A pillars

[John.Reddie]

Well, it seems a common enough problem on CSKs (I guess the 3dr body shells lay around in the elements for a while before anyone dreamt up the "special edition" excuse to clear them out?) and mine is suffering... from rotten windscreen pillars.

So I'm about to replace them. Last year I'm sure Rimmers listed these as repair panels but not any more, and a phone call to them didn't help much either. Used pillars from a contemporary 4dr are going in instead, welded to the roof at the top and just above the top door hinge, with a bit of modification to suit, at the bottom so the worst is hidden behind the scuttle panel.

Then the whole car will be sprayed as some clown "keyed" several of the panels weeks before I bought her.

I'll post some photos here if we get anything worthwhile, and let people know how this work proceeds...

Fingers crossed :)

John

[stuclark]

I had my A pillars patched last year. Luckily they were only just beginning to go under the windscreen rubbers, so were savable. The guys did an excellent job and painted them to match the rest of the car. (i.e. shiny, not dull and rusty)

[Gareth]

i'm so glad i'm not alone!(sounds nasty but i am) been patching up my inner wings so i can go to Landrover Fest without leaving half the car on the ground!. lent on the wind screen pillar and a large chunk just crumbled! ::o booking her into a garage now and hope i get her back quick!
thnk your right about the shells being sat outside somewhere! :X
ho hum where's me wallet!

[stuclark]

Amazingly, the A posts on my "new" CSK are in excellent condition. Probably that's mostly because the car has spent the first 17 years of her life under cover, and has only had to brave the elements for the last 3 months!

However, there's the usual rot in other places! (thank god not the inner wings though *phew*)

[John.Reddie]

Sadly mine missed her appointment at the body shop due to deciding to politely lie down and request a new gearbox just outside Lyon last month. Since when it seems to have been something of a saga to get it replaced. The first one turned out to be no good once warmed up, and the second went in yesterday so watch this space...

Bodywork is still on the cards though, once the coffers have recovered from the pain of this recent escapade.

[stuclark]

Ouch John, that sounds nasty (and expensive)... is your's a manual or auto?

[Gareth]

there must be so much incident covered in that first sentence John. i admire your control if mine had done that i'd have to panel beat the doors back out as well as replace the gear box! (:D

[John.Reddie]

Auto. Well it seems this one will run and run. Unlike the car.

I'm perplexed. The garage (Nene Overland outside Peterborough) who really should know what's what seem to be having endless trouble with the engine, despite the fact that this same engine had just chugged down to Lyon without incident before coming back on a truck. That doesn't make much sense to me, especially as the engine has always been sweet and lively in over 15000 miles now since I acquired her.

So did some foreign mechanics mess around while it sat on their forecourt awaiting collection? Or is someone telling pork pies? Either way, I don't see how I can argue any sort of case as there's little evidence as such, just my knowledge of how she was compared to what's alleged now. But would a car with "no oil pressure" and or "no ignition" have made it to Dover let alone 2/3 of the way down through France. I rather doubt it.

Has anyone else any experience of a situation like this. If she was driveable I'd ask for a second opinion at this point.

Irritation starting to emerge - best alert Gareth's panel beaters!!!
J

[John.Reddie]

Well, humble pie. Picked up the car today and she's running like a dream. Hideous bill but that results from having not one but two replacement gearboxes etc. in and out I guess. Engine seems to be sorted and it didn't take too many minutes for me to remember why I love CSKs.

So back on the road and now saving up a bit before I rebook the body shop :)

Hey-ho. A shiny new motor wouldn't be half so much fun now would it?

Give the panel beaters a week or two more on holiday...

J

[Gareth]

one out and one in!
mine has just gone to the man with spanners for a bit of work! i think when he see's the list he's going to have a bit of a laugh then book a holiday in New Zealand once i've paid up!
The fiancee noticed the MOT is due to. never rains but it pours!
:(
can't wait to get it back!