Crazy Cat Lady

Lots of [ V _ _ GTO ] number plate choices?

Should come in handy when we change the radiator sometime later this year

Soon be springtime A few other bits are still on their way, delayed due to snow, should be all here sometime very soon. Debs

I guess once the insurers have written off the vehicle; a buy back and re-build will be subject to a category N (formerly category D) which may lower it's resell value (?) Assuming the VW twit admits fault and you are blameless i think it depends upon how much the insurance company give you to cover the loss of the vehicle. It would be interesting to know this. May be better [or an option] to take the opportunity to find and buy another?

Happy dance after todays MOT PASS!

Crikey, can't believe 6 months has flashed past already! Did we get a summer this year? I put my winter wheel set back on last week, and today i thoroughly washed clean the 10 spoke summer set and left them to drip dry in the garage. I'll wax polish them up and put them into proper hibernation another day when i get the urge. Debs

My Gen 7 windows can suddenly mist up on the insides very inconveniently fast in the damp-cold or humid weather. It's dry as a bone everywhere inside my passion wagon, and the misting up would appear to be caused by condensation due to 'exhaled breathing'. And no, there is no hanky-panky going on The only cures i know is to either hold your breath for the entire journey, wear a face mask with snorkel pipe though window to outside [ flippers optional ] or put the air conditioning on to clear it; which fortunately mine does and fairly quickly. I find my Gen 7 is dependent on having a good working order A/C system all year around to include the cold damp conditions. I've also noticed that in a summer heat-wave the inside can get unbearably hot if the A/C is not operational. Debs

Warning: Using old bean-cans to fix exhaust pipes may cause muffled flatulent reverberations and back-firing!

Don't sell it. In fifteen years from now it will be a desirable old classic worth £20k+ and you'll be kicking yourself up your own backside saying how you used to own one and regret having sold it Debs

I hope any upcoming development of legalised MOT evasion won't be the cause of more RTAs, crashes, injuries, and deaths. With the prospect of up to half a million smoky old vehicles on the road with no MOT we can certainly expect more pollution - which strangely contradicts the modern [albeit farcical] trend of imposed alignment between VED and how environmentally friendly said newer vehicle is supposed to be. VED has become a very easy money grab for HM Gov, and a very useful stick for the powerful new-car sales lobby to beat us with so we may conform to their business model having us continually scraping our cars when only a decade old [or less] and rushing out to buy a brand new one. There is plenty of TAX already on fuel, which in a way is fairer in that the more one drives the more one pays but i'd like to see a blanket lowering of VED charge to at least a quarter of what it presently charged for any given vehicle, and instead have far more cost enthuses placed upon MOTs even if this involves more expense at the garage with more routine servicing checks and generally far a more extensive and thorough check-over. This would help lower pollution, promote safety, and provide useful business for local garages Debs

Removed the plastic sill covers to inspect the underlying metalwork: Looked a little mucky but not as bad as feared... After a jolly good clean up the sills expose a remarkably fresh appearance, just some surface rust blemishes along that weld-lip that hangs down. Dinitrol tin worm killer is sprayed at high pressure into the box sections of the sills, and into both front and rear sub-frames.

Sorry to going off topic but I'm not enabled to edit my posts, or post a photo [ URL using photo bucket ] If i try loading a photo it fails with removal from the topic thread - and to end up back in the main 'Forums' menu....

I'll try an edit again - testing testing; won too free

I have SGS struts which raise my spoiler & tailgate unassisted. I expect the same struts on a non spoiler gate could give one an under the chin knock-out blow... which would make a change from getting conked on the back of the head after using droopy knackered struts. I've purchased a few things from SGS, their stuff is good for the job and fine for the price IMO, but be warned they use an awful delivery company who operate with the habit off delivering the stuff when they feel like it. Last time i stayed in all day waiting for a specified Monday delivery - only to see the courier had not bothered to come, and even listed the non-delivery as customer not at home Happens quite often with them apparently. Debs Unable to edit: I'm only able to make a pointless reason for edit but not able to actually edit - wot's going on? make a change - not make a chance

Hold on Tiger! now i realise how it could take you only half an hour! i didn't read your post right about it being the inlet manifold Sorry i didn't make it clear but my reply refers to the exhaust manifold I think cleaning/polishing out the internal exhaust manifold would make a nice difference - but maybe subject matter for another time/day perhaps! See the youtube vid - quite interesting imo Anyway, where did i put my reading glasses...? Debs

Sounds like a good result Do you think doing an internal manifold polish [using a Flex-Hone perhaps] would achieve any improvements?

My trusty mechanic guy says it's typical of the model to have some pull away hesitation or stalling, and most likely cause is dirty or worn throttle-body. We've cleaned the throttle-body, checked for leaky rubber pipework, cleaned the MAF, changed the plugs, TLC etc, and nothing has changed the unpredictable nature of the sudden pull-away conk-out syndrome. It only happens occasionally [one in every five pull-aways?] but annoying when it does. I've gotten used to giving the accelerator pedal a little blip [from 800rpm tick-over - up to around 1200rpm] before pulling away each and every time now, that seems to prevent the chance of a sudden conk-out. If the fitting of a brand new OEM grade Denso manufactured MAF sensor is the cure for this...? ...then i want one! Interested in a group buy if it happens Debs

Yesterday: Air/Con de-gas - leakage check - recharge £48.00 + VAT The guy that did it noticed a slight oil mark on one of the valve caps, so he changed both the valves [for free]. He's a good guy. Seems to be working fine now, i no longer need to strip naked and towel dry after every drive in heatwave daytime [sorry no photos]. Just hoping the Air/Con recharge will hold and the super cool cool coolness will continue for a few years to come. I find that the air con is essential other times of the year too, especially when condensation is on inside of windows - clears it off very quickly. Would hate the air con to pack up completely - one of those faff thing jobs i don't like to get into... Debs

I expect the price hike is due to Brexit Tax on imported products & devaluation of the £ Still very affordable at £28, and considering how much some of the fancy brakes pads cost. £18.50 was a bargain Debs

Although i can afford to buy a 86 i'm not willing to accept the couple of grand or so a year depreciation costs. And from a practical standpoint the 86 looks a bit lacking in rear cargo space. But the GT86 is far nicer looking car than the Gen 7, and it's RWD too, which i find awfully tempting....

30 quid for front brake pad set, 20 quid for rears, and free postage - from Mister Auto : )

The slider pins need proper silicone brake grease. Any other type may have detrimental effect on the rubber seals causing break down and let dirt in. and/or get baked-on due to the very high temperature leaving a black cooked on mess which prevents the pins from sliding which is probably one of the main reasons why people have so many pin sticking issues. Copper slip is good on the clips that hold the pad edges, and on rear of pads.

The 86 refers to the 86mm bore, and 86mm stroke of the Subaru's horizontally opposed boxer engine design.

My mechanic told me that without the cat you can gleam a bit more brake horsepower at higher revs, however the cat gives the car more torque and 'pull-away power, which [depending upon the individual] is often the better option. You can take my word for it after all i'm crazy for cats LOL! Debs

Back from shot blasting and powder coating: ...and also in the post: Brand new Borg & Beck ball joints and tie rod ends. Debs