Life with my 1000cc micra was plodding along fine and I still enjoyed driving it as much as I ever have. The MOT next Jan might prove a problem as the crossmember was patched for the last one. For the next one it might clean up and stay legal if doused with primer and underseal.
Whilst pondering all this I came accross a 98 5dr 1.3gx, flame red and a mot failure on a front shock, a few bulbs headlight alignment and a numberplate. It had been bumped front and rear, but looked reasonable in the pics. With my girlfriends sister now having a lrge empty garage and looking at Ebay after watching a blues band with a few pints Otleys finest......I bid £100 and as the only bidder won! Oh ####, did i really want it. I went along to look and looked for a good reason not to buy. I have nigh on perfect feedback and wanted to keep it.
The car was better in most ways than I feared. No dents or rust, a recently replaced cross member and he MOT failure was backed up by a sheet. The lad selling was genuine and it had been his Granddads from new. 93 k miles had given it a few problems..... The gearbox was so noisey in gears 1-4 and neutral too. The inside was full of Golden Retreiver hair and smells!!! The front and rear bumpers were marked badly mounted and the strengthening panels distorted. The gearbox was the breaker on the deal and as it was not in the listing a get out for me.
I went home and reconsidered, thought again and decided that I could get it ready for an mot for less than £150, which is a bargain in anyones book so I rang back and did a deal for £90!
I live in South Wales and the car was in Bristol, so a lift from my ever suffering ex girkfriends dad and it was mine. The journey home was uneventfull and the next day I started to sort it all out.
The interior was totallt stripped out and washed in clothes detergent at least twice as it was really doggy! I found no damage internally , just the smell which got little better with the damp. After 4 days it was all cleaned, back in and the engine compartment steamed cleaned. I found the odd thing I had missed like a rusty nearside, front door bottom, but that was it just little things that would take me time to sort.
The most awkward at this item was the glue that once held on the rear spoiler, it took almost 3 hours to remove with thinners, no fun at all. The bumpers touched up to look great from 6 feet and the steel supports went back into shape with a little help from a 2lb ball pain hammer. A near side shock was found second hand but as the wrong one was supplied it came free for a little bit of luck. Having changed the oil, sorted out the faulty bulbs, fitted a new plates and checked it all over it now stands me an additional £62 including an Almera airbox and filter. So far its all bit too painless, that was to change!
I have never changed a gearbox in a car before. I have rebuilt many dirt bike engines, but not done much with cars as I always needed them for work the next day. I have all the tools bar a clutch aligning tool so thought ###### it I will try it myself. After a few days taking a few bits off at a time and leaving one bolt connected just to make it interesting, I had it on the garage floor.
That is how its stands now, a little folorn, but in far better shape than when I got it. I am struggling for a box locally, but I have been offered one in Shrewsbury 117 miles away. Its only £30 but another £30 for fuel and a day out of my life. I was hoping that my life might take me somwhere close, but it looks as it wont so its a drive for me. I want to get it sorted soon as I am going on hliday soon and dont fancy lying of my back in the cold with poor light as another problem to overcome. I have a feeling that getting it all back together will not be as easy as getting it apart so wasting time will be not be a help.
The next time I hit the computer it will all be back together(I hope!!!!) meanwhile.......do you change the oil seals when replacing driveshafts? I tend to leave well alone, but dont fancy getting oil everywhere if they are shot I might change them yet.
Whilst pondering all this I came accross a 98 5dr 1.3gx, flame red and a mot failure on a front shock, a few bulbs headlight alignment and a numberplate. It had been bumped front and rear, but looked reasonable in the pics. With my girlfriends sister now having a lrge empty garage and looking at Ebay after watching a blues band with a few pints Otleys finest......I bid £100 and as the only bidder won! Oh ####, did i really want it. I went along to look and looked for a good reason not to buy. I have nigh on perfect feedback and wanted to keep it.
The car was better in most ways than I feared. No dents or rust, a recently replaced cross member and he MOT failure was backed up by a sheet. The lad selling was genuine and it had been his Granddads from new. 93 k miles had given it a few problems..... The gearbox was so noisey in gears 1-4 and neutral too. The inside was full of Golden Retreiver hair and smells!!! The front and rear bumpers were marked badly mounted and the strengthening panels distorted. The gearbox was the breaker on the deal and as it was not in the listing a get out for me.
I went home and reconsidered, thought again and decided that I could get it ready for an mot for less than £150, which is a bargain in anyones book so I rang back and did a deal for £90!
I live in South Wales and the car was in Bristol, so a lift from my ever suffering ex girkfriends dad and it was mine. The journey home was uneventfull and the next day I started to sort it all out.
The interior was totallt stripped out and washed in clothes detergent at least twice as it was really doggy! I found no damage internally , just the smell which got little better with the damp. After 4 days it was all cleaned, back in and the engine compartment steamed cleaned. I found the odd thing I had missed like a rusty nearside, front door bottom, but that was it just little things that would take me time to sort.
The most awkward at this item was the glue that once held on the rear spoiler, it took almost 3 hours to remove with thinners, no fun at all. The bumpers touched up to look great from 6 feet and the steel supports went back into shape with a little help from a 2lb ball pain hammer. A near side shock was found second hand but as the wrong one was supplied it came free for a little bit of luck. Having changed the oil, sorted out the faulty bulbs, fitted a new plates and checked it all over it now stands me an additional £62 including an Almera airbox and filter. So far its all bit too painless, that was to change!
I have never changed a gearbox in a car before. I have rebuilt many dirt bike engines, but not done much with cars as I always needed them for work the next day. I have all the tools bar a clutch aligning tool so thought ###### it I will try it myself. After a few days taking a few bits off at a time and leaving one bolt connected just to make it interesting, I had it on the garage floor.
That is how its stands now, a little folorn, but in far better shape than when I got it. I am struggling for a box locally, but I have been offered one in Shrewsbury 117 miles away. Its only £30 but another £30 for fuel and a day out of my life. I was hoping that my life might take me somwhere close, but it looks as it wont so its a drive for me. I want to get it sorted soon as I am going on hliday soon and dont fancy lying of my back in the cold with poor light as another problem to overcome. I have a feeling that getting it all back together will not be as easy as getting it apart so wasting time will be not be a help.
The next time I hit the computer it will all be back together(I hope!!!!) meanwhile.......do you change the oil seals when replacing driveshafts? I tend to leave well alone, but dont fancy getting oil everywhere if they are shot I might change them yet.
