Over the last few days I've had plenty of time to dedicate to the car, so a few jobs have been completed:
* - repair rust bubble on rear arch. I was expecting this to be a simple rub down, Kurust and re-paint, but ended up being 2 inch square piece being cut out of the lip and a new bit welded in. All going well until the final coat, but that should be easy to sand back and reapply next time.
* - refitted trunk torsion springs - no longer need a bit of bar to hold the boot open (except in windy conditions, but that was always the case)
* - refitted the rear window chrome trim. Hasn't gone back on 100%, but it's close enough and doesn't appear to falling off.
* - repair drivers seat. The 4th gen seats came out of a write-off that had rolled. I didn't realise until they were fitted some 6 months later that the seat was bent and always slightly lent back and to the left (just on the border of being comfortable.) Anyway, a few months ago I picked up a pair of front seats for 99p (ebay
) so stripped it down to understand how it all fits together and use as spares. I was expecting it to be a bent frame, which required complete dismantling of the seat, but it turned out to be the outer hinge, which was much easier to change. I can now sit straight, and upright if/when I want to!!
* - re-wire cooling fans. I'd converted to electric fans a couple of years ago and have been fiddling with the control method ever since. I've now got the right temp range sensor and thermostat, but I'd wired the fans with a permanent feed, which mean the fans would often kick in for a good few minutes after shutting the engine down, which wasn't doing the battery any favours. I've now fitted a relay inline with the temp sender, so it will only transmit the signal when the ignition is on.
* - Rear parcel shelf. The rear panel has been bare for many months now and I finally had the time to measure, cut and cover the mdf board, and fit the 7x10 Kenwoods that have been patiently sitting in the loft for nearly 5 years. End result is a massive improvement, in both looks and sound quality. I've also done some of the prep work to be able to fit some deck mount 3-point seat belts later this year.
* - Trunk divider trim. You may remember from my last project weekend that I cut away the rear trunk panel, giving and access hole behind the now folding rear seats. That was left as cut edges, so I've now taped some plastic angle around the edges to cover the sharp ridges.
* - Engine and Transmission, oil and filters changed. Both long overdue. There was a worrying amount of shavings in the transmission pan, but there's nothing I can do about it now, so fingers crossed.
I also did a bunch of digging in the garden, putting down a path, but that's boring stuff.
