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Messages - davidguthrie

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1
Thorough as ever, Monsieur Dev! I have copied that whole routine and pasted it into a Word doc to keep a permanent record!
By the way, I've always found that glass cleaners can cause a blurring effect when you run the wipers. I did try Rain-X, but it smeared on wiping. Maybe you just have to get the glass cleaned right back.
I have bottles of stuff for cleaning from Meguiar's and the Collinite 845 wax.
I got a bottle of Bilt & Hamber wheel cleaner; did a fairly quick job with it just before our French trip and it worked well; I plan to do a more thorough job with it on the Big Clean.
The roof has developed a 'flat spot' where water doesn't bead nicely, so there's another job for me (I still have a print-out of your roof restoring schedule!)
If only it would stop being so dad-blamed sunny I could get on with it. Instead, I'm forced to find excuses to drive hither and yon with the top down and Charlie Parker blasting out of the stereo. It's hell, you know ...
Many, many thanks.

2
Many thanks, David. I guess the Blu-tak acts like a clay block. Sounds like a good way to go. Much appreciated.

3
Cheap! Cheap! Not for an OAP like what I is!
Thanks, Mark. I shall look forward to your additional wise words. And there's no way I'd use anything powered on the motor. Too many DIY disasters in my past for that!

4
Yep. They must think we're made o' money!
So what will you use to 'fill the grooves'? Polyfilla!? ;)

5
Many people compliment me on the appearance of me black Saab 9-3 convertible ... but I can't help noticing that many (previous owner) five quid or bob-a-job week washes have left swirl marks.
Took a trip to a local clean/detail shop, who quoted £400 for a thorough job. That's about a quarter of what I paid for the car, so it's a no-go.
To find a DIY solution, I made the mistake of going on YouTube and confused myself with all kinds of yankee gotta-dos, but there seems to be a case for Meguiar's Ultimate Compound or maybe just their Swirl-X.
Why I went to the detailers' in the first place is that I have to work at the roadside where I'm obliged to park me little darlin'.
Has anyone undertaken a similar endeavour and would you please advise on the best stuff to use and the best method?

6
Hello sgould. Try as I might, I cannot find a boot release button on the driver's door of my 2004 registered 9-3. Mind you, the VIN indicates that it's a 2005 edition. Also, my boot lock microswitch works only when it feels like it, which often means turning off the engine, howking out the key and hitting the remote release on the fob. PITA. The button doesn't work when the fob's in the ignition. PITA2.
Oh, the joys!

7
Just heard from John Speed, who's based in Hazlerigg, just off the A1 north of Newcastle. I'll be taking the bairn down to him next week and will report on developments.
It's also possible that what used to be Western Saab in east Newcastle (Benton, near Wallsend) have mechanics who can work on Saabs, but they charge an arm and a leg.

8
I well remember, with great fondness, always having a pair of ramps in the boot of the old Hillman. Saved my bacon one day on the A1 South (no A1(M) in them thar days) when the exhaust split to great fanfare and underbody fireworks. Pulled into a layby, mounted the ramps, found a Coke tin in the bin plus, believe it or not, a length of thin wire. Buffeted by passing trucks, Hillman rocking alarmingly and a chunk of grit in my left eye, the job was done. Drove the rest of the way monocularly and popped into the Royal Surrey Eye Department. The repair lasted a year.
Aaahhhh! Those were the days! Come back Plastic Padding (also always in the boot) and GunGum.
I'm still trying to contact a chap by the name of John Speed, who used to be a salesman at Western Saab in Newcastle (now SEAT) and who, coincidentally, bought my lovely old 900i convertible way back when, but now runs his own show specialising in Saabs. Trouble is, the number listed for the garage was answered by a foreign-sounding lady in her own home. He's on Facebook too, so I'm hoping for a reply soon. Just hope he has a Tech2 or at least a good work-around.
Anyone know of a good Saab specialist in the North East?

9
I long for the days of me old Hillman SuperMinx. Screwdriver and ball peen hammer and maybe a couple of AF spanners and it's fixed!
Thanks for that, Audax. There is a Saab specialist I've found near Newcastle. I'll check whether he has the said Tech 2 kit. I wasn't planning to buy simply 'on spec' but knowing where I could get the bit if I needed to.

10
Why? Because I am ignorant! I just assume it's a mechanical glitch. That said, the cruise control and signals work fine as does the quick-flash function. I ask simply because, if the stalk is the problem, I need to find the part so that my trusty mechanics can take care of it.
It may well be some (to me) mysterious gizmo in the steering column where the stalk plugs in. But then, I wouldn't know what the heck to look for on the Saab parts sites.

11
My headlight beam controls have gone haywire, either failing to switch on high beam first shot, or (more dangerously) switching off promptly. My mechanic reported that a headlight bulb had become dislodged and this may have caused a fault in the circuit. Stated that it worked okay when they tried it. But ... not for me when I tried it out.
I must get this fixed and assume I'll need a replacement stalk. I've looked on Parts for Saabs and Saabits, but no sign of anything like it (unless I've used the wrong term for the darn thing).
Any idea where I might try, apart from trawling round local scrappers?
If anyone knows the correct part number, that would be a help. It's a 9-3 Vector convertible 1.8T on a 54 plate, but the VIN indicates it's an '05.

12
Here's the bairn in France. House is nice eh? ... We stayed in the barn.

13
Hey, Mark. Good to hear from you! Very thorough coverage there and my, your MG's a sweet one! My little beaut is due a good going-over very soon. I've got a pretty good brush for the top; that and Henry should do the job nicely.
Obiter dictum: Into the garage for a general check-over and checking the power steering fluid reservoir/tank/thingy (CHF202) a possible wheel bearing out of whack and also to change the spark plugs for the NGK PFR 6T-10G ones (it may already have these, but new sparkies will always help); mind you, I checked the air filter - hardly stained at all and the engine oil still has a greenish tinge, so someone's been looking after this bairn! My garage are a good bunch and they do stuff thoroughly.
Just back from a few days in la belle France, trooping (top-down, natch) round country lanes in the Bray area: joyful! Car ran sweet as a nut. Saw only two other Saabs - a 9-5 estate and an old 90, both French reg. But I did see an MGB GT and a Midget (also French) out for a jaunt in Lyons-la-Forêt.

14
I hear you, boss! No steamer. Just Henry. And the nailbrush. And Johnson's baby shampoo (blue). And Fabsil.
And the Nénetté mop is useful - just cleared off some road dust with it and I'd only use it for that purpose, not as part of a cleaning régime proper. Too much fun to be had doing the old sno-foam, TBM and wax!
Good to know there are people what know whereof they speak in here. Gawd knows what sort of nonsense I'd get up to!
BTW, just back from a few days in France. Ooooh! Those lovely open roads with so little traffic! Pure joy!
Trust you are well and enjoying the Jimmy!

15
Fellow Saabistas!
I've used our Henry vacuum cleaner on the soft top to remove bits of fluff and dust that settle thereon and it seems to work really well, though for a thorough, pre-reproofing clean I'd also use a stiff-bristled brush.
Now, we have a steam mop thing that does a great job on the kitchen and bathroom floors; it has a soft cotton pad on a kind of triangular plastic end. I wonder whether using this on the roof would be of benefit ... or harm?
Has anyone tried this? Do the aficionados consider it unwise/unnecessary?
Also, I've just snaffled a Nénetté lustreuse. Its soft cotton mop is impregnated with Nénétol. It's been around since 1947 and I remember my mother using one to dust in the house, though it was primarily intended for la carosserie. Seems to me this would be a great lazy-boy clean-up between thorough wash-polish-wax sessions. Anyone had a go with these?

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