Car Enthusiast Club [Now Motorcycle friendly!] - First thread to 150k! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[bcredeur97]

1 minute ago, patric_o said:

When I looked at autozone online the cheapest one was $200. Is that typical for an alternator?

seems pretty typical. here's one for my miata: https://www.autozone.com/batteries-starting-and-charging/alternator/duralast-alternator/729524_23521_0


fun fact: Miata voltage regulators are inside of the ECU. So if it fails you have to replace your car's ECU rather than just the alternator. That said... I've never heard of one failing so there's that..

[terrytek]

52 minutes ago, vinyldash303 said:

You can go to Autozone and get one with a lifetime warrenty. That way if it fails you can take it back and they'll give you a new one. 

Did'nt you say not to touch autozone alternators with a long stick? I though they were bad quality.

[bcredeur97]

Just now, terrytek said:

Did'nt you say not to touch autozone alternators with a long stick? I though they were bad quality.

IMO if it lasts at least 2 years, it's worth it. Depending on how hard it is to replace in your car though.

in our suburban it was right on top, so it was easy. that said we had a duralast one in there for 3 years and it was fine, and we sold the car recently with it so they don't seem /bad/

 

different ones for different cars probably do different things though.

[terrytek]

2 minutes ago, bcredeur97 said:

IMO if it lasts at least 2 years, it's worth it. Depending on how hard it is to replace in your car though.

in our suburban it was right on top, so it was easy. that said we had a duralast one in there for 3 years and it was fine, and we sold the car recently with it so they don't seem /bad/

 

different ones for different cars probably do different things though.

protege's is in the back next to the water pump, shoved near the firewall, not to bad. corolla's up front near the radiator, so it's got easy access. on van, god forbid you ever have to change that i literally can't see where it's located, and it's probably cramped too trying to get it out.

[Oskar94a]

I just bought a 1962 SAAB 96 DE Luxe two-stroke, I'm so happy!

 

Spoiler

 

[techswede]

11 hours ago, Ms Mercedes - Trijet Girl said:

I’m not ashamed to admit that I own three smarts, one of each generation! I also want to own more of them! The spotlights on the blue one are for an offroad project I haven’t yet finished. I still need a couple more parts.

 

I’m pretty sure when I’m 50, I’ll be like a crazy cat lady, only the cats are smarts.

 

I need to get a Manual one day though. I love rowing my own gears and none of my smarts can provide that.

The newer one is kind of funky looking. I dig it. 
Drove a 4-2 convertible a long while back and its probably one of the most fun cars i've driven. 

Also loving the little U-haul

[techswede]

4 minutes ago, Oskar94a said:

I just bought a 1962 SAAB 96 DE Luxe two-stroke, I'm so happy!

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

The cars behind it yours too?

Either way. Sweet old SAAB. Now wax it 

[techswede]

Love this thing so much

[Oskar94a]

2 minutes ago, techswede said:

The cars behind it yours too?

Either way. Sweet old SAAB. Now wax it 

Not yet, it's my father who owns them, I'm first in line to inherit both. One is a 1914 model T and the other one is a 1930 model A

[IKnight]

So much new blood in this thread. Makes me feel old  

[Bananasplit_00]

1 minute ago, IKnight said:

So much new blood in this thread. Makes me feel old  

 

 

[IKnight]

Just now, Bananasplit_00 said:

 

 

tell that to @techswedeand @GlassBomb, they're the real old men here  

[Ms Mercedes - Trijet Girl]

20 minutes ago, techswede said:

The newer one is kind of funky looking. I dig it. 
Drove a 4-2 convertible a long while back and its probably one of the most fun cars i've driven. 

Also loving the little U-haul

If I had one of the convertibles, I'd be top down daily, even in the winter!

 

Here's more of the newer one (edition #1). It's interesting how long you can drive without any license plates whatsoever so long as the car looks new.

[jagdtigger]

Quick question to scooter owners, is it normal for the oil pump(2T engine) to go bust in ~24000 km? Because mine did and the engine and exhaust is swimming in oil...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z0mcr4e27dy6ubd/AABPqE_OQGH_H9gbb0lMEsnaa?dl=0

[IKnight]

16 minutes ago, Ms Mercedes - Trijet Girl said:

If I had one of the convertibles, I'd be top down daily, even in the winter!

 

Here's more of the newer one (edition #1). It's interesting how long you can drive without any license plates whatsoever so long as the car looks new.

-snip-

 

Whats the interior quality like? And is that a fake vent i see? 

[GlassBomb]

31 minutes ago, Ms Mercedes - Trijet Girl said:

If I had one of the convertibles, I'd be top down daily, even in the winter!

 

Here's more of the newer one (edition #1). It's interesting how long you can drive without any license plates whatsoever so long as the car looks new.

Think that you will ever try to get your hands on a Smart Roadster?

[Real_PhillBert]

Have we talked about Fords new 2.7L Three cylinder six piston two stroke yet?

 

270HP 480ft-lbs, 37mpg in an F150, 18.5:1 compression, a supercharger and a turbo. Really neat idea.

 

LINKY

 

[Ms Mercedes - Trijet Girl]

20 minutes ago, GlassBomb said:

Think that you will ever try to get your hands on a Smart Roadster?

One day I will! They aren't exempt from the 25 year import ban like the first gen fortwos are, but they will have their day soon enough!

36 minutes ago, IKnight said:

Whats the interior quality like? And is that a fake vent i see? 

That vent (assuming you're talking about the picture showing the left side) is the engine intake.  Interior quality of the new ones is much improved over the previous generation. it actually feels like a car from a company owned by Mercedes-Benz (as it is), whereas the older smarts sort of lacked that connection sometimes.

[bimmerman]

48 minutes ago, Real_PhillBert said:

Have we talked about Fords new 2.7L Three cylinder six piston two stroke yet?

 

270HP 480ft-lbs, 37mpg in an F150, 18.5:1 compression, a supercharger and a turbo. Really neat idea.

 

LINKY

 

That's pretty sweet, but how does it do on oil consumption and ensuing HC emissions?

[Real_PhillBert]

2 minutes ago, bimmerman said:

That's pretty sweet, but how does it do on oil consumption and ensuing HC emissions?

Well... It's a two stroke, so... 

[iDeFecZx]

22 hours ago, IAR117 said:

Lexus RCF Carbon or 370Z Nismo for daily? RCF is a bit more pricey however. All hypothetical obv, being 16 and in the UK

 

Neither, I'd want money for the weekend car not fuel for the daily lmao

[AlwaysFSX]

3 hours ago, patric_o said:

I need some help. I own a 2004 Mustang GT convertible with a failing alternator. Given the fact that I’m 17 I am obviously young, relatively dumb, and just about broke. This being said I have no idea what to look for in an alternator. I’m seeing prices range from $70-400USD and as most people I want to spend as little as possible and still get a reliable product. Can anyone help me find a new(at least new to me) alternator?? 

 

2004 Ford Mustang GT 4.6L convertible

My family got the cheapest one out of Autozone for our 2000 Mustang several years ago, it's still going strong. Don't get a super chinese knockoff or anything, but even a cheap commonly known alternator should last you a while.

[Mr.Dingle]

1 hour ago, jagdtigger said:

Quick question to scooter owners, is it normal for the oil pump(2T engine) to go bust in ~24000 km? Because mine did and the engine and exhaust is swimming in oil...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z0mcr4e27dy6ubd/AABPqE_OQGH_H9gbb0lMEsnaa?dl=0

Dont own a scooter but did alot of 2T work ... my advice ( as most of the folks here do ) , is to completely remove the oil pump and mix your own gas ... those things are known to fail without any feedback , and bye bye goes your engine . 

 

 

[warmmilk]

15 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

Preformed a very quick visual inspection of the Miata’s front end.

 

  Hide contents

Didn’t really see anything out of the ordinary, though I will say those upper control arm bushings look kinda sad. Can’t even see the lower ones, but I’m sure they are close to the same. 

 

Wheel bearings were good and there here wasn’t any obvious movement from anything underneath when grabbing and moving the wheels. 

 

Greased my slave cylinder where it meets the clutch fork since it was starting to squeak again. Then went around the car spraying different joints with some silicone spray. 

 

Checked fluids and all was good. Need to change oil this weekend as it’s at 5500 miles. About that time. and yes, Im gonna replace that nearly bald bridgestone tire.. lol i have a replacement for it sitting in the garage... I just need to wake up early on a Saturday to go get it dealt with

 

Just worried about how much im gonna have to spend on this thing in the near future. bushings, shocks, bumpstops, and probably the defective clutch I’ve talked about.. which I guess I’m gonna replace with the $400 flyin Miata “stage 1” kit everyone seems to get.... because I want to make sure it’s done right and I’m afraid to go stock again even tho this one was probably “just” a defective pressure plate judging by how "soft" it feels when it engages...

 

but yeah all that can easily be $1500 and a lot of work. Sigh

/cc @warmmilk

if you're tight on money, bushings aren't a huge priority unless they're making a clunking noise...  then again, whiteline bushings are relatively cheap if you're willing to put in the work... energy is even cheaper, but I wouldn't do energy...

 

whats wrong with your clutch?

 

just get coilovers...  

[jagdtigger]

Just now, ColonelThunder said:

Dont own a scooter but did alot of 2T work ... my advice ( as most of the folks here do ) , is to completely remove the oil pump and mix your own gas ... those things are known to fail without any feedback , and bye bye goes your engine .

Great... One more reason to sell it, i wanted to do it anyway. This thing eats a lot of gas, about 5l/100km....