joe_lane

Didn't go for a CDB then Pete?

Pah!! Spark plugs!! I change them before breakfast Not really. Got a mate to do it lol. He's got as many tools as the snap on man

Yeah. I've thought about them. Then looked at the price and gone back to my original idea of wrapping some

Thanks Steve. I really am missing the car. I've had her laid up before for a few months but didn't miss it. I really am doing now though. Just trying to source some half decent tubular manifolds for a reasonable price. Get them wrapped and back on and I can get the car off the ramp.

So. I had the gearbox changed at a mates garage and on the drive home, noticed that the coolant temp was stupidly high so decided I'd change the rad when I got home. rad changing turned into "I'll swap the turbo while I'm here" which also included " I'll just bang that samco inlet hose on too". So one of the turbo nuts strips the thread on the turbo stud so that ended play with that for the evening. Rads in by this time by the way. OK. INlet hose time. Butchered the standard black one getting it out which should've screamed NOOOOO at me really but hey ho. I was still thinking about the turbo stud. So the standard ones off and then it dawns on me that if it was that hard getting one out, getting a new one back in is gonna be harder. Yep. I was right. Need to take the inlet manifold off. So the parts start to get ordered here. If I'm taking the inlet manifold off then I'll paint it while it's off and add some phenolic spacers which I'd been contemplating for a while. That was about 2-3 weeks ago. Ordered paint and spacers etc. Painted manifold which now looks cool. Then the thought of a parrallel fuel mod came along. so went off to HEL to get the hoses made up which look the nuts. Put manifold on the bench. Oh. Bugger. Better order the new o rings and throttle body gasket. That turned up yesterday with a new set of exhaust manifold gaskets because while on the phone to Ashburton motor works I decided to port it. Manifolds back together now and waiting to go on. But I also thought I'd like oil temp and pressure gauges. But can't get a 3 hole a pillar pod that I like so bought a racetech dual gauge. result. Went back to HEL yesterday to get the pressure line and T sorted. Lovely. Banged pressure T in no problems. what next? Thought I'd take the exhaust off because it's probably easier without the inlet manifold on. Well. Every single bolt holding the heat shields on was rusted solid and any attempt to undo just rounded the rust off. Eventually I managed to air chisel the heat shields off so I could get near the manifold bolts and managed to get the drivers side off and the link pipe but rounded one of the nuts off on the passenger side. Then broke the nut splitter I bought which helped me get the turbo off 2-3 weeks ago. Quick foray into Exeter today for a new nut splitter and nobody's got one. Bugger. So the underneath currently looks like this. OK. Lets have ago at the gauge then. Manged to find a big enough grommet to get the temp sender through which is attached to the gauge. Hex head in the blanking plug has gone the same way as the heat shield nuts and bolts so thats now spinning round. Grindered a line across the top and got out mr air chisel again and out it came no problem. OK. Lines in PTFE on threads and prepare to wind in temp sensor. Nope. Too fecking long So now the car it at a complete standstill till I get; 1, new nut spliiter and rounded nut removing sockets 2, spacer for the temp gauge sender What a depressing weekends messing around. But at least our new (second hand) ramp works So. Again. I ask why must it be so bloody difficult?

My diesels just over 200,000. And no faults to speak of.

Nice one Tiny. They're good motors. I'm using a diesel Veccy as my daily driver and it's great! Nice to see dealers being realisitc with their trade ins too. A mate of mine managed to get an S plate 20th anniversary disco the other day for £600. Needed a new turbo which the dealer he bought it off didn't know was £287+vat lol. Full valet and it'll be going out at £3500. The trick to Vauxhall red paint is Auto Glym. Put some super resin polish on it after a good wash and leave it on overnight and polish off the next day. Do that every Friday for a month or 2 and the AG builds up a really nice coat of resin that stops the paint oxidising. Seen lots of people try other methods and waxes but thats the only 1 I've seen that really works. And makes the paintwork look stunning!

I wouldn't powder coat the Turbo mate. It's stink just before it catches fire Motor looks good mate. I like em in white. A mate of mine once said "All good rally cars come in white" lol

It's soooo easy to get to! Not the biggest car park in the world. But I have heard good things about the food!!!

When I was swapping the rad over, I decided to change the turbo. This turned into a nightmare when one of the studs stripped the thread. So thought I'd try swapping the inlet pipe only to discover that you need to take the inlet manifold off to do that and I butchered the old one getting it off.. So now I've got thermal inlet manifold risers to go on and I'm gonna repaint the inlet manifold when it's off. Crinkle black. Not red. Don't wanna be a sheep. And it's not an STI. It a turbo 2000!!

I would've been there but I've caused myself some other problems that aren't a quick fix. So won't be attending. I'll be working on the fecking scooby instead..

I'm gonna have to pull out Steve. Started changing the turbo and stripped a stud on the VF22. Just spent all morning looking for replacement nuts for the VF35 Decided to put my samco inlet pipe on but it would now appear that you have to take the inlet manifold off to fit it :thumbup: And I managed to muller the old one getting it out. And the local parts dept is closed so no new inlet manifold gaskets. Not gonna risk running with old ones. I've been through that sort of pain before. So cars out of action for a little while. And streetwars isn't looking good either... Sorry Steve.

:thumbup: Now that sounds like a laugh!!

I didn't think it was true. I do know that the sidewinder isn't something you'd use to shoot down an incoming missile. Like you say Terry, thats what the chaffs for. And to fire anything you need pilot input. Even chaff. I just thought it was amusing and made me chuckle.

Tuesday actually means thursday. Because the god damn speedo drive broke