Just a little background about me dad. He’s a mad c with a penchant for booze and cars and women and he’s one of the, simultaneously, most depressive and silliest people I’ve ever met. The car thing is the one of the three I never understood. He’s straight so he’s always got norks on the brain and beer is beer. But his car issues defy reason.
A few months ago my crank jerk older brother delivered dad’s heap of crap to my front yard: dirty, bits missing, boot lid in the back seat. Inside: warning lights, dirty, bits missing, empty console. Driving: wobble under braking, more warning lights, randomly jumping into limp mode, horrible ride.
I valued the bugger at $2000 if the buyer was blinded by Beema love, $500 at a pinch.
So this bullshit 1998 Beema arrives in my life. I start fixing it, cleaning and tidying it up. Saved dad $1000s doing the work myself. Just last week I got it to the blacken the plastic trim phase and today finally got it to the polish the ruined paint job phase.
Everything clean, inside and out.
Trim stuck back on, inside and out.
New windscreen plenum, rain guards, steering wheel cover, indicator lens.
Replaced console bits. Much finagling involved.
Mechanics did air temp sensor and radiator crap, rear tyres, ECU, front shocks and bearing.
In the post are cigarette lighter n socket, floor mats, heater blower.
Graphite powder is amazing.
Next get the boot lid spruced up, steering rack reconditioned and seat panel repaired.
The freak at Motor Hospital charged double the quote. The stupid arseholes at Bob Jane’s pumped the new rear tyres to 47psi.
The excellent people at Stirling replaced the ECU and at BMTS did the wheel bearing and the front shocks.
So now this 25 year old car is worth $8000 or more. It gleams. Drives perfectly except for the steering.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?
No.
Repair, then reduce, reuse and recycle. Elbow grease and the Internet are great renewable resources.