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KoniVibe's.....Vibe

K

KoniVibe

So, im just starting my Vibe's revamp. I've had it for over a year now, I got it just as I left uni with the idea of.."I'll use it as a temporary car until I get a job and get something more powerful" Well, it took me a year to find a job, and well dreams change and reality sets in. I've figured out that Im definatly not going to be able to afford another car + the insurance that goes with it. So last week I decided, its time to get my granny carrier (old lady owner previous to me) looking sharp and driving proper!

I thought i'd make a harmless blog about my slow but inevitable progress on the car. Dont expect huge updates.. So here is what we have now.

DSC00043.jpg


I know some people dont like the colour, but i actually love it. Its one of the reasons that made me buy it over any other micra. Although in hindsight i probably should have shopped around more for something in better condition, at the time I thought it was good value...at the time..

The first thing I got done pretty much straight away was fix the rust that had corroded where the seat belt ankers were. After that I had sealed the welding I had done on both sides. So now I have rather cool mat black base lines.

DSCN0548.jpg

car was wet when taking the photo

First Body Issue:
The boot handle. Currently held together with glue

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I am aware this is a common problem with Micra's but the boot handle has been bust since I bought the car, and today! I called up my nearest scrap yard and spent £10 and got a new boot handle...yay! I'll be fitting this later.

Having some issues removing the inside panel of the boot to uncover the fixings, the screws turn fine but it doesnt seem to be freeing the panel. Any ideas?

Anyway, i'll be making posts as and when I make changes, I'll be tackling things one at a time.

On Saturday i'm having a new tire fitted and my spare put on the car as they were warned on my MOT, as well as new CV gators. Nothing fancy about that.
 
Its a common problem because people use it as a boot handle, when its not :) the earlier ones are purely for the lights, which is why they break. Not really an issue as i doubt you'll use it as such now youre replacing it :D
 
I should really add my plan of action. Well boot handle.
Next, well next I think is a full service. I havent had it serviced since I got it, its in desperate need of one. I'll stop them from replacing the spark plugs and the air filter. I should be able to get the service done at the end of september.
Then once thats done, i'll be getting a K&N airfilter panel and some nice spark plugs. Not really sure what to get here, so please do recommend me something! At the moment its either those iridium ones on the rallynuts site, or champion EONs from halfords. But i really have no experience here so im more than willing to hear suggestions.
Then its the exhaust/back box. I dont think i'll go for a full exhaust system, the baffles are gone on my standard exhaust so i'd like to get a new one, i guess best bet here is the Janspeed one, or just get a standard replacement.
After that its sorting my rear bumper out. Its in bad shape, I took it to a paint guy and he said it would need stripping down completely then sprayed. So it would be cheaper to buy a new bumper and spray that. So i'll be looking for a bumper.
DSCN0543.jpg

You can see it needs some work. Any ideas are welcome.

These are just the few starting area's i'd like to get done first before moving to better things. i.e. nothing i have to tell the insurance company about, and just breathing some life into the old thing. This will happen probably over the next 2-3months as pay packets clear.
I'd love to get some orange hose covers aswell to colour code.
 
yeh, its got plenty of potential konivibe:)
with the fixings in the boot panel, you have to screw the inner core out (it needs some help/leverage to get the thread started tho)
i found that intake and exhaust gains are pretty small on the 1.0,s (unless you change the cams) its all the same spec as a 1.3, so its not especially under-engineered when stock
 
Cheers frank, i'll try and get some leverage in there. Raining at the moment, so i'll take another stab once its stopped.

Oh and if you guys didnt guess already, my colour scheme is Lambo Orange (yes it is lambo orange!)/Black. Im thinkin of getting some Titanium coloured/dark but not quite black alloys at some point aswell, probably some 14"s
 
Managed to get the panel off, then saw the current lights on the "handle" have a 3pin connector and my new one has a 2pin connector. So im a little concerned, my new handle is from a k11 but its not from a vibe and is infact ever so slightly thinner from what i can tell, and i think even less than a mm shorter in width, the screw holes seem to marry up, but im just doing by eye as I havent removed it yet as im going to wait for a friend of mine to come over later and give me his advice. So fingers crossed it fits! even if I have to change over the lights.
 
So! I managed it. that whole worry I had with the light connection turned out to be a false alarm. I had completely missed the right connection and was looking at the wrong damn wire. So panic over. lol.
Ok so this is what we had before.

DSCN05461.jpg


Glued together, looked like crap.

DSCN0552.jpg


This I thought i'd post just so people have some reference. So, panel off.

DSCN0553.jpg


Wires going in, almost there.

DSCN0554.jpg


tadaa! all done, looks much better. almost like new! hehe. Im sure that added at least 10BHP....hmm or not. But anyway. a small job that took me multiple attempts but I finally cracked it. Im a complete car noob, so im pretty proud of myself. Especially when I tested the lights on the new handle and saw that one of the bulbs wasnt working, so I unscrewed it's casing and replaced the bulb with one from my previous handle. I know, replacing a bulb, look at me. Anyway. thats that done. Next is my new CV gators and tires fitted on saturday. then I drive it back up to Dundee (from Herts) to my new flat on monday.
 
Alright mate, just had a look through your blog. Looks in good nic and the only problems are easily fixable. Just thought id point out i have a spare sportex back box for sale if you want it? Was only on mine for about 2 month so its all good. Let me know if your interested and we can sort something out(Y)
 
Thanks for the heads up Red, I'll be looking at exhausts after I get it serviced probably at the end of next month. No doubt you would have found a buyer by that time. But i'll keep it in mind, and let you know if I think to get something sooner.

Going to see if I can get rid of the Vibe and Micra stickers from the car. Hopefully I can do it without damaging the paint, any ideas? Im thinking a jet washer on warm setting should do the trick. I've seen people recommend hair dryers, but that sounds like it could bubble the paintwork.
 
hi mate didnt relise you where from dundee same here lol. theres quite a few of us got micras now if you fancy meeting for a chat about them we are usually out in the Ncp in north lindsay street my micras off the road but ill be out in the pug. be good to see a few more micra owners.
 
KoniVibe said:
Going to see if I can get rid of the Vibe and Micra stickers from the car. Hopefully I can do it without damaging the paint, any ideas? Im thinking a jet washer on warm setting should do the trick. I've seen people recommend hair dryers, but that sounds like it could bubble the paintwork.
Click to expand...

Get a Caramel/Eraser wheel for a panel supply shop, they cost a couple of quid each, are designed for the job, and takes them off in seconds.
 
looking good mate, the little fixes and discrete mods are the best!
i have some sr clocks for sale if you are interested, which are the ones with the rev counter on them.
 
@Glen, I'll be back in dundee starting a new job next week. Im actually from down south originaly, so im moving up! I'll definatly be out and about in Dundee, so keep an eye out.

@Alien&Jim, I'll be taking my car in for its new tires and cv gators tommorow and see if my mate (the mechanic) has anything to get rid of the stickers while im there.

@micra oli, I wont be looking for new clocks at the moment, maybe in the future, but its something I hadnt even thought of yet. But thanks for the offer though mate.

And cheers pjg! :D
 

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