Millipede Monaro (it's a bit leggy!)

[99t]

To be fair the caliper seems to do what it is meant to do without issue. I just need to query the price charged with them now, if I can ever make contact...

Because the caliper took so long to get back, and I hadn't been using the car much prior to sending it away for repair, when it came time to start the old girl up for a test drive, the battery was pretty flat.

I had bought one of these on a whim a while back.



So I decided (in a moment of extreme optimism) to give it a try before breaking out the jump leads.

Why extreme optimism? Well the small print suggests it is only suitable for engines up to 1.6 litres or so. Thus a 5.7 might be pushing its design spec a tad?

Well it only went and started it! Not the fastest the engine has ever cranked over, but good enough to fire

Half expected the jump pack to be a smoking ruin afterwards but other than a bit of angry beeping, all appears well with it. Still shows a full charge too!

[jas xjr]

Good read . I wonder where the guy is that predicted your car blowing up?
Good luck with the old girl.

[99t]

jas xjr said:

I wonder where the guy is that predicted your car blowing up?

It'll be the British climate that kills this I think. Predictably but sadly, living outdoors and being used occasionally isn't doing it any favours.

The bodywork is really starting to go around the edges, although that is all cosmetic of course. The chassis rails aren't cosmetic though and they are definitely starting to show external signs of probably quite severe internal corrosion.

Equally, under the bonnet looks much like a barn find, spiders webs galore and huge amounts of corrosion on all the metal fittings, pipework and bracketry. Plus rubber hoses that look like they would disintegrate if touched. It really isn't a pretty picture and sooner or later something (minor) is going to let go.

If the bodywork was better, I would undertake a refresh of all the knackered stuff under the bonnet, but taking everything into account it starts getting hard to justify.

I will keep running her as long as practicable, but probably won't be undertaking any journeys longer than my 25 mile commute now.

When Mille finally comes to the end of her road, assuming the core mechanicals are still fundamentally in fine fettle, I would like to see just how many more miles are left in this engine.

I'll just leave this here...

LS1 into '67 F Body fitting kits

[Ilovejapcrap]

ID love to know who did your calipers referb only reason I ask is I had all 4 on my mr2 done by a company and they did a great job.

[99t]

Can't name and shame but my description of them in " "s should give you a decent pointer in their direction.

Still being ignored by them despite repeated requests for a call back. Seems they are too busy to even take on new work atm so they must be doing something right...?

[fastbikes76]

‘The Brake Caliper shysters’ are to avoided like the clap !! A friend went through your EXACT scenario including old damaged pistons refitted, new seals incorrectly fitted, no spring clips holding two of the new seals on, and two torn seals where screw drivers had gone through them while some ham fisted baboon tried to fit said clips.

In the end I rebuilt his calipers a second time to be safe as it would appear my 8 year old daughter was more competent then them !

[99t]

The Monaro has been resting for a couple of weeks, whilst I find time to replace a rusted through fuel tank strap.

Needs must however, as the wife's DS3 is broken (again) and she needs to use my Skoda.

Went to retrieve Mille from the farm and found that some winged blighter has taken a liking to the wing mirrors as a perch / roost...







If anything the pics don't show just how thick and minging the deposits were!

The old girl only just managed to start again too, so I think the battery (that I liberated from my 9000 before it went for scrap three years ago) is finally dying. Can't really complain as the battery was at least four years old back then!

(edited to change last battery swap date to three years - can't believe it is that long since I got rid of my 9000!!)

Edited by 99t on Wednesday 14th November 08:24

[99t]

There is a thread running in the HSV & Monaro section on fuel tank strap replacements, so it seems a pretty common issue on "big boot" cars as they age.

I'm not entirely sure why there is a third strap on these anyway? The two main straps are more chunky in cross-section and seem better positioned to take the weight of the tank. The third one, nearest the exhaust, lacks strength in profile and seems like an afterthought.

Regardless, it was doing bugger all as it was and would have resulted in an MOT fail for sure.





Builder's band comes in the correct width and is galvanised so should last ok. I'm sure it lacks the strength of the original straps so I wouldn't use it to replace the main two straps, but for number three it has got to be better than what was there!



Fortunately the two main straps appear in pretty sound condition, so I'm happy to leave them be.

[Veeayt]

Early W463 Gelandewagens had plastic petrol tank straps, which is not only counter intuitive for a serious offroader but also contradictory to their mythical build quality. So yours is not too bad.

Love this thread and following with interest since the beginning. Keep it coming and don't give up on the old girl

[99t]

Cheers, will do!

Tonight, this happened..



I didn't own the old girl when 123456 came up, so this is the next best thing!!

[Krikkit]

Magnificent work retuning the radio for extra points too.

[99t]

Best I could do, my inner geek was thwarted by he fact it won't display trip and odometer at the same time

[Dr G]

Surely make it do 8.9MPG is easy enough?

[Jimmy Recard]

Fantastic OP. I love this car.

You're planning to keep it until it's too far gone then?

[99t]

Dr G said:

Surely make it do 8.9MPG is easy enough?

Damn! Didn't think of that!

[99t]

Jimmy Recard said:

You're planning to keep it until it's too far gone then?

Interesting question that one, and not one I can answer with absolute certainty.

Short answer - probably, yes.

TL:DR answer.

I have a very natural-feeling home for the Monaro's running gear in the form of my '67 Camaro (which currently lacks any running gear worth mentioning). This was always the plan to some extent, with the intention of using and enjoying the Monaro for as long as practically possible without carrying out a restoration, just basic mechanical upkeep.

The Camaro is currently in bits (as in totally, 100% disassembled, as purchased) and needs full restoration, although the shell is fundamentally very solid.

I do have plenty of ongoing projects vying for my time, so there is no plan to start the Camaro any time soon. It is safely tucked away and I've always viewed it as a semi / retirement project.

Whether the running gear from the Monaro eventually ends up in the Camaro (considered over a correspondingly longer timescale) depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to:-

Possible increases in Monaro values, although I can't see the value of my old nail exceeding the cost of a guaranteed low-mile engine and box with all ancillaries on a pallet any time soon, but longer term who knows? In another decade or so, depending on legislative factors, it may be difficult to give away petrol engines of any sort and values may have dropped accordingly.

Tied in with the above, might it start to look excessively difficult or expensive to get a modified Camaro back on the road, as the drive towards alternatively fuelled vehicles accelerates and fossil fuelled cars are increasingly legislated against?

I feel there will come a tipping point at which building the Camaro as an EV (sacrilegious as that currently feels) becomes a logical alternative to a "traditional" build, either purely from a financial perspective, or in terms of the car's usability being severely restricted if fossil fuelled. In that case I would have no need for a V8 donor.

Time will tell. Could it be that the Monaro ultimately receives a stay of execution from becoming a donor by future legislation designed to drive big thirsty cars off the road, making the swap impractical?

For now and the foreseeable future though, I'll simply drive and enjoy...

[Stu08]

99t said:

Cheers, will do!

Tonight, this happened..



I didn't own the old girl when 123456 came up, so this is the next best thing!!

So close to having 234567890....If only the 89.0 was on the RHS of odometer!

[99t]

Stu08 said:

So close to having 234567890....If only the 89.0 was on the RHS of odometer!

I know. You'd have thought the designers might've considered that during requirements analysis!!

[99t]

Back in March 17 I said:

The power steering cooler loop is looking incredibly crusty and is surely going to let go sooner or later. Really I should replace it now before it leaves me at the roadside but where's the fun in that? Live a little dangerously I say!

Got a puncture in the Skoda on Wednesday, and since my spare tyre was looking a little threadbare I decided to take the Monaro on Thursday whilst the the wheel was with my local garage for repair.

Got half-way to work and became vaguely aware of a new whirring, whining noise, steadily becoming louder. Immediately suspected low PAS fluid, it is such a distinctive sound. Since it was pitch black and lashing down with rain, I didn't really fancy stopping at the roadside to investigate so limped a mile or so to the nearest petrol station and confirmed the header tank was dry and much oily wetness around the lower front where the cooler loop sits. Fortunately the petrol station had one bottle of PAS fluid on the shelf.

Topped up, started the engine and was relieved to see it didn't all flood straight back out, more of a slow drip. Turned around and limped it back home.

Took second reserve car to work!

Will have a look later, see what's what...

[99t]

Confirmed the leak from the cooler loop at the front, little vid here

Quite straightforward to strip the old one out. Pipe is 3/8" so will make a replacement out of copper pipe and means I can try putting some beads on the end of a thin tube.

I doubt the lack of cooling fins will make a big difference in this country, we don't have the heat of Australia and I don't track the car so I'm sure it'll be fine without...