The Morbidmobile Blog

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by TomSaintJames

It's turned into an investment, our current house is a flat above four garages - a coach house, and as keen gardners/outdoorsy people we are struggling in a housing estate without a garden. So new house is in a little village with a big garden, but needs lots of work (hence it being cheap and affordable - just!).

We wanted to move anyway, but realised it was hardly worth selling our coach house and we could afford a second mortgage as the first was quite small. Once we have the coach house rented out things will be fine, but until then it's beans on toast for dinner! It'll be worth it in the long run, the coach house will be a pension asset for us.

I'll keep the winter tyre advice in mind, we may well need them for the Kia in the new house, the roads in the village will almost certainly not be gritted, i'll be cycling to work too - so may need some for my bike!

Cycling to work and beans on toast? That's scarily tight! At least with all those beans, you should get to work quicker although your work colleagues might not appreciate it!

Hope you get your coach house rented out quickly, flats generally get rented quickly so you're in with a good chance.

[TomSaintJames]

It's not all quite that bad, I may have been exaggerating slightly! But we've become comfortable-ish where we are now, so will have to dial things back.

I walk to work now anyway, it's about 35 minutes, but beats paying the £40 a month car park fee (for staff) at the hospital, and even then you're not gaurenteed a space! The new house is outside of town, so the walk would be 50 mins or so - makes sense to cycle 20/25 mins instead and the road out of the village is a bit dodgy, better to be on a bike in that case than walking, especially in the dark!

We have slightly cunningly planned to have the coach house on the market for renting mid to late January, apparently the best time for rentals, so fingers crossed.

[TomSaintJames]

I am told that the new front suspension is in, the replacement strut hubs had to be used, the existing didn't fit and the front wheels have spacers, so the bolts on the replacement hubs had to be shortened, but the front is now done. If im right in thinking, will this affect things if i wanted to put standard wheels on at any point? I dont for the foreseeable.

I've sourced some replacement rear spring fixings, but my attention has been drawn to the stiffness of the rear springs. Heavy duty ones bave been recommended to me, in the absence of these does anyone know if standard estate springs are stiffer than the saloons?

Thanks.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by TomSaintJames

I am told that the new front suspension is in, the replacement strut hubs had to be used, the existing didn't fit and the front wheels have spacers, so the bolts on the replacement hubs had to be shortened, but the front is now done. If im right in thinking, will this affect things if i wanted to put standard wheels on at any point? I dont for the foreseeable.

I've sourced some replacement rear spring fixings, but my attention has been drawn to the stiffness of the rear springs. Heavy duty ones bave been recommended to me, in the absence of these does anyone know if standard estate springs are stiffer than the saloons?

Thanks.

The nuts or studs on the replacement hubs Tom? Depending on what has been done, it may well effect things if you want to fit standard wheels. It may also invalidate your insurance.

The standard estate rear springs (non-Nivo type) should be stiff enough, not sure if they'rre stiffer than the saloon but they are stiffer than springs for Nivo equipped cars. If you haven't already got springs, it might pay to have a word with the nice man you're getting the spring fixings from, sure he has the rear springs and shocks available.
What shocks have you got for the back end at the moment?

Heavy duty rear springs would be a good option but it depends how heavy the back end is compared to a standard car, it may not be that much different to be honest, maybe even lighter.

Reckon you'll be taking out shares in Nurofen for all the headaches this is giving you as well!

[TomSaintJames]

Well folks, its taken a not insubstantial amount of time, but we picked the hearse up this evening. I paid over the phone on my tea break at work, and was very glad i was sat down. £813 for the work, not including the spares i found, so all in just shy of 1k

BUT it is so bloody lovely to drive now! It wafts along with almost hydraulic citroen like comfort, a comparison i dont make lightly as my other car is a BX GT. It rides quite a bit higher now, which is good for ground clearance, ill get some photos at fhe weekend.for.you all.

We are currently on track to complete and collect the keys to our new house on Monday, so good timing for lovely suspension bht bad timing for the bill...

[Laird Scooby]

Glad you've finally got it sorted on the suspension front Tom! I know it's cost you a small fortune but on the bright side, you can save that by not needing to hire Pickfords to move you now!

[TomSaintJames]

So the hearse is driving lovely, SO very much more comfortable now. The 17" wheels are making it slightly fidgety and the prop is still whining away, if a little quieter - it will have to continue to whine!

Unfortunately either the new dipstick os the wrong part, or the old one is incorrect as they are different lengths. The longer is the old one, that came with the car (and has a snapped handle).

[Laird Scooby]

The yellow one is for the gearbox Tom!

Glad it's riding better anyway!

[360beast]

If you measure them both Tom I will measure mine and then you can work out what’s going on.

That sentence sounds so dirty when I read it back

[TomSaintJames]

I love a bit of dirty talk but must. Resist. Penis. Related. Sexual. Comment.

Phew, did it.

It looks quite different from the gearbox dipstick Dave and was definitely sold as for the engine (not that that necessarily means anything!). My phone camera didn't quite get the colour right too, it's actually flourescent orange.

I measured from the base of the plastic handle, so measuring the visible metal bit:
Old - 60.2cm
New - 57.5cm

How big's yours Luke?