Decent mechanic SE suburbs Melbourne needed ASAP

[XRated]

Guys I'm getting desperate for a mechanic around SE suburbs in Melbourne. I've been booked into one but too many fuck-abouts leads me looking for another one. I'm hoping someone actually knows someone personally that knows their stuff about E-Series and isn't going to be a tight-arse about getting a road-worthy. My last resort is travelling down Lilydale way but there's nothing to do down there while I wait...

Cheers

[Commando]

Luke,

Basically as long as you have the following points covered, you should be able to sail through an RWC inspection at any mechanic's (who are authorised to issue RWCs)

* Lamps & reflectors
* Seats & seatbelts
* Steering
* Windscreen windows, wipers & washers
* Engine
* Wheels & tyres
* Braking systems

What's the go with your car? Are there any things you are concerned that may not pass, or things you *know* will come up on the shitlist, etc? When i got the EF RWC'd they pinged the windscreen ($120 to get replaced, unless yours is mint they'll *always* ping the windscreen), the exhaust (orig muffler was f**ked), one headlight was out (pfft... replacement globe for like $5), middle seatbelt buckle was missing (pull a whole seatbelt from the wreckers), and a bush in the front end needed replacing. Returned a week later with all replacement parts covered by myself/previous owner and everything was ticked off.

Full RWC requirement details are here http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonl ... /VSI26.pdf

And here http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Mot ... Standards/

[XRated]

Thanks Dave.

I just saw a bloke I know who just started his own business. At the moment he's told me the following things:
Rear crack in brake light
Front springs too low (only a third of travel - nearly on bump stops!)
Recaros need to be replaced with normal seats because of the rails (anyone have any laying around?)
Hole in sump (for ****'s sake)
Front tyres
Wheel alignment (getting done)

The thing is, these items weren't picked on by the last joint that did the road worthy on it but it's pretty far from me (far enough) but I might head down there anyway.

Everything is pretty easy except the sump and the high can't-be-fucked factor changing the front springs myself.

By the way, if anyone needs a genuine mechanic, the business is:
A&M Mechanics in Wantirna, Factory 5/5 Sherwood Court. At the moment he is flat-out but he takes care of you.
He's looked after me a few times - knows his E-Series and does gas conversions too. He's also looked after Cranners and quite a few others...

[Commando]

Hole in the sump?

Yeah, the first 3 points should be covered fine (and yes, you can be f**ked changing the front springs unless you want to get it re-RWC'd for going beyond the 7 day repair deadline), dunno about the sump one though! I'm sure someone can cover you for borrowing tyres for going back there

Wheel alignment shouldn't be an issue? Unless it's clearly pulling to one side badly. I got my wagon RWC'd with the alignment out & one tyre beginning to lose tread on the inside.

[Sunboost]

Yo Luke the last joint to RW the car was Montrose Automotive in Kilsyth. They were pretty tight on it but lenient because they've known me and Gill for a couple of years from a few cars.

I wouldn't recommend you go there, it'll get messy if they don't know you.

Take it to Glenn Mayes in Lilydale near Lilydale High School. Tell 'em you've just bought and a guy name Chittick has sent you. That will work.

[XRated]

Ah **** Sunny, I just booked it into Montrose Automotive for tomorrow at 8...

[Sunboost]

And as for the hole in the sump it's from an engine mount piercing it an accident that wrote off the car that the motor was originally fitted to.

It was late Saturday arvo and we were struggling to motivate ourselves to chuck the motor in. I thought she'll be right and silastic'd it up a bit but it wasn't. Ended up removing the silastic when it started leaking hard, and then put liquid metal over it. The liquid metal held up well for a couple of weeks but obviously not any more.

Edit - Luke I don't like your chances of getting out of there without them picking on the stuff they let us out with last time, although I think back then it was only the rear shelf. Everything else was OK. Unsure of what you should do. If you're going to travel I'd be more inclined to head down to Lilydale. There's more to do near Glenn Mayes than at Montrose auto. There's a Ford dealer, Bursons, Library, plenty of food joints within walking distance. At Kilsyth all you've got is a Red Rooster up the road one way and factories everywhere else.

[XRated]

I really can't be arsed with the sump bullshit. I will see if they can do something otherwise I dunno, I will sell it.

Can you PM me what they were tight about please?

[Sunboost]

Sump really isn't hard. Like I've said all you need to do is give yourself some good access, clean it up properly then seal it up using something good. If it lasts the RW inspection you'll have your slip and nothing to worry about.

RW's are always a PIA - the older the car, the worse.

I've done everything from change caster rod bushes (fukked it up the first time, the RW joint was in Nunawading 20 minute walk from station and 20 minute drive from my house - got knocked back and had to do them again) to remove full window tinting because it was too dark. All while I was working full time, so had to juggle the RW on weekends and after work then catch the train to and from the RW joint.

I've also removed gas systems to clear a RW. On a 130,000km EL I overhauled ALL the brakes because they were just under thickness. Pulled apart all of a front suspension in 3 cars just to change ball joint boots.

I had a RW test initially done at Tyreworld in Kilsyth and they wrote me a 3 page list that effectively wrote off the car. Things like dented chassis rails and cut shelf, the stuff that you'll never have repaired.

Heaps and heaps of sht. People need to remember there's no such thing as a dodgy RW. You might find a lenient guy here or there, but they will pick on the sht that helps them cover their ass.

Sump is nothing.

[Sunboost]

Oh yeah and I forgot the 1st RW I did was at 15 on a XF Ghia that Gill and I bought and sold. Needed 3 door handle repair kits and a fukkload of rods to fix the door handles inside the car.

XD-XF Door Handle repair kit please.

[XRated]

Yeah fair enough Sunny I'm just over working on cars hence my whingeing. If I get time after the wheel alignment I will try to patch up the sump.

And whatever they pick on I might just pay the mechanic I saw earlier to fix.

Regarding nothing to do there, I will walk to the station and go to Box Hill to kill time...

[Sunboost]

There's no station in Kilsyth lol.

You'll havev to bus it to Croydon.

[XRated]

LOL isn't it like a 1km walk to Canterbury Station? I hate buses.

And if they pick on the parcel shelf I'm fecked.

[Sunboost]

Canterbury Station?

That's in Canterbury. Try 30km.

Tell 'em you just bought it off me or whatever. I dunno. Unbook and then book to Glenn Mayes Winnah. They passed a RW for a defect removal on my bro's car with a grinded rear rotor from metal to metal pad, and cut standard rear springs to jack the rear up.

[[Sterling]]

lol nothing to do in lilydae are you serios??? we got a....um....aaa.....gez umm...i think theres a macca's with a playground.

[XRated]

Maccas is good

[XRated]

Watts linkage (Pedders said the same), cracked rear light (just bought one from Pick-a-Part - $32 for an EA light!!!! Which of course is a different shade of red to my current ones), height uneven (too low in front), need three new tyres, and a degrease to see/fix leak (he said rear main but obviously didn't look that hard). So it's all pretty straight-forward.

Pedders also quoted $60 + 110 for the Watts linkage... Is it something you can do yourself?

So if anyone has any stock springs and struts (I can't be fecked dismantling the springs from the shocks and vice-versa) and/or some spare 15" wheels with road-worthy tread give me a yell.

[oneredED]

Watts linkage (Pedders said the same), cracked rear light (just bought one from Pick-a-Part - $32 for an EA light!!!! Which of course is a different shade of red to my current ones), height uneven (too low in front), need three new tyres, and a degrease to see/fix leak (he said rear main but obviously didn't look that hard). So it's all pretty straight-forward.

Pedders also quoted $60 + 110 for the Watts linkage... Is it something you can do yourself?

So if anyone has any stock springs and struts (I can't be fecked dismantling the springs from the shocks and vice-versa) and/or some spare 15" wheels with road-worthy tread give me a yell.

Sam has a full set of RW 15's in the garage here, but you'll need some wheel nuts to suit (they're turbo blades).

Ps. MSN kent.

[Sunboost]

Watts Linkage is $15 for a good one from Falcon Stuff in Bayswater. It takes about 10-20 minutes to change, we had to do it for Gill's EF RW from memory.

The taillight is something I was looking in to changing, had a set lined up for I think $30 off Thanatos in mint condition - but never got a chance to pay him a visit.

The front springs are easy enough, depending on being able to get a full suspension unit to swapover rather than the actual springs only.

The only RW tyres I have are on the car and I don't have any standard shocks or springs lying around.

Did you tell the guy you bought it off me? That's a good RW.

[Sunboost]

Do I still have the wheel nuts for those Jared? I can't remember.

[oneredED]

Yeah Sunny, I think you do actually, we forgot about it I think. CBF factor driving all the way out to yours is the killer though

I'll just remind you before the next cruise/meet we both attend

[Sunboost]

Yeah sick, or I could just drop them off at Luke's if he decides to take you up on whatever offer you have for him with those wheels? I actually think they are now at Rips' house which is about 5 minutes down the road from you Luke, so you could even pick them up from him.

[oneredED]

Yeah for sure, sounds good. I'll chat to sam. Brb.

[XRated]

Sick kents.

Cheers guys Watts link sounds like a DIY thing, feck paying 100+ for labour.

[Sunboost]

Anything else while we're here Lukas?

[private9]

I think I have some assembled front springs & struts. I'll check on the weekend, if I do their yours for free.

[mooseman]

There is such thing as a dodgy roadworthy. My last RW came through my work fax machine...

[Sunboost]

Good for you. Can I have your magical work fax machine print me one for EL Ghia? I can provide all necessary numbers for the car. Yes. Ok?

8 cars of my own, 4 other RW's and a lot of empty promises leading to RW's being done in as far away places (from me) as Dingley, and bucketload of shit talking later I think otherwise.

[Sunboost]

The other hole in your statement is that essentially a fax is a copy of the RWC, not the actual RWC. You can't provide Dikroads with a copy of it, it must be the original.

I've been sent back to a RW Tester to have the test re-written when some parts of the original weren't legible.

[mooseman]

I swear to you that my last RWC all I did was fax the guy some paperwork and he faxed me back a copy of the RWC. He organised everything else and when I rang vicroads a week later the car was in my name.

[[Sterling]]

where do you get a road worthy done? just at a mechanic?

[Sunboost]

I need a RW for my EL Ghia mooseman. Hook a bro up.

[mooseman]

haha I will ask around. The bloke doesn't mind doing them if its for the a car someone has brought but hates doing them for a car they are selling. I will have to ask him though because he doesn't know you so it might make things difficult.

[holmsy]

where do you get a road worthy done? just at a mechanic?

yeh any mechanic that is licensed to issue rwc.

[pHaT`eL]

And one for mee haha.. Group buy on RWC?

[private9]

I think I have some assembled front springs & struts. I'll check on the weekend, if I do their yours for free.

Just had a look mate, and I've only got the springs for the front - you're welcome to them though if they're any use to you.

Is there any other EA stuff you're after? I have a few little bits and pieces left that you're welcome to for free if they're any use.