for an ad-free Fetcheveryone experience!

Fetch and the Art of Car Maintenance

18 watchers

Northern Exile Jul 2022 9:57pm, 18 Jul 2022 9,016 posts	Quote Pin Northern Exile I'm hoping this was a Lotus or an Uren Savage Rich. A 1600e at the very least! 🙂
richmac Jul 2022 10:48pm, 18 Jul 2022 19,248 posts	Quote Pin richmac Nope just a bog standard MKII. Lotus never came in auto I'm not sure the savage did either. But I loved the piece of shit. It's features in no particular order of shitness Non servo brakes prone to seizing, but largely superfluous because taking a foot of the accelerator slowed you down very quickly. Steering box steering not even a rack and pinion made possible by a gigantic steering wheel constructed entirely from chest destroying bakelite. Seat belts static and well mainly for passing mot's and not restraining occupants. Electrics 6 perhaps 12 volts didn't really matter maybe 8 candle power headlamps. Washers stamp on a thing on the floor till you realise there is no water, wipers decorative. Rust, there for educational purposes. Rear wheel drive on leaf springs, no power and terrifying over about 45 mph but you could point it into a corner give it just a hint of opposite lock, hoof it and drift through like a total grinning bell end. Like I say, utter rubbish but charming.
Northern Exile Jul 2022 11:13pm, 18 Jul 2022 9,017 posts	Quote Pin Northern Exile That's true, I missed that it was an auto. My Uncle had a Savage and they were pretty bespoke, as I remember they had the 3.0 Essex lump out of the MK1 Capri .... I have no idea if this came with an auto box option, but I'm betting probably not. I do know you could order lots of strange options, including a black and white TV mounted in the centre console
Northern Exile Jul 2022 11:15pm, 18 Jul 2022 9,018 posts	Quote Pin Northern Exile Hell no, an auto box was an option! en.wikipedia.org
richmac Jul 2022 7:00am, 19 Jul 2022 19,253 posts	Quote Pin richmac Cool! And TBF is if I'd been of a mind I 'could' have dropped a V6 in, I have a vague memory that Ford engine mounts were all in the same place as were the bolt holes for bell housings? But given the awful brakes and suspension it probably wouldn't have been a good idea, or ended up bankrupting me trying to upgrade it.
Northern Exile Jul 2022 9:56am, 19 Jul 2022 9,019 posts	Quote Pin Northern Exile That's true, a lot of Ford engines and gearboxes were interchangeable. You ran into problems on some vehicles (Escorts particularly) as the firewall tunnel was too small for some bellhousing shapes, quite often solved with a big hammer 🙂 This takes me back to some misspent days in my youth....
richmac Jul 2022 7:28pm, 19 Jul 2022 19,267 posts	Quote Pin richmac Lol, yes I helped someone work a much later motor into a pop which involved taking a lump hammer to the bulkhead, then some welding when that didn't work, then a bit more! So much grease under the nails
Northern Exile Jul 2022 10:33pm, 19 Jul 2022 9,021 posts	Quote Pin Northern Exile Sounds typical 🙂
richmac Jul 2022 7:05pm, 21 Jul 2022 19,289 posts	Quote Pin richmac £200 to sort a bloody ECU with a chaffed wire. FFS I tried resetting the fuses and relays at the weekend. The technian told my partner that I was about 3" away from the actual problem. That's an expensive 1/4 of a foot 😂🤣
Northern Exile Jul 2022 10:53pm, 21 Jul 2022 9,029 posts	Quote Pin Northern Exile I also have had an expensive day. New cam belt, water pump and tensioner etc on my van. £541 quid and that includes 10% BL discount. Better than a knackered engine I suppose.