(To prevent confusion, no I am not copying this car. Just saying.)
This way, you can watch me struggle to get there. Okay, that's not funny anymore (it's pretty tiring) so how about something positive? On my list, I will include things I can do by myself when I have no money along with things I DO need money for. This is kind of nice because while waiting for that mulah, like I said, I have plenty of things I can do in-between.
Wait, wrong picture.
And as my readers know by now, everything I learn during this process, I will teach you. This is what I am going to be doing to the car. Lord help me.
-Replace spark plug wires (fix misfire in general); spark plugs have been done - wires are old.
-White border on top of windshield.
-Sleepy eyes. Need to figure out a way that's not too ghetto to create some headlight covers.
-Paint the rims flat black. I've had the cans forever so I'm gonna do it. If I don't like it, it will be primer for something like burnt bronze.
-Paint the car. I will be rattle-canning it, yes, but I'm actually going to do a good paint job with clear coat. That will be a good tutorial.
-Tint headlights yellow.
-Acquire clear fog lights.
-Finally install hood pins.
-Exhaust; doing 2.5 in. with one set of catalytic converters taken off. Might try muffler delete first.
-Maybe I need stickers? You let ME know! @rokask1 - that is my Instagram where you can reach me and get updates on this website.
-Reupholstering the interior. Front seats are almost done. I'm teaching myself the trade so I'm completely re-doing my own car.
-I need 18 in. rims. Maybe 17 if they look good. I have sports tires for 18.
-Biggest problem right now; strong oil leak.
With having to completely re-do the interior, this is going to take a while. I'm personally setting a goal of six months to get it to what I have pictured in my head.
What is this? This is one of the skins for the seats completely done (not the wolf pelt - the tweed thing on it). Rolled up, you can tell it's even, that's for sure. Anyway, it took a long time and I'm almost done with the other one but it was worth it because it fits like a glove. I will be updating you guys with the finished product soon.
My main concern is keeping the car reliable so the mechanical things will be done first no matter what. However, I am blessed enough to be able to do upholstery for free basically so that's what I will be doing in the meantime.
My life in general is very hectic again because me and the wife are moving again. This time, unlike the previous times we've moved, I should still have time for articles.
I want to keep this car for years to come and I want to look back in ten years and remember this crazy ride, so to speak. For me, it is a crazy ride. Lexy 2 has been much better than the '95 I had. That one, I was worried that it would just die at any moment and eventually it did croak. I've had Lexy 2 for half a year now, I think, and the car never left me stranded or anything.
It has a pretty bad oil leak and a misfire that it had from the moment I got it. I got the motor firing good enough to daily drive it but I can't floor it. I just got the timing belt and water pump replaced because what good is fixing a misfire if your engine blows right after? The belt was cracked all over.
It took the ECU a few days to get used to it. I was really frustrated when I got it back because it was shaking like a mofo at idle! Every time it would misfire (once a cycle or two), shake. That's fun when you have strong anxiety; you get to shake along with it!
Needs work and a cleaning but this is much better than the last car. I'm not going to clean it until the oil leak is fixed.
It started getting better over time. The shaking became less pronounced. Also, it was shaking like crazy going from about 40 to 60 mph and that went down too. Even better, I can adjust the throttle a little bit - up or down - and the shaking would stop. That's now.
Before, if I hit that spot where the car starts shaking around 45-60mph, the car would buck on me completely and I'd have to let off the gas. It would skip the whole cycle, I suppose, while now it manages to keep going, just without that one cylinder firing. It doesn't seem to be damaging the motor so I'm super grateful for that.
This is how broke I am. I'm gonna get my spark plug wires from the junkyard. Good ones are at least $150 online or $2 each at the junkyard. I'm just doing this for now to hopefully get rid of the misfire. For my old LS400, I had found a brand new set of NGK wires on a car at the yard. It was a $180 set that cost me almost $20 with tax.
Hindsight is 20/20 but if I knew I was gonna be junking the old car (I was hoping an enthusiast wanted it so I left most things), I would have taken so many parts. There was a brand new alternator, the wires, a brand new MAF, a new Coolant Temp Sensor and Engine Temp Sender, air filter (this one is dirty), and a few other things things. I only grabbed the original first-aid kit that contains every single medicinal item it came with, including over 20 year old ammonia caps to wake someone up.
Wanna see the leak? It's BAD.
Bet you $20 you can't find the leak just visually. I'm just glad it's dripping on the part of the alternator that shouldn't damage it. I had a leaking PS pump kill one before.
So for now, you can imagine how anxious I am - daily driving this thing, slowly saving money, hoping it doesn't blow up. That would hurt. But I honestly believe it will be fine.
Wish me luck, post your opinions, add me on Instagram. Again it's @rokask1. Until next time. I will be revealing the front seats soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment