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Thread: So, I own a car now.
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2016-04-13, 06:24 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
I'm not sure, but nearly every car I've ever seen that's been parked around horses has horse-bites. My guess, which is admittedly not a very well-informed one, is that car paint tends to be shiny which can make a horse interested enough to investigate it.
My dad's in town so I actually got to ask him this-- he says that clear coat can flake off if it was damaged by UV rays or if it didn't bond correctly to the paint for whatever reason.
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2016-04-13, 07:33 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2009
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
Ahhh, the sun once again is my nemesis! *shakes a fist at it*
I'm going to bet its the sun and not a bad job anyway, it gets really intense in the summer here, and the car has spent very little time protected from it.
I think it'd be interesting if you shared your cars rehabilitation, I don't understand most car talk, but lack of understanding has never stopped me from reading about things.
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2016-04-13, 07:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- Sea Monkey paradise
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
Congratulations! Beatrix is one classy lady.
- Monkey
"I don't swear just for the hell of it." -Henry Drummond, Inherit the Wind
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2016-04-14, 02:46 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
I think that seems most likely too-- since the flaking is occurring mostly on the roof and on the hood, which would be the parts most exposed to the sun. It's probably not that expensive to fix if you're worried about it. If you got a cover for when the car's in the driveway you could also prevent further damage.
Sure. In truth I don't understand a lot of car talk either, but thankfully a lot of this stuff isn't too difficult to look up and like I mentioned, I can usually ask my dad about it when he's in town.
Thanks!
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2016-04-14, 02:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2005
- Location
- GI Joe Headquarters
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
I just had an old car hauled off. I got donated to a local charity. the car was broken down and not worth fixing since it's 16 years old.
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2016-04-26, 12:53 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
Hopefully it's useful to someone else now. Even if the charity wasn't able to get it working again, they probably at least got some good parts.
For my own part, work on the Camaro is going kind of slow. I'm almost finished sanding down the patches in the spoiler end cap, then if weather permits I can prime it and reinstall it. Mechanically, Beatrix has developed an issue of dieseling after the engine gets hot. My dad tells me that it's probably either an issue with the fuel mixture or with the ignition timing. (Anyone more car-savvy than me want to weigh in on this one?)
I guess if it's a problem with the fuel, I can probably fix it by adding some octane-booster. Hopefully passing emissions isn't going to be a nightmare...
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2016-04-27, 02:18 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- Manchester, UK
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
I thought "dieseling" only happens when you switch the engine off? Or do you mean "knocking", where ignition is occurring at the wrong time when the engine is actually running?
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2016-04-27, 03:11 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
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2016-04-27, 06:12 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- Manchester, UK
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
Well, as well as what your Dad said that could be caused by the engine idling too fast, or carbon build-up in the cylinders.
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2016-04-28, 12:02 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
Carbon buildup? Is that the sort of thing that can be fixed with Marvel Mystery Oil or would I have to tear down the engine and hone the cylinders?
It doesn't sound like the engine is idling too fast, and the tachometer, (which by some miracle actually still works!) isn't reporting anything alarming.Last edited by The Fury; 2016-04-28 at 12:03 PM.
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2016-04-28, 03:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- Manchester, UK
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
You'd pretty much have to strip it down to determine if carbon build-up was a problem. As far as checking the mixture is concerned, years and years ago you could get a thing called a ColourTune--this was basically a spark plug with a transparent barrel through which you could see the colour of the explosion in the cylinder. No idea if they still do those or if that's what someone mechanically minded would recommend, it's been a decade or more since I did any work on my own engine--mainly because modern engines don't really make stuff like that easy; it's all fuel injection this and computer controlled that, they might as well stamp the bonnet with NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE and be done with it.
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2016-04-28, 06:54 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Wisconsin, USA
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
Are those white streaks the paint wearing away, per se, or is it chalking? If the paint's actually peeling and exposing the primer, then it pretty much needs to be stripped and repainted, so far as I know.
However, if it's chalking due to weathering (a powdery residue on the paint surface, rather than missing paint), you may be able to clean it off and refinish it as at least a stopgap solution.
I'm a little rusty on my car painting (though I'm still heavily involved with automotive stuff) but if that's just chalking, I believe it may be comparatively easy to fix.Spoiler
So the song runs on, with shift and change,
Through the years that have no name,
And the late notes soar to a higher range,
But the theme is still the same.
Man's battle-cry and the guns' reply
Blend in with the old, old rhyme
That was traced in the score of the strata marks
While millenniums winked like campfire sparks
Down the winds of unguessed time. -- 4th Stanza, The Bad Lands, Badger Clark
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2016-04-29, 07:45 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2006
- Location
- where the wind blows
Re: So, I own a car now.
I remember a weird problem my parents have. Rats keep nesting inside their cars' engines and basically making a mess (peeing there and chewing cables).
It's weird because they regularly use their cars every day.
Any idea how to solve this problem?You got Magic Mech in My Police Procedural!
In this forum, Gaming is Serious Business, and Anyone Can Die. Not even your status as the Ensemble Darkhorse can guarantee your survival.
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2016-04-29, 08:39 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2015
- Location
- Detroit, MI
Re: So, I own a car now.
Last edited by Brion; 2016-04-29 at 08:39 AM.
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2016-04-29, 11:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Wisconsin, USA
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
My parents kept getting mice living in their car's heating system; one of them even died in there and stank the car up hideously, necessitating its removal at a garage (a good part of the dash had to be disassembled to reach the corpse). I remember my dad saying he turned on the heater on an autumn morning and fur flew out of the vent, at the start of this episode.
Inside the engine is a hard one to figure, though. It should get fatally hot in there every time the vehicle runs, so either they should be driven out or should be cooked and die.
I would recommend putting mothballs somewhere in there, but I'd worry about them catching fire (see also the fatally hot part) and starting an engine fire. About the best thing I can think of is to find some kind of strong-smelling engine cleaner and spray it in there every day. Try to drive them out with the stink. (Though again, I can't understand how they can survive the engine running, unless they've got tiny suits of futuristic powered armor.)Spoiler
So the song runs on, with shift and change,
Through the years that have no name,
And the late notes soar to a higher range,
But the theme is still the same.
Man's battle-cry and the guns' reply
Blend in with the old, old rhyme
That was traced in the score of the strata marks
While millenniums winked like campfire sparks
Down the winds of unguessed time. -- 4th Stanza, The Bad Lands, Badger Clark
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2016-04-29, 02:24 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2009
- Location
- New Jersey
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
That is weird... Are they only taking short trips (like in the range of a few minutes), where the engine doesn't get too hot? If so, I would suggest taking a long drive and seeing if that kills them.
Otherwise, maybe they jump out when the car gets turned on, but when it parks again at the end of the night they climb back in?
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2016-04-29, 02:44 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
That's definitely cool, though I'd have no idea how to interpret that information. Doing a quick Google search, it looks like the instructions it comes with explain how to do interpret the color. (Blue good, orange bad I think?)
Oh, absolutely. I don't really know a lot about engines, but the older, low-tech ones make so much more sense to me. In the case of the 250 that Beatrix has, I can at least identify parts and what they do-- looking under the hood of my sister's BMW I can't really tell much of anything. To me, it looks like a monolithic, black rectangle. Maybe it's powered by dark magic. I will admit that it's a lot cleaner-looking than the Camaro's engine bay though.
Do your parents keep snacks in the glovebox or anything like that? Rodents usually like to hang out around places that have easy access to food. Beatrix had a problem with mouse-nests too, though that was because she was parked in a granary.
Engine swap-- +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, right? Passed emissions, new tags and registration-- Alignment changes to Lawful?
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2016-04-29, 09:36 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
Re: So, I own a car now.
With a 250 Chevy straight-6, Beatrix should have about 150 HP at the moment.
If you have one or two dead cylinders, she'll be running at less than full HP...
Engine mods of course will enable her to have more HP :)Offer good while supplies last. Two to a customer. Each item sold separately. Batteries not included. Mileage may vary. All sales are final. Allow six weeks for delivery. Some items not available. Some assembly required. Some restrictions may apply. All entries become our property. Employees not eligible. Entry fees not refundable. Local restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Except in Indiana.
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2016-04-29, 10:07 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
Funny enough, I think that 150 hp was about what the original 350 was rated at. 1970s emissions controls did ugly things to power and fuel efficiency. Though, like I mentioned, the six doesn't feel sluggish or anything and for as old as it is it's pretty solid, (the dieseling problem notwithstanding.) I could believe that it has somewhere in the neighborhood of 125-150 hp. The base model 250 installed in a Camaro at the factory probably wasn't rated that high, though the 250 that's in it now was installed without all the emissions controls. It was originally registered in a rural area where it didn't need to pass emissions to get registered, when it was brought over to the Portland area it needed to have a catalytic converter installed-- which was a 1990s aftermarket part, much more efficient than what was available in 1976.
All that being said, a part of me wants to take it back to the 350 small block like what it had originally. It's not really a practical modification, I know. Maybe I just really like that V8 sound.
I managed to get the spoiler back together today. Parts of the car are a dowdy primer grey now, but I guess everything's back where it's supposed to be.
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2016-04-30, 12:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
- Location
- Manchester, UK
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
I'm not so sure. The only part of the engine that gets *really* hot is the exhaust manifold (I've touched one while the engine is running, and believe me, it's not a mistake you make more than once)--the rest of the really hot stuff is inside the water jacket of the cooling system, so the *outside* of the engine probably won't get above hot bath territory. Plus, there's usually plenty of space in the engine compartment which is not directly touching the engine and will only get pleasantly warm.
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2016-04-30, 01:49 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2006
- Location
- where the wind blows
Re: So, I own a car now.
Last edited by Fri; 2016-04-30 at 01:49 PM.
You got Magic Mech in My Police Procedural!
In this forum, Gaming is Serious Business, and Anyone Can Die. Not even your status as the Ensemble Darkhorse can guarantee your survival.
Disciple of GITP Trope-Fu Temple And Captain of GITP Valkyrie Squadron.
Awesome Elizabeth Shelley by HollamerSpoiler
The OTP in the playground.
My Gallery/My Star Wolves 3 LP
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2016-05-01, 06:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2011
Re: So, I own a car now.
I believe what you're looking for is this Q & A with a wildlife biologist on the Car Talk website. I checked there as I had remembered an episode where a caller was asking how a chicken could have followed them unseen after a drive from the farm to a parking lot twenty miles away. The answer was inside the engine compartment.
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2016-05-02, 10:56 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
How hot the engine compartment on a car can get depends on what kind of engine is in there. Some engines will generate more heat than others, though what factotum has said is largely correct-- on a fairly average family car with a properly working cooling system, it's not going to get really all that hot except close to the exhaust manifold or maybe the radiator. It's still pretty baffling why rats decided that a car that's driven, (I guess,) fairly regularly was best place to nest in.
I went ahead and snapped a photo of Beatrix's recent repairs. Not a great picture I'll admit, though it's nice to have everything back where it belongs finally.
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2016-05-02, 12:05 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2009
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
Fri, what if your parents put out bait/traps under the car after they've driven it?
A squirrel used some part inside the guys car to store nuts on, that was found during a check up or oil change a few years ago. Just a bunch of acorns carefully stacked somewhere inside of it, we and the guy who found it aren't really sure how driving didn't dislodge them.
I don't think it's "chalking" it has a texture and looks like the clear coat is stripping away. If you rub it with a cloth- blue (the color of the car) comes up on the cloth.Last edited by cobaltstarfire; 2016-05-02 at 12:05 PM.
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2016-05-08, 11:54 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
If the white streaks appear where the paint has rubbed away, I think that might be exposed primer that you're seeing, (usually automotive primer is a dull grey, but it can look white next to a darker color.)
Also, how's your beau doing with learning how to drive a manual?
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2016-05-09, 11:01 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2009
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
I'm not sure if that's the primer showing either, cause when it's wet the white area's turn blue (well the newer area on the nose continues to stay kind of greyish white, but the top it just becomes two shades of blue). Maybe it's a mix of several of those paint related problems? I've considered taking it to the car wash to see what that does, but the guy is worried that might do more damage. I've been putting off taking it to be looked at cause I don't want to see the kind of bill it'll warrant.
He is staunchly avoiding giving driving manual another try, though I've been continuously talking to him about it, telling him about how the car runs and other things he can think about when he finally lets me drag him out to a parking lot to practice. I think he really dislikes that it's not something he takes to easily. I may need to start telling him again why I want him to be able to at least somewhat drive it (in case something happens to me, or he's the only one around and needs to move or drive it, ect).
Have there been anymore fixes to Beatrix?
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2016-05-09, 12:00 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: So, I own a car now.
In fairness, it's not really an easy skill to pick up. I mean, I had a lot of trouble learning it too. Though in the interest of full honesty, I've only ever driven a manual transmission on dirt roads in something that had seen better days. Driving one in traffic is a skill I never acquired.
I was able to get the issue with the windows fixed-- by having window cranks installed. I know that's probably a disappointing fix for a lot of people but I think I actually prefer it. I also replaced the roof and trunk seals, which used to leak pretty badly.
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2016-05-09, 02:16 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2009
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
Not having leaky parts is a very good thing in my book. I didn't know that they still produced manual window roller uppers, at least with those you don't have to worry about some weird electrical stuff.
Yeah, I dunno what he expected when I initially took him out to try but he didn't meet whatever internal expectations he had, and now he is avoiding the "problem". I don't want to "nag" him too much on this cause we've got several things going on that generate a lot of anxiety with him.
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2016-05-09, 02:46 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Wisconsin, USA
- Gender
Re: So, I own a car now.
I learned to drive on a stickshift 1987 Hyundai Excel hatchback. Though it was a horrible experience, it had one big advantage -- driving an automatic is incredibly easy by comparison. Also, after that training, I believe that the driver is prepared to drive just about anything. Cars. Trucks. APCs. Tanks. Giant mining machines. "If it moves, you can drive it."
Spoiler
So the song runs on, with shift and change,
Through the years that have no name,
And the late notes soar to a higher range,
But the theme is still the same.
Man's battle-cry and the guns' reply
Blend in with the old, old rhyme
That was traced in the score of the strata marks
While millenniums winked like campfire sparks
Down the winds of unguessed time. -- 4th Stanza, The Bad Lands, Badger Clark
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2016-05-09, 11:35 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2016