Shop project...

[Pullstart 62,829]

Looks like I have another quick project.  My wife was offered this today for $100.  The shifter cable popped off the linkage on the transmission.  I sip tied the cable towards the front driveshaft, holding it onto the shifter linkage today and drove it home in about 6 minutes from point of sale.

 

2002 Olds Bravada, Vortec 4200 in-line 6, all wheel drive.

[Pullstart 62,829]

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

Three corners of this ride had metal on metal on the brakes and the rear calipers were hung up.  I scoured the local U-Pick this week and managed to find good front pads and rotors, rear calipers, pads and rotors, and some wheels and tires from a Trailblazer that had better tread.  I ordered a new shift cable bushing for $10 straight outta the jungle and so far have a total of $496 into this truck.  The old tires are still in great shape so I’ll see if I can sell them for a few hundred.  It would be sweet to have a running, driving vehicle for less than $200!

 

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

Lots of little projects going on in the shop!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

And for a money maker, a TDI VW tying up my hoist while we find a flywheel.,,

 

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

On 2/22/2024 at 9:06 AM, Pullstart said:

Three corners of this ride had metal on metal on the brakes and the rear calipers were hung up.  I scoured the local U-Pick this week and managed to find good front pads and rotors, rear calipers, pads and rotors, and some wheels and tires from a Trailblazer that had better tread.  I ordered a new shift cable bushing for $10 straight outta the jungle and so far have a total of $496 into this truck.  The old tires are still in great shape so I’ll see if I can sell them for a few hundred.  It would be sweet to have a running, driving vehicle for less than $200!

 

The tires and wheels cleaned up pretty nice.  They are listed for $350 on Craigslist.  Tax season is among us, and they are much cheaper than new!  I hope to get that much, but would accept a lesser cash offer 
 

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

I pulled a VW in the shop for a clutch the other day.  I learned all about dual mass flywheels, and the havoc they wreak.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

They thought the vibration this thing put off was due to being a diesel.  It runs so smooth now!

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

As mentioned in the thread about this issue alone, I did replace this caliper but it was a fun project to do.  The parts alone were more than a reman caliper with bracket using my FIL’s work account discount at O’Reilly.  He set it up mainly for us to get the discount!  

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

Another cheap remedy here, cleaning and reinstalling the VCT / VVT solenoid.  It just gets dirty with nasty oil over time and gets gunked up.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

Well, I’d like to see statistics on a teenager’s first year driving record, and how many parents are in this boat.  It’s been some time now, but I haven’t made public mention of this.  

 

First things first.  She’s ok.  After an EMS ride to the children’s hospital, she was released with 2 bandaids, some trimmed up hair off her head, and a very bruised ego.  
 

Second off, it’s easy to read between the lines, between her hot rodding father and her circle track racing mother, that she might spin her wheels once in a while.  It’s hard to come down hard on her, when we’ve both been there.

 

Third, the Bravada is toast.  I’d have to look back at the exact date, but Jada lost control about a month and a half ago, and sent the car into a 1-1/2 turn barrel roll, tossing her about, her phone out, and her sandals gone as well.  She had two cousins in the car and they escaped without any cuts, impacts or marks.  All in all, we are very lucky folks here.

 

 

[Pullstart 62,829]

After wrecker bills, transferring plates and insurance from the Bravada to my plow truck for a while, we found this pretty nice 2000 Silverado with 147,000 miles.  She paid for everything, including the replacement vehicle.  Yesterday, I tossed a battery in the Bravada and it fired right up.  It’s not worth much in scrap.  We had $425 into it, after all maintenance and repairs, not including registration and insurance.  It owes us nothing.  I’m torn, between tossing it on a trailer and hauling it to scrap, and trying to salvage the drivetrain for a future endeavor.  Between the four of us, we counted 21 automobiles, a school bus, and three motorcycles.  We could probably stand to “thin the herd” and just cut our losses.  

[953 nut 55,155]

2 hours ago, Pullstart said:

“thin the herd” and just cut our losses.  

Glad no one was hurt too badly.       

No need of keeping bad memories around, let Jada move on with her life and that is one less extra project you don't need hanging around.

[wallfish 16,994]

Yeah, glad everyone is OK. A bruised ego can be a good learning opportunity

[Handy Don 12,201]

Keep a few pictures of the before and after in your archive. Then keep only parts you have an immediate use for and let the rest go.

 

The stats on teen drivers alone are bad. The stats on teen drivers with one or more teen passengers are horrendous.

I’m sure you’ve already had the discussion that when you drive you are responsible not only for your own life, but for the very lives of your passengers and everyone else on the road.

[rjg854 11,356]

Glad to hear no one was seriously hurt. Tough way to learn a lesson, tho. 

[Pullstart 62,829]

4 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Keep a few pictures of the before and after in your archive. Then keep only parts you have an immediate use for and let the rest go.

I made the executive decision today, and hauled it to the scrap yard.  
 

9 hours ago, Pullstart said:

We had $425 into it, after all maintenance and repairs, not including registration and insurance.  It owes us nothing.

I ended up making $425.62  …. Well, I made $.062 

[wallfish 16,994]

11 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

I made the executive decision today, and hauled it to the scrap yard.  
 

I ended up making $425.62  …. Well, I made $.062 

I'm looking for some investment advise, please PM me. LOL

[Pullstart 62,829]

11 minutes ago, wallfish said:

I'm looking for some investment advise, please PM me. LOL

“I hit the jackpot and won 5 grand!”

 

”How much did you spend to win 5 grand?”

 

”Oh, well, you know, you win some you lose some…”

 

”How much of that 5 grand did you take home?”

 

”62 cents.  

[8ntruck 6,998]

Glad everybody was all right.  Got to ask - were seat belts in use?

 

One of our youngest son's friends got his licence shortly before he did. 

 

On the first day his friend got his licence, dropped the two right hand wheels off of the road, then overcorrected with the steering wheel.  The right rear wheel caught the edge of the road and he (and his mom) did a snap roll, ending up in the cornfield on the left side of the road.  Luck was with them - like your daughter's accident, no serious injuries.

 

This made a big impression on our son.  Recognizing a teachable moment, we drove out to the accident site, I explained how/why they rolled, then demonstrated how to recover from that situation.

 

I also expressed my opinion that one gains knowledge from one's own mistakes, and one gains wisdom from other's mistakes.

 

The next car his friend killed that year was by not keeping enough oil in it.  Again, a teachable moment.  After this, my son checked his oil.

[953 nut 55,155]

7 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

one gains knowledge from one's own mistakes,

Gosh,        that must make me the most knowledgeable person on earth!                     

[Pullstart 62,829]

8 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

Gosh,        that must make me the most knowledgeable person on earth!                     

Checking in on the bumps and bruises, I might bump you out of the poll position by the time I’m 40 

 

7 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Glad everybody was all right.  Got to ask - were seat belts in use?

Yes, they were.  It was a dirt road, less than a mile from home.  She deliberately turned out of her path of least resistance to take the dirt road.  Once again, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  In my youth, I always preferred the dirt roads.  My Dodge Shadow really smoothed out on the chatter bumps at about 90 mph.    The Bravada was part time all wheel drive.  Rear wheel drive, until the front axle is needed.  She was fish tailing (or trying to) on purpose, and my belief is that when she was sideways in the road, the front axle engaged, launching her into the field.  In an effort to regain the road grip, she over corrected, sending the barrel roll into full effect.  If she would have run into the hay field head on, she would have had some explaining to do to the farmer and maybe needed an alignment.  Not only did the crash happen, she (is not my athletic one) ran about 1/4 mile to the nearest paved road for help, once she made sure her cousins were out of the vehicle and in a safe place.  A stranger picked her up and called 911, then she was able to call us.

 

Other than screwing up, she did everything perfect.  She was the most injured, but survival mode kicked in and she found safety for her passengers and assessed their situation.  Then, she went for help.  She admitted guilt to the police and the EMS crew.  The deputy did NOT right a ticket, and told me he could not prove excessive speed or wreck less driving, and hoped she would use the incident as a learning experience.  She was just days out of her 90 day probation period.  If it were to have happened days earlier, or if the officer decided to drop the hammer, her financial and mobility situation would have been severely different.  

[adsm08 2,046]

On 8/12/2024 at 11:56 AM, Pullstart said:

  All in all, we are very lucky folks here.

 

 

 

 

Very lucky.

 

I've seen a lot less go a lot worse.

 

 

My first full day with my license I found myself going the wrong way down a highway off ramp.

[Pullstart 62,829]

It’s been a while since I tossed anything in this thread.  My Marine brother in law bought this truck a while back on a return trip home.  He’s coming home in a few weeks before his second deployment and asked if I’d take a look at it for him.  
 

 

Wow.  There are a few other items that need attention, but I told him I won’t fix anything until tires are taken care of.