Motoring.guru Blog Page 31
30th March 2021
K+N filter refresh
After 20 years it was finally time to clean and re-oil the K+N Filtercharger panel element in the 33.
I used an official K+N kit which includes spray cleaner (that pongs like bad breath) and spray oil which is put on once the filter has dried in the sun.
March 2021
The Fiat Ritmo Grande (Punto)
A mark 2 Fiat Panda photo was posted on Twitter. It was wearing some distinctive old original Fiat Ritmo/Strada slotted steel wheels, and it looked fantastic.
I mocked up a Photoshop picture of a Grande Punto with Ritmo wheels, and as it looked even better and I needed to paint my rusty steel wheels anyway, why not create THe Ritmo Grande?
A bit of internet research revealed that the Fiat Doblo Cargo van of about 2006 had centre hub caps that would give roughly the desired centre shape I wanted if they were added to standard Grande Punto steel wheels.
Four Cargo centre caps were sourced from 3 different sellers on Ebay, along with black and silver Smoothrite, and the rest as they say is history.
The refreshed wheels give quite a dramatic effect to the car and are topped off with a new 'Ritmo' boot badge -intended for a modern Australian varient of the Brava, and a bespoke sticker on the fuel flap I designed to look like an original Fiat Ritmo/ Strada door handle.
22nd February 2021
The 1969 Austin Maxi Clacton
Just for a giggle I created the Austin Maxi Clacton beach car (of 1969).
I posted the 'press photo' on Twitter which went down quite well with many including TV's Sarah Crabtree (off of Bangers and Cash). However, there were a few doubters, and so I followed up with a period photo of the car at Clacton Pier, and a magazine cutting showing it's wicker dashboard.
20th February 2021
Alfa 33 Skirt Clips
Around Chritmas time I had looked into the possibility of having some very hard to get sill clips for the Alfa 33 3D printed.
A few people were interested in helping, but the cost proved inhibitive enough for me to pay through the nose for some of the last original clips available anywhere in the World.
They came from Spain, cost a fortune, and took about six weeks to arrive- mainly due to snow storms that Spain had suffered.
1st February 2021
Alfa GT door handle fix.
The cold weather helped Mrs MG's Alfa GT passenger door handle to self destruct. They are one of the many known weak points on the GT, and I have changed the drivers side before.
A cheap repair kit (comprising the hinge part that breaks) is available as an alternative to a complete expensive handle replacement, but it's a fiddly job requiring the removal of the door card to gain access to the nut inside the door.
I have now managed to complete this task on both sides without having to remove the door glass.
18th January 2021
Boot straps
Some super rare Alfa 33 parcel shelf rubber straps popped up on Ebay, and as mine were streched, a purchase was made.
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