FootballDad
Hall of Famer
Speaking of frugality, since my cars' peers and siblings are largely scrapped, I find that the junkyard (the pick-n-pull places) is a great place to get replacement parts, especially things like auto glass.
Automotive Section
- Thread starter celticdb15
- Start date
Leonardfan
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2006
- Messages
- 23,267
I have a question about my car - I figure this is a better place than anyplace. I just got my two front tires replaced and it looks like their is an issue with my suspension on my drivers side. The camber was unable to be improved during the tire alignment. I think its a component of the suspension itself - the control arm, steering link etc. Do you guys have any idea of what it could be prior to going to a mechanic?
FootballDad
Hall of Famer
Usually when the camber angle can't be adjusted any further, it means that the ball joint(s) are too worn. Camber is the angle of the tire/wheel as relates to the ground, say looking down on it. If it can't be "pulled in", which usually means that the bottom of the tire is farther out than the top, it results in excessive wear on the inside of the tire. Depending on the car, there is always a bottom ball joint, and sometimes a top one as well. They're generally not very expensive, but take an afternoon to install.
Leonardfan
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2006
- Messages
- 23,267
Thanks football dad.
You actually described the issue I was having exactly. I really appreciate it.
You actually described the issue I was having exactly. I really appreciate it.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
As FBD described, if you’re tire is angled outward and the insides are wearing unevenly, your wheels are likely experiencing a “negative camber angle” situation…
A good way to check your lower ball joint is to jack up the car in the middle (lifting both wheel simultaneously) and put it on stands on either side. Take a smaller car jack (scissor, bottle, etc) and jack up the arm of the lower ball joint so that it is not “free floating.” The reason for doing this is because the knuckle and lower ball joint arm are just hanging there freely, which can fool one into believing that there is no play at the ball joint. Once doing this, grab the tire and check for play or insert a pry bar between the lower arm and knuckle and check for play. This guy describes what I'm referring to...
[video=youtube;SkHeDQomX0k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHeDQomX0k[/video]
If camber angle is the only issue (and not castor angle or toe angle) and the guy who did your alignment stated that your “eccentric bolt” (assuming you have one) cannot be adjusted further, you could always purchase a “camber bolt kit” for your car…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sr6rc3RH6Q
I used them for my truck in lieu of getting new front shocks, but I agree that installing a new ball joint is easier and more of a guarantee.
They also make a “camber plate kit” that mounts on the top of the strut. I wouldn’t recommend it, as you’ll need to compress the spring and remove the strut bolt/mount, which is always dangerous. Here, the process is described for a Mustang...
http://www.americanmuscle.com/jm-4bolt-caster-camber-plate-05-09-install.html
A good way to check your lower ball joint is to jack up the car in the middle (lifting both wheel simultaneously) and put it on stands on either side. Take a smaller car jack (scissor, bottle, etc) and jack up the arm of the lower ball joint so that it is not “free floating.” The reason for doing this is because the knuckle and lower ball joint arm are just hanging there freely, which can fool one into believing that there is no play at the ball joint. Once doing this, grab the tire and check for play or insert a pry bar between the lower arm and knuckle and check for play. This guy describes what I'm referring to...
[video=youtube;SkHeDQomX0k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHeDQomX0k[/video]
If camber angle is the only issue (and not castor angle or toe angle) and the guy who did your alignment stated that your “eccentric bolt” (assuming you have one) cannot be adjusted further, you could always purchase a “camber bolt kit” for your car…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sr6rc3RH6Q
I used them for my truck in lieu of getting new front shocks, but I agree that installing a new ball joint is easier and more of a guarantee.
They also make a “camber plate kit” that mounts on the top of the strut. I wouldn’t recommend it, as you’ll need to compress the spring and remove the strut bolt/mount, which is always dangerous. Here, the process is described for a Mustang...
http://www.americanmuscle.com/jm-4bolt-caster-camber-plate-05-09-install.html
Last edited:
FootballDad
Hall of Famer
If the ball joint is indeed the culprit and is exceedingly worn, it's also a safety issue to get it replaced. On my '97 T-Bird the passenger-side ball joint was making noises and such when turning, but I just let it go. Until one day when it simply separated, crashing the suspension right to the ground. Fortunately, I was just in a parking lot and not actually driving down the road when it let go.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
My cousin and I were driving home from a livestock auction this past weekend, which is about 70 miles away. He was driving his truck, a 1992 Ford Ranger with tons of mileage and in generally poor condition. The truck began overheating pretty badly, so we pulled over and noticed that a large hole at developed in one of his radiator hoses, which had essentially slowly drained all of his coolant. The hose entering the radiator looked like the one in the bottom left of this picture…
Normally, I would have just had someone pick us up and return later with my truck and my “towing bar” to get his truck back to his place. The problem was that my 3 year old daughter had come along to see the animals at the auction, plus we had a large load of live chickens and bags of feed in the back and certainly couldn’t just leave them (of course, it was also threatening to rain), so we needed to find a way to patch the hole with materials we had on hand.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t carry nearly as many “emergency roadside repair supplies” (or any, for that matter) as I do, so we didn’t have much to work with. First, we waited for everything to cool down and depressurize. Thankfully, I found a piece of a heavy tarp along the highway, cut it into the size of a makeshift “patch” with a knife and used some metal wires from the chicken cages to synch it tightly around the radiator hose. I kept adding several layers of this rudimentary patch, then I removed some of the hose clamps from other radiator hoses and placed them on the area directly above and below the hole. I did this because most radiator hoses become so “fused” to the material they're coupled to over time that the clamps are no longer necessary, especially in an emergency situation.
Of course, he didn’t have any jugs of water/coolant in the truck, so we took a 1 gallon chicken water reservoir down to a nearby creek and extracted several gallons of water that we filtered through a piece of cloth. I’ve heard of guys extracting their washer fluid, or even using their own urine in dire circumstances just to get the vehicle home, haha. Of course, if you’re in an urban/suburban area, finding water isn’t nearly as difficult.
The patched area did have a very minor leak, but we stopped every few miles to check it and we collected more water when we noticed a pond along the highway. So we got the truck back to my garage and replaced the hose in about 10 minutes with one that I recently removed from another car. I always keep old hoses for making hose seperators (to prevent two radiator hoses from rubbing each other), protecting the trunk of newly planted trees, or making grippy handles on hammers, shovels, rakes, wheel barrows). Fun times.
In all four of my cars, I’m obsessed with “prepping” for the chance that they could break down. I always carry 4 gallons of coolant/water, tools, miniature 12V air compressors, decent car jacks, jack stands, jumper cables, oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, fuses, and that special “radiator hose tape.” I encourage all my friends at CF to do the same. Here are some of the essentials…
CAPTION: 12V Compressor
CAPTION: Awesome Hose Repair Tape
CAPTION: Mini Floor Jack
As Jax mentioned earlier in this thread, many newer cars are extremely reliable, usually not developing a single problem until they reach 50,000 - 100,000 miles. If you have a newer car, you probably only need to keep tire repair equipment and jumper cables in your vehicle for emergencies.
Normally, I would have just had someone pick us up and return later with my truck and my “towing bar” to get his truck back to his place. The problem was that my 3 year old daughter had come along to see the animals at the auction, plus we had a large load of live chickens and bags of feed in the back and certainly couldn’t just leave them (of course, it was also threatening to rain), so we needed to find a way to patch the hole with materials we had on hand.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t carry nearly as many “emergency roadside repair supplies” (or any, for that matter) as I do, so we didn’t have much to work with. First, we waited for everything to cool down and depressurize. Thankfully, I found a piece of a heavy tarp along the highway, cut it into the size of a makeshift “patch” with a knife and used some metal wires from the chicken cages to synch it tightly around the radiator hose. I kept adding several layers of this rudimentary patch, then I removed some of the hose clamps from other radiator hoses and placed them on the area directly above and below the hole. I did this because most radiator hoses become so “fused” to the material they're coupled to over time that the clamps are no longer necessary, especially in an emergency situation.
Of course, he didn’t have any jugs of water/coolant in the truck, so we took a 1 gallon chicken water reservoir down to a nearby creek and extracted several gallons of water that we filtered through a piece of cloth. I’ve heard of guys extracting their washer fluid, or even using their own urine in dire circumstances just to get the vehicle home, haha. Of course, if you’re in an urban/suburban area, finding water isn’t nearly as difficult.
The patched area did have a very minor leak, but we stopped every few miles to check it and we collected more water when we noticed a pond along the highway. So we got the truck back to my garage and replaced the hose in about 10 minutes with one that I recently removed from another car. I always keep old hoses for making hose seperators (to prevent two radiator hoses from rubbing each other), protecting the trunk of newly planted trees, or making grippy handles on hammers, shovels, rakes, wheel barrows). Fun times.
In all four of my cars, I’m obsessed with “prepping” for the chance that they could break down. I always carry 4 gallons of coolant/water, tools, miniature 12V air compressors, decent car jacks, jack stands, jumper cables, oil, power steering fluid, brake fluid, fuses, and that special “radiator hose tape.” I encourage all my friends at CF to do the same. Here are some of the essentials…
CAPTION: 12V Compressor
CAPTION: Awesome Hose Repair Tape
CAPTION: Mini Floor Jack
As Jax mentioned earlier in this thread, many newer cars are extremely reliable, usually not developing a single problem until they reach 50,000 - 100,000 miles. If you have a newer car, you probably only need to keep tire repair equipment and jumper cables in your vehicle for emergencies.
Last edited:
Average American
Mentor
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
- Messages
- 703
You were lucky brother.. a bad ball joint is no joke. These completely sealed, self-described "lubricated for life" ball joints can get real dangerous. I don't know what kind were on your Thunderbird, but.. The old ball joints that required occasional greasing may have been easier to keep safe, no (?)
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
Hey guys, did anyone perform any automotive repairs, buy a new/used car, purchase any new tools for their garage, or hit any high-mileage marks recently?
I just wanted to mention that my Focus rolled over to 280,000 miles (see photo below) about a week ago…
After all this time, I finally did the ball joints (which now come pressed into a new lower control arm), which was a total bitch because every bolt was frozen. Believe it or not, I’ve learned that when penetrating oil, heat, impact guns, and brute force don’t work to loosen bolts, actually tightening them first seems to help get them moving. This guy does a similar repair on a newer model Focus, so every bolt comes out effortlessly for him…
[video=youtube;cMzic2paH3E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMzic2paH3E[/video]
The amount of “preventative repairs” I’ve done are as follows:
Serpentine belt (3 times)
All radiator hoses (once)
Timing belt and waterpump (once)
Spark plugs (4 different times)
Spark plug wires (once)
Shocks/struts (all 4 wheels)
Radiator (once)
Battery (3 times)
Rotors (once)
Undercoating (I used spray paint for farm equipment)
The parts that actually malfunctioned and needed to be replaced are as follows:
Alternator (actually caught on fire)
Front wheel bearings (making terrible grinding noises)
Front transaxles (both CV joints were clicking)
Front ball joints (making noise at high speeds)
Sway bar links (both broken)
Idle air control valve (kept stalling when idling, very annoying/dangerous problem for a manual trans)
Blower motor resister (fan speeds stopped working)
Ignition cylinder (key kept getting stuck, removed tumblers from cylinder)
Then, the parts/fluids/filters that need to be routinely changed are as follows:
Oil (religiously at 3,000-5,000 miles)
Brake fluid
Power steering fluid
Fuel filter
Air filter
Front/rear brake pads
Mass air flow sensor (cleaned several times)
I should hit 300,000 miles at the end of 2015. As I mentioned previously in this thread, I won’t be getting rid of this car for any reason, come hell or high water. It’s become part of my personality and my family, friends, and co-workers have come to associate it with me. You drive something for over a decade (literally back when I was still a teenager) and you develop an unyielding loyalty. I think about all the memories, all the destinations, all the deep contemplations during long drives, etc. The car was there when I first started dating my wife, it was there for my wedding, it brought my kids home from the hospital, it’s my work car, etc. During my college days when I didn’t have any money, my wife and I used to sleep in the car while we were at the beach. Just the other day, my beloved 3.5 year old daughter was laughing about the time earlier this summer when I bought her several Rouen ducks at a livestock auction and we drove home in the car with them in the back of the hatchback...and one kept escaping the cage and tormenting us by behaving badly, flying all over the car, and making lots of noise, haha.
I just wanted to mention that my Focus rolled over to 280,000 miles (see photo below) about a week ago…
After all this time, I finally did the ball joints (which now come pressed into a new lower control arm), which was a total bitch because every bolt was frozen. Believe it or not, I’ve learned that when penetrating oil, heat, impact guns, and brute force don’t work to loosen bolts, actually tightening them first seems to help get them moving. This guy does a similar repair on a newer model Focus, so every bolt comes out effortlessly for him…
[video=youtube;cMzic2paH3E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMzic2paH3E[/video]
The amount of “preventative repairs” I’ve done are as follows:
Serpentine belt (3 times)
All radiator hoses (once)
Timing belt and waterpump (once)
Spark plugs (4 different times)
Spark plug wires (once)
Shocks/struts (all 4 wheels)
Radiator (once)
Battery (3 times)
Rotors (once)
Undercoating (I used spray paint for farm equipment)
The parts that actually malfunctioned and needed to be replaced are as follows:
Alternator (actually caught on fire)
Front wheel bearings (making terrible grinding noises)
Front transaxles (both CV joints were clicking)
Front ball joints (making noise at high speeds)
Sway bar links (both broken)
Idle air control valve (kept stalling when idling, very annoying/dangerous problem for a manual trans)
Blower motor resister (fan speeds stopped working)
Ignition cylinder (key kept getting stuck, removed tumblers from cylinder)
Then, the parts/fluids/filters that need to be routinely changed are as follows:
Oil (religiously at 3,000-5,000 miles)
Brake fluid
Power steering fluid
Fuel filter
Air filter
Front/rear brake pads
Mass air flow sensor (cleaned several times)
I should hit 300,000 miles at the end of 2015. As I mentioned previously in this thread, I won’t be getting rid of this car for any reason, come hell or high water. It’s become part of my personality and my family, friends, and co-workers have come to associate it with me. You drive something for over a decade (literally back when I was still a teenager) and you develop an unyielding loyalty. I think about all the memories, all the destinations, all the deep contemplations during long drives, etc. The car was there when I first started dating my wife, it was there for my wedding, it brought my kids home from the hospital, it’s my work car, etc. During my college days when I didn’t have any money, my wife and I used to sleep in the car while we were at the beach. Just the other day, my beloved 3.5 year old daughter was laughing about the time earlier this summer when I bought her several Rouen ducks at a livestock auction and we drove home in the car with them in the back of the hatchback...and one kept escaping the cage and tormenting us by behaving badly, flying all over the car, and making lots of noise, haha.
Attachments
Last edited:
Thrashen I have 425K on my 1991 Acura Integra that I bought new. I recently purchased an Audi S4. Night and day between the cars. I will still keep the Integra and repaint it. I've have kept it so long, because it was the 1st brand new car I ever bought. It still runs like a champ. Gets around 30 mpg. I have several mods on it. It was rated at 120 HP new. I have been able to up the HP to 150.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
Wow, that is amazing mileage! Were any major parts changed? I hope to achieve that with my car(s) one day. Just this past weekend, I was doing a side job in my garage for a guy that owns a 1993 Dodge Dakota with 360,000 miles. Trust me, the guy didn’t “baby†it, as the truck is beat beyond belief, but it just keeps running. Same clutch, same engine, same exhaust system…even the same alternator. Since the truck has major alignment problems, it destroys tires constantly, so I was mounting/balancing all new tires.
werewolf
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- May 6, 2011
- Messages
- 5,997
Excellent! That beats out the two 300K + vehicles I've had. What's your secret? Mine is using Mobil 1 engine oil and rarely changing it.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
Have any of you guys been doing any repairs to your cars with the onset of spring? Anyone having problems with their daily driver? Anyone buy a beater car, a used car, or a new car recently? Anyone buy any new tools that they liked or didn't like?
Unfortunately, I worked straight through one of PA coldest and snowiest winters in decades in my unheated garage doing side jobs for people on the weekends. Lots of people hitting potholes and ruining wheel bearings, ball joints, and sway bar links. Did a few radiators, alternators, and about 3 different fuel pumps, too.
Last weekend, I did an auto repair for a guy at work, who had a rear coil spring break. He took it to a mechanic and was given a ridiculous quote for replacement. Rear coil springs (that aren’t mounted on a strut) are one of the most dangers parts of car due to the high potential for...well, flying off and killing people. In the past, I used to take them off by removing the lower control arm and prying them out with a large pry bar. After a few too many close calls, I decided to buy an internal spring compressor for this job. This tool worked great and made the job very safe for $50…
I already have an external spring compressor (see below), but this usually won't fit on smaller cars with unmounted coil springs...
I'd highly recommend it for DIY'ers or weekend mechanics.
Unfortunately, I worked straight through one of PA coldest and snowiest winters in decades in my unheated garage doing side jobs for people on the weekends. Lots of people hitting potholes and ruining wheel bearings, ball joints, and sway bar links. Did a few radiators, alternators, and about 3 different fuel pumps, too.
Last weekend, I did an auto repair for a guy at work, who had a rear coil spring break. He took it to a mechanic and was given a ridiculous quote for replacement. Rear coil springs (that aren’t mounted on a strut) are one of the most dangers parts of car due to the high potential for...well, flying off and killing people. In the past, I used to take them off by removing the lower control arm and prying them out with a large pry bar. After a few too many close calls, I decided to buy an internal spring compressor for this job. This tool worked great and made the job very safe for $50…
I already have an external spring compressor (see below), but this usually won't fit on smaller cars with unmounted coil springs...
I'd highly recommend it for DIY'ers or weekend mechanics.
My son just went out and bought an old beater pick-up. I wasn't too happy about it but he wanted a pick up because that's what kids like him drive. He never was much for working on cars and such so as much as I tried to show him stuff he wasn't interested. Well surprise, surprise, nothing needs a lot of care like an old Ford pick up, so while it's a pain in the ass to have to work on the old thing he is learning about batteries, alternators, fuel pumps, power steering, etc. There is no better teacher then experience driven by need.
FootballDad
Hall of Famer
My oldest son is currently out in the driveway installing body parts on his 97 T-Bird. He had a minor fender-bender with a large truck (not a scratch on the truck, so no insurance/accident report). He had to go to the salvage yard and get a hood, fender, bumper cover, mirror and a few other incidental items.
It's a great learning experience for him.
It's a great learning experience for him.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
Cool, I hope he does well with it. I have an F-150 from the 1990’s myself and it’s still running strong with over 200,000 miles. My truck (the in-line 6 cylinder), as well as other Ford trucks I’ve worked on, all seem to have similar problems…
Rusting in the wheel wells/fenders above the rear wheel.
Front coils springs that become weak over time and cause the camber angle of the front wheels to turn outward and wear the inside walls of tires.
Lower radiator bracket/mount tends to rust out prematurely.
Pitman arm fails for various reasons.
Oil pan gasket tends to bulge out and cause a slow oil leak.
Coolant leak at bottom of the aluminun thermostat housing, which warps.
Aluminum bracket that controls 4-wheel drive shifter linkage breaks. This is a real bitch to change, believe you me. It’s easier to just weld them in place.
Gas tanks rust out and leak, usually around the 15-year mark.
I’d highly recommend undercoating any older F-150, as the rust problems in the undercarriage are notorious. I was so tired of the rust in mine that I spent a few days painting it with oil-based implement/equipment paint, and it worked great…
I’ll normally use any tool brand and I’m not very picky, but I wanted to recommend “Milwaukee.†My parents got me the cordless impact for my birthday last year and got some other tools that fit the same batteries. Of course, I don’t simply use them for automotive, but for working with wood and metal projects, too. Great battery life, quick charge, durability, power, etc...
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
Yes, it imparts a great sense of self-confidence for a white teenager in world that ceaselessly attempts to rob them of it. I never had an accident involving another car, but I clipped a deer when I was 16 or 17 that caused lots of cosmetic damage to my first car (a Ford Festiva, haha). I just continued to drive it the way it was (it still ran and drove, but the grill/lights/hood/fender were demolished), before my dad made me do the same thing. 12 years later and no car of mine has ever been to a mechanic. Hopefully it fuels a desire for him to do all his own repairs in the future, thus permitting him to drive beater cars and save the money associated with car payments and repairs.
FootballDad
Hall of Famer
If he follows my example at all, then that's what will happen. All of my cars are "beaters" although they look good and are mechanically sound. The only time my cars see a mechanic is to get the bi-yearly Missouri safety inspections done. And if anything is amiss, I take it home, fix it, and bring it back, which always seems to aggravate the auto repair techs and managers.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
Hey guys, did anyone perform any automotive repairs, buy a new/used car, purchase any new tools for their garage, or hit any high-mileage marks recently?
I just wanted to mention that my Focus rolled over to 280,000 miles (see photo below) about a week ago…
After all this time, I finally did the ball joints (which now come pressed into a new lower control arm), which was a total bitch because every bolt was frozen. Believe it or not, I’ve learned that when penetrating oil, heat, impact guns, and brute force don’t work to loosen bolts, actually tightening them first seems to help get them moving. This guy does a similar repair on a newer model Focus, so every bolt comes out effortlessly for him…
[video=youtube;cMzic2paH3E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMzic2paH3E[/video]
The amount of “preventative repairs†I’ve done are as follows:
Serpentine belt (3 times)
All radiator hoses (once)
Timing belt and waterpump (once)
Spark plugs (4 different times)
Spark plug wires (once)
Shocks/struts (all 4 wheels)
Radiator (once)
Battery (3 times)
Rotors (once)
Undercoating (I used spray paint for farm equipment)
The parts that actually malfunctioned and needed to be replaced are as follows:
Alternator (actually caught on fire)
Front wheel bearings (making terrible grinding noises)
Front transaxles (both CV joints were clicking)
Front ball joints (making noise at high speeds)
Sway bar links (both broken)
Idle air control valve (kept stalling when idling, very annoying/dangerous problem for a manual trans)
Blower motor resister (fan speeds stopped working)
Ignition cylinder (key kept getting stuck, removed tumblers from cylinder)
Then, the parts/fluids/filters that need to be routinely changed are as follows:
Oil (religiously at 3,000-5,000 miles)
Brake fluid
Power steering fluid
Fuel filter
Air filter
Front/rear brake pads
Mass air flow sensor (cleaned several times)
I should hit 300,000 miles at the end of 2015. As I mentioned previously in this thread, I won’t be getting rid of this car for any reason, come hell or high water. It’s become part of my personality and my family, friends, and co-workers have come to associate it with me. You drive something for over a decade (literally back when I was still a teenager) and you develop an unyielding loyalty. I think about all the memories, all the destinations, all the deep contemplations during long drives, etc. The car was there when I first started dating my wife, it was there for my wedding, it brought my kids home from the hospital, it’s my work car, etc. During my college days when I didn’t have any money, my wife and I used to sleep in the car while we were at the beach. Just the other day, my beloved 3.5 year old daughter was laughing about the time earlier this summer when I bought her several Rouen ducks at a livestock auction and we drove home in the car with them in the back of the hatchback...and one kept escaping the cage and tormenting us by behaving badly, flying all over the car, and making lots of noise, haha.
The 2001 Ford Focus I mentioned in the post above rolled over to 300,000 miles this week! For my entire adult life thus far, this car has always been there for me and I plan to honor its years of service by doing anything in my power to keep it running forever. Granted, over the years I’ve changed almost every single part, with the only untouched components being the fuel pump, clutch, power steering pump, rear wheel bearings, and the entire exhaust system. Since I’m obsessed with undercoating (I use heavy-duty black spray paint used for farm tractors), there is absolutely zero rust on this entire car. I use “touch-up†paint on every nick, scrape, and scratch. The car leaks no fluids, burns no oil, and still drives straight and smooth. My wife and I have never had a car payment, which enabled us to make substantial principal payments on our mortgage over the years. We recently liberated ourselves of Jewish Loan Game and paid off our house in full (I’m 29 and she’s 30), permitting me to finally purchase many automotive tools that I’ve needed for years. My favorite new tool is a bearing/hub press, which looks similar to this one, which was only around $150…
I’ve also purchased a few cars that were broken down, fixed them up, and sold them for a few hundred $ profit. Most recently, a guy at work sold me a 2002 Saturn SL2 for $500 that looked exactly like this…
These are really long-lasting little cars, but this one was overheating because the water pump wasn’t functioning, so he was driving it with the heater blasting at all times to dissipate heat through the heater core. Despite my pleas to simply fix his Saturn, he got a loan and bought a brand new car ($30,000 truck) this past summer and his old car sat. I fixed the pump, changed all fluids, changed out a radiator hose, got it inspected, and sold it to my neighbor’s son a few weeks later.
Even though we already have 3 cars (F-150, Focus, Explorer), they’re all “reliable beaters†with high miles and minimum insurance coverage. My parents have a 2011 Jeep Compass Latitude (only 50,000 miles) and I’m thinking about buying it in the next few months and only using it for longer trips. Looks like this…
I know nothing about Jeeps...anybody ever have this model?
Have any of you guys being doing anything automotive recently?
LOL, in a matter of minutes I am taking my 1991 Acura Integra to be detailed. Last March I had it repainted. The detail will include a polish and wax and shampoo of the interior. As of right now I have 425,000 miles on her. In my stable I have the fore mention vehicle plus a cherry 1966 Ford Mustang and a 2015 Audi S4. I love cars
Leonardfan
Hall of Famer
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2006
- Messages
- 23,267
That's impressive for both of you to keep those cars running so long. Just goes to show what proper maintenance and mechanical knowledge can do. I miss my Ford Ranger - wish I never got rid of it.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
How does everyone feel about Bmw's? I just purchased a 2013 328i xdrive. The handling is incredible, just about everything is great. Does Bmw really have a bad reputation for electronic problems?
WA33, I heard that BMW is tip top for the first 3 years. After that, major problems all around. If you can buy the extended warranty. I bought the extended warranty for my 2015 Audi S4. Instead of 3 years, I have 7 years and 100K miles. Well worth it, and peace of mind.
whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
Thanks! The extended warranty is 4,000. I am considering it.
Thrashen
Hall of Famer
I was driving in my 300,000-mile beater car (Ford Focus) last week and noticed that brake fluid was leaking onto my feet and spilling on my carpets whenever I pressed the clutch pedal. Despite being several hundred miles from home (for work), I managed to get it home to my garage to check it out. Turns out the rubber seal on my “master clutch cylinder” (which draws from the brake fluid reservoir) was shot. Given the cramped quarters under the dash, it was kind of annoying to change, but the part was only $25. This guy did a similar repair in this video…
[video=youtube;9ZDMc3BSmBs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZDMc3BSmBs[/video]
The bad part…
If any of you guys are interested in some really informative DIY auto repair channels on YouTube, here are a few I watch religiously…
Eric the Car Guy:
https://www.youtube.com/user/EricTheCarGuy
Chris Fix:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PaintballOO7
South Main Auto:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtA...liY7ko1PBhzTHA
Any of you guys do any work on your daily drivers recently?
On a side note, I wanted to mention a car care product that really works great, that being “RainX Anti-Fog.” With the wife always talking and little kids breathing, all our cars get very foggy windows. This product works amazingly well to prevent window fog from forming whatsoever. For $3.00, I was very impressed...
[video=youtube;9ZDMc3BSmBs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZDMc3BSmBs[/video]
The bad part…
If any of you guys are interested in some really informative DIY auto repair channels on YouTube, here are a few I watch religiously…
Eric the Car Guy:
https://www.youtube.com/user/EricTheCarGuy
Chris Fix:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PaintballOO7
South Main Auto:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtA...liY7ko1PBhzTHA
Any of you guys do any work on your daily drivers recently?
On a side note, I wanted to mention a car care product that really works great, that being “RainX Anti-Fog.” With the wife always talking and little kids breathing, all our cars get very foggy windows. This product works amazingly well to prevent window fog from forming whatsoever. For $3.00, I was very impressed...