I Fixed My Car!

"Sally O'Broder" (KojiroT)
09/09/2014 at 00:22 • Filed to: the Sniper, Oppoprojects

Yesssss!!

Hi Oppo. I'm Sally! You may know me from just about nearly every other GM blog except maybe Lifehacker and Deadspin. If anyone's curious, my icon is a 2012 DC Cherry Blossom Festival centennial pin. 100 year old Sakura trees, ya'll!

I drive a 1995 duct tape because bondo is for losers Mitsubishi Mirage S. I'm not going to pretend like it's, say, my old 1990 Geo Storm or anything, but it is my car, and it is a stick, so...

Its name is the Sniper.

I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself. It's been mysteriously overheating lately, and the first thing on my mind was that maybe I should do a radiator flush. Well, after draining the radiator I discovered it's probably never had that done in its life - the second-to-last owner was a moron - and I was treated to some pleasant orange runny gloop. The coolant is green. This is supposed to be green coolant.

Since I was going to flush it, I realized "hey, maybe I should get a new thermostat just in case it's been damaged". Obviously, the thermostat was the problem, but cut me some slack I don't do well with issues where something has gone so long without a procedure that it's developed rust on rubber somehow. I suppose it's good that the old one broke, because that prompted me to perform the flush and oh my God would you look at those sulfur deposits why are there yellow sulfur deposits?!

Also, I'd bought a conical air filter since those were on sale cheaper than on Amazon, which I put on since I had to remove the air hose and fuel line just to get to one of the bolts for the thermostat housing. Lame.

I just slapped the thing on the existing air hose and took out the air box. It looks stupid, but racecar. I'm going to buy an actual kit for it tomorrow maybe. The stock air box would actually be great, if it didn't involve awkward bends and other bizarre restrictions. It's set up to almost suck air right from the front of the car, so what gives? I'm going to go ahead and make it so it actually does suck up that air, since there's some stock tubing that comes through the fender well.

Anyway, the throttle has responded amazing to my janky air intake modification. Way, way better than it should be responding. This puzzles and annoys me.

Also, now that the radiator has some flushing stuff circulating in it with some distilled water - I'm going to let it stay in there for the next few days - it's running way cooler. Too cool, in fact. It's running below spec, and I made sure to have a hotter thermostat in there and everything. Between my ghetto ram air intake and fixing the nastiness in the radiator the car is running too cold, and that's going to hurt my city mpg! One of the reasons it has duct tape on it is a temporary quick fix meant to help it heat up faster while at the same time reducing highway drag, basically being the world's worst-looking front air dam.

Does anyone have any advice on how to heat the thing up again?

DISCUSSION (9)

PatBateman > Sally O'Broder
09/09/2014 at 00:33

No idea, but you've done 100% more than I've ever done to my truck (I tend to break things easily).

thebigbossyboss > Sally O'Broder
09/09/2014 at 08:11

"It looks stupid, but racecar."

ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!

Hooker > Sally O'Broder
09/09/2014 at 08:35

Welcome to Oppo! Not sure about your issue. When I had overheating issues in my Pontiac Sunfire (don't judge) I just sold the damn thing. Haha. Your writing style is entertaining as well!

Sally O'Broder > Hooker
09/09/2014 at 10:08

It was $300 when I bought it.

Sally O'Broder > thebigbossyboss
09/09/2014 at 10:10

Yes.

Hooker > Sally O'Broder
09/09/2014 at 10:11

I sold my Sunfire for 450 with a blown head gasket. Interestingly enough, it rode and drove great (2.4L). Especially that last day. It knew the end was near.

Sally O'Broder > Hooker
09/09/2014 at 10:15

Headgaskets terrify me.

thebigbossyboss > Sally O'Broder
09/09/2014 at 10:15

Well, I drive a lifted Cavalier. Because race car. I didn't mean to lift it, but when I changed out the lowered suspension (4 broked shock absorbers, car sitting on bump stops) for a OEM suspension the car lifted 1" higher than stock.

And thus a bro truck was born.

Hooker > Sally O'Broder
09/09/2014 at 10:24

You are not alone. I also loathe water pumps.