[ROVERNET - UK] Danger of leaving it too late

Alan Gale agale at iinet.net.au
Sun Nov 19 13:08:09 GMT 2006


I have just learnt a big object lesson in maintaining your own car - you 
get used to the problems that creep up on you and it needs someone else 
to find them.
Having just had all the rear bushes replaced as well as the universal 
joints in the rear end of the 3500S, I am deeply embarrassed by what a 
difference it has made and the abject condition of what was removed.
The scariest thing is that now when I straighten up after turning a 
corner, the car stops turning the corner.  Previously, the back end kept 
moving until it settled.  The roads have got a lot better too - the 
corners near home aren't nearly as bad as I thought they were.
Also re-trimmed the interior and fitted a woodgrain steering wheel 
(thanks, Rob).
Now to fix the dings and tackle the gearbox conundrum: recondition the 
original 4-speed or go for the supra/celica five speed conversion??
Then it will be time to fit the rover aircon unit and I will call the 
project finished.
Meantime Rover 10 has a new set of track rod ends and has been re-sprung 
- making her a joy to drive and the Crossley rebuild will start as soon 
as we find some pistons which will raise the compression from 4:1 to 
about 5.5:1.
Hope to get all this finished before crossing the continent to live in 
Perth - about 4,000 miles across Australia's Nullabor desert from 
Melbourne.  It is a tempting drive.

Cheers,
Alan Gale



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