A free K11 Micra 1.0
Discussion
BuzzBravado said:
Cant wait to see how clean it is after a good bit elbow grease. Looks like a tidy wee car is under all that muck.
I've done a bit of amateur detailing in the past so seeing this as a fun challenge. Like many older cars it's just the dirt that's a real issue. The parts have cost £30. I'm a believer that far fewer people need buy new cars than actually do. Really properly clean it and it'll feel good again.
Turkish91 said:
I had an L reg one of these that I paid £110 for, it was invincible! I threw a set of Kumho tyres on it and some fresh brakes and it was a little gem!
I remember it being really, really hard to get it to understeer or even lift off oversteer in the dry; you had to be driving like a complete and utter berk to get it to lose grip at all. It would just keep on hanging on, great little motor!
Er...really? The thing I liked about mine was it had so little grip you could feel on the edge at 30mph I remember it being really, really hard to get it to understeer or even lift off oversteer in the dry; you had to be driving like a complete and utter berk to get it to lose grip at all. It would just keep on hanging on, great little motor!
james_gt3rs said:
Turkish91 said:
I had an L reg one of these that I paid £110 for, it was invincible! I threw a set of Kumho tyres on it and some fresh brakes and it was a little gem!
I remember it being really, really hard to get it to understeer or even lift off oversteer in the dry; you had to be driving like a complete and utter berk to get it to lose grip at all. It would just keep on hanging on, great little motor!
Er...really? The thing I liked about mine was it had so little grip you could feel on the edge at 30mph I remember it being really, really hard to get it to understeer or even lift off oversteer in the dry; you had to be driving like a complete and utter berk to get it to lose grip at all. It would just keep on hanging on, great little motor!
Ah, K11 Micras. Wonderful machines. Solid (apart from the front crossmembers!), reliable, take a huge amount of abuse. I've spent quite a bit of time co-driving in these for junior rally drivers aged 14-17. Obligatory shots of one airborne:
micrakames by S Brown, on Flickr
micraingliston1 by S Brown, on Flickr
micrakames by S Brown, on Flickrmicraingliston1 by S Brown, on FlickrLove it!
Today was progress day...
Sunshine! Off I toddled to see Mr Toad and start fiddling!
Job one, change the coolant reservoir due to hole! Obviously a bolt snapped off but it's for the air intake and not important now - I'll drill and replace it another time. Cost £16.99
Second job was the clonking door. A bit of hammery bashy techniques with the impact driver meant it was adjusted and now clicks shut.
Third came replacement of the third brake light which had a broken mounting,. Old one had been held in place with duck tape. White spirit used to remove sticky residue then glass cleaned a little. Again a five minute job. Cost £13.
Then it was time for bucket and nail brush, paint brush and cloths. A lot of washing, scrubbing and fiddling took place. The mats were scrubbed with a yard broom,
The boot has been thoroughly cleaned out too and everything put back as it should be.
I took the gear stick gaiter off to wash it and see what lived under there. A mouse judging by the shredded tissue! Thickly I managed to crack the handbrake cover so a new one is on order for yes £13.
Everything was vacuumed and after two goings over it's not bad at all. I can now enter Mr Toad without feeling icky. There is glitter in it! A lint roller should see to that.
Discoveries today include no display on the radio although it works nicely with the factory upgraded speaker option.
Rear screen washer which has been repaired before is not very happy. I suspect kinked or grubby tubing. A bottle of malt vinegar in the washer bottle does wonders for cleaning things through so that's a job for another day.
A speedo bulb is out too. I have some at home so hope one fits.
Next up is the bodywork. The last two pics show the challenge ahead. That black dirt won't scratch off with a finger nail. I feel some kick ass cleaning tactics are on the way.
I've also bought a complete service kit: oil, air, fuel and pollen filters, plugs and oil for a dinky £44.77. That's half the cost of just the oil for the BMW
I'll clean the carpets and seats properly in the summer when they'll dry out nicely, but they're good enough for now.
So far this car has cost £87.76 and 4 containers of elbow grease.
Today was progress day...
Sunshine! Off I toddled to see Mr Toad and start fiddling!
Job one, change the coolant reservoir due to hole! Obviously a bolt snapped off but it's for the air intake and not important now - I'll drill and replace it another time. Cost £16.99
Second job was the clonking door. A bit of hammery bashy techniques with the impact driver meant it was adjusted and now clicks shut.
Third came replacement of the third brake light which had a broken mounting,. Old one had been held in place with duck tape. White spirit used to remove sticky residue then glass cleaned a little. Again a five minute job. Cost £13.
Then it was time for bucket and nail brush, paint brush and cloths. A lot of washing, scrubbing and fiddling took place. The mats were scrubbed with a yard broom,
The boot has been thoroughly cleaned out too and everything put back as it should be.
I took the gear stick gaiter off to wash it and see what lived under there. A mouse judging by the shredded tissue! Thickly I managed to crack the handbrake cover so a new one is on order for yes £13.
Everything was vacuumed and after two goings over it's not bad at all. I can now enter Mr Toad without feeling icky. There is glitter in it! A lint roller should see to that.
Discoveries today include no display on the radio although it works nicely with the factory upgraded speaker option.
Rear screen washer which has been repaired before is not very happy. I suspect kinked or grubby tubing. A bottle of malt vinegar in the washer bottle does wonders for cleaning things through so that's a job for another day.
A speedo bulb is out too. I have some at home so hope one fits.
Next up is the bodywork. The last two pics show the challenge ahead. That black dirt won't scratch off with a finger nail. I feel some kick ass cleaning tactics are on the way.
I've also bought a complete service kit: oil, air, fuel and pollen filters, plugs and oil for a dinky £44.77. That's half the cost of just the oil for the BMW
I'll clean the carpets and seats properly in the summer when they'll dry out nicely, but they're good enough for now.
So far this car has cost £87.76 and 4 containers of elbow grease.
Edited by Six Fiend on Thursday 2nd March 18:13
It was sunny yesterday wasn't it?!
Time to give Mr Toad a bath. This was a very basic wash, no actual physical contact between me and Mr Toad, just a hefty showering with some Power Maxed not very diluted!
After letting it soak for a while I blasted a lot of muck off. See the difference inside the fuel filler! Looking a lot happier Mr Toad only leaked a little which was due to old door seals and high pressure water being blasted from about 2 inches away.
I didn't get all of the black spotty muck off the roof but it's a start and another couple of washes should see everything gone.
The observant will notice the slight hole in the underside where there was a welded patch. A patch just to get it through an MoT rather than a solid repair. I know this from the handfuls of loose rust which came out!
Before anything else is fixed / serviced there's a trip due to the man with the bright glowing thingy to see what can be done and for how much. The repair needs to be effective rather than pretty so no fancy respray.
Then, if all goes well, a service and an attack of the very peeled manky wheels.
Sadly the Karcher gave up the ghost after 17 years of faithful service cleaning many many cars. The repair parts will cost more than a new power washer.
Time to give Mr Toad a bath. This was a very basic wash, no actual physical contact between me and Mr Toad, just a hefty showering with some Power Maxed not very diluted!
After letting it soak for a while I blasted a lot of muck off. See the difference inside the fuel filler! Looking a lot happier Mr Toad only leaked a little which was due to old door seals and high pressure water being blasted from about 2 inches away.
I didn't get all of the black spotty muck off the roof but it's a start and another couple of washes should see everything gone.
The observant will notice the slight hole in the underside where there was a welded patch. A patch just to get it through an MoT rather than a solid repair. I know this from the handfuls of loose rust which came out!
Before anything else is fixed / serviced there's a trip due to the man with the bright glowing thingy to see what can be done and for how much. The repair needs to be effective rather than pretty so no fancy respray.
Then, if all goes well, a service and an attack of the very peeled manky wheels.
Sadly the Karcher gave up the ghost after 17 years of faithful service cleaning many many cars. The repair parts will cost more than a new power washer.
squareflops said:
Looks great dude! rust aside they're still fantastic cars. Hopefully the repair doesn't cost too much.
Those wheels are very reminiscent of Escort Cosworth alloys - so that's cool!
Thanks, the little bugger is getting under my skin! We have a friendly welder who does things functional and solid so fingers crossed.Those wheels are very reminiscent of Escort Cosworth alloys - so that's cool!
A friend said the same about the alloys, similar but s
tter 
(they are a flaked and festering mess close up!)HTP99 said:
Interesting thread as I'm looking for one of these for my youngest.
The MIL had an L plate for over 10 years and it never let her down, finally it succumbed to rust.
There are plenty out there it's just trying to find one for the right money and with no rust advisories on the MOT.
The visibility out of it is what I like! Everything inside is fairly robust and well screwed together.The MIL had an L plate for over 10 years and it never let her down, finally it succumbed to rust.
There are plenty out there it's just trying to find one for the right money and with no rust advisories on the MOT.
Mostly they're front crossmember and sills jobs. This one has had issues with both and both welded. If it was a tasty one I'd have a new crossmember as they're cheap if a touch fiddly to do. Anotherposter has done one and written it up.
AWG said:
Premium 95! Where would one buy this?
Loved my old Micra, served our family well. 197,000 miles before it's end.
Great thread.
You mean the Power Maxed?Loved my old Micra, served our family well. 197,000 miles before it's end.
Great thread.
All over the place. I bought a 5 litre concentrate in Halfords. £14.99 these days. It's fab stuff, lots of good reviews on Detailing World and from my friendly local detailer
.Six Fiend said:
AWG said:
Premium 95! Where would one buy this?
Loved my old Micra, served our family well. 197,000 miles before it's end.
Great thread.
You mean the Power Maxed?Loved my old Micra, served our family well. 197,000 miles before it's end.
Great thread.
All over the place. I bought a 5 litre concentrate in Halfords. £14.99 these days. It's fab stuff, lots of good reviews on Detailing World and from my friendly local detailer
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