AnnoyingPentium's 2006 Fabia 1.2 12v Ambiente-ish: I Honestly Think I've Lost the Plot...

[AnnoyingPentium]

57 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I shall get those fitted once it stops pouring down!

 

The rain isn't to ease off for a few days so I said "stuff it" and went out with an umbrella and the caps.

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

 

Unfortunately they don't fit over the locking wheel nut but I'll make allowances since it looks better overall.

 

Now anyway, I'll go back to listening to a wee bit of Runrig whilst I dry off! 

[HeavyMetalRich]

Yep that's definitely better. But your placement of the locking wheel nut and centre cap are triggering my OCD so I'll stop looking.😄

[AnnoyingPentium]

19 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

But your placement of the locking wheel nut and centre cap are triggering my OCD so I'll stop looking.

 

I can assure you it wasn't intentional haha. I had a hell of a time getting those caps on in the first place as they were a couple of millimetres larger than advertised so I'm happy as is. 

[HeavyMetalRich]

The locking bolt must be opposite the tyre valve and the flat of the arrow in the badge must be perpendicular to that bolt. 😄 

 

So if they're a couple of mm bigger, they're not the right size surely and not what you ordered?🤔

[AnnoyingPentium]

12 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

So if they're a couple of mm bigger, they're not the right size surely and not what you ordered?

 

I ordered 55 and they arrived at 57 but you could tell the little clips on the sides were merely an afterthought and stuck on. My Grampa and I filed them back and they fit in just fine, nice and secure too. 

[DieselMonte]

17 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

The locking bolt must be opposite the tyre valve and the flat of the arrow in the badge must be perpendicular to that bolt. 😄 

Ha! I do the same, except for the passengers wheel. For some reason the wheel nut caps on mine werent on right and one came off not long after I got the car. So since its missing a normal bolt cap I have it at the top. Always bugs me when I get new tyres on and the centrecap gets misaligned!

 

Oh and the centre caps are 57mm iirc

[HeavyMetalRich]

8 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

I ordered 55 and they arrived at 57 but you could tell the little clips on the sides were merely an afterthought and stuck on. My Grampa and I filed them back and they fit in just fine, nice and secure too. 

 

Ah I see, you mean the centre caps. That makes more sense, I thought you were referring to your bolt caps. 😁 

 

But at least they were modifiable and you got them sorted.

 

@DieselMonte That's the way! I had the same problem on my Fabia on the passenger's side front wheel too. The cap was there when I got the car but disappeared the first time I drove it. I found a spare cap in my tool box at home last week so that went on.

Edited 7 October, 2021 by HeavyMetalRich
Added info.

[AnnoyingPentium]

6 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

Ah I see, you mean the centre caps. That makes more sense, I thought you were referring to your bolt caps.

 

Ah sorry, might be a fault on my part then. It's been a hell of a day but at least I'll laugh about it! 

[HeavyMetalRich]

3 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

Ah sorry, might be a fault on my part then. It's been a hell of a day but at least I'll laugh about it! 

 

Yeah no worries. 

 

I've just read your post in the other section about number plates. Would you not be best just going to your local factors?

[AnnoyingPentium]

On 07/10/2021 at 21:51, HeavyMetalRich said:

I've just read your post in the other section about number plates. Would you not be best just going to your local factors?

 

I'm probably going to seek out the uses of TMS Motor Spares in Ayr (good bunch, actually) since I'd like to have the front and rear plates matching, since it's still on the original dealer plate* (think that garage is gone now) at the back and a Glenfield's of Kilmarnock on the front. TMS did my Granda's plates on his old Grande Punto a couple of years ago when it wasn't turned into a cube.

*West End Garage, EH52 5LL - if anyone has info then I'm interested.

Edited 23 October, 2021 by AnnoyingPentium
Additional Information.

[AnnoyingPentium]

You all have probably seen these photographs before but I thought I'd share a small before and after set of the car!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first photographs were taken back in March/April of this year when I joined the forums (and bought the car) and before I got to reading the cool things you lot had done to your cars. When I joined here I had intended to keep my car standard but I couldn't help but tinker with it to make it that wee bit cooler. I guess that must run in the family because my late father was the same with his cars! I have no idea what the future holds for my wee red nugget but we'll have to wait and see, I suppose. 

 

Edited 8 October, 2021 by AnnoyingPentium
Additional Information.

[AnnoyingPentium]

So as I have mentioned, my throttle was being an absolute pain (holding revs) which suggested it needed cleaned. After my Grampa and I performed emergency "throttlectomy" in the pouring rain and gave it a clean. No difference sadly.

 

 

 

 

So now, I have diagnosed the issue as the accelerator pedal sensor being dicky. It will be repaired soon, but the car is functional and safe enough so I can't complain all too much. The headlight bulbs have also been replaced and I can see now - plus, I've got a slow puncture so on the spare, but future me will sort that one out! 

Edited 9 October, 2021 by AnnoyingPentium
Spelling errors etc.

[DieselMonte]

What did you replace the bulbs with?

[AnnoyingPentium]

16 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

What did you replace the bulbs with?

 

I replaced the main and dipped with Philips X-TremeVision 12972XV+ H7s and just a bog standard set of Osram H3s. Headlights are whiter compared to the original yellowish tinge of the OEM (presumably) bulbs and visibility is better. Didn't get flashed by passing motorists so they're clearly not burning a hole through people like modern lights. 

 

Picked up a mate earlier and even he thought the lights were miles better.

[AnnoyingPentium]

 

A mildly blurry* photo admittedly, but here we have my wee Fab. Managed to get the front offside tyre sorted after it had went flat, I think, since there wasn't any sign of a hole or air leak. It seems better than it was anyway. Just waiting for my Brisky sticker to arrive.

 

*Think I got WD40 on the back of my phone by accident when doing a job.

Edited 12 October, 2021 by AnnoyingPentium
Because I can, okay?

[AnnoyingPentium]

Okay, so if any of you people follow me on Instagram (link in signature) then you'll know I've made some purchases which will be posted on here. 

Edited 13 October, 2021 by AnnoyingPentium

[AnnoyingPentium]

Well, well, well... Fools and their money and all that...

 

This is part one of many in the Fabia renovations, speakers for the rear. Stay tuned for fitting and the arrival of other thingies... 

 

Edited 13 October, 2021 by AnnoyingPentium

[AnnoyingPentium]

Getting excited to fit these! I had ordered these after I had my rave driving playlist and 'Obsession' by Ultra-Sonic (check it out, if that appeals to you) came on and knackered the front driver's side speaker, which was due dying anyway.

 

 

Just waiting on spacers now.

[AnnoyingPentium]

And the back speakers are in!

Replaced both of those whilst hanging upside down half out of the boot with the rear seats folded down and the boot carpet just about ripped out. Used every tool and swear word known to man, but they're in. If I get another one of these motors then I'll get someone else to do it. 

 

I had absolutely no motivation to be pulling door cards off today so the front speakers aren't going in until next weekend. I'll pick up the clips for the door cards from Ingram Skoda in Ayr through the week if I have the time.

 

Stay tuned.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Does anyone else do this or is it just me?

 

Going to be hitting some scrap yards to scavenge a couple of bits for the Fabia. Anything with a strikethrough has been purchased and is or will soon be fitted. The second section is just parts that need replaced/repaired.

 

[DieselMonte]

Middle headrest is meant to be very hard to come by. Any sort of sport seat found in the polo or ibiza will fit a fabia, same for mk2 seats into a mk1. When you say new springs are you just going to replace with standard? Or go for something along the lines of eibach springs?

[AnnoyingPentium]

5 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

Middle headrest is meant to be very hard to come by.

 

Indeed - which then links me to this point...

 

5 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

Any sort of sport seat found in the polo or ibiza will fit a fabia, same for mk2 seats into a mk1.

 

Once again, indeed. I've been doing my research. I'd like to stay true to Fabia Mk1 parts however where I can for the interior. If I can get my hands on a Bohemia interior then it'll go with the wheels (nicked, but not actually nicked, from a Bohemia) and I'll grab a rear headrest that's correct from somewhere (apparently the Mk4 Golf one fits) and bodge it in to a standard that'll do. If all else fails then I'll get some Polo 9N seats since most of them came with a centre rear headrest and they don't look bad.

 

9 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

When you say new springs are you just going to replace with standard? Or go for something along the lines of eibach springs?

 

OEM probably. The car has a tendency to bottom out and lean like hell even when driven gently and I keep falling out of the driver's seat (hence the above) and I'm quite a big fellow who fits in those things pretty snugly, so it's not fun. I can't go too low as the roads are shocking here and the clearance is good for the speed mountains down along Ayr's beach car park (pictured) but I would consider a small drop. The console bushes are more of a priority as the creaking is so irritating, especially over bumps or when there's a rapid change in road surface. 

 

[HeavyMetalRich]

I know where there is a full set of mudflaps but I have dibs on them to replace the boy racer rally style ones on mine just now. Set of wind deflectors on it too...

 

The mudflaps and boot struts should be easy enough to come by.

 

Sounds to me more like your shock absorbers are shot, not your springs.

 

Good luck with your search anyway Ryan!

 

[jcarr162000]

Watch out if you go for Bohemia seats. The side seat pad bolsters on the one I look after, are starting to collapse slightly and you can feel the wire frame in them. Lovely looking Fab and the Bohemia alloys do look good on it. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

5 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

Sounds to me more like your shock absorbers are shot, not your springs.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if everything was shot to be honest. I bought the car for the mileage alone (51k in March) and it's on that cusp where a lot of OEM stuff is dying or needing replaced. We (my Grampa and I) reckon the brake discs were original, which would explain why stopping was a great effort that required militarily-spec precision. 

 

8 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

I know where there is a full set of mudflaps but I have dibs on them to replace the boy racer rally style ones on mine just now. Set of wind deflectors on it too...

 

The mudflaps and boot struts should be easy enough to come by.

 

I can grab them on eBay if I can't find a set local enough. I have a decent selection of scrap yards in Ayr and Irvine alone. So I shouldn't be too stuck! I've got a set of Team Heko deflectors on mine currently, they look sweet on the Fab. Functional too. 

 

The boot struts will be a TMS bought item since that's where I get all of my serviceable/consumable items from without issue. We've been using them since the days of my Granda's '51-reg Vectra.