By Greg Kachadurian
As it turns out, that F-150 Lightning reveal which happened a few days ago is the only big automotive news story of the week that’s worth knowing about. So if I can’t find other useless filler to add for a weekly news recap, that means it’s open mic night again. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.
Have a good weekend.
Ross Ballot
The new shocks got installed on the Panther wagon. Not a great deal of access to the top hardware, but at least it hadn’t seized.
Ended up replacing sway bar end links, too. Those were shot, and the metal was rusty. Ultimately, cutting tools were needed to remove the old ones.
The ride is tremendously improved now. I put load carrier (coil over) shocks out back, and perhaps that’s a bit of overkill for the 98% of the time when there isn’t much of a load to carry, but at least the landyacht handles like a road vehicle now.
I had a productive weekend, too. Got the a/c charged up nice and chilly. The upholstery got shampooed and all the interior plastic got cleaned, and I fixed the driver’s arm rest. I replaced a few courtesy light bulbs with LEDs, so even though I had the doors open for a couple hours, the car cranked right up. While I was buying gas today, a guy at the station said he would remove a tailgate dent for $15. It was a halfass job, but it’s a halfass car, and fifteen bucks seemed a fair price for the result, especially considering I had already spent a less successful half hour trying to push the dent out from the inside.
Well, I received another reminder about “use it – or lose it”
I talk a big game, but the reality is that my GTX sits. A lot. In fact, I don’t think I actually drove it last year. I didn’t really feel safe driving as the tires are very old. So old, that no one even makes a 235/70/14 tire anymore. Well, thanks to some prompting from my oldest, I did something about it. I ordered a new set of 15″ Magnum 500s, brand new center caps, brand new chrome acorns (and damn, it’s not inexpensive to get goofy left hand threaded lug nuts for the drivers side. Stupid Mopar) and I bought some new Cooper Cobra radials. What a difference seeing my old rod with brand new, shiny rims.
So, about that use it or lose it? Well, in order to get my car out of the shed, I first needed a new battery (and the MiSSus was already a little frowny after spending a good chunk of money). Then, upon pulling my car out of the shed, I noticed a not insignificant puddle of gear oil under the diff (rear pinion seal is obviously shot), gear oil at the back of the tranny (slip yoke and rear seal) and after getting back from the maiden voyage, a very obvious radiator situation (which really makes me mad because I had the rad re-cored not too terribly long ago. ok, maybe a decade ago, but still). Oh well, it’s only money. And time. And money….
I’m surprised your LHT lugs survived the 80’s. Most of the time, the tire jockeys would snap them off with the airguns, and then, as a remedy, offer to replace the whole set with RHT so they wouldn’t have to go through that exercise again when it was time to rotate the tires.
Have you felt any differences with the 15’s?
My car completely slept through the 80’s. When I bought it in 1994, it had last been licensed and driven in 1980. Supposedly the original owner ordered the car to race and only put 30,000 miles on in those 12 years. The 2nd owner got the car and never really drove it. He was a collector who had plans for a full restoration, but then found a Superbird that he had to have and sold the car to me. I really don’t think the car ever saw a ‘Spiffy Lube’ or ‘Sprawlmart’ level of service and care.
As far as ride, I put on 255/60/15s which are the same 27″ diameter (although they are a full inch wider and give the car a rather bad-assed look). No real discernable difference – it’s still pretty terrible, but damn does it ever bring a smile!
I got lugs that way at Discount Tire, even after I had the counter guy write LEFT HAND THREADS ON LEFT SIDE on the paperwork. I learned from the mistake of a friend who had a Kelly store ruin his.
Right now I’m shopping for tires on something 30 years newer than your GTX, and still having trouble finding much available in 275-50-17. There are still a few styles that have it in the catalog, but a lot of the retailer websites show “availability unknown” or they have stock for inventory that’s double what the last set cost.
235/70/14? And I thought 215/60/15v were hard to get…
Heading to a 2 mile road coarse a couple hours away in the SS on Sunday for yet another “I swear this is the last time I track this thing” day. Some friends are going and invited me to the fun and I couldn’t say no. I still had some spares left over from One Lap of America 2019 so it only cost me two new tires in consumables. Refreshed the brake pads for every corner with already burnished spares from OLOA so next time (I swear this is the last time) will cost me those plus all the tires.
Doing this on two wheels is soooo much cheaper. Two tons of fun goes through consumables at a high rate. But man it’s fun to let the big girl out into the wild to really run free every now and then.
No good car news, although I got my bicycle functional again after letting it sit for two years (the front tire was old enough to crumble when touching it, but everything else was typical lubrication and adjustment). Over the course of a weekend as well, I got a child seat for the back, and we got a free kid’s bike for my son (we were at the park early, and one of the city crew approached us because it had been left overnight, and was getting thrown out even though it was in good shape). He’s really excited for both of those, so I figure it’s one more step towards a budding little hoon.
The best thing to do with a free kid’s bike is to take it apart together (letting him do however much of the work he is capable of doing without frustration), then paint it in a color scheme totally of his choosing, and then reassemble it together.
Ooh, I like that idea. He’s not yet 2, so I don’t think he’s quite ready for that yet, but it might not be long (he’s an observant little sponge).
This is how my then 3 yo got a golden bike…and we parents thought modesty was one of our core values.
Spent the last week or so out of town. Had a lot of cool automotive experiences. I got to drive my uncle’s 1930 Oldsmobile- definitely the oldest car I’ve driven. And me and my boys got to take a short ride in the rumble seat. I got to ride side step on a 1928 Seagrave fire engine, which was way cool, and probably illegal. Watched some drag racing at Thunder Valley, and my kids both got to sit in a dragster, which was cool for them. The pits at the high dollar but still amateur race was a very friendly environment- everyone showing off their car, lots of offers to let my kids (including a 2 year old) sit in them- you don’t get those kind of offers at car shows. Drove a couple rentals- a Chevy Equinox which was meh but good enough for basic transportation, and a Mitsubishi Outlander that was horrible.
And today I’ve almost finished rebuilding the Dana 44. Got a good gear pattern, just need to finish up the final assembly and give it a coat of paint.
My son had a vehicle in a curated car show last weekend. We were walking the grounds, hobnobbing with other exhibitors, and from across the way, saw a kid of about 10 years old climb inside my son’s entry. Not only did the kid not ask permission, but his parents were there taking photos.
Thats a different story entirely. Its ridiculous for someone to think thats ok. I also wouldn’t even ask someone if it was ok for my kid to sit in their car. But if they offer, that’s pretty cool. I do enjoy car shows, too, but they can be tough to go to with little kids.
Nice, kid-friendly car happenings are the best. Why was the Outlander horrible? It’s super popular here, but I even hear 50+ yo female colleagues (my preferred “don’t care about cars”-demographic) call them tractors.
It was just minimally competent transportation. It was underpowered, and that’s coming from someone that drives a Crosstrek with oversized BFG A/Ts. That aspect might have been better with a manual, but the auto did it no favors. The engine just sounded… off? Overstressed? Like I was just waiting for it to break. The seats were uncomfortable- my wife described the passenger seat as the worst seat she’s ever had in a car (again, we’re not super rich and used to Bentleys, either). The touchscreen was awkward, but I guess you’d get used to that in a few days.
The one pro was the surprising amount of space. As I walked out to the car after renting it, I immediately thought I’d have to go back inside and get something bigger because it wasn’t going to fit our stuff. Then I opened the hatch, and there was more than enough space back there.
It appears that i will be dropping the fuel tank on the 2002 F150 because the fuel gauge now goes wonky when it’s above freezing and not just in the winter. Digging out the wrenches means also sorting the sluggish passenger door lock, the AC inverter and possibly the driver’s seat upholstery. I’m also hell bent on actually riding the BMW motorcycle this year and fixing my wife’s 1983 Honda CM250C.
I’d say it is time to pull the bed, seriously unless you have a canopy it is quicker and easier as long as you have a helper to lift it and slide it back. Note won’t work on a super crew as the access is apparently under the cab. But for regular and supercab it is under the bed. Filler tube, tail light wiring, axle vent for 4x4s and 6 bolts.
After a long, protracted battlewith the brakes on my Tundra over a month, it’s almost done.
Starting with a leaking rear wheel cylinder, I replaced it and the shoes, hardware and drums. That gave poor braking performance which led me to replace the master cylinder. Attempting to bleed after revealed that the truck had speed bleeders that were frozen, making bleeding impossible,so I replaced them. After bleeding, braking performance improved, but only slightly.
After a bunch more reading I determined that the rears were likely out of adjustment. After adjustment, performance improved but with it serious brake pulsation. I mean shake the truck pulsation. Many complaints about this with the Centric drums I bought, so rather than fight with them I just ordered new drums. They arrive Wednesday.
Oil change on the BMW last weekend. Says it takes 6.5-7 quarts, I put in 8 and it was still not quiteat the full line. Can’t figure that out.