wtf levels of car maintenance

Leafy wrote: This is why I wish state safety inspections were more thorough and common. You Florida people must see the worst E36 M3.

I actually caught myself complaining about this last time I drove in the rain. California doesn't have safety inspections. As long as you pass smog and register you can have a fully cracked windshield, wipers missing rubber, the third taillight burned out, and fully bald tires and be legal.

So every time it rains here in the high desert the idiots, who drive like a NASCAR qualifier, rearend each other on such a regular basis it is impossible to get anywhere and not be exhausted from driving so defensively to avoid getting killed in the lunacy.

I can't believe I would actually prefer Pennsylvanias inspection process over the E36 M3 I've seen here but it's true.

I work around semis and boy I see some stuff that scares the poo out of me. Bald or flat tires, tires run low (big issue on a truck when they air them up and it zippers) worn out suspension points and they all seem to have fluid leaks. I don't even like driving next to one on the road anymore.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to Sky_Render: No, dont run a mech oil gauge into the cockpit with the crappy provided nylon tubing rubbing on stuff.

I certainly have that nylon junk in one of my cars. What should I be replacing it with?

In reply to Nitroracer:

this works well and can be found at a local parts store.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/atm-3224?seid=srese1&gclid=CNLw2rntkL0CFSNp7Aodmh0A2A

The0retical wrote:

Leafy wrote: This is why I wish state safety inspections were more thorough and common. You Florida people must see the worst E36 M3.

I actually caught myself complaining about this last time I drove in the rain. California doesn't have safety inspections. As long as you pass smog and register you can have a fully cracked windshield, wipers missing rubber, the third taillight burned out, and fully bald tires and be legal. So every time it rains here in the high desert the idiots, who drive like a NASCAR qualifier, rearend each other on such a regular basis it is impossible to get anywhere and not be exhausted from driving so defensively to avoid getting killed in the lunacy. I can't believe I would actually prefer Pennsylvanias inspection process over the E36 M3 I've seen here but it's true.

NJ used to have fairly tough inspections.. until they privatized the system.. and then discovered that it cost too much to do a full inspection. Now all they do is check emissions. My Disco went right through inspection with a front parking light out

Sky_Render wrote: This was on the first page, and is my favorite "Ricers Shouldn't Be Allowed To Modify Cars" picture ever. Don't run a mechanical oil gauge inside the cockpit, kids:

where should you run it ? … yeah, you can have a mess if it ever leaks, but I still like mine better than an electric one

I generally don't like the idea of hot pressurized mechanical fluids inside the cockpit with me. I either run a mechanical oil pressure gauge under the hood or at the base of the outside of the windshield cowl.

Installation of a mechanical gauge inside the car technically requires an isolator, like this:

http://www.autometer.com/cat_accessoriesdetail.aspx?vid=164

I wouldn't use the copper pipe, either.

This was my choice to run in my track car for the oil pressure gauge:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/atm-3227/overview/

I would definitely run the isolator if I had a fuel pressure gauge in he interior, but I'm not that afraid of the oil. I don't expect the hose to fail catastrophically and anything would just make a mess before it caused any real problem.

In reply to Nitroracer:

The nylon works fine if you're careful on the install, I run it in my Yugo, but I'll eventually go with copper(any REAL HW store worth a damn sells it by the foot), AN, or electric for piece of mind.

Datsun1500 wrote: All older cars have a mechanical oil gauge in the dash, it worked fine for 50+ years.

until they failed.. I remember one of my Father's cars had a mechanical gage in the dash.. one day it filled with oil