So project buy a new car is going along. It's exhausting, but I secured multiple avenues of financing, visited every dealership in town, looked at every car I could possibly consider, narrowed things down, test drove almost every one of them, and... now what?
I know what cars and prices I would consider, but I just don't want to deal with it any more. My feel now is pretty much, "my car is actually fine for another five years."
I just wish insurance was cheaper for people under 25 in the UK. At the moment its £1500 at its cheapest and that is on a £50 Kia, heaven knows what it will be like if I manage to scrape the paper together to get an AE86. Videos like this wish we had more rear-wheel drive cars in the UK.
heaven knows what it will be like if I manage to scrape the paper together to get an AE86.
Good luck. By the time you're able to afford an 86 with the ever present Takumi Tax, you'll probably be well over 25.
Yeah, seriously. You'd be better off getting a Miata or a BRZ/FR-S/FT-86.
I would need to be over 25 to ever afford insurance. Im not joking its pretty much untenable to own a car in the UK till you are over 25. That is with out working to run your car and just your car.
A Toybaru is about 35 grand, though, it's a bit fucked.
We get so fucked on car prices, not as bad as in Singapore but it is still substantial enough to make what is supposed to be an affordable car go into mid tier territory and any mild luxury it becomes very expensive.
When I visited the UK, I find that my Uncle buys a new Mercedes S-Class every generation and my cousin owns an M5 (his first car was an Audi TT) and his brother owns a Porsche Boxster S. Yet the houses they live in are equivalent to Australian granny flats or done up subdivided buildings.
What I drive around in - a 2nd hand '95 Camry. It is true I could upgrade (I was thinking of the BRZ STI or the TRD version of the GT-86 or even the Nissan GTR if I save up) but I'm always scared of the damage that would be done to a new car considering the number of fools with SUV's who do hit and runs in car parks or open their doors and dent the car beside them.
after a year and a half of trouble, problems, and a small legal thing with the previous mechanic, it is finally back home, engine completely re-built and some other minor upgrades, It's like 3 or 4 months more till it's road worthy
A couple of days ago I heard a horrible grinding metal sound from my drivers side front disc brakes on my 98 Neon. I took the wheel of and installed new pads and rotor.
When I looked at the inner brake pad it was gone, just the metal part of the brake pad remained. The outer pad still had over 50% of the pad remaining. When I took a good look at the caliper I didn't see how the outer pad is engaged because the only moving part is the cylinder that the inner pad attaches too.
I had the brakes completely overhauled 18 months ago (pads, rotors, lines). Is it likely the pad wore down or possibly sheared off?
A couple of days ago I heard a horrible grinding metal sound from my drivers side front disc brakes on my 98 Neon. I took the wheel of and installed new pads and rotor.
When I looked at the inner brake pad it was gone, just the metal part of the brake pad remained. The outer pad still had over 50% of the pad remaining. When I took a good look at the caliper I didn't see how the outer pad is engaged because the only moving part is the cylinder that the inner pad attaches too.
I had the brakes completely overhauled 18 months ago (pads, rotors, lines). Is it likely the pad wore down or possibly sheared off?
So first let me explain your brake caliper. What you have is what's called a floating caliper. It only has pistons on one side and basically functions like a giant C-clamp. The caliper "floats" (or slides if you prefer) on it's mounting bolts so that it squeezes with both pads.
Now on to what could have gone wrong here. 1. Your caliper may not be sliding correctly. With floating caliper, if the caliper slides aren't properly lubricated then the caliper can hang up and you'll only be braking with pad that's attached to the piston. 2. You had one defective pad. This just happens on occasion, the glue binding the brake material to the backing plate could have just given way. Also possible that the braking material itself was defective and just wore out way faster than design specs.
Either way, you have repaired it correctly by replacing the pads and rotors. Also just FYI to you and everyone, you're supposed to replace brake pads in axle sets, meaning both front brakes or both rear. The idea is you want to make sure you have the same brakes so that a difference is brake pad grip doesn't end up inadvertently steering the car when you apply the brakes.
Feeling pretty good about myself today, scraped some rust patches to bare metal in the trunk, evened out some lumps in the paint, scratched the shit out of the old paint and re-painted the whole thing; disassembled and reassembled the passenger door to re-mount the window to the lifting mechanism; added the ball to the shift leaver; fixed the front lights; and removed the old seat belts so I can install the new ones next week.
So I'm dragging this thread back up so I can talk about my most ambitious car project to date. It's also the first project my girlfriend and I have jointly undertaken. We are restoring and mildly hot rodding this. It's a 1985 Chevrolet Caprice with a 305 small block V8 and a 200R4 4 speed automatic. The exterior looks a little rough, but underneath it is virtually rust free. The engine has an unfathomable electronically controlled Quadrajet carb, but the carb was recently rebuilt and runs very well. At least it runs well when the accelerator pump isn't clogged, but honestly I'm already sketching out a plan to convert it to EFI.
Things we've already repaired -Replaced the tires -Rebuilt the steering rack -Refilled the A/C -Removed the saggy headliner
Things we have yet to do that are necessary -Replace the front brake pads and discs -Replace the damaged body panels -Change the oil -Change the coolant -Figure out why the heater doesn't work (narrowed down to either plugged up heater core or stuck heater bypass valve) -I think there might be an exhaust leak, not sure. -Shampoo interior -Replace the ignition lock cylinder
Things we want to do in the near future, when funds allow -Complete tune up, new spark plugs, relash valves, new dist cap and coil, new wires. -New fabric on the headliner -High flow glass pack muffler for smooth V8 rumble -Replace driver's window crank -Convert to Megasquirt fuel injection for fully adjustable computer fuel and ignition control -Sand and spray paint surface rust on body panels -Remove the terrible and dubiously functional 80s emissions controls.
Things we want to do in the far future when more funds are available -Get the whole car repainted, we're thinking cherry red. -Full performance exhaust -Swap in a higher performance camshaft, probably upgrade to a roller cam -Maybe new performance cylinder heads
Crazy stuff that I think about, but will probably never do -Some kind of forced induction, either a twin turbo or a more traditional roots supercharger sticking out of the hood.
Throw a 350 in there, 305's are just garbage. I've got an 84, first thing I did was swap out the motor (and tear out all the computerized bs) and the exhaust (put in an h-pipe, 3.5 inch pipes, muffler), the hp difference makes it a much more satisfying ride.
Comments
I know what cars and prices I would consider, but I just don't want to deal with it any more. My feel now is pretty much, "my car is actually fine for another five years."
So here's some guys supercharging a chevy Monza with five leaf blowers.
A Toybaru is about 35 grand, though, it's a bit fucked.
When I visited the UK, I find that my Uncle buys a new Mercedes S-Class every generation and my cousin owns an M5 (his first car was an Audi TT) and his brother owns a Porsche Boxster S. Yet the houses they live in are equivalent to Australian granny flats or done up subdivided buildings.
What I drive around in - a 2nd hand '95 Camry. It is true I could upgrade (I was thinking of the BRZ STI or the TRD version of the GT-86 or even the Nissan GTR if I save up) but I'm always scared of the damage that would be done to a new car considering the number of fools with SUV's who do hit and runs in car parks or open their doors and dent the car beside them.
When I looked at the inner brake pad it was gone, just the metal part of the brake pad remained. The outer pad still had over 50% of the pad remaining. When I took a good look at the caliper I didn't see how the outer pad is engaged because the only moving part is the cylinder that the inner pad attaches too.
I had the brakes completely overhauled 18 months ago (pads, rotors, lines). Is it likely the pad wore down or possibly sheared off?
Suby Isle of Man run.
Now on to what could have gone wrong here.
1. Your caliper may not be sliding correctly. With floating caliper, if the caliper slides aren't properly lubricated then the caliper can hang up and you'll only be braking with pad that's attached to the piston.
2. You had one defective pad. This just happens on occasion, the glue binding the brake material to the backing plate could have just given way. Also possible that the braking material itself was defective and just wore out way faster than design specs.
Either way, you have repaired it correctly by replacing the pads and rotors. Also just FYI to you and everyone, you're supposed to replace brake pads in axle sets, meaning both front brakes or both rear. The idea is you want to make sure you have the same brakes so that a difference is brake pad grip doesn't end up inadvertently steering the car when you apply the brakes.
It's a 1985 Chevrolet Caprice with a 305 small block V8 and a 200R4 4 speed automatic. The exterior looks a little rough, but underneath it is virtually rust free. The engine has an unfathomable electronically controlled Quadrajet carb, but the carb was recently rebuilt and runs very well. At least it runs well when the accelerator pump isn't clogged, but honestly I'm already sketching out a plan to convert it to EFI.
Things we've already repaired
-Replaced the tires
-Rebuilt the steering rack
-Refilled the A/C
-Removed the saggy headliner
Things we have yet to do that are necessary
-Replace the front brake pads and discs
-Replace the damaged body panels
-Change the oil
-Change the coolant
-Figure out why the heater doesn't work (narrowed down to either plugged up heater core or stuck heater bypass valve)
-I think there might be an exhaust leak, not sure.
-Shampoo interior
-Replace the ignition lock cylinder
Things we want to do in the near future, when funds allow
-Complete tune up, new spark plugs, relash valves, new dist cap and coil, new wires.
-New fabric on the headliner
-High flow glass pack muffler for smooth V8 rumble
-Replace driver's window crank
-Convert to Megasquirt fuel injection for fully adjustable computer fuel and ignition control
-Sand and spray paint surface rust on body panels
-Remove the terrible and dubiously functional 80s emissions controls.
Things we want to do in the far future when more funds are available
-Get the whole car repainted, we're thinking cherry red.
-Full performance exhaust
-Swap in a higher performance camshaft, probably upgrade to a roller cam
-Maybe new performance cylinder heads
Crazy stuff that I think about, but will probably never do
-Some kind of forced induction, either a twin turbo or a more traditional roots supercharger sticking out of the hood.