Towel Rail

I'd change it. Rubber has a way of "looking good" when it's really cracked and ready to fall apart.

With a light enough car, you lessen (or eliminate) the need for power steering. A computerized diff probably wouldn't be that hard either -- you could measure the current drop in the motors to tell whether the tires are slipping or not. I can't name any computerized diffs on the market, but there are much tougher engineering problems out there. :cool: - Scott

It's an odd combination for sure. They work though!

Just checked the rear diff fluid. A tiny drop oozed out as I got the plug off, so I quickly jammed it back on and torqued it down. That was fun.

With computers as smart as they are, they could just adjust the power sent to each wheel given their orientation -- i.e., send less power to the rear right wheel when in a right turn... Without engines, transmissions, driveshafts, or axles, you've saved a lot of weight right there. - Scott

My car has a quiet 'wobba-wobba-wobba' sound when driving over a certain speed. Is failure imminent? - Scott

Has it been periodically adjusted? When I bought my car, it drove fine for the most part, but had no clutch pedal freeplay.

EJ22T.

Hope it's got recent-design head gaskets on it!

x2. You shouldn't have to run 93 to keep it from knocking.

Looks like it's been tapped a couple times. How is it mechanically? - Scott

That's why I'm keeping my trap shut.

Yep! It's almost embarrassing though -- I'm usually a proponent of simple, no-frills transportation, and kinda wish it had crank windows, too. Well, you can't have everything. :-p Good call. That sounds like a better (and cheaper) idea than sourcing all the specialty parts to do bronze bushings. $30 every few years isn't that bad. Thanks!

This is probably the most "rust-free" car I've owned. The floor and body panels are completely solid, with almost no rust forming at any edge. Much of the suspension has light surface rust though. Car companies don't seem to be as concerned about rust-proofing that stuff. I'll take some pics of the underside next time it's light out. BTW, McBrat, from reading through all the threads about damaged VCs from uneven tires, might it behoove me to buy a spare from your local boneyard? zzz - Scott

Outlaw status. I dig it. :cool: - Scott

A couple more musings/details: The fluids all check out: engine oil, transmission oil, coolant, brake fluid, power steering fluid, wiper fluid. Haven't checked the rear diff yet, but it's bone-dry on the bottom, so I don't think it's been leaking. The clutch pedal had NO freeplay when I got the car. I adjusted that to about 1/2", and it *seems* to have a little more pep and top end. I might just be imagining that, though... While adjusting the clutch, I figured out why the Hill-Holder... doesn't. The locknuts on the cable fell off! I'll fix that when I have a little time. I was going to complain about the clutch chatter at intersections, but after searching the site, I guess that's common and I'll just have to work on my technique. I wonder if clamping the tube into a tighter bend might help -- anyone tried it? The shifter is really sloppy as well, but there again, seems like this is common. The brass bushing fix looks promising, but I'll probably not try it until Spring. Cheers! - Scott

Computerized driving is neat and all, but I'm worried for the day that they become statistically safer than human drivers. Will we get banned from driving our own cars at that point? I hope not. - Scott

Might want to have your brakes looked at if you haven't lately. Those, more than the engine power, would be my concern.

GR-2's are definitely firmer, but not in a harsh way. If GR-2's are shaking your fillings out, *definitely* don't get Gas-A-Justs!

Look at the two "cutouts" in the valve cover of the middle picture.

It's a hot-button issue. Myself, I'm not planning to switch until a) I own a vehicle specifically set up for it and the cost of running it is reasonable. Between EFI, PCV, EGR, catalytic converters, and the computerized ignition, my car is running clean enough for my conscience. - Scott

It's somewhat like aircooled Volkswagens. You can't have just one! - Scott

Oh jeez. Well, if we're measuring things in km, then I'll be at the 250,000 mark in a couple of weeks. - Scott

154,200 and climbing. If I can't get it to 300,000, I'll be disappointed. :cool: I'll clean that engine when I have time, I swear! - Scott

Beautiful! My new (to me) car is halfway there. I'll be a happy man if I can get it to 300,000 as well. - Scott