I Roll!
I got the backbox fitted in the week, I'm still waiting on a piece of pipe for the tailpipe but we can drive without that.
Why spend £30+ on the backbox fitting kit when you can spend £1.80 on a wallplate strap and use some random allen headed screws you have lying around:
Sleeved joint to the over-axle pipe:
With the extraneous bracket cut off, there is now acres of clearance:
I also spent a cloudy morning cleaning and polishing with 'super resin polish' after it had spent a month getting covered in dust and baking in the sun. The PO hadn't fully buffed off some previous product, and removing that took some time.
50/50:
At the end of it, I think it was looking pretty handsome:
I then had a nightmare last night, I thought I would try and protect it from the sun a bit with autoglyms 'Extra Gloss Protection' - it says apply a thin layer, allow to dry for 30 minutes, and then buff off.
The first two steps I could manage, but then..it wouldn't come off. As in, I had the stepladder out and thought I was going to bend the roof wouldn't come off! after 10 minutes the sweat was running down my face and I had managed perhaps a 12" square section, and the light was failing.
In the end I cut my losses and polished it again which thankfully took it off again, and then this morning I just went out, lightly misted it with water and used the normal liquid spray wax.
I don't know what happened - perhaps I put it on too thick? I think I shall practice on one of our other cars!
On Wednesday night I sorted the insurance and the tax, and then yesterday morning there was nothing for it but to venture out..
It seems absolutely fine
First stop was to give it a drink of E5 Super Unleaded, then we toddled off to Tropiquaria for a nice day out.
When we left, a quick look under the bonnet to make sure it still had oil and coolant in it (It did) and then make the return journey.
I'm so used to 5cylinder smooth+relative quietness these days that the 80's driving experience is quite different, but I soon got used to the redblock noises.
I was driving nice and steady with as much mechanical sympathy as possible but I still ended up having to overtake someone on the way home - it comes to something when I'm driving a 34 year old motor with what - 119hp when new?, coupled to a lazy auto, out on a gentle first drive, and get held up by a 72 plate doing 35 in a 50.
I don't think I'll be overtaking anything going much faster with it!
Some of the gearshifts are a bit firm. I'm not expecting butter smoothness from an 80's 4 speed, but I'll change the fluid and then assume that is what it is like.
Manual specs Dexron IID which I
can get from smith and Allan, but I'm assuming Dexron III will be fine and a worthwhile 'upgrade'.
Just debating whether to do a series of drain and fills rather than interfering with 34yr old unions!
The odometer doesn't work.
I checked the trip wasn't at 000 (the usual clue) when I looked at it, then didn't pay any attention after that. I now see the reset button is jammed right in behind the perspex.
It looks like it stopped working a few hundred after the last MOT in August, and judging by what the PO had done before I reckon at the most it's missing 5-6k.
Time for a cog replacement - does anyone know if I need to dismantle first and count the teeth or can I assume it will be the 25t one I need? It is a VDO cluster.
There is an intermittent bulb failure or possible bad earth (of course!)- it seemed to flash on briefly with the indicators at the same time as braking a couple of times, then it was on permanently for a few miles, then I never saw it again for the whole drive home.
(Nothing unusual from my memory - one of my previous ones flashed the seatbelt warning when indicating left, solved at the time by taking the seatbelt bulb out!)
On the way home I noticed an intermittent squeak from the V belts. Partly I guess because they were seating in, but mostly because I probably didn't crank them up hard enough so as not to risk damaging the bearings.
On inspection, the previously aligned water pump belts had moved away from each other.
Once the car had cooled down I retensioned them with a steel rule to guage them. (and realigned them as that seems like a good way to monitor). I just love how easy this car is to work on - If I had to, I could have done that job at the side of the road with the tool kit from the boot.
Its decided after being driven that ~850rpm is idle speed in D, and ~1050-1100 in P or N
I still need to get an induction tach, then from the looks of it drive it a few miles and then set it.
A total of 32 miles successfully travelled according to google maps. We'll do quite a few more local journeys before venturing onto the motorway with it.
Overall, very very pleased with it, I think I am a touch over the £2k initial total budget (but not by much, say £50 max) and have something perfectly useable with a few minor jobs to do.
Even my daughter says "it would be acceptable for you to drop me off at school in it" which is praise indeed!