Da Groj

Jamie wrote:Wait...they're going to paint it white?

Re-sale Red is non-committal. It's definitely not the Madonna "like a virgin". They even let me drive it 3 times.

Well, hell. One thing you can count on 25-year-old cars to do... break stuff.



This is half of a piece that I've declared as the "Turn Signal Cancel Dooflunky". I found it on the floor of the car. Without it, the turn signal lever is all floppy, and the left turn signal wants to stay on constantly.

It's not gonna make the car any faster. But, I guess I should fix it.

The joys of having a reasonably equipped garage, a modicum of skill, and a small pile of scrap metal! This was a pretty easy fix.

I traced the pattern of the broken piece onto a 1/8" x 1" strip of aluminum and cut it out freehand with the angle grinder (still my new favorite tool!) Touched it up with a file and some sandpaper. Only had to pull it out to make one small adjustment with the file, and now it's good to go!



The turn signals on this car quit self-canceling months ago. I thought it happened when Ben installed the Miata steering wheel, and was just some weird inconsistency between cars. (which didn't make sense, but I let myself think that) Turns out this piece of plastic has been broken since then. It just chose yesterday to actually fall out and create a bigger problem (turn signal staying on because nothing was holding it "off").

So, now the turn signals function and cancel like they're supposed to. Who says your race car can't be civilized on the street?

Loren wrote:...the left turn signal wants to stay on constantly.

You should have left it alone...you'd blend right into traffic on 19....

Nice work.

If you're gonna keep that car you're gonna need a 3D printer.

Great craftsmanship!

Carracer wrote:Great craftsmanship!

You're saying the turn signal cancelation arm is now better built than the rest of the car?

Jamie wrote:

Carracer wrote:Great craftsmanship!

You're saying the turn signal cancelation arm is now better built than the rest of the car?

Aluminum hood, aluminum turn signal. Aluminum causes Alzheimers. Drink lots of acidic soda.

Jamie wrote:

Carracer wrote:Great craftsmanship!

You're saying the turn signal cancelation arm is now better built than the rest of the car?

Yes

Another event down. Nothing else broke. Life is good.

We might even have barely enough rear tire tread left to get through the next Classic event. (I'm still carrying the "spare" 195's in the hatch just in case)

For your amusment,

https://youtu.be/yndPb8KqaQ0

I was truly amused!

Totally forgot to update from our last wrenching session. Ben and I got together to check the car over and install his wideband O2 sensor in preparation for installing his Megasquirt programmable ECU soon.

No problem installing the WBO2. We've now got a SERIOUS RACE CAR guage in the dashboard!

Added some transmission fluid. Decided the rear tires will probably survive the 9/24 Classic event (spares are still in the hatch). And found that the clunk I keep feeling in the steering is the right inner tie-rod end.

So, do we replace the inner tie rods (and the steering rack boots)? Or... do we just fit a whole new steering rack? Of course, every replaced part is an opportunity for an upgrade... do we fit a quicker ratio steering rack out of a Kia Rio?

Parts are fairly cheap either way. Replacing the whole rack is only $50-60 more than doing the inner rod ends and boots, kind of a no-brainer. Trying to decide if we want the trade-off of higher steering effort that comes with the quicker ratio...

Here's a shot of the freshly wrapped steering wheel (bicycle handlebar wrap), and the AFR Gauge.

Just pulled the trigger on a 49,000 mile used Kia rack w/ tie rods. Good ol' eBay to the rescue! Hope it fits!

Loren wrote:We've now got a SERIOUS RACE CAR guage in the dashboard!

Is that the fire warning light under the temp gauge?

That's the "Danger to Manifold" light.

http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i ... 9,"page":0}

It would be too cool if the Fastiva were entered in one of these. Maybe at least a coffee event in Tampa?

Ain't nobody got time fo' that!

So, new 225/45-15 Hankook RS3's are on order. Used quicker ratio Kia Rio steering rack (with non worn-out inner tie-rods) is on order.

Oh, and I'm tinkering with the Megasquirt ECU. Hoping to at least get a successful engine start on it this Friday. Maybe we'll be able to run it on October 8th?

We're either going to find more betterness in this car in the coming months... or we're going to make it completely undriveable.

This was gonna be my "track car". Then I had to move because of work after 20 years....damn....but a good move. Probably why I sorta like the Fastiva concept vehicle. I had about 12 cars at any one time in this two story 1850 rebuilt hay barn. Most were under $200 complete. Those were the good old days when I was ONLY 56 and had a truck and trailer to drag stuff home. I was the "parts source" for Mitsubishi Starion/Chrysler Conquests quite by accident in the late 90's. Now they are sorta collectible?