So we actually just completed a few projects. My father-in-law recently purchased a 2004 VW Passat without a prepurchase inspection and a few weekends ago I had the pleasure of helping him pull the dash out to replace the leaking heater core. One of the coil packs appears to have gone bad as well (I don’t remember the code it’s been throwing offhand), so we’re going to be replacing that soon. I need replace the head gasket at some point in my 09 Focus.
I am going to vacuum the interior of my Sienna and use my Bissel Little Green Machine to steam clean the carpets. Other than that, I have projects around the house I need to do.
My weekend project was fun.
I had towed the 16-years-old Civic for a friend of my friend, which he bought for $100 after prior owner managed to lurk with it under the bus: hood was squashed to the middle and bent/broke the radiators.
Still that car drove by itself 3 miles to where owner lives and they bough it there for scraps.
It was leaking coolant in seconds as you add it.
I thought it was a toast, so we brought a towing dolly from U-Haul, connected to my Pathfinder and moved it 10 miles to my friends garage, where we removed the hood and luckily enough most of the damage could be unbent with bare hands of 3 guys pulling in unison, then just a little bit of work with a hammer to get it within a millimeter of “proper” diagonal dimensions we found published.
Damage is limited to 2 radiators, one headlight, hood and bumper cover, the rest seem to be salvageable.
Yesterday they finally received radiator and other parts from RockAuto and upon restart engine works fine, no bubbles and no coolant loss, quite a good buy for $100
I’m getting a little jump on Spring but mainly working on the lawn mower. I can detail the cars and got some tree cutting to do if it warms a little. Got to do my taxes though soon. Things will change though if I win that 57 Thunderbird in the raffle.
Pre-Covid I bought a new hood for my Avalanche. The old one is rusting away to the point of having sharp edges on the leading edge that can cut you. I couldn’t find one in any decent shape on the search sites nor my local pick-ur-part. I’d have to sand to bare metal, repair dents and paint anyway so I ordered new from RockAuto.
Primed, painted and cleared it. Finished a cut and buff today. Probably mount it Friday if I can get my BIL to help.
Buying out the lease in Sept for the 2017 Rav4 $17900, 17k miles, 03 trailblazer rear ended hitch is toast, and $600 for filler neck evap leak that will not pass emission test. Yes we will be done with leasing and yes this is a second car, need a vehicle good for 1k round trip to the cabins, and uhaul for some stupid reason does not have pickup trucks for rent north of the Twin Cities. That would be my ideal, rent a pickup for boat duties, put an ad on craigslist for launch my boat, no responses, rav4 1500 lbs and I think I need 3000lbs towing capacity. Thinking of a box truck from uhaul with a hitch, but may have to trim a few limbs so it can get to and replace the boat.
I have my small snowblower apart waiting for a belt and belt roller. The big one, a 1972 Ariens never seems to need any work. I think I have only changed the plug twice since 1990.
I found the idiots at the Valvoline oil change place I get my state inspection at broke one of the ears off the air filter box that holds one side of the top down so. They try to sell you anew air and cabin filter no matter what you go there. I have to deal with that, and when I checked my oil it was down almost a quart.
My 2012 Camry has never been down more than an eighth of a quart before, and I was afraid the loose air filter box had let in enough dirt to damage the engine. Thankfully when I moved the car I found a large oil spot underneath so I have to put it up on ramps to find the leak.
At least you are doing it yourself. Needed a new humidifier, old one toast due to heat. Had a service on the furnace first to make sure it was worth it. The old belt was broken to the fiber on the end in one spot. $70 for a new belt, new humidifier in, relocated to be away from the heat, smiled and said thank you, but $70 for a belt was above and beyond my should be $10 comprehension.
I carry spare belts for the blower and lawn mower. Gotta replace one but when I looked at what I had paid for one, it was $49 a couple years ago, but then I picked up the one I needed at the farm store for $22 (kevlar) (different than the $49 one). Never know I guess it might have been the price of oil or something or the cost of stocking. Some are special sizes or angles on the V just to make them expensive.
Blower shear pins, too? I stocked and had replaced one too many shear pins, belts, scraper blades, etcetera on the big Ariens outside in sub-zero temps (Feel the magic!) before fleeing the area. It was the frost bitten toes that finished me off, though.
My big project is to vacuum beach sand and shells out of the Grand Prix… ugh. CSA
Oil changes and lubes all around, finally clean the windshield’s winter haze, interior detailing, finally get to fix all those “little things” and don’t have to leave my door because all the parts delivered by Rock Auto / Amazon / Moss Motors.
For the first time ever I might actually have all the cars ready for Spring before the Fall!!!
I hope you are very organized, I have a couple of shear pins somewhere for the old 2 stage, but it would probably be quicker to make a three mile walking trip to buy some new ones than try and find the spares.
Yes. I am doing a lot of work–mostly preventative maintenance–to my recently-purchased truck. I also plan to get my Sundance put back together and on the road again. I am also planning to build a shed in my backyard to store my tools and equipment.
and a few weekends ago I had the pleasure of helping him pull the dash out to replace the leaking heater core. One of the coil packs appears to have gone bad as well (I don’t remember the code it’s been throwing offhand), so we’re going to be replacing that soon. I need replace the head gasket at some point in my 09 Focus.
