09-04-2017, 04:02 PM
You've seen the 306's I've kept running in the Newbies section (http://www.306oc.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?tid=35800) but thought I'd introduce you to the one that got me hooked again after a break of a few years from 2010-2013.
I seem to be making a habit of saving 16v XSi's. I know not everyone rates them (thirsty and not that much quicker than a 1.8 or a stage 1 HDi) but I seem to have a soft spot for them - can't help backing the underdog. The numbers registered in the last couple of years has halved.
Anyway, when it comes to this one I'm not doing such a great job of keeping it as it should be. I took it off the road nearly 2 years ago because the clutch needed doing (it was juddering really badly). The intention was to give it loads of attention generally but other things seem to have got in the way ...partly keeping the other 2 on the road! I can just about afford to keep 2 taxed etc and need to as can't rely on either as a daily driver ....at their age they need attention too regularly.
Sadly the interior in particular started to suffer in storage. I went to check on it one day last winter to find it covered in mould. Water was getting in under the garage door and making it really damp in there. I scrubbed the inside down with a mould killer which seems to have done the job but I really did feel bad about neglecting it - the interior is in pretty good shape, with literally no wear on any of the seats at all. I'd pull the interior out for now but don't have anywhere else to keep it. The contents of the engine bay are also starting to look a bit sad, with things corroding that looked fine before. I'm starting to think I should possibly start a project thread as it might motivate me to crack on. I have at least started now. 1st phase is to strip off the beam, tank etc and wire brush/grind off all the rust from the rear underside before repainting/undersealing. Rear beam will be getting a rebuild, it will get some new shocks (just Bilstein b4's), and a new rear brake load compensator (to save future troubles), and reconditioned calipers. I already have the parts. I'll then move on the the front for similar treatment.
The car has a slightly unusual history. It was built in '97 but lived in Japan until 2001 when some guy in Milton Keynes imported it, with only 3000 miles on the clock. I bought it from a tiny little garage in Hungerford and am only the 2nd UK owner on the V5. It still has Japanese stickers on it, which I assume are tax discs of some sort.
I don't suppose anyone has any idea how many 306's ended up in Japan do they? Can't think it would be that many.
Cheers, James
I seem to be making a habit of saving 16v XSi's. I know not everyone rates them (thirsty and not that much quicker than a 1.8 or a stage 1 HDi) but I seem to have a soft spot for them - can't help backing the underdog. The numbers registered in the last couple of years has halved.
Anyway, when it comes to this one I'm not doing such a great job of keeping it as it should be. I took it off the road nearly 2 years ago because the clutch needed doing (it was juddering really badly). The intention was to give it loads of attention generally but other things seem to have got in the way ...partly keeping the other 2 on the road! I can just about afford to keep 2 taxed etc and need to as can't rely on either as a daily driver ....at their age they need attention too regularly.
Sadly the interior in particular started to suffer in storage. I went to check on it one day last winter to find it covered in mould. Water was getting in under the garage door and making it really damp in there. I scrubbed the inside down with a mould killer which seems to have done the job but I really did feel bad about neglecting it - the interior is in pretty good shape, with literally no wear on any of the seats at all. I'd pull the interior out for now but don't have anywhere else to keep it. The contents of the engine bay are also starting to look a bit sad, with things corroding that looked fine before. I'm starting to think I should possibly start a project thread as it might motivate me to crack on. I have at least started now. 1st phase is to strip off the beam, tank etc and wire brush/grind off all the rust from the rear underside before repainting/undersealing. Rear beam will be getting a rebuild, it will get some new shocks (just Bilstein b4's), and a new rear brake load compensator (to save future troubles), and reconditioned calipers. I already have the parts. I'll then move on the the front for similar treatment.
The car has a slightly unusual history. It was built in '97 but lived in Japan until 2001 when some guy in Milton Keynes imported it, with only 3000 miles on the clock. I bought it from a tiny little garage in Hungerford and am only the 2nd UK owner on the V5. It still has Japanese stickers on it, which I assume are tax discs of some sort.
I don't suppose anyone has any idea how many 306's ended up in Japan do they? Can't think it would be that many.
Cheers, James
