Motivational: Ford GT40 and SIN Cars

I often stop and check out people's cars if I see something really cool and the owner doesn't seem bothered. A few days ago, I saw a completely restored GT40. What the owner told me is what I want to tell you. The owner's name is Turbo (of course) and he builds custom boats in the Central Florida area if anyone needs a one-off boat. Anyway...

I was coming home and this thing was parked at the entrance by the dock. I was bringing my wife home from work and I usually don't stop because she's tired but I said sorry and put the car in park. She wasn't disappointed either.

This man Turbo - who has stories for days if you have time - is quite a character. Never been to school, like me. Restored a GT40, UNLIKE me.

My friend said he was stupid for daily driving a three million dollar car (this isn't a Ford GT if you haven't realized yet). I told him he was stupid for saying that. Although it should probably be in a museum, I'm glad it's on the road.

Next time I'll get a start-up and rev video, if I can.

After explaining what the name of the car was (Vehicular Viagra) and how it got it, he surprised me by opening the door and telling me to hop in. I dropped in because when I went to sit, my butt fell like two feet onto the seat that is 2 inches above the actual ground. You're sitting about 4 inches off the ground, making it very hard to even see over the steering wheel. Time stops as I try to orient myself. There's three pedals all the way on the right... I don't know HOW you drive this thing without your full attention. As for a speedometer or anything like that, forget it. There IS however a bunch of gauges for things like oil and fuel pressure.

This car is actually a 1969 so I guess that's where he got the number... Right...

What I'm trying to say is this. And Turbo said the same thing. Enjoy what you have but keep making it better. That is the secret to life. He started working on cars just like most of us. Messing around at his dad's house. Now he's living the dream, truly. It inspired me. I think there was about 300 Ford GT40s built so Lord knows how he got parts.

Check out that carburator...

All I know is that this is the rarest and most beautiful car I have seen to date. My wife remarked how much it looks like a muscle car. However, ever since finding a place to live a few weeks ago, I've also ran into a Skyline at the gas station and a set of a Formula One car with a SIN car. What is a SIN? It's a Bulgarian GT car that uses an LS motor from the Corvette.

I'm enjoying life much more nowadays because in the past I might appreciate the car but I would not have stopped to look closely. I made friends with Jon, the owner of this car and also the Team Owner of Racer's Edge, a Grand Touring team running this car. I wouldn't get these great experiences simply driving past. After all, when you're old, it's not gonna be your problems that you remember but the interesting things. Those things that are a passion to you. Make them a part of your life. Hell, build your life around it as I am trying right now.

The SIN car was amazing, quality top notch. I imagine it's a great bang for your buck if you're looking for a pure race car considering the fact that it runs an LS motor (I didn't ask if it was an LS1 but I assumed it was). Makes just as much power as its competitors.

The amount of carbon fiber inside was mind-blowing. Everywhere I looked, there it was. This car is a complete 180 from the Ford GT40. The GT40 is raw, powerful. It commands all of your attention. The SIN is elegant and powerful. It's modern and a lot less intimidating to drive. The clutch is where it's supposed to be and you have good visibility. Still wouldn't take it over the GT40, however, but being modern, I guarantee you it's faster - at least on a track.

In place of the passenger seat was a box with switches for oil, fuel, and anything you can imagine. The steering wheel was covered in buttons and the car uses paddle shifters. Overall, a beautiful and fast supercar. I think this company produces road legal cars aswell, with two seats.

The car regularly competes and seems to have just gotten their social media accounts running. Their Instagram page is @racers_edge_motorsports. Give them a follow if you like.

The last vehicle I want to mention right now is also up there in terms of legend. The Nissan Skyline. If I'm not mistaken, this was an R32. Again I was on my way home when I had to pull over for gas and ran into this sight (thankfully not literally with my car).

The R32 had just blown a head gasket. Surprisingly though, I think I was sadder for that than the owner was. It was evident that that wasn't his first or last time. He just looked bored waiting for a flatbed.

If you're wondering, yes it is right-hand drive and is tuned to the teeth. I'm not sure if that's real gold wrap but I wouldn't doubt it.

He said he liked my LS400. Thanks buddy... JDM for life?

I don't know these motors but I suppose the intake is on the right leading to the turbo on the left? Please correct me. The car was boosting 10 PSI at the time it blew the head gasket. I forgot what the man said but I could've sworn something about probably not topping off a fluid... Damn.

So what's the one thing all of these cars have in common? Of course they're all fast as hell but they're also unique. And all of the cars have had a load of effort put in. You are probably seeing more R32s now because they're old enough to import now. This ain't a budget car though, that's for sure. Maybe you can buy just the engine and play with it.

What is my point? Go out and meet people instead of being bored at home. Continue bettering yourself, your situation, and your car. Last but definitely not least, enjoy life because that is the common thread between these three owners.

Everybody starts at the bottom. Just like my LS400 is the car of my life right now, you may have one too and I encourage you to make it the best vehicle it can be. Listen - my car is probably only worth $2,000 but it's priceless to me and still puts a sh**-eating grin on my face whenever I hit the gas. The reason for this is because I literally brought it back to life and really made it my own.

If you have been thinking of getting a project car, I encourage you to do it and take the time to do all the work yourself. It will pay off big time.

Tutorial: LS400 Front Brake Pads plus BONUS What Not to Do to Maintain Your Car

I had somewhat of a frustrating 40 minutes figuring out how to change out the front brake pads on my 1995 Lexus LS400 (UCF20) so I thought I would save people some time. The first 40 minutes was spent trying to get the caliper to come down until I realized those bolts are impossible to get off for a reason.

All you need to change the pads on this car is literally a screwdriver and maybe pliers. I guess I couldn't believe how easy this job is. I was just looking in the wrong place.

Have a nice look. I want you to try to figure out how to change these pads from the picture. I know I pretty much gave it away.

On each side, there's two pins, a spring loaded cross-shaped piece, and also another spring that goes into the pins when they are in place. On the passenger side, there is also a sensor that is also held by this spring-like piece. I think you can see the wire from the sensor going through it in that picture. Here are the steps.

1. Remove the spring piece from the back of the two metal pins that run through the brake pads (they keep the brake pads in place and run right through a hole in the pads themselves). On the passenger side, be careful to not damage the wire running to one brake pad. You just carefully pull that out but don't pull on the wire. The spring-like piece comes out easily - just pull the center off the caliper and pull it out of the two holes in the metal pins.

2. Carefully pull out the bottom pin first. You can tap on it from the back to get it to come out a little bit and from there you can get it out with a screwdriver and pliers. These metal pins - again, the two long metal pieces running across both brake pads - also hold down a spring-loaded cross-shaped piece. When you pull the bottom pin out, this piece is gonna come flying out so be safe and pull the pin out slowly while keeping your face away from that area. It's just gonna fly out and hit the wheel well before landing on the floor.

3. Take out this cross-shaped piece along with the upper pin. Again I remind you - take some time to learn how everything goes together or refer to the picture above when putting everything back together. You do it in reverse. Now the pads will be free.

4. Next you have to push the pistons in the caliper all the way down so your new pads will fit. Have your hood open and watch the level of your brake fluid. Take the cap off. When you press a caliper piston in, the brake fluid will come up in the reservoir. Siphon some off if you see that it's gonna run over. An easy way is to use rolled up paper towels to soak up the fluid and pull it out (dispose properly please).

You will use the old brake pads to push the caliper pistons in. This car has two pistons for each pad on the front. I didn't have much success with a C-clamp but a flathead screwdriver worked perfect. You have to get it in between the rotor and brake pad and that will give you enough leverage to push both pistons down by pulling back on the screwdriver, using a prying motion to force the pad along with the piston down. It's okay to push off of the rotor with your screwdriver, don't worry. Use good force but know that the calipers move down slowly so if they're moving, maintain force. If your rotors and pads are both new, you need to make sure to push the calipers in all the way because there's little space. Also, just a tip, pry the brake pad in different locations so you're giving both pistons equal force to push them down, if that makes sense.

I'm trying to explain this in detail because I couldn't find a detailed explanation on the net.

5. You want to do one pad at a time so once you push the caliper pistons down on one side, take out the old pad and put the new one in the same way. Like I said, space will be limited - just enough to get it in so you will have to play with it. Once you get it between both calipers and the rotor, you can tap it with your pliers to get it in. Tap the top, then bottom, top, etc.

6. Do the same thing on the other side and get your pad in.

7. Now you need to put the springs and pins back together. If you are working on the passenger side, you also need to stick the sensor in that little hole. Start by putting the top pin all the way in.

Set the cross-shaped piece in place, one side going under the top pin. Press the bottom part of this spring piece to get it flush with the pads as you put in the bottom pin. The bottom pin will hold it in place.

The last thing you need to do is put the other spring back in the holes in the metal pins. The holes have to be lined up right - take note of the general direction when you're taking the spring out. You can pull the pins out a little and turn them with pliers to get it right.

Start from the top by inserting the spring in the hole in the top pin. If you're on the passenger side, put the sensor wire in aswell before you put the other end of the spring into the hole in the bottom pin. Then you simply push down and forward to get the center part locked in place behind the caliper.

8. You have to pump your brakes. Go ahead and inspect your work to make sure everything looks right. Important: Put the cap back on the brake fluid reservoir now. Get in the car and press the brake all the way down, let it go, press it all the way down again, let it go, and do this a few more times. The pedal will likely feel loose at first and stiffen as you pump the brakes. You're good to do the other side now so start from step 1 after you put the wheel back on.

Once you're done with the other side, take your car for a test drive. Again, don't forget to put the cap back on the reservoir before you pump your brakes. If the brakes stiffen up, everything should be fine but you still want to take a short drive to make sure everything is working properly.

I just did the pads on my car and the difference is huge. For some reason, the previous owner had changed the rotor out but not the pads so those were both new when I was done. Turns out the old pads had been rubbing on the rotor (I guess?) because my front tires spin freely now whereas before, it took some force. You can imagine it helped performance. I thought the car was smooth before... Now it's a freakin' cloud.

Onto the bonus! I want to tell you how to NOT maintain your car.

That window works, he just leaves it rain or shine. (Or shite)

Here's a Mustang GT worth probably $600. Would you want to buy it? It drives. But that's about it. I just moved - hence the lack of articles - and I thought this story would end up a lot different. This is my new roommate's car.

Initially I thought I would be able to write some tutorials on a Mustang GT but this guy wants no help. Oh well. I was checking his fluids and the coolant is a dense brown color. The water is completely saturated with rust. His ball joint or something (again, he doesn't want me to look) is messed up so his wheel wiggles left to right and the alignment is WAY off.

It made me realize how rugged Mustangs are. He starts it up by blowing into a device that measures his blood alcohol level and peels out. Meanwhile there's a misfire and who knows what else.

Here's a list of rules to follow if you don't want to TRASH your car.

1. Don't drive intoxicated. This is numero uno (that's Spanish for number one) because you would think it's obvious. Not to some people. This guy has already caught a DUI when someone T-boned him (he says it's their fault... sure buddy) so he has a blower in his car. It's a $3,000 device that makes you take a breathalyzer test before you can start the car. There's only one problem... It doesn't detect Xanax. I will say no more.

2. Don't drive with tires that are showing inch-wide wires. Or give your buddy some gas money at least one time in two weeks. Then he might drive you. Listen people, if you see wire coming out of your tire, it's overdue for a new tire. Don't complain if it pops.

3. Don't drive with a major issue even if it still runs. He couldn't explain to me what the actual problem is but he said he's missing four bolts and his front driver side tire wobbles left to right all day long. To go along with the tip above, if your buddy offers to fix it then maybe you should let him do that. If not then don't complain about driving your car that way.

Do I need to say this again? If you jacked his car up, you can move just one wheel side to side... It wobbles... Would you drive like that?

4. Check your fluids. His coolant is brown with rust and no, you can't see through it. No power steering fluid. Oil hasn't been changed. Dang, I could accept this from a 14 year old and that's it.

5. Maintain the damn thing! 200k miles with no spark plug change?

6. (Bonus) Don't trash it. It's not a trash can and I appreciate you not using my car as such aswell.

This is really sad because the car has potential and I wish I could mess with it but it put a bad taste in my mouth. Not driving it again. However, I definitely recommend this generation of Mustang! I think you can get a GT pretty cheap.

I feel like I wouldn't be doing justice to the car to leave this little bonus like this. Look, the Mustang GT is a great car but I wanted to show what happens when you don't fix things. When you buy things you shouldn't buy instead of fixing what you need. You can always get that other stuff later. Your car isn't just an awesome part of your life if you have the one you want but it's also your lifeline. You need it to get to work and survive so treat it good and it will treat you well.

Cars aren't hard to maintain. It just takes a little bit of time and sometimes things come up that are expensive but I wouldn't cut corners. Having a car that you know will start every time lowers your stress significantly.

Still Cheap: First Gen Toyota MR2

If you have ever wanted the first generation MR2 and want to get it for less than three grand, you need to do it now. This awesome mid-engine roadster is bound to go up in price soon as it has been sitting below three grand for a couple years now, at least in the US.

This is a very desirable sports car that is only going to appreciate in value. Lord knows that I looked for one before I bought my Saab 900 turbo and I probably should have kept looking.

The first gen MR2 isn't really fast in its stock, naturally aspirated version. It produces a whopping 112hp from the 4AGE motor sitting in the back. However it is a very balanced car (owing that to it's mid-engine design) that handles very well. Couple that with the fact that you can swap out the engine for some more powerful ones or get the supercharged one and you have a true enthusiast car. Some V6s even fit in the back and although that will definitely raise your investment, it's something you can always do in the future.

This roadster, the first generation being from 1984 to 1989, is fun to drive and reliable. And it's mid engine! Did I mention that? And it usually comes in red. Has anyone noticed that? Why is that? Did Toyota make 90% of their production vehicles red? I digress.

I should add that when I say this car is reliable, well it is, but it's also old so you will be better off if you have some skills as a mechanic. It's just a problem with old cars. Gaskets and other plastic and rubber components get dry-rot over that 20+ year period so the car might develop vacuum leaks, leaks in general, and sensors will start going out. It will mostly be small things which are cheap to repair if you do it yourself. Look for a car with the timing belt done if it's high mileage unless you don't mind changing it out yourself.

The simple truth is that this car is high on the list of desirable cars on pretty much any car enthusiast's list. It has a huge aftermarket, can be kept reliable or made a rocket, and right now it's cheap. It's mid-engine, something that is rare to see to this day in anything other than exotic cars. These are qualities that make the MR2 a fine automobile and are also starting to have an effect on the price. These cars will probably be selling for ten grand in good condition in less than ten years. I can pretty much guarantee you that.

The supercharged version sells for a little more but you can still find a high mileage example for a good price (under our $3,000 budget). Those come with a respectable 145hp considering the car weighs 2,200lbs. They also have more potential and some cars are making 300hp with some investment. In that package, that's a huge amount of power.

Because this is a car from the 80s, you should probably not buy this car if you don't know how to work on cars or are willing to learn like I mentioned before. You can take it to a mechanic every time something comes up but that's going to kill your money. If you are a GOOD mechanic, you can turn this car into a rocket.

That V6 I mentioned comes from the Toyota Camry if I'm not mistaken and makes something like 190hp stock. I'm going off of memory here so I might be wrong. There's one thing this car offers that is hard to come around - the relative ease of swapping different engines into it. Couple that with the mid-engine design and you have something with tons of potential.

I hope it is obvious by now why this car is already going up in price. If you have ever wanted to and are in the market for a sports car, you should definitely consider the first-gen Toyota MR2. It's not only a great car but right now it is an investment opportunity. Of course, you're not going to become rich from it but you should make a healthy six grand profit if you kept it for ten years. I pulled those figures out of my a** but to be honest, I really think this car will hit that price in that time period.

What's interesting is that you can almost get a second-gen MR2 with that money. Some are going for 3-4k. Will the first gen actually become more valuable? That would be interesting to see.

Dear readers, thank you for supporting Driving for Broke by reading the articles. We appreciate you very much, make no money from this, but we encourage you to bookmark this website and come back. We simply want to inspire and teach people what they are actually capable of when they put their minds to something positive like cars. Take it easy, this is Rokas signing off for now.

PS. I should be fixing my hood today and I think I found a way to change the hood hinge without removing the fender. How much time does that save?! I also have to rig a new latch until I fix the radiator support which I have already come up with and I will also be installing hood pins. In other news about my car, I am in the process of re-doing the floor in the back and I am extremely excited to show it to you guys along with a tutorial for both of these things I mentioned.

Temporary "hood latch." (One of two ideas for the latch I have to rig, not counting the hood pins which will be the main thing holding the hood down.)

Tutorial: ACV Delete to Stop Power Steering Leak

This is a very common problem on LS400s that can be confusing if you don't know what it is. You see, on startup in the morning your car will produce blue smoke possibly leading you to think that your engine is burning oil. It can also produce a rough idle and will even kill your alternator given enough time. If not fixed, the Air Control Valve that is a part of the power steering system will slowly leak fluid onto your alternator, eventually killing it.

Fortunately, it is pretty easy to fix although how the system works was definitely confusing to me when I first started working on cars (and this car). What the ACV actually is, is a hollow bolt-like piece with a plastic attachment containing two nozzles. It has a valve inside. It inevitably starts leaking eventually because of the high pressure. Two hoses connect to these nozzles. One goes from the intake to the ACV and the other goes from the ACV to a small intake port in the front of the engine at the top. I believe what this system does is raise your idle by about 200rpm if you turn the wheel idling. Honestly it's useless.

The SC400 and, I believe, a few Toyota trucks have the same power steering pump without an ACV. Instead, it's just plugged which is exactly what you need to do to permanently stop this problem. Everyone who I have talked to that replaced the ACV only had to plug it later when it failed again.

Above is a picture of the ACV next to an M14-1.50 drain bolt which is exactly what you can use to plug the hole the ACV goes into. Below is a picture of where it is on your vehicle taken from below. It is under the PS pump and above the alternator.

To add to your confusion, this picture is tilted to the right (I think). I have no idea how that happened and I do apologize but I guarantee you that you can find it. Look for the two hoses. You're going to take these off first leaving the ACV simply bolted into the block as in the picture above.

It comes off with a 17mm box wrench. The reason you need a wrench is because you have very little room to work with but just take it slow and you will be fine. Two things to keep in mind here. First, watch out for the metal refrigerant (?) lines in the area. You don't want to break one while turning the wrench.

Second, push the wrench on the bolt part of the ACV as far as you can before you untighten it. The reason I mention this is because I accidently stripped two edges by not doing so and if I wasn't able to find another angle for the wrench, I would have been SOL. You're going to need a lot of force to loosen it but you can do it with your hands. Find a good position (you have the car jacked up obviously) for leverage but I don't recommend pushing off of anything except maybe the sway bar.

When you take the ACV out, power steering fluid is gonna come leaking out so be ready. Cover the alternator with a plastic bag because it WILL get leaked on a little bit. I should have mentioned that you should have the cap off your pump.

Go ahead and take the ACV out. Remember, lefty loosie righty tighty. Now you have a couple options. Most people plug the ACV itself by breaking off the plastic parts, taking out the valve, and tapping a bolt into it. If you do this, leave a few millimeters of room in the hollow part on the side that is going back into the block. If possible, it's best to weld this but I'm 99% sure it will be fine if you put the bolt in along with something like JB Weld to completely liquid proof it. Most people take this route because the original part obviously fits. If you do this, I recommend getting an extra ACV from the junkyard as a precaution. I was lucky in that when I went to the yard, the car they had there had an already-plugged ACV. I was good to go. Here is what it looked like.

In this case, someone screwed a bolt into it - tapping it - and cut the head off. They left a little bit of room in the hole on the side going into the block. You can cut the round part off if you want it to look better but it serves no real purpose.

There is, however, an easier option. To be honest, I didn't need to go to the junkyard at all and it probably would've looked nicer BUT the original part is the original part. Anyway, the easier option is an M14x1.5 drain bolt like I mentioned before. I compared the two threads (you can see for yourself) and they are identical. The drain bolt is also short (whatever you use, don't tighten it so much that it goes in too deep - when it starts getting tight, tighten it and leave it) and comes with a rubber gasket.

Now you also have to plug the two intake holes that the hoses originally went to. You don't need the hoses anymore but it's always good to save parts unless they're bad.

The above picture shows the 'coming from' nozzle. Again I apologize because in this picture there is a hose on top of it, but what I did to plug it is simply use a hose that I cut and stuck a bolt into. The bolt screwed in so it worked perfect and I used the original clamp. If you can't see it, look below the 'L', there is a clamp holding an L-shaped piece of hose that is plugged with a bolt.

You can use whatever works.

Case in point - the 'going to' nozzle which has long ago been broken on my fine vehicle. Ignore the tape too - it's temporary for a couple-millimeter sized crack in the rubber. I plugged this hole in the intake with some sort of grooved plastic thing that had a smaller hole into which I stuck some metal thing. Like I said, plug these holes however you can because you don't need them anymore. Some like to screw a bolt into this part. It's plastic so it shouldn't break.

I recommend once you're done that you disconnect the negative battery terminal for ten seconds and put it back on before you start the car up. You want to reset your ECU so it reads the new way the air flows.

In my case, the change was huge. I noticed I had lost some power which came back after I did this procedure. In my case, the 'going to' hose wasn't connected to anything, creating a vacuum leak.

Another thing it did was mess up the idle and throw up a 0170 code. My check engine light went away after I plugged my ACV. My car also doesn't create a huge puff of smoke every time I start it in the morning meaning it's not sucking ATF into the engine. I don't think that will damage your engine but I prefer to keep that out of the engine. The leak stopped aswell and considering I was filling up the reservoir every TWO DAYS, I'm glad for it. And so is my new alternator. In short, delete your damn ACV system! Thanks for reading.

Tutorial: Applying Vinyl Wraps to Interior and Exterior Panels

We have this great thing called 'wraps' that let anybody with some patience go far towards customizing their interior. It just so happens that I'm doing that right now so you guys (and gals... Maybe) can see my screw up - I mean this awesome center console.

All jokes aside, the woodgrain was fading from the Florida sun so I figured I would re-doing it in black. I considered a woodgrain wrap but I'm glad I went with the former.

When I got this car - and if you remember, I'm surprised - the interior was torn up. The phrase I used was it looked like a dog had owned it and drove it around with all his bitches.

Driver's seat? Ripped to shreds. Passenger seat - almost as bad. And the back seat? Also almost as bad. It seriously made me wonder if a family of werewolves owned this car. How do you manage to rip up every seat, badly, and then do the center console too? It looked like sh*t! Luckily I was able to redo it cheap.

I painted the floormatts using vinyl paint, reupholstered the center console in a soft black cloth, put black seat covers on, and it totally changed the look and feel of the interior. Before? Grandpa's car (who owned dogs). After? It looks damn respectable. And I just did the wood part of the center console and made that black too. Paint it black... (Someone gets the reference.)

I was originally going to do the ashtray too but then I realized it actually looks nice like that and matches the woodgrain around my power window buttons.

What you need to do for a big area like this is roughly mark the areas you're gonna cut on your wrap. I set it down on the area it was gonna go and used a marker to draw where I have to cut. For example, I had to cut a square around the shifter. Leave yourself a little extra wrap. You can always cut some off.

When you apply the wrap in it's rough form, it should go beyond every edge. Using the area around my shifter as an example, I had to put the wrap down as straight as possible, press down all around the shifter so it's in place, and then I simply used a razorblade to cut around the edges. Take your time! Go slow and follow the lines of whatever panel you're working on. If the wrap is gonna fold over like on a rounded edge, leave enough for that exact reason.

If you look closely, you can tell I made a couple mistakes. Not to take anything away from me messing up but the wrap I got was kinda crappy. It didn't stretch or respond to heat so in order to fix the wrinkles, in one case I had to make a small cut. The area I did in one sheet is also pretty big meaning it was hard to get what is essentially a huge sticker to stick flat. You may be able to see where I patched the wrap on the left side.

Guys, get a good wrap from a shop. I got this at one of the auto supply stores and it's okay but could be easier to work with. It doesn't stretch so anything rounded is hard to get right. Around the ashtray, it was popping up in the corners so I had to get a 3M adhesive. This stuff is a little messy (use it when it's not hot or it dries too fast causing you to rush) but perfect for holding down wraps and even emblems. It also scrapes off if you ever take it off.

I forgot to mention that you should clean the area you're gonna be wrapping so it sticks well. Take your time putting the wrap down. It is very important that it doesn't get wrinkles or bubbles so work slowly from one side to the other. If you DO end up with a couple wrinkles, you can usually get them out by peeling the wrap back a little bit and re-doing it or cutting and overlapping it if there is simply too much wrap in one specific area.

I don't think it would happen with a quality wrap but like I mentioned earlier, the rounded edges tend to come off. In the top photo you can see that quite a bit won't stick and in the bottom photo I am pointing to the problem area with my screwdriver.

This is how you fix this. You have to be somewhat quick because the adhesive dries quick but also careful because you can make a mess. Just use something like that small screwdriver to pick up a little glue that you have poured out onto something and, if possible, lift the wrap up slightly and get a decent amount of glue on that edge. Then you're gonna want to quickly press it down with your finger or maybe another tool for maybe thirty seconds. If you touched the glue, use a 'wiping' motion going away from the wrap to get your finger off of it without pulling it back off.

It's the same thing with the exterior panels although since they're a little easier to work with usually, I would recommend actually putting some 3M right on the edge of the wrap where it's gonna come up at the same time as you're putting it on. These wraps are weather resistant but a little extra adhesive can't hurt.

It makes a huge difference. I never realized how much this peeling paint was detracting from the car. This is before:

And this is after:

That's it for now. Comment if you have any questions. I hope this inspired you to work on your own car.

Mine has come very far in the year or so that I've had it. I live paycheck to paycheck but I've been able to not only fix a few things that went wrong such as power steering pump and alternator but I've redone a good amount of the interior and I can say this is MY car with MY taste. The thing that bothers the hell out of me, however, is that the hood sits wrong because of that damn hood hinge. It's about time I change it out. Thanks for reading!

Tutorial: Replacing Lexus LS400 Alternator

The Chariot or Lexy is back on the road five days later and driving really well. I was able to replace the failed alternator without any real problems. The lack of power coming from the old alternator, somehow, was causing or at least contributing to a rough idle and I just made a 40 mile trip with no problems on the new one, thank God.

Replacing the alternator is pretty easy in this car. As an amateur, if I wasn't taking breaks, it took about three hours but I ran into a problem with the original electrical connector.

These are the tools you will need:
14mm socket with extensions (2in. or so)
C-clamp to hold belt (optional)
New alternator

Unplug your battery when you do this job.

This is the old one. You can see I tried cleaning it to bring some life back but it just died the next day. In the above picture, you can see the bottom bolt. The top one is actually a nut but they're both 14mm. That's what holds the alternator in place.

You're gonna have to take the serpentine belt off first. Don't worry, it is very easy on this car. Find the tensioner, slip an extended 14mm socket on there, then turn it to the left all the way to loosen the belt and take the belt off the alternator with your other hand. It will stay put nicely.

Don't forget! It makes it easier if you use a C-clamp to hold the belt in place so it doesn't slide off while you're working on the car. Don't forget to take it off later. If you're new to this, I suggest writing down a step by step for yourself.

Once the belt is off, you are free to take off the top 14mm nut and lower 14mm bolt. There's also two connectors at the back of the alternator towards the top. One of them comes off by taking off a nut that I believe is 14mm aswell but it might be 12mm (sorry). The other wires use a connector. You press the clip on the top of it down and wiggle it out. It might be hard to get out.

In my case, the connector was stuck. I had to actually break it apart CAREFULLY with a screwdriver so I could get to the three wires. I don't know if it matters but keep the wires in order (it probably matters...). Luckily they hold on pretty well without a connector but it's a pain plugging them in. Take your time and go by feel, not sight, because you can't see much. I would take the bolts off first, lay the alternator down on the metal brackets in the engine compartment (not the AC lines!), and take them off that way.

When you put the new alternator in, I recommend you stick it back in place with the bolt and nut before you plug your three wires in, unless of course yours came out with the connector in tact. If you don't, they tend to pop out as you manuever the alternator in place.

The first picture below shows the alternator (the one on the right) with the three metal prongs for your wires.  The picture below that shows how I plugged them in individually. Because the wires don't move, they stay put.

When the alternator is in place and connected, you need to put the belt back on. Easy. Again use one hand to loosen the tensioner and slip the belt on the alternator. It should already be on the other pulleys. Put the battery back and you're good to go!

Update on my LS400 - Coming up on a year

For those of you who are new to the blog, I bought my 1995 Lexus LS400 for $300 after an acquaintance crashed it head-on at a slow speed. I had it running well within about a month.

The hood was bent into a V shape, one of the headlights was kaput (that's dead in Russian), the radiator support was bent, the radiator had big holes in it, it needed a new power steering pump, rear brakes, and a change of all of the fluids.

At this point it was running nice. I replaced the coolant temperature sensor and sender (a separate unit for the gauge in your dash only). I got a new hood on it although I still need to change out the passenger side hood hinge which I will post a tutorial on.

I fell in love with this car when I first floored it but I've fallen even more in love with it as time progressed. This is hands down the best car I've ever owned. The way it drives, the way it looks... Everything about it. I just love it. I am keeping this car possibly forever.

The car didn't give me any problems for probably six months. During this whole time, although I had the PS pump replaced (I did all the other work myself), there is a separate part of the power steering system - the ACV (air control valve - an unnecessary system) - that has been slowly leaking power steering fluid which is fine for the time being except...

It is killing my alternator. Actually, it killed it yesterday. I had a piece of hose connected to the ACV to move the drip out of the way of the alternator. This worked for a long time until a few days ago the battery warning light started coming on and after some inspection, the hose had somehow moved to where it was probably dripping power steering fluid onto the alternator. Great. I had it tested and it was putting out 11.6v which was enough to keep the car going but it died completely on the road yesterday morning.

I got probably 50 miles out of it after the battery light came on. The car ran fine as long as I didn't have my lights on or anything. Just know that if you get this light, if you keep driving, you WILL die somewhere on the side of the road. My logic was that if the output isn't going down, I figured it would run for a little while. It didn't work out that way because it didn't lose output slowly. Instead it just died all of a sudden.

Because it's the power steering fluid that got onto the alternator that is damaging it, I thought I might have some success cleaning it. I've heard of a couple people taking it off the car and pressure washing it, letting it dry, and putting it back with good results.

Following this logic, I decided to use brake cleaner to get some oil off the alternator because I was washing it on the car. I used brake cleaner (important!) because it evaporates and leaves no residue. Otherwise you have to use an ELECTRICAL CLEANER. I almost made the mistake of using diluted degreaser.

Initially, I was cautious cleaning it. I didn't drench the alternator in brake cleaner because I was afraid of killing it. It didn't kill it so I washed it a couple more times, thoroughly, but it just died a couple days later so don't bother.

When I first cleaned it, I thought it may have helped because the battery was staying charged longer. I could tell because when it would go under a certain voltage, it would mess with some sensors and develop a rough idle. However I realize now it had nothing to do with me cleaning it. It was actually the outside temperature. If it's cold, the alternator puts out less power. Warm, more.

Let's go back to my main reasons for buying this car in the first place. Besides the fact that I needed a car, there is two reasons I bought this car.

1. It is one of my all time favorite cars and is already a classic to those who can see. It WILL be a classic in the truest sense of the word - mark my words.

2. It was a mechanic special and I wanted to learn how to work on cars top to bottom. When I got this car initially, I understood very little about fixing cars. In the time that I have owned it, I have learned SO much. My knowledge and especially competence has doubled.

Bonus! 3. I wanted to restore this car. This is a million miles car, no doubt about it. In the state I bought it, thankfully all the major things are up to date such as the timing belt and transmission. However, small things continually fail.

These are things I can usually fix for $20. For example, getting a small crack in one rubber piece of the intake. There's a lot of dry rotted going on. In the time I've owned this car, I've replaced a lot. I am knocking out one thing after the other. As long as I can afford it, I almost don't mind because my goal is to have this car running like new within a year.

So what's the next step for The Chariot?

Fixing everything wrong with it in one go.

It is in a location that I can work on it and I will have the alternator in a couple days and I have all the other parts. I figure now is a good a time as any to fix all the body work, like the way the hood sits, along with everything mechanical.

I am plugging the ACV part of the power steering system when I get the alternator out. That will actually give me more room to loosen the ACV. It's hard to get a wrench in there. That will cover the slow PS fluid leak.

Next comes the alternator. I will be very happy to know I have a good alternator with no danger of getting damaged again.

And last but not least, not only am I replacing the hood hinge so that the hood can actually close, I am going to replace the whole radiator support if I feel I have enough time/resources.

At that point, dear readers, my car should be running with no check engine light or anything. Finally the time is here! Once I am done with that, it's on to a car back exhaust and I will be SO damn happy. Thanks for tuning in. Anyone wanna send me money?

That's a joke. Happy New Year's!