Project Car / Motorbike thread. Let's see 'em.

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Incontinence pads arrived for the XR4, rear rotors here and fronts due Fri. We are going to rebuild the front and spare rear calipers and get some braided brake lines so all new brakey things.



Not first choice of pad material but very little available for X-types and given the difference in weights these will be fine.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Do Mustangs attract arseholes, or does driving one turn you into an arsehole...? Close call this morning with one running me off the road because my presence in the lane was not seen as an impediment to him wanting to be there...
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
You know that dah dah dah dah noise this sim made when the top needle is all the way round? I discovered yesterday when pushing harder than ever before at turn one that if it makes this noise just after the apex then the next right hander, gentle as it is stays on the right and even gets further away.
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
You know that dah dah dah dah noise this sim made when the top needle is all the way round? I discovered yesterday when pushing harder than ever before at turn one that if it makes this noise just after the apex then the next right hander, gentle as it is stays on the right and even gets further away.
Or the oil pump is sucking in air from a 1.2G corner and that’s everything having a little dry rattle.
 

creaky

XMAS Plumper
Update on the Range Rover Sport money pit. Firstly, since changing from the black gangsta wheels to some civilized stock wheels the car has had a name change from J Rizzle to Ralph. I feel better already.

I bought this car as it was advertised for $8000 less than the going rate in Victoria for the same car. The previous owner had it serviced 6 months ago which cost an eye watering $5800 to have the timing belt, transmission service and solenoids replaced, water pump and all the water hoses replaced. Selling it after spending so much on it would either mean 1) the owner had decided the servicing costs were too much and it was time to move it on or 2) the owner was told that there was something major that would need replaced or something was about to catastrophically fail. Since buying it and driving it Syd to Melb I have found very little wrong with it other than the suspension getting saggy overnight, which will hopefully be an easy fix with an $80 front valve block. I have been worried though that there is something major cooking that I didn't know about so I took it to an independent Land Rover service place as asked them to have a thorough look to see whether it would pass a vehicle inspection. Drum roll....

They found:
No error codes (!?!?!?)
Worn sway bar bushings
Some minor oil leak around the turbo
Oxidized headlights
No leaks in the front suspension struts (confirming it is likely the front valve block)

This is pretty much as good as I could have hoped for. They said the small oil leak around the turbo was pretty common and unless I was planning on driving around Australia they wouldn't recommend changing it.

I had factored in around $5k to get everything up and running once I bought it as the price was so good, so it looks like I'll have money left over to fix a few cosmetic issues on the car. One reason it was sold cheaply is the car was left in the sun whilst one of the previous owners was traveling for 7 months. The leather dashboard had shrunk, cracked and curled and the steering wheel also didn't enjoy the experience. I've ordered a replacement leather dashboard from a company that makes them in the UK and the end cap from the dashboard from a wreckers. I'll get a tear in the front passenger seat fixed, most likely professionally as it is where your bum goes so a home repair job probably wouldn't last. I've also ordered a door actuator motor ($25) to fix the rear central locking issue.

So it looks like it was a good purchase so far. Maybe I'll spend some of the left over money getting it detailed to have the paint and leather coated. I've never had a car detailed before, anyone know a good place in Melbourne?
Image


Guy from work had to leave early to rescue his wife with her broken down Range Rover in busy traffic last week. Turns out that she was driving the older Range Rover cause the newer one was still at the shop broken down from a few weeks ago. #Rangeylyf
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
Not mine but someones...

Helped a mate sort out a genuine mini Cooper today. Not the BMW version. Clutch problems. Of course it has a brake booster fitted now. And the 998 Cooper motor is long gone and a 1275 is in its place. Pity, would be worth $.

Clutch not disengaging. Hydraulics all dry and slave is new. Check back stop, needs adjusting. Spring off, twaaaaang. Adjust stop. Look for spring. Check bottom stop, ok ish. Check travel, hmmm a few mm under ideal. Check throwout rod for wear and bending. Skin and blood add to the red paint. Dropped the lower pivot pin only 7 times. Anyway it is ok. Back together. Dropped pivot pin 6 times. Spring recovered and twaaang lost again. Spring finally fitted. 1 mechanic, 1 apprentice and 1 who should know better. Clutch is better and driveable. Mastercylinder is original. May be passing internally but no external leaks. Kits available but more $ than new different looking part. Up to owner. One last final check with feeler gauges of the bottom stop position. Ok. Except. Won't slide in at the top! Hmmmmm. A search for 15/16" spanners, one which has to be skinny... pause here for a while. Find a skinny 1" and an extra thick 15/16" so ok to go. Lock nut almost loose so adjustment easy. Spin nuts off. Discover huge burr on the casing. Reset stops to 125thou as per factory. Car has Clutch now.

Fuck where did the afternoon go.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Not mine but someones...

Helped a mate sort out a genuine mini Cooper today. Not the BMW version. Clutch problems. Of course it has a brake booster fitted now. And the 998 Cooper motor is long gone and a 1275 is in its place. Pity, would be worth $.

Clutch not disengaging. Hydraulics all dry and slave is new. Check back stop, needs adjusting. Spring off, twaaaaang. Adjust stop. Look for spring. Check bottom stop, ok ish. Check travel, hmmm a few mm under ideal. Check throwout rod for wear and bending. Skin and blood add to the red paint. Dropped the lower pivot pin only 7 times. Anyway it is ok. Back together. Dropped pivot pin 6 times. Spring recovered and twaaang lost again. Spring finally fitted. 1 mechanic, 1 apprentice and 1 who should know better. Clutch is better and driveable. Mastercylinder is original. May be passing internally but no external leaks. Kits available but more $ than new different looking part. Up to owner. One last final check with feeler gauges of the bottom stop position. Ok. Except. Won't slide in at the top! Hmmmmm. A search for 15/16" spanners, one which has to be skinny... pause here for a while. Find a skinny 1" and an extra thick 15/16" so ok to go. Lock nut almost loose so adjustment easy. Spin nuts off. Discover huge burr on the casing. Reset stops to 125thou as per factory. Car has Clutch now.

Fuck where did the afternoon go.
Fun little things. Mate years ago had a proper Cooper one his missus borrowed to go to Adelaide and back from Victoria. She was complaining about it being gutless and being hard to get over 100. He quietly and diplomatically pointed out the speedo was in miles per hour…
 

Scotty T

Walks the walk
If going to an EV conversion, do you need an engineers cert?
Brake and suspension upgrade?
Safety systems check?
I'm sure that they wouldn't pass ADR compliance being so much heavier than STD.
It has to be engineered and certified the same way putting any other non original power plant in does, there's ADR's specifically about the requirements for conversions. Most conversions have limited range because of the weight but you can increase it by sacrificing passenger capacity, from memory. I'll be getting advice and bits made up from a conversion workshop or two so they will make it to the spec.

One pain is replacing the heating system with electric, as ADR requires demisting.

When I set out looking at this 7 years ago I would get about 25kwh of battery and now it's 35 for the same weight and price.
 

Oddjob

Merry fucking Xmas to you assholes
View attachment 392773

Guy from work had to leave early to rescue his wife with her broken down Range Rover in busy traffic last week. Turns out that she was driving the older Range Rover cause the newer one was still at the shop broken down from a few weeks ago. #Rangeylyf
Ahem

Fucking deadshit steering wheel attendants (it's a stretch to call them drivers) who stop in the middle of corners. :mad: It should come as no surprise that said deadshit's trolley of choice is a Toyota..... :rolleyes:


Sent from my M2012K11AG using Tapatalk
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
It has to be engineered and certified the same way putting any other non original power plant in does, there's ADR's specifically about the requirements for conversions. Most conversions have limited range because of the weight but you can increase it by sacrificing passenger capacity, from memory. I'll be getting advice and bits made up from a conversion workshop or two so they will make it to the spec.

One pain is replacing the heating system with electric, as ADR requires demisting.

When I set out looking at this 7 years ago I would get about 25kwh of battery and now it's 35 for the same weight and price.
Do you have free choice in whom you sacrifice? Can it be anyone? Must say these evs have tough build conditions. But I like it.
 

k3n!f

leaking out the other end
Guy from work had to leave early to rescue his wife with her broken down Range Rover in busy traffic last week. Turns out that she was driving the older Range Rover cause the newer one was still at the shop broken down from a few weeks ago. #Rangeylyf
I took mine to the snow last week with the family and was very excited when it started after being left in the cold for a few days...

My wife was less excited when I turned the heater on and we found hot air only comes out on the drivers side :rolleyes:
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
XR4 got a new throttle body from a 2.3 today and a new nostril. Bit fiddly because there is so little space. I was tempted to relocate the computer but it worked out ok in the end. A short length of ali tube and a tapped fitting to allow the crankcase breather to be reused.



First start is always fun. Engine revs to 3 or 4k as if to say what have you done? Shut down. Restart, now idles at 1,500. Shutdown and restart and down to 1,200 etc until the ecu learns the new airflow characteristics. A nice 10-15hp for $200 all up.

We are going to put ITBs on the track car so the Cosworth manifold will makes its way here. Weekend job is to replace a noisy rear wheel bearing, fix an axle seal and fit a power steering remote reservoir and cooler. Then it will be back on the road until the brake caliper rebuild kits arrive from King Charles III.
 

Scotty T

Walks the walk
I found a local workshop to help me do all the deadly things and all the things I don't know how to do. I have a plan for heating and cooling that will use the original core and ac system with a tank heater and 12v ac compressor. Looks like a Honda Accord or similar electric brake booster will bolt on and use less room than the massive one in there.

Car has been under a cover for 4 years which lasted really well but with all the rain I had some mould starting to grow. I stupidly left the hole where the gear stick came through open and some damp from below got in. Cleaned it up and put some damp rid buckets in.

My neighbour happens to have a Commode tail shaft which has a short section with a centre bearing so he's donating that.

I showed Mrs this video, it's a good build, she was pretty impressed.

 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Epic Magna adventure

Sadly no photos… The last one I got Mum was a TF Advance about 14 years ago. Super low kms on LPG with hail damage for $700. It was a champion for many years for my olds, living a hard life up a long dirt road and towing and generally racking up a shit tonne of kms. I did a few things to it over the years they had it - struts and driveshafts and a timing kit etc etc… The last time I went to do a 5 year timing service on it I decided it had too many things wrong with it and it was time. It had 270K on it, the heater core had gone, the suspension was shagged etc etc…. I bought Mum an FD i30 wagon to replace it.

But. Dad kept driving the Magna as a second car. I shit you not, I kept waiting for the phone call to say it had died, totally expecting the timing belt to go or something horribly fail on it. Another 5 years went by and it’s still going!!

And then Mum tells me the old girl towed a tandem trailer to Queensland and back from central Victoria and brought back half a tonne of NSU parts!! Wtf?

TLDR - old Magnas never die!
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Epic Magna adventure

Sadly no photos… The last one I got Mum was a TF Advance about 14 years ago. Super low kms on LPG with hail damage for $700. It was a champion for many years for my olds, living a hard life up a long dirt road and towing and generally racking up a shit tonne of kms. I did a few things to it over the years they had it - struts and driveshafts and a timing kit etc etc… The last time I went to do a 5 year timing service on it I decided it had too many things wrong with it and it was time. It had 270K on it, the heater core had gone, the suspension was shagged etc etc…. I bought Mum an FD i30 wagon to replace it.

But. Dad kept driving the Magna as a second car. I shit you not, I kept waiting for the phone call to say it had died, totally expecting the timing belt to go or something horribly fail on it. Another 5 years went by and it’s still going!!

And then Mum tells me the old girl towed a tandem trailer to Queensland and back from central Victoria and brought back half a tonne of NSU parts!! Wtf?

TLDR - old Magnas never die!
They had a strong engine, just prone to oil leaks. The timing belt on them was fairly wide from memory.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
They had a strong engine, just prone to oil leaks. The timing belt on them was fairly wide from memory.
Yeah, they run a solid belt and as it turns out a LOT of wiggle room on intervals.

The engine will go forever - it ran on gas from virtually new and it always got oil changes and it’s clean as a whistle inside. But the LPG converter once got a leak into the coolant and killed the heater core, and all the front end bushes are shot in the suspension. I just assumed it was basically about to do a Blues Brothers style self destruct all over - but it turns out I was wrong!
Still, the i30 is a much safer and betterer car for the Mum.
 
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