5 hours ago, Paws4Thot said:

It would bug the H*11 out of me, not because the view doesn't do it, but because there is no sign of road workers to be protected!

 

I bet Rob could jump the lights too - looks plenty wide enough! 😇

Edited 15 February, 20242 yr by Gaz
felt like it

Lol there were workers but the coned area was ridiculously long. I waited 20 mins at these lights on the way up.

After an hour of back-road driving therapy.

 

 

I’m a little bit shocked and very happy that the EFI conversion kit I bought in January 2021 arrived recently!! It looks excellent.

I’m in two minds as to whether I install as the car is running well at the moment. But it would be a cool project.
As for the delay, I don’t know what happened. The first parcel was lost by UPS, remember when that ship got stuck and messed up global shipping? Then after a few months everything went quiet. The company reappeared in January 2024 and is filling all back orders.

 

 

6-monthly Warrant of Fitness didn't go so well...

 

 

Also I wrote this

https://open.substack.com/pub/inoneear/p/do-you-love-your-car? 

I've borrowed a shed space to get on with the job list over Winter.

Talk about shed envy!

 

 

Bit of tinkering today. Added to the job list. Sorted the rusty battery tray, fixed the light issues, found out that my aerial works, but I have no idea how to make it go back in. Started removing the door handles but with the battery removed I can’t put the windows up to get to the inside. So I spent some time trying to work out exactly where brake fluid is leaking from. Still working on that!

 

 

Wow that's a bit of a list 

Proper winter jobs. 

Very happy with these brand new door handles from EBay. Really solid and they fit perfectly

 

 

Tracking down my brake fluid leak and after degreasing and cleaning it all, at first I thought it was leaking from the odd one-way screw in the bottom of the brake servo, but looking at the photo it looked like it was between the servo and master cylinder.

 

 

Soo good news! The master cylinder is fine. Bad news! The servo is leaking hydraulic fluid.
 

 

And it’s out! As always, there was rust to clean up, and something not fitted correctly- the return spring in this case.

 

 

 

Not much has changed, I thought I tracked down a replacement ATE part that looks identical and was fitted to 80s inline-six E23 BMWs,  but when I ordered the part, the supplier's supplier couldn't find it in their warehouse !

So I went back to plan A and sent the old one to a bloke called Jay in California, who rebuilds them.

 

https://www.jaysbmwparts.com/contact

 

Meanwhile I got some oil and filters, it's due for a change anyway

Yay!

 

The story...

Brake booster, freshly rebuilt by Jay Stratton in California, and back to Taranaki in Aotearoa, via Oregon!

 

 

Brakes back together and working.
I sussed out my intermittent brake light issue. It seems the tail light insert eventually warps a bit over time and the metal tracks lift slightly from where they’re fixed with melted plastic tabs. There are brass leaves under the tracks which connect to the bulbs. The leaves rely on the tabs holding the metal in place to make contact. I added a screw to fix it. Then clicked why there’s already a screw, someone already fixed the same issue with the indicator.

 

Next day was the WoF

Failed, with a shorter list than last time. One indicator bulb had died, the belt to the hydraulic pump was cracking, and one headlight alignment isn’t right. The same headlight I spent ages sorting out for the last WoF!
Replaced the belt, need a new alternator belt too but they’re not available locally.
The top bolt on the alternator needed all of the swears to get undone.

 

Next day - WoF round 2. Everything was sorted but the WoF mechanic had gone home.

 

Finally day 3.
Got to the WoF place expecting just a quick check and sign-off and she said "The left tail light is too dim". FFS

 

The solution was to go to Supercheap and buy some Narva LED tail light globes, which don't seem to care that one tail light cluster is only getting 10 volts.
$132 for 4 tail/stop lights and 2 indicators (because why not make them all brighter?)
Finally the WoF was signed off.

 

WoF passed, just in time for the road trip event that weekend. I was really excited for that, but unfortunately non car-related issues prevented me from going.

7 minutes ago, RobClubley said:

 

I must remember this tactic, and have firemen on standby with that thing to cut the roof off.

The rain finally stopped today so I went for a Sunday drive

 

 

Rather moist drive to Wellington and back a couple of weeks ago.

 

 

Rusty has been allowed back into the garage!

 

I was trying to work out what the strange bonnet mascot was in that last picture then realised it was a reflection of the garage door opener...

Got Rusty out for a quick drive after a couple of weeks sitting and it sounds like a Subaru. Looks like cylinder 1 HT lead is failing. Lumpy at idle and pulsing at low RPM but perfect above 3500.
Better get a new set ordered as cylinder 4 lead failed a year ago, I'm sure they will go one by one.
Managed to troubleshoot without any electric shocks this time, which is nice

 

 

 

 

New high level brake light. The existing one always irritated me. It was cheap, and has faded and warped in the harsh New Zealand sun. Plus after it fell off the window due to useless sticky pads, I made improvised brackets from a bit of piano hinge I had laying round.

I noticed what appears to be oil leaking, over the down pipe, which would explain that burning smell I noticed!! Looks like maybe it’s steering hydraulic fluid as it’s on the firewall behind the reservoir. It would have to be coming out with a bit of pressure to get there. This clamp looks suspect, though looking back at pics it has been like that for some time. I’ve added a second clamp for now, let’s see what happens.
 

 

A second clamp seems to have sorted the power steering oil leak.
 

 

Looking good Rob 👌 

Happy new year!

Had to find some shade and beat the sun to get Rusty washed as it has been too hot. Also a guy in the UK sent me a customised Hot Wheels version of Rusty!