Practically Classics Forum

Some things really don't bear thinking about when it comes to component failure! I don't really care if a car's shiny, I would far rather it be healthy underneath.

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Made a tiny step forward towards MoT status today by removing the dead rear sphere. This was the sphere that was on the beige car that I swapped with the one formerly on the red car, now I have the complete axle from the orange car I can swap things back so the red car has a full compliment of decent spheres as it did when it arrived here back in... September I think it was.

Support car and axle separately. Disconnect brake flexi, hydragas pipe, handbrake cable (cabin side) and rebound strap. Undo pivot shaft nuts. Pivot shaft is known to be seized and this hasn't changed, so disconnect axle mounting bracket from body and axle so that the trailing arm, brake drum and sphere can be removed as a complete unit. Reattach axle mounting bracket (which is on it's way out, I have a replacement) to axle and car so it can be supported safely in the absence of the replacement components.


Then realise that you're actually still pretty ill when you try and move the whole unit up the drive and nearly fall over. Never mind, it's a job that needs doing and is now done and will allow me to remove the relevant parts from the beige car to swap back over and get the red one pumped up and brakes bled properly.

Finally, point out your invisible repair to the C pillar vinyl because you were fed up of catching your fingers on the raggedy edges of the old brittle vinyl trim.

In the bid to get things moving here I investigated the leak on the radiator of the red Princess. Solder/braze has cracked around the top hose. This is repairable.


But since I've got a not-leaking radiator from the orange car, I'll use this instead. It's easier in this instance.


In other progress I've managed to dismantle the rear axle from the orange car into almost manageable chunks. While the pivot shafts aren't seized, the bushes are a really tight fit and I don't want to wreck them by dismantling the components further, a case of if it aint broke don't try and fix it.


Made sure to tape up the Hydragas unions on the spheres to keep them from getting contaminated.


The rear axle body mount brackets look fairly new bar a bit of surface rust.


Next up was to get the head off the orange car to get it rebuilt and swapped onto the beige car. This went fairly well though the head itself was very well sealed to the block. Internally from what we've seen so far it's in very good condition and should rebuild nicely. For now I've filled the bores with old oil, covered with a plastic sheet and then with the bonnet to keep everything in stasis until I decided what I'm doing with the bottom end of the engine.


The head with the manifold still attached was rather a lot heavier than I was expected, but still carryable.




Head gasket set arrived today so I can get to work on this head like I did with the one on the red car and get it all rebuilt, I can likely do it in a couple of hours and get it all ready to refit without any trouble. I'll be sure to check the head is nice and flat but to be honest I don't reckon there's been head gasket failure or anything, it seems to wear its 75k pretty well, just needs a good clean and service.

Not much to report lately. I have rebuilt the head taken from the orange car and that's currently sat in the boot of the beige car awaiting fitting. Managed to remove the leaking radiator from the red car, solder it and refit it only for it to be leaking just as bad as it ever was. Went to swap in the not-leaking radiator from the orange car to find two of the fixings had rotted off what is an otherwise very good radiator so I'm now going to fit the other spare radiator I've got that doesn't leak but really could do with a re-core. Still haven't sorted out putting the red car back on four wheels but that's hopefully going to change this weekend.

In the meantime, I've inherited a Citroen Xantia from my brother. It needs a clutch soon, and it has suspected balljoint, droplink, wheel bearing or all three failure on one corner but is otherwise in really good fettle and worth spending some pennies on. Does put my insurance up considerably, but this is offset by the fact it runs on veg oil and very quickly more than pays for the insurance premium hike just in fuel saving over the Princess. It's a 1.9 turbo diesel and is currently undergoing the deep clean process. It's the nicest car I've ever owned, but not the newest, that title goes to my old doom blue Maestro.

Here's how it was before any cleaning was really done.


And after a lot of work to get the muck off the paint and make it look as good as it really is.

They're good old buses those Xantias, mine was cracking, more so once I'd replaced a sphere ot two to stop the bouncy front end. Comfortable as too. Like the alloys, I bought some for mine from a local car spares emporium that wasn't Hellfrauds, but of that ilk, so I ordered them from the 'youth' serving, who asked if I'd like anything else, I replied I don't think so, to which he asked if maybe I'd like to consider some lowered springs to drop it and improve the handling...

mach1rob wrote:...he asked if maybe I'd like to consider some lowered springs to drop it and improve the handling...

I'd at least have made him ring a couple of suppliers to ask for prices on these mythological springs!


Nice looking cars these, especially the estate, IMHO.

Those diesels go on for ever provided you change the oil and the cambelt at the prescribed intervals. Parts are easily obtainable from the likes of GSF or Euro Car Parts.

Sad news to impart in that the day before Mum and Dad were due to collect their new car - a Lexus LS400 in white - Mum was struck down with a brain stem aneurysm. Sadly, Mum died on the 18th, peacefully, and this in turn has meant much of my car stuff has ground to a complete halt.

The funeral is on Wednesday and we're using Dad's Lexus as the lead limo and the Xantia as the flower car immediately behind, both dressed with purple ribbons. As per Mum's request we managed to get a classic hearse, the old favourite of a Daimler DS420. It's a shame we couldn't acquire a white hearse but I doubt she'll object to a black one.

My little Renault 6 has now been sold to the person looking after it for me on Anglesey, I have first dibs to buy it back if I'm in a position to do so. This makes it the first car I've ever owned that I've bought on the strength of photographs and sold without ever even touching it. It's with the right person though, he would have bought it when I did but he didn't have the means, now that he does he gets his little project and I get some much needed financial help.

Both Princesses are on hold too, but will have to be sorted fairly soon as I've got to move out no later than the 20th of August so there's work to be done but not until June at least, we've got to get through the troublesome days ahead before we can return to reality and our own strange version of normality.

I was missing your updates!

Deepest sympathies to you, you take all the time you need and all of us will eagerly anticipate your projects updates when you are ready. Family always comes first, even over our projects. I don't expect it to be much consolation but you will be in my thoughts on Wednesday.

One last thing. Even if you don't feel like it or have much time, make sure you get a tiny bit of car therapy in when you can. Don't bother telling us about it, but do something simple (even if its cleaning a windscreen) yet fulfilling. A bit of therapy will have take your mind off things at this awful time.

My deepest and sincerest condolancies on your sad loss

My sympathies to you all.

It's enough of a shock when you know someone is nearing their end; a sudden demise is totally numbing (I lost a very close lady friend earlier in the year). Things do get better (though different) and, two years later, I still remember my mother as someone who was always there to help and advise - and had a daft sense of humour! Strangely - or luckily - I can't really remember her bad moods (and there were plenty of those when she had Alzheimer's).

As Welsie says, some car therapy is good. I know you won't have much time to think of anything at the moment, but later on, tinkering is great therapy.