Confidence is building, last 10 rides seemed 'ok' Options

[Hawktel]

We need a Self abuse Smilie for Miles.

Miles I think you should do the setup we talked about. It would be really cool. If you can get that ZF axle....

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

[redshift]

Can't today, but I can next month???

Guitars for sale! Guitars for sale!


M

[soloracer]

If it makes you feel any better here are my current money pit stories:

Bought a 1987 RX7 Turbo. Had shop rebuild engine for approx $5000 with some upgrades. Engine did not make break in period. Had it rebuilt again under warranty. Still did not make break in period. Rebuilt a third time under warranty. Also had engine management system installed. Car given back to me running but very poorly. Spent a year trying to get car to run - had it at the track a few times but not reliably. Over $20K invested and currently has been sitting in my garage on blocks for last 2 years. Have been going over the work that was paid for and found a million things that were either were not done or not done properly. Have put on less than 10,000 miles in last 4 years. Have friends who did the work themselves at the same time as me and have a) less money into the car and (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) been on the road running fine for the last 2 years. Lesson learned.....do it yourself if you want it done right.

Bought 1989 944 Turbo because I was tired of the RX7 problems. Let friend borrow car to drive cousin to bus station. He spins in the rain, jumps a curb and hits a fence. Get car completely repainted on my dollar as did not have collision coverage and friend has no money to pay. Sits at body shop for 1/2 year. Next year had a few issues that I fixed but when the clutch went after the first year decided to "do things right" and have engine rebuilt at the same time as putting in a new clutch. In January booked my tickets/rooms/events for Porsche Parade coming in August. Car sits at rebuilders from February until early August during which time it was broken into and $9000 in parts were stolen (and later recovered). Car gets running day before leaving for Parade. Head off to Parade in Porsche making sure to be carefull to break in the engine. On the afternoon of the second day timing belt breaks. Have to get car hauled back to mechanic. Over the next year car has a clutch failure that is blamed on the torque tube and not covered by warranty, 3 oil pressure spikes blamed on oil pressure relief valve and sleeve in block. Get car fixed and ready for the road. Make little road trip and car runs OK. Take to work the next week and the car breaks the timing belt again pulling out of the parkade. Original shop says probably my fault but says will look at it. I suggest having a second mechanic there verify findings. I end up taking to dealership and invite original mechanic to come watch. Original mechanic refuses to come to dealership. Find out it was a workmanship problem that caused failure. Now have bent valve on cylinder #2. Original mechanic refuses to warranty so must get fixed and then take legal action. Car currently in garage not running. Have put on approx 15000 miles in last 3 years. Estimate having over $30k invested in car. Friend who was rebuilding his own 944 Turbo engine the same time as mine was getting done has had very few problems and got the entire job done for around $4000. Lesson learned......do it yourself if you want it done right.

Bought 914 widebody off e-bay. Accumlating parts and considering engine choices. Considering different shops to get car built. Friends remind me that money lost so far in car projects would have bought me a used Viper. Decide to rebuild 914 myself to get it done right. Lesson learned.

They say misery loves company. Feeling better now?

[redshift]

Hey, you sound almost just like me.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stfu.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I had a run-in with a 944 timing belt, on a car I bought from a distressed friend for a semi-undistressed price. I was in distress, I gave the car away.

I just drove around town fairly happy... stopped at lights without stalling, third day in a row.. still can't cross the line around Bagd... I mean Savannah, I hate walking.


M

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

If it makes you feel any better here are my current money pit stories:

Bought a 1987 RX7 Turbo....Bought 1989 944 Turbo because I was tired of the RX7 problems....

Jeeze, that just makes me want to shoot myself...sad stories! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

But (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) you gotta do as much as you can yourself!!! Just know when to push pride aside and stop when you're in over your head and let a pro or more experienced friend do it. Don't underestimate yourself, with a good shop manual there are a BUTT-LOAD of things you can do yourself or end up teaching yourself while you do it.

Being low of income for most of my life, I learned to do everything I could myself...being a highly independent person helps, too (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) My baby (the VW Squareback) is a good example of me doing as much as I can myself. My previous 914 and now my current one are also testiments to my do-it-yourself attitude. Yours will be as well (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_flagge24.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dance.gif)

[soloracer]

I find that I had to take a break from the cars for a bit because they were starting to wear on me. I kept thinking about the fact that I own 5 cars and for long trips I would end up renting a car because I did not have one in my fleet that I considered reliable enough to take. (RX7 - dead, 951 - dead, 914 - dead, Honda Prelude - on life support, 1953 Kaiser - runs but only about 2/3 done the restoration) So I made up my mind to fix a few, sell a few and buy something I could drive year round. I sold the Honda, started selling some of the aftermarket pieces off the RX7 and bought myself a 1999 Chev 4x4 truck. It's been a few months and the truck is running good and I'm even starting to reconsider my decision to put the RX7 back to stock and sell it. One of the guys in the RX7 club has a car identical to mine that is a rocket and the more I see it the more I think that my car could be just like his. After all, the 914 won't be done next year and I would still like to make it to the race track a few times.

Here is a pic of the RX7:

(IMG:http://www.members.shaw.ca/erikdumas/rx7frt.jpg)

Some of my RX7 buddies are even trying to convice me to put a 350 rwhp rotary engine in the 914. One of them has a 13B RE twin turbo engine that him & I could rebuild with a street port, converted to run the turbo's parallel instead of sequential and then I could utilize a lot of the pieces I've accumulated for the RX7 to safely push the boost up. I have a buyer for the MR2 turbo engine and still would like to get a Porsche 6 for the 914 but am finding a lot of merit to my friends rotary engine swap proposal. Sound like a good idea or do you guys think it's just going to move my "wasted money on cars" total from Viper to Ferrari level?

[redshift]

Oh well... back to zero confidence.

This really sucks.


M

[RON S.]

Hey Miles,
Wanna talk about a money pit?
At least you can do some driving even if it is aggravating.
My project has sucked down 12-15k over the last 5 years,and all it is,is still a garage ornament.Looks good,but I can't go anywhere yet.
My wife shook her head (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) in horror when I brought it
home.I can just imagine if she found the drawer (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif) that I have for all the receipts for everything I've bought for the car.I've kept everyone man.
I look at as my own little car payment.2-300 every month,every month.
I'll never see the money outa the car,but man the learning experience I've gained is invaluable.
All ya can do is keep plugging along.


Ron

[redshift]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

You've been messing with my car, haven't you? Damned you, and Karl Ellzey! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

At least it runs ok cold... it's cold. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)



M

[seanery]

I've got a money pit. Project started in 99 when I lived on a boat, so I had to be a checkbook mechanic. I haven't seen the car since May, and it's still not done. When I pick it up in June it won't be done and I'm way deeper than 15 large! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) Don't tell my family, they won't understand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)