Project Car & Daily Driver? DWB: Driving While Broke. Part II

"Oran J Sands III" (merlyyn)
11/19/2014 at 10:00 • Filed to: VW Driving While Broke DWB Oppo

It's hard being a Jalopnik and being broke at the same time. So much much want and so little money. We combine our fantasies with our real life. But will they blend?

The VW community often talks about how using your project car as a daily driver simply can't be done. And there's lots of logic to support that idea but that will never stop those of us wanting something better and having a dream even if we don't have enough money to make that happen in a comfortable manner.

The picture you're looking at is one of many cars I purchased as a daily driver (I know, buying an old VW as a daily driver was kinda whack to start with.) It cost $225 and had to be trailered from Louisville to Indy since it didn't run (good Jalops always know someone with a trailer.) A bit of fiddling with the fuel pump and it became "transportation". To and from work, the grocery store, the kid's school. It held great promise and considering I had just scrapped a GTI and had numerous parts laying around it also became my project.

As a longtime member of VWVortex (id:Moljinar) I knew of many inexpensive and clever things that would make my car better/faster/cheaper/reliable. And I wasted no time doing so. This led to a bit of conflict since my job was 75 miles away. Any modification you make to your daily driver requires the following conditions:

It must be driveable...

... on a daily basis.

So this means wrenching at night until it's finished or undone (if the whole thing went sideways) before the car is needed for the morning commute. If it's the weekend and then you have two days to get whatever tweaks you've chosen to bestow upon your steed. You'd be surprised how much can be done in a weekend. Say, convert your car to a manual transmission. Change engines. Put a whole new suspension system on. Redo the top. Rewire the car. There's no end to the fun things you can do. The trick is planning and gathering parts in advance. ( Note: taking entire weekends to work on the car can be hazardous to your relationships with others)

Out with the crap-a-matic, in with the 5-speed close-ratio GTI tranny. One weekend.

You can usually tell who is living this "dream". They carry tools in the car. Lots of tools. Many spare parts. Wire and duct tape. Tow strap. "Just-in-case" stuff because you don't carry money. This is rudimentary DWB . Their car usually runs like a top (when it runs) but isn't pretty. We're all saving the body work for last. Because it's expensive.

Eventually we get there. Or almost there because life continually intervenes. Once I had "Buffy" mechanically sound, the interior exactly the way I wanted it and the bodywork started, this happened.

A week after the accident I was driving her to work again. But the door frame was tweaked, the door wouldn't latch anymore so I had to say goodbye. And then I got another Cabriolet. And every part I had put on Buffy is now on that car. And more. The cycle continues.

I may be broke but I've got dreams.

Oran Sands is waaay too old to be working on his own cars but does it anyway because he's a skinflint. The advantage of his age is he's hooned cars in the 60's, 70's 80's, 90's and more. A resident of Indianapolis he's attended and worked at the Track since he was 10 (Ward should've won!)

DISCUSSION (71)

505Turbeaux > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 10:04

whoever said you cannot daily a project is lying. It is nicer to not have to button it up every day to get to work, but it can be done. Even though I usually have a fleet I get too antsy to drive the new one and just go for it. In some ways it really helps you to work out all the bugs. Keep driving those projects sir. You are my hero of the day

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 10:11

Kinja'd!!!

Yep. Something is always going to happen when it's "done." I "finished" my AW11 last week, took it to the track over the weekend, and the front right wheel bearing and hub failed.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 10:12

I've been there. I was there very recently too. In a VW covered in beer labels, no less .

Group B Enthusiast - Captain of the supercharged barge > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 10:13

Much love for the old Golf platforms... Far cooler than anything VW's been putting out recently (aside from the EURO ONLY Scirocco).

Kinja'd!!!

^ this

Oran J Sands III > 505Turbeaux
11/19/2014 at 10:20

I got asked yesterday at the gas pumps how many miles it had. I had to honestly say I don't know, I've gone thru 3 speedometers so far.

505Turbeaux > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 10:22

I had a scirocco 16V where the odometer stuck from the hundred mile dial on out. I flipped it over numerous times which was fun, but sold it with "544K" on it haha

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 10:38

Ahh a fellow VW Vortex member (id: Kjritchey). I love VW products. Once you become familiar with how they do things, the cars are pretty simple to work on.

You are correct about evening/weekend projects being about planning, planning, planning.

Oran J Sands III > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/19/2014 at 10:44

I did the tranny swap after reading about every one posted on the Vortex. No one post covered everything you'd need. So I made a list. got it all in hand and then leisurely did the swap on a weekend. Then simply started the car and drove it out of the driveway. Not one hitch. Later I wrote up the whole list of parts and procedure and posted on the Cabby forum so everyone else could benefit.

Kinja'd!!!

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 10:48

I hope other makers have a forum as good as VW Vortex. I seriously would not be a serial VW owner without it. The amount of info they provide really gives a person the confidence to undertake projects that would scare the average person off. I did my first timing belt/water pump job on a modern car with their help. Love that place. Because of them when people talk about VW reliability I just shake my head. They have always treated me right.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 11:29

I did not realize we had such a "mature" member on oppo. I mean this in the very best of ways. That's why I love this place we have so much diversity in age,culture,race, ect. You really get to see the whole spectrum of the automotive world and it's awesome.

nermal > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 11:57

I take a different approach. A project should be something you do because you want to, and because you enjoy doing it. Transportation should be reliable.

You can lease a new Jetta for $179 / mo + tax, with zero down. Get one of those for your transportation, keep the old on for farting around with. Win-Win.

Summitradioz > 505Turbeaux
11/19/2014 at 12:00

Yes you can it just sucks and it puts more pressure on you to get it done for the weekday commute. Also it can make you rush and do it wrong. But the car has got to earn its keep. I always have at least one other car available.

YouShallPassInThePassingLane > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/19/2014 at 12:00

NASIOC - subaru

Vdubbers aren't the only ones out there with awesome forums.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:09

"A bit of fiddling with the fuel pump and it became 'transportation.'"

God bless Indiana, where there are no mandatory "safety" inspections. I certainly miss that.

05STi > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:11

Great article, thanks for sharing!

burntartichoke > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:16

That's a beautiful Cab, shame it got hit but glad it is living on in the replacement. My wife wants one and its hard to argue with that when I have my mk1 GLI. Time will tell. Long live the Mk1s!

Jesse In NY > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:21

Normal People Drive Works in Progress don't they? Have my 92 Cabriolet sitting out front of the office right now, Seats frozen solid, doors frozen shut... But it runs like a top, Looks like hell, and is a lot of fun to drive! Love it! VW Vortex member, cabby-info.com reader..

Hello I'm Justin > Group B Enthusiast - Captain of the supercharged barge
11/19/2014 at 12:22

this picture just made my jeans stiff.

Oran J Sands III > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig
11/19/2014 at 12:22

"Catalytic converter? Sure, it's right here. In the trunk"

Oran J Sands III > nermal
11/19/2014 at 12:26

A second car is obviously better ( I always had a 2nd car until 10 years ago.) But being broke sometimes means you can't even do that. Fortunately I'm also a bike commuter so I recently had the car down for two weeks and simply rode the bike to work.

DrScientist > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:28

glad to see a jalopnik and oppo poster with a few years of experience out there. these young bucks with their calculus exams and disdain for grammar can be trying, but still all are accepted. my tweed blazers would get along with your bowtie.

carry on with your wrenching and pushing the limits of what is considered acceptable forms of transport!

burntartichoke > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:31

Out of curiosity, why did you choose the GTI trans? I had to DD my GLI for a while and while it was fun in the twisty part of the commute, the flat lands were not so fun, especially when traffic is doing 75+ and 3k translates to barely 65. That was the only time i wished for taller gearing.

I hoon, therefore I am > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/19/2014 at 12:31

The Mazdaspeed forums are great! Wait, no, that's a lie... they're awful.

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > I hoon, therefore I am
11/19/2014 at 12:37

lol! I understand totally. The VW Vortex can be terribly juvenile at some, no...most times. A lot of kids more concerned with wheel gap and stance than actually having properly performing cars.

Group B Enthusiast - Captain of the supercharged barge > Hello I'm Justin
11/19/2014 at 12:39

Oh, well in that case, how about a Wankle to erectify the situation...?

Kinja'd!!!

Puns and puns of fun.

Caddyman > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:42

Great post, it's a shame about the wreck. I highly recommend cadillacforums and benzworld and attribute the guys' there knowledge with keeping my car on the road and out of the dealerships service bay.

My benz is my project car that I do daily drive, but I have another car if I NEED it when the benz is apart. Like the last 2 weeks* replacing the heater core, it's done now and back on the road.

*2 weeks because of....stuff, broken spring in dash took a few days to track down replacement, kids and wife took some nights away working on it, the usual....stuff :)

Oran J Sands III > DrScientist
11/19/2014 at 12:46

Did someone say tweed?

Kinja'd!!!

H4N5 GRU83R > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 12:50

Preach!

Their car usually runs like a top (when it runs) but isn't pretty. We're all saving the body work for last. Because it's expensive.

427zeo6 > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:11

You do realize those Golf cabriolets are often referred to as : " Bitch Baskets " by Vortex posters ( the testosterone runs high on that forum...) MKI Golf Cabriolets are Barbie Doll cars just like the new Beetle......now a MKI GTI....you'd have my sympathy there..........

Hello I'm Justin > Group B Enthusiast - Captain of the supercharged barge
11/19/2014 at 13:12

puns are fun, but this just doesn't do anything for me :(

Group B Enthusiast - Captain of the supercharged barge > Hello I'm Justin
11/19/2014 at 13:14

It's not a matter of what the pun can do for you, but what you can do for yourself... (SORRY! I can't help it!)

Oran J Sands III > 427zeo6
11/19/2014 at 13:14

Actually the Golf guys say that. Everyone else calls them Cabbys. many say they're cheerleadermobiles. Which is fine by me. I'd rather have a flock of cheerleaders wanting a ride in my car than a bunch of greasy dudes!

green_man_group > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:27

You're a bike commuter? Isn't your job 75 miles away?!

Anton > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:30

I think I just seen into my future, you know what it's not that bad.

OneHeadLight > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:33

Is it cheating if you live on a bus line? I bought a dirt cheap SAAB 9-5 Sportwagon, sourced parts online, rebuilt the front end, replaced motor mounts, belts, plugs, etc., over the course of 2 w/ends. Also, I can bicycle to the local indy parts store for the everyday essentials. But JFC, Oren...240 mi. round trip to trailer and a transmission conversion, plus parts,

Oran J Sands III > green_man_group
11/19/2014 at 13:35

Good catch! It was. Now I work 4 miles from the house. No big deal (until it's friggin' below freezing.) While doing the 150 roundtrip commute I made Buffy a 5 speed, changed engines twice, changed the suspension, revamped the entire interior and changed the top.

green_man_group > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:39

As someone who commutes 88 miles a day (round trip), I can't imagine doing 150 each day. *hat tip*

Oran J Sands III > burntartichoke
11/19/2014 at 13:40

Why the GTI tranny? Because I had it! (Rule #1 of DWB: Use what ya got) The FK box is close ratio and very low geared. Makes it fun to drive. And spins the engine at about 4ooo at 70 mph. Buzzy but efficient. New car also has a 4K GTI box but upgraded to 100mm flanges. I do have a .75 5th gear to retro fit one of these days.

Jeep until it MHz > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:41

oh yes I have spent many a Sunday nights putting my jeep back together to have I ready to go to work Monday morning. I still have a quite the pile of parts still waiting to go on my jeep.

BrianMadigan > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:44

I've done it for a while here and there. In the end it's always an exciting proposition, but not very sane. I tend to get my priorities screwed up when working on a project car. I've never really made a list of things to be done, nor considered any kind of order of importance beyond the mechanically necessary order.

I've had 2 projects over the last 3 years. One is an 80s Mercedes, the other is a 66 ford F100. The Mercedes got mechanical restoration the first year, then body work and repaint. Now it needs MORE mechanical restoration, although it's reliable as a DD. I just don't like DDing something that has problems that need to be taken care of before they cause more damage. Also, driving around cars with obvious cosmetic flaws is kinda embarrassing, even to me. I just got a reliable 2007 Mustang GT with a warrantee for my piece of mind. Now I can take on the 3-4 day jobs without a problem, because I like to do things at my own speed, and do them properly rather than having to rush EVERY job to get it running the next day. Now, that IS a good skill to have, especially in a racing mechanic, but some things necessarily take time. So I'm gonna stay in the project cars are projects, not daily drivers camp for now, since the last time I got stranded by a wiring problem in my truck, I got heat stroke trying to push the thing the last 4 blocks to where I was going. Luckily my girlfriend was there to take care of me, otherwise I'd have probably ended up in the ER.

l75eya > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/19/2014 at 13:46

www.ultimatesubaru.org

Place is fantastic. No flame wars, no immature crap, just good advice and write ups.

I hoon, therefore I am > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/19/2014 at 13:48

They're surprisingly performance-oriented, but don't dare ask a question or you'll get flamed. I mean, this is literally the admin (I find it amusing that he's an air-cooled VW fan, too!)...

Oran J Sands III > OneHeadLight
11/19/2014 at 13:49

Awesome! I wish I was on a bus line but we're outside the Indy loop so no service. The trip was no biggie. When you're poor and unemployed as I was at the time you get desperate.

Oran J Sands III > BrianMadigan
11/19/2014 at 13:56

Buffy once stranded me 4 blocks from my job interview. 100 degrees outside and I'm wearing a suit. Left it parked at a Burger King until after the interview, climbed under the car, smacked the starter with a hammer and drove it the 75 miles back home.

burntartichoke > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 13:56

Ah, didn't know you had it already. Also, buzzy is an understatement at 70mph lol but damn, isn't it perfect between 25 and 55? I understand why my dad liked to auto cross my GLI.

Frank Grimes > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 14:07

I am currently in the middle of a head gasket repair on a miata. I have always had my project car as a daily. Sometimes I get so sick of fixing things in the cold I start to think about giving up on project cars and driving something normal and practical.

Have you ever been this low? What keeps you motivated to keep a project car?

Oran J Sands III > Frank Grimes
11/19/2014 at 14:13

While cleaning out the garage a month ago I decided to pin my old head gaskets on the wall. I stopped counting at 10. You're right, the worst part of maintaining a fragile vehicle is keeping it going during the winter months. You tend to put off repairs which is a dodgy thing to do. For safety reasons you cut corners and that's bad juju. The potential of a vehicle keeps me motivated. Knowing what can be possible. Surfing the web and looking at what others have done can give you fresh wind.

For the record I HATE the cold.

Sal-Paradise > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 14:28

I'm right there with you. My only car (in which to navigate hellish LA traffic, no less) is a 40-year-old MGB that I've been steadily rehabbing. It makes for lots of late nights and crazy weekends.

Oran J Sands III > Sal-Paradise
11/19/2014 at 14:37

An MGB? They didn't run reliably when they were new!

dave.iuliano > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 14:39

So, I get up this morning, and head outside. Remembering I don't have heat in my '73 Volvo because I misplaced that one heater hose when I pulled and rebuilt heater box that they apparently built the car around, I grab the supplies I thought to purchase on Sunday out of the car, cut the proper length, reroute the lines to bring the heater core back in the circuit, and install the new bit to complete it. I hop in the car, hold up the parking brake firmly to minimize the rolling back as I start it, release the brake, and ease out of the driveway. Shift into first, pull up on the parking brake firmly to release that sticking parking brake shoe with a "clunk," and give it some gas. Start to wonder why I only have three cylinders. Stop on flat ground where the brake might hold, pop the hood, and start digging. Fuel injector harness is still disintegrating but basically intact. Plug wires are all good. Look closer... aha! That tiny little ground wire that's broken out of the crimp ring and away from it's five brethren might be the issue. Hold the end of the wire agains the ground bolt, and sure enough, that fourth injector wakes up. Jam it in there, back up down the street, pull into the driveway. Go hunting for a terminal and my wire crimper. I left the wire crimper in the back of my old truck, so it's literally got ice on the handles. Crimp on the connector, ground it, shore up the other grounds with some reluctant electrical tape, and back underway. Feel good the car is running so well. And, hey, I have heat again! Except my eyes are starting to burn a little. Glance over and watch the depressing stream of coolant coming from under the dash and soaking the passenger floor. Continue on my way, cursing under my breath, until I get to my first stop. Check all the clamps under the hood; everything's good there. Start cussing some more as I get coffee. Back into the Swedish Sauna, and head to the doctor's for an appointment. Prop the hood to let it cool, head inside. Ironically, I'm here because my blood pressure's elevated. No idea why. Finish up, head outside, start pulling the hose I'd just installed. Re-route the original hose to bypass the heater core again. Explain to admirer that, no, I don't need help thanks, this sort of thing is perfectly normal. Because of course it is. Back on the road, wistfully remembering that time I had heat, and how nice it was. Wondering how many eBay heater cores it'll take to get one that doesn't leak, and why on earth nobody's capitalizing on the clear demand for new ones. Wondering why all the good old-school radiator shops have gone extinct. Get home, hop on eBay, start Googling radiator shops in Greensboro, get depressed. Remember my blood pressure. Decide to take a few deep breaths and a break. Head to Jalopnik...

Parked next to a young interloper this morning on my coffee stop:

Kinja'd!!!

davedave1111 > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 14:47

I wondered if that picture was really you, so I GISed it. Apparently the three most visually similar images are:

Kinja'd!!!

Oran J Sands III > dave.iuliano
11/19/2014 at 14:47

Like a page from my diary...

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 14:57

"This led to a bit of conflict since my job was 75 miles away."

Hopefully that is 75 miles of pleasant rural driving not stop-and-go rush hour driving.

Oran J Sands III > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
11/19/2014 at 15:13

Pure interstate door to door. But the normal flow was in the opposite direction as rush hour. So it was kinda peaceful. And cold. First year I had no heat. Drove with a quilt over my legs and ski gloves on.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 15:16

Yep... when there's no heat, dress like you're going skiing. That's what I do when I ride my bicycle in the cold... which I sometimes do because it's the fastest way to get downtown from where I live.

TwoFortified > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 15:16

Hi. My name is TwoFortified, and I'm a DWB.

I've been B my whole life, and DWB since my first D. I have just the ugliest 180sx you've ever laid eyes on to prove it (but it runs, and it's my daily, and I don't miss much work because of it).

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 15:39

I'm currently stuck with driving my Fiat under 60 kph because something in the injection system went kaput. Will be this way for another week and a half, then I'm driving 286 km home to fix it.

Another wise rule of daily driving your project is to forget about originality, at least if you live in a place like Brazil. I've kept my car stock for 19 years, and finding replacement parts for the fried up electronics is just not gonna happen, so as soon as I get home, I'm putting a brand new competition injection system on. Not stock, but durable.

AllGoNoShow > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 16:00

Oran is a stand up guy. I was still in college and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with my '87 Cabriolet. Was searching through VWvortex for ideas and Oran suggested checking fuel pressure. Problem was, I didn't have the necessary tools. "No problem," he says. "I'm just a few miles away from you. I'll come over on Saturday and help you figure it out." THAT is is a true jalop, and won't ever forget that help. Thanks, Oran!

Oran J Sands III > AllGoNoShow
11/19/2014 at 16:07

Hey dude! Thanks for the thought! Pay it forward as they say.

Oran J Sands III > green_man_group
11/19/2014 at 16:09

Did I mention there was no radio?

mk4wagon > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 16:42

Reading things like this always makes me feel better about my situation. I too am on vortex (svalente) but only really active in the wagon thread. Since I'm broke, I don't do much until something is broken or needs replacing, and I try to upgrade. I do as much work as I can myself, and its absolutely hazardous to the relationship with my gf (I thought you fixed that last weekend?!). I love it though. Upgrading things and doing my own work is such a sense of accomplishment when its all done and you get to enjoy it. My gf is on the road to understanding, but still not all the way there. Slowly but surely I guess.. just like the progress on ol' Martina.

Hiroku > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 17:33

Simple solution, just get your favourite music blasting in your mobile phone, place it in some convenient place in the car and enjoy! Had to do that for months in my old car. Works great! Until of course you took a turn a little too hard and the phone went flying into your feet and lodged itself under the brake pedal.

Or when you climb an inclined stretch of highway so steep you are forced to throw your crap beaten-up hatchback with no compression at all into fourth and do the remaining 10 miles at around 40, 4000rpm and right pedal stuck to the floor. Then you couldn't really hear much of your music.

Thinking back, DWBing wasn't so fun back then.

Break-Mend-Continue > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 19:06

I tip my hat to you. I hope I am still wrenching when I am your age. I drive a 74 Beetle daily. Sometimes I curse it and think about buying something modern and sensible. Not for long though. Having an interesting car you can fix with your own hands at the side of the road if necessary is so much more satisfying than driving a blob-mobile.

Kiltedpadre > Oran J Sands III
11/19/2014 at 19:24

I have the same benefit. I have a truck that needs some work done to it (granted it's on hold now that the temperature has plummeted) but if all else fails I live close enough to bike to work.

EntropicRR > green_man_group
11/20/2014 at 01:54

My short commute is 144 RT, my other locations are 315 and 320 one way! I wear shit out.

Thedingo8mybaby > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/20/2014 at 03:42

Indeed, there seems to be forums for just about every vehicle type. I have an '06 Chevy 2500HD diesel and wouldn't have been able to rebuild my transfer case to fix a design flaw without the help of the forum (dieselplace). That's probably the most complex vehicle repair I've ever done by myself.

Coalman > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/20/2014 at 07:16

This x2 is why I hate it when I hear Techs and car guys make blanket statements like "German cars are hard to work on" or "VW's have unreliable electrical systems" without pointing out specific makes, models, years, etc. People apparently forget that prior to '00 VW's were pretty economy-car based.

Coalman > Trevor Slattery, ACTOR
11/20/2014 at 07:23

Whenever I car shop now I look for forums to see if the community is pretty active and has decent DIY posts. My litmus test so to speak is the Vortex. It's where I started learning how to do stuff thanks to all the info there. Thanks to guys like Oran and DJ Reed (among others I'm sure) it certainly makes it easy to follow along via pictures even more so than some of the stuff in either the Haynes or Bentley manuals.

DrScientist > Oran J Sands III
11/20/2014 at 12:55

ha nice!

i used a '91 jaguar xjs with the v12 as a rolling project from spring time through till a few weeks ago. i was constantly changing fluids, cleaning/replacing filters, plugging holes, rewiring, tying up exhaust pipes.

until a few weeks ago... i believe an oil leak drip onto the starter finally crazed the solenoid that starter spins whenever the battery is connected. it would be a simple replace if jaguar decided to not put it behind the exhaust headers, and attach it to the trans with a virtually impossible to reach 12 pt bolt requiring a universal socket and multiple ratchet extenders.

so then work travel plus artic temperatures backburnered it until hopefully thanksgiving weekend.

torque > Oran J Sands III
03/26/2015 at 17:21

Though I do have a garage, and DD a TDI (currently with 224K), living in MN, I make a point of trying to do any maintenance or replace anything I know may need replacing proactively during the warmer months.

If I have to work on any of the cars in in the winter (which of course has happened) I keep the door closed and wear at least 3 layers on top and at least two layers on my legs + stormy kromer hat (classic black wool Elemer Fudd style - a little goofy but so damn warm) & insulated boots, add it all up and keeps me warm & toasty while I wrench.

In a pinch (if below zero) use space heater with a goal of getting the internal garage temp at least to 15 degrees F

Oran J Sands III > torque
03/26/2015 at 17:42

I used to have a salamander kerosene heater but it got flaky and I started having visions of it exploding so I got rid of it. I did once work in a garage with a similar heater during a winter while building a race engine. We'd get totally dopey from the fumes and shut off the heater and open a window. Rinse , repeat. Somehow we got it built. Ran perfectly. Can't imagine why we forgot to tighten the oil drain plug though.