:: Diary - October 2003 ::

:: Saturday, October 2, 2003 ::

Following the success of cleaning and polishing one wheel, I decide to do the other three. This is the state of the first wheel I take off. The photo doesn't really do justice to the dull finish, and the amount of chipping and scratching.

Notice how Santa has acquired a willing helper for this bit. This little elf is nearly 17 and has aspirations for car ownership in the near future. How willingly elves give of their time for no tangible reward. Restores your faith in human nature.

Anyway, after several hours of paint stripping, wire wooling and polishing, we have all 4 wheels restored to a presentable condition.

No photos though because the rain came on. Heavy.
While I have the bonnet up, I find that the cable is not connected to the Idle Speed Control Valve. It's fallen down and has obviously been clouted at some stage by the water pump pulley. I reconnected it, but a wee drive shows up that the car has a tendency to hold a fast idle when stopping or changing gear. If I disconnect it again, the car feels fine.

I remove the ISCV and clean it out with carb cleaner. Makes sod all difference. Ah well.

:: Sunday, October 12, 2003 ::

Take cover off car, stunned at shine on wheels.

Today's task is to finish painting the front suspension. I got one coat of Hammerite on one side, months ago, and then the rain came on. Never finished it.

Jack car up, wheels off, then attack wishbones with wire brush, scraper and degreaset to get all the crud off. Two coats of Hammerite each side and it looks fandabby.

Decide that it will be finished off by painting the brake calipers, which are visible through the wheel. Two coats of blue caliper paint later and it looks superb!

I have another go at the ISCV connector. Seems to be ok, but valve still doean't work properly. I decide it needs a proper diagnosis with a multimeter, so disconnect the valve meantime.

:: Saturday, October 18, 2003 ::

A nice relaxing day's blatting.

But first I spray the shiny wheels with a clear corrosion protectant. It says it's also anti-static so repels brake dust. Lets hope it does what it says on the tin.

I also stop to take some pics:

These are the 3 pics that turned out. I am going to go back there, but with a tripod next time to steady the camera for the longer exposures required.

:: Sunday, October 19, 2003 ::

Bit of a disaster today.

I decided to have a go at the ISCV with my trusty multimeter. Open the bonnet and... CRASH!!! The whole bonnet section collapses onto the road on one side.

This, I immediately assume, is not good news. It's either a broken or detached bonnet hinge.

I can't see the bonnet hinges unless I get the bonnet right open. I can't get the bonnet right open because it hits the road. I decide to remove the inner wheel arch on that side to give me working room around the hinge (and a look at it). The two wee bolts holding the inner arch on are rusted solid, and refuse to turn. At all. They are also badly rounded (so I am not the first to try to get them off eh?) and so I can't just hammer an old socket on and turn it to shear the bastards off.

These bolts hold a glass fibre wheel arch onto a glass fibre bonnet. I can't hammer them or use an impact driver because I would damage the bodywork and then I'm seriously in bother!

The rain comes on. Heavy.

I try cutting them off with a mini-drill with a cutting disk on, but the bolt isn't that accessible and just shears the cutting disks I have. I can't get round the back to cut the nuts off (which would be easier) until I get the bonnet open.

It's still raining, and getting heavier.

I try grinding the head off the bolt but my grinding stone is ancient (older than I am) and I realise I'd be quicker trying to wear through it with a butter knife. I need an angle grinder!

No sign of the rain letting up.

I decide to give up until the weather improves, so that I can get the car up on ramps or a jack to get my fat carcass under it (and also get the bonnet right open) and get in about it properly. I'll also buy an angle grinder in the meantime, just in case, you understand!

I know that you can't buy bonnet hinges any more, so I hope it's either a mounting bolt, or the hinge adjustment bolt itself, because they are easy to buy from an ironmongers! Otherwise it's welding gear time (because I'm not paying ransom prices for bits...)

The other possibility is that the hinge bracket has pulled itself out of the fibreglass of the bonnet. This would be seriously bad news...

In the meantime, the car isn't usable... if the other hinge is strained and breaks, then the whole front end of the car falls off, so that either (a) you run over it or (b) it disappears over the roof and shatters into a squazzillion pieces under some other poor sod's car behind you. Neither of these is a good plan.

It's getting dark now. The rain's gone off. Bastard.

:: Sunday, October 19, 2003 (Update!) ::

Managed to have a swatch through the radiator grille with a torch, and I can only just see the hinge. It looks as if the main bolt has sheared. Not easy, but fixable, if that's what's wrong.

:: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 ::

I have fashioned a repair to my automobile, restoring it to its previous state. Opening the bonnet right up turned out to be trickier than expected - the sagging front edge meant that ramps would not fit under - a trolley jack would lift the car but then the jack was in the way of the bonnet. My little home made fence post ramps saved the day.

This then enabled me to undertake my planned onslaught of the two 10mm bolts that hold the inner wheelarch on - an operation that had provoked more thought than the D-Day landings. After an hour of bad words and worse thoughts, I kind of blacked out and when I came to, the wheel arch was off, there was a selection of hammers all over the ground, my boiler suit was in tatters, and there was a funny green man on my neighbour's digital camera.

From there, it took two minutes to diagnose that the hinge bolt had siezed and come out, 1 minute to free it up in its bush and grease it, 2 minutes to put it back, 2 minutes to put the arch back on (with new nuts & bolts!) and four and a half hours to complete the inevitable test drive.

Restoring relationships with my genteel neighbours may take a little longer. Ah well.

I also replaced the wheel nuts with new chrome ones. Looks fandabby.