Touching up Miss Cooper

[Nj]

like this
**edit** obviously everybody on this forum knows what a ****ing S2 bumper looks like. I just included the photo because it's an S2/V6 bumper on a black CQ

[LHD_Kid]

And perhaps controversially.. I don't really like the RS2 bumper

There are a few of us around... personally, I would go much further than "don't really like". I hate it. Just reminds me of a pouting fish face.... If I ever was lucky enough to own an RS2 I would remove the front bumper and mirrors, carefully store them fir whenever it needs to be sold and fit something that suits the car better... standard S2 bumper for example...

Biased I know, but if you could find an MTM clubsport for it.... now THAT is a tasty bumper for the 80 shape....

[Nj]

hahaha. ok, seems I've lit a firework here
But yeah. I don't like the RS2 bumper. The late cabby bumper is even worse. I much prefer the standard S2 bumper. Taking a look at the MTM Clubsport.. is it this one below?
How awesome (ahem..) are those wheels?!
I would consider a splitter under an S2/V6 bumper but in this part of the world it's called a snowplow.

[LHD_Kid]

Taking a look at the MTM Clubsport.. is it this one below?
How awesome (ahem..) are those wheels?!

That's the kiddie... boooooooootiful, but yes..... loose the hippo-croc-a-pig wheels...!

[Nj]

bumper looks good. wheels are horrific. Did anyone ever think those looked good? well.. actually the 3 spokes were common on SRI Novas...

[Nj]

[Nj]

I've just made myself strangely nostalgic for a GSI or GTE Nova. Shame most of them have dissolved by now. and i'm sure 90% of them ended their days spectacularly going through hedges

[Nj]

I'm back to working silly hour each day so am struggling to find time for the car. But anyway, I got a new radiator (old one seemed to be leaking), fitted it (was a right pain in the ****) and took it for a spin last night. and... it's bloody leaking. It was about 1am when I went for a spin so I gave up for the night. No idea what's going on. Maybe I split a hose when I was changing the radiator? Maybe i'm a **** and the radiator didn't need changed (I really don't think this was the case but you never know).

I also finally got round to changing the oil, filter and spark plugs. Seemed to make a difference. Plugs were in a sh1tty state and a couple seemed quite oily.
I used Mobil1 5w30, which I think is probably right for my car and living in the frozen north. I could be wrong though.

Now I just need to get my head back into that cramped space and figure out where the friggin water is coming from.

[Henkjan]

check all the hose clamps
(you did take new ones and not re-use the old ones right?)
don't ask why I ask

I use Mobil 1 (5W50 I think, might even be 0W50) in my Audi's up north; started using it in my 200q ages ago, with Shell 5W30 oil consumption more than doubled, with Mobil 1 it was back to normal

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Henkjans right,you want to ditch that 5w 30 oil it's too thin. May bee 5w 50 the 50 being to thick? 5 W 40 be my choice if your engines in fine fettle. Oh and by the way the RS2 bumper and more importantly my final edition cabriolet from bumper looks just fine!

I do love the S2 front bumper too,i have one waiting to go on the V6 80 avant along with it's 5 stud conversion for a S2r look.Just Awesome!

[Nj]

don't ask why I ask

I assume you've had a problem with an old clamp breaking in the past?
I replaced most of them when I was changing my thermostat a couple of months ago. A couple are old but seem in good condition. Still.. you never know

So I should probably chick my €48 of 5w30 eh? ah nuts. I don't know about "fine fettle" because I've only had the car since November, but I'm sure it could do with a strip down and a number of improvements at some point.

So 5w40 may be the way forward eh? I know that sometimes we need to consider the range of temperatures up here (-40 to +35) but not being a local i'm not really sure.

[Nj]

Oh yeah. and I cracked the driver's side headlamp lens when fitting it back in with a heavy hand
it's somehow really difficult to get that side in. So now I need to find a replacement lens or whole headlamp unit

[Nj]

Radiator is f*cked. Bought it from Roy rtg0616. It arrived, I fitted it, it leaks. Found a crack just under the inlet from the thermostat (big top one) and tried a bit of chemical metal on it, which helped but there's still water leaking. Looks like it's actually from within the core at that corner. Roy told me he bought radiator many years ago from a forum member. I suspect it may have been damaged all that time but he doesn't believe so and so the long and the short of it is I'm out of pocket by about £130 and need to go and buy a new radiator locally. At this point I don't give a ***** if it's a Nissens. I just want the car to run and then I'll see what I'm doing with it. At this rate I have no time to work on it or drive it so it's just taking up one side of the garage while I spend money taxing it, insuring it and buying bits for it.

The crack is to the right of the inlet in this picture, running horizontally


crack sealed but still leaking



The minor win was covering the old aftermarket immobiliser led holes with a small german flag badge. I know it's kind of sideways but it's better than the holes. Still.. with a fekked radiator who gives a **** about the dashboard eh?

[John.]

If the old rad is of the same type, which I think it is ..... Could you "unpick" the metal and swap the headers over?
The problem might be reshaping the metal again and ensuring the header is tight down on the seal of the core?

[Nj]

I like your thinking John. The worst case scenario is that I end up with 2 fkked radiators, which is what I already have. I have no idea how the "header" bit fits onto the core but I guess I'll find out when I start to poke at it
I'm away on Tuesday on a business trip, get back friday night and then leave on saturday morning for a 2 week family holiday. So I imagine it's going to take me a while to get tis done. This seems to be my problem with this car as a "hobby". I don't have any bloody time for a hobby, and I don't seem to be getting much of a chance to drive it either. All plans of polishing and sorting the interior have become totally secondary to faffing about with radiators etc. It should never have come to this. I should have just bought a radiator at a friggin' shop