Car stuff

[Marrkin]

Depends on the car Bul. So far I have found forums for just about every make and model there is. I am currently active on the http://www.allsentra.com forums, and I have looked through forums for Camaro, Ford Taurus, Subaru, BMW, mercedes..... you name it. Just Google around and find a useful community. A lot of the folks on those sites are there to share their knowledge and ask questions.

As far as "tuning for dummies" I would advise that if you are not comfortable pulling major chunks of your car apart, then find a good shop, or start with small pieces and do TONS of research for each thing you want to change.

Sent using smoke signals from my campfire.

[Blackferne]

They're heeeere.....

To each his own I guess, but that looks like a painful sex toy.

[Furiel]

They're heeeere.....

To each his own I guess, but that looks like a painful sex toy.

Or as Jess calls it the Jounville

[Skiggity]

Nice coil-overs!

You have access to any corner-weighting scales? It's a hell of a lot easier to set the spring perches when they're all new and shiny, after you drive through that first puddle and then over some loose sandy grimey dirt it really fouls the threads.

And Bul, while it's true that you need to be careful and competent when working on a car, they're actually much easier than folks expect. Kinda like building PCs, they were designed by very intelligent people to be worked on safely and reliably by folks who didn't necessarily graduate high school, and unless you're rebuilding an engine block the majority of stuff is almost plug and play. Step one is to buy the factory service manual for your vehicle, as it will contain step by step instructions for EVERYTHING as well as torque specs etc. Also, working on a car without a robust set of tools isn't much fun at all, since you spend about 10x more time than necessary.

[Maizan]

In automotive, the right tool for the job is very true. As for books, I have used the Haynes guides as a starting point. http://www.haynes.com/.

I am in the process of switching houses and one of my requirements is a double car garage. I have not told my girlfriend yet that the second spot is foe my workshop.

Maizan

[Skiggity]

So izz yo rid3 slamm3d!??

How'd the install go? How's it feel? I'll never forget the first real dip I hit in my GS-R back in the day after putting Koni dampers and Neuspeed coils in the corners. Roller-coaster stuff! And the Teins in my Type R are extra-supernated...I LOVE A GOOD SUSPENSION!

[Marrkin]

Well, I have the coils installed, but as of right now my car is only about a half inch lower than it was with just the lowering springs. I will continue to "dial them in" and I do wanna see how low I can get it, but not to drive on daily. I'll probably slam it, take a couple pics, then bring it back up some lol.

The ride difference though.... holllleeeeecccchit is it different. Car does not roll or flex really in the slightest. If I hit the gas in a corner, my friggin outside tire even tries to break loose. Just the slightest little bit bouncy right now, but I should be able to adjust that out when I get it all where I want it. It's not constant, and only on a few bumps.

Makes my car feel better than it was brand new off the lot though.

[Marrkin]

Soooo.....

T-Minus 2-1/2 hours until install



It better look good or I'm gonna be pppiiiiiiiissssseddd!

[Blackferne]

Something I like about the addition of so many car people to Alvis is I'm actually learning stuff outside of my normal spectrum of knowledge.

So how should I trick out my prius? I'm thinking racing stripes.

[Marrkin]

Adding an engine would be a good start

Sent using smoke signals from my campfire.

[Skiggity]

Not sure if anyone has done this with a Prius, but a few folks realized that if you tore out the batteries from a Honda Insight (first-gen, their Hybrid from about a decade ago) and swapped in a hot race engine for the fuel-efficient one you had a very light, very aerodynamic drag toy.

This Insight is a bit quicker in a straight line than a Corvette Z06.

[Marrkin]

Soooo, here's the finished product with a comparative image from about a week ago:

Then:


And now:

[Maizan]

Sweet ride. Like the rims.

did you have the car lowered? Or is it a result of the shocks from above.

[Marrkin]

Lowered twice actually,

First time was with H & R performance springs, then again with the coilovers in the pics above.

Done properly I don't subscribe to the school of thinking that cutting the springs to lower a car is ok.

[Skiggity]

Very clean indeed! I do love me some dark alloys on a silver car.

It's not in my collection anymore, but my Volvo 740 Turbo boostbox looked a heck of a lot cooler after I sprayed the center of the wheels with Rustoleum hammer-finish anthracite.

[Bulwark]

reviving a dead thread...

Questions for the car gurus:

1) any experience with replacing/converting a dash? My car has a couple of aluminum panels, but I'm thinking about replacing them with wood. Thoughts?


2) For some reason, Texas requires you to have plates in the front. Any advice on where to put it? I tried putting it in the center of the lower grill, but it's too tall and hangs off the bottom lip. I can't find a place that looks right.

[Marrkin]

1. If you convert to wood, you have to jump into it completely. This is my opinion of course, but just changing one or two pieces of center trim for wood will actually make the entire dash look out of place. I believe you'd need to change all the aluminum stuff out.....Being that you have an otherwise black interior, you may want to look into the lightest, or at least most contrasting wood shades you can find. That's actually why automakers use lighter/metallic colors for trim pieces. The contrast makes all the difference in the world.

2. Unfortunately for the Xk series there are not a lot of options for front plate locations due to the design of the front end. They just weren't meant for US plates, which I find weird since they are/were made by Ford.....The best I can suggest is to look for a "front plate relocator" that will drop it down and to one side of the lower grille area. Otherwise, just keep the plate with you in the glove box and if you get pulled over, tell them you are "buying a bracket for it since the old one fell off" or some crap. You're rollin' the dice with that one of course