What did you do to your other car(s) today?

[djazz]

Bumper looks less crappy. After many hours and much labor by a blind guy it still looks like crap, just not as crappy.

Learned a lot though. So Round 2 will be better.

[OcCoupe]

What are you trying to do to the bumper? Photos would help and to which car?

[djazz]

No before pics in order to protect the innocent. E39 M5. About a year ago this huge German Shepherd was running back and forth across the major residential street in our neighborhood during morning rush hour. I wanted to get him out of traffic so pulled into a driveway that ended up steeper than I thought and it took out the bottom corner of the bumper making a half dollar sized hole mostly out of sight with a few long cracks along the bottom. Annoying but not really the end of the world yet.

Then about a month ago I noticed a big spider web crack front and center. Pretty obvious someone had backed into me, probably in the lot at work.

I terminated each crack by drilling a small hole. Cleaned with a wire brush. Built up the back side with plastic epoxy and reinforced with screen. Then I built up the front in layers until the cracks and holes were filled in. This was followed by lots of sanding and finally paint.

I'm sure people will cringe but I painted it with Rustoleum 2X UltraCover paint for plastic. After setting up a few days I spent this morning wet sanding and polishing.

For the most part everything worked out as planned. My biggest problem is my vision and detail work. Some little problems I simply didn't see. Or I put the paint down too thin. Or I got carried away sanding over a somewhat sharp crease. I also had a couple of little spots that were peeling due to poor prep work.

I spent maybe $40 compared to $600 I think for the M5 bumper. It's not perfect but does look better than it did. If it rains tomorrow maybe no one at TexFest will even notice. I'll try again with a little more prep, few more layers, and maybe one of those lighted magnifying glasses and maybe it will be perfect.

This was the hole:


And this was the radiating spider webby cracks:

[1st 5er]

... maybe no one at TexFest will even notice.

I figured most people would only see the backside of your car,
and then only for a short period of time.

[djazz]

... maybe no one at TexFest will even notice.

I figured most people would only see the backside of your car,
and then only for a short period of time.

I'll have to get gas sometime.

[a]

Rassen frassen Rat smells of gear oil and the RR is hot to touch. I suspect a frozen E brake cable. . I discovered this 20 miles from home., but drove home without incident. In fact, the hub was merely warm when I checked it. More later.

Harbor Freight float charger had the battery at 13.xx V. I have a V meter hitched to the battery to monitor how low the drops go. I plumbed depths of the radiator. !/2 full of cavitated coolant. No big deal, there is a full jug of 50/50 in the bed. The over flow tank and the buffered water temp gauge had me in a fool's paradise. It is a non pressurized overflow. Not an expansion tank as an E 28 is. This is incidental to the frozen brake issue.

[1st 5er]

The ///M50iT got a wash and fluids topped off in preparation for TexFest.

[davintosh]

CDV delete on the X5. Why oh why oh why do they even bother with those stoopud things?
The clutch works so much better without it's not even funny.



Also finished up replacing the left-front wheel bearing. Putting things together is so much more fun than taking them apart...
I guess it makes up for the pain of disassembling cruddy rusted bits.

[foamy]

changed the original plugs and wires on the lincoln. those basterds were way overdue with just under 200,000 miles on them.

[1st 5er]

Yesterday 1st 5er got his external pump disconnected and replaced with a Brian Hogan in-tank pump housing and a Tre-340 pump.

[davintosh]

Had to roll down the X5's driver's window to open the door from the inside again; the plastic bit on the door latch mechanism that braces against the pull of the inside handle's Bowden cable broke last week, and my Gorilla Glue & zip tie kludge didn't hold very long. Sigh. More plastic failures.



One broken plastic bit on an otherwise healthy door latch necessitates its replacement. $165.

[ldsbeaker]

Got the ix back on the road. Just in time for trunk or treat.

Deleted PS by way of the PS delete plate I got from Tex Fest. Thanks to sherman for getting Garagistic on the sponsor list and nick for trading me for the piece.

[w0014170]

Got a speed citation on re-entry...should have seen me 5 miles before

I believe the cost averages about .03 cents per mile over the last ten or so years.

[cddallara]

Drove the e30 the other day. Washed it, filled it with gas. It thanked me by spitting the IS lip off at the entry to the supply house.
Good thing its rubber. It got pulled off and run over and all it has is a couple scratches.
Only broke one clip, so 5 minutes later it was back on.

Even though its just a 318i/5 sedan, that thing is fun!

It has recently occurred to me that my e34 is more of an e30 than my e30 is. Big stereo, stickers, lowered, spraypaint, wheels, etc...

[rollcentre]

Not mine, but I did do a super-polish treatment on a E36 M3 3.38 cw&p.



Always a pleasure doing up a BMW diff!

[m4ximusprim3]

My mustang doesn't leak PSF anymore!

Full set of new hoses on a 66 mustang = two more hoses than should be strictly necessary.

[BuzzBomb]

I bought the overpriced o-rings to fix the coolant leak at the heater core in the P38. From what I've read about it, it's a bear, but better this than enduring winter with no heat.

[geordi]

Picked up a replacement for White Ellie…

[cddallara]

Mounted a phone holder in the wagon, now that I only drive it on the weekends

Will be hardwired to the back of the pioneer HU, but for now its much nicer than having it floating around on the shift surround. No permanent damage to the interior either.

[a]

I put the RR tire from B6II into the bed of the Rat. I'm taking it for an inspection and I'll get the flat fixed

[cvillebimmer]

Failed repair on the DD 740i. 4" nail puncture patch succeeded to reveal a leak where rim meets tire.

Let wifey take the e31 on a 1hr trip from cville to Richmond. Garage smells like fuel now and preliminary inspection shows a wet gas tank area.

Fortunately, the 91 ford ranger that hasn't been started in more than two months was up for the task today without drama.

[djazz]

Not mine, but I did do a super-polish treatment on a E36 M3 3.38 cw&p.



Always a pleasure doing up a BMW diff!

So say I have an E39 M5 and an E46 M3 ring & pinion...

[Das_Prachtstrasse]

Sold the white e28, moved the e30 rally car from my buddies house to the now vacant spot on the front lawn and left the sunroof open on the e34, just in time for the cool change. Hopefully it's not full of water in the morning, as I'm in bed now and cannot be buggered going outside to close it.

[oldskool]

Pushed the E12 out of the garage on Friday to clean and sort out a no start condition. Saw some seats for the E30 that I needed to swap in, so I laid out the seats and all of the tools involved. Walked past all of the tools laid out for the E12 and E30 to go and get the mail when some neighbors rode up in a golf cart exclaiming that an old friend is back in town and I must come quaff beer and shoot some pool. I explain the urgency needed to get back to my important work as I ride off down the road on the back of a golf cart.

[djazz]

The M5 lost it's clutch pedal driving to work. Happy. Happy. Joy. Fun. No leaks that I could tell in the parking lot at night. I see a new master cylinder(and/or maybe slave cylinder) in my future.

The Hella E36 has a blown strut.

And today Cindy told me the truck's steering "felt funny" and was clicking.

Hopefully this only comes in threes.



That is all.