New love?

Since our little Alfa is almost on the road, and my time is sheer unlimited, I'm looking for a new project. Of course one would think of an Alfa Romeo, but what type could it be; being cheap to buy, in an acceptable state, with spare parts still available, and new parts in an acceptable price range. Not too complicated technics also.
My favorite Alfa is the Alfetta GTV, but the costs of an acceptable specimen to recover are too much. The second best favorite is the Giulia Berlina, and they are even more pricy. A normal Giulia is an alternative, but as costly as the others. And too old to find a good relative rust free specimen.

My wife wants a VW ... not a diesel, but a Karmann Ghia. These cars are too expensive for my budget, costing around 8 tot 10 thousand euro's. And than the project even has tot start. My early opinion about a VW as a dumb simple box is turning into a sympathetic glance for a brand with ample spare and new parts and interesting models to restore. The scene of Golf mk1, Karman Ghia or even Porsche 356 is intriging and inspiring. Sometimes I find myself drewling at a 1600 Variant, can you believe this?

But I can't sell a VW restoration to my blog followers; no, this wil ruin my reputation. Since my view on German cars is too specific (follow this blog to find out), I wouldn't dare it.

French cars like Citroën are favorite too, I like the GS, which seems to be affordable, or a CX. But the CX is too complicated and Citroën has a built quality even worse than Alfa Romeo (I know because I had four 2CV's in my earlier days).

No, my face turned to the north, Scandinavia, more exact Sweden. My eyes fell on the SAAB 96 for it's sturdy looks, character and sound quality. And guess what, the wife likes it!

Click here for more info.

So my days are filled with SAAB stories, ad's and video's to learn more about this little rascal from Sweden. I once had a neighbour who I very much liked because of his adventurous character. Hij once had a 96 and restored it just in front of my adolescent eyes. He was the first to learn me about working on a car, sorry, on my first 2CV. His 96 was a little worn out and he decided to restore it. That was a process that made a deep impression on me. Not only the dismantling of the car, but the working on such a project; he dismantled the whole thing in his very garage. Later this man bought a Giulia Sprint and also resored it, because this was the car he always wanted.  I know he restored a Land Rover 111 ambulance and swapped it into a camper to travel the world. What a great guy!

No, this SAAB will be a lasting model for inspiration. It needn't to be very old, as long as the state is reparable. This video made my decision clear: 

The newer four cilinder Ford V4 has my preference, since this exemplifies my love for boxers and odd engines (my 4 2CV's had a 2 cilinder boxer, the 33's have 4 clinder boxers and this SAAB has a V4 motor).

Prices are interesting and the state their in is relatively good.

To be continued.

New start

Yes, the reconstruction of a human engine is somewhat different from that of a car. Changing or altering parts is relatively easy, the adaption of the whole machinery to the new parts is more difficult. And then there is the recovery of the mechanic intervention at all. Now it's been 9 weeks and my machine is working fine, somewhat low in power sometimes, but that'll come back in time.

I even managed to work on my Bleu Lord. A little spot on the tailgate caused waterintrusion in the boot (the car was outside and I wasn't able to put it in). So I had to detect the whole in the body and repair it.
It seemed to be an old repair badly fixed. Apparently there was some corrosion in this corner and it was welded kind of clumsy. It is a tricky corner, yes, but the repair wasn't quite good. For now I had to fill the whole and since I'm not a welder, I used polyester putty. In this special corner it wouldn't be visible, when the tailgate was closed. My main concern was now to prevent water to come inside.

This was a light exercise in bodywork and a good revalidation exercise for me too. It was a pleasant alternation of my 007 James Bond replays or my Tumblr posting.

A good portion of polyester putty on the difficult corner and sanding till the metal comes through. 

New putty and sanding again till the surface is somehow smooth.

After sanding I sprayed the corner black base color

And a good layer of bleu over and over.

After drying I sanded the edges and used the commandant 4 polish again, 

to let the corner emerge in its natural environment

Result

Result

 Looks nice, doesn't it?

The new part is brighter than the old part on the tailgate. 

Commandant 4 has to be put to work again to bring the parts together. 

It'll be a good exercise for my muscles on my chest.

Another exercise was the polishing of the windowedges, which were worn out by the sun.

I used the cheapest "wonder"blocks of the Aldi to polish the plastic (partly rubber) framework.

Wonderful stuff, with some water polishing the rubber parts it works wonderful. 

But it's not the toughest sponge, it's gone in a swirl.

Cuore sportivo

Having my 33 restored (even the clock works again), my own cuore sportivo gave signs to need an upgrade. After 50 years and some patchwork left and right, overhauling seemed to be inevitable for my human engine.
The human engine functions by the grace of its own pumping; it does not work like a mechanical engine, were the aggregate is a separate machine in a system set up. The hart as a member of the system has to obtain its own energy out of the 'petrol' system klinging around this pump, the arteries filled with oxygen.
In an automobile it would be like the engine was stocked with tiny carburators around it, to make the the whole engine work as a combination of thousands of little engines and carburators. These smaller parts all together would combine in all their special tasks to let the engine work as one machine. If there would be a failure in providing petrol to these carburators, parts of the engine would stop, with disastrous consequences. The petrolprovision in my system failed on a critical spot, just at the branche of the petrol line. So artificial plumbery was needed after doing some essential bodywork on my hood.

After the main repair some changes in the engine run can be felt: in idle run I can feel my heart beat like a boxer engine. By opening the heart arteries, the mechanics had to open the pericard bag around the heart. That bag is normally filled with fluid to protect the heart. This mantle also silences the sound and the beats of the beating heart. Now this silencer is broke, it feels like my engine runs without struts. Like an idle running boxer of the 33.

So my work is stopped, once again. Just before I wanted to finish the project by getting a registration. Now I may not drive for 6 weeks, even not on a bike...

(very angry)

Clockworks

This is what my tachimetre does. By starting the car, the clock starts running and when not stopped by pushing the daytripcounter, it stays all the way "behind the nill". When driving ths clock again starts running upwards. When it is stopped during the drive, it displays the speed seemingly properly.

I'v checked the cable, the sensor (for what it's worth, it's a closed unit) and the contacts. All seems well. I figure the clock itselves picks up a signal that's not right. So I've to dismount it again and check the contacts inside.

Rain came over the garage. So I drove it on blocks

This is snice working, but with wet tires not easy to use.

the sensor and the cable are looking good.

The contacts also are really clean

During my (fairly illegal) testdrive a 156 Sportwagon came up behind me and followed me in my street. I know the guy, he lives a few streets away and drives, beside the Sportwagon an Alfetta chromebumper in the same color as the Bleu Lord. So I guess he was as surprised as I was when I saw his bleu Alfetta. And that in his own neighbourhood.

A similar Alfetta. By the way, this one is for sale

This is what I want

No words this time, just sit and watch

Happy

Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Now I am a winner. I have fixed the bleeding problem of my master cilinder. It appeared to hold too much air in it, that couldn't be bled by simply pushing the brake pedal. My man at the part shop APR suggested that bleeding the master ecilinder ewas easy, just by pushing the pedal. That is not true in every case, especially not when you're installing a brandnew one.

Since the bleeding by the brakes didn't work I decided to mount the cilinder on my vice and bleeded it "virtually". Although my expectation in this method weren't very high, it did work. All of my work bench, the vice and even my floor under the bench were full of spilled dot 4 braking fluid, but there was enough in the master cilinder to let it work airless. What a bleeding mess!

Because of the greasy matters of this job I haven't taken any photographs. On the internet are numerous exemples of How To's about bleeding a master cilinder, the video of my favorite automotive V-blogger Eric the Car Guy is here.

Job done, at last. Happy DIY mechanic!

Morris, my own car guy, confronted me with a new to do list, after he inspected the bleu one a few weeks ago. The brakesjob was the trickiest. Now the headlights have to be properly adjusted, the flaring brake control light (probably the loose padwear detector cable), and the adustment of the carbs are to be done.

It might seem crazy what I'm 'bout to say...

Time management

My new jobs consumes time. The Bleu Lord lies in my garage patiently. The last check up in late May wasn't good for my confidence too. Heij, is this blog about cars?

My constant search for interesting cars never leads to any new buys. But I cherish a certain satifaction in searching the odd classic. For I was given a iPhone by my boss and the train journey to Maastricht takes at least half an hour to and fro I installed the Autoscout24.de and the ebay app and the pleasure is on.

My absolute favorite for this time is the fabulous Fiat Campagnolo. It looks that original like it comes from the Eritrean desert right away. What a simple and functional vehicle. Just the four wheels, two seats and a big room for our Bracco. The front window can be layed down, ideal for our kind of temperatures today (+30 degrees Celsius). I love it.

Fiat Campagnola, archaic jeep for the desert

Simple and rational design

front window folded down

Sturdy 2 ltr engine

And the story of my Sportwagon continues. Braking is essntial and I'm not getting it done. Must I call for help of the professional?

The brakefluid reservoir over the mastercilinder

The box where the original NOS mastercilinder came out

the Ate Alfa stock mastercilinder, wrong type

Pretty costly exercise for a "pomp": € 208 ex vat

Meanwhile I ordered two new master brake cilinders and still the system doesn't do what is has to do.

Again today I fitted the second master cilinder, because the first wasn't the appropriate size. The bleeding of the system lasted and lasted. Happy me to have a daughter that played footbaal, so she has quite strong legs. During the bleeding we actually had time to follow the Prologue of the Tour de France in Utrecht.

Any way. It seems the right front wheel is not to be bleeded. Still some air comes out of the brake line, and I can't figure out what is is. I even doubt now wether the first master cilinder I ordered was just good. What a mess. For now I can only come to the conclusion that the master cilinder must hold air, so the brake line can't get any oil. Tomorrow I'll be able to do some more research.

To be continued.

New status

OK, today was a bit of a deception. The Bleu Lord was in the workshop of my aquiantance Morris.


This was my test of the pudding. I asked him to check the car for an APK (general periodical technical inspection for the registration for the road, MOT of TüV). Well my checklist is now a little longer again.

In my former posts I mentioned some problems bleeding the brake system. Still I didn't succeed to make the brakepadal firm. It remained spongy and uncertain. Today Morris declared my main brake cylinder officially dead. So this was the reason the little light on my dashboard, calling "brakes" after the last bleeding was lighting up. Also the fan for cooling the radiator did not ignite. I figure that is related tot the failure of the clock that still popped up by starting the car. Probably a question of good earthing of the electrical system. My pall Henk gave me some tips. Now I have to check them down too.
The adjustment of the carburettors hasn't been done because the failing brakes. What a mess!

So my new list contains:
- installing a new main brake cylinder, and hopefully dimming the brake warning light;
- checking the earth of  the car
- cooling fan,
- tachometre clock problems.

- before the registration of the car the carburettors have to be provisionally adjusted to make the drive to the registration office possible. After a go from the registration office (RDW) hopefully getting a license plate, so I can insure the car and then Morris can drive the engine hot and adjust the carburettors properly.

Quite an organisation, he?

This night, when the streets are quiet I'm gonna fetch the Bleu Lord for a five minute drive from Morris's workshop to my home. This weekend, I am going to be stuck in my own garage.

By the way, I ordered some coprimozze by eBay in Italy. These little wheel caps were to fit on the Speedline rims with the Pirelli tires. I got them after I drove the car to Morris. So tonight I'm checking the looks of it.

The FIAT still has an oiladdiction, it consumes oil like an atlantic coaster. Dreadful. tomorrow I'll check the internetfora if this is a common problem of the Punto 176 1.2.
While driving the FIAT in my garage for the first time in it's life in our family, I checked some leakage on the engine, but found nothing. Only a gasket that was broken while fitting hte airfilter. I ordered a new one at Bosman's, the only place where these rare parts are available.
When the Bleu Lord is ready, the FIAT will be officially declared 'wintercar' and stowed away in our garage. That my wife won't like.

Tires are emotion too!

After rethinking and contemplating about the tires I thought I had made a good choice; either Vredesteins or Michelins. Standing at the desk of my tireman of trust, he mentioned the very dry bodyrubber of the Michelins Energy Savers after three years... sic. The Vredesteins had not a long life, because of the easy wear.  So the good man mentioned that an Italian car must have Italian wheels, so he advised the Pirelli's Cinturato P1 Verde. A tire that also ended in the top 5 of the AutoWeek (Auto Bild) test, I got from a collegea.
So the Pirelli's were ordered (despite the relativly high fuel consumption, the one argument that initially was important for me). At least this tire has an aerodynamic flank... Pirelli doesn't even mention fuel consumption in their details. Below the noise reduction in the car is mentioned as being low. the test results in from the ANWB mentioned relatively high noise outside the car.

Did I mention the Continental Premium contact 5 ended in both test in the first place? But somehow I think these rather stiff and dull tires wouldn't become the graceful Bleu Lord...
Cars are emotion and I figure Alfisti are extra emotional about their cars. At least I am.

Brake bleeding

I mentioned earlier I had some trouble bleeding the brakes. By bleeding the right front wheel cylinder, only air came out of the tube. So I figured out there must be an air leak somewhere. Yesterday I checked the complete system from master cylinder to the lines and the wheel brake cylinders. I looked up my maintenance book to figure out if there were system components I didn't know. And yes, I "overlooked"  (not the right word, because I didn't know of its existence) the air valve from the brakebooster to the carburettor. This valve did not work properly, so I washed in a jar with petrol (thanks Bert K.). After this treatment the valve couldn't be blown from the lower (carb, black color) in the upper direction (booster, white color). In the opposite way it was able to blow some air through the valve.

Bert tipped me about the master cylinder, that could hold some air too, after dismantling the system. The trick was to bleed the master cylinder only with a finger ont hte down end of the cylinder. Well that was not easy. The air was in the front lines to the front wheels, so I thougt to bleed the line to the front wheels. First the line from the master cylinder didn't come off easy, becaus it rested on the panel below the cylinder. I had to bend it a lot to get it out of the cylinder. By doing so, the oil leaked enormously (that I figured out before, so I put a piece of cardboard and a rag on the panel below), and handling wasn't quite easy between the pipes and lines in this section of the engine compartment.

Second, my wife was willing to help me, but her dinner was on the stove, so she wasn't quite focussed on my matter. So it happened that I was standing with my finger on the leaking master cylinder, waiting for my wife to push the brake pedal, while she was in the kitchen turning the easter goose. 

Today I'll be checking the wheel brake cylinders wether there's still air in it.

To be continued.

Oh, this week the ANWB (the Dutch drivers union) published a test about summer tyres and the Michelin Energy Saver Plus tyres ended seventh after the Continental Premium Contact 5 tyre. That list is going to be studied and I think my focus on the Michelins will shift to the Conti's (best) or the Vredesteins (best for good money).

Finally

Yesterday I made up the works to be done on the Bleu Lord. Slowly I'm becoming used to the new workrythm and travels from my home to and fro Maastricht. And an extra day off helps to get things done. Like yesterday I cleaned the roof from the last bit of spay dust that was on the car. Additionally I got the car out of the garage, to make a list with the works to be done.
That was a short list:
- new windscreenwipers,
- new tyres,
- another check on the brakes (bleeding the systme that's still spongy on the pedal) and
- a technical check up before transferring the car to a Dutch registration.

The tyres will be brandnew and from an A-label. I ordered Michelin Energy Saver Plus tyres for 300 euros a set, fitted, balanced and all. Not a bargain, but safety first and my experience with Michelins is good. When I drove my 2CV, I never changed a tyre. Also on the Tulipwoodracer, my QV where Energy Saver tyres. They weren't new when I bought the car and they still had 3 to 4 mm profile, before they ended in my cellar, after a good 40.000 km by myself. The ride is comfortable, and fuel saving and noise reduction is good. In a few weeks these jobs will be done and the car can be driven on the public road.
I hope the steering gets lighter when the new tyres are fitted. One of my future works will be fitting a power steering. The parts are already resting in my cellar.

In my optimism I took a few pictures in a pale sun. Let me know by a comment if you like what you see.

This was in 2006 (Tulipwoodracer as dailey driver)...

... this is 2015! (Fiat Punto)