Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

Could not find wipers for my camper anywhere, motor factors or online. They were some very old type - a straight arm with just a small dimple to put a plastic adapter on. 

Eventually found adapter to let them take a more modern wiper on AliExpress, of all places. 

Drilled two holes and bolted them on. Could only find 4mm bolts locally so it was a bit hairy drilling the hole for them in steel about 6mm wide! 

Before (forgot to get a pic before I drilled the holes)

After

Cheers, that’s an interesting site actually. I know if I kept digging that I’d find them but I wanted to be able to easily replace them in the future too so this was the best solution for me. But a good shout nonetheless 👍

My camper is a Mitsubishi cab and chassis from the 80’s so it must be a Japanese thing!

Finally got around to replacing front struts on my car, and what a lovely July day to do it. Bilstein B4 strut and KYB K flex springs with KYB top mount and bearing.

Car is a 2010 Ford mondeo

This is the drivers side, passengers side is worse but having issues getting parts in good condition sent to me. This strut was leaking but not as much as the opposite side.

Removed top drop link nut, ball joint and CV axle out of the hub.

Strut Bolt was hard to remove, took some threads with it, ran a thread chaser through it and all is well.

Cleaned up the bolt may use that as a thread chaser on the other side

Strut leg is quite long so the spindle has to come down an awful long way. Have one of those long blue all joint splitter tools which helped a lot.

This is the old strut when compressed it just stays there.

View from below putting the ball joint nut back on while admiring the Bilstein B4's.

Everything back together, torqued down, new bolts for strut to knuckle and top mount to body.

All lined up at the back, was easy to manuevre the strut to line it up as I gave a damn good clean to the inside of the spindle. Plenty of silicone spray grease. I find it very slippy and very good for this application.

Quick test drive and very noticeable difference in driving, now to do the other knackered side when I can, car is basically walking with one leg shorter than the other.

Guess I'll bump this thread again 😅

Replaced 4 injectors on the missus MK3 Focus 1.6Tdci along with new clamps and bolts.

Previously changed the copper washers as they were blowing exhaust gases into the cabin, cut the injector seats but there was still a smell in the cabin, injectors themselves were fairly fcuked anyway.

When I took the clamps off 2 of them were broken, common issue on these engines

Had the new revised clamps from Ford which look like this:

Cleaned the bores with a wire brush and everything is sealed well, coded injectors and reset the pilot learning via Forscan.

Difference in how the car drives is phenomenal, feels much "lighter" on the throttle and idles a lot better. Reset the fuel economy on trip computer same journey before was 6.1l/100km and after was 4.6l/100km.

Paid €850 for the full set of Continental/Siemens VDO injectors along with genuine clamps and bolts from Ford so not bad at all, the missus is delighted, only job I've done on her car where she can "feel" the difference.

Another year, another service on the Volvo, same spot and another helping hand from the king himself (in between repairing and fabricating parts for a severely rusted J90. Yes, the cat of course has taken on that job)

Other stuff has been done to this car, but not much. Tyres, a bulb, a rear caliper. That's it. I have to change the brake fluid again someday. Runs like a clock, still spits flames. Nearing 150k miles, just have to book it's ensiti NCT

Nothing on the Z this year so far, apart from keeping the ground around it tidy and refreshing it's gearbag (seals, weak 2nd synchro, clean up etc) as the E34 took priority

Which leads me onto the E34, and some developmental stages of work (before any…. no, I'd better not say that…. anyone starts on about the wiring, 16x16 tables and electrical tape, the key words are "development stage" and are not the finished result)

I've other bits and bobs done, some visible above, some not, but that's for another time as I'd be here all day trying to remember everything. Using the VW coils has eliminated yet another weak point of the ignition system and I can piss around with timing/dwell much more precisely now. A flat spot high in the RPM's has been eradicated, idling is smoother, easier starting all to name a few immediate positives. The sharp eyed will have copped the additional spartan apparatus in the engine bay too

I have more parts to install, along with a few more bits to get, and edit some of the parts I have awaiting installation, which I may update here, I don't know though. But I have the time to do so, well for the moment anyway!

Replaced front discs and pads on Focus, first DIY on it. Original discs at 200k, pads for last 80k. Front-left disc and pad inner surface was in bits.

I've been doing some work to my old Passat to get it ready for the winter when I throw my Prelude back indoors.

I refreshed the rear suspension and gave it a new headlight and a full service.

It's an English import and all the bits and pieces were suitably corroded.

Before and after pics.

How much, including shipping etc.?

I pulled this e11 out of a field a few years back, haven't even looked at it until today, new battery in and drained the petrol tank and added some fresh dinosaur juice and up she flew after the third crank. I meant to start this one at the start of the summer but haven't been able to until today. Little flyer on the road and extremely comfortable for a 24 year old car. 94k miles, one owner from New. I can't wait to attack it with the power hose later, it's very very manky, especially on the inside.

I was collecting a few bits and bobs for it for a while, tte spoiler, skirts, lip etc but I think I'll go in the opposite direction and keep it absolutely bog standard apart from lowering springs, I'll even keep the wheel trims in place.

@Titzon Toast best looked after prelude in Ireland 100%

New amp and noticed old one has been superseded by by a slightly different one.

The difference ( that is noticeable) being the new one has no vent holes on the side.

I think the old one failed due to dampness so I'm thinking of conformal coating the circuit boards in the new one to hopefully prevent the issue down the line.