alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Thank you guys. My plans re polishing is to get it in the workshop for a correction and ceramic, However I’m very very busy at present with customers cars. The wheels may stay, but I really must get some proper tyres. Can anyone give me some feedback on decent tyres, I want to make this car as driveable as possible… I was gonna go for pilot sports, I’m not afraid to pay for the best, so if anyone can help that’d be great. Bloody perfect Mk2 combo that. I've used a couple of iterations of the Uniroyal Rainsports and they perform very well. In the dry they are sticky and progressive. In the wet they are epic. The payoff is wear but I'd rather pay for more tyres than a new front end (or worse) with tyres that don't stop and steer in the wet.....and it's always bloody wet AL.
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Last Edit: Apr 9, 2022 23:27:33 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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That's some pretty heavy stuff all at the same time.
Condolences to you mate.
AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Found another thing yesterday, it appears that quite a few MG's use a pretty decent looking set of AP Racing calipers, Some MG TF brakes I found on ebay can be had for less than £300. Reckon these would be a good and cheap upgrade for something more interesting! Got these on my FTO, they're pretty damn good. Some minor mounting mods and new hardware, paint etc. AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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One important thing not mentioned is which bit of old car ownership you actually enjoy. Do you want to drive it lots, race it, or are you more into the satisfaction of doing restoration or modification to a high standard, or learning how to do things other people can’t? This mostly - "the satisfaction of doing restoration or modification to a high standard, or learning how to do things other people can’t?"I've had the RX7 for 20 years nearly so it's basically part of me now and I like to modify and tastefully improve things to as high a standard as I can. The other cars are not as attached to me as the RX7 but still have some pull for me to want to progress them, for many different reasons. Just a small update on things in my world....I took the advice of chopping everything into bitesize chunks and have progressed on some not-fun wiring jobs on the RX7. Even though they are not fun jobs I didn't really have any stress, I just chugged through them and if one became a pita I moved to another and swung round to the original one after a bit of reflection on how to tackle things. Unfortunately got COVID last week and felt pretty $hite so progress slowed (but didn't stop). I brought some little jobs back to my workbench in my cellar and carried on with them when I felt like it. The massive whiteboard I now have on the wall next to the RX7 is covered in jobs to do and it helps to break things down rather than having the big picture rattling round your head. A 42" TV is now on the wall in the workshop, connected to a Fire TV box and Echo dot so I can shout out what Spotify playlist to have playing or move onto the next video on YouTube, without having to move from the car. Tried watching a film but that got too involved All the advice in the previous pages has been invaluable and hopefully it'll come in useful for others. Cheers RR'ers, you're legends! AL. Pic for mojo
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Last Edit: Apr 7, 2022 13:50:10 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Mar 23, 2022 11:09:07 GMT
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Amazing response and lots of great suggestions and ideas, thanks to all who took time to answer, it’s greatly appreciated. It seems it’s pretty widespread. So, to just put my position into perspective I’m in a pretty decent position to just get on and do stuff. I’ve been messing about with cars for pretty much 30 years now (and lurking around these parts for about 13 years) and have built up a decent tool hoard to do all the jobs I need. I’ve got a non-retro daily for work so that means I don’t have to worry about that aspect of things and I won’t be modding that car. I’ve got a workshop/garage that I rent which is pretty nice. It doesn’t have a car lift in it but other than that it is ideal for messing with the fleet. It’s not at my house (about 7 min drive away) but that’s not really a big problem. My wife is very supportive of all my car related stuff but she doesn’t really get involved as she has her own stuff to keep her busy. We have an old house and she likes to plan/do/re-do parts of it and obviously I spend time on some of these projects which sometimes diverts my time but it’s not really an issue, it’s just living in an old house and having a lovely wife who likes to make the best of the place. I have a gym set up above my workshop with all necessary equipment for weights, boxing, battle ropes etc. so I don’t have to pay for gym membership, and I’ve identified that proper physical exertions and training to a reasonably high level is a must for me. If I don’t do it I feel achy and old and it eventually affects my mood and outlook, so that is a hard-point in all of this that can’t really be removed. I am very lucky to have all this available to me but I’ve built it up (paid for it) over the last 25 years so it’s not like I have any hardships preventing me getting car stuff done. When I read through build threads on here I’m always impressed and amazed what can be done with a bit of space, a lot of dedication and just hard work. Some very inspiring stuff throughout RR and I count it as one of my main sources of grounding and inspiration for car related and other projects. From all the comments I think I’ve narrowed down my own personal reasons and issues for my funk/mojo drop/lack of progress. None of which are life-changing or a real hardship so it’s highlighted to me I’m very lucky to be in the position I am. So in no particular order I’ve summarised what I think contribute to my own issues: 1 – I’ve probably got too many cars. The suggestion of thinning them down was made several times and I can see that it’s probably a good idea…..unfortunately I have quite a bond with most of them and the rest is made up from the fact I really want to get them done (and I probably have a character flaw in not wanting to get rid of stuff 😊). I will re-visit this if I don’t get anywhere, but for now I will hold that option in my back pocket. What I am going to do is move some of the fleet out of my workshop into secure storage so that they do not distract from my priority list. 2 – Get mates around to add mojo, lift spirits. This is not a “woe, is me” point, but most of my mates live bloody miles and miles away and actually just seeing a select few of them is another task I’m rubbish at. I’ve got lots of good mates at work but again that’s 30 miles away and only a couple are car guys with lots of lists themselves. So, basically I’m on my own on this one. 3 – Make lists. Yes, I’m awesome at lists lol. I’ve just got myself two massive whiteboards and there will be lists made and battle plans drawn. 4 – Out-source stuff – Yup. Anything that needs specialist (expensive) equipment or ridiculous levels of skill I will out-source. I will however have a go at most things below that level and improve my own skill set. I like tech/engineering/detail stuff so all that is something I enjoy. 5 – 10 Good enough jobs are better than 2 perfect jobs. I recognise that my own character lends me to try and get everything perfect. In my job it’s actually a plus point but I realise that in lots of other avenues it can be a massive blocker. I need to check myself to make sure the jobs are ‘good enough’ for the relevant application. 6 – Different job/Shorter Commute. I’m a contractor/consultant so it’s really the nature of the beast. I like(ish) what I do and I’m good at it and it has paid for lots of good stuff over the years (and I have a daughter just about to go to Uni) so I think I probably should stick at this for the foreseeable. 7 – Motivation – I have lots of good ideas and mojo for my cars when I’m at work but in the evening there is limited time and at weekends I have noticed that often I just lose all motivation. It’s weird and I think there is some level of burn-out as described in one of the previous posts. I think the suggestion of just chipping away at a single task, even for a few mins or whatever is one that will hopefully work. I’m going to just chop things into bitesize chunks and tick them off the lists as little wins on a regular basis. The whole ‘non-zero sum days’ concept biturbo228 mentions really resonated when I read it. I think there may be a level of depression involved in my funk as there’s been a few family deaths over the last couple of years and one of my canine best friends died in October, so I can’t rule that out and that is why I actually ‘need’ gym time to keep me sane. 8 - Scheduling time – Yes, I do try to do this. It’s point 7 above that often torpedoes my plans. I need to work on that. 9 - Meets / Cars and Coffee – Yes, I’m committed to going to a meet with the RX7 in July so that is going to happen. I usually work better with deadlines so that needs to get done. I think I will try and get to more this year, now that the pandemic has settled down a bit. 10 - Taking the dog in one of my cars to a walking spot/pub – my cars are not really practical to fit this huge fluffy monster-fest we have (we only have Charlie on the left now, but he’s big enough on his own). So, dog duties are performed by my wife’s Octavia VRS. 11 - Knowing you are not alone will help – it does, massively! Good to know others are in the same boat, adds a sense of camaraderie. This post was a very cathartic process and helped identify my own priorities and highlight all the good stuff I have available to me that I should be grateful for and enjoying, not getting over-awed by the big picture. I have questioned whether I actually like and enjoy owning old cars anymore. Am I just plugging away at it because it is what I should be doing because I’m a ‘car guy’ and that’s my ‘thing’ and I’ve been at it for years? That’s all a bit existential but something I need to eventually dig into and get to the bottom of. If all of the above fails, then maybe I’m not a car guy any more!! That is quite a deep hole to look into and I will not be going there just yet. Again, thanks to all who took time to help with this and if I haven’t specifically called you out or quoted something you raised in the above ramblings I’m sure you will recognise your inputs. RR is definitely a source of good mojo and positive vibes from a diverse bunch of lunatics. It’s awesome! Thanks to all listed below and the wider audience of RR. Jmsheahan qwerty pistonpopper grizz pptom blackpopracing HoTWire pauly22 nickwheeler mrbounce westycapri biturbo228 60six kevins stealthstylz etypephil ChasR It’s been emotional 😊 AL.
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Last Edit: Mar 23, 2022 11:21:14 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Mar 22, 2022 14:57:49 GMT
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Hopefully the collective can help here...
I know most people's mojo ebbs and flows as part of a natural flux of daily stuff and external factors, but I just want to know if there's any tips or ways of working that people are doing that helps in getting car stuff done.
I've got a bunch of cars (probably problem number one) but I'm really struggling to get my mojo levels up and productively do stuff.
For me there's usual 'Adult' stuff that gets in the way:
1 - 40 hour working week 2 - Commuting - 2 to 3 hrs /day 3 - Dog walking - 1 to 2 hrs /day 4 - Wife 5 - Eating 6 - Sleeping 7 - Gym - I've found I need to train or I feel rubbish both mentally and physically etc. etc.
So, the question I'm posing is....how do you 'Adult' and play with cars effectively?
If it has any bearing on things I'm male, 49, married and generally a sane bloke who doesn't really go out on the lash but I'll enjoy a few drinks with my missus at home.
Cheers
AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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E34 Touring Family Wagon alx
@alx
Club Retro Rides Member 21
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Feb 11, 2022 14:33:12 GMT
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Bookmarked!
AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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i second that: i m usually not into american cars, but this one i d like to own as well! Also not usually into American cars.....but that is sub-zero cool. Lovin that rear roof section. I even mentally calculated where I could find £9K for a couple of seconds until I slapped myself and realised I already had too many cars. Pic for inspiration (stolen off'tinternet) AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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linklinkThese might help, they back up the comment above from pseudonymous. Alex.
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Last Edit: Jan 4, 2022 13:14:42 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Music vids with cool carsalx
@alx
Club Retro Rides Member 21
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Dec 22, 2021 11:36:02 GMT
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Nice RX7 vibe here.
AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Bookmarket. Old-skool shed antics....what's not to love.
AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Worst car you owned ?alx
@alx
Club Retro Rides Member 21
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Dec 15, 2021 14:21:56 GMT
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All the things you want from a car. And you don't get muppets waving at you. Don't include me in your poor vehicle choice, I'm not waving back.Quality Mine was a Mk3 Mondeo 2.0TDi ghia (I think). Bought as a replacement for a nice looking E39 528i M-Sport. The BM looked the part but was unreliable and when I looked underneath the windscreen scuttle panel (to fix the failing wiper motor), was just a sea of brown flakey scariness and holes where there should be solid surfaces. The arches were going as a previous owner had rolled them and cracked the paint, ABS brain needed replacing, windscreen motor failed, windscreen washer hoses would constantly pop off the jets no matter how hard you tried to secure them there. The E39 is the only car I've ever run out of fuel in and it stranded me on a dual carriageway in Wales because it said I had a third of a tank of petrol left. (I think the BMW was probably the second worst car I owned lol only elevated from worst because it looked awesome and went pretty well). Traded the E39 for the Mondeo to a dealer who sold it as 'Trade'. I should have clocked this was a 'once you take it away all the problems are yours' red flag but just needed a car to get to work that wasn't about to snap in half or break down........ He was talking it up that he'd been running around in it and would trust it to take him across country blah blah blah.... I should have walked away on principle after the weapons-grade patter started. Drove OK for about a week or two but it was very, very dull. Had a decent level of trim but it was like a coma-inducing device and handled like a big floaty barge. The oil pressure light would flick on every now and again but nothing untoward to be found in oil levels or leaks or the usual checks. Blew the turbo on a dual carriageway about 5 miles from home one day. The whole of the carriageway was shrouded in white smoke and it was a subtle hint that all may not be as it should under the bonnet. Limped it home with accompanying smoke screen and abandoned it outside my house. Sold to someone who was gonna race it or something....why? Took a bath on the price but didn't care. Spent a big chunk of the proceeds on alcohol and celebrated the demise of that pile of junk. AL.
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Last Edit: Dec 15, 2021 14:24:01 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Dec 15, 2021 11:11:20 GMT
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You could flock the surfaces if they're removable. I got the dash and all the internal plastics of my RX7 flocked but that was all OEM stuff with the usual soft finish on the dash, the plastics were obviously hard finish and they worked well. Flocking will work on any non-porous surface though and should help prevent squeaks and rattles. Have a look at my mate who did mine, he's just done a dash for track M3. linkAwesome build by the way, enjoying the journey . Cheers AL.
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Last Edit: Dec 15, 2021 11:13:59 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Question time for th experts... Rebuilding v8s isn't cheap or easy to source parts for 30 year old J engines.. I've sourced the arp headstuds and the MLS gaskets.. I can get some bits in the UK. Some from the states some from Lithuania of all places.. One place that seams to have the lot at reasonable money is rockauto.... Has anyone ordered from them before? Are they as legit as they seem? Am I likely to get bummed for import duty... I need everything from a cambelt kit to gaskets to new main bearings. And they seem to have it all. All at sensible money (were talking half the UK cost on some bits and a tenth on others, I paid 30 for a rear main seal from local factors and it's 3 quid on there!).. Obviously I can stomach a bit of import duty but not much point ordering from the states to get stung with a duty bill same as cost of parts.. Cheers I dunno if you have all the bits you need and I'm a bit late to the thread but I've used Amayama for my J-tin and they've been pretty good. linkI haven't seen if it's already been suggested but just thought I'd throw it up in case you still need stuff. Cheers AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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There's an overview on his website jessestreeter.com/ordering-parts/ but basically you are paying them to: - arrange to buy the item from the buyer on your behalf - have it shipped to their warehouse in Japan - Have them repack and check the item - Have them post the item on to you, and supply tracking information. You send over the listing link to them, and ask for a quote for the total process. For auctions, you send them a max bid if applicable. They will send you a quote, with one or more shipping options. Some items can be sent by boat (~12 weeks) or airmail (often 3-4 days once it reaches their warehouse), sometimes the weight or dimensions dictate that only one option is available. Boat is significantly cheaper, and useful for items like suspension or wheels which are heavy and non-fragile. They charge 10% commission. That's it in a nutshell. I've imported wheels, side skirts, spoilers, car electronic items, taillight clusters etc., and it's generally pretty faultless. My brother's a bit of a JDM addict at the moment so I'll often add parts into his order to combine postage (parts arrive separately to Streeter, who then combines them for international post). If you are happy to go ahead after they quote, they will ask for the selling amount upfront so they can pay the seller on your behalf and get it shipped to them. When the item arrives to their warehouse, you pay the balance. Just used this service for some unobtanium wheel centres for a set of wheels I though I was going to have to sort out some kind of 3D printing for. Saw the listing on Yahoo Auctions, spoke to Jesse Streeter to sort out the listing/bid amount etc. Won the auction and he did the rest. Just paid for them and all-in for the cost of 4 centre caps, 4 wheel centres, commission, courier from Japan to UK etc. it came to £63 Boom, this could be a dangerously expensive passtime Sorry to hijack the thread, back to Honda goodness. AL.
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Last Edit: Oct 11, 2021 8:54:07 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Kelvinators Rover 220 Tomcatalx
@alx
Club Retro Rides Member 21
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Sept 29, 2021 13:38:33 GMT
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Great read. Keep up the sterling work.
AL.
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Sept 29, 2021 11:22:58 GMT
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I used to own one of these in the late 90's not my picAnd I run one of these now (but we don't talk about that in these parts). And I also haven't a clue about the electrickery description but I'm in for the ride on this insight. Always thought that Honda could have made more of a deal with the insight and jazzed it up a bit. looks like you're doing that for them now. Carry on. AL
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Last Edit: Sept 29, 2021 11:24:08 GMT by alx
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Sept 14, 2021 7:19:29 GMT
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CL500. M113 V8 engined pillarless coupe with 306bhp. Waaaaaaaaft!
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alx
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 367
Club RR Member Number: 21
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Sept 10, 2021 16:08:00 GMT
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Tidy!
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