The Semi-Unofficial Pistol-Forum Car geek, gearhead, hot rodder, and vehicle thread

[0ddl0t]

Boy I'd like to shake the hand of the engineer who designed a driveshaft requiring a U-joint to be disassembled to replace the carrier bearing. On the plus side, this old tundra work truck accelerates & compression brakes super smoothly now...

Next project: wiring in a brake controller & 7-pin trailer plug.

So I finally got tired of the UPS truck sound from my rusty exhaust, but while I was replacing it I noticed a small tear on my carrier bearing. It is a 2000 tundra work truck and I am looking to order a replacement from Rock Auto. Does anyone know who is the OEM? I'm used to seeing names like Aisin, but it wasn't one of the options. Rock Auto does have offerings from Dana, Timken, SKF, beck arnley, etc

Timken is apparently the original manufacturer, but Dana makes one version in Japan that comes highly recommended and costs a bit less ($55). The standard $20 ones from parts stores have terrible reputations. The u-joint, incidentally, was Dana Spicer.

[hufnagel]

I will have an update on the Jeep in a couple of days.

[DDTSGM]

I have a 1991 Ford Mustang GT Convertible that I need some advice on waxing after a long hiatus.

Let me give you some detail. The car has 41,000 miles on it, I've owned it for about 15 years. The car has been garaged all that time, in fact the guy I bought it from sold it because he didn't want to park it outside when he moved. Paint is/was in good condition.

Shortly after I bought the vehicle my focus shifted to racing with my daughters and grand kids, as well as resuming motorcycling. I kept the car in the garage under a car cover, but got tired of the cats on the car cover, so ultimately put it in a storage unit. For the next several years every month when I paid the storage fee, I went over and started the car. About once a quarter I would drive the car about 60 miles round trip on highway 61 to exercise the components. Since I got my pole barn built last year, the car has resided there. It has been washed less than a dozen times during that 15 year period.

This weekend I decided it was time to wash and wax. I took the car to a car wash and spent most of a roll of quarters washing it. The I took it home and washed it again with Mother's California Gold and then took it to the shop to wax it with Mother's Brazilian Carnuba Cleaning Wax. My plan was to do the hood today, front fenders tomorrow, and so on.

It was 90 in the shop, but I had a good breeze going through with the fans and doors open. The car set for several hours while I worked on other projects, so pretty sure the surface temp wasn't over 90. I hand applied and hand buffed, dividing the hood into three sections.

While I was waiting for the third section to glaze so I could buff, I got the idea to mount this 6,000 lumen light thingie I bought on a hand cart in order to be able to aim it and move it around the car. Way cool. Unforunately, when I hit the hood with the light, all the swirls and smears jumped out. The hood was way way shiny compared to the fenders and other unwaxed portions, but...

Here's the deal, I like to keep my vehicles clean, but am not into clay bars, hand waxing overall. Every four wheel vehicle I own has unlimited wash tags for a local drive through car wash. They get the deluxe wash several times a month, my Ram goes through about every other day. Because the Mustang is a convertible needing a new top (thanks to some assholes in Wichita who cut it while it was parked outside a VFW) it doesn't go through the drive through, I'll do it at local quarter car wash and use their 'hot wax'.

So the goal is to get the paint in good enough shape that it will look good under that regime.

Suggestions on what to do going forward?

ETA: I do hand wash and hand wax my Harleys, but don't have the time and inclination to do so for all my other vehicles.

Thanks.

[RevolverRob]

Dan, I think this is a case where you might want to hire a professional mobile detailer to come out and give the paint a good buff and going over with a clay bar and an application of sealant with an orbital buffer. Once that is done, it'll be a lot easier to maintain.

For waxing, I honestly have used spray waxes for years like these from Griots: https://www.griotsgarage.com/product...rPicks&from=fn

With those you typically don't need a serious heavy wash on the vehicle, but once a year or so. In fact I used to do all of my "car washes" with a 2-gallon garden sprayer filled with distilled water. Spray each panel and wipe with a clean microfiber cloth. Then go back over each panel with spray wax and clean microfiber. Typically would take me <45 minutes to do a Mazdaspeed3. I did it about once a month on a daily driven car that was parked outside. For an inside parked car with low miles, this could be a once every 3-months. And even then you're probably mostly just washing dust off the car.

[Doc_Glock]

Dan, I think this is a case where you might want to hire a professional mobile detailer to come out and give the paint a good buff and going over with a clay bar and an application of sealant with an orbital buffer. Once that is done, it'll be a lot easier to maintain.

This. I spent $500 for a full paint restoration and ceramic coat by a mobile pro on the Z3 about three years ago and it is still stupid easy to just wash it.

I was mad about how much it cost initially, but at this point feel it was well worth the money.

Post Pic Dan. I drove an 88 GT for 13 years.

[RJ]

Dan, I think this is a case where you might want to hire a professional mobile detailer to come out and give the paint a good buff and going over with a clay bar and an application of sealant with an orbital buffer.

This.

+2

I'm currently attempting to train myself using a buffer (Griot's Garage G9 orbital), some pads (Lake Country CCS Black) and an AIO product (HD Speed). The results are not bad, but I do have the time to do the car, and I enjoy it.

But there's a time when you have to call in the pro's; might be at that point with the GT because "swirl marks" are highly subjective and there's a bit of touch that the pro's will have to be able to judge how much/what type of pad to use.

Good luck, please post pics Dan!

[DDTSGM]

Thank you Rob, Doc, RJ for reading and responding.

Going to take your advice, there is a detail shop two blocks from my barn, I'll stop buy and make an appointment.

Doc - the slide is at Cajun Gun Works, they said 'expedited' on the work order, so hopefully back soon. It's hell to grow old!

[awp_101]

I would amend it to “impossible if stock” but you get the drift…

[peterb]

I would amend it to “impossible if stock” but you get the drift…

That’s the windshield washer tank venting under pressure from the spare tire. ;-)

[awp_101]

That’s the windshield washer tank venting under pressure from the spare tire. ;-)

HA! I never got far enough with my project Super Beetle to fool with (or even need) the washer fluid.