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Laserface posted:I just bought a Nardi 350mm Deep Corn. In comparison to my old Momo Monte Carlo (330mm), the wheel itself is a little thinner and I dont know if I like it. How do you like 350 compared to 330? I've gone back and forth in my head which way I should go for my Miata, and funny enough it's between a mote carlo and deep corn, but I think I'm pretty set on 330 because 350 just looks big and I think would also feel too big in a Miata. Also I've owned a Monte carlo before so I'm kinda partial to those but the deep corn 330 looks awesome.
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Feb 9, 2015 03:29
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leica posted:How do you like 350 compared to 330? I've gone back and forth in my head which way I should go for my Miata, and funny enough it's between a mote carlo and deep corn, but I think I'm pretty set on 330 because 350 just looks big and I think would also feel too big in a Miata. Also I've owned a Monte carlo before so I'm kinda partial to those but the deep corn 330 looks awesome. I measured my MC at 350mm edge to edge across the face and thought it was fine to replace with a 350, but it turns out my old MC is probably 330 or 340 after holding them face to face. the Thinner wheel of the Nardi and the larger diameter makes it feel much lighter both in steering feel and wheel feel. I honestly only bought the Nardi because it was about $80 cheaper than anywhere a new one in Australia costs, and they seem to the in-thing to have so I know I can move it off for at least what it cost me. its all a bit underwhelming because visually the 350mm deep corn isnt as cool looking as the 330mm with the stepped spokes, but even then the 330mm still has the thin wheel in comparison to what I have been using for the last 6 years with the Momo. So thats where I am at: I like it, but not as much as what I used to have, except that What I use to have has yellow stitching and yellow logo on it that kills the aesthetic for me, so I want a new one of that in my colours anyway.
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Feb 9, 2015 03:44
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I'm happy to report that the cleaned up and re-wound driver's seatbelt is working a lot better than before. It keeps tension better and retracts with a little more vigor than it did previously. I'll rip out the passenger side belt later this week. Car updates may come less frequently since I'm starting a new job tomorrow. My last job was super flexible with hours, which let me work in the daylight since my rented garage is terribly lit. In other news, check out these  old advertisements for 80's Corollas. Most of them are in Japanese, but the sentiment is there. It's cool to see some of the long lost 80's design tendencies and cool parts we never got in the USA. Here are some highlights to get you started. Continuing to say a thing won't make it true. Well maybe...    It's possible to adapt the JDM digital gauge cluster to US spec cars. It's not cheap.  Also I'm just going to leave this here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDKIwhxPC2Q
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Feb 9, 2015 05:24
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Some small progress these last few weeks. I started a new job so the car parts train has stopped until the paychecks start rolling in. Luckily the car has been running well and the seatbelt clean + rewind has made it a little less scary. I may still look into other seatbelt options. The trim around the windshield was in a similar state as the original lower cowl and wiper arms. Generally destroyed rubbery coating atop metal. It was pretty awful to get off without destroying the trim itself or the clips that hold it to the car. The clips are notoriously weak and aren't cheap to replace, so I decided to leave the whole thing attached.  Three or four hours of razor blades and sandpaper later and here we are. A heinous task, but the results livened up the car a lot.  Drying, but getting there! I'll be touching up a few other trim pieces in a similar manner.  On the security front, I found a NOS set of Solex cylindrical locks with the correct inserts for 80's 3 door Toyotas. I had to reuse all of the OE lock arms, but otherwise the install was straightforward and the locks work well and look nice.    In the next week or two:
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Feb 24, 2015 03:42
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TheLarson posted:Every time I'd open either door of this car, I'd catch a glimpse of crap stuck in the front fenders. Every car I've owned has suffered from this same problem, as if a squirrel had taken up residence in the wheel well. Pine needles, leaves, dirt, and even a few small hornets (???) nests. From my experience in more rainy places, this is how one gets rusty fenders from trapped water. Time to do some (more) spring cleaning. Trapped water and mud and dirt and other poo poo. My s13 had holes underneath both rear mudflaps and some bubbling underneath the front ones, even if the rest of the car was relatively rust free. Mud flaps are stupid and just make stuff worse, even my 2005 Xterra had so much poo poo behind the mudflaps they needed to come off.
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Feb 24, 2015 11:09
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Toyota still hadnt stopped building that "Feature" into their cars in either my 1992 hilux or my 2005 landcruiser- both of them have massive wells for poo poo to accumulate behind the front mudflaps/guard liners.
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Feb 24, 2015 12:26
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Ferremit posted:Toyota still hadnt stopped building that "Feature" into their cars in either my 1992 hilux or my 2005 landcruiser- both of them have massive wells for poo poo to accumulate behind the front mudflaps/guard liners. Yeah I pulled the front mudflaps off my LX570 and the insides of them were just as dirty as the front. Really dumb.
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Feb 25, 2015 02:07
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WEABOO WEABOO WEABOO.
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Feb 25, 2015 02:18
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Rhyno posted:WEABOO WEABOO WEABOO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNF5sic8WHo
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Feb 25, 2015 03:37
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I thought it was one of the better ones. The weird toilet humor is very hit or miss though.
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Feb 25, 2015 03:51
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The rant was amazing. I still love you theLarsen.
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Feb 25, 2015 04:21
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TheLarson posted:I took the lady to Treasure Island on the way back since she'd never been. A fine day! Isn't this actually a scene from initial D?
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Feb 25, 2015 04:47
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MattD1zzl3 posted:Isn't this actually a scene from initial D? SHHHHHH I'm still in the Initial D closet. 
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Feb 25, 2015 05:18
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I think I've got a problem. There's probably nothing I enjoy more than hunting for car stuff online and in junk yards... I think my happiness is directly tied to whatever project vehicle I happen to have at any given time. More parts are on the way. I made the mistake of using the =SUM() function in Excel for my car stuff spreadsheet.  I should probably do something more constructive with my spare dollars. 
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Feb 28, 2015 06:53
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I could have most likely bought a small island with the amount of money I piss away on car poo poo. Then I over heard what a couple of guys at work spend on other poo poo. Cars are definitely cheaper.
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Feb 28, 2015 07:32
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BrokenKnucklez posted:I could have most likely bought a small island with the amount of money I piss away on car poo poo.  If my DD wasn't a train, none of this would have worked!
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Feb 28, 2015 21:13
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The madness continues... Of all the cosmetic challenges this car has, the dingy muffler shop special of an exhaust was bugging me the most. The tailpipe was jauntily crooked and the muffler was booger welded to what looked like a factory mid-pipe. Enter a HKS sport cat back exhaust (made by Jasma). I wanted something a little less ricey since I had a HKS Hi-Power on my last car which was a full on fart cannon.    This is tame as exhausts for this car go, with both a resonator and a traditional style muffler. It's louder than the current exhaust without droning on the highway and it shouldn't cause too much trouble with California's smog laws. The factory catalytic converter is still in place and is good as far as I know. The factory cat back had to be cut to remove without dropping the rear end since it was a single over-axel pipe. I'll hang onto it in case it needs to be reinstalled for future emissions buggery.  Nice! In other news, some new interior bits. New OEM visors from a JDM Trueno  . I'd have preferred new USDM ones but they're un-obtainium. The original visors were bloated, cracked, faded, and generally disintegrating.  The new JDM visors are still available from Toyota and are close in color, but the material is different. Still a huge improvement!  So I got a deal on a the only California smog compliant intake in all the land (it was ). It's an Injen and is a little too shiny for my tastes, but it's good for exactly one thing (and it's not horsepower). The giant factory airbox + snorkel are now in my box of spares. I'll be hanging onto these bits since they're tough to find and may come in handy down the line. 4AGE Exposed without the snorkel in the way! Luckily Toyota still sells "4AGE" stickers, so later and there she blows. Also a Cusco strut bar because this car is made of old cheese. The car sounds much meatier without being ridiculous. While I imagine any horsepower gains are negligible, the car feels a little peppier and is more enjoyable to drive. Finally, a trip out of the garage. Cars and Coffee was held on treasure island this month which was super cool. As always the spectator parking lot was as interesting as the show space. Seen here is the Corolla and its garage-mate Evo IX (belongs to a buddy of mine). There was only one other ae86 and at least 50 Ferraris...   I also struck gold at the Target, netting four whole Toyotas for $0.97/ea. Soon to be batted off the coffee table by His Highness, who developed a liking for them early on. 
TheLarson fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Mar 10, 2015 |
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Mar 10, 2015 07:32
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Nice cube in the background there.
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Mar 10, 2015 08:00
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I did a doubletake at the cat picture because it looked like his paw had been photoshopped extra long. Tallcat.
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Mar 10, 2015 11:23
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Raluek posted:Nice cube in the background there. 88h88 posted:I did a doubletake at the cat picture because it looked like his paw had been photoshopped extra long. Tallcat. TheLarson fucked around with this message at 17:01 on Mar 10, 2015 |
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Mar 10, 2015 16:07
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TheLarson posted:The madness continues... How tall is your cat?? Post a pic of your tall-cat standing.
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Mar 10, 2015 17:30
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TheLarson posted:I just can't bring myself to recycle it! It still works and has a Sonnet 1.8GHz chip and some sort of upgraded GPU. Recycle it??? Listen, if you ever want to get rid of it, I'm your guy.
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Mar 11, 2015 00:32
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Dhalsim cat.
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Mar 11, 2015 05:15
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Anti-archives bump! I've been super busy with the new job, but car progress continues! I've about given up on the original stereo system. Both factory tape decks that I've tracked down have cracked gears. All four speakers are original and the whole system is really tired. Luckily Crutchfield blessed me with a basic $250 setup that should liven up the place. Since I've got no need for actual CD's, this is a "digital media receiver" with USB/AUX/AM/FM and a not-too-obnoxious faceplate. Thankfully they had one with red lights. Assembly!  Ready to install. Those connections are soldered and wrapped in electrical tape. I zipped tied each half once the harness was installed.  Old vs new rear speakers, 5 1/2".  Installed, complete with original sun blasted plastic screws.  Before and after front dash speakers, 4".   All factory speaker covers were used, since the included ones from Kicker are ridiculous looking. The included wiring adapters only fit the rear speaker connections, so I had to get creative with wiring up the fronts. That said, no part of the factory wiring was cut in any way. I'm a big fan of the "every modification can be reversed" school of thought. As expected, this new system has very little bass. I may look into a compact subwoofer if I find myself listening to a lot of music. Chances are I'll leave it as is, since I'm usually listening for broken car noises anyways!  Moving on... My fuel gauge likes to spend it's time between 1/4 and 3/4 of a tank regardless of the actual fuel level. This is a common issue with these cars due to the leads on the fuel level sender's slider wearing down. Toyota still sells new senders, so that's what I went with. This is kind of $$$ for what it is, but having a functioning fuel gauge is nice. From my calculations the car is already getting awful gas mileage, so an accurate gauge might make the difference in not getting stranded. The old.  The new, installed. Not pictured is the cleaning I did of the floor of the trunk.  Also a continued pain in the rear end were the floppy and gutless seat belts. Toyota quit making new ones years ago, so the options are limited. I had a roll bar + "seats" + 4 point harnesses in my last Corolla and honestly I liked it a lot. I considered running a similar set up in this car, minus the roll bar. That's generally considered a bad idea, given the rollover + crushed to death argument. Alas, common sense won out and I went with the only other option I could find. A British company called Securon makes new factory style seat belts that they claim will fit the ae86. I started with a driver's side kit and the results were mixed. The whole thing bolted in snugly, but I've got a few complaints. Namely the retractor mechanism is universal and comes with a whole lineup of optional brackets. I found one that fits well enough, but the belt only retracts 95% due to the "fatness" of the rolled belt hitting the inside of the rear interior panel. Also the clasp receiver doesn't support a sensor, so the "fasten seat belt" dash light stays on. I'll wire up a fix shortly, but something more plug and play would have been nice. There's also a distinct lack of burgundy! Hopefully I can fudge up a cover for the hole left by the new belt.  Bonus round This just showed up from Injen. I'm now riding non-dirty according to California law. My intake is too legit to quit. My car shares a garage with a recently evicted neighbor's mountain of trash/junk. The guy was nice enough but he was way into assault weapons (with arrests to back it up), telling me about the Nazi's alleged nuclear weapons collection, and claiming the apartment company outright killed a prior tenant. He did drive a sweet grey market e30 import with some sort of claimed stroker motor. He's coming to collect his mountain on Monday. 
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Apr 12, 2015 03:02
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TheLarson posted:I just can't bring myself to recycle it! It still works and has a Sonnet 1.8GHz chip and some sort of upgraded GPU. I got mine for $70 a few years ago because the power button gasket had gone - I haven't replaced it yet, and I ended up spending more than $70 buying all of the junk to convert from ADC to DVI so I could find a monitor that would plug into it. Then a week later I got a free ADC monitor. So it basically constantly goes to sleep during regular operation, more if the top of the machine gets hot (after about 10 minutes of use if the lights are on, less if I can keep cold air blowing over it from a window) and is pretty slow when it does work. I still really like looking at it and keep swearing I'll fix it but never do - I guess this is how old guys end up with a yard full of muscle cars.
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Apr 12, 2015 05:25
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Seat Safety Switch posted:GPU upgrades for the Cube are pretty rare, so don't recycle it. Shh. Shhhhhhh don't tell him what it's worth. I just really want a Cube someday. 
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Apr 12, 2015 06:15
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Raluek posted:Shh. Shhhhhhh don't tell him what it's worth. Welcome to my spare time a couple of years back -> http://thehardwareproject.org/ #nerds
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Apr 12, 2015 10:01
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TheLarson posted:Heh. Neat. Will refer to it next time I need something like that. Looks like you don't really have any test equipment in there, which might come in handy.
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Apr 12, 2015 21:09
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I'm not dead and neither is the car. I've played host to multiple friends and family members over the last several months, with more coming in next week. The car has been hanging out in the garage by it's lonesome. Busy! Hard Truths -> If there's one thing I love doing when I can't work on the car is buying parts. If they handed out medals for up-ending your bank account a few beers deep on a weeknight, I'd be a winner. I even make time for the junkyard when I can (it's not always about the parts, it's about the experience). Any who, on to actual car stuff: I've always liked the facelift ("kouki") JDM bumpers. The one piece design and front turn signal shape just fits the car better in my mind. Unfortunately, finding these bumpers stateside (especially the front one) is getting really tough. The brackets and the turn signals can still be had new from Toyota, but the plastic skins are discontinued and often get destroyed in the course of daily use. I scored this used one for roughly half of the "market price", with great condition brackets thrown in. The difference in weight and structural rigidity between the JDM and USDM bumpers is huge, with the JDM piece weighing easily a quarter of the USDM one. I'm sure I won't need all that extra safety...  Following in the "kouki" trend: I dig the big plastic, big box, big 80's design of the facelift-ed tail lights. These are known as "redlines" in the community, and really make a great visual difference in my opinion. These tail lights enclose the license plate lights and give the car a more chunky rear end (and let's be real I'm all about the chunky rear ends).  (also I swear that puddle isn't fresh) Luckily the main tail lights are still available from Toyota, but were originally a Japan only part. The center garnish has been discontinued for years and has become un-obtanium on its own. I found a seller with just the center piece and jumped on it, completing the set with new tails. I'll install these when I get off my rear end.  Not pictured is the monstrous exhaust leak that developed between the down pipe and the cat. One of the original bolts worked its way loose and was set free at some point in the last month. Some new bolts, fresh gaskets, and copper gasket goop later and it's good to go. This is what I get for re-using ancient crush gaskets... Frivolous crap: The lady has me figured out pretty well, resulting in her acquisition of these socks for me. A+ would wear again.  I came across these coasters on an AE86 forum and my inner weaboo was sold. They're modeled after six classic wheels from SSR, Watanabe, Hayashi, and more. Since this was taken, the manufacturer has released another set of six. Once my constitution completely fails, I'm sure I'll pick them up. The quality is really really good and the wood feels solid. You can get yours from 112 Auto -> http://112auto.bigcartel.com/products .  Bonus keychain shifter, since one of the local malls has a brick and mortar JDM bullshit store. I lead a charmed life. More to come!
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May 21, 2015 04:08
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I was wondering who in AI would be the first to rock those coasters. Now that I know it's not me I can go hog wild.
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May 21, 2015 05:28
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Seat Safety Switch posted:I was wondering who in AI would be the first to rock those coasters. Now that I know it's not me I can go hog wild.
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May 22, 2015 02:46
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Where do I get those socks?
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May 22, 2015 03:04
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I never knew you could still get new lights for these from Toyota. Awesome. They look fantastic.
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May 22, 2015 13:23
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Steak Flavored Gum posted:Where do I get those socks? Get to it my friend. 88h88 posted:I never knew you could still get new lights for these from Toyota. Awesome. They look fantastic. We're starting to see OEM quality restoration and reproduction parts, especially through TOR parts (http://www.torparts.com/) and the huge aftermarket for this car. TheLarson fucked around with this message at 03:59 on May 23, 2015 |
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May 23, 2015 03:56
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Good to see you back on the tofu train, TheLarson.
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May 26, 2015 14:06
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And now it's time for my least favorite automotive thing: body work! I wanted to give the factory paint the old college try before throwing in the towel. I went with two spray cans of touchup paint and clear coat from https://www.automotivetouchup.com for the worst removal parts (bumper, gas door) of the car. Overall I'm happy with the results for something I did in the garage. The paint went on great and looks solid for a quick DIY. Some half hearted cutting and polishing managed to shine up the rest of the car... Rear end before:  Rear end after: (bonus kouki tail lights all wired up)  ...I say half hearted because every single panel has some depressing defect. The more I polish, the more I want to say gently caress it and eat the cost of a professional respray. I'm unable to do any more "serious" painting in my garage since the floor is already slightly reddish from floating paint. The building management company has already gotten on my case (and my neighbor's case) about "over use" of the garage for storage, car maintenance, and painting. I can't blame them, but the garage is already an uneven floored and woefully unkempt place. It has at least 90 years of automotive fluids seasoning a floor that straight boards don't sit flat upon. Oh, city life! The list of major defects includes:
This got me looking for reputable paint shops in the San Francisco area. The idea is that I could strip down the exterior of the car and have it flatbed towed to a body shop. I don't need a show quality respray, but something in the neighborhood of 2500 - 3000 dollars would revitalize the entire car. A few hundred more in all new weatherstripping, trim bits, and various rubber items would make it good as new. I'd stick with the factory red (3E6 code), and reproduction body graphics are readily available. Wait wait wait, that's how much I spent on the car to begin with! The vortex of unhealthy automotive love continues to swirl. 
TheLarson fucked around with this message at 00:57 on Jul 5, 2015 |
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Jul 5, 2015 00:31
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 Well that's enough for me. This car needs professional help!  The great teardown begins. You never really realize how much trim, clips, brackets, bumpers, weatherstripping, and glass a car has until you have to take it all off. If you attempt this without one of these, stop and order one immediately. Also get a heat gun! But wait! What's that in the background?  It's a motorcycle. A new Ducati Scrambler to replace my Honda CB1000R. The Honda was fantastic but way WAY too much for riding around San Francisco. The Ducati is more comfortable for me and the lady. It also looks great and makes a cool noise.  Anyways, back to business.  All glass out except for the windshield. It's original and I'm too scared to take it out. New ones from Toyota are ludicrously expensive and this current one doesn't seem to leak. It's amazing how light the hatch is without the glass. Even so it's a guillotine waiting to amputate my head and/or hands. Good thing I've got a broom to hold it up...  And off we go to the paint shop. I sprung for a flatbed given the car does ride a little lower than stock. Sans bumpers it would probably have been fine on a regular truck, but I've got a healthy dose of  when it comes to towing. Here we are at the body shop in one piece, gas door flapping in the wind. Luckily the car runs and drives so unloading and shuffling it around was a breeze. I did almost curb the piss out of my wheels parallel parking it in front of the shop. Luckily the tow driver was super cool and spotted for me.  All ready to for paint at Spectrum Auto Body. I called 5 or 6 places I found online with good reviews and experience with full resprays of older cars. It turns out the manager of this place has painted multiple AE86 Corollas over the years. He recognized the car instantly and the front desk guy was quick to tell me of his own quest to find one. Even a pair of the painters came out to have a look. All good signs. Hopefully they don't gently caress it up! The following is getting done:
The front bumper + lights were left in place to assist with lining up the tweaked front driver's side fender. Hopefully they can use the straight driver's side door I brought with me, though the wiring hole is apparently different between the 84-85 cars and the 86-87 cars. Lame. I'm leaving the door + fender trim off for now since it cleans the car up a lot. I may reinstall down the line, but for now the trim needs restoration and I didn't want to pay for it. At this stage the car has been in the shop for two weeks. With any luck it will be back in another week or two. Needless to say this has gone beyond my original budget. Ugh I'm just tired of looking at how messed up the body was.  ...and the inevitable inbound OEM parts
There are a few more weatherstrips and miscellaneous pieces that are discontinued from Toyota. I'm going to do my best to clean and condition the un-obtanium rubber bits, but some of it is just oo tired to go back on the car. Stay tuned! TheLarson fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Aug 11, 2015 |
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Aug 11, 2015 06:10
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You are a brave, brave man dropping off a car at a paint shop with those nice and shiny wheels on it! My car has been in paint jail for almost a month now but it's moving along. Hope they treat yours well!
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Aug 11, 2015 06:56
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TheLarson posted:Snip Whats the estimated damage on a full repaint?
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Aug 11, 2015 16:48
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mafoose posted:You are a brave, brave man dropping off a car at a paint shop with those nice and shiny wheels on it! Lord of Garbagemen posted:Whats the estimated damage on a full repaint? 
TheLarson fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Aug 11, 2015 |
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Aug 11, 2015 20:58
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