The Joy of Running an Old Shed (Vol 2)

[BenS94]

bearman68 said:

r3g said:

Buy a mk1 C1

Because I only have another 12 of those. Nevertheless, I am currently in the process of buying (well maybe), a bright yellow 4 door one, with a knackered engine.

We like these cars very much. (Maybe apart from the whole exhaust system).

I was 2 cars behind one yesterday - smelled like it was using as much oil as it was fuel

Is it piston rings or timing chains you find to be the weakest on these?

[bearman68]

BenS94 said:

I was 2 cars behind one yesterday - smelled like it was using as much oil as it was fuel

Is it piston rings or timing chains you find to be the weakest on these?

They do use oil habitually. But it's common not to change the oil in them, and that makes it worse. Toyota generally seem to be guilty of having issues with the oil control rings on their petrol engines. The 1.8 VVti used in the MR2 was th same - would burn oil.
Never had a problem so far with a timing chain though.

[r3g]

BenS94 said:

I was 2 cars behind one yesterday - smelled like it was using as much oil as it was fuel

Is it piston rings or timing chains you find to be the weakest on these?

/Never had, seen or known one through many customers to burn or use oil. Even my last 190k mile one didn't use or burn oil. Was a bit clattery but that's all, mechanically. Never known a timing chain to go on them.

[greenarrow]

Anyone on here follow you tuber "UpNdown"?? He is mainly noted for his love of old PSA cars, namely the BX. He ended up with the tomato, the red BX 16 valve which Jayemm and Number 27 ran. Anyway, this week he did a rolling road test on an absolutely rotten and fit for the scrap heap, bodywise, 330,000 mile Peugeot 405 1.9 XUDT saloon. He's tested some high mileage PSA cars before with impressive results and this one was no different. Best run was 90.9 BHP which he said was slightly down on original power. But actually the XUDT engine was quoted at 92 PS which equates to 90.3 BHP...so this knackered super mileage old car actually was fractionally up on original quoted power. It also made 150LB FT torque against the book 148.... Very impressive and just shows that the old notion of cars losing power with age and mileage is a myth most of the time. Another reason to love a good shed.

[captain.scarlet]

DIY change of a crankshaft position sensor on a 1.6 petrol Ecotec and changing a water pump with a timing belt, shedders?

This came up last month after an funny albeit embarrassing and fortunately non-lethal escapade at a timber yard where my car handbrake failed (had been stood 8 months with it up - my mistake). At the counter we all heard my car alarm start screaming only to turn around and see my car rolling backwards before it hit a stack of timber and a large bin. We were in howls.

Rear light cluster broken and bumper cracked.

Apparently a cracked bumper can be stitched together. Avoidable but the paint had faded on it so it needed doing.

On the way home, the power went on a NSL, rev counter dropped to 0, a couple of dash symbols illuminated (including traction control) followed by the EML. I had to disconnect the battery to reset everything as limping home wasn't an option.

Seems I need a new crankshaft position sensor. Has anyone done this at home? The engine is absolutely faultless and the battery is fairly new (disconnected most of the time a I don't use the car enough).

They're not too dear for what is a re-clothed Astra J but even with the 1.6 Ecotec, from YouTube videos it seems like getting to the starter motor from above will be a faff and require a mechanic.

I'm also toying with the idea of a new timing belt. 13 year old car with inaccurate 96k on the clock. The thing is, it has a new water pump put on about 1,500 miles ago and there are kits for the timing belt with or without the pump.

Are there any shedders who who advocate new belt = compulsory new water pump?

[captain.scarlet]

Irreversal said:

Punto airbox had a snapped off lug at the bottom left. Spent half an hour tonight plastic welding it back on. Couldn't get the old snapped screw out so cut down a stainless pozi screw, drilled a hole right next to the old one and it's now pulling the air filter gasket tight. Couldn't stand it not sealing properly and potentially drawing in crap.

You've done well there, Irreversal. Definitely not worth the risk of irreversible damage to a Pinto otherwise.

[r3g]

captain.scarlet said:

DIY change of a crankshaft position sensor on a 1.6 petrol Ecotec and changing a water pump with a timing belt, shedders?

You may well find that a new sensor doesn't resolve the issue. Often it's an error in the circuit / wiring rather than the sensor itself. Check all your connectors and particularly the wiring to the injectors. The wires are known to break where they connect to the injectors.

[7 5 7]

greenarrow said:

Anyone on here follow you tuber "UpNdown"?? He is mainly noted for his love of old PSA cars, namely the BX. He ended up with the tomato, the red BX 16 valve which Jayemm and Number 27 ran. Anyway, this week he did a rolling road test on an absolutely rotten and fit for the scrap heap, bodywise, 330,000 mile Peugeot 405 1.9 XUDT saloon. He's tested some high mileage PSA cars before with impressive results and this one was no different. Best run was 90.9 BHP which he said was slightly down on original power. But actually the XUDT engine was quoted at 92 PS which equates to 90.3 BHP...so this knackered super mileage old car actually was fractionally up on original quoted power. It also made 150LB FT torque against the book 148.... Very impressive and just shows that the old notion of cars losing power with age and mileage is a myth most of the time. Another reason to love a good shed.

Yes, I subscribe to this channel, it was actually a 405 estate in the video not a saloon - brought back many many memories of my grandpa who hand a string of these pug estates in the early 90's onwards! Peugeot knew how to build proper diesel's that's for sure back then.

I am hoping that the car doesn't get scrapped in the video, as much as it is as you mentioned rather rotten - it's such a shame to scrap cars.

[Hoofy]

piTTy update:

There is no update. Just thought I'd post this after going for a run late last night. My problem is simply: it's such a good car for the money... even if that money is slowly rising over time.

Actually, there is a kind of update. My indicators stopped working - signal either way and they'd come on and hold. A tick but no tock. The emergency flashing still works fine. I could hear the tick-tocking coming from the centre of the dash. So I did what any classic car fan would do. I signalled, then whacked the dash with the palm of my hand. It started working again.

Anyway, my MOT is at the start of September. I will see if it makes it that far then get the timing belt and water pump done.

[Hoofy]

funinhounslow said:

While we're discussing tiny yellow cars, I think my 13 plate Mii borderline now borderline qualifies as a shed...



Purchased new (I got advice from the 'ask a car salesman' thread on how to haggle ) the only things that have gone wrong on it are a pax airbag switch and front spring. I treated it to a new cam belt last year as I intend on 'running it into the ground'

£20/year tax, 50+ mpg and group 1 insurance - I don't see how motoring can be any cheaper. It just got through its MOT with no advisories.

An Alexa auto plugged into the aux socket has dragged it into the 2020s

What's it worth? £1.5k?

And are you actually treating it like a shed? It looks in very good condition. And it sounds like you're looking after it properly.

If it's not actually anywhere close to a shed then it isn't really a shed. I'm sure there are millionaires out there who treat their Ferraris like sheds. It doesn't mean they should start posting in this thread!

[funinhounslow]

Hoofy said:

What's it worth? £1.5k?

And are you actually treating it like a shed? It looks in very good condition. And it sounds like you're looking after it properly.

If it's not actually anywhere close to a shed then it isn't really a shed. I'm sure there are millionaires out there who treat their Ferraris like sheds. It doesn't mean they should start posting in this thread!

I thought looking after your older car was the difference between a “shed” and “bangernomics”…?

[egor110]

funinhounslow said:

Hoofy said:

What's it worth? £1.5k?

And are you actually treating it like a shed? It looks in very good condition. And it sounds like you're looking after it properly.

If it's not actually anywhere close to a shed then it isn't really a shed. I'm sure there are millionaires out there who treat their Ferraris like sheds. It doesn't mean they should start posting in this thread!

I thought looking after your older car was the difference between a “shed” and “bangernomics”…?

Of course not otherwise we'd have older ferraris in here as they also are looking after there older car .

[funinhounslow]

egor110 said:

Of course not otherwise we'd have older ferraris in here as they also are looking after there older car .

I wouldn’t say replacing a cam belt and washing a car is being overly diligent but that said if I’ve misunderstood and posted in the wrong thread I apologise

[Gordon Hill]

I've always taken the view of looking after what I have over the last 20 years or so. The purchase price being low doesn't mean that I have to treat it like sh#t, that's bangernomics not shedding. Not caring about cosmetics is one thing although I don't want to sit in a filthy car either so I keep it clean without going over the top.

The mechanical side is where I like to keep on top of things because I want my sheds to last a long time and they usually do. So changing a cam belt and other routine maintenance is good shedding practice, playing cam belt roulette is bangernomics. I've done both in the last 45 years because as a young man I was an active practitioner of bangernomics. Buy a car from the auctions for a couple of hundred quid, spend nothing on it and repeat. The problem with that is unless you get lucky you're changing cars every few months and it does get tedious after a while.

[7 5 7]

Sheds you don't wash....don't care where you park it..don't care if you keep the car unlocked...don't care if you come back to more dents or dings...I can go on, if it breaks and isn't worth fixing or labour rates cripple it if you can't DIY, you swap it and roll the dice again.

My shed is all the above, it will get a cambelt etc (it's cheap as it's a petrol) engine oil every so often, and wear n' tear consumables if it keeps it rolling...it pays it's way, it earns me business miles, it's a tool that is it! So, mechanically that's is all I care about.

The time I start washing and polishing it and spending my valuable time swooning over it, it's not the way I see it...the interior is hoovered every month, as i dont sit in st.

It will get what it wants if it's a safety issue unless it's corrosion in it's bones (basically MOT rules), nothing else! I am very strict.

I am borderline shed/bangernomics now, leaning more towards banger territory, and it's a friggin' brilliant freeing attitude.

Edited by 7 5 7 on Sunday 21st July 13:10

[Hoofy]

7 5 7 said:

I am borderline shed/bangernomics now, leaning more towards banger territory, and it's a friggin' brilliant freeing attitude.

Yes, it is. Park anywhere, don't care. At worst, if I come back to see someone needs a YPLAC sticker, I think, "Glad I didn't bring the nice car!"

[Hoofy]

funinhounslow said:

egor110 said:

Of course not otherwise we'd have older ferraris in here as they also are looking after there older car .

I wouldn’t say replacing a cam belt and washing a car is being overly diligent but that said if I’ve misunderstood and posted in the wrong thread I apologise

Sorry, I admit my first reply to you sounded like I was doing a reverse snob thing. I meant that your car looks in far too good a condition to be considered a shed.

[Hoofy]

Gordon Hill said:

Not caring about cosmetics is one thing although I don't want to sit in a filthy car either so I keep it clean without going over the top.

Mine gets washed when it rains. And I'm talking about the Porsche!

Neither are "filthy" but there's no rubbish inside my cars - I'm not an animal. They just have light dust from only being washed when it gets serviced once a year or if a bird craps on either because the droppings can damage the paint. Or some twonk scratches the Porsche so I have to deal with said scratch; the TT had loads of scratches and dinks when I bought it.

[Gordon Hill]

I do mine inside and out from March until the end of October about once a month, I don't have time for any more and then I give it up as a bad job November though to February. It doesn't help having messy grandchildren.

I was working it out the other day, over the last 10 years I've had 3 sheds for a total purchase price of £1500. A Kia, a Peugeot and the shed Merc. Over that period I've had zero breakdowns, I've wasted a fortune in breakdown cover.

[Hoofy]

Gordon Hill said:

I do mine inside and out from March until the end of October about once a month, I don't have time for any more and then I give it up as a bad job November though to February. It doesn't help having messy grandchildren.

I was working it out the other day, over the last 10 years I've had 3 sheds for a total purchase price of £1500. A Kia, a Peugeot and the shed Merc. Over that period I've had zero breakdowns, I've wasted a fortune in breakdown cover.

Nice going with that.

You know the minute you cancel the overpriced AA membership, your car will let you down somewhere dangerous.