Car thread

[dodint]

I can't find a roller at HF, the only retail roller I can seem to find is this Eastwood roller. I found a place in the next county over and they're a TireRack installer so that will probably be my end run, just waiting on a quote

Ugh, Redneck Nation has let me down. Even the place that says they can do it on TireRack doesn't do it, and he gave me a lecture when I called. Says he wouldn't do it anyway because it stretches the paint. Well, it's a track car and IF I bother to paint it that will be the last step before the cage goes in. Looks like I'm going to drop $200 on a tool I'll use once. I guess I can sell it on Craigslist when I'm done.

[CBear3]

Isn't that what they invented baseball bats for?

Also, I remember back on the M3 forums guys used to buy one and pass them around the community for a negligble fee (depending on what your car is).

[mac5155]

If it's a track car why not just cut the fender?

[columbia]

Mint 1969 Shelby GT500 found under 40 years of dust
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/03/ ... ears-dust/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dodint]

CBear, yeah. I came across a Bimmerforum thread where they were doing that. If I were closer to my chapter HQ I could probably find someone through there. If I buy the tool I'll become that guy so it'll even out eventually.

mac, it's a spec series or else that's what I'd do. All the original body work has to be there, the fender needs to be rolled up, not cut. It's the same reason why I'm having someone weld the existing sunroof in instead of doing the "correct" thing and having a fiberglass panel tacked in.

[tifosi77]

Mint 1969 Shelby GT500 found under 40 years of dust
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/03/ ... ears-dust/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When I was younger, my mom was friends with two brothers. They were returning from an auction in eastern PA when their car broke down (Lancaster area, iirc). This was in the late 70s or early 80s, so cell phones were not yet a thing. Anyway, a local farmer saw them and offered assistance. Casual chat led the brother to divulge they were car salesmen. Farmer said they might be interested in what he had in his garage...... off they went, and covered in a tarp under about two feet of hay was a pristine 1953 Corvette. Guy said he'd sell it, but only for cash. The brothers only had about $500 between them, but the farmer said he'd take it.

Always felt a little bad for that farmer guy.

[mac5155]

Was that private malone's car? :lol:

[Hockeynut!]

Basically, any window tint that doesn't come from factory is illegal in PA, right?

[Firebird]

Added a front lip spoiler over damage from fishtailing on an ice sheet at 5-10mph into a very small (2-3 inch diameter) tree trunk. Nicely able to improve the looks and cover over the scratched bumper

[dodint]

Nice work.

[mac5155]

Guess I'll throw this here. I was riding my Can Am yesterday (Commander SxS) and the thing started smoking, bad.. so I stopped (was hitting about 50-60mph down a back road) and the thing almost bursts into flames. Turns out there was a bunch of dried leaves packed around the exhaust. A few more seconds and it might have been on fire. too close for comfort. Ripped the panels off and doused it in water, then played around in the creek for a while.

[Shyster]

Had something similar happen, but to a car. Growing up, my family had an old Ford LTD station wagon that we used for trips and cargo hauling. It was driven rarely. One day my mother and I were driving down to Pittsburgh to take my brother—who had recently moved to college—some piece of furniture. I was driving. I had been smelling wood smoke for a while, and around Wexford it gets really strong. I finally realize it’s the car and pull over on 279. Pop the hood and the engine looks like a barbecue pit—glowing coals everywhere. Turns out squirrels or chipmunks had been storing walnuts under the hood and had jammed them into just about every nook and cranny of the engine (a 3.3 L inline-six). I found a stick on the side of the road and poked the charred shells out of there. Funny thing, my mother was afraid the car would explode and was yelling at me to climb up on the bumper and p*** the fire out.

[dodint]

Should've went faster, the wind would've put it out.

Just got back from welding my sunroof shut. I wasn't doing the work, it's a self-service garage and they do stuff on the side for a flat rate. Ended up only costing $30 for 2hrs work. That said, you kind of get what you pay for. Neither of us put much thought into masking off the exterior of the car, rather I only tarped off the interior. So I have new fun problems to work on.

What would be the best way to get bits of dried metal off of a windshield? I assume I can use an orbital polisher but what is abrasive enough to nudge off the metal without completely marring the glass? I can scratch most of it off with my fingernail but I want a solution that will be a little more effecient. Down the line I'll have to replace the windshield anyway but I'm looking to get this stuff off for asthetic reasons.

Also, the way we did the weld job was to fill the gap with strips of cut sheet metal and weld those in place. The weld is solid and the sunroof isn't going anywhere. But because of the oval shape of the sunroof there are gaps I'll need fill to make it watertight. Any ideas on what I should be using to fill that in? It needs to be watertight and be paintable. Was thinking of going with a bonding adhesive like JB Weld or 3M Panel Adhesive, but I could just do something like Bondo. I'm leaning towards the adhesive since it is a track car and I think the Bondo would rattle free eventually, especially with the overhead application. Thoughts?

Once I have the gaps filled I'm going to grind down the excess welding material and rattle can the roof. It'll look 'good enough' until I paint the car in a few years.

[Crankshaft]

If it's coming off with your fingernail, why don't you just get a razor blade and some glass cleaner?

[Shyster]

Any ideas on what I should be using to fill that in? It needs to be watertight and be paintable. Was thinking of going with a bonding adhesive like JB Weld or 3M Panel Adhesive, but I could just do something like Bondo. I'm leaning towards the adhesive since it is a track car and I think the Bondo would rattle free eventually, especially with the overhead application. Thoughts?

Maybe a paintable silicone caulk?

[dodint]

If it's coming off with your fingernail, why don't you just get a razor blade and some glass cleaner?

Quick Googling says this is the way. Was hoping there was a pad I could slap on an orbital buffer so I could do the whole thing quickly, but elbow grease works too. It's just a tedious, not fun job. Lesson learned, I don't know much about welding so I wasn't expecting the splatter to go that far. The tarp I was using inside the car was huge and I could've split it and half and had enough for all the windows and the interior.

Maybe a paintable silicone caulk?

Yeah, poking around now.

[Crankshaft]

I think you're just looking for an excuse to use a power tool. Get one of these and go to town. You'll be done in minutes.

[mac5155]

Should've went faster, the wind would've put it out.

youve obviously never rode in a 65MPH SxS. While it can go up to 73... 65 is plenty fast to get me puckered.

[dodint]

If it's good enough for jet engines in the movies, it's good enough for you.

[dodint]

I think you're just looking for an excuse to use a power tool. Get one of these and go to town. You'll be done in minutes.

Bought one, works great. Plan to go to town on it this weekend after I seal the roof. Thanks for the recommendation, I would've done it without the handle and gotten frustrated.

I had a blast in the garage today. I'm building a track car that I hope to have ready to race by the opening of the 2016 season. In the meantime I'm using the car to run track days while I earn my racing license and I drive it to work. I have enough play money to buy stuff as I go, but not enough to just do it all at once. I did get to put on a big ticket item today, though. I bought a pair of O.Z. Alleggerita HLT lightweight wheels. 17x8.5" but only 16.9lbs each. Wrapped them in BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2's, which are more street friendly version of the series tire.

Spoiler:

You can see the welding splatter. After I took the pic I checked to see how well the razor/handle would work and it really reduced it.



Fender Gap is from the weight reduction as a result of removing the interior. I've taken about 300lbs out of it.





So fat. I can't spin the tires through 2nd anymore.

I didn't have to use the fender roller because it rides a few inches high. Once I get the race suspension on I'll roll the fenders out. In fact, I didn't have to use the 15mm spacers I bought for the rear but I'll keep them on hand in case the new suspension geometry is drastically different.

I know it's just a set of wheels, but for a guy that has been playing Gran Turismo for 16 years, it was a great moment to bolt on my own set of O.Z. wheels. I felt like a kid again putting it all together. (Also switched to stud/nuts instead of lug bolts)

Just a really cool day, had to share.

[Willie Kool]

I did get to put on a big ticket item today, though. I bought a pair of O.Z. Alleggerita HLT lightweight wheels. 17x8.5" but only 16.9lbs each. Wrapped them in BFGoodrich g-Force Sport COMP-2's, which are more street friendly version of the series tire... (Also switched to stud/nuts instead of lug bolts)

Nice wheels! It does look a little funny riding that high, though. Bravo on the stud kit, I never understood those crazy Euros with their lug bolts.

You can see the welding splatter. After I took the pic I checked to see how well the razor/handle would work and it really reduced it.

Hate to say it, but you might get all the splatter out only to find that it melted into the glass enough to leave it pretty badly pitted.

[OutofFoil]

Looks like fun! I miss my toy. Enjoy!

[dodint]

You can see the welding splatter. After I took the pic I checked to see how well the razor/handle would work and it really reduced it.

Hate to say it, but you might get all the splatter out only to find that it melted into the glass enough to leave it pretty badly pitted.

Yeah, when you scrape off an individual streak about 95% of the matter goes away, leaving a really tiny pit. You wouldn't notice it if it were the only one, but the way they're spread out it'll be visible when the light hits it. Nothing there keeps me from driving it on the highway and track days, but once I go to race I'll put in a new windscreen because the tech inspector will fail you for "sandblasting" type defects. When I send it to the cage builder I'll probably take the glass out and replace it with a new windshield when it gets back. Ordered a flat black visor decal to cover the worst of it for now, worth the $15.

[Tomas]

Added a front lip spoiler over damage from fishtailing on an ice sheet at 5-10mph into a very small (2-3 inch diameter) tree trunk. Nicely able to improve the looks and cover over the scratched bumper

Where can one buy such a front lip spoiler? (I have something similar, though slightly less serious, on my BMW 328.)
Thanks!!

[Firebird]

Added a front lip spoiler over damage from fishtailing on an ice sheet at 5-10mph into a very small (2-3 inch diameter) tree trunk. Nicely able to improve the looks and cover over the scratched bumper

Where can one buy such a front lip spoiler? (I have something similar, though slightly less serious, on my BMW 328.)
Thanks!!

What year? The fitment changes for LCI vs pre LCI on the E90's.

Assuming you have sport package? I think there's a different bumper with the sport packages on the 328's?