What things are you busy with that side track your car work - Page 2 - First Generation Forum

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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Friday, May 16, 2014 1:59 AM
Cool guys and glad everything is A OK.Now in a short summory my day.I went to do some work on my nephews 98 accord and needed a cooling flush,new belts,and thermostat,hoses etc.I do all this work and clean up the mess.Test drive the car up to the car wash to clean the antifreeze mess and oil gook off.Come home and double check the oil,and coolant ratio mix.I notice a lot of residue on the plastic under tray and just figure it was water as it has rained a lot.Finish up and move car out and a good puddle of coolant.ERRRRRRRRRR the lower coolant hose clamp was a real pain to install and used a new cheapo clamp and figure I must have not got it slide on far enough OR too small of a clamp OR not tight enough.After several hours doodling on this and late as crap I just said time to stop! Tired and my focus is long gone.I sure hope my fix will correct it Friday and going with a constant torque clamp and hope to just swap clamps and remove the plastic from the bottom to make it easier and pray it is not a cracked hose hook up to the radiator.I feel certain it is just a weak clamp or not seated far enough on.IDK being tired makes one crazy on car stuff issues.Congrats orlen and spike in my ramblings.




Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Monday, May 19, 2014 8:09 PM
I'VE GONE TO THE DARK SIDE.....


Well I saved about 2k for paint and body work for the brown Cav. I was going to let my 17 year old daughter drive it for the summer. Then my daughter saw this 97 Stang V6 vert for sale 2 miles away and now we own it. Cheap Mustang in good shape and it has air bags and it stays dry when it rains. Guess the brown Cav will stay in storage this summer. Now I have 3 convertibles to store next year. Guess she takes after her old man.... My first car was a 68 C code factory 302 Mustang hard top.










Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Monday, May 19, 2014 10:23 PM
Good find and I am just worn out the last three days of work have been tough.Congrats on finding a solid ride.



Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 9:22 PM
I am keeping things simple this week!Just home yardwork,car cleaning and done.I will not touch sunny till I get my truck the old one squared in the inspection and some tune up items.I got super sidelined last week working on my nephews car 98 accord with new hoses for the cooling,new belts and removing the wheels checking slide pins and brakes and just a good go over for the summer since he is working at some summer camp for two or more months.I had to do this and changing coolant and fixing leaks and other issues just ate up hours last thurs and Friday.I have zero vacation time left to take extra days off to try the car updates.I just do what I can on the relevant daily items and the side projects just have to wait.



Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Monday, May 26, 2014 6:21 PM
Deep into a roller special paint job on the Ranger this year. Yeah it is kinda like that 500 pound Gorilla thing.....Hahaa.

Infamous Before Shot



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Progressing




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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Monday, May 26, 2014 7:52 PM
I like that plate Orlen.

BTW - My wife is a scorpio as well. The unique finnish/scorpio combo

Have Fun!




Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Monday, May 26, 2014 10:06 PM
I like your camper shell holder mod in the shop! Seems you have been preoccupied doing the orlen(maaco paint booth) stuff.I am just bombed out after a long day it has been a rough three days.In the words of the terminator (I NEED a vacation)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Tuesday, May 27, 2014 4:28 PM
Much Better. Bed Liner back in and Shell on top ....Thank Goodness - No more whackin' my head on this in the garage!!





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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 5:18 AM
Orlen-

That Blue is growing on me. Are you going to carry it through to the sides or leave it two tone?

Paul




Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 3:13 PM
That is mystical color Paul. In the daytime and bright sunshine it looks blue, but in the evening it looks purple. Never seen anything like it. I am going to paint a darker purple in the center section and back to this blue below the lower beltline.

I finally got around to giving the ole Pontiac a bath - the cheapo paint job it still looking great! Sometimes I have to pinch myself and make sure I actually did this job....hahaa.

Love photos .....so here is a one years in the making - All Our J's!!





And here is my work in progress - Orlen's many hues of Blue!!!





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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Wednesday, May 28, 2014 9:41 PM
I guess your really blue in the color dept.I see nothing wrong with that either.I am kinda whooped the yardwork as usual and cutting up a 30ft long Bradford pear tree limb fell yesterday in the mother in laws driveway circle.I got it all cut up and clean man that thing was stupid heavy.I am feeling the lifting and drag limbs now and my stihl chainsaw needs the blade sharpened and thurs I am going to buy a file and spare chain for a backup.




Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Wednesday, June 04, 2014 5:46 PM
Oh I will never fuss about GM's Cowl Drain design EVER again!!

1st Gen Ranger here designed and built near the same time as the 1st gen J-Bodys. Same year as my Wagon and my God what was Ford thinking? Cowl is NOT removable. Drains are on the sides BEHIND the Fenders. Both were cloggled and ugly as sin. Both sides got as good a Royal Flushing as I could do. I ought to remove a couple of panels above the Firewall and make as good a mess as I possibly can!

Will get everything cleaned up and painted first.

Thank Goodness GM came up with a much better idea!

.....The Journey Continues!














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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Wednesday, June 04, 2014 7:31 PM
Got to love that welded closed cowl????? Probably to add strength to the cab. Bought a brand new Ranger 4x4 super cab back in 89 and traded it in 97 for a mini van. Rockers and front of hood were rusting on mine. Good reliable truck and was well used in high salt areas of Vermont hauling snowmobiles (probably helped speed up the rust issues).






Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Friday, June 06, 2014 9:26 PM
Speaking of working on ones said old truck.My 87 mazda is two months late on its annual safety inspection plus I need to do a tune up.Thursday was to be that day but with heavy thunderstorms supposed to hit I waited and ran errands and glad I held off.It poured buckets for two hours and did some house chores instead.If I had a list of to do's it is not too long but not enough time to conquer it all in three days off.

    1. get mazda tuned and inspected
    2.get my house pressure washed and do all the windows inside and out
    3.paint my out building and the mil's too
    4.paint my foundation all around my house
    5.get sunnys work with the parts I have complete
    6.paint my garage entirely it is needing fresh paint
    7.clean and reseal my garage floor with some fresh protection
    8.work on cleaning up my bus wash/polish and just revive it's condition
    9.pressure wash the mother in laws house and repaint all the shudders
    10.tackle the numerous request from all people wanting there cars detailed OCD style
    11. I need a month off to get this all done and I have zero vacation days until sept.




Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Saturday, June 07, 2014 6:00 AM
Ron, where do you get the energy, and can I have some?
Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Saturday, June 07, 2014 6:55 PM
wow - that is some list Ron.

I now have to find a subframe for the Sunbird, fix the leaking rear brake, and reassemble. I am cleaning up and listing my MOPAR. I also have to clean up the wife's Uplander in prep for trading that in...

I have a brake line that I want to put on the Camaro and some more leak chasing. I am going to a car show tomorrow. With some luck I may run into Walt and Tom.

Looks like the Camaro is getting the miles on it this summer while the Sunbird sits.




Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Saturday, June 07, 2014 10:20 PM
Well wayne normally to get ME cranked up a large latte from starbucks gets me going for a couple of hours.Either that or the small can expresso sold at most stores or five hour energy.I a kind of behind but I can wipe out several of the things I listed pretty quick if I can divide up my time to conquer them.Paul I think once I do my rear suspension finish up stuff I will be doing my front end totally.I am going to dig around once I am ready to find like the bushings for the lca etc.I am going to go with the quick strut deal and that cost a touch of cash.Good luck with your fun and don't feel bad letting your bird sit,sunny sits mostly too,as I am not yanking the axles just to replace those leaky seals as I want to do all the work at one time!I am tired tonight and just winding down with a cold one!



Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Sunday, June 08, 2014 1:56 PM
Productive weekend!!

Truck is now bad to the bone.......no, no....I mean Bare to the Bone. Just looks really bad

Just a couple of color coats to go and this mess won't be so messy. Definately more work than I had anticipated. Good thing is not much rust for 28 years!








Next I am pleased to report I DID manage to repace the Plugs and Wires on the '94. The kicker here is the coil packs are buried behind the 2.2 underneath the intake and there were many that complained they couldn't get to them on the 2nd gen forum. I was able to replace the wires on the packs topside but it was difficult and took time - but it can be done!


Today I scored some sweet NOS for the wagon on EBay









One day before I am through I'd love to get a photo of the 'Bird and the Wagon with those brand new center caps on both of them!!

The Journey Continues!


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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Sunday, June 08, 2014 9:28 PM
Orlen are you using your practice from the junkyard on your daily by stripping it down?ha ha for fun and seems you are freshening it up a touch.I to need to so work on my small truck this week for sure and no waiting around.



Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 10:41 AM
Orlen, NOS is always good to find. Hope the price was right.. Those 2nd gen coils are tough to get at, but it can be done.







Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Thursday, June 12, 2014 10:05 PM
Small update on project 1.mazda truck.I have done the small tune up and checked things in order to go for the safety inspection Friday! The plugs were toast,oil was toast and every thing seemed ok aside from my positive battery cable was broken? Anyhow just refreshing it enough to go up the road and have no issues getting it to pass.I do have some serious rust action on the frame a hole to be exact.However this truck has a boxed frame one side and top are solid.I have plans to get a friend of a friend weld the problem and make it super solid and safe!!!! I just covered the area with a rubber mat material covering it like it is protecting something like they would even notice it unless going underneath.One step at a time and I will get this truck straight a touch at a time.I need to replace the headgasket losing oil BUT I am at 198k and it really needs a rebuild so I may cheap out for another year and just do the head work until I can really tackle the in frame rebuild idk undecided asking myself ummmm.Progress yes today.The rain this week has held up the outdoor painting but it is no rush anyway.Sorry for the book just what I am focused on right now.




Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Friday, June 13, 2014 11:23 AM
Yeah John those Caps worked out under $12 apiece including shipping. 1st set of 4 I've seen and still boxed too.

Very Pleased

Ron , now that you got a new truck and don't drive the Mazda much - keep an eye on the fuel in the tank so you don't have a repeat of your experience with Sunny! Also since you don't drive it much now - you might consider a simple head gasket (Simple -being that is on the older Vehicles! ) on the Truck. An overhaul at this point might be a bit overkill at this time. Say you got another 15K left on the engine how long will it take you to put those miles on the Mazda nowadays? I bet that tune-up was crazy easy compared to the newer vehicles you've been digging into lately. Hahaa.... Just my penny's worth for the day.



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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Saturday, June 14, 2014 6:28 PM
Hope no one getting bored with the photos , just some more progress along the way.......


















Just for fun before I tossed the roller in the trash this evening I decided to see if I could paint those famous (or infamous) embossed letters on the tailgate. Surprised how well it turned out - no masking tape....no nothing Hahaa! Isn't perfect and never was ever meant to be.





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Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Saturday, June 14, 2014 7:59 PM
Looking good there Orlen!

The paint on the front looks nice and will keep that old rust at bay for a few more miles.
I got my NOS center caps for the Cav aluminum wheels on ebay a few years ago for about $5.00 each after shipping, so I guess the prices are going up on 1st gen stuff .



Re: What things are you busy with that side track your car work
Saturday, June 14, 2014 8:35 PM
Hahaa....you know this was going to happen.....

unusual though - thank goodness I don't have an Olds or a Buick...LoL





Every dog has it's day - these are waiting patiently for theirs



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