M(H)GF WC Longbridge Roadster

[Amazo]

.

[tone_depear]

the temp gauge started to plummet like a stone.

Temp sensor for the gauge is probably on the way out; there's two: one for the ECU, and the one for the gauge.

Probably manage without it.

[Amazo]

.

[tone_depear]

I'd forgotten I started this thread, so I should probably do a Vulgalour-style massive update of all the things that have broken on it since the beginning of May.

Firstly, I still think it's brilliant. I was initially dubious of it's scat-relevnce tbh, but seeing as it's broken quite spectacularly I think it's doing it's best to qualify.

Surprisingly (considering I bought a convertible), the sun stayed out and I got quite badly burnt on several occasions, but I didn't care, because driving around with the roof down in the sun is absolutely for winners. unfortunately short hair does not suit my curiously small & round head, so after a couple of weeks spent buying hats then deciding I don't like them and they hurt my head after 5 minutes, I invested in an excruciatingly expensive wind deflector thing so my hair would stop flicking me in the eyes. Installation was relatively painless considering I had to DRILL HOLES IN THINGS, although inevitably it did piss down relentlessly the second I got to the stage where the hood was down and I couldn't put it up til I was finished.


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

Happily the sun came out again as soon as I was done, enabling me to blezz about like a mid-life-crisis-idiot for the rest of the day.

Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

One ongoing issue I was aware of was that the handbrake wouldn't work on the near side. I had grand plans to jack it up, take the wheel off, and squirt plus-gas at it for an hour or so, but fell at the first hurdle because the bastard nuts wouldn't come off. I managed, after much swearing to loosen all the other wheels as a bit of a run up, but the wheel I actually needed to get off resolutely refused to bend to my will, so I drove round in the sun a bit more instead and then had a beer.

I did change the oil at some point, which was a colossal pain in the arse, and I didn't pay enough attention to the level when I filled it up again. being that Sheffield is relentlessly lumpy, and my driveway is reminiscent of the north wall of the Eiger, I took an average of the dipstick reading uphill and downhill and called it near enough. This would later prove to be RUBBISH.

Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr
Yeah, you have to take the roof off and a back wheel off to change the oil. Brill. At least that wheel comes off though.

So, having changed the oil, in true "dickhead who pisses away all the money on pointless shit and neglects the important stuff" style, I decided to replace the speakers. The old ones were completely fucked and cones on both sides torn like the lady parts of someone who just gave birth to a baby with a really massive head, so again, I allowed myself to get robbed blind on t'eBay.


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

New speakers were such a reSOUNDing success, I took myself off to get a slightly more soft-top-friendly haircut by way of celebration.

On leaving £5 haircuts for losers™ I noted a sodding great puddle under the front of the car. My brief hope that a massive horse had wandered by and marked it's territory were quickly dashed, and upon getting my knees dirty I saw the radiator had a bloody great hole (see above, lady, big baby) in.

Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

Shit bags.

I checked, and there was still water in, so I drove home, and had another look to see if it had fixed itself.


bother by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

Nope.

I ordered a new'un off of that eBay (half the price of the speakers, 1/4 the price of the wind deflector) and it arrived the next day!

You'd think that by stuffing the engine in the least accessible place ever, all that room up front would make access to the rad easy.


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

RONG.

I did managed to fish it out eventually, and the genius move of clamping both hoses successfully* avoided the coolant all pouring out and pissing down my driveway and into the flowerbed/garage/living room being disposed of correctly as dictated by environmental laws.


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

Anyway, the placcy fan was an absolute pig (see above, lady, giant head, etc) to get off, but I eventually managed to cut the bolts off it and wodge the new rad back in.


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr


Shiny bolts by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

I even managed to successfully fill and bleed the juice, so that was a pleasant surprise. It looked very shiny, so I treated that awkward front panel to some shiny stainless bolts as well, seeing as I might actually keep the car more than a month. As long as it gets through it's MOT, anyway...

*cut to stock footage of Barrett driving past Sheffield*


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr


Untitled by Tony Lloyd, on Flickr

So it went on a short holiday to Durhamshire to play with Ozzy of this parish...

[Ozzy Mandeus]

So far then...



OSR outer sill un-holed.



Nearside wheel and caliper removed awaiting new* caliper - wheel required big bar, swearing, hammer and smaller socket to remove.



MoT man presumably too busy poking holes in sills to notice this wishbone (he failed the other one for having a patch welded over a probably quite similar hole). Two new* wishbones also on their way.

I'm hoping to have it back on its wheels by wednesday teatime (I need the ramp back so I can change the clutch on a diesel Xsara picasso on thursday. Fun*)

[Seth]

Just a thought. Maybe you've bought the one that suffers (or will suffer) from everything other than HGF?

[Amazo]

.

[tone_depear]

Just a thought. Maybe you've bought the one that suffers (or will suffer) from everything other than HGF?

Give it time...

[Amazo]

.

[Ozzy Mandeus]

Update!


DSCF0606 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

This afternoon, I collected a track rod for this obviously superior German automobile. It wasn't the right one (well, it WAS, but not the correct right one iykwim). While I waited for a van to bring me a replacement I decided to continue improving the currently DANGEROUS longbridge roadster.


DSCF0607 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

One caliper, fresh from eBay. Arrived yesterday teatime, delivered by some random bloke in a vectra. MyHermes best* budget courier service.


DSCF0608 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

Cut (and blow dry) to a lovely* late summer afternoon here....


DSCF0610 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

and the halted "waiting for parts" caliper change. It's been outside since tuedsay (which is when the small german car arrived)


DSCF0611 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

The ebay caliper was complete with a chopped off flexihose, carrier and worn out pads. I tried to remove the caliper slide bolts. Rusty, stuck fast and rounded off. The solution is in the picture.


DSCF0613 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

Actually, the solution to one of them. The other one resisted the smaller socket like a champ, but lost to the grinder instead. The bleed nipple and flexi union presumably overheard what was happening and decided to undo without causing trouble.


DSCF0615 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

Cup says it all.


DSCF0616 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

Fitted, and bled. Time to connect the handbrake cable, which the previous owner had wound up to the max to improve* the already stuck caliper....


DSCF0617 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

But only a small amount of faffing on later, the MGF gets to be superior while I took the polo for MoT and returned it to its owner. Yay! Tomorrow (or at least soon) I get to tackle the front arms, which were helpfully attached before the subframe was fitted to the car and as such can't be removed in situ.


DSCF0618 by scaryoldcortina, on Flickr

Everything in this box is used, broken or otherwise useless. What would a PROPER MG owner do with them?

a/ accept them back, scrutinize then throw them away
b/ tell me to throw them away
c/ take them back, label the box "spares" and put it in the garage with every other piece ever removed and replaced.