What Did You Do To Your Smart Today?

[Chopper 264]

All 4 wing corners now rubbed back, primed, painted, lacquered, rubbed back with 2000 grit, polished.  I'm particularly pleased how well I managed the blending into the old paint - I've still got it!

 

That's the bodywork pretty much mint now.  She's 15 years old, bit looks closer to 2 years.

 

Going to hang fire for a few weeks, see what happens.  If I am for sure taking over my Dad's old Volvo then the Smart will be for sale.  If I keep it then I'd like to get the wheels refurbished and a new drivers door welt.

[Chopper 264]

Put the battery on charge.  Spoke to my Dad today and all is going well at his end, so its looking likely that mine will be up for sale by the end of the month.  I will miss it terribly, but a free luxury SUV is a free luxury SUV.

[smartzuuk 167]

My friend and his son sold the 2006 passion cabrio I owned last year to a guy in White Rock who is apparently planning on buying up all the passion cars that he can at reasonable prices.... (this one made # 4 I think). He remarked it was the best driving smart he'd ever been in, including those remapped ones he already had. Thanks to Dwayne's refurbishing no doubt, which included a physical EGR delete, sealing up the intercooler, a BETTER turbo cartridge ordered in from Germany and changing the alternator pulley to the one from the UK talked about by our friend in the UK (tolsen). Possibly also because of the wider wheel/tire set, which if anything, actually slows it down a tiny bit, but also improves the handling and feel (to most people anyway) The car went for $3,800 with close to 210,000 kms on it. They spent about $1000 in various parts, and made a little bit for the 40 hours labour that went into it. Was his sons first licensed vehicle which he insured after getting his N. I gave it to them at my cost after acquiring it in Hope, towing it back to Abbotsford, doing minor maintenance on it to see how well it ran (which was sufficient to warrant the effort to restore), and adding the strikelines and a few accessories from my stash.

 

I have not managed to acquire another fixer-upper - missed one on the island and one in Whistler/Squamish recently - c'est la vie. 

 

On the other hand, the ones needing significantly more work have been forwarded to Kevin out in Mission, who to date, has acquired 9 smarts in total. Hopefully we'll hear about those in due course. Lots of panels and spare parts and wheels I would imagine. Some engines are toasted completely and not rebuildable.

 

I am actually more inclined to land a 451 should one show again, but will take a cdi if the laundry list of repairs is not too long.

[Chopper 264]

Wrote out an ad in readiness for putting the old girl on sale.

[Willys 747]

5 hours ago, Chopper said:

Wrote out an ad in readiness for putting the old girl on sale.

Traitor..........where's my VooDoo doll and pins.......lol


Volvo....Humph......

 

Carbon footprint.....?

Traitor..........lol....sniff sniff....

 

 

Now IF you lived in an area where you had acreage and plenty of room for more than a few vehicles.....just think of the possibilities....lol.....so many great vehicles need rescuing and what better person than someone who takes such good care of his pride and joy.....lol.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Willys

[Chopper 264]

Going to lube my steering column UJs today, so refreshed my knowledge on the superb Evilution.  I see Kane has put the minimum subscription up to £15, but he goes to great pains to explain why in his editorial...including having to buy another 450 in order to update the 450 library!

 

It's still superb value and I urge all Smart owners to cough up so he can carry on the excellent work.

 

@Willys I have about 3/4 an acre, but I'm down from 4 personal cars to just the 1 I  recent years, which I think is justificpable and sensible.  I may keep the Smart yet - I love it to pieces - but for me a car is transport, not a hobby.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Chopper

[Chopper 264]

Ok, a few weeks back I sprayed the steering UJs with penetrating oil.  Ife left it a while for it to penetrate and for the lighter fractions to evaporate out, so today I sprayed them with white grease.  The 450 1/2 bonnet mod  makes this an absolute snap.

 

While I had the white grease out I quickly crawled under and did the clutch actuator.  That's both of those taken care of until the spring.  Until the day (if) it goes I shall continue to cherish it and smother it with maintenance.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Chopper

[Willys 747]

On the weekend I started hearing a rattle in the front end of my beater. It was in what I thought was the upper right hand side and i thought would be the top nut on the strut. Hmmm....? Spent a few too many hours thinking about it, then finally stripped off the front clip and started checking every nut and bolt connected to the suspension...all tight as a drum....Hmmm...?  So out comes the jack and lift the car off the ground to unload the front end and got the long lever bar out to check all connection areas for play....Nothing..!...Again Hmmm...?   Then finally I happened to try all the nuts and bolts again, found the lower sway bar link bar's lower bolt moved when stressed....little bugger!  So I had two or three choices, replace link, tighten link nut, or well lets say because it's my winter beater and I really don't care that much about it other than being reliable.....firmly attach it any way I can to stop movement! Lets just say....couldn't losen the bolt or tighten it heat or not heat without burning the rubber boot around ball socket, so that stopped me from cherry reding the nut which would have worked...lol   I'm sure. Didn't look up how much a new one was, but the actual ball joints were solid and good, clean and perfect. So, aggression got the better of me and I welded the nut to the "A" arm.....lol....just enough to hold it tight from banging. Problem solved.  Until I need to replace it....lol.    I'm sure I'll regret this aggressive resulting fix then, but for now it's like new again..lol. 

As for the good summer's car's progress, I broke down and bought a cabinet sand blaster to start cleaning up every part I can fit into it, which could be the entire engine and tranny.......to get them all spotless ready for paint! Engine is still living at the machinist's shop it seems...happy to sit in a box waiting it's turn in line.  No real rush yet..I have plenty of cleaning and painting to get done before it's too cold outside to work. 

 

Another thing I am again thinking about is a better blue-toothed USB capable radio and antena system. I am finding when traveling all over the rural areas I drive I'm constantly losing good stations. I spent a few hours yesterday driving to a buddies place listening to CBC of all things and their political tainted slant on current affairs to keep it a neutral discussion......so I need to solve this issue in an inexpensive fashion.  I am thinking a cheap reasonable radio and an antena which uses L brackets to attach itself to the cage roughly where it is now and then run cable inside through gromets siloned to keep water out.....not that that would solve my every leaking car at the moment...augh! But it may solve my listening enjoyment while driving in out of the way areas...? My stock anteana snapped the first time I tried to remove it and I repaired it by re-tapping the hole and making a joiner on the lathe to allow it to work, but it's not good enough. Hense the old school styled butcher attempt to get a better anteana in the mix.
So, suggestions on a good cheap assed radio and the rest I can sort I'm sure..

Thanks and sorry to ramble.

 

[Sydney 218]

3 hours ago, Chopper said:

Ok, a few weeks back I sprayed the steering UJs with penetrating oil.  Ife left it a while for it to penetrate and for the lighter fractions to evaporate out, so today I sprayed them with white grease.  The 450 1/2 bonnet mod  makes this an absolute snap.

 

While I had the white grease out I quickly crawled under and did the clutch actuator.  That's both of those taken care of until the spring.  Until the day (if) it goes I shall continue to cherish it and smother it with maintenance.

whats the 450 1/2 bonnet mod?

[slipperyslope 34]

 

[Chopper 264]

It's a mod that allows the 450 bonnet to unclip in about 5 seconds.  Google it.

[Willys 747]

3 hours ago, Chopper said:

It's a mod that allows the 450 bonnet to unclip in about 5 seconds.  Google it.

This has always intreged me....almost did it last summer but backed away...?   Thinking again now.....maybe.

Just got the top side of my sub frame sandblasted..........now I remember why you don't do certain things at the beach!   I have sand or lets say glass particles where glass particles shouldn't be......lol. Got some heavy black clouds floating above so brought it all inside again, maybe tomorrow I'll finish.   It's going to be pretty    very pretty...lol

 

[Chopper 264]

Mate, it makes like so easy for some many things.

[Willys 747]

1 minute ago, Chopper said:

Mate, it makes like so easy for some many things.

I may look into it again after sub frame is back under car and working.  May as well do it all while it's in the shop....imho.....never need to diddle around with it again.....just drive her.

 

[Chopper 264]

Good news! Mrs Chopper has told me to keep the smart as a summer toy and stand-by backup scoot. £102 to insure, £30 to tax, is nothing over the course of a year, she says.  It's in the garage so takes up no room in the garage, so she's told me to keep it.  Very pleased!

[Chopper 264]

Search and Rescue callout yesterday, I went as one of the Search Managers to run the shebang.  It was about 70 miles to the west, getting out towards the Welsh border.  East - West links aren't good in the UK, so it was relatively minor roads the whole way. The smart did fine though. and despite lots of slowing and accelerating,  hill climbing etc, the rate at which the fuel gauge dropped off indicates high 50s MPG imperial, I'll do the maths when I fill up.

 

Coming back in the dark wasn't so good.  It was hammering it down with rain.  The Smart was quite planted and stable and managed the conditions with great aplomb, it's only crosswinds it doesn't like.  Main beam is a bit feeble in poor conditions, so a mental note to self to see what can be done about that in the future.

 

More worryingly, kn a remote and unlit country road I hit a submerged pothole at speed.  The BANG was absolutely frightening.  I stopped for a look (wearing full Keela mountaineering gear was a definite bonus in the wet!) and shining a torch about could see no damage, so I carried on.  Alas, something is broken or bent.  It drives fine, but anything more than a gentle application of the brakes has it lurching alarmingly to the left, sk over the next day or so I need to look into that and get it fixed.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Chopper

[Chopper 264]

Update.  Nothing broken, nothing visibly bent.  The track rods are puny so I'm hoping that its merely the front wheel alignment smacked seriously out of kilter.  I'll get that checked in due course.

[Willys 747]

Well....yesterday bored 4 holes into my tridium roll cage so to speak.....just to add an aftermarket antena for an aftermarket radio. I've had it with spotty radio reception and the stock old school radio with zero modern conveniences. No hands free, no USB, no aux .....so I spent the big bucks and bought the cheapest workable radio I could find on Amazon.....yep radio and antena all under $100....lol   Yep for the Beater....lol
IF it works out I will have a cheap assed radio and a marine quality antena bolted to the side of the car via a solid metal bracket.....with the cable routed through the cage into the car,  Simply functional, not cosmetic in any way shape or form. Yes it'll be properly insulated from sharp metal holes etc and held back with nice-ish clamps....but it'll be obvious it is custom beater quality...lol.

The one thing I did learn from all my drilling into the cage it's not just a simple single skinned cage. It is a cage with in a cage I guess the reason it is so strong!  I expected to simply punch a hole through the outside and then direct the cable down and into the car at floor level under the dash, WRONG!   lol. Not happening from what I could see without tearing out the dash, something that also wasn't happening with the beater just to install a crappy radio etc etc.  This is the ginnea pig trial run for the good car which will get the same but prettier bracket etc to hold the new more expensive antena etc etc.  Once it works.

Today it's chucking it down so hopefully the gorillia tape is holding back the gallons of water washing over the car....lol.....OR I'll find all the holes in the floor pans...lol.

Now to order a new back brace seeing as the old one must have shrunken while hiding in the closet.....I blew my back out a few days ago and finally have the OK to buy a new one through benefits etc etc.  The cost of this will be 4 times what the radio is worth....lol.

[dguy 22]

Tried to change the bulb for the third brake light, only to discover that the manufacturer's selection of fastener materials is far from Smart.  Now I have crusty rusty screw remnants broken off inside the plastic spoiler.  Yay. 

[Chopper 264]

Front wheel alignment professionally reset.  Being the annoying detail oriented customer that I am I made them use a centering tool on the steering wheel, and then reset the alignment.  The track rod ends looked very clean but I'd soaked them in Rost Off Ice for a few days beforehand and they loosened first go.

 

Car now drives straight and true and doesn't head for the nearest ditch when braking sharply.

[Willys 747]

Finally nailed down my machinist today......my engine has been inspected and has a verdict.......augh.....lol

 

It could be simply re-gasketed and valves lapped in at worst or is that the best..?  Next he says maybe just rings and bearings, lifters, rockers.....?   Then the way I'll be going is make it new again please sir!   One size up if possible in piston and rings, new bearings etc, rockers,lifters etc etc....and decking head and skimming the block...just to make perfect.  Simply make it new again.

He says the only issue will be finding the parts but I assured him we can do it.....lol.   Meaning you folks and myself that is....lol.
So new thread to get that going is next ......flip there when I get it going. Or if you can help suggest parts suppliers etc etc. 
Thanks

 

[BWM 87]

4 hours ago, Willys said:

Finally nailed down my machinist today......my engine has been inspected and has a verdict.......augh.....lol

 

It could be simply re-gasketed and valves lapped in at worst or is that the best..?  Next he says maybe just rings and bearings, lifters, rockers.....?   Then the way I'll be going is make it new again please sir!   One size up if possible in piston and rings, new bearings etc, rockers,lifters etc etc....and decking head and skimming the block...just to make perfect.  Simply make it new again.

He says the only issue will be finding the parts but I assured him we can do it.....lol.   Meaning you folks and myself that is....lol.
So new thread to get that going is next ......flip there when I get it going. Or if you can help suggest parts suppliers etc etc. 
Thanks

 

Before you get the block bored I'ld source for over sized pistons or at worse over sized rings they may be unavailable.

You might be able to find custom made ones but they'll be costly.

Remove the ridge and hone the block and stay with stock pistons and rings IMO will be fine.

Decking the block and head will raise the compression slightly to more depending on how much you remove.

[Willys 747]

BWM...yes I know...cylinders bored when pistons are in hand etc etc...lol.  I am finding over sized pistons a challenge so far....eyes are just about burnt out on my skull checking sites etc.....rings aren't so hard to locate. I did locate a double over size set of pistons, so someone must make a single over size...Hmm...? I don't really need to bore but want new condition bores compared to simply refreshed. by a scuffing with a hone. I also don't wish to bore over sized to the limit either whatever that may be.  Not usually my goal to stay so close to stock size...lol.

 

 

[smartzuuk 167]

Just checking in for the first time in a bit. I keep referring the broken cdi cars to Kevin in Mission, who may by now be at 10 or more, will have to check one of these days!

 

I passed on a 210,000 km 451 for $1500 thinking it's probably getting close to major issues...

 

I did however acquire a 2008 Volco C30 2.4i with auto tranny for a really really good price, and it's so far proven to be an excellent car. Very versatile and useful for me. My two Suzuki are on the block now and I just need to get a couple minor things done on each and they will be gone. I'd still like a 451 when it appears, cash in hand, just waiting for the craigslist alert to hit the inbox!

 

As for 'new' vehicles.... the only things remotely on the horizon would be a VW electric or a Peugeot of some sort. Nothing else is even remotely catching my fancy. As for used, well, I can always use a Suzuki with 4 low....

 

 

[MikeT 744]

Today I bought a set of engine/transmission mounts for Snowball at TPM Victoria, 25% discount ("garage sale").  The car's engine mounts are crap now, time for a change!  Same for the B 200 - bought them too and they're also gone.