Topic: What did you do to your non-motorcycle vehicle today?

[Stev-o]

Nice find on the GTO, sounds exciting. This popped up today on my wife's facebook and I got a kick out of it.Not the best year maybe being 1971 but still neat to see the prices.

Thanks Eric...will be a fun restoration but I'm sure frustrating. On a good note, I just found a re-pop hood for $450.

That is a cool ad, is your wife shopping for a Mopar?!  BTW -that '71 Sassy Green Cuda in excellent condition would fetch around $100K today!

Yeah that was kind of my favorite also with the 426 which I assume is a Hemi.

Nice find on the GTO, sounds exciting. This popped up today on my wife's facebook and I got a kick out of it.Not the best year maybe being 1971 but still neat to see the prices.

Thanks Eric...will be a fun restoration but I'm sure frustrating. On a good note, I just found a re-pop hood for $450.

That is a cool ad, is your wife shopping for a Mopar?!  BTW -that '71 Sassy Green Cuda in excellent condition would fetch around $100K today!

  Yeah that was my favorite also with the 426 Hemi.  Probably would not refuse the 440 six pack "citron yellow" either though !!

Hey Eric...yes, the 426 is a Hemi.  Here is one for ya, it's "only" $300K!  Is "Lemon Twist" paint ok?

https://www.hemmings.com/auction/1970-plymouth-hemi-cuda-corona-ca-115796

I wonder if the younger generation even knows what a hemi engine is?  My nephew was so proud last week, he bought his wife a Dodge SUV Hemi, and sent me a pic of it. Need to ask him.

BTW - my very first car was a 1970 Barracuda, bought from a family friend for $100. But it had the lowly 318 V8 with a three speed trans. Another one of those vehicles that I wish I still had!

[Stev-o]

Stev-o, I had a 69' GTO 400/4-speed when I was 18.
I bought a 69' Torino GT convertible as my first car;it had a 302 auto and was very nice all the way around;so,being a kid, I traded my nice Torino GT for a black 69' GTO 400 4spd ! that had been hit in the front-end and needed some bodywork plus it needed a clutch.. 
The things I learned.. I left it parked and drove my Yamaha RD350.

Hey camna... an 18 yo with a GTO, you had a charmed life!  [I had a '68 Firebird way back then]

I love the Torino's...they dont get the love like GM GTO's & Chevelles.  My buddy in HS had one, I think it had a 429, didnt have it long as he totaled it after losing control and hitting a tree!

[ekpent]

I had a yellow 'Cuda"also back in the cheap go fast days Steve. It was a 1971 with a 340 and a automatic tranny that liked to slip a lot    Traded it off instead of fixing it. Yep one of some I wish I had kept.

[grcamna2]

Stev-o, I had a 69' GTO 400/4-speed when I was 18.
I bought a 69' Torino GT convertible as my first car;it had a 302 auto and was very nice all the way around;so,being a kid, I traded my nice Torino GT for a black 69' GTO 400 4spd ! that had been hit in the front-end and needed some bodywork plus it needed a clutch.. 
The things I learned.. I left it parked and drove my Yamaha RD350.

Hey camna... an 18 yo with a GTO, you had a charmed life!  [I had a '68 Firebird way back then]

I love the Torino's...they dont get the love like GM GTO's & Chevelles.  My buddy in HS had one, I think it had a 429, didnt have it long as he totaled it after losing control and hitting a tree!

Stev-o,if I could I would change a Lot of decisions I made back then like.. I would have just kept the Torino GT and put a bigger engine w/ a Ford Toploader 4-spd. in it;that car was a good 'platform' to build a Hot Rod on. 

Looking back though.. it would have de-valued the Torino 

I really miss not having kept a 1968 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T convertible;it was in very good condition including the top and interior,although lots of races on it.. and had a 440 Auto and it was the local 'Hot Car' down the beach where I lived. I had a buddy Pat who kind of inherited it (he was family to the McGowans who owned it originally) but Patrick was a bit retarded and left the car sitting outside w/o the carb. on it over the Winter(hood closed)and snow melted down into the engine..  but Patrick wanted my beat-up black GTO so he traded me straight-up:my GTO for his R/T.
The #$%* of it was,I never got to run-around with either one of those two Hotrod cars;the GTO needed clutch work and front-end work to drive straight down the road and the R/T was seized !!
My father had a large air compressor business in Milford and I could have rebuilt the R/T 440 engine with his help,but as was his way,another dead-end;Ah family!!!  ..  being the first born son isn't worth much when I'm washing toilets.

I'd like to have those 3 cars back again and fix $ them up the way they should have been when I was 18 and stupid and made $75 a week working for my dad.
 My 73' Yamaha RD350 pulled me through lots of tough times because it was my only wheels for a while 

I did enjoy making a solid trade a while after that;I traded my 1971' Suzuki T350R for a 1967 Buick GS400 400 c.i. with a 4 speed.I had that Gran Sport for a little more than a year and had some Fun driving it.

The decisions I made as an uninformed kid with no friends.. 
The best part of that time in my life was getting away from my Family and living in a shared upstairs of a house right near Silver Beach: E. Broadway Milford,CT. I was free to choose;I just didn't know what was best. 

[Stev-o]

I had a yellow 'Cuda"also back in the cheap go fast days Steve. It was a 1971 with a 340 and a automatic tranny that liked to slip a lot    Traded it off instead of fixing it. Yep one of some I wish I had kept.

Coincidentally, my Barracuda was yellow when I bought it and was in bad shape, had it painted by a buddy's brother. Here it is when it was in primer.




I really dont understand why they are going for such big bucks these days, as they really werent well engineered or built cars! [Always thought they were #3 after GM & Ford].

[Stev-o]

Stev-o, I had a 69' GTO 400/4-speed when I was 18.
I bought a 69' Torino GT convertible as my first car;it had a 302 auto and was very nice all the way around;so,being a kid, I traded my nice Torino GT for a black 69' GTO 400 4spd ! that had been hit in the front-end and needed some bodywork plus it needed a clutch.. 
The things I learned.. I left it parked and drove my Yamaha RD350.

Hey camna... an 18 yo with a GTO, you had a charmed life!  [I had a '68 Firebird way back then]

I love the Torino's...they dont get the love like GM GTO's & Chevelles.  My buddy in HS had one, I think it had a 429, didnt have it long as he totaled it after losing control and hitting a tree!

Stev-o,if I could I would change a Lot of decisions I made back then like.. I would have just kept the Torino GT and put a bigger engine w/ a Ford Toploader 4-spd. in it;that car was a good 'platform' to build a Hot Rod on. 

Looking back though.. it would have de-valued the Torino 

I really miss not having kept a 1968 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T convertible;it had a 440 Auto

I love those Coronets and the RT's bring good money these days.  Here's a nice one for ya, make 'em an offer!!

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1968-dodge-coronet-lithia-springs-ga-2680861

[Terry in Australia]

Well for only the second time since 2009, the wife’s little Hyundai left her stranded at her mother’s place yesterday. She called me at work to say that she couldn’t get it to go into gear, and I immediately assumed that the clutch had let go. I drove over after work with a bottle of brake fluid, and sure enough, the reservoir on the MC was empty so I filled it, slipped it into reverse and backed up a few feet, where I could then see a pool of fluid on the driveway.

I rang my local brake and clutch shop and told them that the slave cylinder had let go, then had it towed over for them to fix it. I could have done it myself but couldn’t be bothered crawling around in my driveway so am happy for someone else to do the job.

I checked the prices for a replacement slave cylinder on Ebay and the most expensive was $80, so it’ll be interesting to see how much the shop will charge me to fix it. The last issue was just the clutch lockout switch failure a few years ago which I fixed just by cutting the wires off and hotwiring it, so I really can’t complain, apart from a battery, tyres and a windscreen, nothing’s gone wrong with that car in 14 years of ownership.

[grcamna2]

Stev-o, I had a 69' GTO 400/4-speed when I was 18.
I bought a 69' Torino GT convertible as my first car;it had a 302 auto and was very nice all the way around;so,being a kid, I traded my nice Torino GT for a black 69' GTO 400 4spd ! that had been hit in the front-end and needed some bodywork plus it needed a clutch.. 
The things I learned.. I left it parked and drove my Yamaha RD350.

Hey camna... an 18 yo with a GTO, you had a charmed life!  [I had a '68 Firebird way back then]

I love the Torino's...they dont get the love like GM GTO's & Chevelles.  My buddy in HS had one, I think it had a 429, didnt have it long as he totaled it after losing control and hitting a tree!

Stev-o,if I could I would change a Lot of decisions I made back then like.. I would have just kept the Torino GT and put a bigger engine w/ a Ford Toploader 4-spd. in it;that car was a good 'platform' to build a Hot Rod on. 

Looking back though.. it would have de-valued the Torino 

I really miss not having kept a 1968 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T convertible;it had a 440 Auto

I love those Coronets and the RT's bring good money these days.  Here's a nice one for ya, make 'em an offer!!

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1968-dodge-coronet-lithia-springs-ga-2680861

Yeah ! 
The one I had was that metallic bright blue.

[HondaMan]

I bought all new brake pads and shoes (all 6) for my Explorer, driving my JEEP to go get them.
The JEEP got jealous on the way home, and the master cylinder went out, pedal right to the floor (it's only 3 years old, grr...made in China...).

If it would stop raining every night I could put brakes in SOMETHING.

[70CB750]

I bought all new brake pads and shoes (all 6) for my Explorer, driving my JEEP to go get them.
The JEEP got jealous on the way home, and the master cylinder went out, pedal right to the floor (it's only 3 years old, grr...made in China...).

If it would stop raining every night I could put brakes in SOMETHING.

I had MCs that needed pumping but never had one that dies suddenly.

[BenelliSEI]

Well for only the second time since 2009, the wife’s little Hyundai left her stranded at her mother’s place yesterday. She called me at work to say that she couldn’t get it to go into gear, and I immediately assumed that the clutch had let go. I drove over after work with a bottle of brake fluid, and sure enough, the reservoir on the MC was empty so I filled it, slipped it into reverse and backed up a few feet, where I could then see a pool of fluid on the driveway.

I rang my local brake and clutch shop and told them that the slave cylinder had let go, then had it towed over for them to fix it. I could have done it myself but couldn’t be bothered crawling around in my driveway so am happy for someone else to do the job.

I checked the prices for a replacement slave cylinder on Ebay and the most expensive was $80, so it’ll be interesting to see how much the shop will charge me to fix it. The last issue was just the clutch lockout switch failure a few years ago which I fixed just by cutting the wires off and hotwiring it, so I really can’t complain, apart from a battery, tyres and a windscreen, nothing’s gone wrong with that car in 14 years of ownership.

Terry…. Parts expensive? Back up camera for our Sante Fe was $420 from Hyundai Canada. Got a perfect fit and repair on EBay for $45! Most recently, A/C hose leak. Thought I’d replace all three in one go. +$2000 from Hyundai Canada!!! In the US, the same parts are less than 1/2 the price!!! Not resolved yet.

[RAFster122s]

I had one fail suddenly on me in 86...was not in a Jeep, car was 4 years old at the time.

[Terry in Australia]

Well for only the second time since 2009, the wife’s little Hyundai left her stranded at her mother’s place yesterday. She called me at work to say that she couldn’t get it to go into gear, and I immediately assumed that the clutch had let go. I drove over after work with a bottle of brake fluid, and sure enough, the reservoir on the MC was empty so I filled it, slipped it into reverse and backed up a few feet, where I could then see a pool of fluid on the driveway.

I rang my local brake and clutch shop and told them that the slave cylinder had let go, then had it towed over for them to fix it. I could have done it myself but couldn’t be bothered crawling around in my driveway so am happy for someone else to do the job.

I checked the prices for a replacement slave cylinder on Ebay and the most expensive was $80, so it’ll be interesting to see how much the shop will charge me to fix it. The last issue was just the clutch lockout switch failure a few years ago which I fixed just by cutting the wires off and hotwiring it, so I really can’t complain, apart from a battery, tyres and a windscreen, nothing’s gone wrong with that car in 14 years of ownership.

Terry…. Parts expensive? Back up camera for our Sante Fe was $420 from Hyundai Canada. Got a perfect fit and repair on EBay for $45! Most recently, A/C hose leak. Thought I’d replace all three in one go. +$2000 from Hyundai Canada!!! In the US, the same parts are less than 1/2 the price!!! Not resolved yet.

Well I got a call from the shop the next day,  the whole job with labour was only $283 John, (towing was free via the auto club membership) so I couldn’t complain.

[dave500]

well not a vehicle at all,my neighbour bought a new mig welder,unimig razor 2500,#$%* what a machine!he wants to build a mezzanine floor in his huge shed,my shed will fit inside his one!he aint welded for 30 years and wanted a good solid bench,i said lets build one and get the feel for the welding machine first,he has a tipper truck and earth moving gear bobcat and mini excavator,he had a steel sheet 4 ft x 4 ft and 3/4 thick,and some gal shs 90mmx90mmx4mm handy,took us a couple of weekends but got it done today,had to use his little excavator to lift the top on,we only just managed to stand it up by hand to,we put wind down castors on it so he can move the thing if he needs to,its gotta be 300 kilos?

[grcamna2]

well not a vehicle at all,my neighbour bought a new mig welder,unimig razor 2500,#$%* what a machine!he wants to build a mezzanine floor in his huge shed,my shed will fit inside his one!he aint welded for 30 years and wanted a good solid bench,i said lets build one and get the feel for the welding machine first,he has a tipper truck and earth moving gear bobcat and mini excavator,he had a steel sheet 4 ft x 4 ft and 3/4 thick,and some gal shs 90mmx90mmx4mm handy,took us a couple of weekends but got it done today,had to use his little excavator to lift the top on,we only just managed to stand it up by hand to,we put wind down castors on it so he can move the thing if he needs to,its gotta be 300 kilos?

A beast of a table Dave;all steel construction ?

[dave500]

oh yeah Bill,we decided that plastic or balsa wood aint gonna cut it!

[grcamna2]

oh yeah Bill,we decided that plastic or balsa wood aint gonna cut it!

I like those casters on it 

military grade/strong looking.

[dave500]

yeah those castors,err/umm?i aquired those!

[RAFster122s]

Those casters would be at home on a very large skip bin.
My woodworking bench has steel legs and 1.5" laminated wood top made in 1945 or 1946. Assembled it probably tops the scales at 250 pounds if not a touch higher. I had to add casters on it to be able to move it. Bought casters rated at 300 pounds per caster. I use it for wood working and mechanical work.6" woodworking vice on one end.
I have benchtop woodworking tools I will use atop the bench.
Wood top is maple.

Good strong benches are worth their weight.



Lovely assembly/working table you guys have built. Probably capable of supporting a ton.

[Kelly E]

Our 4'x5' fab table has a 1/2" thick steel top with a rectangular box section frame and steel tube legs. It weighs quite a bit. I can move it with the pallet jack or the tractor bucket will fit between the legs and lift it up from under the top. It's nice to use it while welding but it's a little tall. We're going to shorten it about 6".

It used to have a rack that supported a still welded to it and was way in the back of a barn in South Dakota.

[ofreen]

One of the worst automotive noises to endure is when a starter fails to engage and just grinds teeth on the flywheel or ring gear.  Just makes you cringe.  All you can think of is that if the damage gets bad enough, the transmission has to come out.  Not the worst thing, but still a lot of work.  So it is a good idea to swap in a new starter before it happens too many times.  One of the Crown Vics went back up on the lift after emitting the dreaded gnashing of teeth a few times.  The Ford 4.6 V8 starter has a reputation of having the top bolt tough to get to.  After doing it, I don't see why.  It took all of 20 minutes to swap out, and much of that was spent cleaning stuff up.  It no doubt helped that i was standing up rather than laying on my back or squirming around on a creeper.




I went with the OEM Motorcraft starter even though it cost a bit more than aftermarket because of the poor rep aftermarket parts have for quality lately.  Interesting how different the old and new are to each other.



Several years ago, Idaho DOT started using mag chloride and salt on the roads in the winter.  That made me mad because I have an attachment to my cars and don't want to see them rotted away because people don't know how to behave when there is snow.  It also made me give up riding in the winter because they slather the roads with mag chloride if there is even a hint of snow in the forecast.  So, though it goes against my parsimonious nature, I subscribed to a car wash with a good undercarriage wash.  I was skeptical that it would help much, but take a look at the underside of this car.  No rust to speak of, and it is clean after several winters. 

[C317414]

.....I went with the OEM Motorcraft starter even though it cost a bit more than aftermarket because of the poor rep aftermarket parts have for quality lately.  Interesting how different the old and new are to each other.

I learned a lesson about OEM alternators many years ago.  The alternator on my Dodge Omni GLH Turbo failed, and I got a rebuilt one with lifetime warranty at an auto parts store.  The replacement failed about 8-months later.  I got another one under warranty, and it lasted about 5-months.  Keep in mind that I had to disassemble half the engine bay each time I replaced the alternator.  I went back to the store and insisted on getting my money back.  Then, I went to a Dodge dealer and paid about 3x for an OEM alternator.  It was still going strong when I sold the car years later.

[Kelly E]

My wife subscribed to a car wash with the undercarriage wash too. We live a quarter mile off the pavement and now it's much much cleaner underneath when it's oil change time. The 14' Ford Fusion hybrid has an undertray you have to removeto change the oil, it covers the front third of the bottom of the car. The tray is nice and clean all the time now.

[grcamna2]

I have an old Volvo 240 sedan which I've put 350,000 miles on in 22years.
I purchased a new starter(remanufactured from Volvo)from the Volvo parts person at the dealership;the thing was $275 back in 2002'. I always keep a hot battery in the car,even when it sits,I keep it charged.
The same starter is still in there starting the car as good as it did new after all this time.
I have replaced alternators quite often;I can't seem to get more than 1.5yrs. out of a reman. from Autozone when I use the car exclusively. I'm running the motorcycle 99% of the time now as it's Ca.

[RAFster122s]

Skip AutoZone on important parts and use FCP or Eeuroparts or other better quality suppliers for your parts.
NAPA likely carries better remanufactured alternators than AutoZone/O'Reilly's/etc.