My Corsa Blog!

[Arnold]

Right well my last Corsa blog vanished when the MSC went down, so here it is again!

S reg (10 years old)
12 Months MOT
3 Months Tax
75000 Miles
Badger Damage included!
£500

It's meant to be red but is pretty faded, and the plastics have gone grey too. The outside temperature sensor was smashed off by the badger, and the bumper as you can see is a bit damaged. The front nearside arch plastic is broken too. Bonnet covered in stone chips.

In the last month that i've owned it, it cost £38 to fill her up, which did just over 300 miles in 3/4 of a tank - very impressed! That includes city & motorway driving, and a car full of crap going to JAE!

This month, she's developed a few minor issues - which will get worse! The car sometimes doesn't idle correctly. It'l be sitting at 1000rpm and just drop to about 3/400 then stall. Reminds me of my old K10! I've got a video of my idle issues - www.alanarnold.co.uk/corsa/corsastall.3GP I'm tapping the throttle to keep it alive, but the red light that comes on indicates it's stalling.

Secondly, somewhere on the exhaust is starting to blow and it's getting worse pretty quickly. A silent purr is now a bit of a weak growl. Also reminds me of my old K10 as that got through several standard exhausts.

The idle problem might be related to the idle control valve or EGR, common problem on the corsa according to allcorsa.co.uk, so that will need sorting soon! I know all cars have problems but it's very frustrating my cheap run around is already starting to cost money!

I have no plans to chav up the car either

 

[nexussteve]

Don't compare a corsa to a K10! Shame on you!!

The only thing that really bugs me about the Corsas, are those bloody arches! Always look faded and ugly!!

So you're not planning on doing anything to this then?

 

[Arnold]

Well I will probably have to fix it, although i may bodge the exhaust repair if i can. Exhaust tape or putty or something. I'm guessing the idle valve if that's what it is will need replacing.

You can pick up new replacement arches on ebay, but like i said i hadn't planned on spending anything on this car, so that's not something i'm going to do!

 

[Pete]

They don't back to black very easily either :S

 

[Arnold]

Someone said to use a heat gun on them! I'm not too bothered about the cosmetics at the moment, as i could probably just respray them. Front bumper i could fix too, and give the rest of it a T cut. Wouldn't cost anything as i have all the stuff anyway, it's just finding the time.

 

[Pete]

You know you want to drop a red top in there don't you?

 

[James]

Not that expensive either as it's quite a common transplant!

 

[Arnold]

Na, I think converting one car is enough for now!! It's quite a nippy little car, and can achieve reasonable motorway speeds, but overtaking and building up speed is a bit poor, and it's only gonna get worse when this exhaust falls off lol.

 

[2004_Micra]

i think your idling problem could maybe be the air flow metre on the way out or the idle control. thats what happened to my corsa sxi

 

[Arnold]

it's only gonna get worse when this exhaust falls off lol.

It's snapped!! LOL. Didn't take long! My concern now is if the exhaust gets caught on the tarmac or something, it will probably rip the rear bumper off. My idle seems to be behaving itself at the moment.

Going to have a better look at it at lunch time, and if i can't bodge it, i'l have to replace it for another one

 

[frank]

go on arnold. pull it off and hammer a straight pipe on, if it,s anything like the 3 pot triumph,s, it,ll sound awesome at full chat

 

[Arnold]

Lol!! Na its going to get fixed properley! The pipe had split next to the rear silencer so no way that could be fixed. I've taken it off now so just have the exhaust pipe with no silencer. Will need replacing at around £30 delivered.

 

[ollyc98]

I would have just put a bit of straight pipe on it lol, a lot cheaper than £30. I wouldn't worry about wasting time t-cutting and trying to make it look pretty, it's cheap transport, keep it that way.

 

[joesouthgate]

I would have just put a bit of straight pipe on it lol, a lot cheaper than £30. I wouldn't worry about wasting time t-cutting and trying to make it look pretty, it's cheap transport, keep it that way.

nothing wrong with having tidy, cheap transport though! I only bought the K10 as a cheap car and look how far that went

 

[Arnold]

True. I am hoping the money I'm owed will come in soon, so I can sell the car. I may try and make something up using beer cans or something as a temporary silencer lol, then list it on ebay as needing replacing. I think it will only benefit me to make the paint look a lot nicer though, make the car a bit easier to sell and hopefully raise it's value. Will have to fix the front up though!

 

[Arnold]

Right a bit more news, nothing exciting.

Still haven't bothered to clean her up yet, but will get down bridges soon and see if i can find another bumper & bonnet. Then i'll cut the car & clean her up. It's really good on fuel though, much better than my K10.

It's still randomly cutting out, although some days are better than others. Another issue that's arisen a few times is the seat belt will unclip itself when your driving round corners!! I can't imagine it holding up in a crash.

And i'm still driving around without an exhaust. The replacement box is on my bedroom floor, and has been there for the last month or so! It's not loud enough to get pulled over or wind up the neighbours, that's why I haven't fitted the other one yet!

 

[curtis]

You know you wanna get another k10...

 

[Arnold]

The only K10 I'd drive again is mine! I'm considering going travelling so saving up at the moment, and it's so cheap to run (assuming no more bits fall off it). Bought myself a haynes manual to fix/bodge my way round the cutting out issue, may just up the idle.

 

[curtis]

Deep deep deep down you do

 

[quickdraw]

definitely the air flow meter fella

do you need to whack the revs sometimes ?
it not rev and then kick in aswell?

replaced loads of afm's on the corsa b

other than that - looks #### hahaha

 

[Arnold]

it IS ####

and yeah if i rev it it'l keep going, but when i take my foot off the pedal, it just drops down, bounces about then cuts out. I can restart the car again and it'l work fine! weird eh

 

[ollie240585]

it IS ####

and yeah if i rev it it'l keep going, but when i take my foot off the pedal, it just drops down, bounces about then cuts out. I can restart the car again and it'l work fine! weird eh

Its just a crap car man. Fix it, Flog it on to some little yobbo who will fill it full of subs, cut its springs down to 1 coil and go cruising blood in it.

 

[Arnold]

Chavving it large lol.

Yes i might get rid of it soon.

 

[quickdraw]

deffo sounds like its the AFM fella

not much to fix - if i recall it was around £7 or £17 one of the 2 lol

and easy replace by yourself

 

[Arnold]

I put my sav nav in the window earlier and the glass cracked! I now have a 6/7 inch split in the windscreen!! Another problem!

 

[quickdraw]

hahahahahahaha

 

[Arnold]

I've bought a new air flow meter for £35. They're going on ebay from shops at around £80! so when that turns up, i'l fit that & the exhaust. Also going to the scrappy saturday to find a new front bumper / grille and maybe bonnet. Will cut the paint, and sell it!

 

[Jinata]

I hate the inside..

 

[Layla]

aww arnie, its not as cack as you had me believe! well, it is, but i like it anyway. cute!

 

[Arnold]

Latest news:

Windscreen crack is about 12" now. Getting bigger! Cost to replace is £70 fitted. Cash in hand and all that. Tried to fit the new exhaust but the remaining bit of the old one is rusted on. Decided i'll just give it to my local mech to sort out whilst im at work. He can do the air flow meter at the same time.

Also fitted another head unit. Only £10 with a Kanye west CD in it. The aerial doesn't fit into the back of it. Need an adaptor but can't be bothered with that yet. Also managed to blow the standard front speakers after only one track of the new Chase & status album!! LOL.. D'oh

 

[Speedle]

Latest news:

Only £10 with a Kanye west CD in it.

i'd ask, no DEMAND my money back for that alone!

btw i have a heat gun if you need to use one mate

 

[Arnold]

The crack on the glass now covers half the windscreen!! I was just watching it get bigger and bigger driving back the other day. Gotta get that sorted.

Ordered a new front & rear bumper. Just getting basic black ones. Going to get the rest of the bits from a scrappy - one arch, temp sensor & bonnet.

Still amazed how good on fuel this thing is!

 

[Arnold]

Windscreen being fixed as we speak. Bumpers will be changed when i get the time! I would change the AFM but there's some weird clips holding all the pipe work on and i'm not sure how to take them off!

 

[Makrakin08]

are you going to be getting a new micra atall arnold? or are you keeping the corsa

 

[Arnold]

I'm probably going to get a Skyline or something fun

 

[Makrakin08]

a micra is fun ive been looking at renault 5 turbos, thinking of getting one for track days

 

[Arnold]

Right as you may have read, i crashed the crap box! The damage is now cosmetic and i'll get round to fixing that up soon. It had 4 new tyres, the rear silencer and the mid silencer all replaced. The tyres were pretty shoddy which probably contributed to the car flying off the road. The bonnet is dented, and the front grill was damaged, and it's now completely fallen out. The front splitter was also half ripped off.

The windscreen has been replaced fine, as mentioned above. No leaks which i'm happy about!

Tonight in the pouring rain, the air flow meter was replaced and it did start and idle fine first time. Haven't tried it again since but i'm hoping that's the last of my idle issues. My mate who's a mechanic managed to get the fiddly clips off - they're so simple!! Still, live and learn. As one problem is fixed though, more arise. The washer jets don't work, probably blocked, and one of the headlights doesn't come on. That's down to dodgey connector. Same problem the Micra suffers with!

If the weather is dry saturday, i'll be going to bridges to find me a new bonnet. I have a front and rear bumper in my garden to fit, and i've also bought my first chav mod for the car, which is a 'sport grille' to replace the broken standard one. It's chavvy but who cares Also got new front and rear number plates to go on.

The hub caps have been taken off and binned, as the car looks better without them! They were all damaged anyway

 

[joesouthgate]

is it just a debadged grille? if it says irmisher or sport on it then no...just no!

 

[Arnold]

It's this bad boy

£10 plus postage lol

 

[joesouthgate]

ahh thats alright then. a lot of the time they are cheaper than buying a standard grille lol

 

[Arnold]

ahh thats alright then. a lot of the time they are cheaper than buying a standard grille lol

That's why i got it! I've also got bog standard black bumpers to fit instead of half colour coded. The colour coded ones actually cost £10 more each and only come in primer, and i can't be bothered with spraying them up. Waste of money - bit like this car really!

 

[Arnold]

Right this weekend! Fixed the broken headlamp. Turned out one of the three pins on the bulb had snapped off. Had a few micra ones lying around so put one of them in.. it's nice i can now see the road again! Topped up the oil (none registered on the dip stick). In fixing one problem i found a few more, grr!

I thought i'd give the car a quick once over. Binned the hub caps, false floor in the boot and chucked the spare as that was bald too. The 100NX wheel i had for my micra fits nicely in the boot and has new rubber too.

Whilst the boot was open, i spotted a nice gaping hole exposing the inside to the elements, which i'm gonna have to fix. Not gonna bother welding it over, just going to fill / spray as a bodge. Was also going to fit the front bumper but noticed the reinforcement bar is badly bent, and the cross member is bent too, like a sumo's sat on it.

My lady friend wants a car to learn to drive in so i'm thinking about just giving her this one, if she prangs it, it doesn't matter too much, then sell it on afterwards! She actually really likes the car lol.

 

[davyshy]

She actually really likes the car lol.

someone has to:glance::blush:grr

 

[Arnold]

Been a while since i've updated this, but here's some photos of the old girl as she looks now! Thought i'd give her a new front/back end just to tidy her up a little.

I'm aware the rear number plate is a little bit bent Need a new bonnet too

She also went for an MOT, couple of dodgey bulbs and needed new brake pads but apart from that she's fine! A few advisories but won't worry about those lol.

 

[MicraFish]

Looks much better - not so neglected looking any more!
Man sell it, just keep the Glanza

 

[Alienfish360]

she's fine!

Shame.

 

[Retepetsir]

Are you getting rid of it now?

 

[Ian]

and why keep a blog for it? Can i take a dump, get some auto glym and keep a blog about that?

 

[Arnold]

I'm undecided if i should get rid. It's so cheap to run, but, not cheap to insure (as my NCD is on the Glanza). I can't really afford to run both, and can't really run the glanza as a daily! Don't wanna build up the milage on it too much either. A bit undecided at the moment..

And Ian, no reason why i can't have a blog on the old crapbox

 

[Ian]

because its in the wrong section, its crap and most people are thinking "nogaff corsa"