Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

My low speed fan resistors are, I suspect, bollixed. This isn't going to be cheap, is it?

I think I had a Euphonic briefly - it's the one with a fancy stereo, yes?

The wheels on them are too big and the gearing too long. It ruins the car unless your intended use is motorways. Drive a Mk1 and you'll see what I mean, the shorter gearing suits the power output miles better, it feels much more like a fun little sports car and less like a cruiser.

Cheers for the help guys, put in a serious shift today taking everything apart and cleaning it, nowhere near as clean as I'd like but it's a start. Unfortunately I snapped a bolt off at the exhaust manifold when taking it off :/

Point looked ok but a couple of the leads were in real bad condition so I'm gonna replace the whole system I reckon. Fuel filter did have some silt in it too so I'll get a new one of those.

911

The resistors are known to fail (seemingly due to where they are), I'd have hoped that the garage would have spotted that when they replaced one of the rads though.

On a different note I've done over a thousand miles (one fifth of my annual mileage allowance!) in the 911 since I bought it and enjoyed every one of them.

A couple of times I've thought that the clutch was slipping - further testing revealed that this was the TC cutting in to prevent wheelspin. This is a contrast to the Volvo, which has no such system.

Thanks @Hefty and @diable I think it'll be a laugh and at that price it is not the end of the world anyway.

Can you turn the TC off?

Yep, it's the last generation of 911 that you can turn completely off, however yesterday it was pissing down, so I suspect that full throttle in third was a little intemperate.

Anyone got experience trying to clean up a maf-sensor? Mines playing up on the w124 (m111.960 engine) so thinking of giving that and the throttle body a clean.

Tricky to do? Waste of time and money?

My experience is that once MAF's are starting to go wrong it's best to bin and replace, nothing wrong with giving the throttle body a good clean - just make sure not to drop anything into the intake manifold.

Take them off the vehicle and clean them with electrical contact cleaner.

Check to see it the mesh arould the sensor is blocked

It's €185 for a Bosch original so might be worth to just get a new one

http://www.te-taxiteile.com/mercedes-teile/w202-c-klasse/motor/luftversorgung/luftmassenmesser-mercedes-w202-c-klasse-w124-w210-e-klasse-von-bosch

And just to confirm what my mechanic said. With the maf connected my idle is high and the engine hesitates during acceleration (though not when I floor it) and when I disconnect it the idle lands nicely on 700-800 and the driving is per normal.

maf kaput?

Check for all the rust. ALL THE RUST.

Then, when was the last cambelt service, if anywhere near 60k miles previously, budget £200-300 for a cambelt and water pump replacement. Get them to do the cam cover gasket while they're doing it.

Then if you want to really enjoy driving get a decent alignment done - it will probably need a couple of alignment bolts replacing as they rust up and seize very quickly. Mine lasted less than 2 years, getting an alignment done regularly helps keep them not seized.

Oops didn't see this, if there is as little rust as this, £1,500 is a billy bargain for that car.

How's the roof?

See if cleaning does anything, but not looking good.

Is there a pierburg replacement?

Alignment with caster camber check?

Bolts either use anti seize or low strength thread lock to stop problem.

Roof is very good. The guy I am buying (yes decided to buy it) it from is a very suave and sophisticated Portuguese chap, called Barbosa (not a pirate). He has got another car, an Alfa 159, which is in lovely condition too and both his cars are impeccable. He is changing job and moving into London and won't have room for three cars, his two and his wife's so this MX5 has to go.

The MK2.5 is a step up in comfort over the 1 and 2 but not quite getting as bloated as the 3 so it's a good choice.

^Engine is in the wrong place

Says the man with a Beetle.

Thank you Blue Qlarkson

The right place for an engine is in between the axles. Sadly your car fails that test. Shoulda bought a Boxster :-)

No child, anywhere, has ever thought to themselves "one day I'll have a Boxster".

I owned it for a total of 15 minutes and a whole three miles of driving, taking the previous owner back to work and returning home the long way back. I turn up outside and mother-in-law is there with the good Mrs Savage saying very positive things. It seems she's having it and I'm not. It's now parked on her drive. Bollocks.

Mother in Law?