So What Are You Doing To Your Car This Weekend?

Mostly working on my bike this weekend. Oil change, new plugs, cleaning it. Cars soon. Nothing on the road yet, though, as the streets are still filthy and it isn't really that warm.

It is so easy to work on a bike . . .

Hopefully dropping and patching the fuel tank.

Rear brakes on the new '64 Mini I just got and hopefully install a new steering rack if all goes well.

Getting it up on stands and in a position to start cutting the firewall.

This:

PLUS this:

sitting about 10 inches back equals front mid-engined race car.

Nothing. Only driveable car here doesn't need any attention. All the trucks here are moving down the road just fine, even though they all need repairs. If it wasn't so dang cold out, I'd probably wash my Dakota at the very least. It needs it.

First, I'm going to find out if the Mazda ate a pressure plate, the reinforced clutch fork, or the reinforced pivot ball. I hope it's the pressure plate, that means less work required.

Then I'm going to swap coils in the GTI to see if that will generate spark, and if so, move on to the next problem. I'm getting power to it, and it APPEARS that the ignition module is modulating ground to it. I don't have a better way of chacking it than an ancient test light. Might also try buffing some of the paint (futile exercise).

Ranger50 wrote: Nothing. Only driveable car here doesn't need any attention. All the trucks here are moving down the road just fine, even though they all need repairs. If it wasn't so dang cold out, I'd probably wash my Dakota at the very least. It needs it.

You know what happens in every war movie when the guy says "I'm going home tomorrow to marry the gal of my dreams, just one more patrol tonight...".

You are taunting the Gods of mechanical misery. Even if you know everything is fine... fer chrissakes man, keep quiet before they turn their eye on you.

In reply to Ranger50:

If you weren't 800 miles away I'd send you the E30 to diagnose/fix...

All of our cars need something... I could stay busy for years of weekends.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: You are taunting the Gods of mechanical misery. Even if you know everything is fine... fer chrissakes man, keep quiet before they turn their eye on you.

THIS.

Heck, when I was looking at the GTI last night, I went back to my syncro thinking "This car's solid now, everything's working perfectly!"... then the door handle broke.

Wash it......its filthy!!!!

I'm pulling the LT1 engine out of a 94 Roadmaster to swap into an 88 V6 Camaro

In reply to Knurled:

Which door handle do you need? I have an arsenal of watercooled VW parts & if I have the one you need, you can have it.

Noticed this morning they've cut the rain forecast back quite a bit in Dayton. It might actually go 3-4 days without rain or snow, or both?? Definitely time to wash the xB.

Well, there's nothing to do on the race car, for a change.

The Jensen Healey has an oil leak (surprise) which will probably involve pulling the cam towers which means adjusting the valves which is a PITA (shim and bucket) so I won't start that this weekend.

The Trooper ralphed a starter on Monday which equaled Curmudgeon freezing his tallywhacker off as he replaced it, swearing mightily the whole time. It's up to date, otherwise.

The bike needs the fairing painted but there's too much pollen right now. That's a midsummer thing.

Think I've finally figured out the Berzerkeley transmission but have to order parts. So no work on that this weekend.

Sooooo, I guess I'll trim holly bushes instead.

Meeting up with Aussie to go to our buddies shop to check on his cage job. Then I will be cutting holes in the Haiball's hood to install some ventage.

Then I will install exhaust bracing, WB O2 sensor, and clean up the floors a bit.

Also going to try to get my '92 Miata moved to the shop so I can start strippjng parts off of it. Once I get the stuff I want off, the roller will go to Aussie to use on his Exocet.

M030 wrote: In reply to Knurled: Which door handle do you need? I have an arsenal of watercooled VW parts & if I have the one you need, you can have it.

Driver's front.

Also passenger front and rear... it's a VW thing, as you know.

I actually may have another German driver's front handle. I went through a depressing number of the knockoffs before I found someone who had a complete set of German ones. Most of those left with the car I bought them for.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Ranger50 wrote: Nothing. Only driveable car here doesn't need any attention. All the trucks here are moving down the road just fine, even though they all need repairs. If it wasn't so dang cold out, I'd probably wash my Dakota at the very least. It needs it.

You know what happens in every war movie when the guy says "I'm going home tomorrow to marry the gal of my dreams, just one more patrol tonight...". You are taunting the Gods of mechanical misery. Even if you know everything is fine... fer chrissakes man, keep quiet before they turn their eye on you.

I'm not taunting the gods... Just stating the facts. But the hard core facts are the wife's Av still needs a front axle seal, 4wd actuator, all the fluids changed, rear brakes, rear parking brake shields, and more power. The Dakota won't break 20mpg if I idled everywhere, it's losing power, transmission shifts like E36 M3, it's begging for a V8 swap, etc.... The PSD F250 is on the back burner until either I win PowerBall or the summer job hits, but it has current plates on it, just no insurance.

If it breaks, I'll fix it for absolutely no $. Just the SOP around here.

I went to the Cars & Coffee at Hunt Valley where I met up with Datsun1500. Several hundred cars in attendance. Everything from Ferraris to Datsun1500's classic Mini, including this:

Had fun, but getting up at 5:30am and driving 70mph on the Interstates for an hour is not something I will do on a regular basis.

Add to the 924s list front calipers. Have a used set on theft and found one leaking. I also found a huge front main seal leak. I think I know what either tomorrow or next weekend well bring forth.

So I'm working on the MR2 this weekend. Found the source of the oil leak in the area of the turbo. That should be all set now. I also got the new cowl cover in place too. I was surprised to be able to order a new one right from the dealer. That is my next task after I finish my cup of coffee.

Well caliper is on as are the new bearings and the bushings on the passenger side. I then go looking for the two bottles of break fluid I had on the shelf in my shop and they are no where to be found.

Then I remember I lent them to a friend/neighbor a while back on the condition that he would get me a couple more to replace them. Guess who is getting a phone call.

So I called him and he is at a party of gathering of some sort at his place. I said that is nice could you get me some break fluid I have my car apart and need it. We will see if he shows up. I am going out later so I will pick some up on the way home anyway. If you borough something on the condition that you are going to return it. Return it!! Off to take the other side apart and start that side. I might as well replace that caliper as well.

I think I am going to get a rebuild kit for my calipers and see about rebuilding these.

Pivot ball. ACT clutch and RX-7 trans don't really mix, I guess. This is the second one, and it had been reinforced.

Ya I know the feeling. My 924s does not seem to like Timken bearings. I am a bit annoyed as these were new last year. I am wondering if it is because I used a different grease. The stuff seemed hard as a rock when I removed the old bearings. I found rust in the outer bearing. (yes I packed them properly)

But new bearings are in and I went back to the tried and true Valvoline wheel bearing grease I have used for years with out issue. The stuff seems a little more like a grease. The stuff I was using was more like a past (mobile 1 synthetic).

You're not the first person I've heard of with rust problems while using Mobil 1 synthetic grease..

i guaranteed one more snowfall in detroit by installing the summer tires on my mazda6...