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TomB

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Posts posted by TomB

  1. Posted

    I'd forgotten about those with the excitement of the house, thanks for that, we'll have to arrange a mutually conveninent time to meet up (an evening meet near you in the spring/summer perhaps?). While I've done very little recently, I took her out for a spin last night just to keep everything ticking over, and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

     

    Cheers,

    Tom

     

    20090128 Front at Side at night.JPG[/attachment:2dltndi4]

  4. Posted

    Just to add to the list (so I don't forget):

     

    Headlight switch (sometimes turns on my numberplate light)

    Proper soldered fix on the headlight loom

    Sort out the central locking (intermittent)

    Fit front arch liners

    Do an ECU reset to stop it over fuelling quite so much (although the exhaust pops are nice)

    Get a proper 'humped' boot carpet

    Get the graffiti scratched in the bonnet out (somehow).

  6. Posted

    My VR spend the first few weeks stamping its authority (ignition switch, distributor cap...twice, central locking), but we seem to be getting on better now! Not yet had any major catastrophic failures (Hi fate, how are you :D ) but I'm avoiding that by having a dicky headlight switch that sometimes turns the instrument lights on and a random loose connection in the headlight loom.

    Constant small niggles will hopefully keep major problems away...

    This was not the case with my 1.8 valver though which had some major issues (alarm, immobiliser, engine, bonnet cable, headlights.....you name it).

     

    Cheers,

    Tom

  7. Posted

    It does indeed sound like you've answered your question, and it's always worth bearing in mind the amount you're spending versus depreciation on a newer car.

    I had a similar bill on my old valver when the head, all 16 tappets and both cams required replacing! While the cost hurt at the time, it paid off over the next 6 months, and when comparing it to 3 months rental (finance) on a similar modern car, it seems worth it! Motoring is never cheap, you either pay for a modern car (and the reliability that brings) or you spend relatively little on the initial purchase and keep spending! :D

    Good luck with it, and it's worth having a crack at the HB cables yourself to save an hours garage labour as they relatively easy (just have cable ties ready)... Rear disks and pads are more tricky because of the bearings, but not too bad, and if you shop around for tyres, you should be able to get a pair of quality ones fitted for £120. Failing that, if you don't mind waiting, get some part worns from the local scrappy!

    Cheers,

    Tom

  9. Posted

    I'm sorry to hear that man, a good bodyshop might be able to help you out, but the problem lies with the little scunners doing it.

    My street seems to get done on a semi regular basis; my Christmas present was a half eaten bacon burger across the windscreen, and the allegation "I f**k children" (with accompanying drawing) scratched into my bonnet...

    Chin up & don't let the little arsehats get to you!

    Tom

  10. Posted

    Cheers Matt,

     

    It turns out (after several abusive calls from my friend at the garage) that it has the Lupo wipers :). It now has a full years MOT (new CAT etc.) all done for a good price & 6 months tax! So glad to have it back I took it for a minor blast up to the moors to work on another project with two wheels (but that's for another thread!).

     

    Aerial next I think (or maybe some new plugs).

     

    Cheers,

    T

  12. Posted

    That's superb work on the rear brakes and beam there sir, damn it makes me want a driveway... I'd be very glad you changed...well everything given the state of some of the parts that came off your rear suspension! I never had the back end off my valver so I never realised exactly how similar it was to my Mk2.

    I'll just say that you're a more persistent man than I am, when I found that my brake pressure regulator was goosed I took it off with an angle grinder and ran the brake lines straight front to back :oops:

     

    Cheers

    T

  17. Posted

    I'm loving my CBR 125r even though i can probably run faster. I'm doing direct access next year some time and then i'll get a 'proper' bike.

     

    Good luck! Took my test on mine & I still love it. If I had to commute to work I'd use it no question. Enough power for town & quiet country roads, but absolutely tiny so can filter through all sorts of traffic. That and 90mpg can't be argued with. I use it once a week to travel to & from Leeds and it's great fun (and coming across unexpected bends in the dark, I found it has more grip than the skinny tyres imply)!

     

    Cheers,

    Tom

  19. Posted

    Less of a build thread, more of a check list for me to refer to and prioritise what needs doing!

     

    I bought the VR in May and it was pretty standard apart from head unit, front indicators & side repeaters, air box & wipers. It was bought for a bargainous £1K + my Mk2 GTD (which Edmonzo is now happily driving).

     

    climatronic wiring-Golf from May 01.pdfDSC00068.JPG[/attachment:3of80403]

     

    My plan for it (too grand a word perhaps) was to pretty much make it standard bar a few improvements before looking at any major changes! I have too many projects to make the VR one of them!

     

    I replaced the front tyres, which were shot, with Toyo Proxes T1Rs.

     

    Bought the 288mm front brake setup from a chap on here including disks & pads as both original items were knackered and it made sense to do the upgrade instead of just replacing the OEM items.

     

    2.8l 24v Climatronic system.pdf288 brakes [].jpg[/attachment:3of80403]

     

    Also replaced the rear disks, pads & wheel bearings at the same time for that all-round new feel but discovered that the handbrake only worked on one side (so even more reason to park in gear).

     

    I discovered that I had a problem with water ingress as well as it doesn't have an undertray, and every time I went through a large puddle it came to a halt in a cloud of steam! A new distributor cap and a spot of instant gasket seems to cure the problem though.

     

    The ignition switch failed (of course) while I was in Hull but I managed to obtain a length of wire to start it with, and had to drive home with my right hand jammed in the back of the ignition barrel to stop it cutting out.

     

    The fuel hose where it attaches to the fuel rail perished and it started p1ssing out into the engine bay when trying to move off. A swift application of a knife solved the problem temporarily!

     

    All of the above were in the first 3 weeks of ownership and so I was beginning to wonder what I was in for! :bad-words:

     

    The battery then got upset after the car was parked up for 10 days while I was in France and committed suicide and by this point I was remembering what Corrado ownership was all about.

     

    It really picked up at Harewood though when I found the couple of black pieces of trim that I was missing to replace the grey pieces that were in the boot, and also got a brand new Speedline to replace the space saver (which wouldn't clear the new front brakes).

     

    After the back stepped out on a wet roundabout I pick up 2 new Toyos for the back, and kept one of the old ones for the new Speedline, so a full set of boots for daily use and in case of trouble!

     

    I managed to replace the K&N cone filter with a standard airbox which quietened matters down somewhat ( :clap: ) although the Magnex exhaust is still a little boomy in town (but makes a superb noise for most of the time), and re-mounted the alarm to accommodate the OEM airbox. I've also put the repeaters back to standard instead of the smoked items.

     

    It survived its first track day with nothing more than a cracked inlet elbow which when replaced made things even quieter so I imagine it was already on the way out.

     

    I've just changed the oil, fixed the numberplate light and the handbrake (it wasn't the calliper :clap: ) and fitted the all important headlight loom (albeit a cheap one) so it's beginning to get there!

     

    Still to do, in no particular order are:

     

    Fit a new DAB aerial so I can actually get radio reception again (currently there's no plug at all so it's MMC & CDs all the way

    Address the bubbling of the O/S rear wheel arch and sort out the minor rusting & stone chips.

    Re-spray the rear & front bumpers where they have both been scuffed.

    Replace the perishing fuel hoses in the engine bay before they go again!

    Do a proper soldered fix for the numberplate light.

    Make the sunroof slide as well as tilt.

    Replace the front smoked indicators with the standard clear ones.

    Replace the front foglight lenses which are cracked (surprise) and fix the foglights to make them work again.

     

    The only possible change I might make to the VR is possibly to fit stiffer suspension to reduce the roll into the corners, however, I'm not that fussed at the moment, especially as I still have to traverse rutted tracks on a semi regular basis!

     

    So, now I have my list! Driving it is more important to me than the appearance so practical considerations before paintwork issues! Here it is 3 weeks ago following the track day:

     

    Cooling down post hoon.jpg[/attachment:3of80403]

     

    If you have been, thank you :D

     

    Cheers,

    Tom

  21. Posted

    I just got my licence last month, and am loving every minute of it. I'm restricted for a couple of years to 33hp, but that will give me time to learn how to ride properly!

    CBR 125R is the current thrash (now without L-plates!) and a BSA C15 to restore. I want a Triumph Speed 4 though...

  22. Posted

    Busy day today prior to the MOT this coming week:

    Changed the oil (it seemed only fair after its recent track day outing) and oil filter.

    Freed off the O/S rear handbrake mechanism and fitted a new cable (it doesn't need a new calliper, hurrah) so it now has a working handbrake.

    Fixed the number plate light (with a bit of a bodge I must confess, but enough to get through the test I hope)

    Fitted a new headlight loom that I bought for the Golf and never got around to fitting. Having read all of the horror stories about cheap eBay looms though, I await being plunged into darkness on a country road somewhere! I forgot to unplug the dim dip though, so I'll have to find and do that tomorrow if I want my sidelights back (thanks to the forum I know what I'm looking for though).

    Brained myself on an axle stand. CURSES!

     

    Cheers,

    Tom

  23. Posted

    My mistake in the original post (apologies) it's an S2 Exige with the 220bhp superecharged Toyota unit. The colour looks much better in the metal (or should that be fibreglass) than in the photos but I'm going to make that point to the owner to wind him up :)

    Cheers,

    T

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