Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[Stickyfinger]

I think a 1000cc Yamaha engine will suit this

[Zelandeth]

Nah, not when the original sounds so nice as it is!

...Plus with as little weight on the front as there is, reckon you'd need wheelie bars on the back for anything with more power.

Haven't had a chance to get into the garage today as I've been busy around the house all day. Might get a little bit of time this evening though if I'm lucky, if that works out I'll try to get the indicator/lighting stalk wired up and reattached to the dash.

[Michel]

I think a 1000cc Yamaha engine will suit this

Wouldn't suit the character of the vehicle.

It needs a 1100cc BMW air-cooled flat-twin.

[Stickyfinger]

Ok, I will vouch for you in court if you do that

[CitroJim]

Nah, not when the original sounds so nice as it is!

Agreed!

Mike and Alasdair, you really need to hear it running... The sound is almost musical... It's simply bloody gorgeous...

[Zelandeth]

Agreed!

Mike and Alasdair, you really need to hear it running... The sound is almost musical... It's simply bloody gorgeous...

Glad it's not just me!

[Zelandeth]

Very small update today.

Firstly I've run out of patience with the screw terminal connections - they're just too bulky for a lot of the areas where I've got a multitude of connections coming together. Crimped insulated spade terminals have been enlisted instead.

I've also deemed the indicator/headlight switch assembly to be beyond redemption. It's just too corroded internally to be saveable. On the plus side, it's shared with a plethora of other cars, so a NOS replacement has set me back all of £10. The electrical system in this thing has been hacked about enough as it is, I'm not mucking around with dodgy switches.

I'm giving the headlight/wiper rocker switches on the dash the chance to prove themselves first as the Lucas replacements for the orignal Clear Hooters (no, I'm not kidding on the brand name) ones which are legendary for being a bit temperamental - are quite expensive at about £30 each. For reference, the headlight one is shared with a Triump TR6...wiper one I can't remember off the top of my head. The spare wiper switch I've got demonstrated the quality of construction by pinging the switch cap halfway across the room the first time I tried to operate it.

The engine is running better it seems every time it's started. I've had no starting problems whatsoever since the new plugs went in, so I'm putting that down to a set of ancient, contaminated plugs. These days it's literally just touch the key to the start position for a fraction of a second and she's away.

I was looking to continue reassembling the electrical system today until my wire strippers decided to literally explode into about five pieces. In fairness, I think I bought them when I first started university in 2003 - and they were about £5 then...so I really can't complain. So shelled out a shocking £17 for a new set from Toolstation. These feel reassuringly more solid, and hopefully will last me a while.

Next up I'm going to connect up the headlights and front indicators (just cable-tied to the nearest available thing) just so I can test the relevant systems.

I've also managed to lose track of the flasher unit...I know I had one (albeit badly corroded), but I can't for the life of me find it now. Wanted to see whether it worked at least before buying a new one. Pretty sure it's the same one used in the Mk I Metro among millions of other things.

[CitroJim]

Zel, your plan to renew the indicator/headlight stalk is a good one! They were never that good when new in my experience so a corroded one is going to be no end of grief...

I may have a vintage flasher unit here... I'll have a gander next time I'm in the workshop... A genuine Unipart one!

[bobins]

I may have a vintage flasher unit here...

Would that be an old man in a dirty raincoat ?

[Zelandeth]

So, what else did I get done today.

...Other than knocking a whole heap of stuff over in the back of the garage when I drove back in there. I was expecting the usual battle to get over the threshold, but today the AC decided to take it in its stride, and propel me straight into the stuff piled at the back of the garage. At all of about 2mph, so no harm done! I really do need to finish the brakes though! On the other hand, it really does show how much better it's actually running.

Based on the level of zippiness that was available when I was backing out of the garage (willing to be a bit more circumspect there as it's uphill), this thing really isn't going to hang about.

I decided that it was time to make sense of the spaghetti on the front bulkhead.

Did what I really should have done ages ago, and sat down (well, crouched on the nearside chassis outrigger...) with the wiring diagram and labelled everything. Couple of differences to the stock wiring diagram, but it's easy enough to figure out by process of elimination after a while. The sidelight circuit is red with a green trace (diagram says solid red), and the brake light switch supply is white with a light green trace (diagram says solid green). The fact that red, brown and purple traces on green wires have all faded to white also means you need to dig back into the loom tape in a few places to determine what colour it's actually trying to be.

This is starting to look a bit less electrically intimidating now...

Real progress came about ten minutes later though.

That's a working side, dip and main beam circuit (sides are very touchy as unsurprisingly the switch is a bit dodgy - they were terrible even before it was left open to the elements for years).

Plus the dimmest main beam indicator in the history of the world. Astonished the light in the fuel gauge works...sadly the unit itself is knackered. Nothing from the speedometer because it turns out someone has nicked the bulb. At least that they've just taken out rather than cutting the wires off like everything else!

Have also confirmed with the meter that I've got power getting to at least the nearside indicator circuit.

The hiding flasher unit was later found (hiding in a WD40 cap!), and would you believe it...it actually works.

...Never would have expected it to given the state it's in. I'll get some sandpaper on the terminals before it gets put back into the car. Has tested good on the bench though, tick-pinging away switching a 55W headlight bulb quite happily.

This was the laugh of the day though.

Halfords no longer stock fuel line, heater hose or any general purpose hoses etc...

...Yet they still have paint on the shelf for a beige Lada! I'm pretty sure that there's a bigger market out there for general hoses etc than there are beige Ladas left! ...This coming both as someone who regularly needs the odd metre of hose *and* as a Lada driver...albeit a red one. Just made me laugh a bit that did.

[ekjdm14]

Halfrauds really have gone downhill in recent years. The only thing I really go there for now is tools, just the odd socket here & there when I need it same day. Otherwise, we have a small motor factor and the dreaded Ebay.

Speaking of which, I've found a decent manufacturer/supplier of all sorts of hoses on there. Just bought 2x 2 metres of SAE fuel line from them in 1/4 and 5/16, turns out they do all sorts of other stuff as well including ducting and heater hoses as well as silicone ones and joining/fitting odds n sods too. ejsupplies2016 they're called, worth a look if you need an odd size or material...

[Michel]

Halfrauds really have gone downhill in recent years. The only thing I really go there for now is tools, just the odd socket here & there when I need it same day. Otherwise, we have a small motor factor and the dreaded Ebay.

Halfords - I get oil there when it's on offer, it's just Comma oil rebadged. All the data sheets are Comma. Tools, yes, their pro range is excellent. My local one still sells fuel line and stuff if you ask at the counter at the back too.

I don't blame them for catering to the needs of most of their customers really. Their lightbulbs are terrible though!

[Zelandeth]

Ooh... ducting supplier. They will be getting some business possibly then as I need a stack of it for the heating system at some point...

Halfords for me are handy for one reason - accessibly. Namely that both of my preferred factors don't open Sundays and close about the time I'm getting started on stuff in the summer months. So if I unexpectedly find I need something, it's a five minute run down there or wait till tomorrow for anywhere else.

Most recently was yesterday evening when I realised at about half seven that I couldn't find any ring terminals. Today was more of the same... looking for a bulk pack somewhere tomorrow!

Oh, or tools. Spanners and sockets they are pretty much my exclusive supplier for these days as their Advanced stuff is just really good kit.

For anything else it'll be Motorserv, GSF, Euro Car Parts grudgingly if it's something basic, then I'll try Halfords, though usually if I'm stuck at that point I've already realised that I'll have to resort to the internet.

[Michel]

Halfords for me are handy for one reason - accessibly. Namely that both of my preferred factors don't open Sundays and close about the time I'm getting started on stuff in the summer months. So if I unexpectedly find I need something, it's a five minute run down there or wait till tomorrow for anywhere else.

The same here Zel. If I require something urgently, like I did with a bulb the other week and there's no factors open - Halfords it is. If I don't need it immediately, it's GSF (with one of their 55% off deals and free delivery), Amazon for bulbs for my stock cupboard (I have Prime, most stuff I can get next day delivery) and ECP for stuff that won't kill anyone if it breaks, like cabin filters.

[ekjdm14]

....and ECP for stuff that won't kill anyone if it breaks, like cabin filters.

I wouldn't trust their filters to not be full of Anthrax TBF, and that's if they don't try to double the price when you arrive at the counter...