Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[ChaosphereIX]

Sold it.

Went for reserve, nothing more. Disappointed big time but such is life. I think I am done being a car enthusiast for a while and will drive boxes that dont cost money nor do I need to care about them.

Car leaves for San Fran next week.

[PJungnitsch]

Sorry to hear that.

Sounds like you really enjoyed that car though, and you made it out before anything major

[tortoise]

I think I am done being a car enthusiast for a while and will drive boxes that dont cost money nor do I need to care about them.

Boooooo.  But I get it.  There's a certain peace of mind that comes from driving an older reliable car.  I never thought I would like my Highlander as much as I do.

[Firm]

Sold it.

Went for reserve, nothing more. Disappointed big time but such is life. I think I am done being a car enthusiast for a while and will drive boxes that dont cost money nor do I need to care about them.

Car leaves for San Fran next week.

You'll be back.... IMO it's more affordable to have a cheap and fun hobby car than it is to have a really nice daily driver that you're enthusiastic about.....Get yourself an old Fiat Spider or something, <$10K for the car, couple hundred a year for Hagerty insurance and you're off having fun.

Congrats on the sale, I think it was a fair price given the US import requirements and such. Read the comments in the auction and it sounds like the buyer is going to drive it from Ottawa to San Fran!? Wicked trip if that's the case.

[blur911]

Sold it.

Went for reserve, nothing more. Disappointed big time but such is life. I think I am done being a car enthusiast for a while and will drive boxes that dont cost money nor do I need to care about them.

Car leaves for San Fran next week.

You'll be back.... IMO it's more affordable to have a cheap and fun hobby car than it is to have a really nice daily driver that you're enthusiastic about.....Get yourself an old Fiat Spider or something, <$10K for the car, couple hundred a year for Hagerty insurance and you're off having fun.

Agree there.  Get a cheap toy  you can play with. 
A $8k toy you can take to the track or autocross and not worry about is better than having a $50k garage queen

[TheHire]

Yeah, it was a great price considering actual market conditions. As I've learned myself over my XJR and XKR buys/sells, specialty Jags are a very, very limited market. You'll always find comparables listed online for high numbers because that's what old Jag enthusiasts do - they price them high and hope someone bites. Almost never does someone actually bite for anywhere close to top dollar.

Now you've had your fun with it, time to move on to the next!

[ChaosphereIX]

Next fun car will be another Alfa maybe. After I get the house and family business off the ground. Until then, boxes.

[Gurgie]

Next fun car will be another Alfa maybe. After I get the house and family business off the ground. Until then, boxes.

Not a bad idea buddy, not a bad idea.

Interested in a manual BMW E90 RWD that needs new rear brakes & possibly a wheel speed sensor? Bella might be getting rid of it in the next little bit

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

[Fobroader]

Many dump runs with tons of crap, a bunch of runs to Home Depot for wood for a deck and fence and towing a utility trailer for my BIL to get his new shed home, she still polishes up nice after a bath at the coin wash. I love this thing!!

Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

[rrocket]

^^The Smart Man's Pickup IMO....

[me_2]

Ordered basic BT/USB radio replacement for the Saturn SW2, only 1 compatible model (not touch screen) was stock and the harness kit fall in back order after I placed my order...! 

Also bought 9006 halogen substitute LED low beam kit, if it works well, may buy later 9005 high beam kit.
 

[Dante]

Installed new weather strips on the BMW - top of the windshield and top and sides on the rear window (actually it comes in one piece). Pretty straight forward, except for the front one which is a bit tricky as I found out. Some YT videos are not showing the "right way" as I discovered myself. Anyway, they are in now and look good (new).

Still struggling a bit to polish the headlights to a perfect clear. I ordered the 3M kit which I hope it works better than Meguiar's; will see in the coming days.

[Firm]

Installed new weather strips on the BMW - top of the windshield and top and sides on the rear window (actually it comes in one piece). Pretty straight forward, except for the front one which is a bit tricky as I found out. Some YT videos are not showing the "right way" as I discovered myself. Anyway, they are in now and look good (new).

Still struggling a bit to polish the headlights to a perfect clear. I ordered the 3M kit which I hope it works better than Meguiar's; will see in the coming days.

Sometimes it's haze on the inside of the headlamp assembly from the bulb heat. It wipes right off with Windex, the trouble is getting inside....If you're lucky you can get in through the bulb hole with a rag/stick setup and clean it. DTS is the same way, but since getting access to the bulbs requires dropping the bumper,  I am gunna live with a little haze until I have a bulb fail.

[Dante]

Installed new weather strips on the BMW - top of the windshield and top and sides on the rear window (actually it comes in one piece). Pretty straight forward, except for the front one which is a bit tricky as I found out. Some YT videos are not showing the "right way" as I discovered myself. Anyway, they are in now and look good (new).

Still struggling a bit to polish the headlights to a perfect clear. I ordered the 3M kit which I hope it works better than Meguiar's; will see in the coming days.

Sometimes it's haze on the inside of the headlamp assembly from the bulb heat. It wipes right off with Windex, the trouble is getting inside....If you're lucky you can get in through the bulb hole with a rag/stick setup and clean it. DTS is the same way, but since getting access to the bulbs requires dropping the bumper,  I am gunna live with a little haze until I have a bulb fail.

The haze I'm trying to clean seems to be on the outside. I've seen some videos with good results using the 3M kit on the same car.

The Meguiar's kit is based on manual sanding and starts with 1000 grit. Worked well on Mitsu (different plastic I guess as they are not HID) but not very well on BMW. The 3M starts with 600 I believe and comes with a drill attachment.

Will see if it renders better results.

I replaced the bulbs on the BMW already and need to take the front wheels and liner off to get to the socket. Not very straightforward but doable. Like you, I wouldn't bother if the haze is from inside... I will leave with it as they are not really that bad to warrant the trouble.

[Dante]

Question on painting plastic part (primed).
Should I lightly sand the paint before applying clear coat and what grit should I use? Dry or wet sanding?

[Firm]

The 3M kit with the drill attachment is good, I have it and have used it a bunch.

As for the painting thing, I've always heard (and practiced) that you should lightly sand between the coats, it will help the next coat bond and helps remove any orange peel effect or flecks of dust in the previous coat. Since your top coat is clear, I'd be pretty conservative and use something like 1500 wet.
One exception - when dealing with metallic base coats I've run into issues where the sanding affects the way the color and metallics look once the clear coat is sprayed. YMMV, but if your base coat is metallic I'd be very tempted to just spray the clear without any additional sanding to avoid any headaches.

[Dante]

The color is non-metalic black.
Isn't 1500 a bit too aggressive on paint? For sure should be very light sanding but still. How long should I wait before sanding?
The can says to wait 10 min between coats but would that be enough drying time before sanding?

BTW using Dupli-Color spray paint and clear from CT.

[Firm]

1500 wet is not very aggressive at all, but if you're worried about it, go with 2000. The idea is to give it a surface to bond too. Give it a good 24 hours before sanding.

That said, you may be over complicating things....If you're happy with how the base coat is laid down, I'd be tempted to just spray the clear as is. If you do, it's going to have a tendency to run because the surface is so slick, so start with a couple super light coats (basically just 'fog' it), waiting 5-10 minutes between each.

[Dante]

The part is painted and clear coated and unless the car is clean (5 min after I wash it) and you look close up, you can't see it, but if you do, you can see the "texture" in the paint and of course the difference in shade (expected and acceptable).
So, I'm looking at giving it another shot to make it better if I can.

First timer so trial and error is OK and learning from those with experience so your advice is much appreciated.

It's part of the fun and satisfaction of reviving a good old car to the best of my abilities I guess.

[TheHire]

Brought home a friend for the Aston and Porsche... embarking on an Italian car project at the shop. Bought a stallion heavily under market and going to build one of my dream cars with it.

More details to come, but she's home!