Today I mostly .....

[jjbjoinery]

blew a fuse and got a nice 240v shock putting some curtains up for a mate, absolutely no idea why the sparky ran the cables where he did!!!

[Zelandeth]

Today I mostly...

Didn't finish the passenger door on the van, thanks to getting sidetracked by other tasks which took far longer than anticipated. So this is pretty much where it stands at the moment - albeit with the edges all now properly attached together again. Still need to smooth off the edges with the grinder then paint it inside and out.



Not going to try to make this invisible - I fully admit to it being bodgery of the highest order, and am quite happy to go with the patchwork repair look with this one for the time being, making it into a talking point rather than wasting masses of time hiding things. This van is never going to be pretty unless you spend thousands on it. New doors will follow at some point once it's roadworthy and in use.

Decided that the bottom few inches of the rear panel were utterly beyond redemption as most of it turned into powder and chunks of filler when touched. To be honest...the whole rear panel is good for nothing aside from scrap! At some point the whole thing will be replaced, but that will have to wait a while.



The outer six inches or so of the outrigger on the nearside needs sorting. At least I've now figured out how that structure is constructed so I know how to fix it now. Shouldn't actually be too difficult. Famous last words!

Reckon for now that it at least looks better without the bottom lip, rather than the mangled, rusty, holed, cracked remains of the old one. Also put a plate into the bumper where the bracket had been knocked through it at some point in the past. That will be painted next week so should blend in a bit better too.



While I was back there I also secured a few loose bits of engine tinwork in place where mounting screws had rusted out etc, so A: It no longer rattles and clanks in a highly comic fashion when the engine is switched off, and B: Should actually be getting properly cooled.

It's also now got the last of the fuel pipes replaced, and a new fuel filter. This had been delayed because the one pipe had welded itself onto the tank outlet stub and I'd been reluctant to use too much force to get it off - finally managed to shift it today. There was a good quarter of an inch of solid sediment in the bottom of the filter! New filter on, and it no longer seems to be suffering chronic fuel starvation issues surprisingly enough - just the blocked accelerator jet to deal with in that department - but I can forgive the carb needing an overhaul I think!

[Tracer]

blew a fuse and got a nice 240v shock putting some curtains up for a mate, absolutely no idea why the sparky ran the cables where he did!!!

Nothing say "a good start to the day" like good shock therapy

[Zelandeth]

Wish I could say the same! Living in Aberdeen we only really get one sort of bird that you notice in audio terms - seagulls!

They don't stop at night either...so you have a choice of window open but can't sleep because of the racket, or window closed but can't sleep because you're boiling to death. Wonderful!

They're destructive suckers too.

[excossack]

As Spikey said but weld some castors to each corner of the roof?

[Janko]

Bird Big Brother? In HD?

[excossack]

Looking good David. Is that a SPV3100, Sony Erickson and a Nokia 6210i/6310i phone I see under the monitor?

Anyways. My replacement Sigma lens arrived last night and it certainly has more zoom than my other Tamron 200mm lens.
Need to try it in anger now.

[excossack]

Would'nt have guessed that one!

[excossack]

Today my new clutch arrived...That dual mass flywheel is bloody heavy!!!

[excossack]

They are a costly thing. Having reasearch the DMF vs Solid argument/discussion people have gone for the solid conversion and then converted back, some have been happy.

I know at 40k the original flywheel got changed(under a recall) Now the car is on 160k.

And I also took the view (maybe an expensive one) that I only want to remove the box once so while its out, I am replaceing the DMF bolts, the rear main oil seal and the DMF.

[rob-o]

Welcomed the newest addition to the family lada collection:



And under the bonnet:



It keeps up with traffic and everything! (not something I'm used to!)

Rob

[Janko]

Nice red star

[Zelandeth]

Today I mostly procrastinated over buying a car. Not planned, and shunned when a friend pointed me at it.

...Now however I'm hovering. It's (relatively) local, taxed, tested and is very cheap for what it is, and I want it.

At the price it is, provided that it's not a rot-box, I'm tempted to pick it up and run it for a bit. Reckon cleaned up and serviced it could sell for at least a couple of hundred over the asking price or could potentially take over from the 306 which could then be sold on.

...While I had it, I could also get around to sorting the issues which have been afflicting the poor Peugeot since I got it (partly seized rear axle, a brake drum which plays funny business from time to time, a head which needs some attention due to knackered valve stem oil seals and most recently a duff radiator which is leaking from one of the bleed taps, and is probably going to want a clutch soon as well). 306 is a very clean motor, but the fact that I'm driving an ex company car with rapidly approaching 110K on the clock does sometimes worry me...and at other times doesn't bother me at all! Depends what frame of mind I'm in.

I shouldn't...but I want it! It's blue as well so would totally be co-ordinated with the van...

[rob-o]

Gadget, because it used to belong to someone who you may know quite well!

Rob

[excossack]

Part of me says Ivans old car? and other bit of me says Neil Chowney...