Any Advice, Part 2!

[Chris152]

Thank you, Dave - so much to learn here! It's on its way, should take fifteen mins to get them out in turn, clean and inserted again with locktite.

Out of interest - we have a large, cheap (Silverline) torque wrench which starts at about 20 nm - is it worth investing in a smaller one for this kind of thing? I can't think ours is terribly accurate. And anyway, I'm wondering what to get the lad for his Christmas stocking...

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Thank you, Dave - so much to learn here! It's on its way, should take fifteen EACH mins to get them out in turn, clean and inserted again with loctite.

Out of interest - we have a large, cheap (Silverline) torque wrench which starts at about 20 nm - is it worth investing in a smaller one for this kind of thing? I can't think ours is terribly accurate. And anyway, I'm wondering what to get the lad for his Christmas stocking...

Fixed your time ^^^^^ expectancies Chris!

Joking aside, it shouldn't take long, the big thing is making sure you have all the old sealant off the bolts. If you have a wire wheel in a bench grinder, it makes life much quicker and easier and is useful for buffing/derusting other things too.

As for Silverline, don't underestimate them, they're good kit! Guaranteed for life on hand tools (Limited Lifetime Gurantee but still worth having) and 3 years on other things :

https://www.silverlinetools.com/en-GB/

For the amount of time you'll need something that reads below 20lbft i'd say it's probably not worth buying one. As for a stocking filler, i'm still waiting to see Linda Lusardi in my Xmas stocking and i've been disappointed for about 30 years!

Maybe a bench grinder (6") and a 6" wire wheel and a pair of safety goggles (not specs) with decent venitlation holes and lens. He'll get a lot more use out of those than a low range torque wrench. Happy to try and find some errrrrr........... "cost effective" options for you or you may want to think of something different.

[Chris152]

I get the heebie-jeebies when I think of a grinder in our garage Dave - it's attached to the house and when I'm not trying to figure out how to work on a car, I'm working with wood - not a good combo with sparks! That said, I'm really keen to learn to weld too, and thinking of building a simple shed for that in the garden, so other sparky things could be used safely in there. Unlikely to be ready for Christmas tho!

In my more tight-fisted moments, I wonder about getting him the new headlight reflectors we need for the car - hardly exciting on Christmas morning, but since I'm going to have to buy them anyway...
Any other suggestions, more 240 accessory-related for a present?! The original plan was to get waterproof front seat covers but now we like the seats so much it seems a shame to cover them up.

Point taken about the torque wrench, and we'll clean up the old bolts with a wire brush attachment on a drill. 15 mins per bolt - one thing I've learned is however straight forward a job on an old car seems, it never is. :-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

In my more tight-fisted moments, I wonder about getting him the new headlight reflectors we need for the car - hardly exciting on Christmas morning, but since I'm going to have to buy them anyway...

My view about Xmas presents in general is they should be a "want" not a "need" if you see what i mean Chris?

For example, you may want a flashy set of alloys but you don't need them as you already have wheels. You need headlamp reflectors to get through the MoT (probably) so whether you want them or not, you've got to get them.

As for a more "car-orientated gift", what sort of stereo does it have? What i'm thinking is a more modern, slightly retro-styled unit that doesn't look out of place in a Volvo of that age, this is actually a pic in a different car but i have almost the same stereo in my 760 and looks no more out of place than it does in this one :



For perspective, that's a 1994 car it's fitted in. Looks retro enough to get awway with it but has a single-shot CD player, can stream mp3 from a phone via BlueTooth (handy if you have Google Maps for sat-nav too), comes with a proper hands-free microphone and routes the phone calls over the car speakers, the sat-nag the same as well as the music. If music is being played on the phone and a sat-nag instruction come, the music is faded for the sat-nag and then faded back in gently, likewise for phone calls and it can also play music from a USB stick and charge your phone via USB too!

Just a bit of food for thought!

[Chris152]

Funnily enough, that's the one thing I'd wondered about - and the one you've posted looks great, Dave. I do wonder how much a youngster would use a built-in device, tho. Everything seems to revolve around the phone for them and outputs via intermediary devices or direct to the output, so I'd wondered about just a blue tooth device that connects to the sound system, or even just a speaker that would attach out of sight somewhere. TBH I don't know what I'm talking about, clearly need to do some urgent research if that's the answer! At the mo, the original cassette player/ radio is fitted, it works and he's keen to keep it, retro ya know... :-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Funnily enough, that's the one thing I'd wondered about - and the one you've posted looks great, Dave. I do wonder how much a youngster would use a built-in device, tho. Everything seems to revolve around the phone for them and outputs via intermediary devices or direct to the output, so I'd wondered about just a blue tooth device that connects to the sound system, or even just a speaker that would attach out of sight somewhere. TBH I don't know what I'm talking about, clearly need to do some urgent research if that's the answer! At the mo, the original cassette player/ radio is fitted, it works and he's keen to keep it, retro ya know... :-)

That one has BT built in Chris so what would normally be heard on the phonoe is heard over the car speakers instead. You can control the track your phone is playing from the head unit as well. This is a listing with the spec on it :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JVC-Radio...V/283821171214


An alternative is to use a BT-FM transmitter like this one :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...0/114270191025

That adds most of the extra features of BT including track up/down, handsfree etc to the existing head unit simply by tuning them into each other. Can be positioned at the best place for access to the buttons and voice pick-up. Means the existing unit can stay and the modern features are added.

[Chris152]

Sorry to be slow, Dave. I've been thinking this over, wondering how much I want his phone involved in the car. We had a quick chat this evening, and it seems you can lock the phone away in the glove compartment so it's not a distraction while driving, while having a playlist run, connected by bluetooth. But then discussion went on to speakers and all sorts of complexities, so I reckon this isn't a Christmas decision at this stage of the proceedings!

On a very much more mundane level - we've got a few weeks coming to work on the car and I was wondering, what's the best way to clean the components under the car, and the panels, chassis etc? It's got plenty of underseal all over, is it best just to leave that alone? And how do you clean rubber bits like brake pipes, just so we can clearly check condition? We wiped a little gunk off the sump and it's lovely and red there, is that just a question of wiping it clean? Overall under-car management, I guess?!

Then it's the top - is it best to avoid cutting the paintwork back and just wax polish? We've only washed it once since we got it, I keep on about sorting the mechanics before we try to make it shine. I have a decent random orbit sander, I understand we can use that carefully (low speed, keep it moving) with a mop.

Any thoughts really appreciated. We need a Father Christmas emoji on here.

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Chris152

- one thing I've learned is however straight forward a job on an old car seems, it never is. :-)

... you are nearly an expert now Chris, you have learned the most important thing about older cars:-)

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Sorry to be slow, Dave. I've been thinking this over, wondering how much I want his phone involved in the car. We had a quick chat this evening, and it seems you can lock the phone away in the glove compartment so it's not a distraction while driving, while having a playlist run, connected by bluetooth. But then discussion went on to speakers and all sorts of complexities, so I reckon this isn't a Christmas decision at this stage of the proceedings!

On a very much more mundane level - we've got a few weeks coming to work on the car and I was wondering, what's the best way to clean the components under the car, and the panels, chassis etc? It's got plenty of underseal all over, is it best just to leave that alone? And how do you clean rubber bits like brake pipes, just so we can clearly check condition? We wiped a little gunk off the sump and it's lovely and red there, is that just a question of wiping it clean? Overall under-car management, I guess?!

Then it's the top - is it best to avoid cutting the paintwork back and just wax polish? We've only washed it once since we got it, I keep on about sorting the mechanics before we try to make it shine. I have a decent random orbit sander, I understand we can use that carefully (low speed, keep it moving) with a mop.

Any thoughts really appreciated. We need a Father Christmas emoji on here.

No disrespect Chris but i honestly don't think it's a case of "how much you want his phone involved with the car". I get what you mean and to a very large extent, i'm playing Devils Advocate here.
While you may get his agreement that the phone will be locked in the glovebox after starting a playlist, that will be fine for the first few times he goes out on his own until he gets to the point where he changes what he wants to listen to while he's out. Once he's realised he can get bored with his music and want to change it easily, locking it in the glovebox will no longer be an option.

Let's face it, we were all young once and we all know we did things we maybe shouldn't have done. To that end, i'd suggest a very in-depth conversation about a compromise that will not only keep him within the law but safe as well while still letting him change the music with some degree of ease.

The thing with the compromise will be that whatever solution you reach, that has to be more or less set in stone, any diversification to be discussed and agreed before implementation and then set in stone but you both have to agree to it being set in stone for both your benefits.

I have an idea in mind that works well for me and has done with either of the BT solutions i've already suggested. I'll try to remember to take a photo or 3 tomorrow to explain it better.

For general cleaning under the car, be prepared to get messy! If you haven't already got a pressure washer, invest in one. Use that for the main cleaning and once dry, inspect all the underseal. It has a habit of cracking and then letting water in which it then traps. Better to simply peel it off if it has and then at a later date, apply fresh.

The pressure washer should get things like the rubber brake flexi hoses clean enough to inspect them but if you want them really clean, an old toothbrush and hot soapy water. Taking things to extemes i know but will allow you to get into the ribs along the length of the flexis. I'd suggest something in between the pressure washer and old toothbrush for more practical purposes though.

The paintwork is a bit of a tough one to call to be honest. For now, i'd just keep it clean and when spring comes and you can give it a decent hand-wash, get it dry and think about cutting the paint back. A product i've used for this is Step 1 of the Meguiars 3-stage paint/polish products which is called a paint cleaner. Very similar in action to T-Cut but with a diminishing abrasive (meaning it gets finer the more you use it), it lifts oxidised paint off leaving a very smooth and bright paint surface.

Next is Step 2, Diamond Polish from the same range. This makes the paintwork pop as they call in in valeting/detailing circles. Lastly Step3 Carnauba Wax. This seals the paintwork and polish to reduce sun fading, let dirt wash off easily and so on. I can give you a few more tips on using these when the time comes including a plant sprayer filled with clean water (very useful!) but it works very well. Should only need the Paint Cleaner once every year or so.



(Click on the {More} link in the emojis panel on the right, use the drop-down menu to find the Christmas selection)

[Othen]

Originally Posted by Chris152

Sorry to be slow, Dave. I've been thinking this over, wondering how much I want his phone involved in the car. We had a quick chat this evening, and it seems you can lock the phone away in the glove compartment so it's not a distraction while driving, while having a playlist run, connected by bluetooth. But then discussion went on to speakers and all sorts of complexities, so I reckon this isn't a Christmas decision at this stage of the proceedings!

Any thoughts really appreciated. We need a Father Christmas emoji on here.

Good morn Chris,
I'm guessing your boy is late teens - a little older probably than my son Dan (16 - and knows everything of course - but dads are still useful...). I'm not sure it is a good idea to try to stop a teenager having his or her cell phone in the car - they are surgically attached to their cell phones - it is just the way of the world.

That being said, there needs to be some allowance for when your son is in the driving seat - so I'm with Dave and the BT radio idea. The RB came with a nice Sony BT radio that also plays lots of different media and FM/AM (for the shipping forecast?) that just needed fitting properly.


I've rigged it up with some magnetic supports on the dash so I can semi-permanently fit a nice, large ruggedised cell phone that I normally use strapped to the bars on my motorbikes (I bought it because it is called a 'King Kong').



It works fine and also means I can use the SATNAV in Google maps linked through the door speakers. I can also play digital radio stations from the cell phone and access its music library direct from the radio (using a little bit of Sony software installed on the cell phone):



I think your son would really appreciate a BT radio so he could link his cell phone to the car - Dan does that when we are driving around in both the Porsche and the Skoda (so my Smooth Chill FM gets replaced by some street rappin' music).