We got a Scotty. His official title is Sir Angus MacGuffin, but we have been going with Gus mostly.
I think Bonnie might understand that he is a puppy, but she isn't quite sure what to do with him. He is the calmest puppy we have ever had, and seems more interested in snuggles than playtime.
He is currently asleep on the kitchen floor.
@midengine said in Masks back on because idiots:
Because half of the U.S. won't get vaccinated, things are outta control. Fully vaccinated since April 14th, we're back to wearing masks in public. So much for freedom
Well, studies are showing that the vaccine is 96% effective against all variants. So frankly survival of the fittest IMO.
This event has consistently been getting bigger every year. They started charging to get in, but that may be to make up for last year.
Some personal highlights for me. Tried not to include anything featured previously.
New Bronco! I want it,
911 ass comparison
This... This so much. Someone has very good taste. And, they drive it. Lots of brake dust.
Uhh, imported Griffith? There were two!
Uhh a freaking Alpine!
Pretty sure that's a replica.
Whoever bought this RWB got it built in the worst shade of pink.
Since I didn't bother (nor cared to) backup my kinjoppo posts, and due to a lack of anything better to do on my lunchbreak, I thought I would do the best thing: talk about myself. Everyone loves that, right?
My car love goes back to preschool, where my mom would buy me hotwheels cars to surprise me after school. My chosen career path? Monster truck driver, apparently. Hey, it still could happen...
You know the story. Played all the racing games, go karts, bumper cars, whatever I could get my hands on. It started to wane a bit in my later years, due to Pittsburgh not being much of a car town. At least it wasn't back then.
Then I got my license. Was like I woke back up. It was exactly what I had hoped for.
Scraped and saved, and bought myself a Porsche 944 n/a as a highschool senior. No looking back at that point.
Unfortunately that car died from a combination of sams club tires, sleep deprivation, and a wet/oily road surface. RIP my beloved Stacy.
Following that, I bought myself a '10 cooper s R56. It sucked and I wont forgive Mini nor BMW.
Currently have my restoration+ project, a 1979 Firebird Trans Am, 403 3-speed auto car. Been trying to get it legal for 6 years now, but hey it was pretty rough and I am working out of an open air Pennsylvania driveway. Specs are as follows:
Rebuilt Oldsmobile 403 engine, kb hypereutectic pistons , 9.5:1 bored .024 over. Comp 260h cam. Pertronix HEI coil and module. Hooker competition headers. Trans go shift kit, Pro touring f-body subframe connectors and solid body bushings. Pypes 2.5 inch x flow exhaust w/glasspack style (street-pro) mufflers.
Makes 309 crank horsepower, but 425 lb/ft of torque.
Looks great in pictures, but it's pretty rough. About a 20-footer. Currently needs front suspension bushings, wheel bearings, front calipers and a powersteering rebuild and mechanically it will be pretty thoroughly overhauled at that point. Longterm plans are a 5 speed manual, rear discs, a better diff, fuel injection, and a nicer stereo on top of a cosmetic restoration.
Also, I have my lovely '18 FOST. I put mud flaps on it.
For the future, I plan to do some hyper mega crunch saving (which I have done successfully before) in order to have enough cash to partly finance both a house, and a Caterham Seven. Being that I am still fresh in my new career, I expect this will take several years (curse you student loans) but my eyeball math works out.
Here's to hoping everything goes back to normal. Should you have any questions regarding buying/maintaining a 2nd gen f-body, feel free to DM me. I am still a somewhat amateur mechanic but I know a great many of the pitfalls of these cars.
Hopefully my posts begin to transition from wrenching posts, to event posts....
To your detriment oppo
Still got some minor flu-like symptoms, but according to the county I should be able to be in public. Gonna give it a few more days for giggles.
Good news though, nice 60 degree day today. Gave the ST a bath, and went for a walk. I also like to periodically fire up the 'bird during winter to cycle the fluids, and my tinkering must have paid off. Once it got gas, it snapped right to life. Idle settings were correct and everything. Engine is extremely happy, wants to run.
The problem with restoration is that its 5x the amount of work a car would otherwise demand. Not only are you fixing the car, assembling an entire car from scratch, but you are also restoring many of the parts while also fixing and diagnosing problems with them. Also, you are also disassembling an entire car, and having to fight over each piece you remove.
In other word(s), I think I'm selling the 'bird. After I get it street legal, to both take less of a financial loss on it and to not be a quitter. I have no desire to continue, despite my continued love for these cars.
Tesla Crashes
I remember when autopilot first came out, and I said that Tesla was going to be in hot water over their marketing/ choices regarding to it. People said "your crazy. Everyone knows it isn't full autonomy. You have to agree to it. Nobody is that stupid. Besides, theres nothing the government can do legally if someone agreed to the T&C"
Well, contracts have to be in good faith, and even in liability waivers there still has to be "due care"
I'd post a gif of the "I told you so" dance but people are dead. So I'd rather just say F off Jalopnik commenters.
Three words: Riveted ball joints. Cost cutting, or does GM not think their car will last until replacement? You be the judge.
Grind, drill, or dremel the head to collapse the top part, use a chisel (preferably an air chisel) to remove the rivet head.
Drill a pilot crater in the center of the rivet, and use a large punch and a mallet or mini sledge to pound the rivet out.
seems ok to me
Also starting to sand these for some rust-converter paint. Lower control arms are still stuck on the car.
Lower control arms came off mostly easy, as I have been pb blastering them for days. I keep alternating loving and hating this stuff as it is so inconsistent.
I did have to remove the drivers side exhaust header as one of the bolts was jammed against it. Love when people say " these old cars have so much more room to work!" Fortunately, anti seizing the header bolts worked like a charm here.
Looks like I am going to have to replace the lower control arms though. The passenger seems salvageable, but the driver... Oof. This was the side with the broken spring.
Also, my front subrame has a half inch layer of rust flakes! Neat!
@qaaaaa so are model Ts and practically any car made prior to 1960. Gonna cancel them?
@carsoffortlangley huh. Never thought about it that way. I'm only 20 years younger than that 73 mustang. Hot damn. Am I old now?
@st80mnd i just wonder how the prices will come back down... We are certainly going to get a realistic adjustment on stuff.
@essextee boy but it sure does look cool though 
@captdale-is-secretly-british said in Oppo Hive Mind: Car Audio Options:
@mybirdistheword That isn't a terrible option
I'm not sure how it would work with your requirements, but it's neat anyway. I was originally planning to use one of these, keep my old delco 8 track, and run modern speakers. That way I don't have to hack anything up or run a non-factory headunit.
@qaaaaa my control arms were supposed to ship on the 7th and I'm still waiting for them to go out...
@captdale-is-secretly-british kenwood makes a compact bluetooth amp that can run whatever, supposedly the size of "two beer cans"
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-dHpaJO3x2X0/p_113M1824BT/Kenwood-KAC-M1824BT.html?XVINQ=GLX&awkw=128001083305&awat=pla&awnw=g&awcr=66951761305&awdv=m&awug=9005886&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4MfVzdCE8wIVOf_jBx21PARPEAUYASABEgJNU_D_BwE
You can still use a headunit if you want but it aint necessary. Just tuck this under the dash and hook up some speakers.
@turbineguy-nom-de-zoom most people who buy sportscars in general aren't hardcore enthusiasts. They just want occasional fun and to feel successful. The supercars are huge bragging pieces, exemplified by how many "special editions" are made these days. Nobody will make the parts down the road, but you are More special-er than any other poor that can't afford the 1 of 3 ferrarborghini platinum warbux edition.
@bison78 I think that is an admission that the f1 is fun, but not that much more fun than any other exotix mid engine supercar which has increasingly been my suspicion about most cars with similar layouts and performance figures. I thing journalists over-exaggerate how "different" these cars are from each other.
