Silver Bullets replacement (caution pic heavy)

[StevenRB45]

Not really done much recently but some Piaa L.E.D. sides in and looks like this notice the wonderful weather we've been having.

 

[Captain Mike]

Led's look good.

I like the way they light the whole headlamp

 

[StevenRB45]

Hmm....only changes recently are removed l.e.d.s due to them failing m.o.t.

Currently deciding whether to sell it or spend money I would on new car making it mad...

two issues on my mind:
A: despite being HPI clear its had some sort of shunt which I can't get details of. Yes it wasn't written off but I would like to know what the shell has had to deal with before increasing the work load it has to do.
B A supercharger will only realistically produce 140-150bhp on this engine while maintaining reliabilityish, is that worth the effort? or you know soddit and buy a Focus ST 2.5 and get something much faster.

Don't really expect much help on these issues but thats where i'm at, i'd love stealth bomber swift and could afford to do it but not sure where I want to go even though after 2.5 years of living with this car I do love it.

 

[Eklipze3k]

Just picked up on this thread, looking good but makes me want an Ignis now
How can you tell it's had a shunt? You could get the ST but people expect them to be quick, I don't think I've ever seen a proper quick Swift, not the new style ones anyway

 

[StevenRB45]

Well this it how it stands as of yesterday and a good polish not bad for a car thats getting on 5 years old now.

I know its had a bang because front plate has PMBRC on the bottom of it and a post code (back has original dealer marking)...PMBRC is peterlee motor body repair company, also front grill sits a little further back than it should, front left wing is new as rust proofing on bottom has a different texture to that on the sill which is not repeated on front right wing, also bolts under bonnet show signs of being disturbed, so I would think a front 3/4 accident to the passenger side. However when I phoned said body repair company they wouldn't tell me what they had repaired.. And yes I really do have that sort of an eye for detail..

Tbf car is probably perfectly ok, but a supercharger is getting on for 4 grand once you've upgraded stuff to cope...its a 6 grand car maximum I want to know its absolutley totally one hundred percent before I drop that sort of cash because if I do i'm keeping it for a long time none of this finishing a project and selling it business. I'd love to do it...no one would expect a swift GLX to pack that power, it would be a proper dark horse (i'd leave it how it is now other than perhaps lowered and bigger brakes/wheels/tyres) on the roads. Also it would solve the only thing I hate about this car the lack of torque, you have to scream the backside out of it although it does go when you do.

 

[Adrian Bravo]

Still looking good. Why did the led's fail an mot out of interest?

Are there manufactured 'bolt on' supercharger kits for the Swift?

 

[StevenRB45]

http://www.rhdjapan.com/trust-greddy-supercharger-kit-zc21s-zc31s-61178?nflag=1

They are cheaper than I remember :chin:

L.E.D.s failed due to a light blue tinge to the light they gave off.

 

[StevenRB45]

Well 4 years since and 50k since I got this its er....well exactly like it was, engine pulls better with some miles on it, steering wheel and gear nob have gone shiny...one mirror is cracked which is not the cars fault, and its had two sets of front wishbones (swift weak spot), a 5th gear, gearbox seals, a wheelbearing and discs and pads but otherwise its exactly as it was on day 1...with some more stone chips.

Oh and mods went by the by...may have bought a house...

 

[StevenRB45]

Small update, covered smashed mirror over.

Now done more miles and had this car longer than in all 3 fiats I had and still going well if anything better now than when it was new, except the paint is and always was crap.

 

[StevenRB45]

Still going well 65k up now, air con needs a regas, has a nice dent in a sill due to jacking nightmare and the mot was pretty bad considering its only 7. Very disappointed to be replacing the rear brake pipes at such an early age everything was else was par for age/mileage and useage. However the 380 quid bill takes money spent on maintenance in last 3 years to 600 quid which I'm not overly annoyed about.

 

[StevenRB45]

Grr...this is meant to be attached to something...

At least the aircon regas is off my to do list.

 

[StevenRB45]

Fixed. ..although have to say from this angle the exhaust looks a lot worse for wear.

 

[StevenRB45]

Well time for an update as its now 6 years since I got this car and it celebrates its' 8th birthday this month.

Hmm what to say? In many ways its been very japanese, rarely sees the garage between services, this years mot was a cake walk so only 1 failure ever...due to those sodding leds.

Do I love this car after 6 years? Still not sure, it kinda has a character, especially now the electrics are going a bit funny (nothing major bulbs in the dash flickering and the stereo playing silly buggers). Day to day its like driving the micra but rides harder..and uses more fuel to the point I was debating ditching it. But whenever I'm out of love with it I take it up a back road and remind myself that it has a chassis with far more ability than a city car will ever need. Also the engine is just great for what it is, its only meant to have a 100bhp but I get the feeling that running 98 ron and after 74k of running in its loosened up alot and will happily keep 140bhp diesels honest. Which raises a grin always in a way the micra never will.

On the boring side of things average mpg has gone up by 6 since I 1st got it but I no longer drive like my trousers are on fire.

You know what yeah I do love it, been with me through a lot, spent last summer doing 4k in it looking at every wedding venue between Middlesbrough and Scotland, two summers before I used it to look for my 1st house, ones before that it took me and my then girlfriend now fiancee all over. It's been a good motor, things are changing Mrs wants me to get something with 5 doors, i'm no longer on the bones of my arse (who would have thought buying a house in the middle of the worst recession in living memory would have been hard?) So it's time may be up soon but it's been fun.

Although looking back at this thread I was selling it 4 years ago and never did so who knows maybe I'll be buried in the damn thing.

 

[David Dawson]

Always had a soft spot for the Swifts, looks like you've done well with this one