Basic Motoring

 Thinking about it, I begin to realise that I've spent a great deal of 

unnecessary dollars on motor vehicles. 

 I've owned nearly thirty at last count. 

At the moment, I'm looking after two vehicles belonging to offspring, 

one because she's overseas, and the other because he cycles to work 

and doesn't need it, but won't sell it because he might be transferred 

to a situation where he does.

Because my garaging and custodianship includes, as a condition, 

the right to drive the cars, I had  the choice of four cars to use in 

my recent excursion to Canberra and back.

Now the MX5 is fun to drive, and would possibly have been first 

choice, but it's appreciating in value, and I'm trying to keep its 

distance covered low. Besides, it is not all that enjoyable on a long 

run down a highway. It's an interesting car, built for interesting roads.

My bride uses our "new" car, a Kia Rondo, and whilst she doesn't 

mind driving the 323, is happier with the Kia. This left my son's 

Mazda 323 Protege as the weapon of choice for my Canberra excursion. 

My daughter's Toyota Echo, whilst a pleasant 

little car, was never a consideration.

It was a journey for research purposes at the AWM, and no other 

family members were all that interested, so I was travelling solo. 

The 323 has a number of features that made it a good choice for a 

solo journey. 

First up, it has three music sources - the original cassette player, 

an aftermarket 6 stacker CD player, and my iPhone connected 

through a bluetooth plug-in device. There was never going to be 

any shortage of mobile entertainment.

                             Aftermarket cruise

Navigation was taken care of using the iPhone, on a magnetic 

mount which meant it was hands free and legal. I have mastered 

the art of using the GPS app and the music player simultaneously. 

A recent IOS upgrade has made this simple.

This meant that all the features expected these days on a modern 

vehicle (GPS, bluetooth phone connection, and music player) were 

all available in this twenty year old car, for the price of a magnetic 

phone mount and a bluetooth connector. All worked a treat, with the 

possible exception of the GPS, which when connected to Google maps  

had a bad habit of setting me up for a beeline journey down some 

dodgy roads if I took it literally.

The Mazda performed beautifully. It delivered 7.3 Lit/100kms at a 

cruise of 110km on the Newell. The aftermarket cruise control 

was a boon.

The air conditioning in Mazdas is renowned for its efficiency, and 

with the combination of well-shaped velour lined seats, and a steering 

column adjustable for rake and distance, ensured a very comfortable 

driving position. Cars of this vintage generally enjoy better vision, 

as the styling fashion which creates blind spots for rear vision hadn't 

arrived in 1999.

       

          Mountain straight, Mount Panorama

I got to drive it around the Mount Panorama circuit on the way home. 

At 60kph, that was an unexciting, but interesting experience.

These things are going for about $3500 used at the moment. 

If you can find a low kilometerage example (like my son's car), they're a bargain.

A Ghost in the Machine (II)

 

My MX5 is making a new noise.

That is not as worrying as when the smoke comes out, but it is not a 

good thing. 

(Cars run on smoke - 

that's why  when it escapes you're usually in trouble).

Anyhow, no smoke has yet appeared, but the noise is a worry.

It seems to emanate from the water pump housing, isn't obvious 

on idle or when the motor is cold, 

but appears with a vengeance on the overrun when it's warmed up. 

My fellow members in the local MX5 owners' club have provided a 

range of suggestions from a sick 

alternator to a problem with the timing chain tensioner.

I know nuffink.

That is why I took it to my local mechanic who had just replaced a water 

pump on my son's Mazda 323. 

Interestingly, it has covered a similar distance (about 120000 kms). 

aybe there's something about 

Mazda BP-ZE engines and water pumps at 120000 kms. Or perhaps 

here is some kind of perfidious virus. 

They shared a garage for a time. There was no social distancing.

MLM* (whom I trust) had a listen and reckoned it was nothing to worry about. 

When I asked him if it would 

be OK to drive to Canberra (which had been my plan) he said "sure".

I trust him, but not that far. I have changed my plans.

Yesterday I took a deep breath and drove it the 146 kms to Automotive Plus 

(free plug) whose boss mechanic, 

after complaining that the motor was hot (it was - after driving from Toowoomba), 

declared that it was most 

likely a water pump bearing.

It got me home, and the noise is no worse. 

So now, I have to decide whether to get the job done locally, or at the 

specialist's setup in Brisbane. 

The latter will require two days. You can't expect people to work on a 

hot motor after a 146 km highway run.

I'll keep you posted.

NB - This is the second time I've used this title.

Hence the II.

*My Local Mechanic.

X-Trailing

 

                                                                           X-Trail ST

I had a good reason last week to drive from Townsville to Toowoomba, and had booked a Kia Rio for the 1400 km journey. This, in hindsight, was probably not a wise choice of vehicle, given the type of journey.

Vehicle choice became academic in any case, as when I turned up at the hire depot, the only vehicle available was a 2019 Nissan X-Trail, which was probably a better option. It was an upgrade, so didn't cost any more that the Rio would have, except perhaps, for fuel, but more about that later.

In another life, I had a fair bit of experience driving the earlier boxy version (T31) in my forays down the Warrego, and remembered them as solid, unexciting, but comfortable cars.

That hasn't changed. They remain unexciting and comfortable, and for such a journey - kilometre after kilometre of straight wide bitumen - eminently suitable. What really surprised me was the fuel consumption (or lack of it). It used 7 litres per 100 kms between the two cities, which combined with a fuel tank capacity of 60 litres provided for a range of around 800 kms. That's diesel territory (excuse the pun). This thing did remind me of the late lamented Ford Territory.

Around Townsville (where I drove it for a few days before heading south) it was showing anything between 11 and 9 litres per 100 km, which is not shabby for a vehicle this size in an urban environment. It has an "Eco" feature  which is supposed to improve economy by reprogramming the drivetrain computer, but I stopped using it because it made the performance too doughy and unresponsive for my liking.

                                      There's an engine under all that plastic.

The thing was powered by a 2.5 litre four, which was combined with a CVT transmission. As a rule, I don't enjoy the driving characteristics of CVT setups, but this one didn't drone, and responded well when overtaking the occasional road train. No doubt the phenomenal fuel economy is a consequence of this transmission.

                                           Roomy but basic interior. Phone mount top centre.

There was lots of room inside, and the seating was comfortable, but the tech was basic in this ST (bottom of the line) version. There was no Apple Carplay, but linking my iPhone through the usb port emulated GPS and bluetooth music functions very well. The suction mount I bought before setting out is a "must-have" if you do this. My dodgy back coped well with seven hours daily in the driver's seat, which has not always been the case in other vehicles. 

                                                    Belyando Crossing on day 1.

Boot space was generous, and although these things can be bought with seven seats, this one was a five seater. It provides an interesting comparison with our Kia Rondo, offering comparable space with the addition of selectable 4WD, something the Rondo lacks. The rondo,however, is a much more engaging drive.

                                                                    Plenty of space here.

There were a couple of downsides. One was the reflective properties of the shiny black dashboard trim. Each morning of the two day journey,the sun would be over my left shoulder, and was reflected back directly into my eyes. Throwing a pullover across the offending section of the dashboard solved the problem, but it was an issue that could be easily fixed by using a matt finish.

It was also a cumbersome thing to drive when negotiating shopping centre car parks, but it shares that issue with the bulk (another pun!) of SUVs. I'm probably spoiled by driving an MX5.

Dedinging an Echo

Despite the title, this has nothing to do with music, and it isn't about my MX5, but it is car related, so what the heck...

Before - note my censoring of the number plate looks strange.

After - more censoring weirdness.

I'm garaging my daughter's Toyota Echo whilst she's overseas, so decided to spend some time (but little money) on cleaning it up a bit.

My daughter looked after the car well prior to travel, but backed it into hidden garage door stop some time ago. The car looked original apart from that, and the fact that over time, the wheel trims had gone missing.

Toyota Echo wheel trims are cheap and plentiful, so I picked a set up from a local wrecker. The same wrecker had some Echos in stock, although none of the correct Winter White colour, so I collected a rear bumper and a lower valence in a silver tone.

The original intention had been to find a wreck the same colour, so painting could be avoided, but there were none around locally, unlike the situation when I rejuvenated my son's Toyota Camry a few years ago.

The whole shopping expedition cost $80, so the "little money" bit was achieved.

Next step was to remove the damaged bits.

Removing the damaged bumper was the hard bit.

I found some youtube videos which ostensibly showed the way, but they all cut out after the retaining bolts were removed. At this point, the bumper bar stubbornly refused to separate from the subframe, so I was stuck.

Browsing through a second hand bookstore (the lockdown encourages this type of time filling) I found a Haynes Repair Manual for the Echo. Finding this particular book was, to say the least, a fluke, but it became clear after quick reference to the manual, that the bumper was held on by plastic clips, and you simply had to exert force until the clips cried "enough".

This was handy.

Toyota has a thing about plastic clips...

Anyway, once I was aware that brute force was required, and it wouldn't damage anything, the job became straightforward.

Suspended for spray painting.

The weather turned nasty halfway through the process which slowed things down a little, but the result was pleasing. By the time I'd bought the paint and manual, total costs were about $100. A panel beater would have probably quoted at least $750.

Next job is to restore the headlamps. They've gone yellow through age.

Watch this space...

Some Small Improvements

Being stuck at home by the dreaded virus has allowed time to create some improvements.

The first (and most expensive) was a complete brake overhaul. The car has always stopped well, but I began to notice some juddering through the pedal with sustained heavy braking, such as the descent of the Toowoomba range.

Pedders (No Bull) did a comprehensive, if expensive job of completely overhauling the system, including replacing both front and rear rotors.

They also aligned all four wheels, and replaced the clutch fluid, jobs which didn't leave much change from $1000.

It's been worth it, as the car is much more pleasant to drive, as a consequence of the alignment settings. The appearance has also been improved by the new rotors.

I had, for a long time, intended to mount a fire extinguisher in the cabin, but hadn't been able to source a decent mount. Eventually I found one for $40 from MX5 Mania, and installed it without too much trouble, although I had to source slightly longer bolts to attach the bracket to the passenger seat mounts.

Finally, the gear lever boot had cracked, so I found a replacement at Automotive Plus in Aspley, and installed it without hassles. You'll note the re-covered gear lever knob, which cost me $50 at a local bootmaker.

I'm still trying to source a factory cruise control from the USA, but no luck so far.
Watch this space.

Lockdown Meanderings

In the shutdown, my SE has been a source of entertainment and relief from boredom.

Here is a video of a local brief drive.

I'm an amateur at this, so forgive the camera shake and wind noise.

It was done with an iPhone mounted on the rear window. 

Motoring Nostalgia

This popped up in my Youtube feed.

It was posted by kiapenna1 who was selling it. 

In that he/she was successful.

I'm posting it because it is almost identical to the first car I owned. Back in 1966 I bought a 1956 Volkswagen 1200 from a used car dealer in Caloundra. I had saved my earnings from holiday jobs such as tobacco picking and delivering mail.

From memory, it set me back two hundred pounds. I have no idea whether that was good value or not, but it was unmarked, rust free, and it was just what I was looking for as a student teacher needing basic transport.

Looking back on it, I had no strong preference for make or model at age 19. I had learned to drive on a Morris 850 which belonged to my cousin, and passed my (rudimentary) licence test in my father's EJ Holden.

On the whole, it was a reliable car, although it chewed up a differential bearing not long after I acquired it, which drained my meagre savings.

I used it initially to drive daily to teachers' college, and weekly to drive the 70kms home to Landsborough most weekends. Post graduation, it took me home to Texas (Queensland - not USA) and to teaching appointments, first at Inglewood, and then Goondiwindi.

It came to grief halfway through my first year at Goondiwindi when it put a valve through a piston, as a consequence of the cooling fins on one of the cylinder heads being clogged with dried mud after an adventure in a flooded creek.

The only surviving photo. Note the indicators on the door pillars.

I put a long motor (out of a Kombi) in it, and drove it until I traded it on another Volkswagen, a 62 model, after a month or two.

The second beetle was OK, but it somehow lacked the mystique of the first one. They are a remarkable piece of engineering.

This US model differs in the positioning of the steering wheel, the presence of bumper overriders, and the parking lights and indicator setup. My car had pop-out trafficators, which I replaced with indicators mounted in the door pillars. where the trafficators had been.

They worked OK.

Beetles continue to have a special place in my heart.

All the Dozens

This set of digits has an intriguing pattern, although that's not why I posted it.

The clicking over of 120000 kms is significant.

It marks a couple of milestones, one being that I've put 10000 kms on the odometer since purchase of the SE in September 2018.

Hardtop and wing resprayed

The other is that I've actually spent some dollars on cosmetic restoration - $1500, in fact. This paid for a respray of the front bumper and the hardtop. The bumper was showing all kinds of gravel rash, typical for an MX5 of this vintage, and I had the hardtop sprayed maroon, a darker shade than the original cherry red.

Choice of colour is always a matter of taste, I suppose, but I chose this over respraying the top the same colour as the rest of the vehicle. which was my original intention.

I also had the rear wing resprayed, as it had deteriorated from (I think) sun damage. The finished job is excellent, and together with a windscreen replacement (which cost me nothing via insurance) has lifted the appearance. It's not concours, but is pleasing.

Gravel rash is gone.

The car is now pristine, paint wise, and exhibits a striking interior which matches the hardtop. The upholstery wear (call it patina) doesn't bother me, and I feed the leather regularly.

I've also taken to using the hardtop only when parking in unsecured areas, which given my pattern of use, is not often. I've never been entirely happy with its fit, and it is noisy. At low speed, it creaks and groans no matter how it is adjusted, and at high speed, the wind noise is a problem.

Interior looks OK.

Driving with the top down is the way to go, especially early in the morning, but my dermatologist, after observing my comprehensive skin damage from a misspent youth, demands that I put it up when in bright sunshine.

Top down is the way to go.

The only other improvement I'm considering at this stage is cruise control. The US Miata came with it equipped, but when I made enquiries about importing a kit, I discovered that they are incompatible with RHD, because of complications with the brake pedal fitted to the Oz version.

This means I'll be looking for an after market version, something discrete that doesn't compromise the originality of the vehicle.