Steve's car thread. AKA: Cross Country prep

Tito · Guru

RE: Steve's car thread. AKA: Cross Country prep

Tito · Guru

So...you know those multiple choice tests that the teachers always said to go with your first instinctive answer? As it's usually correct?

When I first drove the C, I said, 'The timing feels way off'. Well, two things:

The car has an aftermarket flywheel, no timing marks, I checked, and it was tedious. So I had to get creative.

Second, the timing was way effing off.

There are marks on the cam gear, and at TDC, one should be on the valve cover side, an the other on the head side. Very simple, well, they were both on the head side. So I figure, what the hey, let me back out some spark and see what happens. Get it all lined up, adjust the idle a smidge, take it out.

Run one: Oviedo police...shhhh, pull back into my neighborhood, make a lap, go back out, take it out to Alafaya, romp on it. It's quick, like quite quick for a terribly ill efficent head and charger design. Dare I say it's even fixed and up to proper running spec? It sure feels like it.

Lou, remember when we went out and it just went flat at say..4k? It doesn't do that anymore, in fact, it doesn't go flat, at all, all the way to 7k. I honestly have not much to compare it to, but I'd say this is pretty damn close to what it's suppose to be. I'll be taking Ian for a ride tonight to get a passenger prospective, as it's hard to tell from the driver's seat. But it sure runs though the revs cleaner, with little or no flatspots. And I think that's pretty good for a management system(F you Digi 1) that is a little better than a hamster with a small bucket waiting for the piston to come around to pour some fuel in.

I'm excited. Maybe I can actually drive the car..properly, now.

Steve

A4seen Racer · VP

Nice. Its always a good feeling when you get something working right. So did that make you change your mind about the vr?

Tito · Guru

It might have honestly. At least at the moment. Just driving this thing around, like it's honestly really quick, and really fun. So I think for now I'll be G60ing it. At least until something terrible happens. I'm anticipating a Lader explosion, so I'll plan for turbo+MSnS for the future. But for now it's a kickin good time. I think there are some suspension issues I need to work out, think my subframe bushings have kicked the bucket, and the engine mounts, but I'll have to look into that.

Steve

Tito · Guru

Single most aggravating thing I've ever done on a car:

The trans mount on the Corrado. I'm sorry, but WTF were they thinking when they designed this thing? There is absolutely zero room to move anything. Things in the way of other things:

Main mount bolt? Brake lines/coolant resevoir
Bolts that hold in the mount? Again, brake lines/frame rail/mount bracket/brake booster
Bolts of above bracket? The mount itself/the subframe

So let me get this straight, the bracket I need to remove to get the mount out is has three bolts in it, and the bottom bolt you cannot remove until you can get the mount out. Seriously, what the eff?

Lots of prying, throwing, and swearing later, it's done, I'm tired, excessively dirty, hot, aggravated. And I still need to do one more. And that one? The control arm blocks one of those bolts. cry

WTF over?

Bottom line, I'm done with cars. After jumping off the floor, readjusting the jack, and then crawling back down, only to find I need to do it again. Getting the whole job done, and having no real method if I ever need to do it again, don't know if it's the car, or if it's just me getting old. I wish I had the stress threshold of a saint sometimes, as I just can't deal with things like this.

My bike is getting done, the car is tenatively listed for sale. I love the effing thing, I just can't be bothered with this kind of stuff right now. I'm looking to get a mid-late nineties Volvo, or a truck. It has to tow, and be able to move me the hell out of this state. And no, the Corrado won't be sold to just anyone, no way in hell. If you didn't have one before, or you can't tell me more about them than I know, then you can't have it. I realize I won't find another one like it, and I've accepted that, I did the thing, bought the car, loved it, but it's just a non-stop battle, as one would expect with a Corrado. I thought I could do it, I thought wrong. I am really wanting to get into maybe some vintage motorcycle racing, and I just need something to jump in and drive around, and obviously to move my crap. I like cars, but I'm in love with motorcycles, and I can't do both. I'm pretty sure you guys understand. I think most of you can also understand the kind of person I want to sell it to, so let me know if you know anyone who may be interested. And no, I'm not selling it for what I bought it for, not even close. I'll still be hanging around, and may be getting another job soon, so I can be a tenative support vehicle for whatever goes on for the weekends. Anyways, that is all. Time to shower and get this grime off of me.

Steve

Viet · POOP Bum

.... thats what u get for owning vw... lol jk. I know how you feel man. Sometimes u gotta fight through it just get that satisfaction. Well hopefully you'll sell the corrado to the right person. I'd definitely like to see the bike when its done!

Tito · Guru

Viet wrote:

.... thats what u get for owning vw... lol jk. I know how you feel man. Sometimes u gotta fight through it just get that satisfaction. Well hopefully you'll sell the corrado to the right person. I'd definitely like to see the bike when its done!

Yea me too, it's taken way too long to get the bike done, and I still have a lot to do.

Steve

A4seen Racer · VP

I'm sure we all know that feeling. I try not to get too frustrated since its just a hobby. Although it is very easy to do.

Whats left on the bike?

Tito · Guru

It's a pretty hefty list on the bike. Mainly just a boat load of tedious things, but some major pieces.

I need to get the wheels laced together, and to sort out the controls. Then paint, few other brackets I need to fab, some more welding. Engine assembly/paint, then paint on the tins, and I'm sure a bunch of other little things upon trying to start it. But there is a bunch, and it's time consuming, I'm just tired of seeing it in pieces ya know?

Steve