The Car Thread ... !

[D.T.]

The C7 is just getting on in years, which make it very intriguing. For me, it will likely be impractical.

The ZR1 Blue Devil was my favorite car in the C6 gen

I actually prefer the exterior C6 styling, even though the C7 is more or less the better car.

One of my faves is the 2013 MY only, 427 C6 convertible. Z06 widebody panels (vs. the GS), manual only, some unique treatment, plus the _glorious_ LS7 427!

 

[bunnspecial]

I have been stricken by the Prince of Darkness.

I needed to make a quick run to the grocery store a few minutes ago, and since the MG has been running so well I decided to take it. After my trip, I went out to take it for a drive on a favorite "loop."

About halfway through, my headlights died along with my dash lights. At first, I suspected that the fuse had blown-it wouldn't be the first time. No problem-I just pulled off, flipped on the flashers, put on my nifty LED headlight that I keep in the car for just such occasions, popped the hood, and went to the fuse box.

I grabbed one of the spare fuses in the fuse box and pulled out the suspected culprit-there are only 4 fuses in the car, and most any competent MG owner knows which fuse does what. I looked at it, though, and it looked fine. Just to be sure, I swapped it and then shorted the fuse box terminals with a screwdriver-still no go. Along the way, something else occurred to me-I looked at the gauges and they all were reading correctly. 4 of the 5 gauges in the car are electric(only the speedometer is mechanical) and the gauge voltage regulator is on the same circuit as the headlights-when that fuse blows the gauges die also. I checked all the other stuff I know is on that circuit(again, you should have a general idea of what's on any given circuit if you have an old British car)-horn, turn signals, brake lights-and they all worked.

So, as best as I can tell, my headlight SWITCH died. The switch in the dashboard directly switches the lights, and even though the original Lucas switch is actually of pretty decent quality(I know, Lucas and quality are generally mutually exclusive) switch failure is pretty much inevitable because of that. One of my "round tuit" jobs has been to relay the headlights and a few other high current items, but I haven't done it. Unless I can rebuild the original or find an OEM one, it's pretty much going to be mandatory when I replace it.

In any case, I spent a minute trying to get the switch out of the dash in hopes that I could just bypass it, but it's going to take a bit more finesse without breaking something than I can manage on the side of the road at night.

Fortunately, the roads were relatively empty, and the high beams worked on "flash to pass." I was able to drive home by holding that back. Just another something for my next parts order...

 

[Apple fanboy]

I have been stricken by the Prince of Darkness.

I needed to make a quick run to the grocery store a few minutes ago, and since the MG has been running so well I decided to take it. After my trip, I went out to take it for a drive on a favorite "loop."

About halfway through, my headlights died along with my dash lights. At first, I suspected that the fuse had blown-it wouldn't be the first time. No problem-I just pulled off, flipped on the flashers, put on my nifty LED headlight that I keep in the car for just such occasions, popped the hood, and went to the fuse box.

I grabbed one of the spare fuses in the fuse box and pulled out the suspected culprit-there are only 4 fuses in the car, and most any competent MG owner knows which fuse does what. I looked at it, though, and it looked fine. Just to be sure, I swapped it and then shorted the fuse box terminals with a screwdriver-still no go. Along the way, something else occurred to me-I looked at the gauges and they all were reading correctly. 4 of the 5 gauges in the car are electric(only the speedometer is mechanical) and the gauge voltage regulator is on the same circuit as the headlights-when that fuse blows the gauges die also. I checked all the other stuff I know is on that circuit(again, you should have a general idea of what's on any given circuit if you have an old British car)-horn, turn signals, brake lights-and they all worked.

So, as best as I can tell, my headlight SWITCH died. The switch in the dashboard directly switches the lights, and even though the original Lucas switch is actually of pretty decent quality(I know, Lucas and quality are generally mutually exclusive) switch failure is pretty much inevitable because of that. One of my "round tuit" jobs has been to relay the headlights and a few other high current items, but I haven't done it. Unless I can rebuild the original or find an OEM one, it's pretty much going to be mandatory when I replace it.

In any case, I spent a minute trying to get the switch out of the dash in hopes that I could just bypass it, but it's going to take a bit more finesse without breaking something than I can manage on the side of the road at night.

Fortunately, the roads were relatively empty, and the high beams worked on "flash to pass." I was able to drive home by holding that back. Just another something for my next parts order...

The joy of running a classic.
[doublepost=1524116267][/doublepost]

For those of you who have never changed your own oil but want to try, here's a great how-to video courtesy of a gentleman in Romania

This video brought to you from the MatthewLTL(RIP) school of automotive repair.

I used to do all my own servicing. But on a modern car it's not as much fun. I just let the dealer rip me off.

 

[0388631]

Anyone else get a bunch of Stripe It All ads from their various car forums? I got about seven and counting over the weekend and into this week.

 

[A.Goldberg]

I tested a Camaro some time ago. I didn't enjoy how much I felt like I was in a cave.

Little known fact, the Allegory of the Cave by Plato was actually describing of the interior of the Camaro. The allegory can also be used to describe the relationship of Quagmire to his Camaro.

 

[D.T.]

Anyone else get a bunch of Stripe It All ads from their various car forums? I got about seven and counting over the weekend and into this week.

My current creeper ad is about shop vacs

 

[hawkeye_a]

For those of you who wash&wax your own cars, what products do you use? Mitts, soap, chamois, wax, claybars, etc (Links to amazon would be great).

 

[D.T.]

For those of you who wash&wax your own cars, what products do you use? Mitts, soap, chamois, wax, claybars, etc (Links to amazon would be great).

Honestly, I don't overdo it, I don't do some multi-bucket process and pre-foam systems with exotic products and 20 different tools, I have some good, solid products for washing and light incremental cleanup, and some good, well known products for the 3 maybe 4 times a year full on clean/prep/polish process.

I'll post up a few links, but I know there was some hardcore washers that will be in here soon giving you detailed guidance

For car wash, I use this product:

Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash

http://a.co/38r6PkE

... with a Chemical Guys mitt:

http://a.co/dk2XBRP

and dry with their waffle weave microfiber drying towel

http://a.co/7j2nYge


I'll follow up in a bit with some polish products, but just an FYI, there are some expensive, boutique products, some are good, some aren't (they're just expensive and have way overstated claims), you could get a set of modern products from the big vendors like Meguiar's and be more than happy (but I'll add my $0.02 later anyway ...)

 

[bunnspecial]

Meguairs stuff is solid in my experienc, relatively inexpensive, and easy to find.

I use their Classic Gold soap, clay bars from them, and Gold Class paste wax. I like their "natural shine" spray for the interior, as it does a good job of cleaning and isn't over the top like Armor All. Leather gets their Gold Class leather spray.

I've never been sold on the super glossy tire look, but I like using Bleche-White just to remove the normal brown oxidation you get on tires and keep them looking relatively new. For wheels, I've found just a good car wash soap and some fine brushes do as well as any specialty product. I do like ceramic brake pads for no other reason than the fact that the dust isn't as visible and also cleans off a LOT easier than the black dust from semi-metallics. I've been known to put a heavy layer of cheap wax(good old fashioned Turtle Wax is fine) on my wheels every few washes. With that, they will often look great with just a quick spray-down from the hose.

I don't get fancy on towels. I use old white undershirts as wash towels. The newest ones are for the top of the car, and as they get used they work their way down the car until they get used for wheels before being thrown away. I cycle a new one in every couple of washes.

I use the Meguir's sponge for applying wax, then a microfiber to buff it off. I use microfibers for drying also.

 

[44267547]

First decent video I viewed of the 2019 Bullitt with a start up, slight rev and drive off. After seeing so many pictures and hands on previews, this makes it much more surreal. I was not drawn to the Bullitt in the past and even this new revised model didn’t really appeal to me from pictures at Glance , but the more I see it in the Highland green with the black wheels and all black mesh Grill has changed my perspective dramatically on this Edition. I have posted numerous times in the past, I’m not a proponent of the S550 body style and the _15/16/17_ models look like a Ford fusion from the front, But the 18 year changes that look somewhat, but I would certainly opt for the Bullitt if I was still in the market and had not made my prior two purchases.

Reference the video: The stock exhaust sounds so robust and Burly, even just with a slow drive off.

 

[bunnspecial]

Alright, I drove the MG to work today and figured I'd tackle the headlight switch if I had time.

The biggest struggle was getting it out of the dash, but I finally figured out exactly how it was clipped in and it came out with a bit of wiggling.

Disassembly was straight forward-the rocker switch popped off at the pivot point, and from there everything just pulled out.

There wasn't anything obviously wrong with the switch contacts aside from being dirty and greasy

So, I figured I'd give them a good cleaning and go from there.

My stock of carbon tet is getting low, so I went for another great electronics cleaner-chloroform. In any case, I worked some into the contacts with an acid brush and got them relatively clean(er). Since they were all riveted in place, I couldn't get under them to inspect and clean them as well as I would like.

Still, though, after a few minutes of work I had this.

Once I figured out the ins and outs of how it went back together, it bench tested fine. During lunch, I hooked it back up and everything worked just as it should.

As a side note, one of the rivets was loose and I didn't have a good way to tighten it up at work. I thought I'd try soldering it. Unfortunately, apparently my soldering station got wind of the fact that I was working on a Lucas product. I heard a pop and saw the magic smoke coming out of the temperature controller-after that the iron wouldn't heat. Fortunately, the loose contact(which might have been my original problem...)was internally connected to the one next to it, so I just used the other.

Now I need to bump the relay project up to higher priority.

 

[0388631]

My current creeper ad is about shop vacs

Anything good? I need a new one. I keep fixing my old one but it's still dying. I don't feel too confident in the new stuff. I know price isn't always relative to quality, but $90 shop vacs seem cheap to me.
[doublepost=1524184357][/doublepost]

For those of you who wash&wax your own cars, what products do you use? Mitts, soap, chamois, wax, claybars, etc (Links to amazon would be great).

Mitts versus sponge depends on the person. I'm not a fan of chamois. I don't think they tuck in dirt as well as a quality sponge or mitt and releases as easily when you dunk it in. Waxes and coating are dependent on budget and time. I'm one of a few people I know who bother doing their own ceramic coatings. On the other hand, a very high quality wax will get the job done. As far as brands go, some brands make great and bad products. You just need to read reviews and see befores and afters of vehicles that have the same color as yours. I buy clay bars when they go on sale. I'll buy anywhere from 10-20 and keep them locked in an airtight container. Clay sponges are pretty good, too. I use them on hard to read or curves areas such as lower bumpers because they're easier to handle.

I'd suggest comparing prices on Amazon to a site like AutoGeek and see which comes out cheaper and order from there. AutoGeek runs specials from time to time, they have brilliant customer support, forum, package deals, specialty tools, etc.


Generally, for a quick wash, I go double bucket, pre-rinse, foam soak, rinse, wash, rinse, another rinse if there's some soap left.

 

[44267547]

I found a decent tire product recommended from another member on a car Vlog I frequent. It’s called “CoverAll”, it looks generic, but the _results_ are not. I primarily have tried every type of tire shine product available on the market and they all produce usually the same result. But what is unique about this product, is that it doesn’t leave any oily residue that some other tire shines do, which can be a problem that attracts dirt, which adheres to the tires. Typical problems with other tire shines is that They have a thicker residue, which when Applied, they sling remnants on to the paint of the vehicle when driving. (Which is another reason I refuse to allow any dealership detail my car because of reasons above, and One of side passions is detailing my cars to an extreme.)

A few light coats of this and it dries fairly well, and it lasts long enough where it won’t fade quickly, with no dripping. Also, depending if your car sits outside in the sun a lot, this can at least help some prevention against tire discoloration.

 

[0388631]

Yep. Used it before. Not bad at all for tires.

 

[bunnspecial]

Stoner makes the best glass cleaner I've ever used.

Their glass cleaner makes the glass like...invisible...man. It's almost like you can put your hand through it-it's totally like it's just not there.

(in all seriousness, I was in Autozone a number of years back and asked for the best glass cleaner they sell. They pointed me to the generic looking can of Stoner Invisible Glass, and sure enough I haven't wanted to use anything else since then).

 

[0388631]

Their glass cleaner makes the glass like...invisible...man. It's almost like you can put your hand through it-it's totally like it's just not there.

(in all seriousness, I was in Autozone a number of years back and asked for the best glass cleaner they sell. They pointed me to the generic looking can of Stoner Invisible Glass, and sure enough I haven't wanted to use anything else since then).

Sorry, Ben. I edited out that part because I rambled.

I don't really remember how I came across Stoner's myself. Spray Away is decent, too.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Their glass cleaner makes the glass like...invisible...man. It's almost like you can put your hand through it-it's totally like it's just not there.

(in all seriousness, I was in Autozone a number of years back and asked for the best glass cleaner they sell. They pointed me to the generic looking can of Stoner Invisible Glass, and sure enough I haven't wanted to use anything else since then).

But what do you use it with? Whatever I've tried I get smears or cloth residue. Even lens cloths.

 

[bunnspecial]

But what do you use it with? Whatever I've tried I get smears or cloth residue. Even lens cloths.

Newspaper

 

[0388631]

Microfiber is my choice. There are special paper towels made for the automotive sector to clean up oil spills. Those work great if you can find the correct grade.

Edit: I went ahead and checked for you. If you've got a Halfords near you, they sell them. It's called Scott Shop Towel. They come in different grades. The thickest version is the best, IMO, but the very thin ones are easier to use on glass.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Microfiber is my choice. There are special paper towels made for the automotive sector to clean up oil spills. Those work great if you can find the correct grade.

Edit: I went ahead and checked for you. If you've got a Halfords near you, they sell them. It's called Scott Shop Towel. They come in different grades. The thickest version is the best, IMO, but the very thin ones are easier to use on glass.

I do have a Halfords down the road. I'll check them out, thanks.
[doublepost=1524251311][/doublepost]

Newspaper

I remember those!

 

[bunnspecial]

The blue Scotch auto towels do work well. I keep a roll in the trunk of every vehicle for this or that, but they definitely work well for cleaning the windshield.

The theory I've heard for years on newspaper is that the ink can help fill in tiny pits in the glass and give the windshield a nice, smooth look. I don't know how true that is, but it's my standard go-to and works well. Blank newsprint does work also, but I'd rather have printed newspapers.

Also, don't undervalue waxing your windshield. It has the same effect as Rain-X, but in my experience lasts a LOT longer and also makes it easy to keep clean.

 

[0388631]

Yep. Doing a clay of the windshield also helps get rid of gunk. I used to buy the boxes with a few hundred rags in them. Which were nothing but excess cloth from clothing factories. I think most people have switched over to using Scott or similar products.

 

[D.T.]

I'll follow up in a bit with some polish products, but just an FYI, there are some expensive, boutique products, some are good, some aren't (they're just expensive and have way overstated claims), you could get a set of modern products from the big vendors like Meguiar's and be more than happy (but I'll add my $0.02 later anyway ...)

@hawkeye_a

Post-wash detailing doesn't have to be all that complicated (and obv. not after every wash ...), there are some inexpensive, modern products that are outstanding, easy to apply and remove, terrific results.

So a full on detailing might look something like this: claybar > polishing compound > polish > wax/finisher

Claybar and polishing compound you don't really have to do every time, they're an extended prep/cleaning type process. Claybar is, well, a bar of clay Basically you apply a little soapy water and rub it on the paint to remove deposits, it's great for nasty stains and embedded crap on the surface. Polishing compound accomplishes some of the same - with products, it's about how much much abrasiveness, more the deeper they "cut", so they can remove a blemish, but they're also removing some clearcoat. You'd almost never want to go at your paint with a rubbing compound, that's a serious process - I'd also suggest not using power tools unless you have a donor car to practice on

I tend to claybar and/or use polishing compound as needed.

OK, so polishing, or waxing? Polishing cleans and slightly cuts back the clear coat so the "natural" luster comes through, where a wax is a coating that kind of amplifies the optics (and can fill in scratches). Most modern paint should be polished, unless you specifically want to "treat" it, and wax generally requires a good bit more effort, some require a curing process (apply, dry, remove, repeat, in warm temps). That being said: there are products that do both (a polish + wax or "sealer"), the terms polish and wax are interchanged, there are multi stage polishes that use like an activator - and this whole product category is like a holy war


Here's what I'd get, unless you have a ton of haze/oxidizing/blemishes:

Meguiar's G19216 (polishing/wax prep) for a light compound + polishing

http://a.co/emcdxQW


Meguiar's G18216 (wax) finish and seal and increase the optics (after the 19216)

http://a.co/cZUIyTN


Goes on super easy, comes off the same. Then for a little "touch up" between full on detailing with the above products:


Meguiar's G14422 ("quik" detailer), tops off the wax, enhances protection and shine between detailing, I carry this and some microfiber cloths to car shows

http://a.co/e6tq4LZ


Speaking off, again, I'd turn to Chem Guys for products:


Applicator pads for polish and wax (these are nice, sponge covered with microfiber):

http://a.co/5vvrfAT


Good Microfiber towels for removing product, polishing, use with Quik Detailer:

http://a.co/5qP9OXi


All that might set you back $60-70, and it'll last for some time, it's all easy to find through Amazon, local car parts stores, Wallymarts (though I'd avoid microfiber products from anywhere other than known suppliers like Chemical Guys).

You can probably even find this as a kit of some sort, save money and/or get some additional products.

 

[44267547]

As someone else alluded to, Stoner is an excellent product. Its undermined that many don’t know about amongst the other “Name Brands.” . They manufacture regular Invisible Glass as others are aware of in here, but I actually use Invisible Glass with the ‘rain repellent’ versus regular Invisible Glass, which provides the similar effects as Rain-X does. It also does _not_ use any additives that streak the glass or ammonia . This is a great little company based out of Pennsylvania and I have used this Product for years. Highly recommend.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Just given my car a wash.

My standard routine is pressure washer and two bucket method.
I use a microfibre 'sponge' with little bits that hang down. Something like this.

The idea being the dirt goes between the fibres rather than scratching the paint work.

Rinse in the other bucket.
I use a car shampoo with added wax. Turtle wax is the brand.

Then rinse and dry with microfibre towel.