PROJECT/INFO: Lessons Learned from Sharing a Classic Car Project with a Friend

Personal Information on D.I.Y. Car Restoration Projects:

Lessons Learned 
from 
Sharing a Classic Car Project with a Friend

After a year and a half of co-owning the 1972 C-10, my roommate and I have sold it. First let me say it was a blast to work with my roommate and I'd pick up another project with the guy anytime. We had a lot of fun. This project had it all: head-aching frustrations, the glorious sound of getting the engine timing right, heart-skipping moments, and good-thing-that-worked-huh? moments.

Jenny put back together, with 4 good tires, finally timed, and with side view mirrors.

Adventures began on the first day of picking up the truck. Our tow truck driver decided to use incline the tow ramp and let the C-10 roll down the ramp and onto the driveway on its own power. We got it down and after thinking about it, that was a terrible idea. The brakes could have gone out, the truck could have plowed through our rental house's garage, a number of things could have happened. My roommate took Jenny out for a test drive months later after finally getting the engine timing working. He said he was coming up on a stop sign and hit the brakes but the brakes were not working. It took a slow pump to engage the brakes and acknowledged that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to take the car out without checking out the brake system. After working on the brake system, my roommate and I discovered the rear brake line was dry due to rusted holes in the line. Thank you for front brakes and a wall divider between the front and rear lines in the brake master cylinder. No thank-you to the heart-skipping moments.

My top three lessons learned were:
1) Know the goal of the project at hand and do your best to research the pros/cons for any given project. The clearer the project the better and easier it will be to focus when the going gets rough. It is difficult and tiring to research everything that might go wrong, but research is the best gauge in how much risk you are willing to take in a given project.
2) Work with people who have a different skillset/experience and a different wrenching philosophy than you. This pays off dividends in learning new skills and acquiring new experiences. In addition to the obvious benefits of having multiple hands on the project, I found we'd be willing to try new things and invest in tools we might not have valued before.
3) Expect the unexpected. Projects tend to take longer and cost more than you expect. Few will value the efforts and costs you give into a project and looking forward to a buyer to give you satisfaction is not realistic. Be realistic about the situation and circumstances at hand if it is bad, and never stop having fun. Parts break, it gets frustrating. Great teams use that frustration and turn it into motivation to work through roadblocks well and have fun doing so. Celebrate each success no matter how small or large and thank each other constantly.

Before (left) and After (right) pictures of the same 3-speed transmission. See imgur.com/gallery/OP36R for transmission project details.

To capture lessons learned, I asked my roommate to write his overall thoughts about the project.

The three biggest lessons learned from this project for me were:

1) Know what your goal is in a project.

This lesson may sound easy but it is important to follow.  When starting a project you want to know what your end goal is for it.  This doesn't mean you have to know all of the details but it does mean know why you are doing the project and stay on track to reach this goal.  When we originally bought the truck we had a goal of just getting it running and able to drive.  Along the way there were a lot of set backs and unexpected issues as with most projects.  However, I think some of these issues caused us to slightly lose our original goal.  We ended up going from doing a basic goal of getting the engine running to doing a lot more work than originally planned.  This resulted in our costs going up higher than originally budgeted.

I also think this lesson is important so that you can make better decisions during the project.  Our goal was to fix up the truck and then sell it.  Although making money wasn't our ultimate goal we would obviously like to make more than we spent when we sell it.  This influenced our parts budget and work priorities since we tried to spend as little as we could.  If this was a project we planned to keep then keeping a low budget would not have been as big of a priority.  We also learned that if you plan to fix up a car and sell it to know the market better.  Know what your project is worth and what you can expect to sell it for.  Looking at online ads is a good way to determine the market price as well as online pricing guides.  With our truck we did not fully research the market before we bought it and as a result had a difficult time selling.  We also learned that selling a project truck takes a certain buyer and most of the time those buyers are not going to pay market value to take on a project. 

Before (left) and After (right) pictures of the engine bay from the driver's side.

2) Understand what work is involved and balance that with your skills/tools.

When finding a project vehicle it is very easy to get in over your head.  That is, it is easy to pick a project and then find out it was way more work than you bargained for.  This was something that we were aware of at the beginning but did not fully understand still.  At the beginning we knew the truck needed a lot of work but since we were not planning on a full restoration we did not worry about it too much.  This turned out to be a problem as we ran into many more problems to just get the truck on the road than originally anticipated.  Some of this was due to a lack of knowledge from not taking on a project like this before and not knowing what to expect.

Knowing what skills you have is important in knowing what problems you can actually expect to fix.  This can also be extended to realizing what tools you have and knowing what tools are required to complete a job.  If you don't have a welder or experience welding then you can't expect to fix and repair rust spots yourself.  This was something we ran into where we required tools we just didn't have and buying wasn't practical.  Without proper tools and a budget to have someone else do the work we were not able to fully address all of the issues we wanted to.  Skills can also be gained during a project so taking on something out of your comfort zone can be good to help expand your knowledge and skills.

Before (left) and After (right) pictures of the engine bay from the passenger's side.

3) Expect the unexpected.

Kind of a cliche but it is still true.  Every project will have some type of problem you didn't expect or plan on.  For this project we had several.  Things like having a rusted gas tank or having to replace a section of brake line really took up a lot of time and money to address.  Also things like having every one of tires go flat is another problem that you can't ever expect but need to account for in some way.  Hidden costs will always be present so don't try to stretch your budget at the beginning.  The costs will add up in one way or another and often in areas you didn't expect.  Setting aside some sort of budget and time for things you didn't expect is a must.  Although you may not be able to accurately account for these having any type of budget set aside can help alleviate things when a problem does arise.

Overall I was happy with the project and the way it turned out.  We were able to meet our original goals of getting the truck running and mostly road worthy.  We did as much as we could with our budget, time, and resources available.  Although we did not have as much luck selling the truck as originally anticipated we were able to sell it to someone that was going to take on the project and finish it.  In the future I will be able to better select a project and look forward to learning even more.

Jenny sold and being towed.

Jenny, you were a great truck and we hope to see you on the road someday.
And to my roommate, thanks for a great time and memories buddy. Cheers to our next projects and car projects never getting old.

INFO: Websites for Car Wallpapers

Information on Car Pictures:

Websites for HD Car Wallpapers

Websites that provide high definition and quality wallpapers for the desktop background.
DeviantART
http://www.deviantart.com/
DieselStation
http://www.dieselstation.com/car-pictures.html
Hot HD Wallpaper
http://www.hothdwallpaper.net/wallpapers/car/

INFO: General European Car Maintenance

Information on D.I.Y. Car Maintenance:

Pelican Parts: Technical Articles

In-depth car maintenance advice for most European car brands.
Website: http://www.pelicanparts.com/

Click on a car brand and click on the technical articles icons (on the upper center tabs or the left banner) to be directed to the do-it-yourself articles.

D.I.Y. MAINTENANCE: Idler Pulley Replacement

Do-It-Yourself car maintenance on,

Engine Idler Pulley Replacement

Replacing the idler pulley in a poly V-belt or serpentine belt system is a typically and simple DIY maintenance project. Replacement idler pulleys are typically inexpensive and the consequences of an idler pulley failing while driving on the road make this maintenance project a no-brainer.

Idler pulleys do not typically fail critically without warning. Signs like excessive dust and grinding or squeaking noises are normal indicators that an idler pulley has broken and requires attention. Since these pulleys are usually belted to other systems, such as alternators and power steering, having the idler pulley inspected and replaced at the early stages of failure is worthwhile in most instances.


Example of a broken idler pulley below:
Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz, 2001 SLK320

The driver noticed a squeaky noise coming from the engine in the Fall of 2012, so the owner opened the hood and pinpointed the source of the noise. Without a mechanic's stethoscope available to precisely pinpoint the problem without taking anything off the car, the owner narrowed down the area of the noise and made a best guess it was the idler pulley. Since the owner was able to drive the car around still and wasn't sure how difficult it would be to take off the serpentine belt, the owner didn't worry about it and left the broken pulley alone. It was not until the end of 2013 Summer that the noise got louder and fear of a failure escalated enough for the owner to take action.

The instructions from the website, 'Pelican Technical Article: Mercedes Idler pulley Replacement', explained and illustrated how simple replacing the idler pulley was. As the owner of this vehicle followed the instructions, here is what the owner found.

After the owner got the serpentine belt unloaded from the engine, the idler pulley immediately broke off into two pieces. Having the idler pulley break in this manner was fortunate because it allows a driver to drive to safety (or a handful more months in this case).

Figure 1: Broken idler pulley after the serpentine belt is unloaded.

Even though the idler pulley split into halves along one of the serpentine belt grooves, the bearing surprisingly remained intact and was able to spin freely. Additional pictures of the broken idler pulley taken out from the engine bay.

Figure 2: Close up, front half of the broken idler pulley showing black dust. This is an indicator of grinding between the two halves of the broken idler pulley.

Figure 3: Close up, front half of the broken idler pulley showing grind marks
(with flash on the right and without flash on the left).

Driving with the broken idler pulley in the engine led to a ground down, smooth surface shown above.

Figure 4: Close up, rear half of the broken idler pulley, showing the inner surfaces on the left and outer surfaces on the right.

The following picture compares the broken idler pulley to the ACDelco aftermarket pulley. Since the broken idler pulley bearing was still intact, the owner was able to perform a simple bearing test to compare the bearings. A free-spin test of the bearings proved that the OEM idler pulley was lighter and able to spin more freely than the ACDelco idler pulley. The ACDelco idler pulley was more robust and symmetrical in construction all around but the bearing has a larger rotational inertia, causing the bearing to come to a stop sooner.

Figure 5: Comparison between the broken idler pulley with the replacement ACDelco idler pulley.

Figure 6: Close up of the ACDelco replacement idler pulley. This replacement idler pulley is made symmetrically about the line of symmetry from front-to-rear and side-to-side.

Replacement Part Information
ACDelco 38082 Belt Idler Pulley
Total Cost: $27.83 (purchased from Amazon.com)

PROJECT: 1972 Chevy C-10, 'Jenny"

Introductory post about a car restoration project:

1972 Chevy C10 - 'Jenny'

Decided to invest in a classic truck restoration project and convinced my roommate to be my partner. The vehicle is a 1972 Chevy C10. Original pictures from the previous owner shows that the truck was originally green. Over the years, parts of the truck has been replaced and the orange-red paint job was done within the past decade. Jenny comes not running, with 2 flat tires, an Edelbrock 1477 performance carburetor, and a V8 motor that is said to be bored 40 over.

Instead of lowering the C10 off the tow truck using a controlled cable, the operator opted to roll the truck off the tow truck at an incline. Luckily, the brakes work.

More posts to come.

INFO: General Car Care Maintenance

Information on General Car Care:

The Detailing Spot

Basic, straightforward advice for car detailing.
Website: www.detailingspot.com

INFO: Tire Cleaning and Shining Products

Information on Tire Products:

Tire Cleaning and Shining Products

Aiming for a long-lasting, non-browning product that doesn't sling and protects against cracking.

Sling is when the applied product gets onto the car from driving.

One of the first steps in getting into tire cleaning is understanding the differences and benefits between Water-based vs. Oil-based vs. Silicone-based products:

From website: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/car-care-discussion/1960040-water-based-oil-based-silicone-based-tire-shine.html
" Good Silicone / Not so good Silicone:
If a product contains hydrocarbon (petroleum) distillates, this does not necessarily make that product harmful but it does depend upon which petroleum distillate is used and whether it has been further distilled (purified).

a) Water - based silicone dressings - usually a milky-white liquid, (Polydimethylsiloxane (PDS) that doesn’t contain petroleum distillate; silicone oils, waxes, or solvents that can harm rubber and/or vinyl over time. Water-based dressings use a combination of natural oils and polymers to offer a non-greasy, satin finish. Some of these products also contain ultra violet radiation (UVR) blocking agents to help keep tires from cracking, fading and hardening. Most, if not all water-based dressings are environmentally friendly / biodegradable, whereas solvent-based silicone is not.

b) Solvent-based silicone dressings - usually a clear greasy liquid, (Dimethal (DMS) that contain petroleum solvents as a cleaning agent, they remove the elasticity from vinyl, rubber and paint; causing them to evaporate out of the substrate, leaving behind a dry inflexible surface. Most high gloss products are based upon DMS silicone oil, the difference between water and solvent based is in the carrier system used. Solvent based products use a hydrocarbon silicone to suspend the product. When you apply it, the solvent evaporates leaving the dressing's active ingredients (Silicone oil) behind; solvent-based silicone is not environmentally friendly / biodegradable.

Silicone's are primarily used to modify or improve certain characteristics; they are sometimes added as a lubricant to provide spread ability thereby making a product easier to apply. The automotive industry uses silicone as component parts (see polymerization) in its plastic, vinyl, rubber, paints, and fiberglass as well as in polishes and waxes.

Silicone (Siloxane) oils provide an excellent lubricant that when used as a carrier system in polishes and waxes that makes them easier to apply and remove When used in paints and other coatings it ensures an even flow through a spray nozzle ensuring an even product distribution.
It not silicone that you need worry about, just the 'type' (what its formulated with) you need to be aware of." 

General Tire Information: The Detailing Spot - Tire Detailing

TIRE CLEANING PRODUCTS
Standard Products:
Black Magic: Tire Wet
BlueMagic: Supreme Tire Shine
Armor All (AA) Extreme: Tire Shine Spray / Tire Shine Gel / Tire Shine Aerosol
Mother's: Back-To-Black Tire Shine / FX Tire Shine / Reflections Tire Care
Meguiar's: Endurance Tire Spray / Endurance Tire Spray Aerosol
Eagle One: Tire Shine Spray / Tire Shine Gel

High-End Products [$10+] :
303 Products: Aerospace Protectant
Duragloss: Aerosol Tire Gloss / Tire and Rubber Dressing / Wet Look Tire Shine
Forever Car Care Products: Tire Gel
Griot's Garage: Long-Lasting Tire  Dressing
Poorboy's World: Bold N Bright Tire Dressing
Optimum: Opti-Bond Tire Gel
Stoner: More Shine
Surf City Garage: Beyond Black Tire Pro
Tuf Shine: Spray and Shine / Tire Clearcoat*
Zaino: Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss

Tire cleaner for heavy-duty cleaning jobs:
Black Magic: Bleche Wite Tire Cleaner

Other Products:
Adams VRT: Adam's Super VRT Tire & Trim Dressing
Chemical Guys: Tire and Vinyl Dressings
Detailer's: DP Tire Gel
Rubber Lube
Hi-Temp Grape
* The Tire Clearcoat is a semi-permanent coating. 

Written on July 23rd, 2012, Published on August 17th 2013.

Great Parenting + Steve McQueen Lightning = Awesome Build

INFO: Maintenance on a 6 cylinder vs Turbo 4

Comparative informative post on:

Maintaining a 6 Cylinder Engine

Compared to a Turbo 4 Cylinder Engine 

Day dreaming about upgrading to a bigger car and it got me thinking about the cost to own a car with a bigger engine versus one with a smaller one. Talking with fellow Joe's, most of us tend to want certain types of cars at different stages of our lives. The natural progression would be the older we got, the more money we would make, the more car we could afford. This post briefly the cost to own a 6 cylinder engine vs a 4 cylinder by analyzing oil changes.

4 Cylinder Engines
Average displacement: 2.2L
About 3.5 US quarts of oil per oil change

6 Cylinder Engines
Average displacement: 3.4L
About 8.5 US quarts of oil per oil change

8.5 - 3.5 = About a 5 US quarts difference. Say for high performance vehicles you use synthetic and buy motor oil from Walmart.
Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W-40 5qt. Full Synthetic Motor oil would be about $26 rounded down.
Change oil every 3.5k miles, say vehicle lasts 225k miles, that would be about 65 oil changes over the lifetime of the car.

Without Tax: 65 x $26 = $1690 additional to a 6 cylinder.

Again this is when you change the oil by yourself, rounded down & without tax. The true cost to own of any particular vehicle would be different and this is a very general overview of one factor in the difference in pricing of ownership. The reason why I would mention turbo 4 is because they closely match horsepower to a 6 cylinder. Nevertheless great food for thought.

D.I.Y. MAINTENANCE: Fixing a Windshield Wiper Nozzle

Do-It-Yourself car maintenance on,

Fixing Windshield Wiper Spray Nozzles

Spray nozzles often collect dirt or dry windshield wiper fluid. This causes the nozzles to spray unevenly or might even stop fluid from getting through at all. Usually a simple fix and a good way to fix it will be explained here)

Fig 1: Nozzle comparison of malfunctioning nozzle (left) and working nozzle (right)

1) Open the hood and set it fixed open.

2) Most nozzles for Joe's can be removed by popping the nozzle out of the car, away from the engine. Depending on certain models, a flathead might be used to unlatch hooks on the nozzle. Check the service manual for your car to see if it is necessary.

Fig 2: Example of a nozzle that requires a flathead tool

Fig 3: Nozzle unlatched from hood

3) Twist the nozzle off from the hose. Clip the hose with some sort of clamp to hold it in place.

Fig 4: Clipped nozzle spray hose

4) Soak the nozzle in a bowl of water for a couple seconds. Wait till all the air bubbles get out and clean the nozzle in the bowl of water. Soaking the nozzle helps loosen contaminants and you'll be able to see how much dirt is cleaned out. After soaking, use a toothpick and rub the walls of both openings of the nozzle.

Fig 5: Nozzle being soaked in water (left). Visible dirt from nozzle (right)

5) Using a a dust buster, spray the nozzle dry, as well as spraying through all openings of the nozzle.

Fig 6: Dust buster and windshield spray nozzle

6) Reattach the nozzle back on the hose and hood.

Fig 7: Windshield wiper nozzles fixed

INFO: Units of Measurements for Different Car Brands

General car information on,

Units of Measurements Used by Different Car Brands

For consideration when buying tools, or already owning a set of tools and looking for an additional car to work on.

Metric / International System of Units (SI) [ie 6.5 mm]:
BMW / Mini
Honda / Acura
Hyundai
Nissan / Infiniti
Mazda
Mercedes Benz
Mitsubishi
Subaru
Toyota / Lexus / Scion
Volvo 

SAE / English / Imperial / US Customary units [ie 7/32"]:
Chrysler / Jeep / Dodge / Ram / SRT
Fiat
Ford / SVT/ Lincoln
General Motor: Buick / Cadillac / Chevrolet / GMC
Tesla

Please kindly make note if I categorized a brand incorrectly

D.I.Y.: Making a buffer pad storage out of CD casings

A Do-It-Yourself post for organizing buffer pads,

Making a Buffer Pad Storage Box out of Multi-CD Casings

Used some applicator pads for headlight restoration and wanted some place to store them. Since there were a couple of multi-CD casings laying around, thought it would be perfect for storage.

Fig 1: Common CD casing for blanks discs

Fig 2: Sawed off center stick from base

Fig 3: Hole punched top for ventilation

Fig 4: Rubbing Compound buffer pad storage

Fig 5: Stack of buffer pad storage casings

The last figure, figure 5, shows a stack of the modified casings. The bottom casing of the two in figure would be ideal for compound product storage, as well as the the buffer pad.