MK5 120 SWB Low roof with alloys

[bondyfnm]

Hello Matt really enjoying the reports.
How is your van Lez compliant ?

[MinorMatt]

Its not compliant...

Its now not subject to the LEZ, as it is no longer a vehicle that they are interested in (its now classified as a car by the DVLA )

The DVLA agreed to change the body style to "MPV"

[madbri]

Its not compliant...

Its now not subject to the LEZ, as it is no longer a vehicle that they are interested in (its now classified as a car by the DVLA )

The DVLA agreed to change the body style to "MPV"

tell me more how to do that matt

[MinorMatt]

Send the logbook to the DVLA with a body style of MPV and see what they say?

Bear in mind I have 5 seats, I don't know if you need more than 3 for it to work.

[jr71]

Hi Matt,
If you change to a mpv does it change the tax banding?
Ie £225 for 12 months.

Cheers Jay

[MinorMatt]

Sorry Jay didn't see your comment...

It doesn't affect the tax.

I have done a few little bits to it over the weekend (reverse camera, fixing the heater switch - so now have 3 speeds rather than none , putting sombe better speakers in and installing a pair of USB ports in the 2nd ciggy lighter socket space).

Since the last update I have also put a 4.11 diff in, and I am having problems getting the speedo to read correctly (currently going faster than the speedo says - even with the correct 4.11 speedo pinion in )

[MinorMatt]

And its passed the MOT first time - again. Boringly repetative

[Mr RVM]

And its passed the MOT first time - again. Boringly repetative

Think I could cope with being bored for 45 mins once a year

[mealic]

why you wasting money on better speakers You don`t like radio or CD ......................o rperhaps it`s just to drown that old DI sound

[MinorMatt]

why you wasting money on better speakers You don`t like radio or CD ......................o rperhaps it`s just to drown that old DI sound

I listen to the radio/music whenever I am driving Ali

Its not as loud inside as it was either (although I still need to sort the boost leak which makes a whistle and sprays "preservative" all over the engine bay )

[MinorMatt]

Well...

I took my van to the workshop 3 weeks ago (in order to pick up some large parts) and I had a slight oil leak issue...



It was obviously a boost leak - so I drove it back to my workshop and we (Kalkat and I) fixeded it along with the leaky rocker cover and the engine bay cleaned down with Jizer (it now looks much nicer!) But obviously this much oil in the induction system suggested a knackered turbo, along with the interesting whining noises when on boost

So... I pulled my spare turbo off the racking, and then got distracted and changed the tailgate (looks much less waspy now!)



We even changed the wiring and fitted the central locking parts too it, so all the tailgate electrics work (or will when the switches and relays are put in!) And put a full headlinging in.

I then drove it back to shropshire (~200 miles) with the intention of changing it next time I went to the workshop... It got back fine.

but decided it looked a bit plain and boring... so I had to do something



I loaded it up (not much) to take it back down south (complete with empty trailer which was required there)... and needless to say the turbo went about 20 miles in

I had to take the car with the trailer (needless to say I didn't have a rear numberplate for it - and my docs were still with the DVLA following the move) down to the workshop to pick up the turbo

I ended up changing it last night - and it now seems fine... except the clutch has started to slip

[MinorMatt]

Not much to update on this, I have generally been smoking around in it and working it fairly hard on a few occasions!

The (scrapyard bosch) alternator developed an oil leak, so its been changed, and the clutch continued to misbehave so I finally changed it on Saturday. It now has a borg and beck 260mm clutch compared with the cheapy which was on it. No sign of an oil leak from the crank seal (which was nice) but nearly knocked myself out on one of the wheels

The old flywheel is blued (in one localised place), has lots of surface cracking and there is a distinct lip where it was rubbing! Just as well that I had another ready to go on!

2 or 3 months ago the timing belt tensioner bodge we did at north weald 3 years ago finally gave up the ghost... so I bodged it a bit more (new rockers and rods) at the roadside to get home.

The bolt hole for the tensioner in the alloy frontplate now has a steel top hat bushing fitted (from behind) so hopefully no more problems!

[MinorMatt]

So, it now has an LSD and was quicker at weald again.

It failed the MOT this year on the brakes, the day before Weald so it was trailered up. I fitted the LSD between failing the MOT and liading on the trailer.

The MOT man decided he wouldn't test the brakes on the re-test because of the diff so passed it anyway. The brakes are still shocking, and getting worse. Its now not going anywhere until all the brake hydraulics have been replaced...

[MinorMatt]

I have now found a perfect tubular exhaust manifold for welding a DI flange, and turbo flange too...

Port spacing is right to with 0.5mm, so no pipe bending/adjustment required and its mild steel, so easy to weld too

Just need to wait for it to arrive now!

[MinorMatt]

Another long time no update...

After the last MOT (July 15) the brakes were crap so its been parked up under a tree slowly going green...

Anyway over the last few weeks I have replaced
Everything on the brakes except the rear shoes (less than 1000 miles on them) and welded a patch in to the front crossmember...

Jetwashed some of it off and took it for MOT. Another pass without advisories!