Thank you. :-D I like it lots. Paul
Thank you. :-D I like it lots. Paul
Very nice car paul i love my GSI too only had it a few weeks now and love it its had a few mods done to it but my main job to get done is a full respay as its full of stone chips on the front and a few scratches on the doors too deep to buff out same with the roof god knows whats happened to that but a few ppl has said it looks like the roofs lacquer has failed and its cracked all over the place but i will soon get that sorted with the respay.
Sounds good, Mark, apart from the respray needing doing! Mine has stone chips in the usual places, plus lacquer adhesion failure in local places - front bumper and offside rear wheelarch. But on the whole, it looks pretty good, IMHO. Good enough for driving round my way, anyhow! It's frightening! :-o But I want to go over the car and spray bits of it. I have a compressor and guns now, so am kitted. Paul
Brake discs and pads done. The job went well. The car is grinding softly as I drive at the moment. Occasionally it is squealing a bit too. I think it's the rough surfaces on the pads wearing away. There is no binding or swerving on the brakes, even when applied quite hard. So I'll see how it goes.
The old discs were not in a good way! I had no idea! There are signs of radial cracks in them, or at least the precursors to the cracks. I knew the wear ridges on them were getting serious, but the pads were okay and they were still working really well.
Anyway, I am glad they're done.
Paul
The brakes are improving. They are better this evening than they were this morning - quieter and more effective.
Paul
I wondered. The car never goes beyond half way up the gauge - even entering a traffic queue on a really hot day. Anyway, I have a brand new 'stat and a water pump to fit. When I do the timing belt, I'll do those as well. In the spring, it's getting a new radiator because mine is leaking. It could be a hose, so I'll check that first.
I might attack the passenger side driveshaft gaiter tomorrow. I'll see how I feel. I am fighting a persistent cold and have some back ache too.
Cheers, forde.
Have I mentioned that I really like my GSi?
Paul
The bad news... I have still not done the full service, including timing belt. :-( This will happen in the next few weeks, assuming my friend from work can assist and I can borrow or otherwise acquire a timing belt locking tool set. (Anyone?) Also the suspension front and rear is rattling and clonking like a good 'un. She needs new ARB bushes and rear drop links. I shall buy those soon because I am fed up with the sound effects. Oh and the car desperately needs a through wash. But the AG HD wax is still beading up nicely when wet. :-D The good news... Following failure of the exhaust flexible coupling in the downpipe :-( earlier in the week, a new flexi has been welded in. The car feels transformed! :-D The bottom end and mid-range response is electrifying once again and as for the top end... :-o Superb! I am very happy with the way the car is driving at the moment (apart from the rattling suspension and needing a service). I had no idea that the flexi in the exhaust would make such a big difference. I guess air was leaking into the exhaust system and fooling the lambda sensors into over-fuelling the engine. When it failed, the engine didn't want to rev. But now it's back to rude health. So I must get her serviced and fix the suspension rattles. And a slightly noisy rear brake caliper, following the disc and pad change in November. I think I need to grease up the brake pad sliding contact points so they all move freely inside the calipers. I also want to put a cat-back exhaust on the car, probably in April. Oh and I plan to continue to enjoy my Vectra every single time I get behind the wheel and fire up that gorgeous V6! :-D :-D Paul :-)
I still haven't replaced my timing belt, water pump, thermostat, spark plugs... :-( But I have changed the engine oil and filter, air and cabin filters, strut mounts and bearings and she's had new wiper blades front and rear. :-) The strut mounts and bearings were not as bad a job as I'd thought they might be. It just took a lot of time, mostly wandering about getting the right tools out! The second side took half as long! :-o I have rear ARB drop links to replace. My front Meyle ones are still fine, as I'd hoped, considering the price. I also want to get some ARB bushes - front and rear. I'll try to get them done too in the coming weeks. In the last couple of weeks, my car has developed a creaking sound from the driver's side rear suspension. I think it is the shock absorber but am not sure. It's never ending! :-[ The good news is that I passed through 150,000 miles the other day and I'm still loving the car as much as ever! I have a photo somewhere (taken by my wife ;-) No, really). The car really needs a thorough cleanse, polish and wax but time and especially my energy levels are against me. Hayfever is hitting me hard at the moment. But the lower bodywork REALLY needs claying, probably following intensive tar removal and de-ironising. More soon(ish). ;-) Paul
A nice ongoing story Paul. I too love my Gsi even though her paintwork is showing her true age, she still drives like a train although I have an annoying "Random Multiple Misfire" and Misfire on cylinder 5 fault codes to deal with randomly now. I suspect the coil pack but a 2nd hand one was put on recently and still generates the code so I'm either just unlucky with my 2nd hand pack, or it is something completely different.
You are worrying me for one though by your decision to delay the cambelt replacement together with the news that your Gsi now has 150k + on the clock. When (mileage) was it last replaced ?
Woody
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