Cliff\'s 1st Gen Purchase - Goldie

[CHC (RIP)]

Damn. I was afraid of that....

but hopefully John this time will be a little easier but still as monotonous.  Thinking about it though, it\'s still a lot cheaper than £50 ish for each wheel by somebody else!

[johnnyboy]

but hopefully John this time will be a little easier but still as monotonous. Thinking about it though, it\'s still a lot cheaper than £50 ish for each wheel by somebody else!

It is a powerful argument... as ever...
 
In retrospect, apart from getting the tyres off (which I would have to do to send them away anyway...), it probably only took an hour or so a wheel. So a good hourly pay rate! (and sore fingers....)
 
John

[myatt1972]

I wasn\'t referring to the more experienced mechanics and journeymen but more towards the present day younger generation that learn the text book but have little or no experience of the days before electronics.
A neighbour has had a specific brand of car for many years and has alternated between the original german hot-hatch and it\'s baby brother. On his present vehicle last year (now approx 4 years old) he delevloped a problem and had no brake lights. I told him it would probably be the brake-light switch on the pedal (always a good starting point) but because of his age he had booked this into the nearest main agents - they hooked it up for 1/2 day and could not find a problem and returned it without being fixed). After speaking with the head mechanic and workshop manager (whom he knows), they replaced the switch eventually and problem gone - this is my point, some of them don\'t know the basics. Ohh my neighbour also got a full refund after complaining (over £300).

Seems to be more and more of this sort of thing going on, things get replaced these days rather than fixed if the computer says so.
Put a tow bar on the mrs astra, was ok till I came to wire it up. It has a single filament bulb for tail light and brake light, it gets 3volts for tail light and 12 volts for brake light, ahhhhhhhhrrrrrrr !!!

[Ian65]

I wasn\'t referring to the more experienced mechanics and journeymen but more towards the present day younger generation that learn the text book but have little or no experience of the days before electronics.
A neighbour has had a specific brand of car for many years and has alternated between the original german hot-hatch and it\'s baby brother.  On his present vehicle last year (now approx 4 years old) he delevloped a problem and had no brake lights.  I told him it would probably be the brake-light switch on the pedal (always a good starting point) but because of his age he had booked this into the nearest main agents - they hooked it up for 1/2 day and could not find a problem and returned it without being fixed).  After speaking with the head mechanic and workshop manager (whom he knows), they replaced the switch eventually and problem gone - this is my point, some of them don\'t know the basics.  Ohh my neighbour also got a full refund after complaining (over £300).

I think it still depends where you go... a younger mechanic working in a backstreet garage trained by old school mechanic is more likely to have a good understanding of how things actually work and try to repair a part if possible.
Younger mechanics ( or technicians!) working at a main dealer are more likely to just replace what the computer tell him to, even if common sense should tell him not to.
The wifes Peugeot went to the local main dealer for a service last year and came back with a misfire. After complaining to the service manager, they picked it up and phoned to say, "the computer says it\'s fine"
"Well it isn\'t, it\'s misfiring"
They kept it all day, and then returned it saying there\'s nothing wrong ( the computer says so)
I get in it and I could feel it missing
I take it back and the same mechanic says " It\'s not misfiring, the computer says it\'s ok"
"well the computers rubbish then.... listen mate, it\'s missing, I can tell that without a computer so surely you can too. It was fine before you messed with it so I want it fixed today."
The dealership then agree to send another mech out for a drive with me. We\'d only gone 100 yards when he says, " it\'s misfiring"
Turns out they\'d put in a duff spark plug.
The young guy who did the service and subsequent checks had a total reliance on the computer and was incapable of diagnosing the problem for himself.
These guys are just fitters these days...
Give me a good old school mechanic any day.

[CHC (RIP)]

I think it still depends where you go... a younger mechanic working in a backstreet garage trained by old school mechanic is more likely to have a good understanding of how things actually work and try to repair a part if possible.
Younger mechanics ( or technicians!) working at a main dealer are more likely to just replace what the computer tell him to, even if common sense should tell him not to.
The wifes Peugeot went to the local main dealer for a service last year and came back with a misfire. After complaining to the service manager, they picked it up and phoned to say, "the computer says it\'s fine"
"Well it isn\'t, it\'s misfiring"
They kept it all day, and then returned it saying there\'s nothing wrong ( the computer says so)
I get in it and I could feel it missing
I take it back and the same mechanic says " It\'s not misfiring, the computer says it\'s ok"
"well the computers rubbish then.... listen mate, it\'s missing, I can tell that without a computer so surely you can too. It was fine before you messed with it so I want it fixed today."
The dealership then agree to send another mech out for a drive with me. We\'d only gone 100 yards when he says, " it\'s misfiring"
Turns out they\'d put in a duff spark plug.
The young guy who did the service and subsequent checks had a total reliance on the computer and was incapable of diagnosing the problem for himself.
These guys are just fitters these days...
Give me a good old school mechanic any day.

Here here!

[CHC (RIP)]

Seems to be more and more of this sort of thing going on, things get replaced these days rather than fixed if the computer says so.
Put a tow bar on the mrs astra, was ok till I came to wire it up. It has a single filament bulb for tail light and brake light, it gets 3volts for tail light and 12 volts for brake light, ahhhhhhhhrrrrrrr !!!

Yes, it could definitely be a long drawn out debate and this is why I consider the forum members to be generally more competent that the workshop personnel because of our hands-on knowledge.

[Ian65]

I\'d say that there is more experience and knowledge of 1st gens on here than there is in the Mazda dealerships these days.
back in the day, not all dealers were allowed to sell the RX7 and I reckon most of the trained mechs have probably retired or moved on by now.
When we have a problem, we don\'t just replace the part, we want to know what the symptoms were, why it failed, how it works...how to change it... etc..etc...
All driven by passion and enthusiasm for these great little cars!

[sanbob]

Yes, it could definitely be a long drawn out debate and this is why I consider the forum members to be generally more competent that the workshop personnel because of our hands-on knowledge.

Thats why i joined the forum the mazda dealer in york has no clue about the 1st gens and most other garages only answer oooh thats a rotary engine isnt it - then run out of things to say lol.
 
Believe me without the forum i\'d have got The Duke home then stoot there for weeks scratchin my head wondering where to start hehe.

[CHC (RIP)]

..and of cause the commradeship is brilliant!
Cliff

[CHC (RIP)]

No chance to work on the old girl for the last week or so but did manage to pick up the Elford rims from Ian last weekend.
Overall condition of these is fairly good considering their age and started to clean up one rim last night (photos to follow). A light elbow grease, wet n dry and perhaps metal polish should bring up a treat - working on the inner side 1st just to make sure all is well.

Anyhow, here is a taster of the rims against JAZ - a before and after shot .... I\'m actually considering polishing the entire rim and not colour coding the centre. What you guys think?

[Steve-A]

Look like they should look good

Personally, and this is just me, I\'m not a fan of fully polished wheels. If you don\'t fancy gold have you considered a silver painted center, rather than polished?

Kinda like these are painted:

[CHC (RIP)]

The centres shall have to be cleaned up initially to remove previous paint so I can get a better idea when I\'m at that stage.  I\'d be more than willing to have colour coded centres but could just as easily have them silver or even black as an alternative.

[Ian65]

here\'s how a polished Elford sonic wheel looks...



I like the colour coded look as well...



.

[CHC (RIP)]

here\'s how a polished Elford sonic wheel looks...
 

 
I like the colour coded look as well...
 

 
.

Yeahhhhhhhh that\'s what I am thinking about, looks very very nice to me.

[CHC (RIP)]

Been scouting round this week for a set of wheel bolts as the standard bolts are only 20mm of thread but the Elford Sonics are a lot thicker in the body so require longer ones.  Managed to track a full set down this morning (newuns are 40mm of thread) but the shop only had 12.  So ordered a full set and due to collect them next week - happy days are acomin.