
|
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2013 17:50:14 GMT
|
Great success! Yesterday, my pedal box returned all lovely and repaired. The accelerator pedal moves a lot more freely, probably because it's not trying to move parts of the pedal box with it. As Mr Cobblers put it "It's no Boyd Coddington, but it is solid." and he's quite correct. Many thanks to Mr Cobblers for stepping in and being a gent with the welding to get me mobile again. It was a bit of a battle to get the clutch cable connected properly, that's a job I hope I don't have to do again, there was a strong risk of me hurling it across the fields when it played the game of one part clipping off just as the other part clipped on, repeatedly. Happily, I had support in the form of people that hadn't being squished into the footwell in the cold trying to make it all fit properly and we got it loosely fitted. Today, I got everything tightened up and we reconnected the clutch cable in the engine bay which my Dad had disconnected to try and give me more play in the cable, which didn't work. Also plugged the throttle cable back in and it seems to be fine, it didn't break, but I suspect I'll have to replace it anyway. The last time I drove a diesel was about 6 years ago, one of those Meganes-with-an- (which I still like the look of) and I'd forgotten about the way na diesels are when you put the pedal down to go; sort of nothing, and then everything all at once, very unlike a petrol. I do find that the throttle pedal feels very stiff when first pressed, you have to use a bit of effort to get it past that point. I can't see anything amiss and I can't see where that skinny metal bracket I found in the soundproofing goes to see if that was connected to anything. Maybe there's something wrong or not fitted that I've missed, but it feels okay, if a little strange and I can't see where anything might connect. Of course, this meant I could finally go for a drive. I didn't go far, just far enough to get a feel for the car. Intermittent power steering is a little strange as a driving experience, but didn't feel particularly dangerous or alarming. The brakes are sharp, certainly sharper than those on the Princess. The car felt very perky too, once you get moving, and happy to be thrown around a bit though I didn't try and find the limits as I've still got to learn the car. Seating position is blissfully ergonomic, my only issue being that the wiper stalk feels slightly counter intuitive. Gears are taking me ages to get used to, again because of the nature of the engine more than anything else. The clutch, for all I'd been told it felt like it was worn, feels brand new with the bite very near the bottom of the pedal travel unlike most of the stuff I drive which has the bite half way up or near the top of the pedal travel. Overall, the car feels right, it feels well suited to me and the acres of tinted glass gives unparalleled visibility. I felt very much like I belonged in the BX in a way I never did in the Maestro or even the Polo. I still prefer my Princess, but only because that car has a certain je ne sais quoi that the BX doesn't, but it's a very close run thing between the two of them. These, I like a lot. I don't know if I'll ever use them, but I like that they're there. I gave the glass a good clean inside and out and did the wiper blades too, it really improved things. I hope the snow isn't here long term, I want to get the shabby side cut and polished properly in time for Brooklands on the 10th of March where the BX will be earning its keep collecting parts for the Princess. In the meantime, here's some pictures, because I like pictures and I think the BX is very photogenic. Another problem I found is that the front washer bottle appears to be leaking. I'll take it out and investigate properly later. The rust holes on the inner wings are both caused by the washer bottles so they have to come out anyway, I'll perform a derust at the same time, looks like a straightforward patch repair with reasonable access at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As with any project, my thoughts are turning to wheels again. Just daydreaming at the moment, there's more important stuff to fix on the car, but I like to keep my options open in case something comes up at the right time. I'm quite restricted in what I can use because I don't want to be modifying the rear arches in any way, so they have to be very similar in size to what's on. I have a few wheels lined up in my head, but to save me being too blinkered, I'm going to see what you guys can conjure up for me in addition. I already know that most things Ford, Peugeot and Citroen will fit (spacers for the Ford stuff due to offsets and centre bore). There's also a tiny amount of Audi, Maserati and Mazda that share the 4 x 108 pcd. Obviously, I don't want to buy brand new wheels if I'm considering the above. There's something about OEM wheels that looks right on a car that many aftermarket wheels don't seem to have. I know I want something fairly flat faced, something fairly blocky in design and something with that smooth yet clunky 80s sci fi look about them to fit in with the car. Centras would be perfect, but they only seem to come in 4 x 100 flavour. A set of Mk1 Espace alloys would look great! The nearest thing would be a set of CX alloys but they seem to command good money at the moment. Saab do a few designs I like that would fit the bill. Ford also do wheels I like. Ford Probe swirly three spokes might be just a bit too soft lined, and I think these were all 5 stud anyway. It's also a shame the lovely Lancia alloys I have are both the wrong PCD being 4x98 and too small at 13" otherwise I'd be making every effort to fit those. Here's the vitals on the BX, let's see what you can think of: PCD: 4 x 108 Offset: 22 to 25 (I think, info is slightly conflicting on this point) Centre bore: 65.1 Width: 5.5J (6 with the right offset) 14" for the ideal size, 15" at the most, certainly not as small as a 13".
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 23, 2013 0:55:55 GMT by Deleted
|
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2013 13:03:15 GMT
|
I like the look of the BX GTi wheels... I believe the later models had them in an anthracite colour that'd look spot-on on your BX... I can't wait to see what other suggestions are made.
|
|
***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2013 16:32:20 GMT
|
|
|
2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
|
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2013 16:36:43 GMT
|
|
|
2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
|
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2013 16:37:14 GMT
|
youve shown the saab wheels id pick ;D
|
|
2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
|
|
|
|
Feb 23, 2013 17:51:07 GMT
|
I'd go with the gti wheels if they were a bit different to the usual upgrade, Apart from having them highly polished, I can't think how I'd make a set stand out on this car. I like the second set of the other two posted, they'd probably work quite well... are they an Audi wheel? I note they say ET45 on them, so they would require a bit of thinking to make them fit. ---- Went out and got a new throttle cable today, the pedal moves without stiffness and driving the car feels completely different to with the old cable. I'd say that's a good thing. I don't understand why they had to change from the simple old design as below... ...to this new design which came with no instructions and made a five minute job into a half hour job whilst Dad and I figured out how it should work. You have to line up the tabs, compressing the spring to do so, push it through the hole in the bulkhead and then twist it to lock it in place. I'm not looking forward to ever having to remove it. Other than that, it was a very easy thing to fit really. I think I may have disturbed something in the engine bay too, and I need to find out how to sort it. The oil pressure gauge used to shoot all the way to the right before settling back down to wherever it fancied sitting when you turned the ignition on. Now, it just sits at the left hand side with the warning light dimly lit. I don't get any other warning lights come on and the car isn't making any noises or doing anything untoward that would make me think there's a problem. There's plenty of oil in the car and no oil underneath the car so I'm hoping I've dislodged a sensor or similar, ideas welcome on this one. The other thing I've noticed is the abnormal wear on the front drivers tyre, being more worn on the inside edge than anywhere else. Coupled with a vagueness around the middle of the steering and the intermittent fault I'm wondering if the pump might be at fault or the steering rack itself. The car doesn't pull left or right when driving or stopping so I don't think it's a tracking issue as first suspected.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 17:47:53 GMT
|
That does look like fun* I shan't say no to indefinite tool loan, though I would feel happier at least putting some cash towards postage once I've got the parts to fit on the car. I'm not getting any rattling or even a lot of wear on the tyre yet so I should be good for a while. autoshite PSA Tool Co-operative ftw. ___ It snowed again, it's really putting a crimp in getting work done because when it snows not only is there snow to contend with, but it's too cold for things like polish and claybars to work properly. That said, I did get some work done on the BX cosmetics. I had even more of a poke around things and found what looks to be a loose door pin. This door creaks but seems not to have dropped, the metal around the hinges is nice and sound so, do I leave this pin alone or do I try and knock it back in? Had a look in the wool store and found some wool that was the closest match I could find to the seats, it's a bit brighter but will dull with use and the seats will be slightly brighter when shampooed (that job got snowed off). A pair of embroidery scissors and a tapestry needle were my other weapons of choice. After only a few minutes I'd repaired the holes in the fabric. It's not perfect, I'm hardly going to be snapped up by the British Museum's textile conservators, but it's better than having a hole with foam on show and should prevent said holes getting any worse. Before on the left, after on the right. Eventually, this seat will likely be replaced. Then it was a case of yet more paint rectification. The bonnet and roof are covered in these stubborn little spots. They do come off with clay bar and cutting compound, but it takes a while. The bonnet actually came up surprisingly well. Yes, the front of the bonnet has a crack and lots of road rash, but the finish came up remarkably shiny given the condition of the weather today. The amount of brown tar sludge that came off was surprising too, I thought this panel was actually quite clean before I started and that it was the paint at fault. Repair or replace? This door has been quite badly bashed, looks like it's been opened into a lamp post or something. Two dents on the windowsill bit and a large shallow vertical dent finishing in a bit of a crater below the bumpstrip. I might have a go at beating this back into shape one day, it can stay as it is for now. Got all of this side, the bonnet and the roof in front of the hump all cleaned up. I'm quite pleased with the end result. I also managed to get the tailgate clayed, but I need a warmer day to get the vinyl off. Our neighbour seems puzzled as to why it's a) taking me so long to clean a car and b)I'm bothering. I was momentarily tempted to remove the bumper and discovered that actually it's rotted out in a very specific way. While the metal is a bit fragile, it's only rotted the top half of the wing behind the bumper, the lower half looks like there's enough to stitch a patch in and it's all flat pieces that are required. I'm still not removing the bumper, but now that I've been able to clean up the back end and properly inspect everything it looks less severe than the pictures make out. It's still bad, I know that much, but it's not as bad as I expected, there's more metal behind that bumper than expected, allbeit frilly metal. I still have to scrub the bumpers, demoss the indicators, clean the lights, reblack the satin door frames, finish cleaning off the roof and shampoo the seats. I probably spent another 4 hours cleaning today which brings my total time spent up to about 16 hours including vinyl removal. Would have taken less time had the weather not been so cold!
|
|
Last Edit: Feb 25, 2013 10:41:41 GMT by Deleted
|
|
Rich
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,249
Club RR Member Number: 160
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 18:09:58 GMT
|
If you had a pump issue the STOP and hydraulic warning lamp would come on intermittently as the system struggled to keep pressure up while you were using the brakes and steering for example. The vagueness could be the rack ram or flow distributor valve, the tire wear sounds like an alignment issue that's unrelated.. Will get those trims sent soon, had a mental week -_-
|
|
|
|
Vern
Part of things
Posts: 134
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 18:11:46 GMT
|
Full respect to you mate for taking on such a project, an odd car to choose but then again why not haha
Lots of rust issues like i have on my project, this seems to be the No1 issue with virtually all the projects on here. Keep up the good work and i look forward to your welding updates as this is something id love to do myself.
|
|
Project Uno Turbo begins!
|
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 18:41:46 GMT
|
rich: those trims are going to make a big difference, chop-chop! I'm not getting any warning lights, it seems more likely that it's a bottom ball joint in want of replacement having had a read around the place. Not an urgent job, but it'll make things feel much nicer when done. Vern: I can't do normal, it's not something that's in my car vocabulary Citroen vs Fiat; who will rust faster?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 19:41:56 GMT
|
Could be remembering incorrectly, but that's telling you the oil level at first - when it lights up (or should light up) the scale. The sensor is opposite the starter on the back of the engine on a Xantia, I've not had a BX diesel but would be surprised if it's elsewhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 24, 2013 19:54:50 GMT
|
I can find a few plugs and whatnot, but I can't find anything that categorically looks loose or like it's what I'm trying to find :/ To be fair, the weather wasn't helping today and I did leave it until it was actually snowing before I looked. Must try harder.
Interestingly, while the oil level (I now know it's level rather than pressure) needle still doesn't move, the light does come on properly now, but doesn't go out. This is odd because there's plenty of oil in the car. The sooner I can get the engine cleaned up and fettled, the better!
|
|
|
|
|