Xbolx tat blog, Jan 2016 'FLEET UPDATE'

Is that the rear of your Talbot Alpine in one pic? It has a Minories sticker in the rear window, both my Father and I once worked for them. My Uncle once owned an Alpine too.

That looks absolutely spanking!
Not sure what you saved by not having the bonnet done, but i'm suprised the sprayer went for the idea since silver is notoriously difficult to colour match. I reckon i'd have had the bonnet done along with the rest to be onb the safe side and just left the roof out, but yer mans done a great job by the looks of it

MrB, show us your Alpine....!!!

Subaru turned out nice too.

Done a bit on the Subaru over the last couple of nights.

Firrst up, saggy headlining. Its got one of those moulded placca headlinings with a fabric covering, which had come unglued from the liner and was hanging down like your grannys XYZ. I removed all the grab handles and so on, and dismantled the sunroof (which will probably never be watertight ever again now), and took it out for some TLC.



Next I bought a can of aerosol glue off Crewe market for £2, (a popular line with local youths I imagine), and a couple of boxed of little artists clips off ebay for £3. I glued the flat bit in the middle first, and weighed it down with some of my extensive library of art pamphlets and a nearby table covered in rubbish:



Turned out the fabric had actually shrunk, I think it would have made a better job if I had found some new stuff but I didnt have the time/inclination. Next i turned it on its side and glued one side at a time, cannot get it fully glued down though due to the shrinkage so I have this feeling it wont be a 'fix-and-forget' type carry-on. No doubt it will drop down over my face one day while I am blezzing along causing a multi car pile up. ANyway I will do the other side tonight, then hopefully I can bosh it back in tonight or tomorrow.

Next up, sticky brakes: I thought we had a collapsed brake hose as one brake was sticking on, it was a 'hydraulic' problem not a mechanical one as twatting the brake did not free it off, the only way to make it let go was to crack open the union and release the fluid pressure. So, after much phoning round (£37 + delivery for a brake hose? I'd rather crash mate) I found a pair for a still far-too-expensive £50 delivered.



So, I lobbed em on and realised why they were so 'cheap', the central support bracket on em was in the wrong place leaving a big loop of hose in easy rubbing distance of the wheel ! NICE.





A bit of nifty tweaking and cable tying fixed that though. Anyway, these new hoses did not fix the sticky brake problem. Removing the calipers revealed no sign of any seizure there so I am a bit flummoxed. The pads are well thin so I will get some new ones in, and then fingers crossed it will all just magically work after that like a Honda advert.

Your dedication to the cause & eclectic taste in cars never cease to amaze me! Great stuff! ;D

edited for spelling

Nearly there MrB. I bet that sub wasnt long for this world in any other hands and now its mint. Id imagine not many of these subarus survive, especially in this condition. Great work!

What plans do you have for it when its completed? Will it become your daily smoker?

BTW, 4x4s are banned in bangers as far as I know.

Word up gang!

Been pottering along on the old subaru again, basically I have fitted all the trim bits back on, fixed the brakes etc. It was plagued by seizing front brakes - turns out its fitted with a 'hill holder' thing which locks the front brakes on if you press the clutch while the brakes are being 'heavily' applied, I think its to stop it roling down hills when youre going down the slippery slope, as I am permanently doing. So when I conected that up properly, tlike a miracle the brakes worked a treat. WINNER.

Anyway, I have something else lined up for the garage so I pulled my finger out and decided to take it for an MOT today. Last night I went to put the lightboard etc on and have a last pre-MOT review.



Admire my new ally reg plates and decals. Lovely!

There was a bit underneath which I knew required a bit of wire brushing and painting to stop the rust getting bad. Infuriatingly though when I looked, I wwas too late and already had a couple of holes in the floor to deal with, 'within 30cm of vehicle suspension mouting components' so there was my MOT fail already. POOR.





0.6/10 for MOT preparation I think you'll agree!

Nowt for it but to get the SIP 'pigeonshitronic 130 turbo' fired up:





AH, THATS BETTER. Finished mucking about at 1 am last night, and the subaru was delivered to the MOT shed this morning at 8am!



I gave it a bit of a blezz round the industrial estate this morning and it runs and drives pretty well. CV joints click a bit when doing U turns etc but it drives nicely so hopefully a clean-out and some fresh grease in the joints will silence those. Fingers crossed!

G'luck with the test!

me want know result!