The real question is- what are you going to turn that bolt head and stud into as a memento? I vote for the full custom made shadowbox hung on the wall for garage art.
The real question is- what are you going to turn that bolt head and stud into as a memento? I vote for the full custom made shadowbox hung on the wall for garage art.
I vote repair as stock with potential troubles addressed. Wasn't your wife concerned about retiring some day? Dumping another $25k into a $35k car isn't conducive to that.
Also, so many other projects that could use that time and energy ... and money.
Another vote for repair back to stock. Get your minivan back.
golfduke wrote: The real question is- what are you going to turn that bolt head and stud into as a memento? I vote for the full custom made shadowbox hung on the wall for garage art.
My immediate thought was to TIG a small loop to the head and use it as a keychain. Then I got to thinking about the bolt and thought of a shadow box with all 20 head bolts standing proudly with the missing head off to the side. I could just do the shadow box with one headless bolt and still do the keychain. There will certainly be art that comes from this.
I think what is super cool about the R63 is that it was built that way. The factory made a fast minivan. As much as added HP would be cool, it sort of detracts from the story. If you add a SC, now you have a vehicle that you hot-rodded up. I think this then huts the amazement that they really put these out from the factory.
You have a future collectible. All the great collectibles are still in stock form.
Use the new HG to make an outline on a panel, then install all of the old bolts into said panel in proper location, including the headless one(s). Form shadowbox around that. Then you can still make the key ring w/ the head.
dculberson wrote: I vote repair as stock with potential troubles addressed. Wasn't your wife concerned about retiring some day? Dumping another $25k into a $35k car isn't conducive to that. Also, so many other projects that could use that time and energy ... and money.
JohnRW1621 said: I think what is super cool about the R63 is that it was built that way. The factory made a fast minivan. As much as added HP would be cool, it sort of detracts from the story. If you add a SC, now you have a vehicle that you hot-rodded up. I think this then huts the amazement that they really put these out from the factory. You have a future collectible. All the great collectibles are still in stock form.
Pretty much this. I love modifying things but there came a point where I wanted my daily driver to have power, be comfortable, and be quiet. There's already quite a bit of power on tap and the R63 is super cool in stock form.
I do like the van how it is. The thought process of keeping it stock because it's already awesome is what I'm following with the V wagon. Do I need to do it with all of my cool cars? I'm not sure yet. No decisions until after I pull the heads.
I moved the whole assembly out of the way, it rolls insanely easy. I highly recommend Northern Tool five inch casters.
And then I lowered the rest of the car so that the lift arms are supported by jack stands. I'm only about 95% confident in the lift staying where it is while I'm off visiting family. I get more confident every time I use it, but I'm still wary.
I also cleaned up all the tools and made sure that everything is bagged and labeled and zip tied to where it should be. Feeling organized.
I like the jackstand idea. I also like the idea of keeping this thing stock.
I like the idea of what 15k towards supercharging Fergus would mean instead. Shouldn't all the family haulers have a silly power:weight ratio requirement? 
I really want to build up an FE for Fergus with a quartet of side drafts on a long runner cross over intake manifold. Keep the three speed because it's awesome.
There are other things in my world that have a significant bearing on this too that aren't really forum topics. Always a little bit of a man behind the curtain with internet builds, so we'll see. I can always pull the motor again and put the supercharger on. It's not thaaaaaat hard. 
I wouldn't supercharge it. That's a whole lotta money that can be used to do lots of other things, including buying another entirely different car!
Doesn't that lift have locks? I keep my 4 post lift with the M3 on it on its locks for weeks at a time without worry.
My Jetta wagon has been 4 feet in the air on my scissor lift for the past 3 years.
OK... I agree about keeping it stock. I have the same internal argument about modding my TDi. There is a ton of stuff I could do to give it more power and handle better, but I also have three other project cars where that money might be better put. And while a TDI wagon isn't nowhere near as rare as a R63, it's still not a common car and so far it's been the only car I ordered to spec and bought new (and still own).
The lift has locks, but now it's on four jack stands instead of two posts. I'm sure it's completely unnecessary, but I'm new to this and I did install it myself. I've done ok in life being slightly under confident about my abilities.
It kinda looks like if you took the rear wheels off you could run the lift all the way down to the ground?
I agree with putting cars in low potential energy situations while being away for extended periods of time.
You certainly do make the work look simple! Great progress, looking forward to following along with the repair.
Ironsides wrote: You certainly do make the work look simple! Great progress, looking forward to following along with the repair.
Other than the lift, I'm doing all of the work with basic hand tools. The core of my tools is the Craftsman set I got for Christmas when I was 17. I've added to it, but in many ways the work is simple. I can't say enough good things about a proper factory service manual. The one I'm using right now is the Mercedes STAR manual on CD. It's so good that you just follow along step by step and the work gets done. The manual we downloaded for the RSX is equally as good. With a good enough service manual this sort of work isn't any more difficult that following a recipe to cook.
What I love about GRM is the variety of skill levels all willing to help each other. The co-owner of the RSX did his first oil change on a car last weekend when he changed the oil on the RSX. He knows about cars, and he works on his motorcycles, but he's never really turned a wrench on a car. From there you have NOHOME and the Nelsons who are pretty much building spaceships shaped like cars in their garages. Most of us are in the middle somewhere primarily swapping parts and having fun.
I would really encourage anyone to get a set of hand tools (add to it for specific jobs) and a service manual and give things a try. I'm not going to say it's easy, but it's not hard.
Stating the obvious here but all of these projects and the fact that they are made enjoyable to read about springs from a way of thinking. One of the constants of a Mazdeuce thread is that posts with 'straight car content' are interspersed with posts that simply elucidate on the way of thinking/living that guides the human they spring from. I don't think any of these threads would be nearly as enjoyable without it.
So here's to your outlook. 
Vigo wrote: Stating the obvious here but all of these projects and the fact that they are made enjoyable to read about springs from a way of thinking. One of the constants of a Mazdeuce thread is that posts with 'straight car content' are interspersed with posts that simply elucidate on the way of thinking/living that guides the human they spring from. I don't think any of these threads would be nearly as enjoyable without it. So here's to your outlook.
Tangent....
Why do most / all of the thumbs up images show the fingers? If somebody is giving the thumbs up, you wouldn't see the fingers...
End tangent....
In reply to wvumtnbkr:
Where the hell do your fingers go when you give a thumbs up?
In reply to Vigo:
Translation: This dude talks about working on cars waaaaaaay more than he actually works on them.
NOHOME wrote: And yet another reason why I will never own a modern German car. I thought the Germans were known for engineering? What happened? That kind of design flaw was covered off in engineering 101 even though I was taking electrical. I was going to post on the Molvo thread about this great sheet-metal potato chip that I made for engine compartment gussets, but after seeing this, maybe I will save it for laterHard act to follow.
Anyone who thinks German engineering is somehow superior has never dealt with German engineering.
As a general, stereotypical "rule," they overengineer the snot out of most everything and design zero maintainability into their products because they are so overconfident of said engineering ability that they believe nothing could ever possibly fail and require maintenance.
And then of course the one bolt that they didn't overengineer fails spectacularly. (See: this thread)
Case in point: last time I was in Germany, the "tank" portion of the toilet in my hotel room was behind the wall. So if you ever have to replace the flapper on that son-of-a-biscuit, you're doing drywall, too.
Adrian_Thompson wrote:
Sitting in the Grosh giggling. You're awesome. 
In reply to mazdeuce:
You're welcome, we aim to please.
You'll need to log in to post.
