Automotive things going-on

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

Reading you guys gives me hope for the automotive future😁

 

[Mr. Daystar]

Even my 07 Harley has an ecm. You need a lap top and the software just to work on it, If you have the race tuner, like I do, you need to plug that into the mix too, or your fucked. My bike even has oxygen censors on the pipes. If you want to change the pipes, it needs to go on a dyno for a couple of hours to dial in the fuel injection. The pipes were $800, plus dyno time, it cost me $1100

My last bike, a late 78 Low Rider, with a shovel head engine, was simple. My friend and I rebuilt it over the winter in his basement, I built the top end to it's max, without have to go into the bottom, or stroke it. It cost me around $3000. The pipes, which were 3/4 inch drag pipes with no baffles what so ever cost me less the $200, and all I hade to do was tweak the carb mixture.

They'll get you coming, and going now a days, anyway they can. They always have one or two things on there that are dealer parts only, and it's usually a $20 part, they get $200 for. It's as bad as the pharmaceutical companies. There's no money in cures, so they make a fortune off of treatment.

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

I have reached the point where combining old age and complications that I am not working on anything newer than my wife's 2012 Kia. MY 2016 Traverse is just too complicated and the tools needed aren't worth it to me.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

I have reached the point where combining old age and complications that I am not working on anything newer than my wife's 2012 Kia. MY 2016 Traverse is just too complicated and the tools needed aren't worth it to me.

I'm done wrenching too. A simple bolt on piece of chrome, or wipers/battery, sure. But it's not even worth it to change your own oil anymore, and half the time you need a special tool for something. I ran into that with my wife's brakes. A Honda Accord requires a special tool to compress the piston back into the caliper, you can't use a big c-clamp, or vise grips. It's a screw design, that requires a free to borrow tool from Autozone, but if you don't know that before you're in the middle of it, and covered in grease, it kinda sucks. It's just easier to pay the labor charges and sit in the waiting room using their free wifi.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

https://www.forbes.com/wheels/l/whe...01&utm_content=HOMEPAGE_US&utm_term=yahoo.com

I'm surprised that Gull wing Mercedes Benz didn't make the list
.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

https://autos.yahoo.com/wayne-world-amc-pacer-being-211500776.html

2 words I NEVER thought I would see in the same sentence.....AMC Pacer, and $71,000

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

https://autos.yahoo.com/wayne-world-amc-pacer-being-211500776.html

2 words I NEVER thought I would see in the same sentence.....AMC Pacer, and $71,000

The saga continues of rich folks with more money than sense.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

On the other side of good taste, the big old land vessel from the "Rain Man", sold for $335,000. I'm sure because Hoffman and Cruise were in it, in the movie, but at least it's not a mutated AMC Gremlin. Although the Javelin wasn't to bad looking of a car, the rest of the AMC line up was pretty fugly.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

https://autos.yahoo.com/burt-reynolds-1977-smokey-bandit-153431978.html

Now I can understand this, not only is it in the top tier of car movie cars (Steve McQueen' Bullet Mustang is perpetually number one), but it's Burt Reynolds. It's Smokey and the Bandit. I'm actually surprised it didn't for more. I remember seeing him in an interview shortly before he died, endorsing a limited run of converted Camaro's, that were turned into Trans Am's, They were actually pretty nice, but big money. Someone told me several years ago, when the current style came out, there was a company doing a limited run, converting them into GTO's.

 

[Pornfan99]

Yeah, I saw those .. "newer" T/As, too. For those that are curious:

https://transamworldwide.com/for-sale/

 

[Mr. Daystar]

Yeah, I saw those .. "newer" T/As, too. For those that are curious:

https://transamworldwide.com/for-sale/

Thank you.

https://autos.yahoo.com/motorcycle-monday-paris-moves-ban-200000292.html
This seems disturbing to me. Mainly, because I ride, but also, they are absolutely more fuel efficient. I think it's complete shit, and it is absolutely true, "Loud Pipes SAVE LIVES"! Now I'm not sure if there are any 1% clubs in France, but it would be interesting. I know they have them all over the World, and in some countries where they have to, they do wear helmets, but I can't see any of the 4 or 5 major clubs letting this happen, without causing some shit. I know there are H.A., and Outlaws Chapters in Europe, I'm not sure about the Banditos, or the Mongols.

There is.......fuckery afoot!!

Now THIS works for me...minus the color. I don't know if that was an available color option from the factory I personally would have painted it a deep midnight blue, with lightning bolt over the hood, door and roof. No bolts on the bed.
https://autos.yahoo.com/1958-chevy-apache-truck-fantastic-150000784.html

For all of you "Vette" lovers. I never really dug Corvettes, with the exception of the "63 split window coupe.
https://autos.yahoo.com/hooked-vettes-collection-heads-mecum-150000233.html

I feel like I would have to change my name to Randolph, or Mortimer.
https://autos.yahoo.com/1961-rolls-royce-silver-cloud-143000949.html

 

[Mr. Daystar]

I swear to God, I had nothing to do with this AMC nonsense!

https://autos.yahoo.com/1973-amc-ambassador-401-sw-143000106.html

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

Actually liked AMC products, at least some of them. And I owned a 1961 Rambler Ambassador. Good car considering it's time.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

I never have driven one, I believe they were going out of business when I was a kid, and only one other person in my family ever drove. That was my late Aunt Rose. She learned in her 30's and went out an bought a brand new slut red Chevy Chevelle. I don't think it was even an 8 cyl., but it was a cool little car, and as I got to about 14, she had problems with it, the dealership convinced her over my begging it should be traded in, and not fixed. So all of my begging was for nothing, because I was getting close to driving age, and I knew a cool car, just as much as the dealer that probably bought it and took it home to his kid. So, I told you that, to say this. I love them big ass, older station wagons. I learned how to drive in a big old Chevy wagon. Rear wheel drive, no traction control, no nothing....and I'm a better driver for having learned on that big ol boat.

I though AMC bought their engines from another company, was it Ford or Chevy?

 

[Pornfan99]

Wow..; AMC used engines from plenty of other manufacturers! 4-cyl - Audi & Pontiac; 6-cyl - Buick & Nash; 8-cyl - Rambler

https://jeep.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_AMC_engines

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

AMC had a lot of good home grown engines. The sixes from the early days to the v-8s(287 and 327) then into the 60's with the 290, 343, and 390 V-8's. By the time they reached the late 70's they were so broke that they were basically using the 258 six for everything.(gas mileage and pollution issues) and The various 4 cylinders were for the Renault Alliance and the Eagle Premiers that used a Renault V-6. The Spirit in the late 70's I believe had a GM 4 banger in addition to the 6. The V-6 in the Premier was a good engine but had design issues. The reat of the car was junk. Ask me how I know this.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

So, Bubb. How is it you personally know, the rest of a v-6 AMC Primer was junk?

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

So, Bubb. How is it you personally know, the rest of a v-6 AMC Primer was junk?

In 1995 we needed a replacement for the 1983 Chevy G-30 van we had had for several years. Almost 200,000 miles on it and it was wearing out. I decided we needed a family car(you know, 4 door, Air, comfortable cruiser) so I began searching. this was pre internet so going and looking was the only choice. I found a nice looking car(the aforementioned Eagle Premier) and it met the bill. Relatively low miles(43,000 or so) and seemed good. I called around and talked to folks I knew about it as I had limited experience with that model. I was told that that model Eagle was good, just to avoid it it's smaller sibling as it was junk.(I don't even remember it's name) So we took it home and started to use it. The first year went good. I relaxed and we used it. Then the transmission started acting up. Had it towed to a shop near where my wife worked as it was far enough away from our house to make it silly to take it home. A part on the trans was bad but easily replaced and not terribly expensive. A year later My wife complained about a smell in the cabin(this was winter). Of course it was the heater core. This being winter I had to take it somewhere. That is where the story gets interesting Took forever to find a shop willing to do it. Apparently not only were parts hard to get, but it took a couple of days to change it as it was under the dash and had to be completely disassembled to do it. Finally found a place willing to do it. they ordered the parts and took it apart. The parts arrived. The wrong ones. No others available. He found some in New York I think and had to have them overnighted to here. Finally got it done. $800.00 in 1997 or so. It just kept going from there. The rest of the trans went bad a year so so later(another $1500 job as the transmission was a Renault provided ZF Transaxle. After that the cooling lines under the intake manifold started leaking and was another expensive annoying job. Then problems with the starter and no one could seem to rebuild it correctly and again hard to find a new one. One thing after another. so we finally got rid of it in 2002 after 7 years and about 100,000 miles. Lesson learned. From then on our daily drivers have all been as common as dirt. Millions made, parts and repair available everywhere. Google 1988-1992 Eagle Premier and Dodge Monaco to see what is said about them. The other AMC cars made until the mid 80's were good reliable vehicles just too outdated to be of interest to many and too old to meet new emissions standards. So that is why I believe they are junk.

 

[Mr. Daystar]

That just.....sucks. I can't think of a more eloquent way to describe the trials and tribulations you went through, except.

THAT SUCKS!

I fucked up the wiring on a 2000 Chevy K2500 4x4 I owned, I bought it brand new, and it was a great truck, with the exception of the gas mileage. About 11 years later I had a short somewhere, and when I tried to fix it, I fucked it up. I Called around for parts, and couldn't find a harness anywhere. Finally I called Chevrolet, and found out only the 3/4 and 1 ton versions, from model years 1999 & 2000 used that harness. They had one, and a warehouse some where in the middle of the country. They wanted $7500.oo for the harness.....which was more then the book value. Damn shame to, only had 75k miles on it. The Chevy I have now, is slowly rotting away, and been a money pit, with the nickle and dime bullshit. I think my next truck is gonna be a Ford. My first 2 trucks were Ford's, and treated me pretty well. I've owned 7 vehicles in my life, so far.4 trucks, first 2 Ford's, second 2 Chevy's, and 3 Harley's, an '88 Sportster, that I learned how to ride on, and took my test on. A '78 1/2 Low Rider, I built the shit out of. Like serious fast, probably high 12's. low 13's on a quarter mile, and my current '07Softail Custom....which I will probably sell this, or next spring. I can't ride anymore, I can barely walk. Maybe I'll get a trike someday. At least I'll still be in the wind.

 

[Pornfan99]

"They wanted $7500.oo for the harness..." I don't mean to be a jackass - but did you contact junk yards within a couple hundred miles?

FWIW: I just had to replace the electronics of an ABS module in 2021. Ford wanted something like $1,250 for the part. I found .. FordPartsGiant.com, and they had it for $760. Sold!