Ontopic The new car-seching thread

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I am looking for another car, but it'll be the kids' first car. I'm halfway considering the neighbor's broken down Northstar Cadillac. It kinda violates the spirit of what I was looking for (something simple and manual), but it is super cheap.

The kid needs to learn on a manual IMO.
 
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Started the cut and buff today after work.

Process was 3M Purple 2000, 3M 3000 trizact, then rubbing compound on a wool bonnet, polish on a medium cut sponge bonnet, and glaze on a fine cut sponge bonnet. Then I went over the top of that with carnuba wax.

After sanding:
95583728_10157991454354342_7113973891092971520_o.jpg

After buffing:
96066450_10157991454384342_1017785001497853952_o.jpg

After wax:
95998390_10157991454744342_4208953764079468544_o.jpg

Got half the roof and all of the driver's rear quarter today.
 
Started the cut and buff today after work.

Process was 3M Purple 2000, 3M 3000 trizact, then rubbing compound on a wool bonnet, polish on a medium cut sponge bonnet, and glaze on a fine cut sponge bonnet. Then I went over the top of that with carnuba wax.

After sanding:
View attachment 11599

After buffing:
View attachment 11601

After wax:
View attachment 11600

Got half the roof and all of the driver's rear quarter today.

I don't envy you in the least bit, but the car will be absolutely gleaming.

That's 2 more steps than the best stuff we did, those being the 3000 sand and the glaze.
 
Okie doke. NOS head delivered, time to fix that stripped thread!


Wait...


Shit.


At least the two that broke flush allowed me to unscrew this one by spinning the head once I broke the seal loose.


Pepper helped and learned new words.
Those look like through-holes into the case. I'd drill 'em straight through and then spin them into the case.
 
Blew the head gasket on the Audi today. It was a shining moment.

On the bright side, the parts all together are $330 (timing belt, water pump, cam/crank seals, idler, top end gaskets). That felt positively light weight as compared to parts for the Nissan.
 
Those look like through-holes into the case. I'd drill 'em straight through and then spin them into the case.
One of the holes is a through hole, but you can't drive them all the way through. Its an open spot just behind the bolt hole. Plan is to use the old head as a guide to start holes then drill all the way through and... I dunno. Tap? Something else?
Better view here



Edit: Damnit @fly
Why are bare JPG URLs auto-parsed into an image?
 
Blew the head gasket on the Audi today. It was a shining moment.

On the bright side, the parts all together are $330 (timing belt, water pump, cam/crank seals, idler, top end gaskets). That felt positively light weight as compared to parts for the Nissan.
Shame that VW didn't use the same engine in any of their products, you could hit up a VW dealer instead and pay half that. Bought a lot of Passat parts when I still had the A4.

How'd you manage to blow the head gasket?
 
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Shame that VW didn't use the same engine in any of their products, you could hit up a VW dealer instead and pay half that. Bought a lot of Passat parts when I still had the A4.
I was pretty happy only paying that. For the Z32, the timing belt kit starts at $500, and goes up to $700 if you add OEM idlers, tensioner, belt, and water pump over what they spec (continental, GMB, Aisin, respectively).

How'd you manage to blow the head gasket?
Boostin' in the hot, with the AC on, while the engine was lugging. 27 PSI is kinda living on the edge, so I'm glad it was (hopefully) the head gasket and not ring lands.

There was a poof, then a lot of white smoke, and the engine lost fire. Coasted up in the turn lane at the next intersection and called a tow. Popped the hood, and there was coolant f'n everywhere. I've never experienced a catastrophic head gasket failure before, but that seems pretty textbook to me. Drained the oil when I got it home, and there was a bit of coolant in it.
 
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