Category Archives: Engine Mods

A Word about Windshields – Quality, Installation and Insurance Part 2

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I’m going to ruin the ending, but I did end up with a quality install on my wife’s Lexus with quality glass.

Thanks reading.

Tim…………………Ok…just kidding.

The ordeal continued when I told the shoddy installer that I didn’t want them to return and remove the fun house mirror from the font of the Lexus.  This prompted several calls back to my insurance company.  For about two hours I telephonically  (that might not be a word!!!) climbed the corporate ladder  until I got to the “Head of Corporate Glass” (that was  the exact title…).

The individual I spoke to, listened to my story, including the intentional installation of faulty mirror support, and assured me the concern would be taken seriously.  That part went well and the next part was even better, but first have to set it up a bit.

It seems that when the previous windshield was installed I was authorized the original glass because the car was under 3 years old.  That was their policy.  However, since the car was over 3 years old this time, they would not authorize the original glass, unless…I paid a difference of $800.00. (More on the price of glass  in a bit later.)

So I was surprise when the  ‘Head of Corporate Glass’ (I hear this in a booming God-like voice, like when God spoke to Charlton Heston in the famous movie “Mose and the 10 Commandments”) say, “We’ll wave the $800.00 and authorize you original glass.”   I won…I won…I beat the evil insurance company!!!…Oh hold the proverbial horses…the round-up wasn’t exactly over.

She next told me I had to have the same installer put in this ‘quality glass’.   Oh…the horses have stopped.  I did not agree and she insisted, stating that because of the warranty they (the insurance company) had with Mr. Shoddy Glass Inc.  it was required to have them re-install the new piece.   I said that I should have the right to have anyone  put it in and that whatever agreement they (the insurance company) had with them (Mr. Shoddy Glass Inc.) wasn’t my problem.  I also mentioned again their total disregard for the safety and quality which should concern them (the insurance company….ok…do I have to keep lawyer-ing up here?….actually I just want to see how annoying I could be!!!…I sure someone will let me know.)  and they would have paid a lot more if the swinging mirror resulted in an accident.  She still insisted and I asked to be moved up a rung in the corporate ladder and she said there wasn’t a next rung.  I said no again and she said ok.  Ok…let the horses go because this was a complete victory!!!! Score a point for the down trodden masses!!!!

Almost…..it took nearly 3 weeks to get the new glass.  The  first company I selected said they couldn’t order the windshield.  I said, sure you can.  A few day later, they said we can’t find the glass to order.  I called the dealership and got  the part number and even how long it would take to get in (two days).  I gave the installer the information.  One week later still no windshield.  I called the installer back and found that they called the insurance company and someone a bit lower than ‘Head of Corporate Glass’ unauthorized original glass.

So another call to ‘Head of Corporate Glass’ .  I wasn’t able to talk to HER (get it..all caps???)  but the lady I did talk to found the note from  HER and said sure, no problem.  I said “Hold your horses, missy”.  And with that we telephonically (it’ll be a real word when I done with this article!!!) found the guy that “de-authorized” my original glass and while we are all   conference together, had him talk to a 3rd installer and tell them I was authorized… with everybody on the line as witnesses.   Ok…party hat time and no can’t you get back time it took you to read this!!!!

There was one more interesting revelation when I compared the prices of the glass provided by Mr. Shoddy installer, my insurance company preferred vendor,  paid for the glass and what Mr. Speedy (yup that’s what Mr. We Know What We Are Doing installer is officially known as) paid for original.  I know why Mr. Shoddy was preferred.  See below:

Mr. Speedy –  $1350  for original Glass

Mr. Shoddy – $252 for OME glass (There was no extra charge the fun house entertainment.)

Thanks for reading and drop me a note.

Tim

A Word about Windshields – Quality, Installation and Insurance Part 1

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Windshields are important.  Quality glass is the key and proper installation is a must.

I’ve had at lot of windshields replaced, in my ’70 Mustang, the ’84 Vette I use to own (never thought I’d be saying that) and just about any my wife and I have owned.

With all that new glass came a wide range quality glass and the service.   I can sum most of it up in on word, shoddy!!!

It is hard to find someone to do the older cars properly and we’ve even had really horrible installation service.  Let me share some problems and a few things to do when you are dealing with what should be a non-eventful event.

The problems we’ve in countered in the first round were shoddy installation and glass that when you looked through it, you got the impression you were in a mobile carnival fun house.  This was a replacement of a windshield for our Nissan Maxima we owned a few years ago.  Not only was the glass distorted, but the when the installation was done, there was glass everywhere and there was a strange whistle.  Recalled the installers and they came back and replaced the glass a second time.  The second windshield fix was merely a repair not a replacement.  This where they fill the chip or small crack.  This was so horrible done, that the windshield wiper would skip when it hit the spot that was repaired.

Next up was a replacement for the ’84 Vette.  After going through problems with the Maxima, I decided to check out the glass before it installed.  The windshield that was brought was fun house quality again.  I sent it back and did a little research and then had them order Pilkington glass.  This was much better quality, but during the installation the failed to have the proper weather-stripping.  Once that was found, it was installed.  During the installation the installers broke off the plastic connectors for the windshield washer line, which they promised to replace, but never did.  Oh and the windshield leaked.  So I replaced the windshield washer line connector and re-accomplished the weather striping.

Next up was the Mustang.  On the way home from a car show a rock flew from the rear tire of the car in front cracked the windshield.  Well I learned enough that I wasn’t going to let just anyone put the class in.  I researched and found the proper quality glass and ordered it from a Mustang parts supply house.  I had in shipped to a body shop with guys I knew, why?  Because the clips that hold the glass in and the clips that hold the chrome molding were not something you want a the run of the mill glass installer do.  Plus I could help put it in.   This was a very successful install.

Recently my wife’s Lexus picked up a pretty good crack.  This would be the second windshield in 14 months for the this car.  After the lessons from above we called the dealership and found they had a recommended installer.  Now….here’s where the insurance company comes into play.  Every insurance company has “preferred” installers, but they can’t necessarily dictate where you get the car fixed.  We won that one.  Additionally my insurance company will authorize original factory class when the cars is under 3 years old.  Another win!!!!  Oh..don’t worry, the next install balanced out the good fortune of the first.

Three months ago a rock again introduced it’s self to the Lexus’ windshield.  But this time the car was deemed “too old” (just over 3 years old) by our insurance company for original factory glass.  We were only authorized to put in OEM.  Ok there is where a little  clarification is necessary.

Now folks will debate me and that’s fine, but the definitions I’m about to share, are from years of ordering and buying parts and that includes glass. I know they will debate, because I just had a round with the glass company for Lexus, and the installer and my insurance company.  All insisted that OEM is original equipment

OEM is not original equipment, it stands for Original Equipment Manufacturing.  It means the parts (or glass) is NOT manufactured by the car manufacturer, but by a company that is in some manner authorized or approved.  There is a difference and in most cases that is quality.  This isn’t a mystery to the car companies that is why they don’t authorize these manufacturers to use their logo.

Lexus logo.

Ok..off the soapbox, on to the  issues with the glass replacement for the Lexus.

First the company came and replaced the glass at my office (yes..I had to leave the Vette at home…..I’m ok…now..though!!!).  Nice enough guy, but three hours later I took the car out to lunch.  The rear view mirror, which on the Lexus has all sorts of stuff on it, temp, compass, auto dim, garage door opener and it even turns on your lights in your house is mounted in on the glass.  Which means that it had to be re-installed with the new windshield.  Half way to my destination, in heavy traffic the mirror fell from the windshield and swung back wild.  It’s about a $250.00 item.  Not to mention it’s dangerous, even more so in heavy traffic.

I call the installer back and he didn’t understand why I would be upset.  Oh and you’ll like this.  He informed me that he and his company knew that the adhesive supplied by the second-rate windshield did hold. It was like rubber cement.  He scraped it off and applied the quality permatex adhesive designed for that just this purpose.  I was taken back to say the least by his matter-of-fact attitude.  And still he could see why I would be upset.

While I was sitting there, ensuring he used the good stuff, I noticed that at the upper edges the glass was con-caved, so much so, that images appeared to be doubled, like a fun house mirror!!!! Totally unacceptable.

I returned to my office and called the installation company directly.  This resulted in a visit from the manager. We discussed the distortion and he agreed and we discussed the mirror and he stated that yes indeed that know this is a frequent occurrence and that there was nothing they could do.  I asked why they didn’t replace the adhesive while installing the glass, if they knew this was that frequent?  He didn’t have an answer for me.  He said he’d go back and look over the other glass for a better one.  I suggested he wait until I contacted the insurance company.

Next up…”The Insurance Company and the Price of Windshields”…or “What a Paint in the Glass”

Thanks for reading.

Tim

A Note About Blogging – Original or Run of the Mill

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In two months I will have been writing this blog for 1 year and I have enjoy every minute of it.

When  you blog like I do, to share a specific area of interest, you are always trying to increase readership.  Now if this were a commercial enterprise for me, then increasing my readership would be Job One. (Come on, which car company’s slogan was that?  If Ford jumped into your head that would be correct.) However, it is not, but still I’m always searching for a way to make this blog a place more and more folks want to view.

There are a lots of ways to do that, none of them huge as far as bringing in the masses and some aren’t inexpensive and others are labor intensive. (Guess which one I do…oh…yeah…cheap and labor intensive…Average Guy….say it!!!!……Average Budget!!) While searching for ideas or processes I could take advantage of,  I ran across some helpful hints. One in particular makes sense, namely, keeping the site updated regularly.  This suggestion dictated that it be daily, which is really a good idea.  However, the method it promoted was to jam the blog with other folks news feeds, articles and automatic updates from outside sources.

I thought about this a bit and I tooled around the web and looked at commercial blogs and forums and I realized that everyone had read this particular tip and employed it.  And I thought, I just don’t see the point.  The blog is no longer the owners writings, but really just a reorganization of things floating around on the web.  Nope, not for me.

I still think keeping up the daily effort is the right way to go, but I can’t do it in that manner.

Although I do pop on videos that I think are cool and maybe a link to a forum or another blog,  I’m going to keep the core of this blog full of original material, meaning my own scribblings and occasionally notes from the readership.

The life’s blood of a blog run like I run this one, are comments and readers.  So drop me a note, ask a question, or give me a suggestion  ( I do requests).

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

C6

 

 

Reader’s Pride and Joy His Chrysler LeBaron

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One of my favorite things is to have a reader drop by virtually and tell me about their rides.  I’ve known Bill for 2 or 3 years now. We use to work in the same building and his car is nearly mint. What makes this even better is that Bill wrote up his own narrative.  So I just have to copy and paste.

Take it away Bill.

Hi Tim:

Here are some LeBaron pics. (Pic are below) There are some from back in 2004, and the most recent from Jan 1, 2009 when the car turned over 100K miles. We actually celebrated that day the car’s odometer adding that most significant 1 to 5 zeros.

I bought this car Oct 2nd, 1991 from Celebrity Chrysler Dodge in San Jose, CA. The sales price was a whopping $15,344.15 out the door and no, I did not get any paint protection package, or extended warranty.

I know you won’t believe this, but this has been the very best car I have ever owned. It currently has 110K miles, and has the original water pump, alternator, AC compressor and Freon, fuel pump, master cylinder, and I could go on and on. The transmission was rebuilt a few years back, but otherwise only wear and maintenance items have been replaced. It has been very dependable from day one. I still get 23MPG around town, and lots of ‘thumbs ups’ at red lights.

The top has been replaced in 2004, but the paint is all original. This car has never been in a car wash, nor in an accident-not even a fender bender.

I get asked quite frequently who painted the car, and there is disbelief when I tell them it is original paint. I guess that is testament to the DriWash products and good ol’elbow grease.

This car has lots of memories and by accident has become a member of the family. I enjoyed cruising from San Jose to Santa Barbara along the Pacific Coast Highway 1, a few beautiful evening drives to Lake Tahoe and Reno with the top down, summer trips to Monterey and cruising Pebble Beach and the 17 Mile Drive. One thing going for this car, it is the most fun you will ever have at 35MPH.

The LeBaron convertible was the longest run for the K CAR based derivatives, lasting from 1982 to early model year 1996 when the Sebring came on-line. The original 1982 model was a conversion by ASC, and Chrysler sold out of the entire production run in just three weeks. Lee Iacocca ordered that the 1983 model be built-in house, and Chrysler had tool and dies made to factory build the convertible. It was the ONLY factory built convertible until the late 1980s when the Corvette switched to in-house convertible production. Up until the Miata was introduced, the LeBaron was the number one selling convertible, not only in the USA, but globally.

It is hard to believe that a car so popular died off so quickly. Chalk it up to poor resale value and low-cost (read cheap) Chrysler manufacturing. I still credit the smallest of the Big Three with the return of the convertible, and feel the LeBaron has an ignored legacy.

Bill's LeBaron

The LeBaron at 100k miles

 

This car has the same motor that powered the Mitsubishi 3000 and Dodge Stealth, a 3.0l V6. In K CAR duty, this is a SOHC, 12V motor with a frumpy 147bhp. The transmission is the (infamous) A604 ‘UltraDrive’, which was in its 2nd year in 1991. This was the world’s first electronic valvebody controlled auto trans, and some were so problematic mechanics nicknamed it the ‘a-sick-oh-four’. Mine lasted to 94K miles without an issue other than a flash memory recall. I had it overhauled due to the overdrive clutch worn out.

Thanks Bill…great story!!!

Tim

Auto Factoids for ..Oh..Man..it’s Nov. already!!

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Christmas is coming!!!….oh

We’ve got a couple debuts this week and a couple of birthdays.

11/1/1955 – Studebaker offers the public the Studebaker Hawk.

 

This is the '56 Studebaker Golden Hawk

 

 

 

11/2/1935 – Cord debuts is 810 model and at the same time Ford does the same with its Zephyr – both on the same day????!!!!!

 

1936 Cord 810

1936 Lincoln (Ford) Zephyr

 

 

James Packard was born 11/5/1863  – Founder of the Packard Car company – his company’s first car was 36 years later.

Edsel Ford was born 11/6/1893 – Henry’s kid, oh yeah..there’s was a car brand named after him

Carlo Abarth was born 11/6/1908 – I recently read about Carlo – racer (motorcycles/cars), auto designer linked up at one point with Porsche in Italy.

First Car show at the national level was held on 11/3/1900

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

Auto Factoids No.1 C6 Corvette transmission

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This is a bit of test for my mobile phone (this is how I am posting it) and what will be the new information that I will sharing.  How boring would it be if all I did next year was repeat historical facts again?

So here is a new factoid.
The C6 generation Corvette ‘s automatic transmission weight 195lbs and the manual 6 speed transmission weighs in at only 121 lbs. That is a huge difference!

THANKS FOR READING. 

TIM

Auto Factoid for Week of 10/10/10

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A couple of debuts for this week.

10/12/50 – Kaiser-Fraizer built their 500,000th car – 4 years later they opened up car manufacturing in South America.

 

1950 Kaiser-Frazers

 

 

 

10/13/1902 – Packard Motor Car Co was formed out of the old Ohio Automobile.

 

1902 Packard Run-About

 

 

 

10/15/24 – The original Mr. Government Auto Company Bailout. Mr.Lee Iacocca was born this date.  If that’s all you remember him for, turn your car lover card…this guy rocked it in the car world!!!!  This might change your mind…yea…the Mustang was his baby too.

 

How ya like him now???!!!!!

 

And now for the new arrivals!!!

 

10/14/65 – the Oldsmobile Toronado – a friend of my had one of these when I was in college back in the late 1970’s.  It was my first awareness of a front wheel drive  car.

 

1966 Toronado - Kool factor of 8.5 out of 10.

 

 

And one of my favorites

10/16/58 the Chevy El Camino arrives. Now I’m big fan of those fins!!!  These also spawned  the GMC Sprint and a few other variations.

 

1958 - Fin Heaven

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

 

 

 

Auto Factoids for Week of Oct 3 2010

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A lot happened this week in auto history.

 

10/4/1962 Buick shows off the Riviera

 

 

1963 Buick

 

 

 

10/4/1983 A new land speed record is set by Thrust2 a British jet propelled car.  It was driving by Richard Noble and reached a top speed of 650.88 but the actual record was 633.468 base on the average of two runs within one hour.

Thrust 2 - but ya know..it's a rocket..not a car

 

10/6/1955 – Ford takes is Lincoln Continental to the Paris Car Show

 

1955 Continental

 

 

 

and on the same day ll years later (1966  — so you don’t have to do the math) Cadillac give the world a peak at the Eldorado.

 

1966 Eldorado - Here's a Pink one.

 

 

 

10/8/1959 – Ford introduces the Falcon and thus started a racing legacy. These cars were light and are still round as they make great drag racers.

 

 

1969 Ford Falcon - notice on much the tail lights look like a Maverick's

 

 

10/8 – Two birthdays on this date

1890 Edward Rickenbacker – World I U.S. Fighter ACE, created the Rickenbacker Motor Company which only lasted 7 year before bankrupting him – make the first cars with 4 wheels braking system. Owned the Indianapolis Speedway between the Wars.

 

1922 Rickenbacker Touring Car

 

 

 

1869 Frank Duryea – Created Duryea Motor Wagon Company – first gasoline powered car.

Duryea
Thanks for reading.  Coming up more wrenching tips and the first  installment of the next engine series featuring Chevy’s 283 power plant.
Tim

Racing in America – Henry Ford Foundation

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Some of you know I don’t just write this blog, but participate on other forums as well.

For a little while now, I’ve been writing bi-monthly articles for www.racinginamerica.com site.

Here is some info on the goals of the organization.  No you don’t have to donate, but it is tax deductible.

 

Henry Ford Museum

 

 

 

This section of our website contains information and resources for anyone who might want to better understand this fascinating and complex sport.

Automobile racing is exciting and colorful, and those same qualities make it a stimulating and enticing subject; also conducive to developing knowledge and skills.

Our objective here is to provide both the motivation and the resources for further exploration and education.

The content here will continue to grow as time goes on. It will include more in-depth features on the history, people and innovations of American auto racing. We also will present practical applications of math, physics and science in racing, which provide career opportunities in fields that include design, engineering and a variety of technologies. All this is presented in a way that’s designed to spark interest and stimulate a desire to learn more.

Check in here often to find new opportunities and resources.

As a starting point, we offer these two downloadable Educator DigiKits in pdf format:

Science, Life Skills and Innovations in American Automobile Racing
Educator DigiKit
Teacher Guide and Unit Plan for grades 3-8

Physics, Technology and Engineering in Automobile Racing
Educator DigiKit
Teacher Guide and Unit Plan for grades 9-12

Auto Factoids for week of Sept 26

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9/26/1967  Everyone loves this car  AMC’s Javelin the car was in the public’s hands by 1968.  I loved the body style.

 

1968 Javelin

 

 

10/1/1908 – Mr. Ford began selling is Model T

 

Model T Ford – Rag Top

 

(they were all convertibles!!!…just saying!!!)

 

Oh.. you’ll like this one.

10/2/1959 – Chevy introduces the Corvair.  Believe it or not I’ve seen some of the sale footage and they treated it like a jeep.  Chevy had drivers drive up  embankment, up and down streams with water over the tires.  This gave Ford a scare but it wasn’t until they could put together the Mustang did they really have an answer.

 

1959 Corviar.

My Brother-In-Law’s 1965 Monza…very nice car.

 

Thanks for reading

Tim