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    1. Home
    2. hayzer911
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    hayzer911

    @hayzer911

    ~1997 Dodge Ram Sport
    ~1976 MG MGB Roadster
    ~2010 Ford Taurus
    ~2006 Arctic Cat F6

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    Best posts made by hayzer911

    • Fitting In

      I'm not sure how familiar the ol' MGB is to the people of Oppo, but it's time I find out. I recently went and bought myself one for two reasons: no rust, nice paint, cheap price. I suppose that's actually three reasons. But, I found myself buying a car that I have had absolutely no interest in for the last 18 years. Worst part - I probably won't even fit in it!

      Regardless of my second thoughts, I do still find myself enjoying the idea of making money off of this P.O.S MG. I find myself knowing a lot less on the cars than I thought, mainly with values.

      We'll see how she goes, and I'll keep everyone posted on the progress if you wish.
      6533585E-6FB0-497D-8642-6C796EA5E44A_1_201_a.jpeg
      Cheers.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • We Needed This...

      Yesterday, I was surprised to come home from work and see the MG Beater parked in the driveway with the top down. My immediate assumption was that my brother serviced the brakes while I was at work, and he wanted to stake it out quickly and see if they were alright.

      The first half of my assumption was true. The other half not as much. A quick drive down the road led to a three hour, 99 mile trip around the Finger Lakes of Upstate NY. The car didn't skip a beat, and I was quite surprised to find out how comfortable you can be with the top down on a 60 degree October afternoon. Never got too cold, and nothing broke along the way.

      I've owned the car for 6 months. It's about time I could go out and enjoy it.IMG_1178.JPG

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • Broken Down...

      In mid-October, I took the ol' MG Beater out for a spin to enjoy the fall colors and, well, myself. For the first time since I've owned the car, it appeared as if everything worked as it should. It was an excellent drive. Until it wasn't.
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      All at once, I began witnessing a "ticking" sound followed by a random plume of exhaust fumes filling the cabin. Smell, sight, and sound all came at once, and I immediately pulled over to catch my breath. Seeing smoke, my initial thought was a little overheating. This was sadly not the case as nothing was overly hot and the temp gauge was still reading normal. Hmmmm.

      I tried limping the car home and as soon as the noise got worse, I stopped. Thankfully I was only a couple miles from home at this point, so I called home and several minutes later, my truck came down the road to rescue me.
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      With the car now home, we fire it up to see exactly what seems to be the issue. My initial thought when smelling exhaust in the cabin was that there was a stuck valve somewhere that wasn't being very PC. To diagnose what cylinder was actually causing the issues, we pulled the plug wires of every cylinder and found the ticking stopped when cylinder #3 wire was pulled. Hmmmm part 2.

      Assessing the situation, we noticed a bit of coolant in areas that it wasn't supposed to be. Slightly lacking compression in the middle two cylinders also made us consider the possibility of it being something as simple as a head gasket.
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      We pull the rocker assembly off and no rocker arms are bent or valve springs on the frits. Pulled the head and noticed the exhaust valve for cylinder #3 was a little hot at one time. A clue?

      Not really surprised as I figured something else was at play, the head gasket looked fine. Any possible issues with a piston kicking the bucket were also unfound and the cylinder was in excellent shape. Hmmmm once again.
      30E875CD-DEEA-49DC-9468-A977268CFDFA.jpeg
      I took the head to a local machinist and although he said he didn't have time for any new projects, I gave it to him to look at anyway. Upon quick inspection he was rather impressed with the machining that had been done prior to my ownership. But there was nothing obviously wrong here. Shame, I'd like to get to the bottom of it.

      He asks me a little more about what was actually happening and I told him the story. After seeing the head gasket was fine, we had figured that there was a possibility that a rod bearing had gone bad, but I wasn't going to check without a second opinion.

      I had mentioned that when I first went to purchase the car and see if it ran, the previous owner had dumped a little coolant into the valve cover thinking it was oil. I stopped him quickly but my machinist thinks that could have been icing on the cake for one of these bearings. No more hmmmmms for the moment.

      So now I'm getting finals out of the way before I take the head back down to have him acid dip it and clean it up. In the meantime, I plan on draining the oil and pulling the oil pan to see what goodies I can find. If nothing, it might be time to pull the engine. If there's any good news, I had ordered a full gasket set prior anyway and was slightly excited to see the inner workings of an MG 64 horsepower engine. There ain't much to discuss, and not being able to find the issue yet is getting quite annoying.

      This car? Annoying? No, never...

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • She's Topless (NSFW)

      C93A41BA-CE96-472B-915D-FFC01AB72FEE.jpeg
      I'm just kidding, this is totally safe for work. I took the top off the ol' MGBeater and am hoping to have the frame spray painted and properly straightened before I apply the new top. Oh by the way, I bought a new top.

      Part of me wishes I didn't because a) it was a lot of money and b) the old one wasn't terrible, but whatever helps get this thing out of my garage the fastest, I'll manage.

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      Mechanically, this thing runs like a top! We've taken it down the road quite a few times now and have found that it's not cold blooded. Once we got the clutch worked in (had to replace the slave and clutch master) we got this thing shifting smooth and riding nice. Choke likes to hang up, but that also could have been because it was hanging outside the car when we bought it. That's now back in place, we'll see if it helps.

      Next up is pulling the motor and replacing all the gaskets. I ordered several kits from Moss in order to hopefully find where the oil is seeping and stop if from continuing. It could also use a coat of fresh blue spray paint as well.

      499FBF92-C3A7-4751-87C8-5754773C7B0C.jpeg

      Interior needs to be sorted, mainly the carpets. One of this car's drawbacks when I sell it will be the massive tear in the drivers seat. Personally it doesn't bother me, so I'm more than happy keeping it there for the next owner to deal with. Oh, and the pioneer stereo is a must on this thing. I applaud whoever left a Now That's What I Call Music 6 CD in there for me to enjoy.

      Until next time, I'm hoping MG doesn't stand for Many Gremlins, because I've already found enough to make me want to crash the car into a tree.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • New motor, who dis?

      Don't worry, I'll off myself for that title. But before that...
      IMG_1361.JPG
      Once I pulled the crank out of my MG engine and had it labeled as "scrap" (which didn't surprise me), I panicked and had no idea what I wanted to do next. The two most prominent thoughts in my head were 1) get a new motor or 2) get a new crank and rebuild the one I've got. Well I just so happened to get lucky.

      I found a guy about an hour and a half from me that had both a standard size crank in good shape AND a rebuilt-ish motor. He's an MG guy and as most MG guys are, he's got tons of useless parts that he's acquired over the years. He rebuilt this motor about 5 years ago for a guy who then put about 3,000 miles on it in one year. The engine got pulled for some reason (the guy wanted an engine from the same year as his car), sold this one back to the guy, and had him build another.

      Regardless, I'm excited to pop this thing in and see what I've got. Price was reasonable and I got the crank just in case I decide to rebuild mine yet in the future. But we'll break down on that bridge when we get there.

      Speaking of broken down... the engine wouldn't fit in the Taurus and I would have been able to strap it to the luggage rack of the MG had the engine not been blown. But picking it up meant taking my 27 y/o truck with 227,000 miles, exhaust that needs, well... it needs exhaust, oil leaks, and worst of all, I haven't really been driving my truck since January.

      With all that in mind, I am glad to report that the 200 mile journey was eaten up and spat up by the old Dodge, despite the odds being stacked against it.

      I wasn't worried...

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • MGB Misery

      It's been a while since I've been active. I would apologize however I know nobody cares, so I'll at least say "you're welcome."

      As some of you may be aware, last March I went ahead and bought a car that I've always disliked and had no interest in purchasing. As I am not a retired man or a married female, MGs have never really taken my interest. You see them everywhere, and there's really nothing special about them.

      My brother and I share the same outlook on the topic. So I was surprised when he called me on the phone, describing a "decent" rubber bumper MGB over the phone. I have been looking for a project car for a while, and knowing the values of these piles, I figured it might be less of a "project" and more of a "run it, beat it, blow it up."
      CFEF94CF-AE71-4D3C-AF01-1D8C77C9B161_1_201_a.jpeg
      I had the day off school and decided to make the drive to see the car. There's a Taco Bell not too far from where the car was, so even if it ended up being something pulled out of grandads back field or even someone else's unfinished project, at the very least, I could grab some top-tier dining at the Bell. Surprisingly enough, pulling up to the driveway where the car was sitting slightly shocked me. A presentable MG B in a unique color with well rusted but still interesting wire wheels. Hmmmm...

      First impression was a 2015 NYS inspection sticker and an equally expired registration. I knock on the guy's door and it opens, where I meet a retired truck driver. I felt kinda bad because I could see that I'd interrupted his episode of Walker: Texas Ranger and knowing how good of a show that was, I almost ran away in shame. Thankfully I didn't, though, because he was appeared ready for a stranger to knock on his door. Probably wasn't expecting a teenager, and hopefully he wasn't hoping for anyone younger.

      Nonetheless, we talk over the car, I looked and poked and kicked and asked him how much he'd like. Keep in mind that my brother had told me "An easy buy at $3k". Low and behold, the owners shoots out a number way further out than I was expecting. All said and done, I paid $1 per cubic centimeter and away we went.
      C93A41BA-CE96-472B-915D-FFC01AB72FEE.jpeg
      Getting it home was an issue. We got it running, but the clutch wasn't engaging. Instead of starting it in gear and speed shifting it to our destination, we decided it would be just as easy to find a trailer and get it home that way. We were wrong.

      A few weeks go by and we get it home, the previous owner so sick of it sitting in his driveway that he offers to tow it to us, free of charge. We didn't want to go that route, as I already felt I stole his car, but eventually that was what we had to do.

      We had ordered a new clutch master cylinder, slave, and hose in order to fix the first issue with the clutch. It was at that moment I put my very first order into Mossmotors.com, and it was far from the last. Additionally, the car had come with a new brake master cylinder, as another thing stopping us from driving the car home was that there were no brakes. These parts now installed, it was time to take the ol' Abingdon roadster for a spin. Literally. We spent the next hour or so doing burnouts on the concrete in our garage and launching it onto the snowy driveway outside. It was a little R and D to make sure everything was working properly.

      My next order of operation was to try my hand at restoring old British wire wheels. It was at this moment where I was actually glad I didn't have an E-Type Jag or a Triumph TR-4 sitting in the garage, because restoring wires on an MG is much less nerving. I grinded away on three wheels, one taking me a total of 25.5 hours to get perfect to where I wanted it.
      12F4EB07-D533-41C0-AC1F-43A5969E4AE4.jpeg
      Not to toot my own horn, but I got the wheels looking phenomenal with the only mistake being how much time I had spent on them. A win for me thusfar, but I still have yet to do the fourth wheel in fear that it will take another day or more to get back to new.

      In addition, I had decided it would be nice to order a new top, as the old one was in pretty bad shape. Initially, I thought only the plastic windows would need to be replaced, but it was definitely best to do the whole thing. And as my brother and I had never done a convertible top on anything before, this was one of my greatest stresses about the whole project. And because of this, it was four months before we actually fitted the top, finally getting it done the night before my deadline of September 9, 2022.

      Between not knowing what the proper glue to use was and panicking that the top would sag as much as Nancy Pelosi's face, it took a while for both of us to gather the strength to finally endeavor across this uncharted path. I set the top out in the sun for a day, allowing it to stretch, and we got to it.
      678AD3F2-04F7-4975-8F86-2FE9C50BD3D8.jpeg
      Immediately we ran into a problem. We had a glue we were going to attempt to use, but we struggled to actually understand how the top was fitted to the header rail. I had spent the four months between ordering the new top/ taking off the old one researching and forgetting how it was supposed to be fitted. Mercifully, we did get it right the first time we tried, but I now had to get ready and go to work.

      Another week passes and I continually panic as to whether the glue we have is the glue we need. The day prior to the deadline, I bite the bullet and we go with what we have, knowing that there's no turning back if we make a mistake. And withe the Buffalo Bills kickoff playing on the radio in the background, we get the damn thing to stick. We sit back, take a break (as we held onto the vinyl for dear life), and decided we were going to finish. And not to toot my own horn, but this also turned out better than expected.
      0A901A80-1BBF-4B55-B91D-14925499AC20.jpeg
      The wrinkles along the sides have since straightened out nicely and there is minimal sag and no wrinkles throughout the center. Definitely a job well done and worthy of a quick pat on the back.

      As you would expect with these cars, it is always one step forward, two steps back. I was able to drive the car from the time we fixed the clutch and brake systems, and thankfully we were able to work some quirks out along the way. I was driving it illegally for that time, as we were chasing wires wondering why I didn't have turn signals, a horn, reverse lights, and pretty much everything else needed for a valid NYS inspection. This made for an excellent senior prom experience, but I won't bore you with the details of that.

      We had fixed the tail lights, high beams, and marker lights just in time for the hazards, turn signals, and brake lights not to continue functioning. Additionally, when I went to move the car one night, my starter was sticking every time I turned the key. This led to a frustrating diagnosis that took us about two months to solve. I was able to drive the car illegally every so often up until this point, when I finally decided to park the car for good and figure out what was going wrong.

      I am no wiring technician, so I gave my brother full control over the workings of Lucas electronics. Why do the British drink warm beer? Because their refrigerators were designed by Lucas.
      0720B04A-4CAC-4AC3-996E-1F02B79A63CF.jpeg
      One of the biggest things we were able to conclude that Leyland enjoyed pushing mechanics to their suicide through these electrical systems. Also, a mechanic "friend" of the previous owner had the idea to try and correct this problem his own way, making matters worse. We studied the wiring diagram in our Haynes manual and half matched, while the other half was cobbled together by a gorilla playing with spaghetti.

      We spent the entire summer diagnosing and solving, running wires back to where they needed to go. In doing so, we got everything to work as it should APART from the starter issue. At this point, we had two cars. One where everything worked and the starter stuck and another where the starter wouldn't stick but you lost everything needed for a NYS inspection.

      It was numerous weeks of torture, looking at a the same wiring, the same switches, and the same diagram hoping we hadn't overlooked anything stupid. We searched online, and found an interesting problem that these MGB's were notorious to have. "If you are starting your car and the starter sticks, check your brake diode." Um, what?

      We tear the brake diode out, and sure enough, all our problems are solved. The diode runs from a brake warning light on the dash through your hazard switch (which powers your wipers, turn signals, cigar lighter, brake lights, reverse lights, and of course your hazards). From there, it runs back to your ignition (which we had previously replaced, hoping that was our issue) and e-brake. Diodes are designed so that power flows in on direction, and when they go bad, they start back feeding electricity to other components they shouldn't. In this case, the brake service warning light was supposed to remain on for 5 seconds after turning the key, then turning off unless a) your emergency brake was on or b) you needed to bleed your brakes. Therefore, with the diode for the "brake service warning lamp" going bad, we had electricity back feeding to the ignition and starter, making it stick until you disconnect the battery. Apparently, there are extreme cases where you can engage your starter with the e-brake alone!
      499FBF92-C3A7-4751-87C8-5754773C7B0C.jpeg
      We finally were able to drive the car in mid-August for the first time in over a month, where everything worked and I could enjoy myself driving it. I take it for a drive to pick up a pizza for dinner, when now I find a new issue. Smelling fuel, I look underneath the car to find my fuel pump is leaking.

      F**k. One step forward, two steps back.

      My appointment to get the little devil inspected was now a day away, and I didn't have the ability to get an electronic fuel pump delivered by the time of my appointment. Until my brother remembered that his 1979 Ramcharger had a similar issue a few years back, and he remembered having to buy a new electronic fuel pump for that. Although we could drive the car with leaking fuel, I could not justify consistently filling the tank, just for it to drain all over our nice concrete floor. Given today's fuel prices, I don't see any reason as to why anyone would want non-ethanol collecting dust on the ground.

      Get that fixed, get the car inspected, and everything looks great. So great in fact that my brother takes the car on a wine tour with his friends, expecting to have his first good time with the car. Well...
      IMG_1171 2.jpg
      We lost brakes. Then, just as quickly, the fronts started locking up. And then, because this was about three weeks prior to putting the top on, it started to rain and he limped the car home in the rain with nothing but a windshield to protect him and the inside from the only rain shower of the summer. He wasn't the happiest camper in the park, but we knew there would be another problem somewhere.

      The car sits for another two weeks. We begin fiddling with the top while it's out of commission, and figure part of our issue is that we never fully adjusted the rear drums when we put the brake master cylinder on way back at the beginning of our adventure. Adjust the drums, and we get brakes.

      Now, if anyone is still with me here, you may remember a mention that the deadline for this car was September 9, 2022. The date is very specific as it is very special. Living in the village of Watkins Glen, we have a celebration the Friday after Labor Day every year known as the Vintage Grand Prix Festival. On this day, we celebrate the return of road racing in America after World War II, the creation of the SCCA, and the very first Watkins Glen Grand Prix. People from all over the northeast bring their classic and modern sports cars to participate in road rallies, car shows, and laps around the original Watkins Glen Grand Prix circuit on the streets of the village.
      B84598F7-BFD9-454C-9911-BFA8A27F6FCC.jpeg
      This year's celebration was of Bugatti and Mustang, however all marques are welcomed to join in on the festivities. My original intent was to enter the MG Beater in a road rally, glue a FOR SALE sign on the window, and actually enjoy myself for a change. But as all the rallies were booked out, this was no longer an option.

      Nonetheless, the main event of the evening is when the historic race cars competing in SVRA competition at Watkins Glen International come down into the streets of Watkins Glen, do some parade laps around the original course, and then head back up to the track to be put through their paces over the weekend.
      3FAF01D2-9FD5-4762-A3A5-FE8AD82B3A79.jpeg
      It's one of the greatest vintage racing events of the year, attracting a large crowd of enthusiasts. It was the perfect marketplace for an MG like mine.

      Or so I thought.

      I had set my campsite up at the track and had hoped that my purchase of a FOR SALE sign at Walmart would prove to be successful. However, I was somewhat parked in a low-traffic area of the racetrack with MGs surrounding me on both sides. Although there was interest in the vehicle, nobody nibbled and made an offer like I had asked.
      10E0AA61-5759-4AF2-B42D-5798CBFF71DA.jpeg
      I had kept to myself that there were brake issues once again with the vehicle in hopes that someone would make an offer on the spot, cash in hand, and take the wretched vehicle off my hands. But in all honesty, I didn't feel that selling a vehicle with no brakes was the best idea, and I purposefully kept it out of view. Once I lost brakes heading up to the track, I knew the notion of a sale was washed down the hill and into the lake.
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      It's the amount of MGs at this event in particular that always thrusted my hate towards them. There were always so many, and they were always all the same sh*t boxes. I knew this even ten years ago when I first visited WGI at the Vintage Grand Prix of Watkins Glen. However, here I am in possession of one, begging and pleading that someone take it off my hands.

      Yet, it's almost comical how stereotypical my experience has been. People from all over, even here on Oppo, warned me that the road would be rough, but I figured I had what it takes. I didn't think I had the strength to continue the project, and was seriously debating setting the car on fire. However, now that it's getting colder and all my nice driving weather blew out the window, I now don't think I have the strength to get rid of it.
      6533585E-6FB0-497D-8642-6C796EA5E44A_1_201_a.jpeg
      This picture started it all, telling me that there's a car out there that needs to be saved. After investments of too much time and money, my roadster is finally ready to go for winter.

      I guess to sum it up, there's been heartache and pain. I don't know if I could face it again. But I can't stop now, I traveled so far.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • More MG Tales... Yay!!!

      Everyone experiences that "young and stupid" part of life, right? It's that period in time where it seems God's favorite three words are "you've fucked up". Sorry, family show, I know.

      Anyway, I believe I'm ripe with young and stupid at the moment, and good old British Leyland isn't helping me out much. I'm coming up on one year since I exchanged money for a British sports car. Many of you have followed as I've been your tour guide through the highs and lows of owning an MG. Sadly, the ratio wasn't 100:0 or even 50:50, it was more staying at a Caribbean beach resort to sleeping on a bloody mattress in the middle of Cleveland. There really were no highs.

      From wiring disasters to brake issues, I only had one proper drive with no issues at all. Apart from the car not having an up-to-date inspection or a convertible top to put up if it rained. It really has been one issue after another. And then the motor gave in.
      44F4EEE8-1903-4B1A-9C31-D16B7847D4C0.jpeg
      I was lucky to have made it home every other time this car decided to show its faults. Since I've been driving it, it's been fussier than a baby who's dropped its favorite pacifier out of its mouth. This time though, the pacifier was long gone, and I had a serious situation on my hands.

      After towing the car home, we did a quick check to see what was what. The engine was running, but had a low-pitched "tick" or high-pitched "knock". After pulling the spark plug wire from cylinder #3, the noise would stop. Pull the spark plug, and there was a little bit of coolant on the tip. Check the compression, and the middle two cylinders were about 20 PSI lower than the outer two.

      A head gasket wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Even though it wasn't likely the cause of all our issues, pulling the head could at least give us a clue as to what could be going on. And of course, the gasket was totally fine and the head appeared as if it had just come from the machinist. Hmmmm...

      After talking to our local machinist, he mentioned concerns with the lower end. With everything on the head being fine, he reported that there was a chance some coolant escaped and had a go with the crank bearings. I had hoped he was wrong for the sake of the usual time and money, as I already owned the car for about 5 months longer than I was supposed to.
      IMG_1342.JPG
      Examining the pistons, there was a noticeable delay between cylinder #3 and cylinder #2. Once #2 would reach top dead center and begin its motion downward, #3 would remain at top dead for a little longer. Assuming it just liked the view, I pretended not to notice a difference. However as soon as you'd apply pressure to the #3 piston, it would press down to the position it needed to be.

      At this stage, the best hope was to find the bearing between the piston and rod had failed and that all I'd need was some new pistons, rods, and rings. Sadly, however after pulling the oil pan and shining the light of day on one of the crank bearings, the news was tragic.
      IMG_1339.JPG
      Typically, these bearings should appear grey, not copper. Seeing copper is already bad news that something wasn't quite right. Similarly, there were noticeably large groves in the bearing. Cue Austin Powers "groovy baby".

      In this picture, the grooves aren't as bad. One of the bearings did have a groove plenty deep enough to catch your finger nail on. And since we were already this far, we decided to have a look at the rod bearings and see if they were any better.

      They weren't.
      IMG_1341 2.JPG
      Although it's hard to see, there are actually two areas where the bearing has worn through in the middle, while the edges are thinner than Clint Eastwood's hair. They were sharp, too. Forget paper cuts, rod bearing cuts are much worse.

      Both of these discoveries did not cure my mental health. I will be taking the crank to our machinist next week, hoping that the crank can be saved. I'd like to put oversized bearings in if I can, but if the crank is too far gone, I'll likely be looking at buying a whole motor instead.

      We'll be pulling the crank this weekend. It'll be quite difficult though because my fingers will be crossed the entire time. In fact typing hasn't been that easy either. We will see what the status is further on down the line, but for now we wait and see.

      And my insurance for the car runs out next month. I should probably pay it. Not that it will do me any good. Being young and stupid isn't fun.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • Aaaaaand it's Gone...

      $800 cash. Bye bye Taco.IMG_1205.jpg

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • It's been busy...

      Since the holidays I haven't been slowing down much. I bought a car, started my second semester at college, crashed the company truck. (Ask and I will tell. But I'm not going to relive it here). Oh, and last weekend I made a trip to Florida to watch brake rotors glow red.

      So first up:
      IMG_1318.JPG

      I bought a Ford. Ashamed, yes. But hear me out.

      1. I do not Fix Or Repair Daily.
      2. It was not Found On Road Dead.

      It's not what I was looking for. Not as fuel efficient as I'd like, it's silver, and it's pretty boring. But sometimes life has a way of saying "Who tf cares what you like?"

      So now I'm a proud owner of a 2010 Ford Taurus Limited. It has some very useless features such as power rear sunshade, adjustable ambient lighting, and phone buttons that do absolutely nothing. 100k miles, owned by two different sets of old people, and a grand total of $5000. It's pretty comfortable on the highway too.

      About that...
      IMG_1296.JPG

      After not getting to go to Petit Le Mans because of the way my break lined up, I told myself that I had to make it for the Daytona 24. And so I did.

      It was a long weekend. My brother and I loaded the Taurus up for its maiden voyage and hit the road around 8:30 Thursday night. Feeling pretty pumped, we were able to arrive at Daytona International Speedway around 12:30 the next day. Driving through the night is never ideal, but it turns out you can really make some time! (Thanks, I-81!)

      I stayed up for all but an hour and a half of the race. I've done the entire thing before, but once you walk from one end of those stands to the other, you'll understand why I was so tired.
      IMG_1302.jpg
      Living in Watkins Glen, I am undoubtedly biassed towards The Glen being the best track in the world. But that was largely in part due to the fact that, up until now, it was the only one I'd ever visited. I do enjoy the Glen more I think, but it's difficult to compare the equally from a fan's point of view.

      For starters, you cannot see the entire track at Watkins. I've always been fine with this, but it's nice following Porsche 963s in their battles with Acura and Cadillac GTPs (if you watched the race, you'll know why I didn't mention BMW.) I'm a sound guy however. And the only two sounds you can hear are Nissan V8s from the LMP3s and 5.5L NA 'Murican horsepowers from the Cadillac. I didn't get to hear a single Porsche except for this one Saturday morning:
      IMG_1287.JPG
      I can't complain, because the twin-turbo bellowing around the NASCAR turns was like nothing else! And the flames it spits!

      Anyway, I was a bit bummed I wasn't able to he the new Porsche's in their entirety, but life moves on. It was a long weekend, but a decent experience. I lie, it was amazing.

      Now I've been spending a week catching up on missed homework, got pulled over for the exhaust on my truck being too loud, (the one day I drive it!) and am about one bad idea away from dropping a 302 Ford into the MG.

      Adulting is hard. But I'm having a little fun doing it.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • Like a Boss

      I like a boss, do you?

      This car was driven up to Watkins Glen International from North Carolina at the beginning of September. Many respects doled out by me to the owner. My jealousy scale isn't big enough to measure my lust.174221FE-2D25-417B-86F0-9AB0467C7EF6.jpeg

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911

    Latest posts made by hayzer911

    • RE: Show me your tints!

      @sampsonite24 Tint is on the list of many things I have to do. It's either tint or add curtains...

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: The end of an era...

      @RallyWrench Only because I have yet to own an E-Type

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: The end of an era...

      @facw Thankfully as technology advances, so too will speed. It's a shame however that the muscle car as we know it may no longer be in the fight.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: The end of an era...

      @atfsgeoff Ford is currently doing spectacular things with the Mustang. I applaud them for it, but I feel they are also gearing up for the same thing. The way they're doing a lot of things at once worries me that it might be near game-over for the Mustang, too (not the name, but the car as we know it)

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • The end of an era...

      For decades, Europeans mocked them. The eco-friendly scoffed at them. Old ladies would wake up from their afternoon naps because they were too loud. Neighbors would call them in, citing that they were disturbing the peace.

      In the United States, the muscle car has been an annoyance to the many, but a toy to the few. The muscle car was a tool that adults could use to tap into their childish side, doing irresponsible things for the sake of having fun. They provided an inexpensive alternative to the sophisticated sports car, were easily tuned, and sometimes deadly to drive. This combination is imperfect yet the perfect combination.

      The muscle car name is well known, so there's no need to define what it stands for. What is necessary is shining the light on what this inherently-flawed formula has been able to create over the years.

      THE OLDS ROCKET 88

      Highly regarded as one of the first muscle cars ever made, the mid-size Oldsmobile was a game changer for one simple reason: the engine. The "Rocket" as it was known became the car to beat both in NASCAR and the stop light grand prix's held on intersections across the country. Certainly by today's standards, the engine's 135 horsepower and 283 ft. lbs of torque are so small you need a magnifying glass to read them. But the car itself was small (err... smaller than most) and this helped it become one of the very first to adopt the structure of a muscle car: throw the most powerful engine into the smallest chassis.
      262e0d4e-6f71-437e-9405-ccb04a48c410-image.png

      THE GOAT

      Pontiac's GTO shares one critical component with the aforementioned Oldsmobile. Why? Because the GTO is highly regarded as the very first muscle car ever made.
      1564cc93-8941-4058-8216-b0542ddba73a-image.png
      Although the Rocket was powerful for its time, you'd imagine that its 0-60 time of over 13 seconds could be shattered by a shopping cart. And if you decide to continue, the shopping cart would likely win in a 1/4 mile as well. This fact is usually a factor to consider when thinking of the very first muscle car. And if you think the 88 is too slow, the GTO is the obvious choice.

      Pontiac was ballsy in putting their new 325 horsepower, 389 cubic inch V8 into their 3500 pound Tempest sedan. It was totally unnecessary for Pontiac to make such a modification, yet they tested the waters anyway. Once they got balls deep, it was expected there would be a chilling shock sent through the company, yet that never happened. In fact the water was warm, and the numbers speak for themselves.

      The 389 was potent in its stock four barrel form. Remove the Rochester Quadrajet and add three two-barrel carbs to get a car that could reach 60 miles per hour in just 5 seconds. That was about two seconds quicker than an E-Type that cost nearly twice as much. In addition, you're still driving an American sedan with optional automatic, bucket seats, and a center console. All of these factors mean that the first generation GTO will go down as one of the greatest cars ever made and, depending on how much you care, the first muscle car ever produced.

      I could go on all day about muscle cars, explaining why each one is better than the next. Both of these cars ignited a spark in the automotive industry the many have called to be put out. Simultaneously, in recent years, it has blazed more than ever. Now though, things are a bit different.

      With the rise in popularity demanding for electric cars to take over the industry, the days of the American muscle car have been numbered for a while. The joy of laying rubber at the stop sign, bang shifting into second gear, and blowing the doors off of a European supercar for the price of a juicy steak at Texas Roadhouse is over. Speed will live on, but I'm afraid the muscle car won't.

      I'm not one to suffer from depression, but Dodge's recent unveiling of the sub-9 second 1/4 mile Dodge Demon 170 has, above all else wrong with the world, made me depressed. Dodge has made it clear that, for them at least, the new Demon is the swan song to an adults favorite toy: the muscle car. Steve Magnante enjoys saying that the "good ol' days are right now" but I'm afraid that's about to come to an end.
      9a7551b4-c21b-4a95-8929-03cbd6241d76-image.png
      When V8s got strangled in the 1970's due to the fuel crisis and economic turmoil, there was no hope for a return. Fast forward 30 years and those with no hope were proven wrong. Over the last 15+ years, muscle cars have made the ultimate comeback, going from being held under the sharp end of an axe to sitting on the throne of shredded rubber and engine noise.

      For decades, Europeans mocked them. The eco-friendly scoffed at them. Old ladies would wake up from their afternoon naps because they were too loud. Neighbors would call them in, citing that they were disturbing the peace. And for now, it looks like these people have finally gotten what they've always wanted.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: BAT Auction Oppo Game: Round 76

      @Snakesm13 Hopefully it'll be interesting. I'm excited!

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: BAT Auction Oppo Game: Round 76

      @Snakesm13 Here's one that can go literally anywhere
      https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1999-porsche-boxster-race-car/

      I'm guessing $21,000 RNM

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: I’ve the memes and now you’ve them too

      @just-a-scratch @facw He may have posted the meme all along. This is the meme.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: What are peoples thoughts on Lotus at the moment?

      @The-Car-Motorist I’m the biggest critic on SUVs but I must say: if they’re giving the company enough money to continue with what we know and love, then I’m all for them.

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911
    • RE: 2007 Jaguar XKR GT3.

      @Bloody-the-resident-LandRover-apologist I'm a sucker for the XJR Trans Am cars of the early to mid 2000s89b80b6e-cf04-41f9-b4d1-5076754a85c7-image.png

      posted in Oppositelock
      hayzer911
      hayzer911