So what have you done to your car today?

[2boxerdogs]

Used it to tow the caravan home from storage, few sunny days away hopefully. 😃😃😃

[ronnyd]

Managed to get the detatchable towbar 
to finally lock in to the housing. Probably rust so gave it a good go with a file and wire brush. Still don,t know if i trust those things but it clunked in and i can,t pull it out after really giving it a good heave.
I,m only going to use it for a ball mounted bike rack. Has anyone on here used them as i.m a bit wary of those as well.

[Nick W]

Managed to get the detatchable towbar 
to finally lock in to the housing. Probably rust so gave it a good go with a file and wire brush. Still don,t know if i trust those things but it clunked in and i can,t pull it out after really giving it a good heave.
I,m only going to use it for a ball mounted bike rack. Has anyone on here used them as i.m a bit wary of those as well.

Can't help with the detachable bar, as my car came with a fixed one which I'm always bashing my shins on. I would always buy a detachable.


But I've had a Thule ball-mounted folding 2 bike carrier for years. It's easy to fit and rigid even with 2 heavy mountain bikes in place. On an estate you can't open the boot with the rack fitted; this might not be the case with a saloon. The biggest problem is when you use it on an E34 estate and the exhaust melts the front tyre on the bike nearest the car. Operator error rather than the equipment, as fitting the bike the other way around isn't a problem. I should add that although the carrier has a latch, there's also a hole to add a padlock, which gives a feeling of extra security.


The carrier is well-priced, but the Thule lightboard - which pushes into the tube ends - is expensive. I made a couple of fittings and epoxied them in to enable me to use a £10 light board instead.

[Nick W]

Ron,
hopefully these help:





And the £10 cheapy lightboard:





Which fits on these aluminium bungs epoxied into the tubes, with M8 studs and a knurled nut to retain the board:





This setup is quite happy at 120mph with 2 bikes.

[VXL V6]

Repaired corroded plugs for heated rear seat by grafting on the plugs from the 2.6 Breaker.

Looks like it's had some water ingress at some point.

[ronnyd]

Thanks Nick, That looks like the rack that i have just ordered. I have a lightboard already so will see if i can adapt it to fit. Was looking at the regulations regarding bike racks and the fines for obscuring no. plate and lights are quite steep. It,s suprising how many cars you see with bikes on and no board. How does ANPR work when the reg. plate is hidden?

[Sir Tigger KC]

Thanks Nick, That looks like the rack that i have just ordered. I have a lightboard already so will see if i can adapt it to fit. Was looking at the regulations regarding bike racks and the fines for obscuring no. plate and lights are quite steep. It,s suprising how many cars you see with bikes on and no board. How does ANPR work when the reg. plate is hidden?

It dosn't. 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Washed it - again. Rubens red is a lovely colour, but it really seems to show the layer of dust much more than the rare silver one did.
Ordered a new pair of Sachs rear springs from carparts4less. Just under £60 delivered. 

[ffcgary1]

During the week my v6 developed a top end knock/tap that was evident more on the near side head.
It was evident all the time even more so when cold, it was not a lifter tick more of a knock, so today i had a look and found not only the cam cover leaking oil into no 3 plug well but no 5 plug was lose, i must have got 2 turns on the plug and the sound has now gone, checked all the others but all now ok, just the cam cover to do now. not long been done so a bit miffed at that. breathers where all cleaned and blown through with an air line and new seals fitted with a cleaned throttle body. cam covers where tightned to 8nm with a torque wrench so i know that was not the cause.
Half moons are in place as i can feel them when i get my fingers down the back of the cover, black goo used as well.
Gary.

[05omegav6]

Thanks Nick, That looks like the rack that i have just ordered. I have a lightboard already so will see if i can adapt it to fit. Was looking at the regulations regarding bike racks and the fines for obscuring no. plate and lights are quite steep. It,s suprising how many cars you see with bikes on and no board. How does ANPR work when the reg. plate is hidden?

It dosn't. 

Which is kinda the point

[ronnyd]

Thanks Nick, That looks like the rack that i have just ordered. I have a lightboard already so will see if i can adapt it to fit. Was looking at the regulations regarding bike racks and the fines for obscuring no. plate and lights are quite steep. It,s suprising how many cars you see with bikes on and no board. How does ANPR work when the reg. plate is hidden?

It dosn't. 

Makes a mockery of less policing and more reliance on cameras then, good way of avoiding points too.

[mandula]

Could not find any replacement part for rear subframe rear bushings, so made a patent from old bushing casing and from modified new dif to subframe bushings. Still need to grind and paint and then test..

Anything is better than teared originals, I guess.. Will some day make better ones, these are just for quick repair and testing.

Link to pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0p4c0osagdwi7g/2016-06-02%2019.18.45.jpg?dl=0

[TheBoy]

Could not find any replacement part for rear subframe rear bushings, so made a patent from old bushing casing and from modified new dif to subframe bushings. Still need to grind and paint and then test..

Anything is better than teared originals, I guess.. Will some day make better ones, these are just for quick repair and testing.

Link to pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0p4c0osagdwi7g/2016-06-02%2019.18.45.jpg?dl=0

Report back

[plym ian]

Drove to bristol from plymouth and back again to the zoo.
85 there and back fuel average of 30mpg which wernt bad about £40 in total

Got a horrible shake at 70 think its a wheel thrown a weight.

But apart from that fitted a dash cam after i got back so will be interesting to catch see some awful driving and thats just me

[mandula]

Could not find any replacement part for rear subframe rear bushings, so made a patent from old bushing casing and from modified new dif to subframe bushings. Still need to grind and paint and then test..

Anything is better than teared originals, I guess.. Will some day make better ones, these are just for quick repair and testing.

Link to pic: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0p4c0osagdwi7g/2016-06-02%2019.18.45.jpg?dl=0

Report back

Well, it's not perfect, but will do for awhile.

Bushings are bit too soft, no much support when cornering (can feel rear to move little, but does not effect handling too much).
Also clearances are too small, subframe fitting points knock a little when accelerating.

But resonance that could be felt with old bushing while slowing down in certain speed gear on, wanished.

Next I'm gonna make some CAD drawings for new casing for bushing with right clearances to subframe and try to find PU-bush to fit to casing.