Right, so after having owned this for a while now, I thought it was about time I gave the truck its own thread rather than tacking it onto my (now sold) Classic`s thread.

Anyway, Picked this up off the boss' PA at work for £500. Its a 1.6 8v SE with the big block 105bhp engine so its fairly rapid for what it is (although it does have a minor drink problem if you drive it like that!).

Needs some minor TLC since it was backed into by a 4x4 when she owned it but I have done a few bits to tidy it up.

So this it how it looked after a wash the day after I brought it home.

Open bonnet as I was about to fart about in the engine bay, but there was a gap there anyway where the bonnet didnt shut properly

1.6 AKL engine, has some kind of variable length intake manifold on it as standard

14" Solitudes look a bit lost in such massive arches - think some valver 15 versions would be nicer.

Stereo looks like its been removed at some point and the small trim piece between it and the CD player has been lost, so its coming out of the dash a bit.

And the only mod it has so far - this was lying about from my old Fabia so I fitted it for a bit nicer sound, doubt it gives me any more grunt but TBH, I dont care about it too much, it was only £20!

Might try moving the filter down into the arch using some silicon hosing to get a bit better cold air flow to it at some point.

Edited 5 February, 201214 yr by Ross74h

Minor update but so far all that I have taken pics of.

I decided I wanted something a bit different so, spot the difference (apart from different times of day, its on the drive and it isn't clean!)

did you tint your lights or is it just cause its not day light?

smoothed tow eye cover...

d.

Yup I tinted the tail lights. Not smoothed the tow eye cover but I was looking at getting a cordoba rear bumper to change the back. Need to get a new O/S headlight though and might need to get a new front bumper if I can't straighten it out.

Little pile of bits in my boot waiting to be fitted.

Sparks and HT leads I can do, coilies will have to wait until I can get them fitted or until I can find a mate who knows how to fit them themselves!

Tried to refit the blanket that goes around the battery (the black thing in the top of the photo next to me weellies) but for some reason it doesn't seem to fit at all!

Edited 6 March, 201214 yr by Ross74h

talk to gary.m for a headlight, he was breaking a saloon and hoarding the parts.

d.

Right it just had its coilies fitted. Somehow I doubt it's just a 25mm drop, it looks a lot lower! Going to drive out and park it up alongside a stock estate later to show just how much it's dropped by. Have to say its making me smile a lot at the minute.

Edited 26 March, 201214 yr by Ross74h

parked up next to a stock one last night - me thinks its more than 25mm by a little bit. And I need to space out the rear wheels, they look really tucked in!

Will take some photos at lunch and upload them tonight. Its already scraped the protective try underneath getting over the speedhumps into work!

Same as my loon, my cat seems to catch speed bumps too and the tray grounds on lanes. Defo need 20-25mm spacers on rear.

d.

Same as my loon, my cat seems to catch speed bumps too and the tray grounds on lanes. Defo need 20-25mm spacers on rear.

d.

The cat is fine on mine, its tucked nicley up out of the way, its actually the two bands where the ends of the centre silencer are welded on that are the lowest part of the underneath of mine!

Was thinking of getting some alloys with the larger rears but I can't find a style I like that isnt stupidly huge!

This is how it sits compared to a stock estate.

Edited 27 March, 201214 yr by Ross74h

Nice man do like the colour, goo choice on the estate

Nice man do like the colour, goo choice on the estate

I do think it needs to be wound down a bit more though, it seems to have raised up a fair bit since it was put onto its coilies.

Love these! I owned one in '03-'04 wish I had kept it. :(

right so this has had a minor incident (not a crash btw)...

Some horrid little pikey tried to steal the cat off it!

Cut one of the two rubbers holding the backbox on and the other one was missing so I have had to take the rear section of exhaust off as it was hanging right down and scraping the road every time i went over a bump. Suffice to say, yes it sounds bonkers, yes its quite amusing as its loud, but no its not a nice noise and its actually very irritating on anything but a very short drive (far too bloody lairy and a bit too "attack of the pikey with a baked bean can for an exhaust" for me).

Tempted to get a custom exhaust made to exit straight out from where the pipe points now (but with enough silencing that it doesnt burst my eardrums) but we shall see..

Anyway, it got a clean today so I though I would get some pics of how low it sits before I did.

Overall -

Front -

Back -

Only problem with the 14s is they still make 25mm look like its not that dropped but as you can see from the front I cant go much lower without risking smashing the front end in - that kerb almost touches the undertray and its only about 2" high!

Didnt realise its been so long since I updated this!

Anyway, few little updates for it:-

Did the 10K service in the middle of August - didnt realise how stiff the coilovers were until then!

And made a minor change to the wheels on it a few weeks later...

Bit of a while since and update and a big issue!

Somehow it looks like the suspension has managed to cut through the inside of the NSF tyre. Suffice to say very scary to have it suddenly start letting go at 60 on the A1. Looks like I will be having to take the wheels back. No idea why it's doing it but its very annoying!

Offset maybe too high. Chuck some spacers on

Bit of a while since and update and a big issue!

Somehow it looks like the suspension has managed to cut through the inside of the NSF tyre. Suffice to say very scary to have it suddenly start letting go at 60 on the A1. Looks like I will be having to take the wheels back. No idea why it's doing it but its very annoying!

not just rubbing on the suspension? did you check your offsets?

I'm not sure what they should be on a "normal" set of Cades Eros. Have got a set of 10mm for each end so I am hoping that sorts it out.