Kicking off another revival thread...This was last week, but put a new set of Continental TerrainContact AT tires on the ole Escalade, replaced with exactly the same tires that came off...I figure 7 years and ~80K kms is pretty good. I probably could've stretched another 6-12 months out of them, but they had some radial cracking and I didn't like worrying about a blow out with Mrs. Firm and the kids in it. Purchased and installed at Discount Tire, but went across the street to Firestone for their 'lifetime alignment' after the fact, figure we'll be keeping the truck so it'll come in handy.
Also gave it a good wash and a coat of wax.
(https://i.imgur.com/pM1jWZ8.jpeg)
Still looks great.
Agree Bubba.
Firm, didn't this unit spend some time in northern Alberta or NWT or something like that?
Yeah, sold new in Grand Prairie AB, and spent the first ~9 years of its life out there. Those owners sold it to a friend of theirs in Keswick ON, which is who we bought it from in 2016. Then it moved down here to TN with us in 2023, and we've driven it as far south as Destin FL...She's been around the block a few times, lol. It's got around 293K kms on it now, and really the only part that shows it is the front bumper which is pretty heavily road rashed and has a couple little cracks in it. I recently found a really nice, color matched, bumper for sale locally and grabbed it...one day when I have time and the ambition I'll swap it on.
Since Firm moved away, I still look twice at every white Escalade I see in the neighbourhood, and not a single one is even close to how clean his is - let alone one with nearly 300K on it!
I've been splitting winter daily duty between the LS460 and LC500... honestly using the LC more simply due to factory remote start.
Mrs. Hire's Mom-Wagon has been claiming centre spot in the garage during the cold months, so I'm relegated to the driveway.
(https://i.imgur.com/efoIzSs.jpeg)
That wagon is a thing of beauty.
Quote from: Bubba on Jan 18, 2025, 11:38 AMThat wagon is a thing of beauty.
Thanks! Hard keeping it clean inside with a newborn, but I had the piano black bits wrapped in PPF and have all-weather rubber mats all over the cabin and trunk area.
Mrs. Hire has said that it's the best car she's ever had and she wants to keep it for a long time.
My son has had a 2005 Corolla for about a year. Last week the charging system light came on and the battery wasn't charging.
We couldn't afford down time so I ordered an alternator immediately but before it arrived I cleaned the battery terminals, checked the grounds and and charged it.
I sprayed a bunch of WD40 into the alternator and (for fun) gave it a whack with a mallet, then cleaned the throttle body.
Car works better than when we got it a year ago. Better idle and much smoother at low speeds.
I guess I'll leave the new alternator on the shelf until the battery light comes back on.
Tip: I bought a USB phone charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter that shows voltage when the car is powered on. That should provide and early warning if the issues occurs again.
I have one of those in the Highlander, I agree they are a great addition.
I'd never have thought to spray WD-40 into the alternator, what made you think of that?
Quote from: Careener on Jan 20, 2025, 06:50 PMMy son has had a 2005 Corolla for about a year. Last week the charging system light came on and the battery wasn't charging.
We couldn't afford down time so I ordered an alternator immediately but before it arrived I cleaned the battery terminals, checked the grounds and and charged it.
I sprayed a bunch of WD40 into the alternator and (for fun) gave it a whack with a mallet, then cleaned the throttle body.
Car works better than when we got it a year ago. Better idle and much smoother at low speeds.
I guess I'll leave the new alternator on the shelf until the battery light comes back on.
Tip: I bought a USB phone charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter that shows voltage when the car is powered on. That should provide and early warning if the issues occurs again.
Nice to see you back here! Whatever happened to my old Jetta?
Quote from: Careener on Jan 20, 2025, 06:50 PMMy son has had a 2005 Corolla for about a year. Last week the charging system light came on and the battery wasn't charging.
We couldn't afford down time so I ordered an alternator immediately but before it arrived I cleaned the battery terminals, checked the grounds and and charged it.
I sprayed a bunch of WD40 into the alternator and (for fun) gave it a whack with a mallet, then cleaned the throttle body.
Car works better than when we got it a year ago. Better idle and much smoother at low speeds.
I guess I'll leave the new alternator on the shelf until the battery light comes back on.
Tip: I bought a USB phone charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter that shows voltage when the car is powered on. That should provide and early warning if the issues occurs again.
I say the mallet cured it ;D
Quote from: Tortoise on Jan 22, 2025, 12:51 PMI have one of those in the Highlander, I agree they are a great addition.
I'd never have thought to spray WD-40 into the alternator, what made you think of that?
YouTube videos. Very scientific approach...
Quote from: TheHire on Jan 22, 2025, 03:11 PMQuote from: Careener on Jan 20, 2025, 06:50 PMMy son has had a 2005 Corolla for about a year. Last week the charging system light came on and the battery wasn't charging.
We couldn't afford down time so I ordered an alternator immediately but before it arrived I cleaned the battery terminals, checked the grounds and and charged it.
I sprayed a bunch of WD40 into the alternator and (for fun) gave it a whack with a mallet, then cleaned the throttle body.
Car works better than when we got it a year ago. Better idle and much smoother at low speeds.
I guess I'll leave the new alternator on the shelf until the battery light comes back on.
Tip: I bought a USB phone charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter that shows voltage when the car is powered on. That should provide and early warning if the issues occurs again.
Nice to see you back here! Whatever happened to my old Jetta?
I had texted you about that. I sold it to a guy in Ottawa who promptly got into an accident with it. He gutted the interior bits and put them in an 04 Jetta that he ended up selling to someone in Mexico.
Got past 2 weeks of very 'Canadian' temperatures down here so I spent the day outside doing some automotive jobs and exercising some of the cars.
Rebuilt the hydraulic cylinder for the top latch on the SLK, and washed it.
Investigated an intermittent passenger side blend door actuator on the DTS - turned out to be old dried white grease on the mechanism that was causing it to bind up.
Took the 85 Trans Am, and then the 96 Formula out for some exercise.
It was a good day.
Quote from: Careener on Jan 20, 2025, 06:50 PMMy son has had a 2005 Corolla for about a year. Last week the charging system light came on and the battery wasn't charging.
We couldn't afford down time so I ordered an alternator immediately but before it arrived I cleaned the battery terminals, checked the grounds and and charged it.
I sprayed a bunch of WD40 into the alternator and (for fun) gave it a whack with a mallet, then cleaned the throttle body.
Sounds like it just had a brush hanging up. On many alternators you can just buy a brush set, sometimes comes with a voltage regulator too. On a Bosch you usually didn't even have to remove the alternator to replace them.
Thanks Blur
The local British Car Club in Memphis is surprisingly active, and the weather here this weekend was beautiful, so we joined the club on about an hour long run out to a local lake. Some fantastic roads, scenery, and got to check out a lake that's only about 15 minutes from the house but we'd never been to yet. XKR got to stretch it's legs too after sitting for about 2 months. Wanted to be top-down, but had too many complainers in the car ::)
(https://i.imgur.com/OyeJHNT.jpeg)
Plugged it in to charge. It's been awhile because this past weekend we went to the cottage in the Subaru, and for the past few weeks I've taking the commuter train downtown to work (5 km round trip to the park-and-ride) or working from home. Kind of sad seeing the low range at this time of year, but fully anticipated and expected.
Not me, but my dad rolled his Titan about 3 weeks back. Rear let loose on an icy stretch and he went over a steep embankment. Truck was on its roof when bystanders helped him out. Was -30 that day, but he ended up with only a couple bruises.
Truck was an '05, so not worth much. I'm helping him search for a new vehicle. He's still on an acreage so wants something with a box. A Ridgeline would be perfect but he wants to spend as little as possible. He's 79 and realizes he doesn't spend much time behind the wheel anymore and spending big dollars would be a waste. Used Ridgelines are pretty spendy around here. I'm going to look at a Frontier for him this week. The previous gen is a pretty solid truck. Should be able to get into a decent one for 15-20k.
What does a Ridgeline go for around your parts?
Older ones (pre-2010) are generally over 10k with 250k+ kms. Newer gens (2016+) are typically around 30k.
The Frontier I'm looking at is a 2016 Pro-4x with 172km. Asking is $18,900. Carfax looks good but it's at a corner used car lot.
Damn, that's a lot of money for a 10 year old Ridgeline.
If it's in good shape, that Frontier seems like a decent bet.
I'd almost prefer the Frontier, while severely dated, it's a good functional truck-truck. Would probably be appreciated by a 79 year old guy who was driving an 05 Titan.
Quote from: Firm on Feb 17, 2025, 05:42 PMI'd almost prefer the Frontier, while severely dated, it's a good functional truck-truck. Would probably be appreciated by a 79 year old guy who was driving an 05 Titan.
I agree Firm. However, the Ridgeline is likely a slightly lower step in height (would be easier for Mom) and likely less risk of losing control on icy roads with a front drive based AWD system in the first place.
Dad had just switched the truck out of 4WD when he lost control and rolled. He thought the road was good but ass end skirted out on him and he couldn't get it back. And yes, he had dedicated winters.
Anyway, he likes the Frontier (as do I) and will likely end up with one. Solid simple straight forward pickup. Just leave it in 4wd when it's greasy out :D
Was down with whatever virus for a pretty solid 3 weeks....Worse virus I've ever had as an adult at least. Testing negative for Covid & Flu, so no idea what it was, but it sucks, and I lost about 3 weeks of productivity. Finally feeling decent today, and the weather was nice, so I washed the DTS and give it a topper coat of wax. Then started tackling the paint correction work on the SLK....Got the roof and trunk lid done. Hopefully I can get the rest of it done next weekend, getting tired of it looking like a hooptie.
Friday I took the Green Firebird on a short road trip to a friend's place across the state line in Mississippi..about an hour each way. One of the longer trips I'd had that car on and it drove great, no issues at all. One of the local FM stations was doing a Vince Gill marathon, which was perfect coming out of that Pontiac'Monsoon' Equalizer stereo. 8)
I remember on the old Autos.ca website there was some talk/concern about CX-5 wipers. Well, mine started streaking so I replaced them this weekend. $40 taxes included for a pair of Bosch OEM wiper blades from my local parts store (Fat Guys Auto Parts freaking rocks), and it was probably the easiest wiper install I've ever done. One button press - no fooling around with adapters. Took about 10 seconds per wiper arm.
We went through a cold spell here a couple weeks back, when I was sick, and I noticed that the heat in the DTS was weak on the passenger side. It's dual zone, so I thought it was an issue with the blend door actuator for that side, so a couple weeks back I took part the glove box and lower dash on the passenger side and was able to confirm that the blend door actuator was working properly.
So I did some research and apparently when the heater core starts getting clogged the side furthest from the inlet/outlet pipes usually blocks up first, and the way the dual zone is setup, the passenger side uses the right side of the core, which is furthest from the inlet/outlet pipes....So, today I fought with the extremely tight access to the heater hoses, disconnected them, and then flushed out the heater core, first with water, then let it sit full of white vinegar for an hour, then reverse flushed with water. A shocking about of crud came out...looked like pea gravel, but you could crush it with your fingers, some type of mineral deposits or corrosion I guess. Not the first time I've flushed a heater core, but definitely the most gunk I've ever seen come out of one, there must be something about the design on this car that allows sediment to accumulate in it. I've been religious about flushing the coolant every 3-4 years too, so it's not like it's been neglected.
Anyway, test drive confirmed the fix....scolding hot heat on both sides now.
I also got Mrs.Firms Firebird out today, it hadn't been touched in at least 2, maybe 3, months, so I used it for my Saturday errands. Dang car still drives like new.
(https://i.imgur.com/bXaCTCl.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/F48Wn0x.jpeg)
Awesome!
Ya nice work Firm.
Did the passenger side axle on juniors Civic this morning. The inner CV boot was torn so just replaced the assembly. Got the axle from Napa, lifetime warranty but hopefully I don't need to use it. Honda wants about $400 so it was a no brainer considering the little runabout has 275k on it.
The job was surprisingly easy. An hour in total. Three bolts on lower control arm to separate hub, axle nut, pop the axle out, and replace. So simple.
CV jobs are either super easy, or a nightmare, no in between. I did one on a co-workers Malibu Max once, absolutely terrible. Wouldn't release from the trans, and then was a battle to get the new one to lock in right.
I had a first last Monday: a stay-behind car that won't start. Granted, it was -19°C and the Crosstrek had been sitting for a week (because press car), but still - 2.5 y.o. First time it ever happened, and that includes the Accent sitting for a month in front of the T-Can during Covid, in January.
Weird thing is that it started with the remote app while I was refueling the presser nearby. Saw the plume of exhaust coming near the place. It stopped after 10 mins, as usual, but barely cranked and did a lot of beeps and flashes when I tried to start it. A booster pack got it to crank. Colleagues there told me Subaru batteries were weak and often too small. Interwebs mention 3-5 yr lifespan for the oem units.
This morning I had "B" service, which includes a battery check, and sure enough they replaced the battery on warranty. So I'm good for another 3 years, will have it tested before the warranty runs out!
On the way back, had one wheel rebalanced for free at Costco - one of the stick-on weights had fallen off and I could feel a front-left vibe.
Now standing at ... 16,144 km.
Washed the inside and outside of the Bolt's summer rims last night. I should have done it back in November but I procrastinated so they've stayed dusty in the bags since then :P It'll be going to the garage next Monday for its tire change and a brake service.
The Subaru will wait until mid-April in case we go to the cottage. Early April snowstorms are very common there and snow plowing is generally lousy.
Alternator finally died on my son's Corolla after that WD40 emergency "fix" I did a few weeks ago.
I had ordered a new one at the time and I installed it yesterday and everything is good to go.
Quote from: Careener on Mar 22, 2025, 09:00 PMAlternator finally died on my son's Corolla after that WD40 emergency "fix" I did a few weeks ago.
I had ordered a new one at the time and I installed it yesterday and everything is good to go.
Nice..it's nice when things go smoothly.
Quote from: Careener on Mar 22, 2025, 09:00 PMAlternator finally died on my son's Corolla after that WD40 emergency "fix" I did a few weeks ago.
I had ordered a new one at the time and I installed it yesterday and everything is good to go.
I suspect the alternator on your Corolla is similar to my 2013 model. Any issues getting the bottom bolt out?
DTS made a 400mile round trip to Nashville and back flawlessly, nice because I've put a fair bit of time/effort into it recently. I maintain that there are only a handful of cars out there that can compare when it comes to just killing highway miles.
Broke out my A/C equipment on Sunday...The Silver Trans Am had a leak at the connection from the hoses to the compressor. When I replaced the compressor last year it came with a few different sealing washers for the hose connection, and no instructions on which to use...I guessed wrong. So took it apart, new combination of washers seems a lot better. Pulled vacuum and it held, so recharged it. Hopefully it'll be the last time I need to mess with AC on this car for awhile.
While I had the equipment out I hooked up the SLK, which had zero charge in it. It wasn't holding vacuum, so I tried listening for a leak but couldn't find anything. I put about half a can of charge (enough to get the compressor going), and some UV dye in it, ran it for while and then went over everything with the UV light and my freon sniffer. After about 45 minutes of that, still no sign of a leak, and it's holding pressure....Very weird. I noticed when taking apart my equipment that one connection was loose, so maybe that's why I was losing vacuum. Anyway, now I know how much charge is in it, I'll monitor it a couple weeks and see if it leaks down at all, if not, I'll charge it properly. If it does leak down, hopefully I'll be able to see the dye. All the AC components in the car are buried down low, so I don't want to start throwing parts at it without knowing where the leak is.
I'm constantly on the lookout for a clean DTS. Love to have one in the exact spec as yours. One came up recently on the coast with 81,000 km, looked absolutely mint but it had that horrible brougham roof package, Rolls Royce style grill, and gold ornaments. That stuff might fly on a 1988 Cadillac Fleetwood, but not a 2009 DTS.
Quote from: Bubba on Mar 23, 2025, 06:39 PMQuote from: Careener on Mar 22, 2025, 09:00 PMAlternator finally died on my son's Corolla after that WD40 emergency "fix" I did a few weeks ago.
I had ordered a new one at the time and I installed it yesterday and everything is good to go.
I suspect the alternator on your Corolla is similar to my 2013 model. Any issues getting the bottom bolt out?
The bolt wasn't bad. It was a bit of a pain wiggling the alternator out of there.
Quote from: Revelations on Mar 24, 2025, 01:07 PMI'm constantly on the lookout for a clean DTS. Love to have one in the exact spec as yours. One came up recently on the coast with 81,000 km, looked absolutely mint but it had that horrible brougham roof package, Rolls Royce style grill, and gold ornaments. That stuff might fly on a 1988 Cadillac Fleetwood, but not a 2009 DTS.
Yeah, they're getting scarce....Rust belt units are getting pretty rusty at this point, and down here in the south the mods you mentioned are super common, which ruins a bunch of them. One can fix an aftermarket grille/emblems, but those brougham style vinyl roofs pretty well kill it.
Quote from: Careener on Mar 24, 2025, 02:01 PMQuote from: Bubba on Mar 23, 2025, 06:39 PMI suspect the alternator on your Corolla is similar to my 2013 model. Any issues getting the bottom bolt out?
The bolt wasn't bad. It was a bit of a pain wiggling the alternator out of there.
That's good. I tried changing the belt on mine and could not get that bolt loose. I had to take the car to the shop to have them do it.
The little plastic piece that covers the bolt holding the rear wiper assembly together on the Crosstrek mysteriously fell off last week, so ordered and received a new one from Amazon. We could've gone without but I don't like missing/damaged pieces like that :P Gotta love paying $20 for a 3-inch long plastic part that probably cost 20 cents to manufacture.
Tire change and annual synthetic oil change are scheduled for this coming Monday.
Fifteen years ago today I brought the Tundra home. It's been my daily ever since. Should cross 300k this year/early next year.
Quick number crunch. I've put about 40,000 litres of gas into it. I should add it's a 2007 and had 46k when I bought it.
Quote from: Bridgecity on Apr 11, 2025, 02:57 PMFifteen years ago today I brought the Tundra home. It's been my daily ever since. Should cross 300k this year/early next year.
Quick number crunch. I've put about 40,000 litres of gas into it. I should add it's a 2007 and had 46k when I bought it.
That is certainly an impressively long ownership experience for a car enthusiasts daily driver. Here's to another 15 years and 300,000kms.
That's awesome, love a good long-term love affair.
I just finished putting new front driveshafts and wheel bearings on our '05 Outback. I've been waiting for warmer weather to do it and it's finally here.
PITA with sticky fasteners and rust. Broke the bolt that holds in the lower ball joint, just left it and took it apart at the strut above instead. It's getting up there, 388k on it now.
That's impressive k for an older Subaru.
Finished up the Outback maintenance with an oil and filter change. This time it got clearance priced Amsoil from Peavey Mart.
Didn't realize you guys had a peavey in eastern ontario, thought they were in the prairies only.
Quote from: Firm on Apr 18, 2025, 11:49 PMDidn't realize you guys had a peavey in eastern ontario, thought they were in the prairies only.
Tractor Supply Co became Peavey Mart some years ago, now Peavey is liquidating and closing down everything. Amsoil was 40% off IIRC
Quote from: blur911 on Apr 19, 2025, 07:21 PMQuote from: Firm on Apr 18, 2025, 11:49 PMDidn't realize you guys had a peavey in eastern ontario, thought they were in the prairies only.
Tractor Supply Co became Peavey Mart some years ago, now Peavey is liquidating and closing down everything. Amsoil was 40% off IIRC
Huh, I guess I wasn't paying attention. We had some Canadian Tire guys that went to TSC Canada for quite awhile and then jumped ship back to Canadian Tire, a couple of them are now Officers. The TSC that was in Milton ON was the closest to me, I used to go there years ago because they had the best price on Formula 3000 rustproofing, and sold it buy the gallon.
TSC in the US is a totally separate entity and they're still going strong....Carved out a profitable rural niche. Though I've gotta say, I don't quite get it. There's one about 3 minutes from us and I am disappointed nearly every time I visit; either out of stock on critical seasonal stuff (fertilizer, weed kill, etc) or they just don't have what I need at all. Now I just drive the extra 10 minutes to HD or Lowes.
Took the GTS off tender and did a shake down drive. Gonna try and daily it now.
Always a good feeling getting the toy out for the season. Hope you get to put some solid miles on it this year.
Weather has been good here, not extreme heat yet, so I've been leaving the DTS at home and commuting in the toys more frequently. Used the old silver T/A for the back half of last week and over the weekend. Easy to forget that it's 40 years old now as it's still a competent and comfortable commuter.
(https://i.imgur.com/exbKC1s.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qPaADB6.jpeg)
Quote from: HannibalSmith on Apr 20, 2025, 08:19 PMTook the GTS off tender and did a shake down drive. Gonna try and daily it now.
About time! LOL 😆
GTS? Did I miss something?
Quote from: Tortoise on Apr 22, 2025, 10:40 AMGTS? Did I miss something?
I do believe he bought a GTS Cayman either a year ago or a year and a bit.
Oh right!
My Prius has 262k on it now. Apart from 2 sets of brakes, it has needed NOTHING.
So I brought it to my mechanic and asked him to give it a very thorough going over and to find anything that needs replacing. I told him if something was borderline to mark it as "replace". So I gave him carte blanche to replace everything and anything that needs replacing.
He called back 2 hours later and said the inspection was complete. I steeled myself for the potential laundry list of needed parts. And then he said "Nothing". It needs NOTHING. He couldn't believe it himself and went over the car twice! LOL 😆
Pretty hard to believe not even a sway bar link was bad. Pretty incredible, actually.
All hail my mighty, reliable Prius Prime!
That's awesome. The Highlander has made me a Toyota convert. They're just so easy to live with.
At 18 years old, the HL's front right wheel bearing is finally going. That's a pretty solid run. And otherwise it just keeps on trucking.
Ya impressive Rrocket.
Another Toyota example. The front end including suspension and steering components is all original on my '07 Tundra with 285k, with exception of the shocks. It spent its early life dragging RVs down shit Sasky highways. And the front end is still tight. No loose feeling, no clunking. It really is quite amazing when I look at my buddies trucks with less than half the kms and have had an easy life and have had front end work.
I'm not a Toyota fanboy by any means. I'll likely not ever own another Toyota vehicle besides a Tundra, but they build a quality product.
Quote from: Tortoise on Apr 25, 2025, 08:14 AMThat's awesome. The Highlander has made me a Toyota convert. They're just so easy to live with.
At 18 years old, the HL's front right wheel bearing is finally going. That's a pretty solid run. And otherwise it just keeps on trucking.
Even a quality Timken bearing will set you back a whole $50 LOL 😆
Quote from: Bridgecity on Apr 25, 2025, 08:41 AMYa impressive Rrocket.
Another Toyota example. The front end including suspension and steering components is all original on my '07 Tundra with 285k, with exception of the shocks.
Seems even more unbelievable in your case.
Quote from: RRocket on Apr 25, 2025, 08:00 AMMy Prius has 262k on it now. Apart from 2 sets of brakes, it has needed NOTHING.
Amazing!
Quote from: Bubba on Apr 25, 2025, 09:29 PMQuote from: RRocket on Apr 25, 2025, 08:00 AMMy Prius has 262k on it now. Apart from 2 sets of brakes, it has needed NOTHING.
Amazing!
Yeah, I agree, that's pretty impressive.
Quote from: Bridgecity on Apr 25, 2025, 08:41 AMYa impressive Rrocket.
Another Toyota example. The front end including suspension and steering components is all original on my '07 Tundra with 285k, with exception of the shocks. It spent its early life dragging RVs down shit Sasky highways. And the front end is still tight. No loose feeling, no clunking. It really is quite amazing when I look at my buddies trucks with less than half the kms and have had an easy life and have had front end work.
Our 06 Escalade is similar...front end is all original, except for the shocks, 295K kms. Had an alignment done when I put new tires on it a couple months ago and the guy commented on the fact that the front end was still tight and held good alignment.
Quote from: Firm on Apr 26, 2025, 10:55 PMQuote from: Bridgecity on Apr 25, 2025, 08:41 AMYa impressive Rrocket.
Another Toyota example. The front end including suspension and steering components is all original on my '07 Tundra with 285k, with exception of the shocks. It spent its early life dragging RVs down shit Sasky highways. And the front end is still tight. No loose feeling, no clunking. It really is quite amazing when I look at my buddies trucks with less than half the kms and have had an easy life and have had front end work.
Our 06 Escalade is similar...front end is all original, except for the shocks, 295K kms. Had an alignment done when I put new tires on it a couple months ago and the guy commented on the fact that the front end was still tight and held good alignment.
Ya, that's been a solid truck for you also.
It will be interesting to see how the current gen Tundra holds up. Hopefully the engine is sorted now.
I went with my dad today to pick up a used truck. The guy selling said his neighbour has an 08 tundra with 108k kms. He said he'd pass his number to me if I'm interested. I declined, but having second thoughts now. I should at least find out what he'd want for it.
Well, the DTS developed a small coolant leak, which proved to be a real pain in the butt to track down, but I eventually found it at one of the gaskets that seal the 'coolant crossover assembly' to the rear head. The NorthStar V8 uses this coolant crossover to house the water pump and move coolant from one side of the engine to the other. It's an absolute bear to remove from the car (which is required for a water pump replacement). So, I had parked it for about a week and a half while I collected parts and made time to work on it.
Saturday got it setup in the garage and tore it down and got it all done....Started at 9am and finished at 9pm. Lots of disassembly to get things that are mounted to the crossover out of the way (air intake, throttle body, EGR, fuel rail, and all the coolant hoses). Then an hour of fighting the nearly impossible to access lower bolts, and then disconnecting enough of the wire harness to get enough slack to pull the crossover out.
Once out, I cleaned it up, installed a new water pump into it to hopefully avoid having do do this job again anytime soon, and then new gaskets. Wrestle it all back into the car and reverse the process...then fill, bleed, leak check etc.
It absolutely sucked....but it was easier than replacing the alternator and radiator, which I did back in December. As I've said before, it's an absolutely fantastic car, and engine, when it's working....but not for the faint of heart when it's time for repairs.
Couple photos of it torn down, the failed gasket, and then all back together (minus the plastic engine cover).
(https://i.imgur.com/ptNHZBw.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/SIyWBUf.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GsJhl9s.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Yw1IJvI.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/BXyxiaQ.jpeg)
Nice work Firm. That sounded fairly unpleasant.
A long day! But, a successful one.
This is a young man's game.
I don't do stuff like this any more.
Good work.
Got a new windshield put in the Tundra today. It replaced the original. I guess it was time. ;)
I also ordered new front rotors and pads for the truck. Fronts are vibrating pretty bad under light braking. Can't recall what brand I put on last go around but they've been vibrating lightly for quite a while. Ah well, Brembos are on sale at Ctire so I went that route. Rears aren't in stock so I'll pick those up when they become available.
Original windshield in your part of the world is pretty impressive!
Been a busy couple weeks and I haven't done much car stuff, but I did get the JAAAG out on Saturday for a good hour or so on the backroads.
(https://i.imgur.com/FXe8VoD.jpeg)
I swapped out the winter tires last week finally. Then this weekend on the way back from the cottage (in Quebec) my wife must have smoked a pothole because there's a wicked dent in the wheel and it's no longer holding air.
I'm now looking for a replacement set of tires and wheels. Which is nice.
Long Memorial day weekend here, but lots of rain and storms kinda slowed down my progress on car stuff, did get some done though.
Ordered a set of Bilstein shocks for the front of the Escalade. Should be here next week, the Monroe's I put on it when we got it almost 10 years ago are hanging in there, but can't be optimal at this point. She'll be making the 7 hour trek to Destin FL in a couple weeks, so figured I'd get some fresh shocks on before the trip.
Then between the rain I tinkered with the project MGB that we bought about a year and a half ago now...Hadn't run it in about a month, and it was giving trouble getting started. Went down the rabbit hole on the fuel system and ended up re-working it. It has an aftermarket Weber carb, and someone thought they needed an adjustable pressure regulator, but the aftermarket pump they're running is seriously low psi, so I removed the regulator, all the unnecessary hoses, and ran the fuel line straight to the carb with a nice clean filter. Starts and runs much better now.
Then I started playing with the lights, it had headlights and brake lights, but basically nothing else....2-3 hours of tinkering and everything works now; lots of little issues...bad connections at the fuse block, broken/disconnected wires in the trunk, bad grounds, bad bulbs...A good mess, but satisfying to get it sorted.
Electrical stuff drives me bananas...
Sometimes it's not bad...On the MGB, everything is easily accessible, there's no computers/modules to figure out, so it's 'clean' work - sort of a detective type approach. It can be satisfying.
I did the brakes on the Tundra on the weekend. Fronts were causing wheel shake, and the rears were pulsing also. The rears were done about 3 years ago, and the fronts about 5 years ago. Lots of pad life left, but rotors were no good. I don't recall what brand I put on but I typically don't by the cheapest and go with mid grade. Anyway, it didn't work out so well that go around. Ctire had Brembo's on sale, so I grabbed the pads from there and the front rotors. Rear rotors weren't available so I picked up Brembo's from a local parts store.
The improvement in brake feel and strength is pretty incredible, considering the pads that were on the truck were fine. No more sponginess, just a good solid and smooth brake feel.
I am having a bit of an issue with the parking brake. It wasn't holding well previously so I adjusted it while I had the rotors off. They spun fine by hand with the rotors on, so I knew they weren't grabbing much. When I took the truck for a drive they were making a racket. I said eff it, pulled into the garage and readjusted them to the position they were in previously. I was done at that point. However, they still made some noise after that (although much less), but after a day of driving are almost totally quiet, except when I take a corner hard there's a bit of noise. I know, this makes no sense. I need to pull the wheels off again and see what's going on.
Well the brakes look good, interesting to see that Brembo now has black shims on their pads, before leaving CTire I was in charge of the brake programs and I told Brembo a few times that people were over red shims, and a lot of customers (myself included) didn't want to see red shims.
I had a pretty productive weekend on the cars last weekend. Continued plugging away on the MGB project, got the interior panels back in it, swapped the turn signal flasher and now all the lights work, little things like that.
Installed new Bilstein 4600 front shocks on the Escalade, the Monroes I installed about 9 years ago were done. Easiest shock swap ever, didn't even need to jack up the truck, just cranked the front wheel to get access, two bolts, and that was it. An hour for both sides, including clean up.
On the MGA the engine is seized from sitting 40 years, I've been soaking it down with Marvel Mystery oil, and bought a big 1"5/16 wrench to try and turn over the engine. So far it's beaten me, it must be really seized up. Next step will be to put it in gear (3rd?) and pull it behind the truck up the driveway to see if the dragging force can bust it free. After that, I guess I am pulling the head.....
Got this photo from Saturday night, we had a birthday party for the girl, so I moved a bunch of the cars over to one side of the driveway so people could get through to the backyard easy. Not often that I had this many of them uncovered at once.
(https://i.imgur.com/qazHfMm.jpeg)
Nice looking fleet for sure Firm! That silver T/A looks wonderful 8)
Thanks, I was thinking the other day, I've owned that T/A since January 2015, over 10 years now. I've put about 30K kms on it during that time. When I got it, I did a bunch of work to bring it up to spec, and other than A/C repairs, I haven't done anything else since. It just works. Yeah it's slow, but the old carb'd 305 / 700R4 combo is ridiculously reliable, it rides and handles shockingly well (factory optioned WS6 suspension package), stops well (4 wheel discs) and still feels special to drive. Don't think there's a more appropriate car for bumming around rural West Tennessee on the weekends than an old T/A.
This ratty MGB has been on my side burner project list for about 18 months now, just tinkering with it maybe a couple hours a month for most of that time. The last couple weeks I've been a little more focused on it. It's finally coming around to looking decent...It starts easy and runs/drives quite well, paint has been polished out, most of the paint areas that needed to be repaired have been, everything electronic works properly, the interior is all complete and clean/functional, the trunk is no longer a garbage dump, so we're getting there. I need to pull the windshield and frame next to replace the seals - never done that before on an MGB, but apparently it's a frustrating job. Once that's done I've got a couple small things to wrap up, and then I can get it listed for sale, and hopefully out of my driveway.
(https://i.imgur.com/j0fZ77h.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Vmlr7FX.jpeg)
I love that color. Reminds me of the early Audi S4 nogaro blue.
I finally got the soft tonneau cover on my 94 Sierra today. Finding one was difficult, installing it even more so. The beaming hot sun was the answer, helped the vinyl stretch enough to finally fit nice. Trucks complete now and I'll soon be listing it.
(https://i.ibb.co/vxPgLjnX/94sierra.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ccFM2rnY)
Man that's a good looking truck. Standard Cab long bed with with 4x4 is probably a fairly uncommon configuration too. Should be an easy sell.
Those vinyl tonneaus can be a serious pain. I remember way back in the day I had one of those, but the snap style, on my Sonoma. In the winter I'd have to pour hot water on it to get it to stretch back on if I opened it.
Quote from: Revelations on Jun 03, 2025, 11:48 PMNice looking fleet for sure Firm! That silver T/A looks wonderful 8)
That silver T/A is one of my favorites in Firm's fleet. Must be because I was in my late teens when that gen came out & saw them everywhere all over the GTA. A good friend of mine's older brother had it in black/gold & it was pretty cool when he'd pick us up from grade 10 & give us a ride home. I remember a few years later after high school I was up in Wasaga Beach visiting my buddy & he & his brother both had C4 vettes (can't remember the exact years) and the old T/A was still there as a beater for whoever needed it in the family. So I took it for a good little rip and remember the crisp hard shifts from 1st to 2nd in the tranny.
Lots of good work here, fellas!
I did an oil change on my boat. I stuck my oil extractor in the dipstick hole. Done. Spun off filter. Replace. Add oil.
This was ridiculously easy.
One of the OE HID Headlight bulbs in the DTS finally gave it up. GM's phenomenal design here dictates that the front bumper cover needs to be removed (or very loosened) in order to remove the headlamp assemblies and replace the bulbs....So, 2.5 hours to replace both sides. I changed every bulb in the assemblies while they were out, so hopefully I don't have to do that again anytime soon.
I've continued plugging away on the MGB recently too...Cleaned up the engine bay, replaced the windshield seals (not fun), replaced a sketchy fuel pump, etc. Waiting on a parts order now for a factory stripe kit and a U-joint, once that stuff arrives and get installed I can give it a good detail and get it listed. Not sure how the MG market is down here in the south, but we'll find out.....would be nice to have one less car in the driveway.
This was a weekend or two ago, but got the Jag out for a nice ride to 'Mud Island'. An island (sort of) in the middle of the Mississippi river, just west of downtown Memphis. It has a nice park, a marina, some neat brick streets with some restaurants & shops, and some really nice southern style homes (big tiered screened in porches). Nice spot to cruise around a bit, and a big contrast from downtown Memphis just across the bridge.
(https://i.imgur.com/frVg8l1.jpeg)
Quote from: Firm on Jul 14, 2025, 10:21 PMThis was a weekend or two ago, but got the Jag out for a nice ride to 'Mud Island'. An island (sort of) in the middle of the Mississippi river, just west of downtown Memphis. It has a nice park, a marina, some neat brick streets with some restaurants & shops, and some really nice southern style homes (big tiered screened in porches). Nice spot to cruise around a bit, and a big contrast from downtown Memphis just across the bridge.
(https://i.imgur.com/frVg8l1.jpeg)
Very cool, remember seeing that last time I was down in Memphis! Jag is looking fantastic!
I did an oil change in the Tundra yesterday. Now sitting at 292k.
I also polished the headlights. I would post a before and after photo but doesn't seem possible from my phone to load one direct. Ah well.
Finally wrapped up repairs on this 78 MGB, originally acquired February 2024 out of north Mississippi and kinda chipped away at it as a side-project, very slowly. Needed a bunch of small fixes, some paint-work, and a deep cleaning. Installed a factory 'MGB' side decal and gave it a good fresh detail before taking some photos and listing it. Not a perfect car, will never be, but a good solid driver for someone looking for an entry type classic roadster. I wasn't sure how the market down here would be for a car like this, they are very common, but I was shocked....Listed for a fair price ($6900) on Marketplace and was absolutely bombarded with inquiries and something like 10K views in 3-4 days. So, it sold pretty quick and really close to my original asking price.
Nice to have one less project to spread my time on, and a little less clutter in the driveway is cool too.
(https://imgur.com/a/RjaB3Tj#MIOzvqj)
(https://imgur.com/a/RjaB3Tj#OC4pTCy)
(https://imgur.com/a/RjaB3Tj#Ox8YLNg)
(https://imgur.com/a/RjaB3Tj#Cn3k0tj)
Unrelated, but we had some nice weather last week (i.e the heat index was under 100F) so I commuted for most of the week in the T/A. Friday afternoon got stuck in an absolute monsoon of a storm, but even as a 40 year old car she handled it well, even hitting some really deap (6-8"?) standing water...no leaks, good defrost/AC, wipers kept pace, etc. Felt way more safe and secure in those conditions than you'd expect for something that old. Had some really good help getting it cleaned back up too.
(https://imgur.com/a/RjaB3Tj#Uxreznt)
(https://imgur.com/a/RjaB3Tj#kRZtJHn)
Having issues with image hosting so just posting direct.
photos part 2
Nice, I bet you are still sort of getting the lay of the land for what car enthusiasts like in that local. Who would have predicted such interest in a small English roadster, but seems like there is a market.
Do you have any Japanese or German cars that you'd enjoy buying and restoring? Seems like I only ever see the British stuff and American with you, so just curious.
Yeah, I honestly thought it was going to be a struggle selling that MGB here, but I probably could've sold 3 of them! Clean good looking little roadster with a stick shift for low $, I think that's what got people interested rather than it being an MG.
I've actually never owned a Japanese car...Only a handful that I'd ever have interest in; Miata, 240Z, SC400, maybe a Prelude, but I am really just not that into them. German stuff I can get into...I've owned 3 SLKs, including the one we currently have. I had a BMW 318CI ages ago too. I tend to favor Mercedes for whatever reason, but I keep my eyes peeled for Porsche's too as I've never done one and wouldn't mind trying it.
Quote from: Firm on Aug 14, 2025, 10:36 PMI've actually never owned a Japanese car...Only a handful that I'd ever have interest in; Miata, 240Z, SC400, maybe a Prelude, but I am really just not that into them. German stuff I can get into...I've owned 3 SLKs, including the one we currently have. I had a BMW 318CI ages ago too. I tend to favor Mercedes for whatever reason, but I keep my eyes peeled for Porsche's too as I've never done one and wouldn't mind trying it.
A nice Porsche 944 N/A would be a cool project for you. Parts are readily available for them, especially in the states at reasonable prices. 1986 and up are the ones to look for, as they have the updated dash that's much nicer than the earlier cars. Find one that needs a timing belt done, it's a big ticket item that owners don't wanna do (usually a $2k job) and do it yourself for $300ish. Then there's small things that are easily done like suspension refresh, sway-bar bushings, etc. Generally they're a pretty stout car & a non-turbo is still a fun car to drive, the gearing is lower than the turbo, so it's a little more playful. The turbo was geared tall and would just cruise along as a distance GT.
Yep, I've looked at some 944's over the years, just never pulled the trigger on anything. There are a few advertised locally, but they're very rough. Good tips too, thanks for sharing!
Changed the spark plugs in the DTS yesterday. Manual calls for them to be done at 100K miles, car is at 116K miles, and I believe these to be original, so definitely time to do them. Replaced with the exact same ACDelco Platinum, which to my surprise, were made in Japan just like the ones that came out of it.
Old ones - car ran fine, but these were obviously past their prime.
(https://i.imgur.com/p1yLv8U.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lSUvQTo.jpeg)
It amazes me how long plugs can last. Years ago i bought a 2002 Suburban 2500 with the 496 V8 from the original owner, had a light missfire and he said its probably because it has the original pugs and wires still...it had well into the 300's. Yes, the plugs were absolute junk and replacing all 8 smartened it right up.
GM really had their ignition systems figured out, always have been best of the lot in that area for some reason. HEI was far superior to anything else at the time, they did coil on plug right, and anything from the early 2000's onward seems to run forever on the OE components. Our Escalade just hit 300K kms and is still on the original coils...I did plugs & wires once just as maintenance.
Fords on the other hand eat coils like candy, and the German stuff loves throwing misfire codes if you stretch the replacement intervals at all.
Quote from: Firm on Sep 07, 2025, 09:49 PMGM really had their ignition systems figured out, always have been best of the lot in that area for some reason.
Not sure I agree with that when I was doing Corvette shopping...
The Highlander is still on it's original plugs. 240k km and 17 years. To replace them involves removing a bunch of stuff, wiper cowl and intake manifold, so my mechanic said not to bother. It seems to drive fine.
I tried to do the plugs on the SLK-55 when I had it, 16 freaking plugs & some were a HUGE pain in the ass to get to & I just didn't have the patience. Car had a valve cover leak, so when I took it to my mechanic to do that, I got him to do the 16 plugs as he was in there.
Quote from: RRocket on Sep 08, 2025, 01:03 AMQuote from: Firm on Sep 07, 2025, 09:49 PMGM really had their ignition systems figured out, always have been best of the lot in that area for some reason.
Not sure I agree with that when I was doing Corvette shopping...
Be a little more specific...If you're talking about LS based engine corvettes then I disagree, something needs to be really wrong for an LS to misfire. Tons of trucks running the same setup with huge miles and no maintenance. If you're talking LT1 Corvette, then yeah, the whole Optispark debacle is relevant - but that's 5 years and one engine that was only in performance cars (and some rare big boats).
Quote from: Gurgie on Sep 08, 2025, 08:44 AMI tried to do the plugs on the SLK-55 when I had it, 16 freaking plugs & some were a HUGE pain in the ass to get to & I just didn't have the patience. Car had a valve cover leak, so when I took it to my mechanic to do that, I got him to do the 16 plugs as he was in there.
Yeah, Mercedes (well, most Germans) suck for ease of replacement. Even my older SLK, you need some special tool to get the coils to pull off so you can get to the plugs, and the fairly pedestrian 3.2L V6 is also 2-plugs per cylinder.
Actually, the OptiSpark wasn't that bad. The problem was always moisture related. Either by a leaky water pump, washing the engine, or driving in a deep puddle. The unit became vented after 95 I believe and that allowed it to dry itself rather than hold the moisture and self destruct. But yeah, wasn't the greatest I guess lol.
Quote from: Firm on Sep 08, 2025, 10:14 AMQuote from: RRocket on Sep 08, 2025, 01:03 AMQuote from: Firm on Sep 07, 2025, 09:49 PMGM really had their ignition systems figured out, always have been best of the lot in that area for some reason.
Not sure I agree with that when I was doing Corvette shopping...
Be a little more specific...If you're talking about LS based engine corvettes then I disagree, something needs to be really wrong for an LS to misfire. Tons of trucks running the same setup with huge miles and no maintenance. If you're talking LT1 Corvette, then yeah, the whole Optispark debacle is relevant - but that's 5 years and one engine that was only in performance cars (and some rare big boats).
Yep, definitely Optispark. And "only" 5 years on their halo car. No biggie! LOL 😆
And C5 had ignition switch failures which were a known issue. My buddy went through 2-3! LOL 😆
He now has a ZL-1. No ignition issues on that one! :)
My Dad has had two cars with the Optispark system (both '94 Roadmasters), and both failed. I don't recall the reason for the first failure, but the second one went out when it was soaked with oil. I'm assuming the camshaft seal was leaking, but mechanic said that was fine, so I dunno.
Either way, the system is pretty notorious for failure.
I think the biggest fault of the system is it's location, it's directly below the water pump on the front of the engine....So if you've got a leaky water pump, or an oil leak in the area, it gets soaked and fails - like any distributor. As rev points out, later versions were better vented to help with the issue, but still, if it got drenched in oil or coolant it's likely going to need to be replaced. Easily remedied with with fresh Opti, and plenty of improved aftermarket units to choose from. That said, I've owned 3 LT1 cars, I am mindful of the problem, and have never had an issue.
LT1 isn't exactly a pedestrian engine though; F-bodies, Corvette & Roadmaster/Fleetwood. All the GM trucks of the era got the TBI or Vortec versions which were bulletproof. It was a fairly high-performance setup for it's time pushing 300hp in the Vette and 275 in the Camaro/Firebird. Keeping in mind, the Ford 4.6 of the time made 215hp. Even the much more advanced Lexus 4.0L or the Caddy N*, both of which were DOHC 32 valve units, made 260 and 300 respectively. The LTI setup really squeezed a lot of performance out of a very old engine platform and traditional tech.
I'm again reminded why you shouldn't own a TDI outside of the warranty. Well, at least an undeleted one.
I brought it to the dealer for a check engine light, it ended up being a fault related to the exhaust pressure control valve position. They ended up replacing a catalyst and exhaust pipe section because a flap was seized. The part alone is around $1200. Would have been a $2k repair after it was all said and done.
....and when I was driving home, the steering column started making a noise. Then, a few error codes appeared. Looks like the clockspring failed, so it's going back for another warranty repair.
I saw the new Tiguan, and I think it looks good. Shame about all the screens inside.
Quote from: Tortoise on Sep 09, 2025, 10:19 PMI'm again reminded why you shouldn't own a TDI outside of the warranty. Well, at least an undeleted one.
I brought it to the dealer for a check engine light, it ended up being a fault related to the exhaust pressure control valve position. They ended up replacing a catalyst and exhaust pipe section because a flap was seized. The part alone is around $1200. Would have been a $2k repair after it was all said and done.
....and when I was driving home, the steering column started making a noise. Then, a few error codes appeared. Looks like the clockspring failed, so it's going back for another warranty repair.
I saw the new Tiguan, and I think it looks good. Shame about all the screens inside.
Sometimes I really miss my 2015 Golf TDI, and then I read stories like that. IF fgc THEN extended warranty !
Yeah, I love the car. And there's nothing left like it on the market. But it's ridiculous that an 18 year old Highlander is easier to keep on the road than an 8 year old Golf.
Quote from: Tortoise on Sep 10, 2025, 08:49 AMYeah, I love the car. And there's nothing left like it on the market. But it's ridiculous that an 18 year old Highlander is easier to keep on the road than an 8 year old Golf.
Seems like a 19yr old 911 (Gurgie knocks on wood) is easier to keep on the road than an 8yr old Golf ;D
Do like your Golf though & the TDI does drive nice when there's no issues.
Washed and waxed the Crosstrek yesterday before it spends the next two weeks in manufacturer's yards. Still love that car, only 18,000 km in exactly 3 years thanks to "the hobby". I left it in the garage, have the doorjambs and door bottoms left to wax. Driving it to a conference in Quebec city next month so it's going to get some highway exercise.
Dealing with some health issues that are going to keep me down for a couple of months as well as in the process of moving, so put everything away for the season
Quote from: TheHire on Sep 12, 2025, 12:46 PMDealing with some health issues that are going to keep me down for a couple of months as well as in the process of moving, so put everything away for the season
Sorry to hear that - get well and try to get some rest through the move!
Quote from: Blueprint on Sep 17, 2025, 10:48 AMQuote from: TheHire on Sep 12, 2025, 12:46 PMDealing with some health issues that are going to keep me down for a couple of months as well as in the process of moving, so put everything away for the season
Sorry to hear that - get well and try to get some rest through the move!
^what he said :)
Yes, all the best.
Waxed the CX-90. Paint got all cloudy ;)
New Vreds today!!
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img921/8936/85dqh5.jpg)
^Prius?
Did some work on the Maserati, which required using the lift in the garage, so I had to move out some of the F-Bodies...The Camaro hadn't been out in months, so I ended up taking it for a nice long drive, and then using it for my weekend errands.
(https://i.imgur.com/gDAtjJp.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/359kinL.jpeg)
Had new pads and rotors installed in the Golf. I had previously used Akenobo Euro Ceramic pads but I never really liked them. Decent wear and no dust, but the initial bite was really weak and it felt like more pedal travel was needed to get stopped.
I went with Zimmerman rotors and OEM pads, and it's miles better. I'm happy to deal with the dust for the better brake feel.
Quote from: Tortoise on Oct 20, 2025, 09:41 AMHad new pads and rotors installed in the Golf. I had previously used Akenobo Euro Ceramic pads but I never really liked them. Decent wear and no dust, but the initial bite was really weak and it felt like more pedal travel was needed to get stopped.
I went with Zimmerman rotors and OEM pads, and it's miles better. I'm happy to deal with the dust for the better brake feel.
I was always impressed with the Zimmerman rotors, used them on my old V70 & on Bella's 3 series.
Yeah, had them on my old red SLK and they were really nice quality Rotors. Used to be preferred by a lot of the German car specialists, might still be.
Quote from: Firm on Oct 21, 2025, 10:41 PMYeah, had them on my old red SLK and they were really nice quality Rotors. Used to be preferred by a lot of the German car specialists, might still be.
Had them on my 911
+1
I too used/use Zimmerman rotors on all my cars.
Put the winters on the MDX today. We are still loving this thing.
Enjoying this now that I have my license back... ceramic coat, polished the headlights and applied PPF to them. She now has about 63,000km...
(https://i.imgur.com/VpY8R4D.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wmwd2y8.jpeg)
That's a very nice luxury 350 Z! Styling has held up well on those.
Also, super clean vintage plates :)
I wanna know if he went to the Popeye's after he filled up, or skipped it because of his heart issue? ;D
Quote from: TheHire on Nov 02, 2025, 05:00 PMEnjoying this now that I have my license back... ceramic coat, polished the headlights and applied PPF to them. She now has about 63,000km...
(https://i.imgur.com/VpY8R4D.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/wmwd2y8.jpeg)
I thought you sold this car on BaT?
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-infiniti-g35-21/
Quote from: Oliver on Nov 03, 2025, 08:30 AMQuote from: TheHire on Nov 02, 2025, 05:00 PMEnjoying this now that I have my license back... ceramic coat, polished the headlights and applied PPF to them. She now has about 63,000km...
I thought you sold this car on BaT?
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2004-infiniti-g35-21/
I thought so too....
Uh oh! Adi doing some shell bidding because the price wasn't high enough? LOL 😆
I can confirm that he did sell it, and recently bought it back from the guy who he'd sold it to.
Not a car you typically see with a handicapped sign on the dash. They issue those post-op? Not a bad idea to keep one mobile during the recovery phase.
Nah, the guy who bought it from us on BaT got his GT3 Touring allocation and had to lose something in his garage. Worked out because I REALLY love this car and want it as part of my own forever collection. It's super sweet, given day-one Infiniti dealer records, four keys including wallet card, sales brochure, etc. Six speed with the Brembos and navigation, with about 63,000km on it. Guy put maybe 300km on it in the year he owned it, and I scored it back for a little bit less than he paid us. I was pi$$ed when it sold for that little because I lost about ~$5K on that car, and I'd rather have kept it, but we honoured the deal and sold it anyway. Really glad to see it back.
Yes, accessible parking pass because I have limitations on walking. I haven't really been using it because I avoid places that involve lots of walking, but it's nice to have in case I do need it. I find myself getting winded pretty quickly.
Funny enough, they aren't vintage plates. Medical tags issued to doctors, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists with a Pharm.D degree. They have an old-style number sequence but they were actually issued in maybe 2021-2022. They were on my black Touareg V10 and my silver LS460 at some point. Touareg's gone and the LS got the "original" plates it was issued in 2009. I'm a bit of a plate autist...
On that note, the silver '09 LS460 is in long-term storage. Has about 150K on it and I'm saving it to give my son when he turns 16... in 15 years LOL. I'm going to try my hardest to instil the love of cars into him and start him off on a V8 that used to belong to his great-grandfather, and teach him the skill of manual on the S2000. If he earns it with responsibility, the cars are both his. His mother will need something more sensible by then that doesn't have 600+hp for him to be a silly boy with, though...
Quote from: TheHire on Nov 04, 2025, 09:20 PMNah, the guy who bought it from us on BaT got his GT3 Touring allocation and had to lose something in his garage. Worked out because I REALLY love this car and want it as part of my own forever collection. It's super sweet, given day-one Infiniti dealer records, four keys including wallet card, sales brochure, etc. Six speed with the Brembos and navigation, with about 63,000km on it. Guy put maybe 300km on it in the year he owned it, and I scored it back for a little bit less than he paid us. I was pi$$ed when it sold for that little because I lost about ~$5K on that car, and I'd rather have kept it, but we honoured the deal and sold it anyway. Really glad to see it back.
Yes, accessible parking pass because I have limitations on walking. I haven't really been using it because I avoid places that involve lots of walking, but it's nice to have in case I do need it. I find myself getting winded pretty quickly.
Funny enough, they aren't vintage plates. Medical tags issued to doctors, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists with a Pharm.D degree. They have an old-style number sequence but they were actually issued in maybe 2021-2022. They were on my black Touareg V10 and my silver LS460 at some point. Touareg's gone and the LS got the "original" plates it was issued in 2009. I'm a bit of a plate autist...
On that note, the silver '09 LS460 is in long-term storage. Has about 150K on it and I'm saving it to give my son when he turns 16... in 15 years LOL. I'm going to try my hardest to instil the love of cars into him and start him off on a V8 that used to belong to his great-grandfather, and teach him the skill of manual on the S2000. If he earns it with responsibility, the cars are both his. His mother will need something more sensible by then that doesn't have 600+hp for him to be a silly boy with, though...
I've always liked those Gs. I think that style has aged nicely, too.
I'd happily own one.
This was Halloween, so I am a week late, but this did put a smile on my face....Sonoma does a lot of sitting around in the garage these days, but for Halloween I brought it out and used it to haul our kids, and the neighbors kids, around for trick or treating....Big hit with the kids & moms as it was way easier to climb in and out of than any of the other trucks. Houses are pretty far apart here, so this is the way to do it.
(https://i.imgur.com/80bEs2g.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gPsCo6Z.jpeg)
Swapped the two CX-30's to their winter wheels and mats, did the mats on the CX-90 - tires will have to wait for my muscles to ache less (we took down a pair of 10' Juniper trees and hauled them out to the ecocentre with the Maverick). It's snowing today, 1st time of the year. Subaru coming back home for a week and I'll swap that one in the coming days. In Quebec, snow or shine they must be on by December 1st.
Given that your Subaru stays parked most of the time (due to press vehicles), wouldn't it make sense to just put All-Weather tires on that thing and skip the bi-annual swap?
Quote from: GreatBigAbyss on Nov 13, 2025, 08:21 AMGiven that your Subaru stays parked most of the time (due to press vehicles), wouldn't it make sense to just put All-Weather tires on that thing and skip the bi-annual swap?
I was thinking the same thing, especially now since I believe his daughter no longer uses it (I think?).
Quote from: Firm on Nov 08, 2025, 10:15 PMThis was Halloween, so I am a week late, but this did put a smile on my face....Sonoma does a lot of sitting around in the garage these days, but for Halloween I brought it out and used it to haul our kids, and the neighbors kids, around for trick or treating....Big hit with the kids & moms as it was way easier to climb in and out of than any of the other trucks. Houses are pretty far apart here, so this is the way to do it.
(https://i.imgur.com/80bEs2g.jpeg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gPsCo6Z.jpeg)
Nice, got to love having a tool that is perfect the job. It looks pretty clean too.
Thnx! It is super clean....These trucks were tough mechanically, but the body/interiors didn't hold up well, very few left in decent shape, even here in the South is pretty hard to spot one that's not absolute junk. Of every vehicle I have, this gets the most "wanna sell me that?" inquiries when out and about.
That Sonoma looks so nice. Took my bro in law years to find a clean S10. He was pretty specific though, a reg cab stepside Xtreme was what he was after. Finally found one and it now has a 6.0 LS with a 6l80 trans. Not many nice ones left.
Quote from: Gurgie on Nov 13, 2025, 10:51 AMQuote from: GreatBigAbyss on Nov 13, 2025, 08:21 AMGiven that your Subaru stays parked most of the time (due to press vehicles), wouldn't it make sense to just put All-Weather tires on that thing and skip the bi-annual swap?
I was thinking the same thing, especially now since I believe his daughter no longer uses it (I think?).
Results would be inferior tires in all seasons - our winter conditions are quite severe. And, besides, I already have my two sets which I swap myself. The added bonus is that the oem alloys don't see roadsalt, a plus as I may hold on to this one for a good 8-10 years or so total. Also, I kind of drive the thing as if it was a jacked up WRX in the summer ;D
Quote from: Firm on Nov 13, 2025, 08:10 PMThnx! It is super clean....These trucks were tough mechanically, but the body/interiors didn't hold up well, very few left in decent shape, even here in the South is pretty hard to spot one that's not absolute junk. Of every vehicle I have, this gets the most "wanna sell me that?" inquiries when out and about.
Last week when I rode the Maverick to the Ecocenter with branches in the bed, there was a same-gen S10 or S15 in the line-up, white over teal. Had not seen one in ages! While I really like these, the early 1st-gen S10 was just about compact truck perfection as far as styling goes.
Finished the tire rounds with the CX-90. This one is a beast to do. I can't center it in the garage as it's just too wide, so it's one side at a time. The pinch welds are really deep inside, a sure sign of the narrower structure shared with the CX-60 and CX-80 that we don't get. To properly align the floor jack, I have to lay flat on my stomach, and use a flashlight since the things are so far away from daylight (the body cladding is much lower than the pinch welds). It's a female dog to align. The wheels and tires are huge and heavy. My technique to lift these to the studs is to sit on the floor and use my feet to lift the wheel up, emulating the tire jacking contraptions sold online.
The Mrs is cooling down on this rig. The infotainment always looses her phone, but just her phone for some reason. But it's just too big for the few times we need all three rows - she was the one advocating for that need. In any case, this is a transition vehicle for us between the minivan and an upcoming empty nester machine. Once the eldest finally moves out, in a year or two, I may be kicking tires. I know she would love a Forester - she just loves all Subarus - but I also know she's going to want a PHEV and Subaru doesn't have one yet.
Quote from: Blueprint on Nov 14, 2025, 09:32 AMshe just loves all Subarus
It's not too late to find another wife...
Quote from: Blueprint on Nov 18, 2025, 08:28 AMQuote from: Oliver on Nov 17, 2025, 01:12 PMQuote from: TheHire on Nov 16, 2025, 06:53 PMQuote from: Blueprint on Nov 14, 2025, 09:32 AMshe just loves all Subarus
It's not too late to find another wife...
;D
Hey, I like Subarus too !!
It's okay man, we all have our faults!
Placed the TR6 in storage (registration wise) through Quebec's new scandalous multi-million dollar online tool. At least, the system works!
Quote from: Blueprint on Nov 20, 2025, 08:10 PMQuebec's new scandalous multi-million dollar online tool. At least, the system works!
I live in a cave.
What moronic thing has Quebec done this time?
Even auditing the thing cost millions ;D
https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/commission-investigating-saaqclic-fiasco-cost-7-million/ (https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/commission-investigating-saaqclic-fiasco-cost-7-million/)