Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Tell us your ongoing tales and experiences with your French car here. Post pictures of your car here as well.
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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Zelandeth »

CitroJim wrote: 15 Jun 2023, 15:59 A most interesting read Zel :D So, did your head re-torquing help with the leaks?

Given the gasket type it may be wise to have a light slim done and check the block deck is nice and true if you find you need to do the head gasket....
Sadly made no difference. Though a bunch of the bolts were definitely noticeably loose. Mostly towards the front of the engine though (granted, I don't know exactly where the actual breach is).

It's an odd one in that there's no internal leakage as far as I can tell. Oil has stayed spotless since it was changed and there's no steam from the exhaust or anything - it is just leaking externally. The thought does spring to mind that there may be a core plug or similar in the back of the head which may be where the actual leak is coming from...but that's about an inch from the bulkhead so the head would almost definitely have to come off to deal with it if so anyway. Even with mirrors and/or the camera on my phone I can't even get half a look at the back of the head.

Problem with trying to get the head skimmed is...well who the heck do I use? I can count on one hand the number of specialists over the last ten years that I've not felt in at least some way majorly let down by. So unless someone on here knows someone in the area they would trust, I'm flying a bit blind and honestly expecting the worst!
Current fleet:
07 Volvo V70 SE D5, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
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mickthemaverick
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by mickthemaverick »

I have had 20+ heads machined in Watford at a company which has been there longer than I've been driving and never had a problem. They built a reputation with us rallyists under the name of Green and Wetherley Ltd but they now trade under the name of Cramers from the same place. I have not actually used them since the 90s but no reason not to expect the same level of expertise they always exhibited. Have a look at their website which does mention doing classic car works: :-D

https://www.cramersltd.co.uk/index.html
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by xantia_v6 »

I came across those reverse CRTs in (iirc) 1985 when working for a company located in the Rivermill at St Ives (Cambs). That was the building where Clive Sinclair developed most of his products, I was told that there were prototype C5s stored in the loft. Anyway at that time the last vestiges of the Sinclair empire (Thandar) were moving out and about 20 years worth of junk from the development labs was going into a large skip.

A couple of us would hang around after work until we were sure the Thandar staff had all gone home and then rummage through the upper layers of the skip for anything useful or collectible. We found a never opened box of 10 of those CRTs, and I kept a couple as souvenirs (sadly lost later). I also got a couple of complete 1st generation Microvision TVs, one in working condition. It did not work when tested a few years later, but I still have them in a box somewhere.
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mickthemaverick
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by mickthemaverick »

If this interests you Zel, it works, £40 would see it in your collection!! :)
Panasonic WP
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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Zelandeth »

mickthemaverick wrote: 16 Jun 2023, 14:16 If this interests you Zel, it works, £40 would see it in your collection!! :)

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Let me know!
Much as I *want* I'm going to restrain myself...if I start letting myself branch out into all manner of computer adjacent things too far I'll rapidly end up buried. Um...more than I already am.

Something finally arrived yesterday. After a long fight trying to find one, wound up with two sources turning up together.

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The contents being this lot.

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Which I was finally able to confirm indeed does include the necessary replacement for my knackered gear shift bush on the Renault.

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Which needs to go here.

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Which is as far as I got today. The bush it turns out is made of a really very firm material and I've nowhere near enough strength to get it either onto the ball joint it is meant to sit or to get the outer part of the linkage over it. All I've succeeded in doing is bruising the heck out of my right hand trying.

It's the sort of job I'd normally say "just use a press" for - but when one end is a component part of the gear box that's not so easy. Next plan of attack will involve a G-clamp and I'm sure a good deal more swearing.

Will be rearranging things a bit too as both the jack and axle stand today were positioned in exactly the most annoying location possible...both to be absolutely in the way, and for the bush to manage to bounce and roll under the axle stand just about every time I dropped it. Which caused a lot of swearing.
Current fleet:
07 Volvo V70 SE D5, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Zelandeth »

That is one tight fitting bush, but eventually got it to cooperate.

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This involved using a G-clamp to force it into place on the linkage itself, then again to pop the whole thing onto the ball on the selector assembly. The former was definitely reaching the limits of what I could muster in terms of strength, but got there in the end. I guess at least I know it's not coming out of its own accord.

I have loosely looped a cable tie around the upper selector rod as well just so if that bush should fail again in the future the linkage will be caught before it hits the ground.

Proof the car has actually moved today for the first time in well over a month.

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The Rover has also moved - into the "bay" which is reserved for the patient currently undergoing treatment.

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I'll get stuck into pulling the head later on in the week.

I'm rather hacked off with the van right now. The supposedly "factory reconditioned" brake caliper ordered from eBay I ordered on Tuesday arrived yesterday dinner time - in a completely devoid of padding cardboard box. The listing showed a nice shiny caliper, rather than what was supplied which indeed may have been reconditioned - some time in the 80s, and subsequently stored on the Titanic, and is seized solid. Dispute car has been raised with PayPal and as far as I'm concerned that's now for them to argue with the seller. If it was £20 or something I'd just grumble and let it go, but for the best part of £200 I was hoping for something at least serviceable.

So I guess I am going to be digging into the one on there then whether I like it or not.

This is particularly annoying as the thing is essentially sold - the MOT is the only thing standing between me and getting a parking space back now.
Current fleet:
07 Volvo V70 SE D5, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
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CitroJim
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by CitroJim »

Excellent news on the Renault Zel :D
Jim

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Zelandeth »

CitroJim wrote: 19 Jun 2023, 05:23 Excellent news on the Renault Zel :D
Now there's just the small matters of getting the welding it needs done and finding a solution to the drop link issue before the MOT runs out next month...no pressure!
Current fleet:
07 Volvo V70 SE D5, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
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CitroJim
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by CitroJim »

I was thinking the Renault was Tax and MoT exempt Zel... Then I looked at the registration plate and see it's got a year or so to wait yet :(

I'm sure all will be good :)
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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Zelandeth »

CitroJim wrote: 19 Jun 2023, 14:07 I was thinking the Renault was Tax and MoT exempt Zel... Then I looked at the registration plate and see it's got a year or so to wait yet :(

I'm sure all will be good :)
To be fair it's just a matter of finding someone to do the work. Especially as a lot of folks seem unwilling to get involved in work which is likely to total a significant portion of the value of the car. We know that sort of boring logic isn't in play with this car though, it will get whatever work is needed done.

The damage around the chassis outrigger I could probably manage myself as it's a pretty straightforward repair. It's pretty clearly damage from the car being improperly jacked there and corrosion which has just happened around the damage rather than awkward long term corrosion. Plus being buried well under the car nobody is ever going to see it, so if it's not pretty it's not the end of the world (and trust me, my welding is not pretty!). Sorting the inner wing seams though needs a bit more finesse, as that's both a more complex shape to work with and is visible when the bonnet is open.

In other news, oh look another one!

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While I've not actively been going looking for anything lately, I do have a few saved searches set up on eBay, and "Toshiba T1600" is one of those as I'm still trying to get hold of a working example. This was listed with a buy it now price of £30 - so I immediately pounced on it. If you're even vaguely familiar with the market for this range of machines these days you'll know is even in non-working or "untested" condition is silly cheap.

This basically continues the ever increasing count of "how many do I need to buy before I find one which hasn't been blown up?"

The seller in this case seems to deal mainly with antiques and house clearance items, with very little by way of electronics at all in there. So maybe this one *will* actually have escaped the usual fate of having been plugged in and blown up.

It certainly doesn't have the usual smell of suspiciously fresh magic smoke which usually (read: almost invariably) accompanies one of these machines. So time will tell I guess.

While it's filthy, the case seems to be free of immediately obvious damage and the display looks to be in good order (these are prone to fading similarly to the ones on the T1200) so at the very least that will be a nice spare to have.

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There isn't much wear on the keyboard, so I don't think this has a massive number of miles on it.

So expect to see some further carnage at some point in the next few days when I get time to tear into it. There's quite a lot of that involved here as getting the power supply board out of the T1600 is way more involved than on the T1200 where it's literally a ten minute job, as the T1600 is far more densely packed under the cover as this really was a machine that was pushing the limits of what could be done at the time.
Current fleet:
07 Volvo V70 SE D5, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
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CitroJim
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by CitroJim »

Fingers crossed the T1600 can be brought back to life Zel :)

I remember those as quite special...
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Michel
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Michel »

CitroJim wrote: 20 Jun 2023, 04:16 Fingers crossed the T1600 can be brought back to life Zel :)

I remember those as quite special...
I sat at a table in a filthy cafe in Northern Athens in 1991 using one of these. It gathered a few curious old chaps at the time.
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CitroJim
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by CitroJim »

Saw this yesterday and thought of you Zel 😊
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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Zelandeth »

I'm getting the impression I've done something to anger the gods this month.

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That oil slick was clean coolant 48 hours ago.

Why do I have not one, but TWO cars with head gasket issues on my driveway at the same time? That's just not funny!

Edit: Had pretty much decided this was getting thrown at a garage to be sorted. I don't like messing with OHC engines at the best of times, and I really don't have the time or patience right now - especially when it's so fluffing hot.

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Yes that's obviously a temperature reading taken in the sun...but guess where I'm sitting/standing while working on things...yes, in the very same sun.

Unfortunately neither of the usual garages I use are even vaguely willing to take this on because they're too busy. So I guess I am doing it myself then.

Three or four months on as well, Autoglass still haven't been able to source me a replacement windscreen for the Caddy. It's still on indefinite back order. Great. Wonderful, glad to be a part of it...remind me why I do this to myself again and don't just have one modern white appliance of a car?
Current fleet:
07 Volvo V70 SE D5, 88 Renault 25 Monaco, 85 Sinclair C5, 84 Trabant 601S, 75 Rover 3500, 73 AC Model 70.
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

Unread post by Gibbo2286 »

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