MusPuppis
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Posts posted by MusPuppis
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On the blankets, I might be a bit worried on how much heat you're trapping in the turbines just prior to turning the car off......
I was thinking that myself. I'm somewhat (ok, largely) uneducated about the finer points of turbo systems but it would seem to me running those would pretty much require the car to be allowed to idle a while (minute or two maybe? Anyone know?) to cool em down a little before being totally turned off.
I'm sure you already know that, I'm just wondering what extent the cooling would have to be taken to to ensure the longevity of the turbo's - and if the extra heat while in operation would have a factor in turbo life.
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Alot can be done to reduce the weight, but it comes down to application. **** knows how much weight can be dropped by switching to some ultra light rims, lighter seats, pull out all the a/c crap, remove the heater core, manual windows and door locks, all the sound deadening, carpet, cut whatever you dont need out of the dash (ducting, glovebox, etc). Lexan windows where appropriate, pull the cats off, remove any and all "comforts". Pull the rear and passenger seat belts out, replace the driver's with a good harness (Dunno if that would actually save weight or not..) remove the little dingy lights that tell you a door is open or your belt isnt plugged in, fuel cell, aluminum heads/block (if it doesnt have em already.. I'm unfamiliar).
The list is long, but in the end what do you have? A racetrack stang thats essentially a shell.. Ugly as sin and totally unsuited for normal driving.
For a normal DD or weekend driver all you have (for the average joe) is maybe lighter seats and rims, perhaps A/C and the back seat. This wouldnt equate to much. I couldnt see more than 100pds but thats really a shot in the dark. I have no idea the actual weights of the equipment are.
I like the Mustangs, they perform very well, but for the power and the price (of the GT500 especially) they should do a ****-ton better than they do.
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I have GP Legends
Do you mean GT Legends?
I downloaded a demo of GT Legends and DAMN but it is fun. I may have found the game I'll buy. The demo only has one track and like 3 cars. Jag I cant use (crashes my comp.. lol) Vette and a Lotus. GT Legends is a 50-70's era classic race car game, its pretty damn amazing. The physics are great, the graphics are top-notch, great sound and the "feel" is excellent.
It is very very difficult to play though. Ive been playing for about an hour now and I cant make it around the track without spinning or hitting a wall, heh. I have all the assists turned off except the auto clutch (not auto tranny.. it just simulates the clutch for me when I shift.) My wheel doesnt have a clutch pedal =[.
I figure with another 3-4 years of practice I'll be able to get through a race without hitting something.
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I have no problem with big cars, it just annoys me when performance oriented cars are huge.
Hell, my DD is a 5.0HO swapped F-150 XLT. (single cab). I sit high, I drive smooth, poeple get out of my way.. Ideally, as a DD I'd want a comfortable, mid-sized to full-sized sedan or somesuch. I wouldnt want my Z as my sole and only car. I LOVE it, and I LOVE small cars but nothing beats creature comforts for annoying drives around town in shitty traffic or a long road-trip.
Granted, high-end sports cars like a Vette would probably make a fantastic DD, being comfortable, good gas mileage and stupidly fast. Of course, their out of my price range.
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It is, but you have to remember that Flux burns hotter. When welding thin metals with MIG you REALLY need gas. I have a little Lincoln 100 weld-pak thingy I use and really enjoy, but I'm running flux. Ive been doing alot of body work on my Z, replacing rusted sections and such and lemme tell ya.. It aint no picnic. I can lay good beads on 16g but any thinner and I run into problems. On the Z metal (22g?) its impossible with flux. Someone running a high-end machine could probably pull it off, but if you have a high-end machine you should have gas anyway. I can barely even tack the Z metal, heh.Is 25amps low enough for a MIG to do bodywork? Is'nt there some sort of spray on stuff you can use to improve the finish of non-gas MIG welds?Its such a wretched pain I've put all work on hold until after Christmas when I have the money to go ahead and upgrade to gas and run some solid wire.
Thats not to say Flux doesnt have its place. As the flux burns it often breaks up and carrys contaminates away from the weld puddle.. Which is helpful when welding dirty or rusty metals that cant for whatever reason, be prepped properly. It also helps with penetration on thicker metals due to the increased heat. Useful when your welding in the upper limits of your machine and need some extra "umph".
As to dressing the welds, a flap-disc will do wonders for the appearance of Flux welds, lol. A slag hammer to knock the crap off, hit em with a flap disc and they dont look half bad. I'll see about getting some pics of my "dressed" coupons.
Something else I'd like to add -
If your in the market for a welder, *DONT CHEAP OUT*. Stick with the big boys. Esab, Lincoln, Hobart/Miller and Thermal Arc. HF welders are **** and I wouldnt trust one as far as I could throw it. I've had the displeasure of welding with one. I coldnt tell you the unit as its been a while.. But man. The arc was hard and angry, the machine just isnt quality. My Lincoln - for its size and price - has a softer, more managable arc and I really enjoy using it. The general consensus when buying a machine is "Bigger is better" and it really is true. Get the largest machine you can possible fit into your budget. Shopping around is your friend as well. You can save ALOT of money.
I screwed myself by buying my Lincoln too early. I paid something like 380$ for it or somesuch at Lowes. It didnt come gas ready, but can be upgraded (beware, some small units CANT be upgraded to gas). The next-in-line welder that was gas ready was (I beleive.. its been a little bit) about 450$. Lincoln 125 I beleive. Since I have to upgrade to gas now, I have to buy the kit for my welder, which is 100$, putting my cost at 480+ tax on the kit. So closing in on 500$. If I had just waited a little longer I could have got a machine that was 25amps stronger than mine, came with a slightly better gun and came gas ready from the get-go. Not to mention the little "kit" it came with had a better hood than mine, lol.
Another thing to consider when buying a MIG unit (well, any welder that uses gas) is the gas itself. Getting a bottle can be expensive and tricky. Some gas suppliers wont honor leases through other suppliers - so beware. Some suppliers also wont fill *any* bottle they didnt sell, rent or lease you personally. This is annoying and costly - as they tend to charge a little more than online prices. My advice would be to talk to local welding shops and gas suppliers before buying your welder, just so you know where to go and what to expect. See what they will and wont do for you and what kind of prices to expect. Would suck to buy a bottle through supplier A when supplier B wont honor the bottle but charges less for gas. Calling local welding shops is helpful as well they can point you to a good supplier. Expect to lay out somewhere to the tune of 150$ to get a bottle and get it filled. You sometimes work out lease agreements for more money upfront, but that will save you time, money and hassle down the road. Its all up to you intended use and pocket book.
Bottle size is also important. For the average hobby welder, you dont need an 80cf tank, 40 or 60 will work fine - the gas lasts a good while.
As to the folks talking about TIG units.. Some machines will come in under 1000$. 500$ even but these machines usually do NOT include the gas equipment/torch/foot pedal. So it adds up quick. The 500$ machine ends up closing in on 1000$ by the time you buy everything you need to make it work.
I dont know what your budget looks like but this sucker is about the best bang for your buck in the mid-range TIG market. Someday I'll be buying that sucker. Someday. Anyone need a kidney? Lung? Non smoker! I dont drink much! C'mon..
http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com
That link is one of the BEST suppliers I have found anywhere. Free shipping, fantastic prices, excellent poeple to deal with.
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Well,
I understand how folks would gravitate towards a big, imposing car. THe many size is nice and all - BUT, you can get the size without the weight. I just think the cars are being engineered from the wrong stand-point. I dont think any thought is going towards weight savings - just features. Large, bulky (and often cheap looking =/) interiors, over-done exteriors sporting massive rims for no reason.. Massive HEAVY rims. Hell, even the seats are over-engineered and extremely heavy (got to help install one in a new Mustang while stopping in to talk with a friend that works at a Ford dealership).
I think with a little thought, planning and effort Ford could have produced a truley amazing car in the 05, but its a fat-*** and that will forever hamper it.
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Unfortunately we enthusiasts don't make up the market
That is the exact reason we get what we get. Once in a great while a company will throw us a bone, but in general, we get shyte upon. The american consumer - as a whole - is undereducated, ill-informed and happily so about most products. 90% of the idgets that see the GT500 are gonna see 475hp and just salivate. They dont know the weight. I mean.. C'mon! Whats 1500pds of extra weight when you have all that hp!
I see it time and time again.. Idiot A races Idiot B. Idiot A has spent half an hour talking trash about his Hemi Dodge's power and how it'll kick the crap out Idiot B's car - cause idiot B's car isnt as powerful. Idiot A neglects to notice his car is 1000pds heavier than Idiot B's and only packing around 50-ish hp more.
Idiot A and Idiot B run em. Idiot B smiles casually as he walks by Idiot A at about 60, and continues to gain distance up to around 100, when Idiot B backs off. They pull over and Idiot A is dumbfounded. How could he have lost! His truck is NEW! It makes more POWER! Its a HEMI! Idiot B knows why. Idiot B's truck weighs in about 4500pds vs Idiot A's which has every option know to man stuck into it and comes in over 5500.
I'm Idiot B btw. My Ford owns Hemi's. Sorry.
Anyway, back on track,
The american consumer just doesnt care honestly. Some of us do, but the vast majority is more impressed with shallow figures and shiny baubles than it is with actualy, real performance data. You have 500hp? Good, that means your better than every car out there that doesnt, regardless of weight chasis dynamics. Hell, see that V8 Z? He's pushing 490hp to the wheels, but your making 500! You can take him!
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God I miss MCO. I started playing a week or two after release and kept on until they took it down. Great great game - it just needed a widre variety of cars to choose from IMO.If anyone here ever played motor city onlineI played UO for 4 1/2 years and SB for about 2.
As to what I currently have console wise.. Nada. Well, my roommate has a Nintendo w. Duck Hunt. I spend *HOURS* playing that game. Ive taken it to rediculous levels. I actually fasioned a "holster" out of some cloth so I can draw on the ducks to make it more challenging.. lol.
Sadly I'm not gonna have the money to drop on a console + a game. Its pretty much a standing budget of about 40$.. Limits me to one game.. So I gotta choose wisely, hehe.
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This threads been here a while but I hadnt really looked it over until now.
I have to say, this has seriously peaked my interest. Count me for a set at 200$ - thats not a bad price at all. I would have thought something considerably more.
A couple quick questions -
The doors will be "blanks" but will all the required holes be pre cut? (door handle, window handle thingy, etc).
The blanks will be devoid of any molding other than the speaker mounts correct? Pretty much completely flat and bare, minus the curve mentioned earlier in order to hold the shape of the door?
I'm already running upholstery ideas through my head.. A little foam on the panel for shape.. A little black leather. Aww yeah.
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I have. So far as I can tell thats just a little utility to make sure the game reads the wheel correctly. Ie, when I turn 100% to the left or right, it reads 100%.
I'd be ok if I could adjust a "dead" section in somehow. Still tinkering. Getting better though, lol.
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I found that too, hehe. Downloaded it and tried to take it for a couple spins around the track but no luck.
My wheel is overly sensitive and I cant figure out how to put the shift up and shift down buttons on the paddles. Makes it VERY difficult to control the car. The *tiniest* movement from my hand is transfered to the car and I ended up wrecking over and over, lol.
Trying to work out the kinks now. I'll say one thing.. This game doesnt pull any punchs.. Its a bastard to keep the cars under control.
Thanks for that link Cruez, downloading now to check it out.
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this rust contamination now contained in the heater core..
The car has always had (atleast since it was purchased 6 years ago) anti-freeze and water, not just pure water. Before it was purchased it spent its life as a leased vehicle through Man O' War Ford.
I am 150% positive it is NOT rust in the water. I've seen that before and had it on two of my vehicles. This is nothing like it in any way. Its thick, oily (more so than anti-freeze) has a bizarre and foul odor (similar, as mentioned, to auto tranny fluid). The picture is misleading.. The flash caught the crap and made it look alot more orange that it really is. Its a dark reddish-brown. There is also two distinct liquids in it that arent mixing. I can see a thinner liquid, yellow-ish green on the outside, where the brown/red thicker gunk sits in the middle of the cup. There is also a film that builds up on top.
The oil (through the cap and dipstick) shows no signs of contamination. The anti-freeze/gunk will bubble over the cap if you remove it with the engine running.
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We start the move in a week so its time to make preperations. We wont have cable TV or internet for a while. Not to mentioned little to no money, so entertainment will be extremely scarce. As a precaution I'm trying to weasel copys of games from friends of mine and may buy one or two for the computer, so I have something to kill time with - lol.
So, Anyone played any PC racing games they liked? I dont play single player games really, been an MMO guy for years so I'm out of touch. Curious if anyone has any recommendations for me? I'd also like to lay my hands on a good driving sim type game - if one exists. Ive heard TOCA Race Driver 2 or somesuch is supposed to have pretty good physics and be real-ish. I have a wheel and pedal combo (no clutch though =[).. I dunno, just wondering if anyone's run into something they liked.
I borrowed Need for Speed Most Wanted from a friend and.. umm. Yeah. Looking at the cars literally hurts my eyes and the whole concept behind the game annoys me.. Not really impressed at all.
Of course, ideally I'd just get GT4 and be done with it - but I dont have a PS2 anymore =[
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Glad to know its feelin better. School should be fun, lol.
He did it on purpose?! HolyYeah. He didnt like me very much. He's gone now though. I got big.
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I got an update on the car today.
The brand-new antifreeze that got put in at my house is just about as contaminated as stuff that got taken out. They still havent taken it to anyone to look at it. I told em to bring it by to me and I'll get a sample of all the fluids, check the heater core hoses and go over it.
Doubt they will, they'd rather just drive it into the ground =/
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I tested the thermostat in a pot upstairs and it was opening an closing just fine.
Ive known a couple cars to have the t-stat stuck open, or just not installed and though the air was cold there was some temperature to it. Not alot, but it was hotter than the outside air atleast, once the engine warmed up a little bit.
I passed along the info I got here and they took the car. As far as I know their driving it around with no intention of looking in to the problem.. I tried to convey how serious it could *potentially* be, but was more or less ignored.
Thanks regardless though folks.
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Opps, I didnt read closely and thought he needed both mounts which would have been 100$ from Bulldog. I was thinking that for 100$ he could just do it himself and save a few bucks at the cost of a few hours work. But for 50$ it'd be worth it to get Bulldog's brackets really.
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Given the extent of that rust, I dont know that patching would be the best idea. I'd just hack em out and replace them completely. Either make your own from some 16-18g and buy the Bulldog rails (ive heard nothing but good things about their fitup and quality) or make it all yourself if you have the tools and such. 2x3 14g square tube will make some stupidly solid subframe connectors, hehe.
I'll be making all my own stuff - mainly due to my natural contraryness. (sp?)
As to the seat mounts, a trip to a junk yard with a sawz-all could net you a nice new (to you) set and I bet it wouldnt set you back much. I got a quote around here for whole floors, and everything attached for like 50$ if I cut it out myself.
I'd say you could make some new mounts pretty easily though. Keep your rusted ones for measurements and reference of course, but the Z floors are nice and open, relatively flat as well. Makes for a decent surface to work with.
My car now:
My car before (other side was actually worse.. lol):
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It looks pretty good to me. I love the color. You may hate the hood, but I've always been a sucker for a black hood on a silver/grey car. You also have my all-time favorite front air dam, hehe.
I know how frustrating it can get working on a car when everything from the beginning, middle and end fights you every step of the way.. but the satisfaction of being able to hop in and drive around is worth every scraped nuckle, every bleeding ulcer and every friendship lost due to the use of guilt to sucker friends into all nighters with you, lol.
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Man that looks good..
Good luck and keep folks updated, thats gonna be sick looking when its totally done and kicking around. I may catch some flack for this.. but Ive never been a fan of the G-nose look on Z's.. but your car pulls it off beautifully.
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OUCH. Damn man,
Good that no nerve damage was done and nothing broken. You said it should heal up fine with a little time.
Many years ago, when I was about 15 my step-dad slammed both my hands in the car door of our Crown Vic. Punishment for "slamming" the door, heh. Talk about pain. I wish I had the x-rays of that. I managed to end up with like 6 broken fingers, several cracks in the bones in the back of my hand (I dont remember the name anymore) and substantial muscle and nerve damage, as when some of the bones broke they ripped muscle and such as well.
Its been 8 years and my hands shake and always will. Any fine motor control was supposed to be totally lost but I've fought for a long long time to regain what I've managed to regain. Its not much, but with alot of patience and painkillers I can do detail work, lol.
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Are you kidding? Damnit to hell. I like the new Mustangs.. but close to or in excess of 4000pds? Thats dry weight w.o a driver as well?"approximately" 4000 pounds WTF???Edit: the coupe will come in about 150# less, at STILL Over 3800#!
Dodge is doing the same thing. Great power ratings with a car so massive it needs em to get by. I think its some by product of the american love for "big" crap. Maybe some bizarre throw-back to the old, larger muscle cars - which in many cases werent *that* large or heavy. They werent light weights, but just how big many were has been exagerated.
Those performance numbers are dismal given the claimed power and torque of the car. I'd love to see an unbiased opinion of the damn thing.. and I want someone to get it on a road track and not just a dragstrip =/
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Good luck man!
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Thanks for the info, I'll pass it along to the owner of the car. Knowing these poeple theres a good chance I'll get a phone call before long asking me to come pick them up because the car gave out one em and they dont know why =/
WTF???
Ford gets it wrong... AGAIN!!!
in Non Tech Board
Posted
Which is why, Vette > Mustangs/Everything else in its price range.
Thats what I was meaning with my stripdown post. It *can* be done, but what.. 2-5% of the owners (if that? maybe a % of 1%?) are gonna actually do it? And really, to reach the performance of other cars in its price and power range stripping it bare is about all your gonna be able to do aside from just continueing to add power to try and make up for the fact your car is scary heavy. Add in the tire issues (I did not know about those) and it looks like your fighting a losing battle in cost vs. performance. Sure, add a new pulley, jack the PSI up. Sure, add some nitrous or something. Retune it, whatever. Now drop *ALOT* of money to have the ***-end hacked so you can actually hook! Now that your 60-70k deep in this car, hang your head and cry 'cause you didnt rock a Vette, STI, WRX, (insert porsche here), Bimmer, whutevah, from the get-go.
Bleh. Drives me nuts, cause I really liked the 05's. I havent had the chance to drive one but I really like they way they look. Aero problems or not, I love retro when its done right. I do have a friend who is stalwart in his beleif that the Mustang, in any of its incarnations from the 64 on up to present day is the single best vehicle ever built and nothing (I wanna stress that, NOTHING) can even begin to touch it. He doesnt live in reality with the rest of us, so atleast this info is nice to knock him off his pedestal a little bit.