Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

Top Dog

Parked it in a tent to avoid the rain while doing some long overdue cleaning

Katunga

Top Dog wrote: »

Parked it in a tent to avoid the rain while doing some long overdue cleaning

That tent is far too big for that :P

Top Dog

Today my dog did something to my car - and ate the feckin side repeater! Wouldn't mind so much but I'd cleaned it up nicely last night and it looked like new

Wossack

Top Dog wrote: »

Today my dog did something to my car - and ate the feckin side repeater! Wouldn't mind so much but I'd cleaned it up nicely last night and it looked like new

ironic username award goes too...! :pac:

dh0011

put a set of seat covers on the avensis today. Got them from micksgarage. Was impressed with how well the front fits but the back doesnt look great

GvidoR

Tinted rear lights

Top Dog

GvidoR wrote: »

Tinted rear lights

Bring on the grief from the gardai for no rear reflectors :eek:

GvidoR

Top Dog wrote: »

Bring on the grief from the gardai for no rear reflectors :eek:

Hmmm, this tint was supposed to be for lights, not windows or anything like that.

I woner if they reflect through it? ...or will I have to cut out a bit for them?

Top Dog

GvidoR wrote: »

I woner if they reflect through it? ...or will I have to cut out a bit for them?

Seriously doubt it'll reflect through them, and even if it does it won't be very red. So you have 4 options;

Take the tint off
Cut out the portion for the reflectors
Stick some reflectors on the bumper
Take the gamble and run the risk

GvidoR

Top Dog wrote: »

Seriously doubt it'll reflect through them, and even if it does it won't be very red. So you have 4 options;

Take the tint off
Cut out the portion for the reflectors
Stick some reflectors on the bumper
Take the gamble and run the risk

This makes me wonder why such a thing is even sold. I have used it as it was intended. Well, it is transparent, although it is quite dark.

You can also get tint in a can, I've seen it available on UK and Australian stores. I can't imagine that being more transparent.

NuckingFacker

Not really my car as such, well it's mine, but not my daily driver, but I've spent the last three full days converting a 1l suzuki swift into a grass-track racer that has to be ready to race for this sunday. Engine has been hard-mounted, 2" hand-built exhaust from the manifold back. new 1.8 mondeo back box to muffler without the kerfuffler - mounted where the left side window used to be - all rubber mounts -rad to the back with all new gates hoses, racing fuel pump, 5l fuel tank in the boot area, full roll cage built and welded in, full harness and bucket seat fitted, racing dash on checquer aluminium, strut and rear tower braces fitted and mesh "windscreen" and side windows fitted, re-sprayed and bonnet scoop fabbed and fitted to improve the breathing through the modified intake.

It's so light one man can pick up any corner and lift it - alls thats left to do is brake lights, timing belt, full service, trouble shoot and stick on knobblies to the front - that's tomorrows gig, and tbh, I'm exhausted.

A veteran racer wandered into our workshop today for a goo - we're building it at work as we have a full complement of machinery and welders/plasmas there, and said it was the tidiest conversion he'd seen in a long time, which considering the breakneck speed of conversion from a shopping car to a stripped out, hardened racer, I take as a great compliment. I'm still worn out though.:D Youngest son will be the pilot and hopefully, it wont let him down.

allinthehead

pics

MarkR

GvidoR wrote: »

Tinted rear lights

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

You'll get hassle. Get some nitromors and take off the tint. Or at least enough to keep you from being pulled over.

NuckingFacker

allinthehead wrote: »

pics

I'll get the eldest to take some tomorrow and stick them up. Lad who works for me used to build racing Evo's for track and drag - he "guided" the job (i.e spent far more than I had planned and made me do everything to a way higher standard than is usual). We hadn't heard the engine actually running(yeah, I know...) when we started the conversion - or actually right up until the end of this evening... but it started first tip and sounds very nice - none of the bee-in-a-jamjar roar off the motor as the exhaust is tip-top and well balanced, just a lovely bass rumble.

The roll-cage wouldn't look out of place in a wrx car, fully fishmouthed and triangulated - he cut it, I welded it. Last three days were the best fun I've ever had working on cars as we were just pleasing ourselves - no customer or plan to be kept to and no real budget, just not going wild and making as much as possible ourselves without buying parts.

Gary ITR

NuckingFacker wrote: »

I'll get the eldest to take some tomorrow and stick them up. Lad who works for me used to build racing Evo's for track and drag - he "guided" the job (i.e spent far more than I had planned and made me do everything to a way higher standard than is usual). We hadn't heard the engine actually running(yeah, I know...) when we started the conversion - or actually right up until the end of this evening... but it started first tip and sounds very nice - none of the bee-in-a-jamjar roar off the motor as the exhaust is tip-top and well balanced, just a lovely bass rumble.

The roll-cage wouldn't look out of place in a wrx car, fully fishmouthed and triangulated - he cut it, I welded it. Last three days were the best fun I've ever had working on cars as we were just pleasing ourselves - no customer or plan to be kept to and no real budget, just not going wild and making as much as possible ourselves without buying parts.

Fair play, where is it racing?

NuckingFacker

Gary ITR wrote: »

Fair play, where is it racing?

just a local grass track meet - it's all lads that know each other mostly and their kids - it's more a matter of slagging rights than anything! Another lad from work is racing his car as well - and there's a friendly bet on the outcome...also, if I lose(and the cars been built to suit a 13 year old but I get one race...)I'll never live it down at work..the pressure! I know for a fact he'll be out at his car till after midnight tweaking it so he can kick my butt - the sneaky git was watching everything we did to mine! The only excuse I can think of is that teenagers have to be in a 1l or less, adults are unlimited, so I'll have 998cc, he has a 1.3...oh, to have the power of a 1.3.. Hah.

CianRyan

NuckingFacker wrote: »

just a local grass track meet - it's all lads that know each other mostly and their kids - it's more a matter of slagging rights than anything! Another lad from work is racing his car as well - and there's a friendly bet on the outcome...also, if I lose(and the cars been built to suit a 13 year old but I get one race...)I'll never live it down at work..the pressure! I know for a fact he'll be out at his car till after midnight tweaking it so he can kick my butt - the sneaky git was watching everything we did to mine! The only excuse I can think of is that teenagers have to be in a 1l or less, adults are unlimited, so I'll have 998cc, he has a 1.3...oh, to have the power of a 1.3.. Hah.

Any rules on turbos?

GvidoR

MarkR wrote: »

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack.

You'll get hassle. Get some nitromors and take off the tint. Or at least enough to keep you from being pulled over.

It's not sprayed on, I can peel it off.

But that's an hour (or so) gone to waste.

NuckingFacker

CianRyan wrote: »

Any rules on turbos?

No:D But can you imagine how much grief fitting one to a swift would be.

renofan

GvidoR wrote: »

Tinted rear lights

I know its your car and all but man are you ruining the car looks wise and tbh you are playing into the typical stereotypical boy racer category and are begging for hassle from the cops. Not a dig at you personally just don't like what you have done to the car.

CianRyan

NuckingFacker wrote: »

No:D But can you imagine how much grief fitting one to a swift would be.

Probably less stress than building a grass track car from scratch in three days.
A TD05 will cost you €50 and will spool nice and quickly. :cool:

GvidoR

renofan wrote: »

I know its your car and all but man are you ruining the car looks wise and tbh you are playing into the typical stereotypical boy racer category and are begging for hassle from the cops. Not a dig at you personally just don't like what you have done to the car.

It's a never ending work in progress. It will look different again soon. About the lights, they are darker than I expected and it seems that I'll have to peel it off.
What a waste of time and money that was... :rolleyes:

NuckingFacker

CianRyan wrote: »

Probably less stress than building a grass track car from scratch in three days.
A TD05 will cost you €50 and will spool nice and quickly. :cool:

We're just trying to make it up to scratch for scrutineering for this sunday - we'll gas flow the head and tune it up for the next meet when we get a bit of time. I'll look into banging on a turbo - it's all revvy gear 1 and 2 stuff as the track is so tight - hard to get into third, so a turbo would make a huge difference. I might mod a 1.3 baleno engine I have in the yard and drop that in but right now I'm under the gun just to get it finished. Octane booster iss the go to guy for this week, but we're not ruling NOS out for next time!

CianRyan

That all sounds like too much fun.

dgt

Redone the downpipe.... Horay no more fumes in the cabin! Tinkered with the pump too

No pics as it was very dark....

Matt Simis

Refitted Air Con Pressure switch.
Removed some more surface rust
Fixed lower bumper fitting


Will swap out rear shocks with parts from this (Bilstein B12 kit):

gambithh

remote central locking went in my car so I ripped the door card off

i had 12v running to the actuator when I pressed arm so the problem wasnt power/fuse related and had to be the actuator.


so I had to pick up a two door actuator in maplin for 14 euro.not so bad.



disconnected the battery and hard wired the new actuator in


remote locks perfectly again

_Kaiser_

Having a bad day

One of the rear parking sensors started acting up intermittently this morning - thinks there's something there when there's not, resulting in a constant beep when in reverse. Not too worried though as will get it sorted under warranty next week (unless anyone has any thoughts of something to try in the meantime?)


But more depressingly, I rubbed the rear right wheel arch this afternoon. If anyone is familiar with Blanch SC and the multi-story there, they'll know that on the way up/out as you loop around the whole thing there's a section on each level (by the lifts) where you have to maneuver through metal poles at an awkward 90 degree angle in bad lighting.

I've done this loads of times in the Passat without an issue but this was the first time up there with the A6 and on the way out I rubbed against one of the poles..



On the plus side it doesn't seem too bad after wiping it down a bit (all on the rear wheel arch with a small mark on the middle of the door), so hopefully it won't cost too much to fix? Already mailed carcraft for a quote.. any others ye would recommend?

Pissed off with myself as I've never managed to do something like this in the past :mad:

joujoujou

Thursday:

Paint came at last.

Before and after:



Friday:

Time to put them on.

Primer first:





Windscreen glue needs time to dry:



Saturday:



=========================

Before and after:

toastedpickles

Somebody needs to resize :P