Done a bit more work but keep forgetting to update.
Had some extreme blowing on the exhaust so I hunted around for some paste or something to block it up. Found some for £4 and then dropped the exhaust down and covered the joins like crazy after I seperated them and gave them a good clean. Cat to midpipe looks like it could do with a bit more to make sure of it but at least I don't get dizzy after 5 minutes of driving.
Engine has always been crap, but while I was doing the exhaust I discovered the wires to the lambda probe had been rubbing against the alternator and two had become completely destroyed. Went to the local scrapyard and found a mondeo with a shorter type lambda, spliced the wires off that to the current plug for the lambda and the engine now runs smoooooth. Gave it a test run and it's bedded in nicely. No more crap idle, no more jerky gear changes, potentially no more stuffing money directly into the filler cap. Need to find out what can help clear the exhaust of soot as that's so black it's unreal.
Located a heated front windscreen and loom. Going to hopefully collect it on Sunday. If i'm lucky and get this, I'll have taken this car from no electrics when I bought it (that's no ciggy lighter, no electric windows, no central locking even no radio) to a full electric pack. Next aim for this is the electric heated mirrors
The MOT is coming up at the end of october. For this I definitely need to do:
All four tyres. Sizes of the ones I have are 195/60/R15 which is perfect for an accurate speedo but evil for scrubbage over bumps and full lock. Rears are worn to hell anyway, thankfully still legal enough to reach the MOT. Ideal size would be 195/50/R15 or even 195/45/R15.
Underbody rust seems ok, need to give it a good clean off and then quickly prime and underseal to protect. Got a full drivers side sill which does need replacing but not critically.
Check on the emissions. I know the tester fudged it on the last MOT (apparently my car runs literally on air) and with the knowledge the HEGO was buggered (it wasn't working correctly even before the wire damage) I suspect the readings should be in line with the manufacturers settings. And the obligatory 60mph in second gear of course.
In the mix of all that gotta get some exhaust hangars for the cat section, as I think these have faded and now allow the cat to clatter against the suspension cross-member on engine movement. Find out why the front brakes click-click-click at high speed (like a stone caught in the disc catching the caliper) and find out how to stop the intermittent god-awful HOWL from said brakes.
At least I know the brakes work on my invisible fiesta though. At least once a week I get someone pull out in front of me.
Heading south on this road at
, at the 50mph limit when some idiot pops out without looking properly forcing me to literally pull myself out of my seat I stood on the brakes that hard. Got about a foot away from his rear bumper. Wouldn't have made it if I had the old fezzy brakes.
Then the other night,
I come off the roundabout to the east and back off as these lights are red. Drop down to 20 and then ease it up when the lights change. I see a car in the right hand turn lane from the opposite direction and see him slow down. I go through the lights and then have to stand on my brakes real hard as he turns in front of me, once again, about a foot away. Grrrr.
I'll get some pics of what work I've done in the next few days. Especially of the rarely tidy interior!
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