Ontopic The new car-seching thread

Finally had a spare minute to look at the Datsun's hood release cable. After pulling up onto blocks, reaching around the engine, only shocking myself on the positive battery cable once, I found the hood release lever, and got the hood open. Took the whole cable out and took it apart.

Went to the bike shop, and asked them to do their best to match up diameters of the steel cable, so I could save the important part (the sheath). Handed the guy the old cable and his first question was, "what is this from?", to which I answered, "oh, not a bike".

At any rate, they didn't have a single dollop of common sense for sale, but I did get a stainless steel brake cable. I swaged on new ends, and now I have a working hood release cable for $7.38. I could have done it cheaper, if I hadn't insisted on stainless steel (lowe's has the same diameter stuff on the shelf in mild steel), but it was a far sight from the $220 to replace the entire thing.
 
Hertz fucked up our rental by not allocating us a car.

When I went to the desk they offered us a brand new Chrysler 300 which was way above the turd I had booked, but no extra charge.

Fucking thing rides worse and is noisier than my 2014 Sierra Denali.
Hopefully, you didn't hit any rainy roads. Worse handling imaginable. Fucking deathtraps.
 
Allow me to play for you my new hit single, "One Ugga-Dugga Over The Line":

192774009_10159048620424342_8639460712566115910_n.jpg

193283554_10159048620439342_470778387542683935_n.jpg

That's the nut labelled "8" in the diagram:
pow-003-5jpg.jpg

Guess I should have used more anti-seize so it didn't gall on the steel.

So at any rate, I need a new sway bar for the Audi before it's safe to be on the road, because there's no way I can weld on the spring steel with confidence.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: wetwillie
Allow me to play for you my new hit single, "One Ugga-Dugga Over The Line":

View attachment 14370

View attachment 14371

That's the nut labelled "8" in the diagram:
View attachment 14372

Guess I should have used more anti-seize so it didn't gall on the steel.

So at any rate, I need a new sway bar for the Audi before it's safe to be on the road, because there's no way I can weld on the spring steel with confidence.
Maybe it was destined to go. At least you were home ;) Yeah, fuck welding that - the welding would be ok but trying to get penetration, then clean it up so you can use the threads, hardness getting altered in a crucial area, etc. nah. Bummer!
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: Immigrant
Took my Datsun out today, lost a dust cap on the front wheel bearing.

Napa has 1.78" ones in stock, so I bought a couple. The hub bore is 45mm, so the Napa ones are just big enough to not fit.

Fortunately, the inner bore of the bearing race for the Audi's hubs is... 45mm, and it has a chamfered lip, and I have them sitting on my bench.

So, I set the dust cap in the chamfered side of the bearing race, and pressed it in using my vise. Now I have 45mm dust caps instead of 1.78" ones.

IMG_20210602_141153769.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Love
Reactions: wetwillie
The Access Lorado soft tonneau cover on my #PROFESSIONALGRADE is 7 years old and starting to fall apart.

I'd like a soft cap. But there's two companies that make them, and they both look like shit.

Do not want a hard cap. Had one on my old Tundra. It was fine.
 
The Access Lorado soft tonneau cover on my #PROFESSIONALGRADE is 7 years old and starting to fall apart.

I'd like a soft cap. But there's two companies that make them, and they both look like shit.

Do not want a hard cap. Had one on my old Tundra. It was fine.
Tonneau covers are for people who bought a pickup and then had buyers remorse.
 
  • Gravy
Reactions: HipHugHer
The Access Lorado soft tonneau cover on my #PROFESSIONALGRADE is 7 years old and starting to fall apart.

I'd like a soft cap. But there's two companies that make them, and they both look like shit.

Do not want a hard cap. Had one on my old Tundra. It was fine.
Mine is from Access and I bought it in '05. Its still going strong, and I've heard similar stories of others. I doubt yours is starting to fall apart, has a couple wear marks and some fatigue lines, maybe some stitching along an edge has started to fray.
Suck it up, buttercup. Anti-consumerisim is the new cool thing.