My Sable 2005 MR2 - shnazzle

[shnazzle]

The time has come...
My car is off the road.
Time to be stripped.

Helen's car has fresh service, fresh brakes, fresh tyres, ready to be MR2 #1 for a while.

Going to start small;
- wheels off and swap tyres onto my spare FL set.
- refresh rear calipers (depending on condition) 
- free up handbrake 
- put EBC yellows on rear
- maybe take off suspension and clean it up.
- replace ARBs bushes and maybe even replace ARBs. But remove, strip, treat, repaint at the very least with some fresh droplinks all round
- wishbones in front
- replace all broken bolts. Drill out any snapped.
- remove, strip, treat, repaint radiator brackets, ABS bracket and any other brackets in front
- get new front plastics and cut nicely for new AutoDiverse front brace.
- fit front and rear bonnet struts
- replace driver side headlight and fog with nicer spares. 
- fit dogbone roll-center adjusters
- replace toe/"camber" arms with fresher set I've had for a while
- check steering UJ. If any play at all, replace with new and fit Snelbaard cover. If not. Just fit cover.
- check and clear behind wheel arches. Check for rust.
- a last step, once driveable again, will be to get the rusty door fixed.
- fit new aux belt tensioner and as many pulleys as I can reach without engine removal. Some play in some pulleys
- get spare injectors cleaned and replace mine with new seals. Hopefully may resolve sporadic misfire I've had for years now.
- refit emanage. Blank timing map. Allowing for some MAF measurement and small over-time tweaks to MAF values to accommodate exhaust. 
- find armrest and fit (was it Rover45?) or make one. 
- remove unused camera rear license plate holder

Pfff... And that's just the easy stuff...it's going to be a while until this is done! But, it won't be out of use for all of it obviously

[Call the midlife!]

Think I've got a spare Rover armrest if I didn't throw it at the last DDay auction, it's yours if I have and you want to go down that route.

[shnazzle]

Think I've got a spare Rover armrest if I didn't throw it at the last DDay auction, it's yours if I have and you want to go down that route.

Not going to say no to that. 

Thanks heaps. No rush, as usual. Whenever we next meet. May be Ding Day

[cptspaulding]

The time has come...
My car is off the road.
Time to be stripped.

Helen's car has fresh service, fresh brakes, fresh tyres, ready to be MR2 #1 for a while.

Going to start small;
- wheels off and swap tyres onto my spare FL set.
- refresh rear calipers (depending on condition)
- free up handbrake
- put EBC yellows on rear
- maybe take off suspension and clean it up.
- replace ARBs bushes and maybe even replace ARBs. But remove, strip, treat, repaint at the very least with some fresh droplinks all round
- wishbones in front
- replace all broken bolts. Drill out any snapped.
- remove, strip, treat, repaint radiator brackets, ABS bracket and any other brackets in front
- get new front plastics and cut nicely for new AutoDiverse front brace.
- fit front and rear bonnet struts
- replace driver side headlight and fog with nicer spares.
- fit dogbone roll-center adjusters
- replace toe/"camber" arms with fresher set I've had for a while
- check steering UJ. If any play at all, replace with new and fit Snelbaard cover. If not. Just fit cover.
- check and clear behind wheel arches. Check for rust.
- a last step, once driveable again, will be to get the rusty door fixed.
- fit new aux belt tensioner and as many pulleys as I can reach without engine removal. Some play in some pulleys
- get spare injectors cleaned and replace mine with new seals. Hopefully may resolve sporadic misfire I've had for years now.
- refit emanage. Blank timing map. Allowing for some MAF measurement and small over-time tweaks to MAF values to accommodate exhaust.
- find armrest and fit (was it Rover45?) or make one.
- remove unused camera rear license plate holder

Pfff... And that's just the easy stuff...it's going to be a while until this is done! But, it won't be out of use for all of it obviously

Aye, that's a good old list. But is it a keeper?  

[shnazzle]

The time has come...
My car is off the road.
Time to be stripped.

Helen's car has fresh service, fresh brakes, fresh tyres, ready to be MR2 #1 for a while.

Going to start small;
- wheels off and swap tyres onto my spare FL set.
- refresh rear calipers (depending on condition)
- free up handbrake
- put EBC yellows on rear
- maybe take off suspension and clean it up.
- replace ARBs bushes and maybe even replace ARBs. But remove, strip, treat, repaint at the very least with some fresh droplinks all round
- wishbones in front
- replace all broken bolts. Drill out any snapped.
- remove, strip, treat, repaint radiator brackets, ABS bracket and any other brackets in front
- get new front plastics and cut nicely for new AutoDiverse front brace.
- fit front and rear bonnet struts
- replace driver side headlight and fog with nicer spares.
- fit dogbone roll-center adjusters
- replace toe/"camber" arms with fresher set I've had for a while
- check steering UJ. If any play at all, replace with new and fit Snelbaard cover. If not. Just fit cover.
- check and clear behind wheel arches. Check for rust.
- a last step, once driveable again, will be to get the rusty door fixed.
- fit new aux belt tensioner and as many pulleys as I can reach without engine removal. Some play in some pulleys
- get spare injectors cleaned and replace mine with new seals. Hopefully may resolve sporadic misfire I've had for years now.
- refit emanage. Blank timing map. Allowing for some MAF measurement and small over-time tweaks to MAF values to accommodate exhaust.
- find armrest and fit (was it Rover45?) or make one.
- remove unused camera rear license plate holder

Pfff... And that's just the easy stuff...it's going to be a while until this is done! But, it won't be out of use for all of it obviously

Aye, that's a good old list. But is it a keeper?  

Oh definitely. I've been down the road of looking for a better replacement. But it wouldn't be my MR2. It's not the same.

Makes no financial sense but what about cars ever does?

[Carolyn]

It might be a shed - but it's Patrick's shed and he's attached to it.

[shnazzle]

It might be a shed - but it's Patrick's shed and he's attached to it.

It's not quite a shed! Cheeky pest

[Call the midlife!]

What's that big river in t'Egypt?

[shnazzle]

What's that big river in t'Egypt?

.... How's your car running sir?

[Call the midlife!]

What's that big river in t'Egypt?

.... How's your car running sir?

Like an absolute bag of s@@t...😆

[shnazzle]

Had an hour between meetings so decided to get a bit of work in

- rear engine lid struts on. Alibaba special. They work, but I'm likely going to swap out for stronger struts. These drop pretty quickly once past a certain point. I think if I were to rely on this and there was a gust of wind, I'd have an engine lid on my head.

- frunk bin out, brackets out, radiator brackets out, front strut brace out.

Looking down into the hole it's funny to see how close to the ground the front is to the bottom bars. Maybe 15cm?

All the brackwts need removing, cleaning and repainting, including the ABS bracket. It's a mess.
Power steering pipes need replacing. Not weeping but pretty darn rusty.
Universal joint is fine, but when in Rome... Also give me the opportunity to put on Snelbaard's UJ cover
Basically all front suspension members will need to be removed, treated and replaced. Likely going to snap a lot of bolts.
Think I'll order a new bonnet seal as well. Bit too much rust on the struts for my liking. 

And that's just the front!

[shnazzle]

Some weight saving today.
Subwoofer, double-din radio and radio control stalk out
The noise of the exhaust is all I need.

Battery on trickle.
Wheels coming off and being replaced by stock once I can afford to have the Rainsports swapped to the stocks.

[shnazzle]

Almost done with the grand stripping. 
Stock backbox in the garage now. Mani and cat to Helen's car, TTE backbox sold. 
Just need steering wheel swapped out for Helen's, stock radio back in, put interior back together and take the Carolyn's mid-brace off and onto Helen's.
Oh and swap wind deflectors My sticker is nicer haha.
Oh and swap driver doors with my "new" one.

[Carolyn]

Almost done with the grand stripping.
Stock backbox in the garage now. Mani and cat to Helen's car, TTE backbox sold.
Just need steering wheel swapped out for Helen's, stock radio back in, put interior back together and take the Carolyn's mid-brace off and onto Helen's.
Oh and swap wind deflectors My sticker is nicer haha.
Oh and swap driver doors with my "new" one.

It's going to be one cracking car.

[shnazzle]

Almost done with the grand stripping.
Stock backbox in the garage now. Mani and cat to Helen's car, TTE backbox sold.
Just need steering wheel swapped out for Helen's, stock radio back in, put interior back together and take the Carolyn's mid-brace off and onto Helen's.
Oh and swap wind deflectors My sticker is nicer haha.
Oh and swap driver doors with my "new" one.

It's going to be one cracking car.

I'm looking forward to it. 


Then to determine what will happen with mine. 
I think it's a great platform for a track car or swap for someone.

[Topdownman]

I had my tyres swopped onto my stock rims last week and resented the £60 cost!

[shnazzle]

I had my tyres swopped onto my stock rims last week and resented the £60 cost!

Oh I know! 

I'm keeping the Rainsports as a spare set. 
They're as good as new as I've done maybe 1000 miles in the 2 in the last 2 years.

The alloys are going up for sale for someone who wants to run a more square and wider setup (with the spacers)

[Topdownman]

Good luck selling your square wheels!

[shnazzle]

MOT due Monday, so SORNing it Monday to put Helen's back on the road from about a year of SORN.

That's the end of my car. 
It's been lovely. It's brought me many smiles. 

I do hope it can continue to make someone else smile in whatever form.

As-is, it'd be a great shell for a conversion or track car. 
If not, I'll fix it up over winter and early next year, MOT it and put it up for sale

[Ardent]

That's two sad buttons I've needed today.

[shnazzle]

That's two sad buttons I've needed today.

I'll still be here, in a 2. A sable 2. Which looks pretty much identical to how mine used to. You'll never know the difference haha

[carolineasb]

Maybe I've missed something, but what changed from being a keeper in April to going in October?

We really should sell at least one of ours, but which one? That is the question! Oldie maybe 20 years old but she has one of the very last engines and a hard top, Newbie the TF, is well, a TF, and Inbetweenie is the original car that I wanted 10 years ago, black with black leather interior and air conditioning. So you can see why we can't decide

[shnazzle]

Maybe I've missed something, but what changed from being a keeper in April to going in October?

We really should sell at least one of ours, but which one? That is the question! Oldie maybe 20 years old it she has one of the very last engines and a hard top, Newbie the TV, is well, a TF, and Inbetweenie is the original car that I wanted 10 years ago, black with black leather interior and air conditioning. So you can see why we can't decide

Just me not wanting to get rid of my car that I have so much history with. Heart over head. But at the end of the day, we can't really justify 3 cars, two of which are identical. 

It made more sense to take the good bits off mine and put them on Helen's than vice-versa.
Head wins.

[shnazzle]

How's that for weight-saving @Petrus?

Step one today of getting it ready for its handover to @MrChris. 
TTE exhaust off. I was pleased as every single bolt from rear bumper to exhaust came straight off without a fight. 
I'm going to have the joys on getting the o2 sensor out the cat... I think I'm just going to disconnect it and leave it in

Manifold bolts look fresh as a daisy as well so they should come straight off. No need to tackle the 3 amigos as the mani+cat are being transplanted. 

Wheel nuts loosened to put the stock wheels on. 
I've got 45 mins each day during lunch (if not raining) in which I can tackle this. Then it's a clean, get it up and running and send it to its new home.

[MrChris]

Sounds good and can't wait to be back in a 2.