Eliana, my mostly-stock 2001 PFL

[Carolyn]

Yes.  But it is a Euro car and they've all got LSD.

[inigopete]

Yes.  But it is a Euro car and they've all got LSD.

Thank you.

[inigopete]

What a difference two small strips of rubbery foam make!

I noticed the bin doors had been rattling slightly. The catches were maybe a bit loose, the latch had developed a bit of play over the years. So I added some weight to the car (one for @Petrus - approx 8g!) and hastily stuck two small strips of draft excluder black foam just above where the catches close. And it's SO much quieter! (and yes, I'll straighten that strip up, this was a quick test-fitting.)

IMG_5246 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

I had no idea that the background little rattles, from just behind me, made such a difference to the feel of the car. This has made me happy. And a nice way to treat her for ticking over her 150,000th mile.

(of course this means the slight whine in 3rd gear, the creak from the clutch fork and the slightly noisy power steering pump are all a little more noticeable... but those are jobs for another day!)

[J88TEO]

the slightly noisy power steering pump are all a little more noticeable..

That's at the front!

[Petrus]

of course this means the slight whine in 3rd gear,

It amazing how much less whining there is with the passenger seat out.

[inigopete]

That's at the front!

Oh I know, it's just a bit more noticeable now the general noise level in the car has decreased!

[J88TEO]

You can either adjust the catch or bend them inwards a bit so the doors don't rattle.

[inigopete]

Had a sunny-ish afternoon on Thursday so I took the luggage bins out and checked for moisture. And yuck, there it was. I pulled this soggy, slightly mouldy lump out of the n/s bay:

IMG_5861 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

...and although the o/s bay's sound insulation didn't look as bad, there was standing water due to a blocked drain pipe.

IMG_5859 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

Mercifully both drain pipes cleared easily (Carolyn's tip of using a zip tie worked very well). I cleaned out both bays and fortunately couldn't see any rust.

IMG_5860 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

While I had everything fairly accessible, I reached into the drain bags and cleared out any crap there - the o/s had a mouldy grubby cloth in it! Thanks, previous owner. I've got concerns about the seal between the roof and the door on that side, so I'll be keeping more of an eye on it.

Next job, I guess, is to find some non-water-absorbent sound insulation to put back into those clean metal bays.

[inigopete]

I also found this thread on SpyderChat about the "ears" that stick out when the soft top is down: https://www.spyderchat.com/threads/fs-%E2%80%9Cear%E2%80%9D-straps-for-the-convertible-top.157259/.

I'm pretty sure my soft top is an after-market one but it does seem to have the same tube inside it across the top, and the popper attachment points. Does anyone know if those straps are easily available in the UK? Searching for "ears" brings up lots of posts about gEARS and yEARS...!

edit: "ears strap" or "soft top strap" is bringing me more useful answers. I'll keep searching...

further edit: maybe having "ears" is OK, if the alternative is fitting the strap and putting more strain on the soft top when it's up: https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?topic=56236.0

[fawtytoo]

I think you found my post on the "issue". Best option is to find a vehicle upholsterer to have the strap repaired.

[Carolyn]

I'm not a fan of pulling the 'ears' in on a vinyl roof.  I think the stress on the fabric is too much.

[inigopete]

Last Thursday I had a couple of hours in the afternoon so gave her a good thorough wash, a dry with a towel and got the Turtle Wax out. I'd forgotten how much work it was to polish it off - time to invest in a polisher - but the car looked SO MUCH better afterwards, and when it rained that night the water just beaded and ran smoothly off.

And the weekend saw a very fortunate eBay purchase: I found a hardtop from a guy who unfortunately had written off his car. It was very lucky for me - same colour, same year, came with a storage bag, great condition... I won the auction and was on his doorstep around ten minutes later! We fitted it there and then and I drove home.

IMG_5965 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

The car's definitely quieter with the hardtop on, there's a lot less wind noise (perhaps I need to adjust the catches on my soft top!) and the seller mentioned that he thought it made the car feel stiffer. I was mainly motorway driving home so haven't taken it on fun twisty roads at any speed, but the car certainly felt more serene to drive. And I like the way it looks!

[inigopete]

In opening a can of Airco Cleaner, I may have opened a can of worms...

It's in more detail in this thread, but the car has had a slight mouldy smell from when I bought it last summer. I wondered if it was in the ventilation / heating pipes somewhere, and Ardent kindly suggested Toyota's airco cleaner.

Now the ventilation system isn't heating up consistently when I drive, but the radiator fan is coming on when the engine's up to temperature. So I'm looking for a schematic or some information on what I've shorted out or clogged up when using the airway cleaning foam!

(I have a feeling this is going to end up with removing the dash, which at least could be a good chance to clean everything out under there and replace those two dashboard bulbs that have gone. :/ )

[Gaz mr-s]

Have you lifted the carpet & felt underneath the seat for dampness?