Restore my car

So the car has been in the shop twice since picking it up from the head gasket repair. Once for an ignition problem and now for a leaky coolant hose. I believe it is the same hose that caused the blown head gasket to begin with. le suck. I’m hoping that will really be it for a while. I need a few things for it but it should be running well (in theory) after this last stint there. We shall see.

So I may actually finally be ready for paint and body. Amazing. After 6 months parked in the drive my car came back from the shop yesterday running better then ever. :D

Time to start looking around for paint quotes and what not.

yeah. I pore money on it and now its probably got a blown head gasket. BOOOOOOO.

Ok actually I think I blame my mechanic. Double BOOOOOOOOO.

SO I finally got my tire looked at. It only holds the correct amount of air for about a day. Every 3 or so its so low that it makes my car shudder just a bit going down the road. Its really annoying and reason to not take it places when I dont want to be bothered stopping at a compressor somewhere.

So I finally got it looked at yesterday. I was hoping it was a nail or the valve stem but its the rim. I cant say I’m entirely surprised. THe previous owner wasn’t the brightest bulb and spent money on the looks of the car (obviously cheaply) instead of addressing the transmission which sounded like a can full of pebbles going down the road. THe rims though probably expensive are cheap. I’m sure material and craftsmanship. So the air is leaking from where the rim meets the tire. I now know for sure. THe place I took it tried to do a fix. I’m know if it works in a few days. I’m hoping so. The rims are the last thing on my list of items to address…

Especially since my hazard switch just broke. bah.

I installed door breaks finally too. OH soooo nice. My door closes correctly now and with a satisfying thud. I must say that I’m pretty pleased with my list. I really just need to start slowly purchasing replacement rubber and head liner to be ready for when I can afford to get the paint and body done. I’ll add them to my list.

• all new aluminium trim pieces
• window rubber
• Head liner
• Hazard switch
• cigarette lighter element
• washer blinker stalk… switch is bad.
• Under-dash trim parts
• windshield washer reservoir (TO REPAIR) and pump
• get compression test
• gas cap keys
• new horn or horn relay
• new shocks/maybe struts
• fix leaky tire/rim? purchase spare
• tune up/-oil change/points timing-
• replace passenger door trim
• fix shifter knob
• get exhaust leak looked at (valve problem not worth fixing until engine is replaced overhauled)
• wiper motor
• dome light button
• Door Breaks

SO this got bumped up recently. I took my car in for what I thought was going to be minimal work. My radiator has still been leaking and I thought for sure it was just the hoses. My mechanic took the car and a list of things i WANTED to do depending on the cost and did it all without talking to me. SO therefore I got “new” rear springs (used stock ones) a new radiator and a few other odd things. I was pretty pissed off. the grad total came to over $700 and I really didn’t have that money to spend, but I’m trying to stay positive about it. My rear wheels dont rub now at least now with just 2 people in the car and I rode someone in the back yesterday and it only rubbed once while going around a corner with a dip.

I didn’t want stock springs. I didn’t want to pay 400 for a new radiator (I’d found one for 120 out in pomona earlier this year) This is causing some financial stress but at least the card isn’t spilling coolant everywhere and I can have a functioning rear seat. sigh.

SO this is where I’m at.

• cigarette lighter element
• gas cap keys
• windshield washer reservoir (TO REPAIR) and pump
• new horn or horn relay
• new shocks/maybe struts
• fix leaky tire/rim?/purchase spare
• tune up/oil change/points timing
• replace passenger door trim
• fix shifter knob
• get exhaust leak looked at (valve problem not worth fixing until engine is replaced overhauled)
• get compression test
• wiper motor
• washer blinker stalk… switch is bad.
• Under-dash trim parts
• dome light button
• Door Breaks

After spending so much on my car last week I decided to go down to the junk yard and search for a few things that have been driving me crazy. I found the plastic bit to get my dome light to work again, found a less mangled passenger door trim piece and put it on and fixed my shifter knob. The car also got a bath and a vacuum. Now I need money to pay for all my repairs.

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he told me he used to have a classic buick that he got painted for under 1k in Mexico. I know I can get a paint job like that here too but he mentioned they took the car and sanded it down to metal and did all the body work too. This is giving me some hope because I was quoted between 4-5k for the work. I simply cant afford that and pay for all the trim etc I need to replace as well. I’m really thinking this project may be a reality now. I just need my debt paid down so I can start saving for all this.

or at least thats the best I can tell what happened. My cars radiator is leaking and being as I finished my Vespa work (for now) my car felt that it needed some attention. Of course this isnt the sort of attention I was hoping for. thats money that I could use to get other work on it done… :(

lame. I’m pretty bummed about this actually. I need springs and the valves looked at. My quote was $400 for the repair. sucks.

SO, looks like I have an oil leak on my car. I wonder it is due to the incompetence of the people that last changed my oil or not. Looks Like I’m going to have to bump this up in priority. Get it in to the mechanic faster and have the leak addressed. I’ll try and get my springs replaced then and get a quote on a valve job and tune up.

So I tried to install my new washer pump today. Didn’t work. I pulled out my electrical diagram and tried to start working backwards through the system getting side tracked with my horn and windshield wiper motor along the way. I think I’ve got it narrowed down to the switch on the stalks.

Power is getting through but after taking the stalks apart I found 2 things. 1 the solder I used to get the wind shield wipers working in the first place was broken. I soldered it back together and I dont think they will be fizzling out again. 2 It LOOKS like there is a tiny plunger missing off the switch that acts as a ground. Unfortunately when I tried to ground the system manually I still got no response from my new pump. This may be a difficult one but I’ll keep plugging away.

SO, It looks like I’m going to have to buy a new stock, which sucks because they run about 200 for replacements. Getting another used one seems silly unless its in great condition. I think I can live without the pump working for a while while I get my other things accomplished.

GOOD news:

got the horn working today. I couldn’t believe it when I found a loose wire.. I’ve been suffering without it for MONTHS and a connection had come loose off the relay. I have NO idea how we missed that before. Oh well, fixed now. and again I re-soldered my windshield wiper connection. Good as new. Which is good because its getting rainy.

I think my gas cap key blanks should be here soon too. hm. I think I’ll try to get the cigarette lighter working next. I need to be able to charge my cell phone in the car. I’m going to source the underdash molding soon. Dont want to look at wires anymore.

yeay!

My washer pump arrived today. I’m going to put it on tomorrow. Unfortunately it rained today and the noise my wiper motor has been making the last couple times I’ve used it is getting worse. Worse as in I put the blinker on today and the wipers STOPPED. ha… its only funny because it wasn’t raining too hard. SO, it looks like I may been a wiper motor and to look into some possible electrical problems. UGH… I can think of nothing worse.

I did however get some advice on diagnosing my horn problem today. I will know for sure if my relay is bad or my horn is actually fried. I hope its just the relay my horn struck fear into the hearts of the stupid. sigh… so loud and annoying… you were taken from me too soon :~( Well, actually I’ll know if it is REALLY gone tomorrow.