nelmo

Using the self-tappers in the supports and the 2 angled ones at the bottom is exactly how the GBS factory still advise to do it. I agree, it didn't feel strong enough to me either but mines been in for 2500 miles without a problem so far...

Hi Derek, wife and I are booked on to the run but I'm not sure how long I can hang around for afterwards (kids aren't quite old enough to leave them overnight so we've got to get home and it's quite a drive) - what time are you expecting to have lunch?

There's freedom of speech and there's making a mountain out of a mole hill. I'm sure someone can arrange for you to get your £20 back and you can leave us old fogies to our old-fashioned ways, which we are all perfectly happy with...

Seriously?! Have you never been a member of a club before? Pay up and you get privileges - I'm a member of my local rugby club, I get to use the bar and I get occasional first access to international game tickets. I'd be pretty annoyed if someone could walk in off the street and get the same privileges. Every one else is being too nice - if you don't like our rules, don't join. Or join, come to the AGM and make your point. But please, enough with the 'it's unfair' tantrum. And invest in a spell checker, I can hardly understand your posts :-)

I know what you mean - just got my bill through... Difficult to know what to say - despite every public service always complaining about cuts, a mate of mine is a policeman and he worked overtime last weekend, not because it was needed but because his force had spare budget left over and if they didn't use it, they'd get a lower budget next time. Taxes are never popular but how else do we pay for all these services? We could privatise everything and then you would need to book a binman to come round every week and a road repairer to fix the pothole in your road. If your car is nicked, you'd have to pay a policeman to investigate. Obviously, you'd have to buy health insurance or just pay every time you went to the doctor (my brother lives in America - that system isn't great). Would it work out cheaper? Maybe, if you didn't get anything nicked and were very healthy. In reality, crap as it feels, other systems have been tried and nothing is perfect - and, sadly, moving isn't going to help. You'll just swap one load of poo for another load of poo Go for a drive - that'll improve things

Doesn't sound right but I'm no expert. Is that the HC-Cargo alternator or the Denso? GBS don't supply the HC-Cargo one anymore because it was utter crud (mine died after 2 months use).

Am I the only one who always looks to see if their own name appears in the 'birthdays' section, even though I know it's nowhere near my birthday? :-o Anyway, for the last 3 days, I have been clicking on the profiles that appear in that section and today was the first day I found someone actually still active on the forum (happy birthday, enforcer)! So far, the oldest 'last active' date has been 15 years ago!!

Yup, I watched it - very interesting. Would you expect a chassis to be that bad after 20 years? Would that chassis have been powder-coated (I couldn't tell from the program)? I'm guessing no as that might explain the state it was in and the fact it had reacted with the ally panels and corroded those as well.

When you first started this thread, I assumed you'd be doing a quick cut-and-shut. This is in another league - you should start a business!

If they were happy, then it wasn't mis-spent :-)

Sorry, I didn't mean I was trying to sew the vinyl ON the frame, it will wrap round the frame and then sew vinyl-to-vinyl. The online videos talk about the binding stuff... I'll look into it more if I end up trying it myself.

Marine vinyl is more like tent canvas, not shiny/smooth on one side. It's about 2mm thick - would a cheap machine be able to get through 2 layers of that, does she think?

I'm having problems finding anyone prepared to sew vinyl on to my metal frame for my doors - has anyone tried this themselves and can advise how to do it, what equipment used etc? I found a video showing how to use an Easystitch sewing awl, which looks funky but not sure if it's the right thing for marine vinyl (the same stuff my hood is made out of). Other online videos all use decent quality sewing machines, which I don't have. I've considered buying a cheap sewing machine but I don't think it would be up to getting through the vinyl.

How does that speedo work? Is it connected directly to the gearbox or are there magnets on the propshaft? I have an induction sensor that triggers off the bolts on the propshaft. I believe an older method was to have a sensor triggered by magnets attached to the propshaft. If yours uses that, check all the magnets are still in place.

Just to clarify, they didn't fit the screen, just cut it to the right size - I had to fit it.

I used these guys: https://www.nationalwindscreens.co.uk They came out, measured up, went away, cut the glass and brought it back, all for £90 or so, which seemed reasonable?

Personally, I find it all amazing, as a guy who works in IT and, until I built my car, hadn't done much more than wire a plug! 'I had to cut the right side mounting bracket off the chassis and Tig weld it further towards the front' ?!! Mind. Blown.

Ah, that's what's happened then... Thanks...

Yes, that's exactly what I've done - I haven't been in to check it today but looked OK last night. Do you happen to know if lacquer is affected by temperature? It was about 6 degC in my garage last night and I also sprayed the lacquer on my newly-painted black wheelarch and it really dulled the original gloss black. Not checked this morning so maybe it's dried clearer but wasn't looking great last night...

No idea but why bother? The Zetec is all ready for FI - why put carbs on? Do a search on here for threads talking about carb problems - one of the most common topics. I realise there is a certain, misty-eyed nostalgia for carbs but for the difficulty so many people seem to have with them, I'd steer well clear.

I've put a vinyl sticker on the rear ally panel and I want to try protect it - can I just spray a coat of lacquer over it? The instructions on the can only mention using it on paint...

Leather-covered rollbar?!

5 weeks!!! Five! Weeks!

Welcome to the forum! I'd do the usual 'ask any questions, lots of help on here' but I get the feeling you aren't going to need much - in fact, we're going to be asking you Shame you're not closer to me as I have a Lexus RX400 as my daily car and I could do with someone who knows more about them...I also had one of the early Lexus IS220s back in 1999 - that was called the Altezza in Japan, I think (well, it was in Gran Turismo )? Both Lexus's (Lexi?) have been the best cars I've ever owned...

Thanks for that but, apart from the fact that my soldering skills are sorely lacking, I had to cut the unit open to get to the inside for that pic. Also, there has been some arcing going on because the side of the relay unit shows signs of melting, probably when I was running it after the capacitor dropped off. Bottom line - it is one very dead relay/flasher unit - new one on order...