August/September 2013 - TLC time

On the 1st September it was 11 years since the car was first registered and on the 6th September it had been 6 months since I bought her! As a present, I bought some tailor cut luxury mats which make it a lot nicer inside!

So after a bit of neglect and a 600 mile trip to the Lake District and North Yorkshire, I thought it was time to address some of the problems!

First up was the spark plugs. First 3 no problems, second 3 required the manifold and throttle body to be removed and working blind! But all in and not too bad a job, even though it took a while!

Next up I spent some time polishing the exhaust tip and now it looks like new and really sets the car off well! I took the rear wheels off to clean them but they didn't come out as well!

The track rod ends came up on the last MOT as an advisory, so I have done them. Required lots of heat from a burner and a bit of grinding but eventually got them off! However, it hasn't gotten rid of the knocking noise so I will have to investigate further!

Last up, I took the centre console out and cleaned it, but main reason was to improve the fit and finish as the silver trim wasn't connected properly and caused problems with the opening flap.

Unfortunately, the paper clip that I used to fix the CD changer has fallen in and caused the player to malfunction. Took it out and apart and can't see the clip. May have to be replaced or go to a repairer!

The MOT and service is due early next month so let's see what that brings.