Highside43

Thanks for the replies, I'll risk it being a Ford fitment.

Just after one number prisoner alloy if possible, if anyone knows of where I can source one. not too bothered on condition as I can / will get it refurbished if required (provided it can be repaired / refurbished). Many thanks.

Orange with black stripe, 2018 model. Roof off, dry(ish) roads, by yourself. Approximately 14.30??? You were pulling out of the promenade road onto Tywyn High Street, heading (I hope) towards the Mach loop and away from Aberdyfi. Not many this time of year in my playground, I was in the tin top but didn't flash / wave as thought it would just infuse confusion with other road users about.

I've put in the Halfords 150% brighter halogen bulbs (or whatever they are), standard 5.75 lights as on the car from 1998. They're OK for night use - no-where as good as the tin tops of modern age but for me they're fine. I'm also used to 2 wheel headlights so squinting into the abyss with a single bulb on dark Welsh roads - hence why I don't think mine are too bad. There was a noticeable difference from the standard bulbs to the updated Halfords ones though. As others have said, I don't do that much night driving in it, and if I do it's generally on roads I know, so not been a real issue. Having said that, I too am watching this thread with interest to see if I can get better lights....

VVC, mild piper cams, Emerald ECU. No tune yet, that's next year's project. Forged internals in prep for it though.

Finally, after 2 years and far, far too much money, it lives again. 166bhp, slightly up on the 77 it had when I unwittingly and unknowingly bought it. Just the suspension to sort now. And the brakes. Plus new seats (or re-furb then anyway as drivers is collapsed) More power.....etc....thought I had grown out of this upgraditis in my spotty 20's.... Pleased with the car, just in time as off to Nurburgring in it next week. Watch this space.

Just aim for the back end of the Moose when you hit one...that's what they teach on the driving test in Sweeten. Love Norway, go ice climbing up the frozen waterfalls in Rjuken most years, and Louise's in Oslo for the sea food platter is a must. Never taken a 7 though as too winter weather when I go, but wouldn't mind a blat round in the summer.

I found the escutchions impossible to drill, but maybe my drill bit was also toast. I just gently hammered them when in place and they clamp / hold by themselves. I did auger out the middle hole in bodywork to make the armrest spike fit through more easily though.

OK, thanks folks. I'll keep your comments in the memory bank and go back to the garage with them and see what the response will be - at the minute I was told catastrophic radiator failure was cause of piston hole and head to warp (again). CR (I was told) was high when I collected the car, and also told to listen out for pinking but I couldn't hear any while driving it the 170 odd miles back home, or throughout the weekend. I believe we are now using your pistons Oily? Head is being skimmed again, so I assume a shim will have to be used as well as gasket to pack it up / out - will this reduce compression (in a positive way, if I had a lot before)?

Thanks for the feedback, I'm an basic DIY mechanic but have to rely on garages / mechanics to repair my vehicles so have to take their word for it. The car was R/R'd to set it up a week or so before I collected it at Easter. I did report back that after driving home and out a few times that weekend it was running a little warm, say about 90 but not near the red. It was also struggling to tick over - sometimes it would just stall (mildly amusing the first couple of time, then annoying coupled with it's inability to start and the hassle of trying to bump start with a roof on....), or it would sit at 2100rpm with everyone looking at why I was about to do a GP start in the middle of a queue. They were Weisco (???) pistons on DVA con rods - I was future proofing the engine to allow me to take it to a goal of 200bhp when funds permit - it's cost 6K so far and I've ended up with a car worse than when I bought it, and unbeknown to me then it had a duff engine, hence why I spent so much trying to rectify it. It wasn't making any untoward noises to my knowledge though - no knocking or pinking.

What causes a hole in a piston please? Less than 500 miles driving of collecting my car at Easter weekend (after being 10 months in a garage having a refreshed VVC engine fitted - forged con rods, forged pistons, new triple pass rad from Caterham, Emerald ECU, Piper Cams (mild ones) and blanking kit and a whole raft of new bits as well as skimming the head and new liners), it has gone back due to the radiator spewing it's contents all over the place in the second weekend of driving it - enough for me to have to call the AA out - and the temp suddenly shooting into the red. After shelling out out many thousands of pounds fixing the knackered engine the car had when I bought it (20 months ago, and it's been in a garage for 11 of those....), it now apparently has a hole in one piston, and the radiator is leaking all over the place from everywhere (no stone damage, it's coming from the welds). Would a hot engine cause the piston to form a hole in the top? I'm no mechanic but understand the basics from tinkering with bike engines 20 odd years ago. Garage is saying it's because of the radiator failing and the engine getting hot. Who do I throw this several thousand pound bill at now for fixing my newly ruined engine, as I don't see why I should have to pay again. I'm not happy.

Like yourself I purchased a dash-cam a couple of weeks ago due to third party involvement in a couple of incidents recently (one being an artic who backed into the Seven when I wasn't even in the car) - coupled with (again as yourself) some close calls, so I too went out and bought a Nextbase one from Halfords, and an extra window mount to transfer it from work hack to Seven. Mine is only forward facing but I have it under the mirror and don't find it too unobtrusive - it's mildly noticeable and I'd rather now have it than not so put up with it. I like the idea of the rear one though that you have done and will look into copying that idea on mine. One observation I have noticed is that in the Seven, it's obviously there and all road users can see it - conversely, the number of times cars and bikes used to try and 'push' you on country roads (think chavs and power rangers) has reduced quite significantly as when they come roaring up to within 6 inches of the spare wheel, most now then back off a considerable distance some 10 seconds later- I can only attribute this to them seeing the dash cam and the screen running / playing (I keep the screen on in the Seven as it's usually only sunny when I take it out so not put off by any glare, and other road users can see it on so I believe it acts even more as a deterrent). Its too much of a coincidence to be anything else.

I have Go Pro and Drift cameras - all of my videos on line have been shot with the drift cameras as they're the ones I reach for every time.

I bought a twin USB port from E-bay, it was about £2.50 from China with free postage.....!!! Mounted it where the passenger left knee goes, just bent the triangular bit of alloy down between door and bulkhead to accommodate it, wired directly to battery (with inline fuse) and isolator. Charges phone faster than ones in tin tops, very very pleased with it. I don't have anything that requires a cigarette lighter any more so went for the USB ports only. Tucked out of the way there.