by "Dave the car guy , still here" (a3dave)
Published 01/12/2017 at 14:00
by "Dave the car guy , still here" (a3dave)
Published 01/12/2017 at 14:00
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STARS: 2
I’ve told a few people about this before, so its time to share. Being one of the O.G.s here I have a few stories.
Back in 1987 I had a 1983 Prelude which I’d bought new and the dreaded flex pipe finally started to fray and leak. It looked just like the silver one in the picture above. I loved that car but it didn’t always love me. Don’t know if it was the build quality or the fact that the car didn’t like being relocated from Texas to Ohio but things were starting to fail. I checked out new parts which even at wholesale were a bit steep and then I found Jackson Racing had just brought out a header so I didn’t hesitate. Bought that , a new rear pipe and an Ansa muffler. It sounded so good until the header came apart at the pivot area 3 years later in the middle of winter.
Now it couldn’t happen on a nice clear cold day , it was 20ºf or so out with over 7 inches of snow on the ground. I lived in a condo with no garage and had no choice. I figured I had to do something so I grabbed a large tarp, my daughters Fisher-Price space heater, a snow shovel , some parts and my tools. With the car jacked up on one side I supported it with two jackstands and put a large piece of cardboard under the car over the thin layer of snow. Next came a foam camping pad for comfort. I shoveled snow around three sides of the Honda and a Mercury that was parked next to it to block the wind. With bungee cords to hold the tarp over the two cars I covered all the tarp edges with packed down snow but left and entrance. Then I ran a 50ft extension cord and fired up the electric space heater between the cars. It got so toasty under there after an hour that I worked with a thermal shirt and sweater to McGyver a repair. The only issue was as it got to what I think was in the 50º range or higher under there the snow around the cars and closer to the heater slowly started to melt and I had to move some things to keep from laying in water.
I ended up fixing a lasting repair with a split exhaust flange and some spring bolts that I was satisfied with. It took me a few hours to complete the fix and clean up my “work area”. I’m sure my condo neighbors thought I was nuts but since I sometimes would shovel our walks they didn’t call the condo association on me. I wouldn’t make a habit of it , not sure how I was inspired to make a tent over the cars but it worked and saved me from driving to the shop at work with the car sounding like a tractor.
"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
01/12/2017 at 14:31, STARS: 0
Wayback machine to... two nights ago. I’m chasing a squeaky *something* in the belt area of my car, and of course the first night that it’s above 12 degrees at the time of night that I’m free (after kid bedtime) now it’s snowing on and off. I get out to the car and take things apart, it’s super easy really, 5 minutes. Go inside to inspect the two possible cuplrits more closely, and come back out to a full-on snow squall. This is totally outdoors, uncovered, unprotected, at my house where we have a lovely view to the west. Translate “lovely view to the west” into New England Winter Speak and that’s “cold and windy all the time” for the layman. So now I’m out there with snow going everywhere and making my headlamp resemble some kind of crazy rave party from 2001 and it turns out I didn’t have the right part to replace the piece I think is really making the noise now.
"Dave the car guy , still here" (a3dave)
01/12/2017 at 14:58, STARS: 0
Doesn’t it figure that the weather got worse.