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gastephens

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Everything posted by gastephens

  1. gastephens

    gastephens

    gastephens posted a Community Map marker in Members

  2. gastephens
    Everybody wants the best price. Not me. I want a fair price and good service. I generally get both from Blunttech. I got a bad rebuilt E21 Bosch alternator from them. One detailed email and Steve sent me a replacement alternator and a label for return of the first one. No hassle. No paperwork. No questions. Anyone can occasionally get a bad part. How much is good service worth?
  3. gastephens
    I finally restored my A-pillar door brake brackets and they are so much better. Unfortunately the driver side still makes a tiny pop when I open the door. My door brakes are in good condition but the plastic sleeve inside the door brake arm is a bit wallowed. Are those plastic sleeves replaceable? I could not find them on RealOEM.
  4. gastephens
    I've got the 2002. A GTV is just about the only car I would trade it for. Since they would serve basically the same purpose in my autoverse (hardtop comfortable enthusiast car that wife will actually ride in) I can't justify both. If only the BMW wasn't such a great car and if I hadn't restored it completely from scratch. Damn life decisions. Thanks for the insights.
  5. gastephens
    If you put a really nice, fully restored, non-tii with sunroof and A/C on BringATrailer it would fetch $27K.
  6. gastephens
    Sorry for your issues. I can commiserate since I've got more horror stories on my Austin Healey than you can imagine. BMW has been pretty good, comparatively. What I've learned. Body guys are hacks at just about anything mechanical, including installing all the bolts in the body correctly. Take off anything that might be of value or in the way. No way you want them touching it. I have NEVER gotten a body shop estimate that was anywhere close on cost or time. Even from guys who I consider good friends. The solvents used in body shops and the dust created will kill parts with contacts or moving parts (switches, fans, heater controls, etc.) After getting a car back from body shop you have to clean and tighten all ground connections. And the most painful lesson, only give them one chance. If they miss a deadline you give them some slack. Then you go get the car.
  7. gastephens
    Congratulations. Is this written with the wry humor we have come to expect or is it purely a how-to book? Entertainment, enlightenment, or some of both?
  8. gastephens
    I don't know what came on the car but I can tell you that most 16" wipers stick off the curvature of the glass. I gave up on both inserts and the junk replacement blades. These 15" units install fast, fit perfectly with no adapters, look stock (real metal!), and work great. And they are reasonably priced. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CPZVTS/ref=od_aui_detailpages01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  9. gastephens
    I was replacing my seal rather than installing a new one. It is scary that I am now re-doing jobs that I did 15 years ago when I restored the car because they have worn out from use and age. Originally I used Wurth Rubber Glue contact cement but I decided to try that new-fangled SuperGlue Gel this time. I cleaned off the old glue with alcohol, Goof Off, and then Prep-All but could not get all the way down to paint. There was still a line of dark adhesive residue. The Superglue Gel would not stick to this at all so I dug out my can of Wurth Rubber Glue and it worked just fine. I like that you can apply it to the entire surface and the seal and then just carefully stick the seal into place. It does yellow so you must be very careful not to get it on the visible areas. I did use the Superglue to seal the ends of the furry P channel.
  10. gastephens
    Congratulations on a running car. That's a real accomplishment, especially with mix and match parts. The startup issue is likely choke and possibly mixture. There are 3 common choke types on a 32/36 weber, electric, water, and manual. Search for weber choke on the FAQ to figure out which you have and how to set it up. To check linkage, with car off, disconnect the linkage and move the throttle cam on the carb so you can see the range of motion. Then connect the linkage and have an assistant press the pedal while watching the cam on the carb to see if you're getting full range of motion. Adjust accordingly. Sent using Tapatalk.
  11. gastephens
    I have one that stays open and one that closes. Both are original to the car. I always thought that the geometry was slightly different on them since the one that stays open seems to open a little further than the other.
  12. gastephens
    I got a genuine sanden from summit racing, $200. Sent using Tapatalk.
  13. gastephens
    Classic 2002 problem. Rubber bushings will wear out in a few years. Use the poly bushings. Sent using Tapatalk.
  14. gastephens

    Glenns Cars

    Images added to a gallery album owned by gastephens in Member's Albums

    My garage
  15. gastephens

    IMG-2903.jpg

    gastephens posted a gallery image in Member's Albums

    IMG-2903.jpg

    From the album: Glenns Cars

    Spec Miata
  16. gastephens
    Label all the connection points and wires and make wire extensions if necessary so popping the cluster is easy in the future. This won't be the last time you do it. Sent using Tapatalk.
  17. gastephens
    The think that struck me is that almost all the fuses are white. Sent using Tapatalk.
  18. gastephens
    My baby suffers from monochromatism. Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk
  19. gastephens
    USD $71,000, You buried the lead. Very classy and everything done right but holy hell, that's a big number. I did not expect that from a modified squaretail, even one with super quality work and tasteful and desirable modifications.
  20. gastephens
    thanks for tip. just purchased.
  21. gastephens
    Here is a tactic that I have used and it works great for both parties. "I love this car just like you do and I want to bring it back to its former glory. Sell me the car for a price that will allow me to fix it. I promise to bring it back to you for a reunion drive." I have now done this three times. Two of the owners cried. So did I.
  22. gastephens
    Just my $.02. I am glad that you are going to revive it but seriously, the owner sounds like she needs a vision adjustment. You are not buying a car. You are: - reorganizing garage to provide more usable space - offering a haul-off service - purchasing scrap metal If it blew up 30 years ago and has been sitting ever since, it is no longer a car. All of the original energy put in the car has escaped. Entropy has won. You can, and will, reverse that energy flow but ultimately you will invest more labor and money than was originally consumed to manufacture the car. That means that it is currently sitting at ground state, zero energy level. Replace her wistful memories with the cold hard physics. Spend accordingly. I had the same situation when I bought a racecar that had been sitting for a very long time. The owner still had the vision of that sunny day 20 years ago when he drove it off the track and parked it with all its fluids inside. I was seeing the 2 years of work and many thousands of dollars it would take for me to have that same dream. Ultimately, I convinced him I was worthy of the car and paid a bit too much, but in the end, it was all worth it when the car turned out to be the ticket to new adventures. Best of luck. We've all been there.
  23. gastephens
    If you eliminate the latch bar then you have to install hood pins or some other latching system.
  24. gastephens
    No scuffing. Light coat of automotive primer. Then 2 coats of silver. Wurth is the best paint but I just used "duplicolor high performance wheel coating" on this job. Hand buff with a microfiber rag. It's holding up pretty well and has just enough sheen IMO. Have tires mounted by someone with a light touch and a smidge of common sense. Use stick on weights inside the wheel. Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk
  25. gastephens
    Updated: I installed the ballast resistor to adjust the fan speed. Temperature controller works without modification. Sent from my XT1097 using Tapatalk
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