Just bought a Maestro .....

[Jeff Turbo]

Yesterday I finally put everything under the bonnet back together, new water pump (for no particular reason), new thermostat, new left hand engine mount, newly painted the steel brackets, new inlet manifold union and a new heater hose to the manifold

Previously I mentioned the engine run hot on tick over, well after flushing out the coolant, I decided to wash out the expansion tank as well, with bleach and soap powder and got it as clean as I could using small brushes on wires and then realised where the return pipe from the top of the thermostat housing comes into the tank was blocked with brown crap.

The engine now runs as it should. In fact I would go as far to say this 49k 1.3 is an absolute gem of an engine, running sweet as a nut, smooth and very quiet. This has obviously been looked after for the majority of it's life and certainly no evidence of it having had a hard life .......well pleased

I will wait till the spring to see what I am going to do with it. The brakes feel up together and having only done 280 miles since the last MOT I think it would walk through another, but in the garage it stays for now

Well done, did you also flush out the heater pipe return as that can also get clogged?

[Jimarilo]

Hi Jeff, I flushed the pipe that comes off the inlet manifold and through the heater matrix ??

I replaced that pipe as it was too short as it had been cut and joined to the pipe on the other side of the manifold, by passing the manifold as the manifold unions were too corroded. I fitted new unions and re-connected the manifold

However I will be getting a second chance if not as I am now going to fit a new old stock radiator, when it arrives

I went in the garage the other morning to find coolant had been leaking from the bottom hose on the rad. It was leaking when I filled the system, but looked to have sorted it's self after tightening the clip. Obviously more to it than that. It looks like the original radiator and looks a bit iffy in a few other places, so managed to find one at £35 ......

[Jeff Turbo]

Hi Jeff, I flushed the pipe that comes off the inlet manifold and through the heater matrix ??

I replaced that pipe as it was too short as it had been cut and joined to the pipe on the other side of the manifold, by passing the manifold as the manifold unions were too corroded. I fitted new unions and re-connected the manifold

However I will be getting a second chance if not as I am now going to fit a new old stock radiator, when it arrives

I went in the garage the other morning to find coolant had been leaking from the bottom hose on the rad. It was leaking when I filled the system, but looked to have sorted it's self after tightening the clip. Obviously more to it than that. It looks like the original radiator and looks a bit iffy in a few other places, so managed to find one at £35 ......

Excellent stuff, glad it's going well

[Jimarilo]

Thanks yes all is going well, but have two other cars to keep on the road, so the Maestro only gets work done as and when. It is the lucky one as it is kept in the garage

Fitted the new radiator as well as anew sender switch in the rad. The old rad when I took it out was only just hanging together lol . So no surprise there was a leak

I took the car to the local garage to put some fuel in and it drove really well .....the next fix is the rear exhaust which is blowing, but may as well put the whole system on, when I can find one

This car is on you tube 3 years ago, still only done 49k The buyer at the auction is the chap I bought it from. It was used for period dramas and movies so didn't do much driving about mainly sat in a garage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTiDqBzjOUY