Putting an insurance cat N 1.8 XEi back on the road, (Project Tonga 1.8 XEi).

Alibro said:

I know the feeling, I've been working 10 hours most days recently and the odd Saturday.

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Being self employed, that's a good thing, although a bit of a pain.

Alibro said:

I also look after my 92 year old mum every Sunday so so have very little free time to look at cars.

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Alibro said:

You've owned it for years so you know every scratch and bump. People coming to look at it can only take in the general appearance and a few issues but no way will they see everything.

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That's true. I didn't think of it from that angle.

Today I was finally able to finish the painting on the rear 1/4 bumper panel, this time in the correct colour.

The finish is pretty good out the can. It's not going to need much flatting, before I finally polish it.

I'm happy for it to go up for sale with that colour match.

I just need to allow the paint to harden over the week, before I polish it up and fit the replacement tail lights.

Don't make it look too good Nodge or you'll have to spray the rest of the car.

Alibro said:

Don't make it look too good Nodge or you'll have to spray the rest of the car.

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I won't Ali, don't worry. I'm much more happy with the colour of this latest paint. The last paint was too dark, and lacking in sparkle. This paint is looking accurate for colour and sparkle, so I'm happy. I just need to flat some of the slight orange peel off the surface, so it matches the 15 year old original paint. It amazes me that a modern car leaves the factory with a horrible orange peel paint surface, but give it a couple of years in the sun, wind, rain and car washes, and the paint looks as flat is it would have done if it were power mopped. The trick is to get the same aged effect, but with new paint.

She's getting back together slowly. Looking better each time I get a bit time to work on her.
Today was the turn of the rear corner to get a makeover.
The black section below the tail light is still cracked, but I'm going to leave that be I think.

Just the front bumper to sort, before and a slight exhaust blow to sort for the MOT.

Yesterday I replaced the alternator on the 1.8 XEI, which now feels like it's turning from a small project, to a medium project.
I managed to break the small plastic coolant return pipe in the process, as it had gone very brittle.
At least the replacement alternator fixed the glowing battery lamp.
I also set about replacing the cracked rear bumper, which I wasn't planning on doing, but it was bugging me.
Thankfully the dremel tool made quick work of cutting slots in the stubborn wheel arch liner screws.
After fitting the replacement bumper, and swapping over the coloured corner trims, the rear looks undamaged again.

Also the interior has now dried out, thanks to the dehumidifier that's been running it in for 2 weeks.

Just the front bumper to sort, a leaking exhaust joint and put it through the MOT, for which I'll need to replace the short pipes to the rear wheel cylinders. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, hopefully just in time to sell it before winter sets in.

I thought I'd just update this thread.

Project Tonga 1.8 XEi is in for its MOT today.

I've had to do more mechanical stuff than I was intending for the MOT. I'm not actually sure how it past it's last MOT?

Additionally to replacing the damaged bumpers and lighting, caused by it's accident, I had to fit a new offside front caliper, as the one on there had seized absolutely solid.

I also replaced both rear link brake pipes, one of which should have failed last MOT.

I also discovered that the handbrake was pathetic, again how did it pass last year?

So new rear shoes were fitted, along with a proper clean of the entire assembly, and new springs being fitted.

Oh and I fitted a replacement cam position sensor, as it kept flagging a cam sensor code. And fit a new gasket in the exhaust, between the cat and system, as the old one had missing section.

I really do wonder what kind of MOT this vehicle had before I got hold of it.

Annoyingly on the way to the MOT, I needed to add some fuel. This car must be jinxed, as the bloody fuel cap fell to pieces, as I removed it. I managed to get it back together again, but I hope the tester doesn't remove it, as it'll fall apart again if he does.

So now I'm waiting to hear the outcome of the MOT.

The good news is it's passed the MOT.

The only advisories are corrosion. It has surface corrosion in the normal freelander places. It is annoying they are down as advisories, as it makes selling it on more tricky.

Well done mate.
Slap some hammerite on the rust and say it's been sorted.

Ok to finish this thread off, here are some pictures of the finished Tonga 1.8 XEi.

She's now up for sale.

Looking good!
I'll keep an ear out for a buyer too.
I've only got V6 and TD4 in stock!!

andyfreelandy said:

Looking good!
I'll keep an ear out for a buyer too.
I've only got V6 and TD4 in stock!!

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Thanks Andy.
Do you not fancy it for your fleet?

The G4 satisfies the 1.8 urge. Your Trek alloys look cleaner than mine though.

andyfreelandy said:

The G4 satisfies the 1.8 urge.

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That it will. It's better specked too.

andyfreelandy said:

Your Trek alloys look cleaner than mine though.

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They're not to bad. I had them on my SE for a while, but prefer the look of the 18" Sport wheels, so swapped to those. I've had the Trek rims in the garden for 18 months, so it's good to move them on, as I never liked the tyres anyway.

The Freedom 17" rims off the XEi will get some Yokohama Geolander ATs at some point in the future, ready for off road adventures.

Looking good Nodge. hopefully you'll make a few quid for the toy box fund.

Alibro said:

Looking good Nodge. hopefully you'll make a few quid for the toy box fund.

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Unfortunately the money is spent already Ali, on a bathroom.

One has learned to keep the workshop and house budgets in separate shoe boxes under different halves of the bed!!!

andyfreelandy said:

One has learned to keep the workshop and house budgets in separate shoe boxes under different halves of the bed!!!

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This is true. But I'd already "borrowed" money from the bathroom fund to buy it in the first place, so I'll be putting the money back with interest.

Nice looking motor