Messages

31

General Auto Tech / Re: The Green Mile went Home

« on: November 11 2023, 03:34:42 PM »

Wow that is neat ! Happy birthday, Joe! My dad's was yesterday. I was born too late but 4 hours

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General Auto Tech / Re: The Green Mile went Home

« on: November 11 2023, 01:19:30 PM »

In '94, Mazda went to 1.8.  Many actually like the 1.6 as it revs a bit quicker...migh t be because one has to downshift more often.  I put a header and free flowing exhaust on mine.  Might have 2-3 more hp but it sounds good!

Jeremy, I hate to hear the news about your Dad.  Mine had a very severe stroke in the mid seventies and lived til 1999 but he could not speak well, refused therapy and was mean.  He was always trying to marry someone half his age and making all kinds of promises to them.  Had to establish a guardianship over him and my brother was nearby and I was not so my brother was in charge.  That made it worse because they did not get along at all.  It was not a fun time.  Hopefully, you don't have that kind of problem.

As far as throwing stuff away.  I swear as soon as I throw something away, I end up needing it and buying it again.  SMH.  My short term memory is  flaky.  I remember putting something up so I can find it but I don't remember where the heck I put it.  Does not help that I have too much stuff for too many cars.  My long term memory is good but that is not unusual.  I am lucky because I am reasonably healthy as far as I know and I can do  most things I want to and I can still be nice to those that help me LOL

I turned 82 today and am still having fun but my motivation is not always there if I am alone which I normally am.  They had real, original fritos at the store today and I bought some and took them across the street to the cafe and told them to make me some frito pie for my birthday.  I will probably be asleep pretty soon because they made enuf for four people!

33

General Auto Tech / Re: The Green Mile went Home

« on: November 10 2023, 08:37:53 PM »

I don't gave anything that shows it really clean.  By the time I drive it down the 1/4 caliche road to my house, it is basically gray from the dust.   Here is a couple.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/18CqUkLocjawUw3X6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XRG77Hmd1pj48uut8

Mine is a 97 which is the last year of the first generation NA's with pop up headlights.  My son had a 96 but he forgot he did not have four wheel drive like his subie and lost it in the rain going around a corner.  Hit a tree.  He bought a 95 with an automatic that ran very poorly.  Pulled his drivetrain and all the harnesses, dash, etc. and put it in the '95.  Was not an easy job and he ended up with an OBDI by texas law with and OBDII drivetrain.  It is a pretty merlot color.  I gave him the soft top off mine when I installed the hard top and his has both soft and hard tops now.

Miatas are like super go karts with air conditioning.  I have done a lot of suspension work and braces on mine along with some good coil overs.  I love blasting down a curvy road in it.  I never take the hard top off because it's pretty heavy for a codger to handle.  One day I will build a hoist for it.

The second picture is the most recent.  I think I had just raised it a bit by adjusting the coil overs. It was starting to hit stuff in the road.

34

General Buick Tech / Re: Which Size Rear Tires?

« on: November 10 2023, 08:07:37 PM »

Eibach used to make a 1" lower spring. I think they stop making the G body spring.  But someone else has a set.  OEM were constant rate

35

General Buick Tech / Re: Which Size Rear Tires?

« on: November 10 2023, 04:53:24 PM »

Same size as I installed about five years ago.  They might have 300 miles on them LOL

My car is lowered about an inch and they look good

36

General Auto Tech / Re: The Green Mile went Home

« on: November 10 2023, 04:51:08 PM »

First thing I am going to do is move some stuff around inside so I have more usable space.

My Challenger has been mostly outside for two years so it can go in, or my GN can come out from under the carport and into the shop and the Challenger can go there.

I think I bent a control arm on the Miata.  After Taylor and I installed the new set of coilovers On Labor Day, we noticed that we had to hold a little left in the steering wheel.  I had not noticed it before or after the latest install, but Taylor noticed as soon as he drove it.  I was fixing to do a string alignment on it to see if I could get it to zero toe without having to change the control arm.  Right front has some definite toe out.  I need to do that.  Car is on my four post lift waiting on me.  Fixing to be too cold for the summer ultraperforman ce tires.

Both Buicks need some attention.  Both need AC work and the T needs a new oil pan gasket while the GN has a new alky kit to install.

Then my gokart has not been touched since I bought the engine rebuild kit.

My biggest problem is that my motivation is almost zero when I am by myself.  My back gets tired standing up so I either lay on the floor to work or sit in the chair and tell Taylor how to do something when he is here. LOL

37

General Auto Tech / The Green Mile went Home

« on: November 10 2023, 10:01:46 AM »

My son drove it home Tuesday. It was running good and we had driven it a 100 miles round trip to San Angelo prior.

The 2500 rpm converter is more like 1700 rpm which means it is fighting against the engine at idle. Engine needs to be around 850-900 in gear which translates to about 1050-1100 in Park. The tight converter kills the vacuum and it has a little cough when the pedal is mashed from a stop. After all the hassle we had before we found the flex plate was out of spec, neither one of us wanted to drop the tranny for about the fifth time. That thing made me old.

It ran good til he was half way home. That was about 75 miles after a gas stop.  It got worse and worse until it stopped running about 15 miles from his home.

No fuel in the front bowl and not much in the rear. He has had no time to look at due to the end of daylight savings time. I am guessing brust in the tank but it might have been bad gas at the last stop, or the new fuel pump started going out.  We shall see.  I was afraid it was my HEI ignition system that had angered the Mopar gods but the further he drove, the less it seemed like ignition and the more it was the fuel side.

It gets a lot of attention when going down the road. That's for sure.   I'll link a video in a little bit.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fd22SduJgz9Qij9x9

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General Buick Tech / Re: Which Size Rear Tires?

« on: November 10 2023, 08:52:22 AM »

Can't argue with "Been there, Done that"

Diameter on the M/Ts is a bit over 27".  Plenty of guys have run well on them and they will not hit the fender lips.  For a good weather tire, I think that Brad has the right solution for your needs

39

Paint and Body / Re: Painting OEM black (W8555-WA848) or another Black color

« on: November 10 2023, 12:06:04 AM »

Julio, it looks like you have done a good job so far.  I have only painted one car in my life and I painted like I colored with crayons.  Not well at all.  they say Prep is 90% of the job.  I also figure having dry air in the hose is 90%.   

40

General Buick Tech / Re: Which Size Rear Tires?

« on: November 09 2023, 09:03:39 PM »

For a car running 20 psi boost or more, the 28" tire will usually out run 26" tires (both with 3.42 gears).  Taller tire is faster out of the hole and generally on the top end as well depending on equivalent cams.  That is my experience.

On the other hand, 255 tires often run just as quickly as 275's on launch as the length of the patch is more important than the width.  Of course, if one has enuf more horsepower than usual, the width may contribute a little more.

The speedometer issue easy to resolve as a switch to a yellow gear brings it back in line.

Modern chips are not bothered by tire diameter as many of the factory functions have been disabled or ignored.

The problem comes with simply finding a tire in the desired size as 15s and 16s are basically obsolete in our tire ranges.

I went to 255s on my GN.  Went back to stock speedo gear.  It has 16" wheels.  My T has 15" rims and I am tired of the tire scuff.  I guess rolling the lips would fix that.  A lot of cars seem to have the axle offset a bit to one side or the other.  My GN did not scuff but it was really close.

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General Buick Tech / Re: Which Size Rear Tires?

« on: November 09 2023, 05:52:22 PM »

Ok, I don't see anything. May need some 17" wheels. SMH

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General Buick Tech / Re: Which Size Rear Tires?

« on: November 09 2023, 05:45:06 PM »

The 255-50s are a bit short I think. Getting hard to find 15s.  If they make a 255-55, that would be closer to a 26" diameter, I think

43

Paint and Body / Re: Painting OEM black (W8555-WA848) or another Black color

« on: November 08 2023, 09:10:45 AM »

The original paints varied a lot in color and quality.  Most seemed to have brown in them.

This was very popular at one time.  I don't know if it has been replaced or not but it was gorgeous in my eyes.  Dupont code G9900S Super Jet Black

44

General Buick Tech / Re: Oil Pump Question

« on: October 25 2023, 06:41:39 PM »

That's what I would do

45

General Buick Tech / Re: Oil Pump Question

« on: October 25 2023, 03:19:41 PM »

I believe you could do that, but there should be a spring that prevents the plunger from moving until the back pressure gets to about 20 psi.  As I recall, the metal part is staked to keep it in position to hold the assembly in place.