Dollywobbler's 17TXD Turbo - new home time

[Dollywobbler]

Ah. Ok. Is anyone else able to get a good price on LHM? I'm definitely going to need some!

[Dollywobbler]

Now with remote central locking! Just had a quick think about what I've done to this car since buying it in September.

Replaced bottom balljoint (offside)
Replaced window regulator (offside front)
Replaced door mirror (offside front)
Removed and sell alloys
Replaced rear arm bearings (and one brake pipe)
Fitted Volkswagen wiper relay (amazing how this improves the driving experience!)

Still to do:
Replace steering rack gaiter
Sort leak near octopus (copper pipe bodge here is leaking)
Sort leak at FDV/regulator (still no idea where this is leaking from)
Replace nearside bottom balljoint (very, very slight play here)
Replace offside rear door (has had a skin replacement. Badly. Rot now creeping in all over)
Get rear crossmember welded up before it gets nasty
Fit towbar
Replace front bumper
Do something about the rear spoiler which is a bit of a mess. Wouldn't miss it if it went altogether...
Sort out sticky front height corrector
Sort out sticky front strut(s)
Consider what on earth to do about the dreadful state of the paint.

[Dollywobbler]

So far this month I've sold my Nissan Bluebird and now my Ford 'Nissan' Maverick. Goodbye Japanese reliability!

That leaves me with the TXD and my 2CV as daily transport, with the Green Tiger still sitting there in case of emergency (though with the rear brakes still needing attention and it also needing a tax disc).

I'm hoping a reduced fleet will allow me to improve the quality of the vehicles I still own. Perhaps the green tiger can yet be saved.

[Dollywobbler]

In two weekends, I've covered about 800 miles in the BX. Birmingham last weekend, Kent this weekend. Best bit was filling up in Wales on the way to Birmingham, then not filling up again until Wadhurst in East Sussex (I think?) this morning (sorry I didn't have time to drop in Andy). 600 miles between fill ups at 54mpg - which is even more impressive considering it had a fuel leak until last Wednesday, and we lost a lot of fuel when replacing the pipe!

Did the trip each way this weekend in six hours including stops. It's astonishing how well a turbo diesel BX eats up the miles. This was its second trip to the South East in my ownership and it was a lot better this time, with the new arm bearings and balljoint. Still got a slight steering shake at just-about-legal speeds on the motorway.

Dropped in to see Citronut this morning before heading back, to confirm LHM leak on the FDV, drink tea and have a butcher's at Gloria the Mk1 diesel auto. A lovely bit of kit. Took absolutely no pictures at all of the BX, which does make me wonder whether this should be in the Blog section rather than Gallery.

[mat_fenwick]

Took absolutely no pictures at all of the BX, which does make me wonder whether this should be in the Blog section rather than Gallery.

It can be arranged...?

[Dollywobbler]

Go for it Mat. Thanks.

[Dollywobbler]

I fear I might have to do something about the rot in the rear crossmember/boot floor. I now know why it sounded wooshy the other day. I'd taken the parcel shelf out and folded down the rear seats, which allowed me to hear the exhaust very nicely via the hole in the floor! Sounds quite nice actually but I'd better get it seen to.

The silver window look suits it.

[citsncycles]

I found the boot floor relatively easy to fix - could get fiddly if it's crept into the rails underneath, but still fixable

[Dollywobbler]

Yeah, shouldn't be too much trauma. It's very rotten in the far corner. Doesn't seem to have spread much. Maybe I should get it done while I've got a little money in my account...

[Paul296]

If you respray a car aren't you supposed to mask off the windows!?

[Dollywobbler]

Opaque windows. It's the new in-thing. Brings visibility levels down to the same as a brand new car...

[mat_fenwick]

Any chance of boot floor photos? I'm assessing whether I want to volunteer

[Dollywobbler]

I'll see what I can achieve today.

[Dollywobbler]

Oh look! Boot carpet visible from beneath!


Other side will need attention before too long.


My new comedy speakers.


From above.


Not holed yet but not far off.


So, doesn't look too bad. Inner wing seems ok but the carpet there is damp as obviously water has been getting in via that hole. The 14 hours of driving in the rain last weekend can't have helped!

[mat_fenwick]

So, doesn't look too bad.

Well...I'd say it depends what kind of job you want doing on it. For a long term job you'd want to remove all the floorpan back to where the carpet folds (and possibly beyond), clean up the top and inside of the chassis rail and then weld new metal in. That's assuming the sides and rear wall of the boot are OK to weld to. At the other end of the scale a patch over the top from the inside folded up the edges, would be quick 'n easy but maybe only last a couple of years.