Tchaaa
Buy & Sell Member
So I thought I'd take the time today to avoid the college work looming over me and post an update on my Micra.
It's been a good few months since I passed my test and got let loose in it alone now (passed my test February 11th). First of all, I got some money together and took to replacing the head unit, it had the stock Blaupunkt one in and was getting to the end of my tether with FM adapters and the like.
Temporary Solution, Wish this had worked properly! iPhone was a perfect fit.
Bought a JVC KD-R321, sounds incredible. Had a hiccup due to my stupid installation job, the ISO connector yanked itself out the back. However I hadn't bought an Antenna adapter. Got round to ordering one eventually, one that halfords swore blind would fit. Behold, it did not, going to take that back and have a few stern words, some googling has got me the right part ordered. For the mean time I have installed it properly (with a proper earth lead! instead of some stripped down ethernet and electrical tape!) So it's all working sweetly now.
During Installation!
Properly fitted, yay!
Next on to the first mechanical work I've had to do to her. A few weeks back the car started to feel really weird. If I had people in the back the car would slam across the ground on the college speed bumps, and I'm pretty sure that I nearly lost the exhaust on many occasions. This developed into a constant banging noise whenever it was being driven, and it even began to feel like it was going to slide straight off the road or roll over whenever I got to a corner.
I asked my dad to have a look at it, and we ended up diagnosing it was the rear driver's side torsion link and shock absorber where at the end of their life, so went and bought replacements for both sides, and today it was time to fit them. Will post a few pictures.
Boxed up, ready to go.
My dad, getting the torsion bar out
Old and Broken vs. New and Shiny
New bar fitted
My dad undoing the old shock absorber
After this I didn't take any more pictures as I got stuck in with helping him replace both sides. I took it for a test drive afterwards, and in comparison to how it has been, it was heaven, it sits so even and no brain numbing knocking noise from the back end. Very pleased.
Seeing it with the wheel covers off has made me want to whack some black rims on there, as I think they'll suit. Not that I can afford proper alloys just yet, so may just paint the wheel covers black, or paint the wheel and take the wheel covers off, a couple of them have been pretty badly damaged by a small run in with a bus I had a few weeks back.
Hope this hasn't been too long or picture filled, and I'm sorry about the phone quality pictures, didn't trust any of my nice cameras around all the dirt and oil etc.
It's been a good few months since I passed my test and got let loose in it alone now (passed my test February 11th). First of all, I got some money together and took to replacing the head unit, it had the stock Blaupunkt one in and was getting to the end of my tether with FM adapters and the like.
Temporary Solution, Wish this had worked properly! iPhone was a perfect fit.
Bought a JVC KD-R321, sounds incredible. Had a hiccup due to my stupid installation job, the ISO connector yanked itself out the back. However I hadn't bought an Antenna adapter. Got round to ordering one eventually, one that halfords swore blind would fit. Behold, it did not, going to take that back and have a few stern words, some googling has got me the right part ordered. For the mean time I have installed it properly (with a proper earth lead! instead of some stripped down ethernet and electrical tape!) So it's all working sweetly now.
During Installation!
Properly fitted, yay!
Next on to the first mechanical work I've had to do to her. A few weeks back the car started to feel really weird. If I had people in the back the car would slam across the ground on the college speed bumps, and I'm pretty sure that I nearly lost the exhaust on many occasions. This developed into a constant banging noise whenever it was being driven, and it even began to feel like it was going to slide straight off the road or roll over whenever I got to a corner.
I asked my dad to have a look at it, and we ended up diagnosing it was the rear driver's side torsion link and shock absorber where at the end of their life, so went and bought replacements for both sides, and today it was time to fit them. Will post a few pictures.
Boxed up, ready to go.
My dad, getting the torsion bar out
Old and Broken vs. New and Shiny
New bar fitted
My dad undoing the old shock absorber
After this I didn't take any more pictures as I got stuck in with helping him replace both sides. I took it for a test drive afterwards, and in comparison to how it has been, it was heaven, it sits so even and no brain numbing knocking noise from the back end. Very pleased.
Seeing it with the wheel covers off has made me want to whack some black rims on there, as I think they'll suit. Not that I can afford proper alloys just yet, so may just paint the wheel covers black, or paint the wheel and take the wheel covers off, a couple of them have been pretty badly damaged by a small run in with a bus I had a few weeks back.
Hope this hasn't been too long or picture filled, and I'm sorry about the phone quality pictures, didn't trust any of my nice cameras around all the dirt and oil etc.
