squonk
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Bought this today It's a car I've seen driving around locally for a number oy years. To my surprise it popped up on ebay this week as being sold for spares or repairs. It's MoT has just run out and it needs a number of brake pipes and some patching on a sill. Some time next week it is being recovered to a garage just up the road from me for the work to be done (I haven't got the time at the moment) and an MoT. It's a 5.3 Vortec V8 with a BRC LPG system fitted which makes the cost of running it about the same as a car doing 30 - 35 mpg on petrol at current prices. The tank is under slung so no loss of space. These are very clever vehicles with a folding 'mid gate' giving a full 8ft load space. Its pretty much Chevrolet Suburban underpinnings mated to a modified Silverado cab and bed. Very much looking forward to driving it.
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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Looking forward to more info and pics as you get to know it.
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squonk
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Thanks grizz, I'm really looking forward to driving it. Unfortunately I'm unlikely to get to do so for a couple of weeks as I don't have the space for it and I've told the guy who's going to be doing the work that I'm not in a hurry to get it back. Hence it's free storage for me until I can fit it in the drive (its a big curse word)! Should be entertaining driving around the roads of the Peak District.
What I can say is that it is in excellent condition apart from the bits mentioned. The pictures on ebay did not do it justice. It has a very recent stainless exhaust on it and sounds lovely too.
I was actually looking for a F150 Harley Davidson edition or a Ram 1500 Hemi and have been looking for about 9 months without finding the right truck. I hadn't considered an Avalanche but when this popped up at a price I couldn't say no to and was local I had to buy it. Having read up a bit more on the Chevy 5.3 V8 it seems its a better engine than the other two anyway. The only issues these tend to have is transmission failure and that only happens when people tow loads with the transmission in overdrive. It gets too hot. I know that this hasn't towed anything in the last ten years anyway.
I going to do a VIN Decode on it tonight to find out what options it actually has. Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out!
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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I found out after buying it that my S10 is a full house ZQ8 factory limited edition.
So it cost me some money to get it back to factory spec, but I love it.
There are clever guys out there who read these like a comic strip.
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Last Edit: Jul 9, 2022 20:54:27 GMT by grizz
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squonk
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A quick VIN decode tells me that this is a Z71 package. Basically a 4 x 4 but with road suspension rather than uprated offroad - which I am pleased about as I like my comfort! Its original cost in 2004 was $36,185. Heavy duty tow pack, Skid plate package plus much more.
General spec is 295 bhp 330 lb/ft torque Fuel economy 14 - 18 mpg (US) (17 - 22 imperial) Better than I ever got out of a Range Rover!! 0 - 60mph 8 sec 151mph max speed Standing quarter 14.8s @ 86 mph Max towing weight 5000lbs
Not too shabby for a truck!!
Pleased about the tow pack as I plan on towing our T/A caravan with it. Not sure whether the ball that is fitted is 50mm or 2" as its pretty rusty. Probably best just to change it to be safe. I'll bet the 7 pin socket will need changing too.
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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squonk
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Jul 12, 2022 20:29:14 GMT
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Well, tomorrow is the day it gets delivered. Looking at a time line of getting it back roadworthy and MoT'd for 1st August.
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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squonk
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Car was delivered yesterday for the work to be done on it. It looked huge on the back of the recovery vehicle. Once it was off just about all the mechanics at the garage were crawling all over it!! The stainles exhaust runs into two tail pipes and sounds like thunder - lovely.
Got insurance sorted out today for a very reasonable £260/yr with £100 excess. Very pleased with that figure as it is only slightly more than my Mercedes CLK.
Really looking forward to getting this back and on the road, particularly as it will be cheaper to run than both my Mercedes and my Grand Voyager.
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Last Edit: Jul 14, 2022 8:09:37 GMT by squonk
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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squonk
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I got the car back last Tuesday with the welding having been done, a new front to rear brake pipe and a full MoT. Since then I have done about 200 miles in it. It surprised me how quickly I got used to left hand drive despite the width of the vehicle and the narrow twisty roads that litter the area we are in. The biggest surprise though was this: ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/8f6b1ab15833.jpg) This is far better than I ever managed out of a Range Rover (usually 12 - 14 mpg). Also bear in mind that this was pottering around locally and not on any long runs. The car runs on LPG which costs between 75p - 99p per litre in my locality. So even at 99p/litre its still equivalent to 30mpg on diesel. Its cheaper to run than my Voyager!! From the moment I drove it the stereo was driving me nuts. It has had the original stereo replaced with a Kenwood head unit connected to the installed Bose amplifier via an adaptor box. This box is supposed to let the Bose amp think the original stereo is fitted and work seamlessly with it - except it didn't. Generally it didn't work at all other than randomly switching itself on whilst driving and causing me to jump!! Clearly this could not continue. So this is the Kenwood system: And its connected through some rather questionable wiring to this adaptor ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/7d2e1afb1846.jpg) After spending several hours investigating the box and the cars wiring on line, and playing around with the wiring I came to the conclusion that the fault lay within the box. A shame as these are very expensive and if it were working it would be an easy way to upgrade the stereo. So I decided to rip all this out and start again. I wasn't that bothered about the Bose amp. I suspect that the amp itself had internal EQ as is often the case with Bose home systems. This gives a very bass heavy and toppy sound. There is a sub woofer built into the centre console which I would initially loose but for the time being I'm not that bothered. I'll add another amp at a later date to get it working again. The cars sound was impressive on first acquaintance but not great overall. The old adage is that Bose stands for Buy Other Sound Equipment. Maybe so but I do have a pair of old Bose 301 S2 domestic speakers that I like a lot. So the first thing to do was to get to the amplifier. It resides in the bottom of the centre console. Getting to it was easy as everything either unscrews or unclips. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/515f562af2e1.jpg) It was a case of unclipping the connectors and extracting the loom to get access to the speaker cables. I then had to decipher which cable went where ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/269a80eaeacd.jpg) It appears that there are two types of Bose system installed in many of the GM products of this era, Standard and premium. Mine is the premium as it has the subs. There is a lot of contradictory information on the net about the wiring of these systems, all being slightly different depending on the vehicle its installed in. Naturally there is virtually no information about the Avalanche installation. So armed with several different wiring diagrams from other models and a test meter I went about sorting this rats nest out. I then had to run speaker cables back up to the head unit as I was intending on using its own internal amplification. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/071fdc814eb3.jpg) ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/5e001884cad7.jpg) Having got these in I had to sort out the power connections. As with most head units, I needed a permanent 12v feed and an ignition (acc) switched feed. The permanent feed was simple, the original radio connector already had one. The ignition switched feed was a challenge though. It appears the original system used the cars data bus to turn itself and the amp on. So I had to search for a suitable feed elsewhere. Again, after more research and a probe around with a test light I discovered a junction box in the drivers footwell that had the required supply on it so I ran a cable from there up to the head unit. So I now had power and speakers connected. Time to try it out. Hmm, no sound from the front passenger door but the tweeter in the screen pillar trim was working so the fault must be either with the speaker or the wiring in the door. Off with the door trim then. The speaker is held in by a strange clip system. Sounds odd but it was rock solid and a pig to release. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/0202c777fb7d.jpg) Having got the speaker out and disconnected the wiring looked fine. The speaker cone moved as I would have expected it to but a quick check with a multimeter showed it to be open circuit. Everything looked and felt fine so I investigated further. Putting a meter across the wires where they pass through the cone showed a 6 ohm resistance. So the speaker itself was fine. Closer examination with a bright light and a magnifying glass revealed that the terminals in the speaker connector were tarnished ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/42f675ccb9d7.jpg) After attacking them with a scalpel and a cut down nail file I had 6 ohms at the terminals. Back out to the car and connect it back up. Yes!! it worked. So now all I had to do was put it all back together. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/293bc4eaf72e.jpg) ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/0a50445dea79.jpg) So it now all works, looks good in the dash and actually sounds pretty decent. Obviously the steering wheel controls don't work but as the stereo is right by the wheel its not exactly an issue. Next thing I need to do is add a reversing camera. I'm going to wait until I have replacement reversing lights (on order) to replace the broken ones currently fitted as they will feed the camera power. As grizz and others have said, its not about miles per gallon but smiles per gallon!! Every time I get in the truck and start it up the rumble of the V8 brings a smile to my face. Surprisingly the wife loves it too!
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Last Edit: Aug 8, 2022 12:02:39 GMT by squonk
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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squonk
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Aug 10, 2022 22:56:09 GMT
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A couple more jobs completed today. Firstly, an accessible USB socket for the stereo. The head unit has a flying lead with a USB socket on it. Not very usable when driving. The centre console had a cigarette lighter and a power socket in it. So a flush mount USB socket from Amazon (£6.99) was fitted in place of the cigarette lighter. It was a little loose so a bit of hot glue soon sorted it out. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/a0c462ec6e5b.jpg) The rear bumper on the truck is quite rustly and really needs replacing. Its actually quite cheap to buy in America but the shipping is more than the bumper. When I've got a sufficiently large enough number of parts to be ordered I'll order the bumper too. At some point in its life in the UK it has had the rear lights converted to UK spec flashers. The reversing lights have been converted to indicators and fitted with amber bulbs. Some LED reversing lights had been added but have taken a battering over the years. One was held up with cable ties: And the other had been pushed up inside the chassis at the back: ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/f0390f77bc44.jpg) There was also some pretty dodgy wiring for the 12N socket up there too ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/2a21128614ee.jpg) I'll address the wiring when I fit a 12S socket. ebay provided me with a pair of new reversing lights with brackets that could be fitted to the bumper struts for £9.99 the pair. New on the left, old on the right ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/ec8942962580.jpg) And fitted!! ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/d40d8aadaf63.jpg) And at dusk when on ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/2d5b32008b53.jpg) Pretty effective! At some stage someone had stuck a V8 badge on the tailgate. Half of it had fallen off leaving just the V ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/8a1e9e7087cd.jpg) As the type of the truck is a Z71 I thought a more appropriate badge would be in order. Ebay again and another £9.99 ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/5ab43a94ebdb.jpg) Next thing is going to be a check of axle, gearbox and transfer case fluids but I need to find an equivalent to the transfer case oil as the GM part number only appears to be available in America. Google will be my friend!!
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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squonk
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Aug 10, 2022 23:07:28 GMT
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So whats this mid gate malarky about with this truck then? Basically a very good idea that makes the truck very versatile. Firstly you have the 5ft bed with a tough waterproof cover on it. The cover is strong enough for two people to stand on. The cover is in three parts and unclips to give an open bed ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/730a58fcf314.jpg) Whilst still giving a spacious car like rear seat ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/acd0885adcd1.jpg) The rear seat can be folded forward and the 'Mid Gate' laid flat leaving the cab glass in place to give a full 8ft x 4ft load area ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/d1201d360ddf.jpg) If you need to carry larger items the glass can be removed and stored safely in the front of the mid gate ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/6a12219c6c9f.jpg) Giving a pretty decent load area ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/d010dc146c10.jpg) The mid gate can be raised with the rear window stored and the seats can be put back into position leaving the glass out to give extra ventilation ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/e67e372a5cb9.jpg) It's a pretty damn versatile system.
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Last Edit: Aug 10, 2022 23:08:39 GMT by squonk
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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Aug 12, 2022 18:48:56 GMT
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Great buy, I came close to buying this myself as I'd not long sold my 6.0 GMC Yukon but didn't have the space or time to do the repairs then. A handy thing to know is that you can buy a custom fitted tent as an accessory to fit this truck, with the tailgate down as well as the cab back it's a surprising size for weekends away off the ground.
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squonk
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Aug 12, 2022 23:45:01 GMT
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Great buy, I came close to buying this myself as I'd not long sold my 6.0 GMC Yukon but didn't have the space or time to do the repairs then. A handy thing to know is that you can buy a custom fitted tent as an accessory to fit this truck, with the tailgate down as well as the cab back it's a surprising size for weekends away off the ground. To be honest, I didn't really have the space or time either and if it wern't for the fact that the car was just down the road from where I live I probably wouldn't have bothered with it. Solved the space problem by scrapping off a Renault Laguna that had been sitting around since 2019, one out one in. Also had to promise the boss that I would get rid of three other cars too. So the Merc covertible is going (it never gets used these days anyway), The 1992 Range Rover is going (very rusty but repairable, I just haven't got the will or the time to do it) and the Merc C180 will be MoT'd and sold. Time issue was solved by getting a local garage to do the welding and brake pipe. Whole job including an MoT came to £300 which I thought wasn't bad One reason I wanted this was to use as a tow car for our caravan. The van is on the weight limit of the Voyager and from past experience I can say that bad things happen to auto boxes when operating at their limits!! The Avalanche has a few issues that need sorting out. I doubt that the transfer box has ever had an oil change as it is damn near impossible to get GM Auto Trak 2 fluid in the UK. I've found a supplier now and it should arrive on Wednesday. I'm also going to do an oil change on both differentials and the auto box (along with its filter screen). It has a bit of a drone above 40 mph but that might just be the tyres. I've had BFG All Terrains on the HiLux in the past but they didn't seem quite this noisy. Having said that, the diesel in the HiLux drowned out most noises anyway! The LPG system needs a service too. It stumbles a bit when pulling away quickly (its fine on petrol). I have the service record sheet for the LPG installation and if that is anything to go by it has not been serviced since it was installed 45000 miles ago! The parking brake also leaves a lot to be desired so I'm going to have to look into that too. Last MoT had it as an advisory that it barely reached the requirement of the test and it certainly hasn't been dealt with since. Its a dead easy sytem to work on though and I suspect that the adjusters have siezed up.
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Last Edit: Aug 12, 2022 23:48:55 GMT by squonk
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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Wouldn't fancy coming the other way in my Mini on a tiny Peak District road to see this coming toward me!
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squonk
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Aug 13, 2022 10:27:15 GMT
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Wouldn't fancy coming the other way in my Mini on a tiny Peak District road to see this coming toward me! Yeah, I have had some interesting and entertaining meetings with other vehicles. Funniest are the idiots in vans that think they can use their size to bully people out of the way!! The look of terror on their faces is priceless. To be honest you get used to the size very quickly. In fact its only about an inch wider than my Voyager but it does have significantly greater road presence.
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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Aug 13, 2022 16:57:18 GMT
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Wouldn't fancy coming the other way in my Mini on a tiny Peak District road to see this coming toward me! Yeah, I have had some interesting and entertaining meetings with other vehicles. Funniest are the idiots in vans that think they can use their size to bully people out of the way!! The look of terror on their faces is priceless. To be honest you get used to the size very quickly. In fact its only about an inch wider than my Voyager but it does have significantly greater road presence. Absolutely agree. You adapt to the increased girth instantly. Other oncoming road users less so.
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squonk
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Aug 18, 2022 23:19:00 GMT
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On Wednesday the Chevrolet went in to have the a/c leak traced. It was filled up a couple of weeks ago and lasted three days before all the gas had leaked out despite having passed the leakdown test. The leak was traced to the condensor. Didn't surprise me as it looked a bit ropey. So I've got to order a condensor, drier and seal kit. Rediculously cheap in America (£60.00 for the lot). Of course the shipping cost will just about double that so I'm going to get a big shopping list of spares together to get the best value from the shipping cost. I got a couple more jobs done on it today. Firstly was the installation of a dash cam. I do not like having trailing cables anywhere in a car so this was going to be installed with a hidden power supply and no cables visible. One of China's finest products ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/e6ad9d1123e9.jpg) This was going to be installed in the dash where it was out of site. Getting the dash apart is dead easy. The complete front bezel just unclips and comes away leaving excelent access to the instrument panel ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/bc88fe729466.jpg) Four screws and one plug later and I have a large gaping void ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/caf371cfd83c.jpg) The cover on the screen pilar unclips and the tweeter is unplugged leaving access to the wiring loom ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/2cdefc5dbd86.jpg) The feed for the camera PSU was taken from an ignition powerd cable and a fuse was installed - just in case. The PSU was then tucked down into the dash ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/46ab1c329aa9.jpg) Everything was reassembled and the dash cam tested - all working fine! ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/1a40642a5315.jpg) I'd managed to source all of the fluids required to do an oil change on the front diff, transfer case and rear diff. So, time to get myself and the surrounding area covered in oil!! First was the front diff. There is a skid plate under the diff that slightly restricts access to the drain and filler plugs The job can be done without removing the plate but for the sake of the removal of four bolts access can be massively improved ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/df4b7b3d5b95.jpg) Once drained I measured the quantity of black dishwater that came out - 1.4 litres, it shoud be 2.12 litres. The new fluid was squirted in using a Sealy syringe. Very useful tool and for both removing and refilling oil in differential www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-AK46-Suction-Syringe-Metal-Silver/dp/B000RA0XLO/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2N7QZ4BUQ0VLJ&keywords=sealey+syringe&qid=1660862641&sprefix=sealey+syr%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-9Next was the transfer case. Easy access to both the drain and filler plugs on this one The fluid in this should be blue in colour (almost like antifreeze) but what came out was a dark brown colour. Either it had the wrong stuff in there or it hadn't been changed in a very long time, if ever. At least it had the correct amount though. Then we come to the rear axle. Yet another different fluid for this one too, 75-W90 semi synthetic. Up to 2002 Chevrolet fitted a drin plug to the rear diff casing. Mine being a 2004 therefore didn't have one. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/2acdc5c93866.jpg) So, two ways of draining it: remove the diff cover plate or suck it out with a pump. The cover plate didn't look too clever and I guessed that removing it would result in a damaged gasket. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/aedfb81f731e.jpg) As I can't just nip to the local autofactor for a gasket I figured that sucking it out using a little electric oil pump I bought from Lidl would be a better option. I have used this pump once before on my daughters Corsa and it worked very well. However, in this case after a couple of seconds of running (before it had even primed itself) it packed up and refused to turn back on. As the diff oil level was correct I figured that for the time being I would leave as is until I either fix the pump or get a cover gasket. Next was the parking brake. As mentioned previously it had been recorded as barely meeting the MoT requirement. This didn't fill me with confidence as my drive is on a slope so I really needed to do something about it. It's a dead simple mechanism. Once the brake caliper is removed the disc is slid off to reveal this: It cant be seen in the picture but that is a single shoe that is clmped oposite to the adjuster. The adjuster is fully manual and all that was needed was a quick clean up and a tweak with a small pry bar to the star wheel. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/25b950397895.jpg) A couple of trial fits of the disc and operation of the parking brake to ensure the shoes were centered and with a small amount of adjustment each time we have a parking brake that works. The procedure was repeated on the other side. This is so simple to make work. No auto adjusters to sieze up or complex springs to hold the shoes in like there is on my Mercedes. So next thing to do will be to order a whole load of parts (maybe even a rear bumper). I'd also like to add an amplifier to the stereo to power the subs.
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Last Edit: Aug 18, 2022 23:21:24 GMT by squonk
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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squonk
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Aug 25, 2022 22:13:59 GMT
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Not done much with the truck in the last week other than used it and put it to work. Last Saturday we took it to Black Rock Sands near Porthmadog in Wales. A 250 mile round trip at a very respectable......... ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/0bf51149b9ce.jpg) And thats on fuel that cost 79.9p/litre at Morrisons. This truck is very affordable to run!! Today it got pressed into work shifting a couple of cars between our houses. A 30 mile round trip to collect the trailer - which I didn't even notice was being towed other than the banging around when it was empty, then one and a half miles between houses. Ho hum. First to be shifted was the Rover 620Ti. Not difficult to load as I got it running a couple of weeks ago from having a locked engine and no clutch. It would have been easier to load if it hadn't been tipping down with rain and my drive is on a slope. Not too much wheelspin on the ramps but enough to make it a bit sketchy!! ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/3f16b5afa12b.jpg) Then back to collect one of the Range Rovers. I got this running a couple of weeks ago as well. Had to remove all of the injectors and clean then then jury rig an external fuel supply from a can and a fuel pump. When I went to extract the RR from the corner its been languishing in for the last 16 years initially it wouldn't engage drive. Found a couple of litres of Deron III and added it, drive restored! However, as previously mentioned my drive is on a slope. Having got the car moving I discovered that there were no brakes despite the pedal feeling Ok. A bit scary as I was heading towards the house. A quick yank on the handbrake and we came to an abrupt halt. ![](https://img.retro-rides.org/i/v/squonk/e05b3487f9e8.jpg) Before attempting to load it I power washed all the grime off the windows so I could at least see my impeding doom (we are not on a hosepipe ban in my area). Then a very sketchy loading of the car transporter. Not only did I not have brakes but also a throttle that seemed to have a mind of its own. Finally managed to get it loaded without killing the wife who was trying to direct me. So one thing I have learned from todays experiences is that rear vision out of this truck is terrible. The rear window is nothing more than a slit and the buttresses do a fantastic job of obscuring vision. High on the priority list is a reversing camera!
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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Aug 26, 2022 19:15:44 GMT
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It's a nice looking truck, I'm enjoying this thread. A suggestion for a supplier if you're struggling with sourcing oil etc. Is AAS in Newcastle - they're the main UK royal purple dealer, are really helpful and can source just about any GM fluid - I've used them for bits for my Holden: www.aas-exhausts.co.uk/
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squonk
Part of things
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Posts: 863
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Aug 26, 2022 20:48:46 GMT
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Thank you, I'm very happy with it. The rumble of the V8 through the (almost) straight through exhaust makes me smile every time I drive it. And its just so cheap to run as well.
Thank you for the link, bookmarked for future use.
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2004 Chevrolet Avalanche Z71 2005 Mercedes CLK320 Cabriolet 1996 Mercedes C180 Elegance Auto Saloon 1996 Rover 620Ti (Dead fuel pump) 1992 Toyota HiLux Surf 1987 Range Rover Vogue (Rusty) 1992 Range Rover Vogue SE (More Rusty) 2006 Chrysler Grand Voyager 2008 Corsa 1.4 Design
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Seeing a few of them on the road here in the USA.
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