Time for an update.
Sparky was quite happily taking me to work and back but was slowly developing a couple of problems.
Firstly there was a smell of burning oil and after a quick look I found was oil dripping onto the exhaust from the gearbox. I topped it up before going down to Dorset and was shocked to have to put in 600ml to fill it to the correct level. That’s after about 800 miles. I could have just topped it up and continued driving around for a while, but Greenpeace started following me around cleaning sea birds :shock:
Secondly, just now and again the fuel pressure would drop to nil. The first couple of times, it was quite low on fuel, and I thought I had run out, so pulled the reserve and the pressure came back up. Then it dropped with over a ¼ of a tank. I found that I could get it back by pulling the reserve out and in a couple of times, so a blockage somewhere?
So, he’s back on the ramps and coming apart slowly.
Now, this winter I was intending to some work anyway, so I have just started early. The list so far is:
Strip gearbox and rebuild. Just after I bought the car I changed the oil in the gearbox and found the drain plug magnet looking like a Christmas tree, and now with the leaking it has to be done.
Rebuild heater. Top flap isn’t working and flaps need foam replaced.
Chrome is quite bad in close up so will be re-chromed at Prestige in Wath. Been quoted £400.00 for the lot and I have heard good things about their work? We’ll see, sounds very good value if it’s as good as I am told. This is NOT Sparky's original bumper as it was twisted when I bought him and bought the bumper and over-riders from ebay.
Vinyl has split on the roof and quarter panels have a bit of rot. The state of the roof (dirt and dust) comes from the area where I work. Everything gets covered in crap down there.
The very smart black flanged screws I got for the rear valance turned brown the first time a cloud went over, so they will have to be replaced.
Windscreen has a crack in it, and is still sporting damage from the vandals, so new one on the way.
Carpets are designed for the manual and Sparky was originally an auto, so will have to be cut down and re-stitched. That will teach me to buy carpets from ebay.
Spoilers don’t fit as well as they did before replacing the front wings and valance. The wing/valance joint is a bit out of alignment as well so a bit of fettling required.
And (I can’t believe I haven’t done this yet) I need to strip down the wiper motor as I have to turn it to delay to get it to stop.
That’s all I can think of at the moment, although I am sure there will be more.
Richard