UPDATE MOTHERFUCKERS!
BREAKDOWN MONTAGE:
NON BREAKDOWN MONTAGE:
Sit rep: The car is now my daily driver and has been for quite some time, I sold the Corsa and ran the 1850 for a month or so but then the MOT rolled around and I threw it at the garage expecting the usual headlight alignment and handbrake adjustment and was then handed an A4 sheet of stuff that was buggered. So, the 1850 was taken off the road for a full brake rebuild, welding, exhaust re-hanging and electrical tinkering among other things and the 1300 became my only road legal car.
She clocks 50 miles a day although performance is best described as "leisurely", 45-50mph is preferable although driving to work in the morning 50-55mph is more the average. Oil use is still very heavy, oil pressure and compression are very low and it sounds what classic car enthusiasts call "a bit bottom endy". I'll have this engine apart and on the workbench this winter if it kills me... Honest.
Problems are largely electrical, the car only has two fuses for the whole car so one short fucks up everything, usually cleaning connectors solves everything. The only other issue was the exhaust snapping in half at 70mph on the dual carriageway just south of Aberdeen. I bought a new exhaust downpipe for a well known supplier which didn't come anywhere close to fitting and are now trying to return it and get my money back while ordering a new stainless one from my local fitters, very annoying and costly. To add to problems the manifold studs where the downpipe attaches fell apart so the car hasn't had any form of exhaust since last Friday.
On the bodywork side of things she is getting quite crusty after several Scottish winters. The front wing tips, valance and "eyebrow" panel all need sanding back and re-painting as do the door bottoms and the rear arches are buggered. It appears somebody has taken wheelarch repair panels and riveted them
on top of the originals causing masses of rusting from the inside out.
Life in the slow lane has turned out to be fairly pleasant, going fast isn't a concern when it's not possible and it's much more fun to throw the car around on some country lanes at 40mph than going down an A road at 65mph anyway. Main problem being is I know this engine is near the end of it's life so the race is on to get the 1850 repaired but I've spent a week just trying to free off the seized front brake caliper bolts in-between the pissing rain and me being constantly ill with no success... I don't think they've been off in 20+ years!