Cars, etc. (GEARHEAD)

[PMS Witch]

Cheers, PW.

[PMS Witch]

Why one should not block a tailpipe. . .

Cheers, PW.

[Churak]

This is way cool - Ultra Luxury Man Cave houses one man's multi-million dollar car collection



http://www.wheels.ca/news/ultra-luxury-mancave-houses-one-mans-multi-million-dollar-car-collection/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=referral

[Churak]

very cool vehicle

[OldAIMGuy]

Thanks C for the report. I've let a lot of interesting cars go over the years because of Spousal Unit Interest Level.

I still try to keep my total Piston Count up, however. Currently it's:

31 for Wheeled Vehicles
8 for devices without wheels

My bride did ride with me to Wayne's Drive In this summer for burgers and onion rings in my '33 Ford street rod. That is a rarity however.



She seems to think ear plugs are a necessity, not an option. That's even after I put on quiet mufflers!

[Churak]

It pains me to report that after 31 years of faithful (mostly) service, I have had to say goodbye to my Vette. The Spousal Unit would no longer get into the vehicle and she (the Vette) was deteriorating cosmetically & mechanically far beyond what would the cost would justify to put it into a condition worthy of its name. In addition, as one gets older, it becomes increasingly difficult to get in & out of the vehicle especially when one has back issues. What was my takeaway from my Vette ownership experience?

1. Vette is the best car ever made.
2. Vette is the worst car in wintery condition.

In case anybody reads this and wonders what I replaced the Vette with, the answer is...a Mazda. A freaking crossover Mazda. CX-5 GT. Vehicle is OK...but it ain't no Vette.

The End...really.

Churak

[Churak]

The Story of the Badass Who Made the Corvette an Icon


http://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/enthusiasts/the-story-of-the-badass-who-made-the-corvette-an-icon/ar-AAdrkMH

[PMS Witch]

Nice truck. . .

Cheers, PW.

[PMS Witch]

My car is surprised to see me!



Cheers, PW.

[originunknown]

Thanks for the stories and facts ... much appreciated!
:)

[OldAIMGuy]

Hi OUK, Re: Cars that are a bit weak for rentals...........

I saw this slide show this AM and thought about rental car fleets....

http://www.cnbc.com/id/49169227?slide=1

I loved the comment that crash tests done on small cars were done with other small cars. Does that mean if we drive a small car we should only aim at other small cars? or does it mean we should only drive on roads that don't allow SUVs?



Recently my wife was turning left from a 55 MPH two lane road when she was struck from behind.

5000+Lb VW Touareg = drove away after the accident with sheet metal damage, but not even a broken tail light.....

2900 Lb Ford Focus = flat bed towed away; LF wheel pushed back to firewall; car leaking various colored fluids; Crumple Zone of car did its job, but significant cosmetic and structural damage; car probably totaled.

Both drivers were fine. My wife was startled by the crash as she was already starting across the oncoming lane and didn't see the other person about to hit her. The other lady was fine other than some seat belt rash on her shoulder and a "yucky" taste from the air bag popping in her face.

Best regards,

[originunknown]

Rented a black basic model Dodge Caliber with 18,000 miles. What a piece of junk! Suspension was creaking like an old wooden ship, steering was jittery, acceleration was poor, engine needlessly noisy and not very economical. Transmission stuttered and hesitated needlessly. The exterior design is ok and the inside is spacious and comfortable enough and seats look like they can handle a lot of wear and tear. Door joints already beginning to rust.

[originunknown]

Rented a black 300hp Impala LT and I was amazed at its speed - probably the fastest car I have ever rented or driven for that matter. Quality of the build is not very good as things were already falling apart after only 3500 miles. But is sure fun to drive.

[Id_Jit]

4.5 miles on a fully charged battery is certainly doable.
Just don’t run some errands enroute like Tim’s or HD. (Well, maybe Tim’s drive through would be OK.)
The alternator probably is not dead-dead and could be putting out some juice.

Kinda funny story:
With my dual battery Suburban, one morning it didn.t crank over like it always did. It started fine though but I noticed the dash Voltmeter was ~10 Volts.
The secondary battery had developed a shorted cell and had discharged the primary one. The alternator kicked in and revived both.

I went to my favorite battery place and weirded out the young attendant.
The procedure was to pull into the bay, keeping the engine running, pop the hood and let them start doing their thing, checking the alternator and battery.

I pulled into the bay, shut it off, popped the hood, pointed to the secondary battery, and said: ”Replace It with the biggest capacity battery you’ve got… It’s 10 years old and has a shorted cell.”

The WTF just happened look on his face was absolutely priceless.
I assisted him in changing the battery and let him do his thing checking the alternator after the battery change. Paid up and left a happy customer.

Id

[originunknown]

Thanks for further tips (cv joints).

The mechanic suggested that I charge up the battery and drive the 4.5 miles to his shop to have alternator and whatever replaced just on the battery. That makes me nervous so I will probably just get CAA to tow it there.

I figured it would probably cost around $2k to get the car back in good shape, so starting with the alternator and seeing how that goes is a beginning for me. Could try to sell it but we would get so little that it would not be worth the trouble.[img][/img]

I keep hoping we could make it last a couple of months and then just escape for the winter

[Id_Jit]

Nice car.
120,000 miles ain’t that much nowadays, given that the vehicle received frequent enough oil changes.

To test CV joints, find a wide open space, and, with windows down, turn tight clockwise and counter-clockwise (right and left for those of the digital, not analogue age) turns. Clunks are not your friend. Tears in the boots are another excellent clue.
I’ve heard CV joints clunking badly on cars going straight ahead and wondered how many miles until the driver had until they found themselves stranded.

Your 13 Volt reading is too close to the resting Voltage of a car battery for me.
I would like to see ~14 Volts when running… Based on the accuracy of the Voltmeter of course. (It should be close enuff.)

<sigh> I guess I just talked myself into a post about car battery Voltages to clarify.

Id

[originunknown]

Yes, the car is a 1991 Buick Park Avenue with 120,000 miles. I never noticed idiot lights glowing in the dark (I always park in the garage) but the gauge (voltmeter) for the alternator always seemed fine (staying around 13 dead center) from the beginning except of course last Friday when everything on the car started slowing like signal light, wipers etc and voltmeter fell to 8. For the first time ever i saw the needle fall to the far left of the gauge. I knew I was in trouble so I shut everything off and we barely made it into the driveway. I think the battery really was dead as it was 8 years old. I see alt are about $200 new here but knowing my mechanic he will probably find one used in good shape for far less.

Power steering did spew again last Thursday but after adding some Gunk sealant it seemed fine on Friday before alternator incident. Car may soon need a cv joint as I hear a clunk in front on driver side. Tuneup and brake job and oil job are due soon. Drive train seems fine and I have two sets of tires that are probably in their last year. It actually runs quite well and smoothly but it is so unreliable lately that I am losing confidence in it except it does always breakdown in garage or nearby!

What started all this was that after the last fix it worked fine for two days but then it got hard to start. Finally in the sweltering heat at Home Depot Friday afternoon it would not start. I went to call CAA for a boost but when I tried again before it arrived it started again (hesitatingly). The next day after driving around about 30 minutes the alt started dying on me half a mile from home. That last traffic light seemed to last forever :(

Thanks for all your help. I will get the car towed to the mechanic and see if the alternator is the answer.

I really appreciate your suggestions and assistance. I was about to post the car for sale but now you encourage me to give it one last chance ....

[Id_Jit]

Perhaps your electrical problem was the alternator all along.

Is the car a GM product?
If so, does it have a Voltmeter in the dash or just an idiot (BATT or ALT) light?
In the case of the Voltmeter did you notice that it was reading ~ 12 Volts instead of the “nominal” 13.8 Volts when running?
In the case of the idiot light, did you notice, under really dark conditions, a very slight glow in the light?

If so, I have had two experiences with this.
The first in my Wife’s `80 Impala. Very intermittently it would not start. One night after taking our oldest Son to ski lessons it didn’t. After rescuing them with a battery boost that night she said that the idiot light had been slightly glowing but she could only see that when in total darkness. Whenever I checked it with a Voltmeter all was well. When I asked a Brother in Law (who is a real mechanic) about it, he pulled out a drawer in his tool box and handed me a used “Diode Triplet”. I changed it out. Problem solved!
The second was in my `79 Suburban. One day, after starting it, I noticed the Voltmeter was reading ~ 12 Volts not the 13.8 Volts. Having two batteries in that beast I knew I had time to spare. I purchased a new diode triplet that day and changed it out that night. Again, problem solved!

The “Diode Triplet” (inside the alternator) supplies the Power to the internal Voltage regulator to make the alternator put out via the brushes. When one or more of the three diodes quit, the Power output of the alternator drops.
I know my brief explanation sounds confusing.

Then again, it could be that the brushes are worn out…

If there still is an abnormal current draw on the battery, I can help track it down. Let me know. It sounds like you have a good mechanic.

If the engine and transmission and tires are OK, then a new alternator and fixing the power steering will be cheaper than a new(er) car.

Id

[originunknown]

Last fix lasted all of two days before alternator died and power steering started spewing fluid again. I think it is time to say goodbye. Memorial will be held at ... (YouTube)

[originunknown]

Better even he charged all of $40 - I love this mechanic!!!

[originunknown]

Great news -- car works fine again. Found draw within the first 30 minutes and the rest is salvation history. I was sure it was headed to the scrap heap tomorrow morning!!

[originunknown]

Well looks like battery (brand new) charges up fine but something is draining it. Not sure how long it will take to fix but car has been in shop three days now ...

[originunknown]

Two days ago the power driver seat died. Now the whole car is dead as a doorknob yet the battery is barely a month old. Is it possible a fuse is blown or do you peeps figure may the whole damn electric system fried. The car is 22 years old?

Thanks
ou

[originunknown]

Is it normal to feel that the 6 speed automatic in Malibu and Sonata are sluggish at take-off? I am used to a four speed automatic (GM Hydramatic) so maybe it is a modern thing I just don't get yet.

[originunknown]

Rear air shocks are kaput but strahgely enough it does the bucking bronco thing only once in a while. The rest of time it is pretty much normal riding except for some rear slouching. You can hear the compressor motor that is connected to air shocks when car is parked

[originunknown]

Power steering still fine so maybe Gunk is gold! Car runs like a top now, but the rear air shocks are pretty much shot. Still rides ok and mechanic says as long as you keep load light in car and don't hit pot hole at high speed you can still prolong the life of this baby. Looks like $500 plus to fix rear air shocks. car still safe and I feel that $500 could go towards a way better critical repair to get me to 2013.

Call me crazy!
ou

[originunknown]

Even though my mechanic does not believe in PS Gunk sealant, I figured what the heck for $4 if it saves me $1500 --- and 10 days later it seems fine! I have used Bar's Leak which saved me $800 on an engine gasket. That was over a year ago so may be time for that treatment to be repeated ... Thanks again!

[originunknown]

Thanks for the reco! The ole girl was doing fine till yesterday after a run in the hot weather it started to act a bit weird and noisy (rack and pinion?). When I opened the hood the ps fluid was pissing all over the place. I thought maybe I had not closed the cap properly but that is not it. I have an indie mechanic trying to fix it but I do not have high hopes. If he does manage to tame that gal I will certainly try your suggestion.

thanks again
tbc

[OldAIMGuy]

I've used molybdenum disulfide lubricant as an additive to the PS fluid. It seems to have done the job as many of my cars have over 100K miles on them.

PS: Nice GRUB on the 4800th post!

[originunknown]

Thanks ID - really appreciate your reply. I did put some Gunk in and it seems to help although just topping it up last Friday seems to have held well. In any case I agree that locating leak is vital. I am not much of a DIY kind of guy but I have a great indie mechanic that has already saved me a lot in repairs on this car and I know that he will fix it at best price possible short of doing it yourself.

Cheers!
ou

[Id_Jit]

You could try power steering no leak, stop leak, or conditioner. I have not used any of these products. Some of the products here are only fluid, not a conditioner.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/3/AutoFluidsChemicals/SteeringFluid.jsp

If you are into DIY, or have an independent mechanic, you could get a rebuilt pump or one from an auto wrecker. Auto parts stores should carry generic replacement hoses and perhaps the cooler, but these also could be purchased at a wrecker.

For your own peace of mind, you should track down the leak.

Id

[originunknown]

I have a 22 year old Buick with the body in excellent shape for its age and maintenance has been quite reasonable to-date. Power steering failed last Friday and it looks like pump, cooler and pressure hose need to be replaced according to dealership. The car otherwise works well and is quite comfortable and cheap to run. I was hoping to keep it at least till next year. Is there any way to prolong the life of the PS for a few months without replacing above parts? I topped it up and it works fine but I am sure that will not last indefinitely. It seems to be losing ps fluids slowly as I do not see much of a leak in garage after overnight parking.

Any suggestions?
ty

[BOREALIS]

The 50 Worst Cars of All Time -- by TIME Online Edition

http://www.caradvice.com.au/107048/the-50-worst-cars-of-all-time-by-time-online-edition/


(Earlier Listing)

TIME Online Edition in the US has released The 50 Worst Cars of All Time list onto its website.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1658545,00.html

The cars are separated into era categories but they have all been included into the list because they are horrible cars in one way or another, according to TIME anyway.

[PMS Witch]

Building a Mazda convertible. . .



Cheers, PW.

[PMS Witch]

Lucky driver!



Cheers, PW.

[PMS Witch]

This is a 10 minute video showing a fellow building a tiny V-12 engine.

Engine

He has more patience than I have.

Cheers, PW

[Montero_red]

Over the years I have re built a few engines. But my latest project will have a full roller value assembly. So I was wondering if anyone here had any hands,on tips for installation?

By the way the engine I'm working on is a 1966 tripower pontiac motor out of my GTO. This will be the third rebuild in the last 20 years I 'm a bit hard on it all I can say is " its great fun"


Red

[PMS Witch]

I wonder if these would work on cars. . .

Chains

Cheers, PW.

[PMS Witch]

A really quick Car Wash.

Cheers, PW.

[PMS Witch]

A one minute video of a determined Fire Truck. . .

Fire Truck

Cheers, PW.

[BOREALIS]

When Cars Had Character.

This test will test your auto acumen and bring back some fond memories,

back when cars were distinctly different in appearance and we looked forward to "the new model year" being introduced.

http://www.americantorque.com/game/car-show-50s/

[originunknown]

Talked to a service advisor at GM dealership today who said, 'I could recommend our product but quite honestly they are all equally good'

[originunknown]

Could somebody please recommend a fuel additive to clean out injectors?

Thanks

[PMS Witch]

A close call on a Russian road.

(90 second video, but only first 30 seconds worth watching)

Close

[Stock Trainer]

No problem. I hope it helped

[originunknown]

Thanks FoA much appreciated several have given me the same reco in last few days!!

[Stock Trainer]

Ford Fusion..Very nice car, make sure you get sync in it too.

[originunknown]

Somebody please recommend a car used that would range between $10-15,000.

Ty
Ou

[originunknown]

1991 Park Avenue still kicking but not like it used to ... this week after being parked outside in cool weather the car would hardly advance in drive. The TACH goes up to 1740rpm but not much hapeens. Put it back in the garage and next day it worked fine. This happened once downtown a few months ago after being parked outside for an hour plus. After a weak start, I parked on a side street shut it down and re-started it and it was sluggish at first but soon was driving the highway normally. Is it the tranny starting to go?

Thanks for any ideas ... no worries I am just keeping this car with minimal maintenance and expect it to last another 6 months or so with luck. It has other weird quirks like a pass key system that does not work every six months but eventually it will start after some rest and be good for several more months.

[originunknown]

yep thought that also