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Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

some texas redneck posted:

I'm still on the original battery in my car.. which has a build date of July 2005. Cranks just fine. :iiam:

Though up until this car, I've never gotten over 4 1/2 years out of a battery. I guess AC Delco builds a hell of a battery.

The Delco in my car finally gave up the ghost recently, that one was vintage 2004. I replaced it with a Diehard gold. Hopefully that'll last me a few years.

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Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I noticed the paint flaking away and some ugly rust on my GTP's oil pan when I changed the oil last weekend. I may have to do something about that soon.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

chrisgt posted:

If you loosen your oil pan bolts a turn or two, it'll solve any rust on the pan forever :v:

Maybe I'll just start glopping an oil rag against it when I do the oil. Can't hurt I guess. Besides, its not exactly showroom under there anymore.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I had the friction material come completely loose on a set of Duralast ceramic pads. Trashed the poo poo out of the rotor too. Autozone gave me new pads and rotors gratis. That was awhile ago and the replacements are doing fine. I chalk it up to bad QC on the old set. If it happens again I sure as poo poo wont be getting brakes at Autozone anymore.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I've always wondered that. If on the strip you hit ludicrous speed and some how end up going over the line backwards, yet traveling at plaid do the bits and pieces of your car that are maintaining momentum qualify as a full run?

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I had the lovely scissor jack from my old Monte Carlo collapse once. It didn't just roll off, the lovely stamped steel simply failed and let the car fall. Thankfully it happened in the driveway and I had the wheel under the car. Borrowed a neighbors floor jack that day and went and got my own not long after.

Now I carry a good jack as well as a duffle bag full of enough tools and emergency supplies to either get me back on the road for minor things or keep me comfortable for a night if I'm stranded. Still a boy scout at heart.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

AlternateAccount posted:

So am I the only one who's first experience jacking up a car was with one of these?



You're not alone. My mom drove 70's land barges during much of my youth. Those bumper jacks were a goddamn hazard unless you were on perfectly level ground and well chocked.

I remember being stranded once after moms 70-something Caprice got a flat and the hook on the jack tore a hole through the rust in the jack notch on the bumper. The whole car came crashing down violently right as she had the spare lined up with the lugs.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
Those shop horrors have me nervous now. My GTP is going in next week for a new tranny. Its a reputable shop but I still hate handing my precious over to strangers, especially for something big like a tranny swap. I pray I don't find any jacked up bullshit like that welded up exhaust.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
PA is seems to have a happy medium as far as regulations go. We have inspections but the only way you'll fail is if you go to a really picky shop or have a tragically terrible car. Only certain counties have emissions. I've had some really lovely cars that have passed though.

It seems to work as far as keeping really unsafe vehicles off the road and doesn't cost that much. Usually $60 for inspection and emission stickers and $30 for registration.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I saw some scary poo poo on the highway yesterday. It was a lady driving a late 90's Chevy with some sort of catastrophic front suspension failure. The front drivers side wheel was cocked in at a ridiculous angle. She was just bombing along at about 60 with her hazards on and smoke pouring off of that wheel. I can't imagine driving that car and then deciding to get on the highway for a nice trip in that rolling road hazard.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

Powershift posted:

It's hard to believe, but In the US for 3 months ford sold it's second smallest car with a 252hp/270ft/lb 2.0T i4 and the same time it's largest car was sold with a 239hp/287hp 4.6l v8. cheap engines have come a long way in the last few years.

edit: here's a mechanical failure, this is what it takes to write off a 40,000km, 2006 BMW M5.



I'm amazed at how little it takes to total a car these days. A couple of weeks ago my buddy banged up his SRT-4. Worn tires + rain + whatever unholy amount of power that thing is making now = making love to a guardrail. No mechanical damage whatsoever. Just a banged up front fender and a nice deep scrape across the doors and back fender. Even though those cars seem to hold their value well its very much totaled. I've been trying to convince him to buy it back and swap the engine into a K-car.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I can't seem to find any worthwhile SRT-4s for less than $8k. And by worthwhile I mean intact and running without horrible abuse. There are some shitheaps to be had on the cheap if you want pain and suffering.

My friend just rebuilt the bottom end a few months ago and did the head not long before that. Relatively new gearbox too. If he doesn't buy it back from the insurance company I'm drat tempted to find a way to get that drat motor. I will have my Reliant K sleeper one day.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

TotalLossBrain posted:

I've been to the Caterpillar Technical Center in Peoria, IL and it is awesome. I was there for generators in an experimental microgrid, but the Cat folks there showed us around a bit. They have whole 'playgrounds' for earth moving equipment that's actually inside huge buildings with gigantically high roofs. Cat equipment driving around everywhere just for testing, giant gently caress-off engine test beds for power testing.

I've worked for CAT for most of my life and I still haven't been able to go to Peoria or Morton to see the test sites. It looks like a blast. I really wish I could have a camera at work to post all the incredible poo poo I handle every day.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

Ulfhednar posted:


I haven't seen one make a fireball this big before.

That'd be the perfect time to get out of the car and walk slowly towards the camera while lighting a cigarette. (Opening riff from highway to hell plays)

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

Those are really handsome cars. It looks so comfortable too. Weren't those things pushing $100k? Its incredible how fast some cars depreciate.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I was close. That's still a hell of a lot of car for the money.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

Slow is Fast posted:

loving deer ran out of the woods and hit my dads old DD mustang right around dawn one day and then rolled down the side of the car:



My brothers step-son had almost the exact same thing happen to his almost brand new MX6 awhile back. The amount of damage that deer did was astounding. Almost every panel on the car was damaged in some way along with the drivers side window. The only reason it wasn't totaled was because the car was only a few months old.

I drive a lot of unlit country roads for my commute so I have a shitload of close encounters with the bastards. Luck and knowing where they like to cross is the only reasons I haven't slammed into one yet.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
Don't forget about the Iron Duke / Tech 4 for the unkillable list. I've never subjected an engine to abuse like I did with the Tech 4 in my Cutlass Ciera. It was a gutless, sputtering clattering mess but it just would not die.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
Granny's mangled Lexus reminded me of this crash test of a Chinese SUV.

http://youtu.be/q4nyVtKgt70

Its not exactly the same sort of vehicle but that Lexus definitely soaked up the crash a lot better than some cars would. That test dummy is practically folded in half.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

Shifty Pony posted:

I remember when everyone was talking about how the Chinese auto industry would surge into the US market like the Japanese cars did in the past. I haven't heard that line anytime recently.

They'll be here eventually. Its inevitable. I imagine it'll go a lot like the Korean brands did. Early Hyundais and Kias were tragically bad but in the past decade or so they seem to have figured things out. The Top Gear episode with the Chinese cars pretty much said that they're catching up in a hurry. That's for the European market though so who knows when the US will start getting them. I certainly can't see myself rushing to the Landwind dealer to purchase a rolling death sentence anytime soon.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

Sagebrush posted:

My general rule for harbor freight is "nothing that could kill you if it failed." No jacks, no grinding wheels, no welding equipment. Sure, why not to cheap hand tools, random supplies, painting stuff, parts bins, etc.

It's served me pretty well so far. I've heard that their jack stands may be an exception, but I'm still not going to test it.

I've busted a ton of hand tools from HF. One of their product that I'll stand by is their 1/4" electric impact gun. It's busted off more than a few rusty rear end axle nuts over the years. Makes taking wheels off super speedy too. For $50 it's been a trooper.

Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice

iwentdoodie posted:

The one I bought wouldn't twist off something torqued to 50 lb ft. loving useless.

I totally believe you. I'm amazed mine works as well as it does. That's the beauty/horror of harbor freight. I'm imagining that the quality of the tool depends on the quality of the doorknobs and spigots that were melted down to make it. How well Ling Shu ate that week is probably a factor too.

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Grumbletron 4000
Nov 30, 2002

Where you want it, bitch.
College Slice
I hate to bring it back to bicycles again, but how are you people busting spokes? I used to commute on my Haro mountain bike and the only things I ever broke were either crash or stupidity related. I put thousands of miles on that thing too.

I've had my Giant hybrid for a couple of years now and haven't had to fix anything. I don't ride daily anymore but I was pushing 300lbs when I got it. I'm not so heavy anymore but even with my fat rear end on it and many miles later it still rides like new. Maybe I'm not doing it right or something.

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