audio-talk

I will be dust on the wind when Luther gets engaged , alas .

Ps. as long as he does what I've told him and not get hitched until he at least 35

All interesting stuff .....

When do you stop maintaining a car?

We have a fantastically useful 2005 Volvo V70 D5 with "only " 100K on the clock. It's a wonderful workhorse. VED is about £280 but we only do about 2K a year in it (boot fairs etc.).

Last year, I had to fit a new intercooler radiator and get the aircon redone - about £500 in total. I also had to repair the radio/CD system - an HU-850 - wonderful but has a failure mode where a few SMD bits die - maybe £30 in bits.

Now, the alternator has packed in. That's £110 for a refurbed Bosch unit with 12 months guarantee, plus a new belt, tensioner & idler at £95 (genuine Volvo bits) - the tensioner is wobbling all over the place and the belt is as floppy as... a floppy thing.

Garage would charge about 2 hours @ £69 + VAT, so say £200 to fix, so around £400 total. I reckon I can do the alternator/tensioner bit, however I've never done one before...

Car is maybe worth £1,500 to £2,000 at best. Where do you stop?

I take a great interest in classic cars, mainly from the late 50s to late 60s.

My current interest is in the Austin 3 litre, considered a failure in it's day and not that sought after now.

In order to understand what makes it tick, I've now got a genuine BMC service parts list to peruse.

Parts lists were part of my job in the motor trade, so scrutinising this new one will be interesting.

I don't think I've ever seen an Austin 3 litre in the flesh, so here is a piccy for you all.

One of those countless BMC tragedies. I remember seeing a few around the place, but it suffered from the fact that they insisted on using the 1800/Maxi doors. The executive market turned up their noses at what they saw as a heavier extended version of the by-then rather ancient Austin 1800 with extensions, whose extra weight meant performance was no better than the 1800 and fuel consumption was considerably worse. A shame, because what they missed was, when looked at in isolation, a handsome, well engineered and extremely comfortable car that rode and handled well.
If only they’d followed up on these prototypes. With the Rover V8 in a Vanden Plas version (maybe without the back window mod), it could have been sensational.

http://www.austinthreelitre.co.uk/proto ... fault.html

Post in error.

shane wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 8:54 pm A shame, because what they missed was, when looked at in isolation, a handsome, well engineered and extremely comfortable car that rode and handled well.
If only they’d followed up on these prototypes. With the Rover V8 in a Vanden Plas version (maybe without the back window mod), it could have been sensational.

http://www.austinthreelitre.co.uk/proto ... fault.html

Indeed Shane, I was au fait with the history but thanks for posting some details.

Imagine one with a few desirable updates , a 400HP Chevrolet V8 and 10 speed automatic. Not a hot-rod but a modern re-engineered interpretation.

Frosty!!

jack wrote: ↑Tue Dec 06, 2022 3:55 pm When do you stop maintaining a car?

We have a fantastically useful 2005 Volvo V70 ....

I hate this car. So the bits came - very smart recon Bosch alternator at about £100 instead of £450 for a new one, plus the serpentine belt, tensioner and idler pulley at another £90.

I had to swallow my pride and go to Halfords for a 3/8" drive metric deep socket rail at £17 as I had no deep sockets and they're needed... Screwfix, Toolstation et al only have deep sockets on next day collection... Oh, and a Torx 1/2" drive set from Amazon as I needed a T60 and the whole set of decent ones was £22 quid (cheaper ones are available). Weird that worldwide metric socket sets still have Imperial drives

Car is outside, in the snow. Start by digging the car out of the snow, scraping the ice off the bonnet and trying to open it .

All access to components is down the side of engine so between the engine and offside wheel arch. Gap is about 4 to 5 cm. Tight.

It's a total bitch if you have large gnarly hands like mine to get the tensioner out. You have to use the aforementioned T60 Torx with a long handled driver (a standard 1/2" driver with a bit of tube over it to extend the leverage) to de-tention the belt and while it's in that position, slip in a locking pin to keep it there.

Bitch job #1. Damaged knuckles. Belt removed.

Then remove idler pulley to gain access to first tensioner fixing bolt. Unbolt steering pump and move it to gain a bit more room for access to top fixing bolt. Remove that bolt.

Bolt falls off, out of bottom of car into snow, long grass and gravel. Lie under car in snow. Grovel around in snow. Can't find it. Get large magnet from workshop (one I'd used before for finding nails in the gravel). Found bolt.

Try to stand up. Back is complaining painfully. Go inside to thaw out a bit. Drink tea.

Try to pick up socket for second (lower) bolt. It's frozen to the chassis. My fingers are numb. Socket falls behind radiator. Using head torch (as light is fading) and a bamboo cane, manage to see socket and by poking cane through front air dam manage to retrieve socket.

Take fleece off so I can get one hand far enough down in gap to get to second bolt. Undo it.

Bolt falls out of my frozen fingers into the heavy plastic tray under the engine. Back in the snow under the car I can hear the bolt in there, rattling, when I thump the tray from the underside.

Can't see bolt, can't get to tray from above, can't undo it without jacking car up. It's now night and pitch dark. Scream not so silently and retreat to utility room with large tub of swarfega and a scrubbing brush to try to degrease in time for club Christmas dinner tonight.

I live to fight another day, but it's a shit job.

Today, have to work out how to retrieve that bolt.

jack wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 8:58 am Today, have to work out how to retrieve that bolt.

Can the large magnet be used under the tray to drag it out?
I guess that would mean jacking it up though...

Not the best day, then, to work on the car!

brig001 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 9:21 am

jack wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 8:58 am Today, have to work out how to retrieve that bolt.

Can the large magnet be used under the tray to drag it out?
I guess that would mean jacking it up though...

That's my plan. Try to drag the bolt to a point I can see it, then have a weaker magnet on a stick to pull it out.

If I use one of the niobium magnets, I can't get it down to the tray as it just sticks to every pipe, bolt etc. and doesn't make it to the bottom. Hence using an old, weaker, iron magnet.

This is what my old man used to refer to as ‘the innate hostility of inanimate objects’.

I had similar fun with my hold series 8 Honda Civic, except that the aerodynamic under tray on that was made of thick aluminium foil, similar to a disposable turkey roasting tray. Turned out that the under tray was similarly disposable.

shane wrote: ↑Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:26 am This is what my old man used to refer to as ‘the innate hostility of inanimate objects’.

Indeed.

Well, that worked. Using niobium magnet, dragged the bolt over to the side of the tray to where it was just visible amongst a tangle of hoses and pipes etc. then used "my special tool" (TM, nmds, 2022) to pick it up. Huge relief that the tray wasn't ferrous...


(*) Bit of bamboo nicked from a nearby flowerbed, some stiff wire kept from some SWA cable I stripped probably two years ago, some gaffer tape (got to have gaffer tape) and an old horseshoe magnet that I must have kept for at least 40 years "because one day I might need it"!!!

Even my office/workshop is freezing. Doesn't get above 10C in there even with a 2KW fan heater blasting away under my desk.

Out with the old, in with the new.