2000 Lagoon Blue PFL in Surrey

[GodalmingMR2]

23-May-2020 Purchased
24-May-2020 Washed and interior cleaned; general check-over; ordered new tyres, filters, oil, etc.
25-May-2020 Cleaned MAF sensor; reset ECU; clay bar to nearside front wing, polish and sealant

[Ardent]

Looking good.

Headlights look very good.

[GodalmingMR2]

Headlights look very good.

Headlights seem to have a fairly heavy clear coat. Peeling on the nearside but seems to have prevented clouding.

[GodalmingMR2]

26-28 May 2020 - more clay bar and polish/seal. Received and fitted 'Pull' trim for soft top (major improvement!). Received oxygen sensor socket in advance of checking to see if pre-cats are still there and condition.

[Ardent]

Be as gentle as you can when removing the sensors. Do not be alarmed if you get a code shortly after.

[GodalmingMR2]

29-May-2020  Replaced spark plugs - 'old' plugs in good shape. Removed  Oxygen sensors to discover intact pre-cats, so added removal of pre-cats to the To Do list - will need new heat shield bolts and probably studs/nuts for manifold before that can be done, so refitted O2 sensors for now. Clay bar, polish and seal a couple more panels.

[Ardent]

29-May-2020  Replaced spark plugs - 'old' plugs in good shape. Removed  Oxygen sensors to discover intact pre-cats, so added removal of pre-cats to the To Do list - will need new heat shield bolts and probably studs/nuts for manifold before that can be done, so refitted O2 sensors for now.

If your pre cats are in good shape. I would suggest putting them towards the bottom of the to do list.

[GodalmingMR2]

If your pre cats are in good shape. I would suggest putting them towards the bottom of the to do list.

I'm kind of thinking along those lines, but my co-owner (my son), is not so sure. The car is not using oil, so the pre-cats shouldn't be getting damaged that way, but it will be a worry while they are still there.
Will work out what bolts, studs, gaskets, etc. would be needed to do the removal of the pre-cats, but it's certainly below doing the normal servicing parts (though the condition of the oil and spark plugs suggest that a service was done fairly recently). Waiting on parts and fluids delivery for those bits.
Tyre delivery and fitting delayed - hoping for Tuesday now.

[Ardent]

If your pre cats are in good shape. I would suggest putting them towards the bottom of the to do list.

I'm kind of thinking along those lines, but my co-owner (my son), is not so sure. The car is not using oil, so the pre-cats shouldn't be getting damaged that way, but it will be a worry while they are still there.
Will work out what bolts, studs, gaskets, etc. would be needed to do the removal of the pre-cats, but it's certainly below doing the normal servicing parts (though the condition of the oil and spark plugs suggest that a service was done fairly recently). Waiting on parts and fluids delivery for those bits.
Tyre delivery and fitting delayed - hoping for Tuesday now.

If it helps. There is a member on here that bought theirs new and still have it. Complete with pre cats.
If you are not using oil. Even less reason to remove.
Might there be a desire from some quarters to swap out the manifold for a shiny toyo?
Much has been written about precat failure.
The consensus on here is, the pre cats only fail, because something has gone wrong  further up the chain. That something is often simple lack of or poor maintenance earlier in its life.

[GodalmingMR2]

30-May-2020  Got under the covers in the front of the car. Checked Power Steering fluid (no problem); air con pressure (no problem); general inspection (Steering UJ a bit rusty but no play - add replacement to the To Do list; surface rust a few other places - e.g. steering rack - brushed and painted what we could reach; few other bits and pieces that we'll brush off and paint to prevent any more surface corrosion, but all structurally good).

[shnazzle]

If it makes you feel better, we have a 104k miler in the household with original pre-cats in place. 
So, the panic is much over exaggerated. But nonetheless one to bear in mind. 
Bottom of list as @Ardent says

[GodalmingMR2]

30-May-2020 Finished clay bar, hand polish and seal.

[Ardent]

You have to say, these little beauties do scrub up well for well. Deep colours esp.

[GodalmingMR2]

Quick update:
- Air filter changed
- Engine oil and filter changed
- Trim piece ahead of left hand door internal handle replaced
- Lots of cleaning and inspecting

Next up:
- Change gearbox oil
- Change coolant
- Fix couple of 'pinprick' holes in hood with Stormsure
- New tyres to be fitted on Wednesday after delays by Black Circles

[shnazzle]

Quick update:
- Air filter changed
- Engine oil and filter changed
- Trim piece ahead of left hand door internal handle replaced
- Lots of cleaning and inspecting

Next up:
- Change gearbox oil
- Change coolant
- Fix couple of 'pinprick' holes in hood with Stormsure
- New tyres to be fitted on Wednesday after delays by Black Circles

Good progress there. I always find it noticeable how much nicer that car drives after a full service with good stuff

[Ardent]

On the gearbox oil change. Tip that always comes up. So here it is.
Make sure you can remove the fill hole plug/bolt before draining the gear oil.

[Ardent]

Been much debate over the years as too how much goes in.
With the car level. When it runs out the hole. That's it.

Edit
For clarity. The fill hole is the proper fill hole on the vertical face of the box. Hence the need to  be level.

[Joesson]

Been much debate over the years as too how much goes in.
With the car level. When it runs out the hole. That's it.

But which hole?
My understanding is that the fill hole is on the vertical side of the gear box and that's the fill level, when it runs out of there " that's it". Not the  " strange " plug on the top. The strange plug on the top is for a speedo drive for A.N. Other vehicle, not the fill plug for ours.

[Joesson]

As @Ardent and @shnazzle say " removal of pre cats " bottom of to do list.
But how times change! When I first came on here removal of pre cats was pretty much a must do. Now with the collective experience of Members on here there is a better understanding of that problem it's causes and cure.
Nevertheless the choice between leaving as is,  decatting the stock manifold or replacing with something shiny, and then covering it with heat wrap, or not, is a whole other debate.

[Ardent]

Been much debate over the years as too how much goes in.
With the car level. When it runs out the hole. That's it.

But which hole?
My understanding is that the fill hole is on the vertical side of the gear box and that's the fill level, when it runs out of there " that's it". Not the  " strange " plug on the top. The strange plug on the top is for a speedo drive for A.N. Other vehicle, not the fill plug for ours.

Def. the proper fill hole on the vertical face.
Will amend.

[GodalmingMR2]

Completed the gearbox oil change and coolant change this afternoon.
Not sure whether the gearbox oil in the car was originally as clear as the new oil we put in today, but it was really quite dark and very smelly when it came out. Otherwise, the parts we have changed (spark plugs, oil filter, engine oil, air filter) all looked reasonably 'new'. Coolant was reasonably clean as well.  But now we know everything is new and can maintain appropriately from now on.
Air filter change - expected this to be a doddle, but not very accessible until you remove the strut brace.
For everything else, it almost took more time removing plastic undertrays than actually doing the job! I haven't put them back on at the moment until we're satisfied that there are no leaks - I'm sure there are other things we will need them off for before we go much further.
Yes, we filled the gearbox oil using the fill hole halfway up the gearbox on the vertical face - did consider filling through the speedo drive hole and using the vertical one as the indicator of fullness, but decided best to only open up two holes (drain hole and fill hole). Didn't have a pump, so improvised with a funnel and tube down from above the engine.
Coolant drainage - gave up trying to undo the drain plugs in the centre of the car and just disconnected the big tubes. Engine drain position very awkward too but managed eventually - only a dribble came out of there after draining the radiator and pipes. 
All this would have been easier with a bit more room around the car rather than the confines of the garage.
Also tested the limits of my jack - on maximum extension I could only just get the axle stands under the jacking points at their lowest position - and not able to use the rubber protectors I bought for them either (to protect the car, not the stands). Also found it quite difficult to jack up the front due to the jack handle hitting the bumper - might have to try different angles.
Short test drive in showery weather afterwards and all seemed fine (including the new wiper blades!). Looking forward to the new tyres on Wednesday.   

[Joesson]

@GodalmingMR2
Glad to hear you've working your way through things.
As for limitation of your jack, when lifting the rear I use a 50mm or so thick hardwood block with a recess for the jack head and for a nut on the engine mount lifting point. I find that gives just enough elevation to get the stands under the sills with a double thickness of scrap carpet as a protection pad.
The front jacking point is difficult to reach/ work the jack handle and I generally approach from behind the front tyre and use a short bar to get the first few pumps in.

[GodalmingMR2]

As for limitation of your jack, when lifting the rear I use a 50mm or so thick hardwood block with a recess for the jack head and for a nut on the engine mount lifting point.

Thanks for the hints. Getting used to jacking up the rear of the car - when to place/move chocks, etc. to handle the movement of the car once the rear wheels are off the ground and the handbrake makes no difference - not used to working with an engine at that end of the car.

[Joesson]

As for limitation of your jack, when lifting the rear I use a 50mm or so thick hardwood block with a recess for the jack head and for a nut on the engine mount lifting point.

Thanks for the hints. Getting used to jacking up the rear of the car - when to place/move chocks, etc. to handle the movement of the car once the rear wheels are off the ground and the handbrake makes no difference - not used to working with an engine at that end of the car.

I chock the front wheels and raise the rear end and get it onto stands. I place the stands under the sill jacking points other's use static suspension mounting points.
I then raise the front end using a short lever as the pump handle, again I use the (front) sill jacking points to place the stands, others use static suspension mounting points.

[GodalmingMR2]

6 months extension on MOT is now showing up (to mid-December). Not sure that's a good thing - would have been comforting to get a clean bill of health, or good to have June weather rather than December to be able to work on issues.