Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

I got onto Ford they won't have them untill start of January, hopefully I have the wrong parts it would all make sense then

It does look like it's sticking out a fair bit. Even if you make up the difference in the gap between bushing and bracket it's still not flush if you try to visualise it.

Really can't go by your reg on online parts sites. Even though part number matched up. It gives me renewed hope that I'm not completely useless at DIY.

I reckon the bushes I removed were there from day 1, they were absolutely knackered, falling apart in my hands, no strength in them. I'll have a look at those links

A couple months ago I tried removing the sunglasses holder on my Mondeo, but the whole lot popped out.

Some research showed that I'd have to remove the entire unit to put them back together as the spring had removed itself also. Knowing this was going a pain in the hole as there's a couple of layers that need to be aligned, including a razor sharp piece of metal sandwiched in between.

The sunglasses holder has been left in my glovebox for a last few months so said I'd get around to it.

Wasn't too bad of a job, just had to familiarise myself with all the clips and connectors, hardest part was getting the spring in properly and there's another circle piece with a short pin that goes through the holder and rides along a groove in the holder as its opened and closed.

I didn't have to do much to get it back in because I removed it carefully enough that the different sections stayed where they were. So just ran the 2 torx bolts back up and all is well again.

There's a bit going on behind the sunglasses holder alright, I must have missed something because while it all works, when you press on the sunglasses holder it doesn't pop down. Kind of have to encourage and then it comes down fine. But I'm not going at it again so it can stay like that, I'll keep my sunglasses in the centre console lol

There's only one way the spring can go as there's a hook shape on one end of it that fits into the end of the glasses holder and won't go in any other way, then it slots out of a hole at the other end which keeps it under tension I believe. Maybe I just have the other circle bit not set up properly, either way. It's not coming apart again

I cut a rotten section out my rear cill, just have to weld it now and I can start to WaxOyl all cavities next.

So I've been told alright. I have a loads of bits of that metal that I'm gonna mess around with before I go near the car.

It's something I've always wanted to learn how to do.

I'll be using a mig welder with flux core wire. They're pretty much idiot proof.

I decided to delve a little deeper into the cills and rear arches.

There was no point in doing half measures, I need to cut out all the rot and get it perfect or there's no point really.

I'm going to cut the whole lip off and refab a piece for it as I go.

All of the rust is on the rear quarters.

I've heard they can be a bit troublesome tbh.

There seems to be loads of auto ones about though for some reason. Maybe that says a lot about the people that bought them new, lots of older people bought them at the time.

The second car I was given between Christmas and new year was my fathers RAV4 Mk4 AWD (which I had imported a few years ago) as he wanted new disks and pads fitted all round. Toyota seem to have their OEM pads and their "value line", they both seem to be genuine Toyota parts but I couldn't establish as to why there was a cost difference between Toyota OEM and Toyota "value line" and to why the OEM is presumably better than the value line.

When I did the rear disks and pads on my F10 with genuine BMW parts I noticed that they were Textar pads in the BMW box. Since its also a reputable brand I decided on that basis to get Textar disks and pads all round for the Toyota. Mister Auto were very efficient. Front and Rear disks and pads came in at approx 240EUR.

The rear disks also have an inner brake shoe for the handbrake. Very little wear on those shoes and the mechanism was perfectly serviceable. Cleaned off the inner face with some brake cleaner and sandpaper to prevent run out. I also applied some specialist brake grease on the hub flange to make sure that disk doesnt bond to it for the next time they are changed.

The Toyota disks also have a neat design feature in that the rear disks have a threaded hole to allow a bolt to be inserted to assist in removing a disk without the need of beating the hell out of it so it will push the disk off the hub as the threaded bolt is inserted. I also used some brake grease on the back of the pads and on the clips of the pads to prevent brake squeal. Proslip have a small set (which has 3 different brake greases for different applications which as pad, clip and pin).

Front was pretty much the same although there was 3 shims on the front pads, 2 of which were reused as the inner most was replaced as it was included with the new pads.

Well, here's a blast from the past... Directly related to all the way from the first post of this very thread, is the car that started my love of budget sleepers

The 2 titans facing each other

Magical. We'd spent a bit of time digging it out and cleaning it up. Still puts a huge smile on my face this car does, still started on the button, still intact with no rust.

And since sold, for the 2nd time, for as some of you know I straight swapped an E39 535i to get this back. And still have no regrets about doing that

I'll be working with the new owner who was absolutely thrilled with the car, priority is it's homebrew pump hasn't turned in over 6 years so I'll be pulling it apart and refurbishing it. Currently has a more street friendly pump with a 404 dizzy head, mated to an engine I found in a skip years ago

Im sure some will think the same as you , but the temptation to get an old car back that you previously owned can big. Fancy pigeon had the bug it seems. I can appreciate the deal possibly favours the new bmw owner. But im guessing fancy pigeon is more happy than a pig in sh1t