The Automotive (& other mechanized vehicles) thread

[Chankgeez]

Purple PT Cruiser?

Good luck.

That Eclat looks like it needs a lot of work. Lotus are interesting cars though. One of my friends used to have a Europa that'd formerly been used for racing. Thing was seriously low to the ground. Like inches. It was kinda insane drving around in that thing.

[crochambeau]

Yeah, I shouldn't be looking at cars, especially anything remotely exotic. I haven't the time or the money.

That said, I've got to get another set of wheels operational, as my squareback is really tired and I don't think it'll tolerate another season without a rebuilt motor.

[colin]

I'm a Lotus fanatic - but I'm not sure I'd take that car for free. Could almost certainly buy one in good, running condition for less than it would take to make that one decent.

[aen]

Well folks, I watched Fury Road too many times, and played Mad Max for PS4 too long and now all I want is a tricked out wasteland car with a kill grill. Preferably a Ford Maverick but I'm not too picky. Also I would like to learn how to build and fix cars. None of these things are likely to happen in the next decade.

[Achtane]

I was 100% clueless about fixing cars 4 years ago when I volunteered to change out my then-girlfriend's transmission mount. It's been a long and sometimesusually extremely frustrating journey, but now when it comes to car problems, they at least feel fixable although it could still be a goddamn nightmare the whole way through. It's no longer as overwhelming as much as it is a judgment of "is this worth it right now?".
You can do it, definitely. YouTube and old forum posts go a long, long way.

I've finally seen Fury Road so many times that I don't really wanna watch it again. Gotta be 10+ viewings though.

[aen]

I've finally seen Fury Road so many times that I don't really wanna watch it again.

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[TraceItalian]

Well folks, I watched Fury Road too many times, and played Mad Max for PS4 too long and now all I want is a tricked out wasteland car with a kill grill. Preferably a Ford Maverick but I'm not too picky. Also I would like to learn how to build and fix cars. None of these things are likely to happen in the next decade.

Have you seen Bellflower? Pretty messed up movie about some guys who love apocalypse movies, but the car they made for it is badass

[Chankgeez]

I saw that movie. It was weird.

Look at this though:

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/hand-bu ... ler-award/

[lordgalvar]

We met a drag team that ran FrankenStude. My dad bought a shirt.



That Cadillac is nice!

[colin]

Bought a hardtop for the Miata yesterday. As much as top down driving is awesome, I really like having a hardtop. Will probably leave it on until Spring at this point. I'd initially been thinking of maybe plasti-dip or a wrap for the top, but I kind of like the white? Next on the planned modification list is a rollbar, then coilovers.

[Chankgeez]

Lookin' good, colin!

Also:

[Achtane]

I started a savings account to fund a motorcycle + gear purchase. I wanna get a used KLR650, setting aside $1000 for safety gear and mods.
But with my income it'll be over a year before my $4k budget is even met

[TraceItalian]

So I have the option to get a KZ1000 project (with police interceptor engine) for free and know a couple guys who are willing to help me build it. My question, having never built a bike from the ground up, about how much can I expect to spend building it? It comes with a cafe racer frame, but I was thinking of making it a bobber.

[culturejam]

I recently decided I was sick of paying a SHIT-TON of money for brake work and would do it myself. Where I live, a full brake job (front and rear) runs about $900. I got the materials to do it myself for about $200, and I needed a few tools I didn't have, which cost another $75-ish (which is a one-time cost). After watching a several youtube videos for brake replacement for my exact vehicle (2012 Subaru Outback), I decided to give it a go. Turns out, it's actually not that difficult. Hardest part is getting the goddamn bolts loose. Did the rear brakes first. First one took like 2 hours, but the other only took about 30 minutes (learning curve, yo).

Seriously folks, this is a pretty easy thing and will save you a ton of money over the life of any given car. Here's the first one I did (rear). Brake caliper assembly still looks rough, but I was glad just to get the important stuff done. Next time I'll clean up the calipers a well.

[Achtane]

Good job! Yeah, you really do end up saving a shitload of money. I just replaced my inner tie rod ends and after returning the special tool, it only cost me $25 in parts. I was quoted $650+. It was very easy.

My super secret hint is that, if you're working on an older or rusty vehicle and all the bolts you encounter are stuck, hit them with a 50/50 mixture of acetone and vegetable oil (or automatic transmission fluid, but it smells horrible). It sounds like BS but it works way better than PB Blaster or whatever. I have it in a little oil squirter. Just shake it beforehand because the two fluids don't stay mixed.

Also, an impact driver, even the $50 Harbor Freight one, is a game changer.