Whats the easiest car to work on?

carchaeologist

Im just starting this thread as i changed the clutch on the cherry the other day, and it was the easiest clutch change ever, no need to seperate the engine and box, just take out the primary drive gear through a cover plate on the inner wing and the clutch comes out out of the top of the gearbox after removing another cover plate and a few bolts..simple and effective.
I think someone else has posted here that it takes just 15mins to change it if you are used to it. I dont know of any other car that it is so easy to do this on.

So what im asking is there any other classics that have easy or user friendly jobs like this?

Max_Damage

Not so much a classic, but my '90 Micra is incredibly easy to work on. Everything is just sitting there, and its easy to maneuver around to different parts in the engine bay.

That said, the spark plugs are buried deep in the engine block, and it can be a bit of a task getting them out without a deep spark plug remover.

The same wouldn't be said to a modern BMW or Mercedes (that have no oil dip stick FFS!)

carchaeologist

Im sure that is because the micra is the cherrys second cousin!:D

DannyBuoy

The Kadetts from the early 80's were the same, withdraw the main shaft, put a few clips on the pressure plate to keep it compressed and slide it down, nice handy job.

peasant

Never changed a clutch on it, so I don't know about that one, but my old Renault 4 was great ...even I (and that's saying something) could fix almost everything on it. Crash repairs, new exhaust, basic engine maintenance ...all done with the simplest of tools and two left hands.

Dustpuppy

I need 20 minutes to take off the twin carbs, take out the engine, change the clutch and put everything back again on my beetle. with normal carb it would take less.

Blue850

Triumph Heralds and Spitfires seem to have great access around the engine

milod

MkII Escort 1100.... you can stand inside the engine bay there's so much spare room there...

ianobrien

milod wrote: »

MkII Escort 1100.... you can stand inside the engine bay there's so much spare room there...

Ya, I've a Mk2 Escort with a 1300 crossflow. It's a joy to have room to swing the spanners.

As for standing in the engine bay, you nearly could (I couldn't, as I'm a fat boyo!)

MercMad

DannyBuoy wrote: »

The Kadetts from the early 80's were the same, withdraw the main shaft, put a few clips on the pressure plate to keep it compressed and slide it down, nice handy job.

...........all the FWD Opels were like that from the Kadett D of 1980 through to the Vectra B. Reall piece of cake.

Those Renault 4's were roomy to work on, unless you had to do the timing chain !

Max_Damage

MercMad wrote: »

...........all the FWD Opels were like that from the Kadett D of 1980 through to the Vectra B. Reall piece of cake.

Those Renault 4's were roomy to work on, unless you had to do the timing chain !

Some though were not user friendly to work on. Ever try to get the alternator out of a Vauxhall Astra Mk3 1.7TD? Absolute nightmare. Half the engine nearly has to come out.

DannyBuoy

MercMad wrote: »

...........all the FWD Opels were like that from the Kadett D of 1980 through to the Vectra B. Reall piece of cake.

Those Renault 4's were roomy to work on, unless you had to do the timing chain !

I remember seeing a 4 with a big hole cut in the bulkhead, chap decided it was the easiest thing to do...

MercMad

DannyBuoy wrote: »

I remember seeing a 4 with a big hole cut in the bulkhead, chap decided it was the easiest thing to do...

......yeah that was the norm apparantly !

I never did much with the 1.7TD Opels, that was the Isuzu engine wasn't it ?

Max_Damage

MercMad wrote: »

I never did much with the 1.7TD Opels, that was the Isuzu engine wasn't it ?

Indeed it was. Couldn't kill them.

corktina

ianobrien wrote: »

Ya, I've a Mk2 Escort with a 1300 crossflow. It's a joy to have room to swing the spanners.

As for standing in the engine bay, you nearly could (I couldn't, as I'm a fat boyo!)

try a Cortina then.....even Id fit in there.....

Spit62500

Blue850 wrote: »

Triumph Heralds and Spitfires seem to have great access around the engine

They do - and you can sit on the wheel while working away on the carbs etc.

That said, the gearbox has to come out from under the dash and its a b*tch of a job - especially when realigning things afterwards, unless you want to remove the bonnet and take the gearbox out with the engine. I'll never forgive Triumph for the rear trunnion replacement - hacksawing through hardened steel is an overrated passtime....

(Above applies to my 2.5 Spitfire - the same applies to the GT6 presumably)

Blue850

Every job on the Fiat 850 is a pain in the a&$£ and a Merc W114/115 will try to decapitate you if you forget about the grille while working under the bonnet

carchaeologist

The old MK1 golfs and jettas were good to work on too, on the opposite end of the scale i cant even drop a nut in the engine bay of my GTE astra without it getting lost some where inaccesable on the way down!!:rolleyes:

S.I.R

imo the cars you should check out...

k10 micra - very small engine bay but still , can be made into a fun little car.... or a classic run about.

old fords. - apart from rust and manual carbs there simple enough machines to work on... after all they where dezigned in britan :rolleyes:

JCB - what about a digger ?? much cooler then any capri or bone shaking starlet rwd !!

anything German - plain and simple , everyone knows why *cough* e30 m3 *cough* .


dont go for:

starlets ( they shake the calcium out of your bones )

corrolas , rusty old bangers , only sold on when there Actually broken.

fiats - rubbish then , rubbish now , unless you stick in Non-fiat parts then by all means get one.

Bitten & Hisses

carchaeologist wrote: »

The old MK1 golfs and jettas were good to work on too

Ditto the Mk2 Golf. Everything seems to be logically arranged and most nuts are 17mm!

maidhc

S.I.R wrote: »

JCB - what about a digger ?? much cooler then any capri or bone shaking starlet rwd !!

Painful to work on! Subframes left right and centre and everything needs a 6 ton jack! Nealy blew my hand off when i dropped a flywheel from one on it!

johnf2020

Older Mercs are pretty easy to work on as in w114/115/123--190's not too bad either.
Just straight forward honest engineering--easy off/easy on.

MercMad

johnf2020 wrote: »

Older Mercs are pretty easy to work on as in w114/115/123--190's not too bad either.
Just straight forward honest engineering--easy off/easy on.

........yeah I like the way things are easy to disassemble even after years and years and hundreds of thousands of miles. Proper fixings too, none of that Torx/Allen key nonsense !

Saabdub

I've done a fair amount of work on my R170 and there are any number of torx and security torx to deal with. The engine compartment is also fairly tight so I've skinned my hands a number of times trying to open clips and get at hoses. But I'd agree they are honest engineering, built to last. If only I could say the same about the interior:rolleyes:.

Saabdub

Max_Damage

I reckon these reasons are why cars of today my never make it to 'classic' car status. They just have too much electronics in them.

For an example, say in 40 years time, an '08 BMW M5 is found in a barn or a field, and has been left there for years. There is little to no chance that car will ever work again. The electrics would be completely shot, and there would be no chance any DIY mechanic will ever get it going again.

The last of the user-friendly-electronics-free cars was probably the K10 Micra (1992 was their last productrion year).

carchaeologist

Max_Damage wrote: »

For an example, say in 40 years time, an '08 BMW M5 is found in a barn or a field, and has been left there for years.).

Thats a mad notion isnt it!!!!

Renotec

Max_Damage wrote: »

I reckon these reasons are why cars of today my never make it to 'classic' car status. They just have too much electronics in them.

For an example, say in 40 years time, an '08 BMW M5 is found in a barn or a field, and has been left there for years. There is little to no chance that car will ever work again. The electrics would be completely shot, and there would be no chance any DIY mechanic will ever get it going again.

The last of the user-friendly-electronics-free cars was probably the K10 Micra (1992 was their last productrion year).

Wow! that makes me laugh out loud!...
In 40 years time there won't be any '08's in barns because they will probably have 95% recycled parts and would probably shatter if you touched it. A mere hologram of the past. Biodegradable cars.

Also talking about electronics free cars I remember working on a '96 R5 with good old plugs & points.

woop

ive heard people recomended a beetle on numerous occasions

peasant

carchaeologist wrote: »

Thats a mad notion isnt it!!!!

Yes ..but the sad news is, even if you try your damndest to keep it going for fourty years ...you know, dowse it in waxoil, keep it climatised, only drive it in good weather, wax and protect until your elbows creak ...you won't make it to fourty years.

Sooner or later some chips will pack it in and there will not be a replacement to be had for love nor money. Well maybe not in the case of a M5 ...but certainly for a more everyday car.

Renotec

You could always come back before the 40 yrs are up say at about 30. Trade the '08 or whats left of it for the Lada in the barn next door start it first tip and drive into the sunset.

Max_Damage

carchaeologist wrote: »

Thats a mad notion isnt it!!!!

Maybe so, but it's true if you think about it.

In theory then, a Morris Marina could possibly last longer than a Lexus LS460!

carchaeologist

Max_Damage wrote: »

Maybe so, but it's true if you think about it.

In theory then, a Morris Marina could possibly last longer than a Lexus LS460!

Even weirder again, you could fix a marina with a visegrips,cable ties and a hammer!!as for the lexus.....

Merrion

Solid state electronics don't age or rust so it is probable that you could get an 08 BMW M5 running after 40 years barn-stored. Where you'd get the burberry baseball cap and white addida shellsuit is a different problem

To return to the OT, any pre-Defender LandRover is an easy car to work on...they were designed for British squaddies to fix.

Saabdub

peasant wrote: »

Yes ..but the sad news is, even if you try your damndest to keep it going for fourty years ...you know, dowse it in waxoil, keep it climatised, only drive it in good weather, wax and protect until your elbows creak ...you won't make it to fourty years.

Sooner or later some chips will pack it in and there will not be a replacement to be had for love nor money. Well maybe not in the case of a M5 ...but certainly for a more everyday car.

As I remember Daimler-Benz keep stocks of parts for the older models in the Benz Museum. I'm not sure about other marques.

Saabdub