Daily ride rescue Archives

August 28, 2018September 17, 2018

Ms Renault Megane from top of a hill

We read the Facebook trash and treasure ad with interest as it has all the elements of what we want for a Nano/Mechanical blog project. So for this blog this is where the adventure starts.

The Megane was described as having a mechanical failure but well looked after in it’s life. It was about 200kms from our place which is a further away then we would like but we decided to reach out and see what this car held for us. After many months for what started out to be a reasonably straight forward Nano/Mechanical restoration ended up dishing out lots of surprises as you will read below, but we did get it finished.

We arranged to go and see the car to determine if it was a feasible project and if so buy the car, then go back and get the car on a car trailer using one of our other DIY project cars as the tow vehicle.

We left to go see the car and hit road works all the way delaying us about an hour but on getting there we were greeted by a massive great dane closely followed by 2 chihuahuas and 2 Shetland ponies who looked on with slight interest.

The Megane was sitting on a hill on it’s own. We took a look at the car and saw that the car had been licked clean in some places by a big tongue, possibly from a cow or that great dane. The body was in good condition with some battle scares in the usual spots but for our purposes these are acceptable.

We could not see the mechanical fault that was described so we spent about an hour looking at the basics. There were no faults in the OBC so we determined that the problem was more than likely the cam belt was broken. Super hard to see the condition of the belt on these engines without some effort. So we decided to buy the car anyway.

A few days later we leave pre-dawn and drive the 200kms with a car trailer using our Mazda Tribute to do the heavy hauling. Surprisingly the Tribute did the towing of the trailer very easily.

We get to the Megane, load up and head back to base. On the way we stop to check the tie-down tensions out font of a second hand wares shop that had a lychee covered VW beetle for sale out front. The owner came out to find out more about Ms Megane’s issues and fate. During the conversation he made an offer that was well above what we paid for but we gracefully declined his offer and got on our way.

The following day we decided to have a look at the cam belt and got to work. As suspected the cam belt idler pulley bearing had failed and the belt had broken as a result. We needed to remove the head anyway to see what level of damage had been caused as this is like almost all engines of this era are interference engines so the pistons and valves occupy the same space, meaning there would be some internal engine damage.

Engine damage

A few hours later we had our answers. very minimal damage had occured to the internal engine. Very, very lucky. We sent the Head off to one of the finest Automotive engineers we know in Mr. Phil Baker to recondition the head. While that is being done we will get to work on the rest of the car.

What we need to do:

Wash and claybar the car with NDG Mega Gloss wash
Cut and polish the paintwork and carry out paint correction
Replace the passenger door regulator
Remove buckle from front rim
Find radio code
Hyperseal the body and all other plastic parts
Order trim clips
Refit plastic trims that are missing screws
Replace the water pump and other seals
Service the injectors
Order colour coded touch-up paint

Mid way phase

We get to work on locating and ordering the parts we need.
We start on the bodywork NDG DIY bodywork coating process.
Wash and claybar the car
Carry out paint correction on several areas of the car.
Re-secure any body plastic parts
Clean engine bay and apply NDG Instant engine gloss
Recharge battery
Check and change all fuses

Some weeks later,

We assembled the engine replacing the waterpump, idler, Timing belt and tension and various bolts and this got the Megane back on the road.

We took it for it’s first road test. 1 and 2nd gear it all sounded good then as we grab 3rd we hear a bearing growl start-up in the gearbox and this only got worse in 4th and 5th. Dam, this is not something we needed to have happen!

Out comes the gearbox and stripped down. Noisy bearing found and the search started for the bearing kit. No kits in Australia so a kit was ordered from the UK which arrived a week later.

With the Gearbox rebuilt and installed into the car we get to detailing the car and Hyperseal the body and plastics and fitting the new passenger front window regulator.

All done.

Plan is to drive the car for a couple of weeks and then put it onto the open market to sell. But, it turned out so dam nice ans so much fun to drive it is tempting to keep it!!!.

An Update to the Megane.

It is certainly a head turner and people want to know what it is, Sounds strange as they are common but not so in rural Australia, they are around but tend to blend in as most are standard looking commuters.

The car was delivered to it’s new owner Narelle in Sept 18 and, she loved the car the moment she laid eyes on it.

July 28, 2018

Where is the Gotcha?

There is one way that makes us very edgy about sketchy owners selling cars. In this Blog we do just that. We buy a slightly beaten 99 model CRV from a sketchy owner with a massive dog that was lurking in their front yard, a yard we had to walk through alone to get to the front door.

We find the dog asleep on the front veranda and with just one step onto the veranda it opens it’s eyes. Gulp!

We survive that and get on with looking over the car that was out of fuel and nosed into the kerb. We tested for worn wheel bearings which are pretty common at this age and found the RH front was badly worn and the brake disc was hitting the brake calliper, a liveable problem.

We got it to start and moved in slightly in reverse and the engine cut out, no fuel. So we give it a look over for the NDG DIY renovation process and whether this car fitted the bill, but, we could not get the feeling of there being a GOTCHA problem in this deal somewhere. We agree the price and go get some fuel. We fill the tank with enough fuel to get moving and go for a drive.

Yep, as we found the front bearing was undriveable but we drove it anyway. The car seemed fine, at first. The bearing noise was spin chilling but we only had a few kms to drive so we soldered on.

In the workshop for a first look.

We did the before photos
We did notice that the car didn’t engage the park paw or detent which was a big worry and the cause needed to be found.
We removed the front wheels and found that the car was infact a constant AWD and the front drive shafts were missing on the passenger side and half there on the drivers side. We jacked up the car so all 4 wheels were off the ground and ran it in drive. Both front output shafts were turning and no abnormal noises were heard the park engage so, the GOTCHA was found, or so we thought.
The headlights were not working on low beam.
An after market stereo was fitted or badly fitted
Interior fan not working
A number of fused missing from the interior fuse box
The body and interior were a little rough but we feel it will look great when we are done.

Parts to order

Front Drive shafts and seals (We feel this is concealing a much bigger problem)
RH Front wheel bearing
Headlight bulbs
Mini Blade fuses

While we are waiting on the parts we get to it and start the transformation process with NDG

Let’s get started on the DIY job!

Mega Gloss wash
NDG Claybar and lubricant process with some paint correction
Cut and polish the paint work
Hyperseal coating
Long life Tyre shine
NDG’s 3 minute headlight restoration
Odour eleminator ( we will use “New Car” fragrance)
NDG 600C Matte Black engine paint
Long life Engine Lacquer

Before and after shots

Where is the Gotcha? — NDG Engine Lacquer & 600C Engine paint in action

Mechanicals

We got stuck into this as we were burning time

Installed new front wheel bearings
Installed the new front drive shafts
Removed the blower fan regulator and replaced the main capacitor
Replaced several damaged fuses
We noticed the valve cover was leaking oil so removed, cleaned and resealed

Now we find the real GOTCHA!

After installing the new drive shafts we decided to test the drivetrain and prepared the car for a test drive. On selecting reverse we hear a massive banging coming out of the transmission and the same for selecting drive. This sound is terminal.

The Sketchy owner got us good!

After searching around we locate a low milage transmission and get it on transport while we remove the transmission from the car.

We really didn’t want to go this deep in repairs in this car but we had accounted for some catastrophic issue into our buying price, luckily!

Post transmission

On receiving the replacement transmission we decided to clean it with our NDG Acidic Degreaser which restores Aluminium to look like new. (on Writing this blog we had not launched NDG Degreaser. Launch date January 2019)

After the transplant we get to go for a decent drive. Wow this is a good car and could be our company run around car.

We advertise the car with half a mind that if it doesn’t sell we will in fact keep the car. A week into advertising it we receive a message from a Swedish fellow who wants to see the car. He buys it on the spot and loads up his traveling companion and heads to the middle of Australia for an around Australia working holiday which in a one shot drive is 16,500kms.

Bon Voyage guys!

Some months later we receive an image of their trip.

July 27, 2018July 29, 2018

Hyundai Tucson makes a solid come back

There is always a danger of buying cars on auction as you really don’t get a sense of what the car has been through in it’s life and, in this case the heading “Hyundai Tucson makes a solid come back” is an understatement as this car has been beaten on. A 2005 model city car which somehow ended up at the car auctions and then to us to see what we could do with it.

We will do all this work using DIY techniques and NDG Products. There will be a significant amount of mechanical work to do carried out and to keep the cost realistic as will look for a low millage donor car to source the parts. But our mission is to get this car looking and smelling as close to showroom condition as possible. We have given ourselves a week to complete this project. Is it even possible?

At first look we see

That it was a smokers car so heavy smoking smell and it has been beaten on for some years, very run down with layers and layers of problems
Light beige interior with significant black marks all over the seats and nicotine smells and discolouration from smoking
Cracked centre armrest and heavily soiled
Steering wheel airbag damaged and worn trim
Driver’s seat torn
Worn gear leaver trim
Fuse panel exposed (not a good sign)
Lettering missing off rear hatch door
ABS light on
Radiator leaking and coolant all over the ABS pump and underside of the car (has been leaking for some time)
Valve lifters ticking
Idler pulley noisy causing drive belt system squeal
Power steering pump reservoir hoses swollen and rubbing on serpentine belt
Belt tensioner noisy
Engine bay layered in typical city driving soiling
Paintwork dull and covered in light scratches
Headlights crazed and have been restored some time in the distant past
Rubbish quality window tint causing poor vision clarity
Some sort of oxidisation in spare wheel well ( needs more investigating)
Auto transmission fluid brownish colour
Tyres worn and spare tyre bald
Car drives straight and no wheel bearing or unusual driveline noises and surprisingly no evidence of accident damage or repairs

Plan of attack

Find a donor car
Diagnose ABS fault
Find source of coolant leak
Clean engine bay and solve engine ticking and belt system squeal
Change engine and transmission fluids and filters
Claybar body to see how much paint correction is required
Cut and polish body
NDG Hyperseal treatment
Clean and restore the interior neutralising the smokers smell
Restore the headlights

Work process

Donor car found (in local wrecking yard)
Removed parts from donor car. Radiator, thermostate, ABS pump, serpentine belt, idler pulley, belt tensioner, abs switch, drivers seat, steering wheel and airbag, luggage security panel, spare wheel, rear hatch lettering, center console and arm rest, body clips and other small trim pieces
Clay bar body
Cut & polish
Mega Gloss Wash
NDG Hyperseal treatment
NDG Acidic engine bay degreaser and pressure clean
Replaced radiator and thermostate
Replaced idler pulley, tensioner and belt (inspected timing belt)
Replaced ABS pump and switch
Cleaned spare wheel well and installed new spare wheel
Carried out NDG Headlight restoration process
Changed engine & transmission oil and filters
Removed all seats, cleaned with NDG Bio Crystal Magic and removed stains from carpet
Replaced Drivers seat, centre console and armrest and steering wheel
Finished off engine bay with NDG Engine lacquer

The results 4 days later

According to the owner: “Simply amazing, the car looks new, cannot believe it, you sure it is the same car?”

In summary

The car is a new as it will ever look and considering that everything done to the car was all done as DIY techniques just as it would in any driveway anywhere. We have worked hard to ensure that NDG products are truely DIY and that you can tackle projects as deep as this and get a great result.

This Hyundai was a great project. It was in a very bad way when we received it and there were doubts as to whether it could be restored, but 4 part days later we got not just a great result we got a perfect result. The car looks close to new condition, and smells just like a new car would with our soon to be released odour neutraliser which installs that showroom new car smell. Keep and eye out for that one as we will be launching it in November 2018.

End

July 20, 2018August 5, 2018

DIY Head restoration/rectification

Headlight restoration kits are available everywhere and are priced to motivate the DIY market to buy and try their luck on getting the desired result, clear headlight lenses. The problem is that most if not all of these kits give a great result but it is short lived.

The issue with headlight lenses that once they have been restored with a quick and easy DIY headlight restoration kit is that you cannot use them a second time and expect a good result, in-fact you can very easily destroy the lens. The legacy of using these kits is that in the preparation process you sand to etch the crazing/discolouration off the lens before applying the clear-coat.

The grit is pretty course that leaves deep sanding etching in the lens. This etching is where the challenge begins as it is very hard to get a clear lens on a 2nd restoration and even harder to get a restoration to last the service life of the car.

Typical headlight issues that occur after an off the counter DIY headlight restoration

Hazing

DIY Head restoration/rectification — **Hazing**

Crazing

Severe Etching

The NDG Process.

What you need

Bucket of clean water
Waterproof gloves
Chamois and 2 x micro fibre cloth pieces
1 sheet of 400 grit Wet & Dry cut in to 10cm * 10cm pieces
1 sheet of 800 grit Wet & Dry cut in to 10cm * 10cm pieces
1 sheet of 2500+ grit Wet & Dry cut in to 10cm * 10cm pieces
5ml of NDG Hyperseal or NDG shield 120 or NDG Screen Shield

Here is what to do

Starting with 400, wet one piece and starting on the most etched damaged area on the lens start sanding in a linear motion with heavy pressure and insuring the 400 grit stays wet but dipping into the water to clean and keep wet. Change 400 grit pieces when sanding effect is diminished.

Keep sanding until the scratching noise reduces significantly and the residue starts to turn white. Wipe the lens to see how it looks and that the major scratching has been reduced significantly.

Using 800 grit with the same process and hard pressure keep sanding the entire lens wiping clear occasionally to see the clarity of the lens. Keep sanding and clearing until the lens looks very clear when wet.

Using 2500 grit and using the same methods as the other grits you start the finishing process. Keep sanding and wiping until no visible etching, crazing of disscolouration. Wet the lens with clear water and wipe down to check on the clarity and quality of finish. (if you need to touch up areas start the process of the more agressive grit papers as required)

Once you are satisfied with the finish wash the lens with water and prepare a clean piece of Microfibre or other lint free cloth and apply a small amount (coin size) and wipe onto the entire lens.

Leave Hyperseal to settle for 3 to 5 minutes before buffing clear with a clean mocrofibre or other lint free cloth or a buff machine with a soft pad.

Now your lens will be good for several years, if not longer. Recommended best practices is to apply Hyperseal to the lens every 2 to 3 years to ensure continued protection.

March 6, 2018March 13, 2018

It was all too hard

Someone somewhere is saying this very thing every minute of every day for just about any subject you could think of. In this case it was a 1994 306 Peugeot that we had been told had broken down on a nearby highway and the nearest place to get help was a farm with a farmer who had some mechanical know how, but not enough to get the 306 running again. So there it sat in his farm shed ever since, for some years.

We spotted it on a visit to the farm while there for another reason, but it caught our eye. Why? the car seemed out of place against the rest of the items on the farm. We worked a tentative deal with the farmer pending on whether the car started. We did an assessment of the car to see what it would take to get it back on to the road. Below is our initial list.

First look list

Fuel pump has left the building. Not even in the car and the fuel tank has been exposed to the elements. (the driver door has been open all this time)
The fuel lines are cut in the engine bay
The inlet snorkel is not around
Battery terminal have take a beating (not sure why this would have been )
The car has 3 steel wheels and 3 alloy wheels
Battery is missing
Drivers door panel hanging off the door (hence the door open all this time)
small dent in the drivers door and a scrap mark on the drivers rear quarter panel.

It was all too hard — Slight damage to body

Next job

Was to see if the engine will start so fitted a battery carried out the standard checks before we attempted to fire the engine. We sprayed “Start Ya Bastard”into the engine and it fired up straight away and sounded sweet for the short time it ran under test conditions.

We now know that the car had a fuel problem of some type but what specifically is still not known but highly suspect that the fuel pump failed.

Next job was to find a donor car so we visited the local wreckers where we found the same model car that had the same parts we needed to get our project car going.

Fuel sender unit with pump
Air tract snorkel
genuine tool kit
Good battery terminals and leads

Now all the elements are sourced we can determine whether the project is viable which we think it is, but not by a lot.

Our plan is to get the car mobile in situation on the farm then drive it to get it registration checks.

We may even go as far as to carry out the NDG renovation treatment on the car on the farm.

Lets get going on this.

We will update this Blog as it happens.

Update 12th March

We removed the donor fuel pump and connector and headed out to the farm where the car was located. Installed the pump, sorted out the bad wiring, installed the battery and tested for power which there wasn’t any. Found the fuel pump fuse which was unmarked and the car fired up first go.

Reversed the car out of the shed and gave it a quick pressure wash and pumped up the tyres and took it for a short drive.

All the drivers door hardware was on the floor of the car but all the bolts and screws were missing so we taped the door closed and fitted the unregistered car permit to the windscreen and drove to town for the next phase.

Something got the better of us. The car was terrible to drive and a fuel line sprung a leak so fuel was spray in the car interior. A quick fix and then an idea occurred to us. Take this car straight to the wrecking yard!

We didn’t make it to the wrecking yard. The car stopped on the side of a lonely country road, refusing to go any further. Not giving in we sent back our pilot car to get our SUV and a tow rope to complete the final few kms to the wreckers, which we did and got there just before closing time.

Our wrecker friend would not let us abandon the car but instead offered his workshop and a special deal on the donor car in his yard to get the job completed. He is a big supporter of our Blogging work and he said that this is all part of the story and to go away and think about it overnight.

We left the car in his yard to go away and think about it.

February 26, 2018March 7, 2018

Lost, but still very worthy

We were alerted to a car that was iconic as the fleet car of choice in the long country and city roads of Australia. In their day you would be hard pressed not to see at least 1 of these Australian built Mitsubishi Magna’s on any drive anywhere.

Here we have a wagon version of this car. Super versatile with being a very reliable 3.5ltr v6 and fold down flat rear seat made it excellent for travelling sales people to securely transport their samples to show clients.

The cars were good for well over 500,000kms of hammering without more than the normal service items which in this case were very cheap in comparison to other vehicles.

Enough of the preamble and into what we found.

Lost, but still very worthy — Been a long time since these were cleaned

We found an excellent low milage example of one of these 2001 Australian produced Mitsubishi Magna that had been sitting in the spot we found it for 8 years and was owned by an elderly couple of almost all it’s life. Before coming to rest here the car was a daily commuter and didn’t leave the city of 50,000 population so it idled along.

The DIY work begins

First thing to do was check the oil and coolant levels and put in a fresh battery to see if it would start. It had a full tank of fuel which would be stale but enough to start the engine.

A few cranks to get the oil pressure up and then we went at a proper start which it did just like it was driven the day before.

4 washes later we had something we could move to the DIY driveway and get on with seeing if we could get the showroom new look using our NDG products.

https://ndgproducts.com/lost-but-still-very-worthy/ — 4 Mega Gloss Washes later

6 hours were spent on the car to detail it inside and out but it turned out looking brand new. A sensational result!!

The Before & After Images

The car will head to it’s new owner soon enough and will be a good solid workhorse.

We are tempted to keep this one as a low cost reliable, useful car.

July 20, 2017March 1, 2018

Daily Ride Rescue an Audi A3

The Challenge

For this Blog we are taking a 1999 Audi A3 1.8 daily commuter that has been driven to work, parked (in the wrong places) and driven home again each night. The result is not a bad car with low KM’s for it’s age 188,000 kms.

We plan to take this car from a sorry state to a Mega gloss finish with a clean hydrophobic interior with everything working in sound condition in 7 days. We paid AUS $1500/$US1200 for the car.

Our objective is to sell it for AUS$4500/US$4000 with 12 months Australian registration included.

Day 1

The purchase and then the assessment. Car was bought from a foreign student who’s tenure was completed in Australia and it was time to return home. We washed the car with Mega Gloss car wash so we could do an assessment of what is needed to achieve out goals.

Things wrong.

Hood lining separated ( a common problem for German cars in hot climates)
Many small dents
Scuff marks on the front Bumper
Swirl marks on every painted surface
Dull paintwork
Body plastic trims loose and hanging down
Very dirty seat fabric and luggage areas
Bump strips on doors peeling
Rims have excessive brake dust build up
Engine bay very dirty
Headlights are hazy
Glove box hinge broken
CD cover missing
Not registered for road use
ABS light on and a clunk when applying brakes. (sounds like a loose brake calliper and on checking there are new brake pads so this is possible)
2 x tyres needed

Things needed

NDG products
Mega Gloss wash
Shield 120
NDG Hyperseal
NDG Clay Bar
NDG instant detailer
NDG Genesis Compound & Polish
NDG Extreme Hydrophobic Shield (For all wheel rims)
NDG Fabcare
Bio Crystal Magic cleaner
Engine lacquer
NDG Long life tyre shine
Audi touch-up paint
1200 emery & sanding block
Paintless dent removal equipment
CD cover
Plastic adhesive
New hood lining material
Trim glue
2 tyres
Registration

Day 2

Firstly to find out what that noise is when braking.
Count the number of small dents in the paintwork and arrange the paintless dent removal tools
Reattach plastic trim pieces
Repair glovebox hinge
Clean engine bay
Order hoodlining trim (possible a change of colour to black)
Remove all wheels and clean rims and apply NDG Extreme Hydrophobic Shield
Remove seats for cleaning and NDG Fabcare treatment
Clean Carpet and apply NDG Fabcare
Apply NDG Shield 120 to all glass surfaces
Start the paint restoration process

Day 3

After a morning at a photoshoot with the Barn Yard rescue Mercedes which was invited to attend the official photoshoot for the reopening of a Drive-in theatre after 33 years of abandonment. (just a one off event) it was back to theDaily Ride Rescue Audi.

Work completed:

Paint correction and colour coded touch-ups.
Re-apply underbody paint to doorsills
Re-buff the bodywork with Rotary machine and waffle pad
Vacuumed interior
Repaired plastic trims
Cleaned all door trims

Day 4.

Getting closer to finishing you always need to ask yourself it you are putting too much into the project. In this case probably the answer in “Yes” but the results we are getting from this A3 are excellent. We did remove the Headlights and repaired a broken mounting tab and cleaned lenses and reflectors which always gives a car that new look. Now the remaining jobs are Re-trim the hood-lining and to remove the remaining small dents.

Work completed:

Restoration of headlights
Removed tape holding down re-glued trims
Vacuum the car
Repainted the battery clamp

Day 5.

The new RH lower control arm arrived and was fitted without any issue. The car has been taken by a journalist who it driving it until the headlining material arrives where the interior will be removed and seats will be cleaned and coated in NDG Fabcare while the headlining is being re-trimmed. If we have enough material left we will also trim the door and side panel inserts. We took the car for a drive to settle in the suspension and check for any noises. We got a nice video of NDG Shield120 in action. The remaining dents will be removed on the final day of the work. This is turning out to be a nice car.

Work completed:

Lower control arm fitted
Smaller dents removed

Day 6:

Now the hard part of this rescue project. Replace and treat the trim with NDG Fabcare. First we needed to remove the Hood-lining and inserts on the door trim and back seats areas. No-one put their hands up for this job as it there is no fun in doing this work on an older car. clips break and plastic is brittle so a hot glue gun needs to be on hand to repair this inevitable breakages. But outside of this the replacements went straight forward enough and the car just looks that much better. We all think we did a better job of trim colours than the Audi Factory. We noticed that there was a small coolant leak and on closer inspection saw that an o-ring was leaking so we replaced it. The AC was a bit weak so one of our staff have an AC service license and got that sorted out along with a medium pressure clean of the condenser to improve the temperature drawdown.

Work completed:

Straighten the steering wheel
Replace the Hoodlining
Replace the door and side panel trim inserts
replace the Temperature sensor o-ring
Service AC system.

Before

After

The End result is that we all like this car and if it wasn’t a project car we would keep it. It turned out great!. Maybe we put too much effort into is car but it was a case of everything we did just made it a nicer car. Now to sell it to someone who will enjoy it.

Engine damage

What we need to do:

Some weeks later,

All done.

An Update to the Megane.

In the workshop for a first look.

Parts to order

While we are waiting on the parts we get to it and start the transformation process with NDG

Before and after shots

Mechanicals

Now we find the real GOTCHA!

Post transmission

Bon Voyage guys!

At first look we see

Plan of attack

Work process

The results 4 days later

In summary

End

The NDG Process.

Here is what to do

First look list

Next job

Enough of the preamble and into what we found.

The DIY work begins

The Before & After Images

The Challenge

Day 1

Things wrong.

Things needed

Day 2

Day 3

Work completed:

Day 4.

Work completed:

Day 5.

Work completed:

Day 6:

Work completed:

Project Daily ride rescue completed, SOLD and delivered.