Gearhead Thread

[smeags]

my mother-in-law has an '09 focus. the thermostat went bad. used to be a $10 part but not anymore. $260 for just the part because you have to buy the entire housing.

not to mention I have to pull out the battery and tray, the airbox, the ECU & assorted hoses just to get to it. 

[PhillyPhreak54]

Yep they make shtein now so you're damn near forced to go to a mechanic


It's a crying shame.

[SD]

I'd play dumb and tell her to take it to a mechanic. You're already married to her daughter so there's no need to impress anyone.

[smeags]

I was tempted, but this woman has a heart of gold. still though ...

[Tomahawk]

So I did one of the stupidest things a mofo can do by reversing the polarity when jumping the Riv.

The bad news is it fried the fuel injection throttle body. The good news is the fusible link (wire) burnt to a short which saved the kickass mini-starter and the power fuse blew which saved all other electrical components.

More good news is while I was checking wire quality of the interior harness to make sure none of them burned, I found a wire that had come out of a splice. After re-connecting it, the radio started working again, but (prepare yourself for more bad news) the 8 track player still doesn't work.

On the bright side, the fuel injection farging sucked anyway because it wasn't as self-learning as advertised, but it is possible the real hindrance to performance was an internal vacuum leak between the intake and head that didn't reveal itself until I found coolant in the oil. But this allowed me to learn what a badass cleaner acetone is.

Regardless, replacing the fuel injection throttle body would have been more costly and taken much much much longer than buying a new carb. What attracted me to the Street Demon is it's a clean sheet design and incorporates some of the features that make a properly tuned quadrajet such a good carb.

While splicing in a new fusible link to the starter, I noticed what terrible shape the stabilizer bar was in so I bought an entire front suspension polygraphite kit. I'm pretty sure the ride is going to be dramatically improved as all the current rubber components are in fairly poor condition.

The thing I'm probably overly proud of is making the brackets to mount the ignition control box. I used 1" square bar stock to bend the 1/8" x 3/4" inch aluminum around.

The car finally runs as well as I dreamed when I installed the aluminum heads....I farging love it. The last picture is of the Carcharodon because everybody should love it too

[SD]

Sorry to hear about your 8 track player

[Tomahawk]

Thanks, but it won't be a travesty until I find Licence to Ill on 8 track.

[SD]

I flirted with the idea of buying a 60-70 Camaro. Was looking in the $30k range. Ultimately decided against it for now. Might buy a tubbed out model or fixer upper and use it as a weekend project. Have everything I need at my uncles shop but he's always been back and forth on storage.

[Sgt PSN]

Thanks, but it won't be a travesty until I find Licence to Ill on 8 track.

Does that even exist?  Album dropped in 86 and I'm pretty sure 8 tracks weren't still being made at that point.  I think they were discontinued a few years before that.  Maybe like 82ish? 

[Tomahawk]

It's the holy grail of 8 tracks....there's no reason for it to have been released on 8 track but the internet says it was.

SD, I haven't compared them in a long time, but you may be able to acquire a T/A or Firebird more cost effectively than a Camaro, but if it's a restoration, you'll spend more time and money on the Pontiac.

[SD]

Never been a Firebird fan. I was always into Vettes and Camaros. I worked at my Uncles shop before I enlisted in the Navy over 20 years ago. Shop is in Kensington. One of the mechanics around the corner had a beautiful tubbed out Camaro (60's model just can't remember the specific year). He only wanted $3k for it. I was on the verge of buying it but enlisted instead. Oh well.

[smeags]

see, while I like the Camaro (especially the split bumper), I always thought the firebird was much better. speaking of my neighbor has an '81 formula 400 that is anything but stock. may be selling.

that said, I will always be a mopar fan first. if I ever have the money I will own a 70 hemi cuda.

[Tomahawk]

Don't you have kids? You'll never have enough $$$ for a Barracuda. When I get one, the Heart song will be played at max volume on repeat

[smeags]

Don't you have kids? You'll never have enough $$$ for a Barracuda. When I get one, the Heart song will be played at max volume on repeat

yes, im holding out hope that I may hit the lottery. funny enough that's how my neighbor's dad (since passed away) got the funds to buy the formula. also has a 67 gto and a 69 chevelle.

[Tomahawk]

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