What have you done to your car today?

kdebello said:
I've always liked wrenching on cars. Now that I'm old, I realize I only liked it as a hobby, not as a chore.
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I’m starting to get to this point too and I only have 2 cars to care for. However, my oil changes above were each $25 out of pocket. Plus I rotate/inspect the tires and have a look around at everything while the wheels are off. Found plenty of things needing attention that way, and I’m pretty sure Joe Schmo oil change guy would have missed them.
 
Yesterday was a fun one....Kris' husband Jason still has his ~1998 Volvo...Anyway, he mentioned how he needed to changed the rear subframe bushings as they were destroyed...asked me if he could borrow some jackstands. Im like jackstands? come to my house and use the lift like a civilized human being. 🙂 Of course...in my head...25+ year old volvo that has lived its whole live in NJ? like now way any of these bolts/parts are coming out. So I fully prepared my garage for this volvo to live inside it for a while....moved my lift over from where is usually lives under the mustang.

We put an engine brace up above and managed to get the subframe to drop enough to press them out.....however, jason nor I had the exact, correct press kit...so we had to improvise.
Threaded rod, my large oil filter wrench, one of the drivers from my dads 1960s oil seal installation kits (still have it)....the "hammer" from my slide hammer. All that together and we got one to fully pop out intact....the other needed some help from the torch.

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All fixed.....Jason was super happy...I think partially because he knows how much wife hates this car and wants him to get rid of it lol.
 
UtahJoe said:
however, jason nor I had the exact, correct press kit...so we had to improvise.
Threaded rod, my large oil filter wrench, one of the drivers from my dad’s 1960s oil seal installation kits (still have it)....the "hammer" from my slide hammer.
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Nice rig. Having the extra crap on hand to make it work when you hit a jam is what makes/breaks these projects. There will always be something, no matter how simple the job is!
 
Red Mosquito said:
Nice rig. Having the extra crap on hand to make it work when you hit a jam is what makes/breaks these projects. There will always be something, no matter how simple the job is!
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lol, ya....this took quite a bit of scouring the garage...and I have to say I was SHOCKED how much force you can put on that thin metal that makes a filter wrench.

My original idea since the bushings were poly/rubber...im like lets just heat them up, they'll melt.....but Jason was too worried that I would set his precious Volvo on fire 🤣
 
UtahJoe said:
lol, ya....this took quite a bit of scouring the garage...and I have to say I was SHOCKED how much force you can put on that thin metal that makes a filter wrench.

My original idea since the bushings were poly/rubber...im like lets just heat them up, they'll melt.....but Jason was too worried that I would set his precious Volvo on fire 🤣
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think I would have started with the torch too.... 😀
 
Replaced neighbor's headlight bulbs.
2009 Nissan Cube.
25 minutes for the first
1 minute for the second

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This was in an impossible position, so took a photo - couldn't figure out how to unhook the wire...
ended up being a push-n-up movement.

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My 2003 VW Jetta was like that. Passenger side bulb - super easy to get to. Driver side - buried behind the battery. At minimum, had to remove the battery cover. If the connectors were particularly fussy - remove the entire battery.

Scissor lift FTW. I have two of them - although both are currently stuck under in-op cars... 🙄
 
Patrick said:
it is on my list...might be easier to buy new ones - they aren't sealed, so dealing with inside and out.
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My experience has been that usually only the outsides are weathered and oxidized. I've used the Harbor Freight kit and it works pretty well, just be sure to get some of the UV coating spray for when you are finished (not included in the HF kit). I did the MILs car and Larry's Boxster with one kit. Probably takes about 1/2 hour.
 
I need to get one of those kits for the MINI... those headlights are really cloudy... And because the car has the cold weather package with the pop-out headlight washers as well as HID Xenon main lights, replacements are NOT cheap. NLA from Rockauto. $1300 EACH from Pelican... At this point, if insurance had to replace both lights for some reason, it would probably total the car as $2600 is close to 50% of the value. Granted, adjusted for inflation, $1300 is a bit cheaper than what my ex- paid for a replacement headlight for her MINI back in 2004...
 
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