This Is The New Recipe Chat Thread...

[Daleo]

it needs a hoist and 3 people. one small enough to remain in the boot

I might be able to help with that.

[PN-Mad]

Problem?

[bigkevracer]

How'd you do the PS? Just lock to lock about 30 times?

I had to do mine, since we were pushing the car around between workshops.

Attesa Plug under the dash. 2 person job- why 3 Iain - dont need to stay in the boot!

I did PS when I did the cooler.

Drain fluid, hook up cooler, top up fluid, done. I didn't dick around with any bleeding procedures, and it works fine.

[scotty nm35]

I did PS when I did the cooler.

Drain fluid, hook up cooler, top up fluid, done. I didn't dick around with any bleeding procedures, and it works fine.

You didn't drain the rack though, that's where the issue was. It takes hours to get all the air bubbles out of it.

[bigkevracer]

Serviced 'our' non Stagea: a 1.4 SOHC XC Barina.

What a shit job. Sump plus is some POS that needs torx to remove it. Comes off pretty easy with a hammer and chisel though!

And some genius hung the cat in front of the engine, next to the oil filter...

Now that I've had it up on the hoist though, I can see... New exhaust and manifold should do wonders, and I'm sure someone does an induction kit and chip for the Opel and Vauxhall versions. And some sway bars... Oh dear...

[PN-Mad]

Dailys suck teh balls.

I'm fighting a cold idle problem on mine atm. Basically even if the car is hot, the cold idle valve still allows some air flow and I get a high idle. Doesn't help that coolant changes were negleted prior to me, and little things have corroded. Oh, and then I had to do a radiator top hose on it, and its due for a cam belt, clutch, maybe water pump, and dizzy oil seal soon too!

[zei20l]

i got a full set of torx bits for the pair of euros i have now. its bit of a PITA that i have a full set of metric sockets and ring/open spanners that i mostly cant use on the cars

[bigkevracer]

i got a full set of torx bits for the pair of euros i have now. its bit of a PITA that i have a full set of metric sockets and ring/open spanners that i mostly cant use on the cars

It's not the Torx that pisses me off the most, it's the cheap shit sump plug. It was already knocked about when I looked at it, and it was seized and f**ked. Torx just seems completely unnecessary to me. Allan keys ftw!

Dailys suck teh balls.

I'm fighting a cold idle problem on mine atm. Basically even if the car is hot, the cold idle valve still allows some air flow and I get a high idle. Doesn't help that coolant changes were negleted prior to me, and little things have corroded. Oh, and then I had to do a radiator top hose on it, and its due for a cam belt, clutch, maybe water pump, and dizzy oil seal soon too!

What have you got?

I'm lucky by comparison! It'll need brakes and tyres in 10,000, but other than that it's pretty good. Thinking I should replace the air filter, no one knows when it was last changed.

[slippylotion]

Hey Ryan did you wrap your roof this weekend?

Our daily is a little 1998 excel the missus bought new for 12k on road. Still going mechanically strong at 210,000km with only a clutch master, alternator and map sensor being replaced. Still runs the original clutch, brake pads and rotors that that have never needed to be machined. Pads even have 6mm thickness left. I agree not the best cars around but this one has certainly been great value with only the paint letting it down now that it's fading.

Edited July 1, 2012 by slippylotion

[PN-Mad]

What have you got?

I'm lucky by comparison! It'll need brakes and tyres in 10,000, but other than that it's pretty good. Thinking I should replace the air filter, no one knows when it was last changed.

91 Mazda 323. Its a little trooper. still going great, just about to clock over 200k. One family car. Big spends have really only been a set of shocks, and a timing belt/clutch waterpump service, and reco'd shafts in 110,000kms of use. Other than that, done a rad top tank, and pipe, 2 fuel filters, 2 air filters, Gearbox fluid x1, a $14 water temp sensor, some tyres (still going great after 55,000kms! pirelli FTW!) some random relays, a coil pack/leads that weren't needed because we were trouble shooting... and oil and filter every 7000kms. Oh, and some strut top bushes- they were a bit pricey for what they were. Thats off teh top of my head.

I've taken to writing down when I last did stuff to each of them on the beer fridge now for convenience in whiteboard pen. works a treat.

[shane344]

I've taken to writing down when I last did stuff to each of them on the beer fridge now for convenience in whiteboard pen. works a treat.

I had a similar reminder system for my Cressida, but it was on the Rad support in permanent marker, White spirits would get most of it off when stuff needed an update.

[bigkevracer]

Hey Ryan did you wrap your roof this weekend?

Our daily is a little 1998 excel the missus bought new for 12k on road. Still going mechanically strong at 210,000km with only a clutch master, alternator and map sensor being replaced. Still runs the original clutch, brake pads and rotors that that have never needed to be machined. Pads even have 6mm thickness left. I agree not the best cars around but this one has certainly been great value with only the paint letting it down now that it's fading.

Nah mate, didn't get to pick it up. Buggered up and got the night for the SAUSA dinner wrong... Will make a new time to pick it up and go again.

I've always heard good things about Excels being good value and bullet proof, not my thing though. Guess that's why the missus bought it and not you!

The XC is my woman's, if I had to buy one myself I would have got a manual at least, preferably a 1.8.

91 Mazda 323. Its a little trooper. still going great, just about to clock over 200k. One family car. Big spends have really only been a set of shocks, and a timing belt/clutch waterpump service, and reco'd shafts in 110,000kms of use. Other than that, done a rad top tank, and pipe, 2 fuel filters, 2 air filters, Gearbox fluid x1, a $14 water temp sensor, some tyres (still going great after 55,000kms! pirelli FTW!) some random relays, a coil pack/leads that weren't needed because we were trouble shooting... and oil and filter every 7000kms. Oh, and some strut top bushes- they were a bit pricey for what they were. Thats off teh top of my head.

I've taken to writing down when I last did stuff to each of them on the beer fridge now for convenience in whiteboard pen. works a treat.

That's a long time to own a car! Sounds like its been good. We had a Laser TX3 rally car at one point, which shared a lot of common parts with a 323/Familia. Good car except the gearbox...

We've got a record of what's been done in the glove box - complete service history since new. Impressive really.

[bigkevracer]

BBenny's Stagea has been doing the rounds on ebay for a little while... http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/230831926840?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661#ht_500wt_1156

[PN-Mad]

Keinbah - that really went to the middle of nowhere.

looks like its been raised up too. Someone should bring it back to sydney

[Sunkist]

I always thought bbennys car looked great. Wonder why it keeps going up for sale though?

[bigkevracer]

You want to get back into a Stagea don't you Aaron... go on... go on... do it!

[ironpaw]

Why did he sell it in the first place?

[Daleo]

I always thought bbennys car looked great. Wonder why it keeps going up for sale though?

I'm pretty sure Ben moved it on to free up some capital for his business; I don't believe he really wanted to get rid of it. Who knows with the current owner?

[Sunkist]

I'm not going to bring one from interstate when there are plenty of them in Vic lol

[scotty nm35]

I heard there is a caryard in Dandenong that have some good ones.