One of the issues faced by owners of old cars is that even major components can eventually wear out. What I’ve got in mind is a lovely Lotus Elan we’re working on and we’re dealing with a cylinder head that’s probably getting its last overhaul before it has to be replaced. To do that can be really expensive.
In the case of the Elan, the material in the head is older technology and not up to the standard we’d expect in a car built 60 years later.
In the meantime, it’s suffered wear and corrosion over the years, plus it’s been skimmed a few times. We’re going to have to come up with a bush-mechanic repair to keep it going. Next time around, it will need to be replaced.
We were in a similar situation with an HR Holden we recently worked on. Everything that’s out there in the used market is worn out and the price for a new replacement is astronomical. The Lotus head is about GB£3500 or about Au$7000!
There is also a brand new cylinder head available for the HR, but at a cost of $3000 bare, it becomes a problem for a driver car where you’re trying to keep the bills down to a reasonable level.
Keep this in mind if your mechanic points to this sort of problem on your project – he’s just the one caught in the middle of it all!
It’s an argument for buying something for which there is a limitless supply of parts, such as small-block Ford, Chev or Chrysler. There are countless people over in the USA making all sorts of gear for those platforms.
Meanwhile, we’ve just finished off another big job on the 2003 E39 BMW 540 M-Sport owned by Guido’s missus, and that’s replacing the suspension dampers and top hats at both ends.
The parts were sourced out of the USA and are the original Sachs gear. One of the tricks was to make sure we got the right dampers, as they differ from those on the ‘normal’ 540.
While the fronts were easy enough to do, the rears were a bugger. We checked online for advice, which suggested a shortcut that turned out to be wrong.
There was no shortcut – we had to hollow out the rear end of the car, removing interior panels, the rear shelf and the seat to get in there. Oh, and the suspension. While we now know how to do it, never again, thanks very much!
In recent times we’ve replaced a host of bushes and arms underneath the car and rebuilt the five-speed auto transmission – an expensive job.
But with all that fixed, plus a fresh set of good tyres (Goodyear Eagle F1 Sport), the V8 in the front still feels fresh and it drives beautifully. Hopefully it will last another decade or two.
Commodore cooler
Hi Mick. I was interested to read Glenn Torrens article in issue 496 about the extensive work he is doing on the 1990 VN Calais.
I have a 1990 VN Executive V6 which has been in the family since new. Up until about four years ago the air-conditioning had never been touched, and was running the R12 gas. It is now running the R34 gas, but has been diagnosed after much searching and work done with a leaking evaporator coil. We live on the Sunshine Coast in Qld so an Imperial Blue Commodore gets pretty hot without air-con.
The problem I have is after searching everywhere I can think of, I’ve been unable to source a new evaporator coil and was therefore wondering whether you or Glenn knew of anywhere I could try. My local air-con blokes have tried their suppliers with no luck. I don’t think there is much point in putting in a second-hand coil as the whole dash has to come out to replace it and a second-hand unit may not last long.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Paul Eastman
Mick says…
You can get one made. Keep the original and get one built by someone like Norm over at Aussie Desert Cooler (aussiedesertcooler.com.au). There appear to be a couple of radiator makers up your way, so it would be worth giving them a call.
Mini revival
Mick, I’ve recently bought a Mini Clubman GT, much like the one featured in issue 497 of Unique Cars. It’s a fun little car and I couldn’t resist it.
The body and paint are pretty good. Or at least in a condition that I can clean it up without spending a fortune.
However the engine is a little smoky and the gearshift feels pretty loose. It starts and runs okay, but I can’t be sure of the mileage. Am guessing this means it’s rebuild time – what would you suggest?
Bob Usher
Mick says…
The good news is they’re an easy driveline to work. The original designer, Alec Issigonis, had the whole layout absolutely right. The engines, sump and gearbox is all one assembly and you can drop it out from underneath the car. They’re a very simple Morris motor and there are loads of parts for them out there, with an entire industry supporting them in the UK.
As for the gearshift, the transmission will need new bushes put through it, which will clean up its act.
They’re really not that expensive to work on and they’re now worth a bit of money.
Radio times
Hi Mick. I’m the lucky owner of a 1974 Mercedes-Benz 280SE W116.
The car is in good shape and drives nicely. It had a head gasket done five years ago and a transmission rebuild at the same time.
What’s annoying me is it has a cheap aftermarket radio which really doesn’t fit in with the rest of the cabin. I see online that you can get a refurbished Becker for several hundred dollars. A slightly cheaper alternative is to get a late-model radio that blends in better such as Continental or Blaupunkt. What are your thoughts on this?
While I have your attention, what do you suggest when it comes to maintenance on a car like this? Thanks.
Jenny Cosgrove
Mick says…
If it were mine, I’d be tempted to spend the extra dollars and get a reconditioned Becker or similar to put in it. The car may not be hugely valuable, but they’re a wonderful thing to ride in and the right radio will always help its value if you go to sell it later on.
If you can live without Bluetooth, I’d go for the old one. When it comes to maintenance, the biggest thing you can do is give it plenty of time to warm up from cold. They take a while. Get it a minor service every six months, which is a preventative measure.
They’re a big strong car and should last forever. The transmission can be a weakness on them, but it sounds like that’s been dealt with. You won’t have to do it again.
Sagging wagon
G’day Mick. I have an old XT Ford wagon, with a six and auto, which has been the family workhorse for years, or decades. Anyway, it’s running fine and is pretty solid.
Our problem is it’s now sagging, particularly on the rear and seems to be a bit of a loose operation when you take corners.
It obviously needs a suspension rebuild – any advice on how far we should go?
Bob Aroldi
Mick says…
This is the proverbial tin of worms on the old Falcon. Once you start on them, every bush in them will be worn out. It’s no good just putting new springs in and bringing the ride height back up, as everything else will start knocking and wallowing around.
The thing you need to do is take it all out, buy the complete kit front and rear, (including the steering). That should give you another 30 years of use. You can get new leaves for the rear – people like Spicer handle them. If you can stretch the budget a little, look at putting in a quality damper such as a Koni.
Sprint care
I’ve recently managed to get my hands on a 2016 Ford Falcon FG XR8 Sprint, six-speed manual, with just 50,000km on it. It’s been a bit of a dream car to get my hands on and I’m keen to make sure it’s looked after long term.
While I am going to use it (in moderation!) I’m wondering if you have some things I should look out for to keep it in top shape?
Andy Nowak
Mick says…
Congratulations on the find, Andy – they’re an impressive muscle car and well worth looking after. They need a bit more care than a base model, as they’re a serious performance car and can be a little fragile if not looked after properly. So give it a minor service and careful once-over every six months.
One thing to watch for is those with coil packs can be prone to failure due to heat. The gearshift can be a little loose in them and we tend to put a more direct short-shift kit in them to fix that. It makes them more pleasurable.
The rear suspension has rose joints in it that take a lot of torque, so you need to keep an eye on that. Diff bushes and the centre bearing on the tailshaft should also be watched.
If you’re unable to do this yourself, find a mechanic you know and trust, who has good observation skills and can do more than just read a diagnostic tool. They’re a great car, and with the right approach, you’ll be fine.