Wallace

[majdomo]

10 hours ago, Tommy said:

I wouldn't rush with the paint. Just get the mechanical stuff sorted, take care of structural rust and enjoy the patina ?

Later when you have everything else done you could go for paint and for a nice paintjob engine etc. has to come out.

Coming around to this after taking an evening and morning to think about it. I have some ideas for the car as it is and would like to see those out first, before committing more money to paint. Also informs any other cars that I'm planning to buy - worth it to pay a little more to not deal with a paint job!

[majdomo]

Momo!! Thank you @bmwguy323!!

 

More stereo work this weekend!

[majdomo]

Stereo install and shorty console rework complete. Only small technical challenge was figuring out where to tap into an unswitched battery connection for the yellow wire, ended up tapping the cigarette lighter after pulling out the cluster. I’m not crazy about the disco lights on this head unit, but it works well and pulls in HD Radio stations nicely. Also has a USB input from the front and from a wired connection that I might hide in the glovebox. Don’t have replacement speakers yet, those are coming next week, so running for now on one crappy junkyard speaker I used for bench testing head units. 

Orange lighting is homage to later BMW light schemes. Looks good here. Console is off-center but fits nicely. May move it later. I also gained a spot for my phone / wallet / mask. 
 

This charges the phone too. The head unit has Bluetooth connectivity and speakerphone, but my experience with aftermarket speaker phones is pretty awful. Had one in the E30 and just disconnected it as people said I sounded like I was in a buzzy submarine. Didn’t even bother hooking this one up, yet. 

 

Also, my odometer had stopped working a little while back, so pulled the cluster and did the whole nail-and-punch deform the shaft trick. Cleaned the gauge glass and reinstalled. Looks much cleaner than it did and fix worked great. 
 

 

Finally also readjusted my throttle cable, so that moves nice and smooth, not binding up like it was previously. All in, good weekend of little stuff. Now need to get caught up from last week before a busy week ahead.

[majdomo]

So much for getting work done. Couldn’t resist a run up Mt. Wilson. NOW I’ll get to work

[ray_]

Car looks great!

[majdomo]

Weekend plans!!!!!!

[majdomo]

Minor stuff - speakers installed, but haven’t had a chance to tune them much. Also bought a pump for the windshield washer, installed that and got it working, more to get the washer fluid tank off my workbench more than anything. Was tired of constantly moving it from spot to spot and didn’t want it in the car without it working. Both washer nozzles work great, once I blew them out with the air compressor. The wipers even run for a few swipes and then shut off like they’re supposed to!

 

Ok, back to finishing suspension.

[majdomo]

Front springs are in, as is the front sway. Not an awful job as I just did the strut inserts in February, getting the heim joints lined up was a minor pain though. Now waiting for IE to get 3-dot pads back in stock so I can finish the rear. Those stock springs must have been really tired, am not noticing much of a drop in height. But, also may settle a bit too. Quick trip around the block was fine, no issues but not really a good test of much, either. Will have to hustle it out in the twisties over the weekend. 

[majdomo]

Took the car out for a short test drive, ended up driving the Crest from end to end and into Wrightwood, then back home. Total of about 150 miles. Car was great, suspension was even better on the front end and really excited to get the back end done. I can certainly tell the difference, and the front has dialed in some significant understeer as I felt (and heard) my front tires push when heading into a corner. One time I wound up over the double yellow, dangerous certainly and highlights the need to 1) take it easy and 2) get some new tires already!

 

The trip was completely unplanned... was at Newcomb’s and decided to take the car out to the 2 and 39, then take the 39 down the hill home. I had no idea that the 39 was totally shut down - looks like it hadn’t been maintained in more than a decade. At that point, I was running low on gas and closer to the Wrightwood side than La Canada, so pressed on into Wrightwood to fill up. Was flagged down by a guy in a 2019 911 Turbo, all he wanted to do was take a look at the car and talk shop, which was fun.

 

Ride home was hot and loud, and got a talkin’ to about being gone so long.

 

Edit: yep, decades. Closed since 1978! https://www.sgvtribune.com/2016/10/17/caltrans-considering-a-new-plan-to-reopen-highway-39-all-the-way-to-wrightwood/

Edited July 5, 2020 by majdomo

[majdomo]

Not much to report, been driving the car and just enjoying things for now. I ran over to the junkyard and pulled the horn set out of an E30, plug and play install to the 02. I have a proper Momo hub on its way, with the right contact plunger, so once that gets here I’ll have a proper horn in the car - the trumpet element on one of the originals was broken, and the other horn just didn’t work at all. Will be nice to finally give some of the dingbat drivers out here notice to move...

 

Bad pic, but installed on the driver’s side.

 

[Javi Gutierrez]

Been watching your progress since you bought the car (we bought it about the same time) and it's really great to see all that you've done. Congrats!

[majdomo]

On 7/13/2020 at 7:42 AM, javi_gutierrez said:

Been watching your progress since you bought the car (we bought it about the same time) and it's really great to see all that you've done. Congrats!

Thank you!! It's been fun, sorta expensive but hey we're not going on vacation, lots of ups and downs. Like today - received a new hub for the Momo wheel as the one that came with the wheel didn't have the proper contact plunger for the horn. Installed, hooked right up and worked, but then when on a test drive discovered that it liked to slip into the contact ring and toot at random times when turning. This necessitated a trip to the hardware store (well, 2 hardware stores) to secure a shim / flange thing with an ID big enough to accommodate the inner part of the Momo hub. Worked, installed, done and done!

 

On the downside - starting to see a little coolant leaking toward the back of the block, on the intake side. It accumulates on some of the lip there just in front of the transmission. It's hard to tell but looks like some light dried coolant on the block just below the head gasket (cue dramatic music...). But nothing fresh coming off the head, so who knows. Either way it could be head gasket time, or it could be a freeze plug working its way loose, or it could be the hose that connects back up to the water pump coming off the heater core, or... anyway I was perusing the interweb for shops to do a full-on rebuild. I can feel it in my bones this is coming.

 

Other stuff, ordered up some 3-dot pads from Maximillian, tired of waiting for the urethane ones from IE. Once those show up, it's time to knock out the rest of the suspension. I'm rested and ready! Also - looking at FZJ80s. And maybe selling the E30 and the 3rd gen. I need to go back to work.

[majdomo]

Have been planning to do this for a while now. Made it over to Corsa Velocita today to pick up some angled trumpets for the DCOEs. Had to go to two locations, they moved from Sun Valley to another place in North Hollywood. Both very colorful neighborhoods. Anyway. 

Before:

Shameless plug but they’re local guys and glad to support. They make awesome steelies too! These are pretty cool though, you hand tighten them to the carbs, then adjust the angles and cinch them down. 
 

The after, I think it looks the business:

Driver’s side:

 

Sounds great too!

 

Also been messing with my timing, gave it some more advance tuning by ear, which helped cold start but caused some bad dieseling coming up my hill, and have watched the temp creep up also beyond what I’m comfortable with. Dialed it back but that caused other issues and should probably recalibrate and balance again with the new bling attached. I don’t have an advance timing light, yet - it’s on the way. 

[majdomo]

Installed the rear Stage 1 springs and sway today. Big shout-out to Maximillian @wegweiser for getting the 3-dots and lower spring pads out to me post-haste! Worst part of the job was putting the brackets back on, as everyone said. I used a ratchet clamp to cinch down the brackets, then installed the bolts. My kit came with those little aluminum stops on the end, which were a nice touch.

 

I only have a lame after-shot from underneath as I wanted to blitz through this job before it got too hot. I probably need to adjust it a little, but this thing handles SO NICE now. I thought my tires were shot (and they sorta are) but this made a 100% improvement!! Advance timing light comes this week, back into the throes of timing and DCOEs.

 

Oh, and checking out an FJ60 on Tuesday. ‘Cause I need another car like I need a hole in my head...

 

[majdomo]

Been playing with my timing over the last few days, got my advance timing light and been taking the car out to warm up and adjusting in the parking lot of the park a few miles out. Have settled on 35 degrees at 3500 rpm, which seems about right and put idle advance at about 12 degrees or so. Startup is good, but still getting some weird, very light surging when driving on the freeway at about 70. It’s rather faint, but not sure what’s causing it. Running a Crane XR700, blue coil, with a Bosch 0231188002 distributor. Haven’t checked the advance mechanism. Any and all ideas welcome!