Help me pick what to fix!

"TheJWT" (thejwt) 06/25/2015 at 17:03 • Filed to: None

2

22

Through the little mechanical knowledge I have and several miracles, I’ve gotten my car to daily driver status; but it’s still far from perfect. So I figured I’d grab a picture of my Roadkill list, and leave my next job to a vote...

Mercedes Streeter > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:08

5

You’re going to need a therapist for that one. *giggles*

crowmolly > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:09

0

Start with what can get you hurt or killed. Then move on to what will cost the most from neglect.

lone_liberal > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:09

1

Brakes then backup lights. If you’re going to drive it a fair amount those things are kind of important. I would change the backup lights vote to suspension if the issue there could cause issues like the wheels falling off.

ly2v8-Brian > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:25

0

Brakes and power steering.

extraspecialbitter > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:27

0

Brakes, then axle. If your tires are leaking because of the valve stem, I’d say that’s a priority.

Is the “fix rust” item purely cosmetic?

Squid > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:29

1

Anything safety related.

i.e. brakes, drivetrain, lights, horns, depending on year of car and desire of bodily injury in case of accident; passenger restraint systems. Also the suspension if any joints are at the point of failure and the steering.

everything else is superfluous.

TheJWT > extraspecialbitter 06/25/2015 at 17:34

0

It’s just one wheel that’s leaking, and there’s just a tiny bit of rust on the rear wheel arches

TheJWT > ly2v8-Brian 06/25/2015 at 17:35

0

Power steering is going to be the pain-in-the-ass to end all pains-in-the-ass. The car originally had it, but all of the lines were cut. (extremely poorly, with tin snips)

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:36

0

Axles seem kinda important. Might want to start with that.

TheJWT > Squid 06/25/2015 at 17:36

0

Yep, it seems like brakes and axles are the general concensus.

TheJWT > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 06/25/2015 at 17:38

0

They’re not too bad now; one of the boots broke so it sprayed grease everywhere. They are rather important though, so I’ll go ahead and replace the set.

Squid > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:39

1

Yup, in that order, whats the point of going when you can’t stop? Focus on making the car safe to drive mechanically then work on the other stuff little by little.

TheJWT > Squid 06/25/2015 at 17:41

0

Yeah, I probably won’t even start getting into cosmetic stuff until next summer.

Echo51 > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 17:49

0

Good luck, have fun.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 18:28

1

You have more interesting things to fix than I do.

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/trucklopnik-ch…

TheJWT > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 06/25/2015 at 20:49

0

I don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing.

TheJWT > Echo51 06/25/2015 at 20:50

1

It’s only a few spots, thankfully! I really just want to do it so that I can learn how, it’s not a huge deal.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 22:08

0

I got the transmission shift lever, instrument cluster, and the blower problem narrowed down today.

Cluster and shifter are fixed completely, the blower problem now is that high speed doesn’t work, and that’s appearing to be a relay problem with the blower motor resistor assembly. So cheap Chinese part isn’t actually working.

TheJWT > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 06/25/2015 at 22:10

0

Are you buying all new parts or getting stuff from junkyards? I’ve found parts at junkyards that are impossible to find online

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > TheJWT 06/25/2015 at 22:22

0

New parts. I’m just not having luck with the relay on this resistor pack, now that I have a schematic from Haynes as to how it is supposed to work.

So I’ll have to test it somehow. Shouldn’t be too hard. 12VDC source and a light, right?

NoneOfYourBiz > TheJWT 06/26/2015 at 08:26

0

Balance your fixes. The stuff that will cause further damage down the road should be top priority. ( valve stem?! axle? struts?)

Gotta go safety items and the valve stem first. That’s the sucking chest wound of the automotive world.

Brakes of course if they’re dangerous.

Rust: look for the cause. Your weather stripping may need to be replaced. A pinhole in that can let enough water in to rust out body panels.

DETAIL YOUR CAR. Wash, claybar, wax. Keep it waxed regularly and wash it weekly at least. This lets water bead off instead of pooling which will help in keeping the tin-worm away.

While the mechanical stuff should be first because it can fail catastrophically, detailing is part of preventative maintenance.

Cosmetic and performance related (removing A/C? sway bar? seat? refinishing wheels?) are LAST. If your car disintegrates around you, none of that stuff matters.

Frankly, I’d completely nix the “A/C delete” idea. You’re wasting time and resources on something completely irrelevant. If, as a driver, you’re suffering from heat stroke, you won’t be driving to your potential.

Come to think of it, why are you investing so much time in this car? (emotional attachment?) It seems like there’s enough to do you might just want to move on to a different car.

TheJWT > NoneOfYourBiz 06/26/2015 at 09:45

1

I ordered new axles last night, and there’s just one valve stem that’s leaking, so I’ll got that checked out in the next few days. Rust is minimal and cosmetic, and there’s none on the frame so that’s not a huge priority.

The paint on my car is such dog shit that waxing it is a lost cause... And my A/C was halfway deleted when I bought the car; I just want to remove all of the leftovers.

And yes, this is complete waste of time and money. This is my first car, and I’ve thought about selling it, but A) I”m hopelessly in love with it, and B) I want to learn how to do as much of this stuff as I can. I came into this with zero mechanical knowledge, and so far, the only thing I haven’t done myself is fix the brake lines.