What did you do to your non-G body project today? [2023]

[Clone TIE Pilot]

There's a few other factors at play as well. The OEMs aren't designing every single nut and bolt on a car nowadays. A lot of subsystems are contracted out to tier 1 and 2 suppliers. For example. the ABS system comes from Bosch or some other supplier. They're going to require certain inputs for their system to function properly. But they're not going to want to necessarily rely on the hardware from some other supplier. But the CANBUS architecture makes it easy for them to interface to other modules regardless of suppliers.

This architecture also lends itself to a distributed computing model. As someone else already mentioned, it provides a level of increased reliability. If one module fails, it doesn't take the whole car and everything else down with it.

You also have to consider the timing aspect of what these automotive computers are doing. In many cases, these are considered real time computing systems. You know how sometimes your computer or phone kind of has a brain fart and becomes unresponsive for a few seconds? You want that happening with your engine management? Or your brakes?

That is why software bugs are on the rise with new cars. All these modules and software designed by completely different suppliers who don't communicate with each other to help improve compatibility with their components. Often the bugs don't show up until the finished products have racked up a few miles. If a module sits around too long it can loose its software and firmware. Then there are issues with tin whiskers that develop over time too. They just want too much computer control in cars anymore. Things like turn signals don't really need to be computer controlled. In my CVPI, the only lights that aren't computer controlled are the spotlights, even the dome light is computer controlled.

 

[CopperNick]

If Wednesday was water pump day then today was Vintage Parts Day. To be honest I did not expect this item to arrive until sometime in April!! However, I had the Neighbourhood Mail Courier ongo-bongo my door around coffee time and this, in its box, was what she had for me. Surprise!?!?


For the well versed vintage buffs on the board, this is a left-half case for a W Model 45 Cube Flathead. What makes it different or unique from its litter mates is that it cast untitled. There is no boss or provision for one on the exterior surface of the case. This exception tends to indicate that this time may have intended for the HD racing program at some point. As it is in physically very nice shape, it may never have been used in anger as the WR motors, which were based and built on a highly modified version of the 45 case, tended to have very short and violent lives on the race tracks.

And finally, just a couple of shots of one of my other winter projects. Once this rim gets a little more love from the buffing wheel it will receive a new Conti and get hung as the new rear wheel assembly for my vintage HD. Vintage here is relevant as this rim is date coded back to 74.

The intent is to substitute it for the current show piece that I had chromed out in BC 40? years ago. (F***, that long ago! HUH!) Anyway, while it is still as beautiful as the day it came home to me from the chromers, that rim also came home with its beads as smooth and pretty as the rest of it, which translates into an ongoing slow leak of air as these rims run tubeless. Need your Wheaties when you go to move a 700 LB full dresser and the back tire only has about 10 lbs psi in it.



Nick

 

[Hurricane77]

That is why software bugs are on the rise with new cars. All these modules and software designed by completely different suppliers who don't communicate with each other to help improve compatibility with their components. Often the bugs don't show up until the finished products have racked up a few miles. If a module sits around too long it can loose its software and firmware. Then there are issues with tin whiskers that develop over time too. They just want too much computer control in cars anymore. Things like turn signals don't really need to be computer controlled. In my CVPI, the only lights that aren't computer controlled are the spotlights, even the dome light is computer controlled.

Yup. And when stuff goes wrong it can cause symptoms that are seemingly unrelated to the faulty device. I recently had an issue with my truck where the puddle lights on the mirrors were randomly turning on and staying on. Killing my battery. The problem was a switch button in the bed for turning on the bed lights was faulty. But because it all connects back to a small controller in the in cab switch, it was confused and turning on the puddle lights instead.

 

[CopperNick]

So my non G-Body project for today was me going to work for the COTB for the day. This was a prebooked call in so no 0-dark-hundred wake up call to have to deal with, just your basic blue light drive out to the south yard for a few hours of social interaction with operatives from the various field departments. Nothing truly strange or weird to relate, just the typical hodge-podge of insanity, interspersed with long moments of peace and quiet. Made it through and came home for a pizza supper and a major nap attack. Tomorrow will tell how much pain will be the price for today.



Nick

 

[Bonnewagon]

I am one of the few who still swap tires around for Winter/Summer. While doing the GYP I saw that one of the valve stems was swollen. I can't wait for that to fail at the worst possible time so off came the wheel for a stem swap. Rather than drag it to a shop I did it redneck style. I use a bottle jack to pop the bead right at the stem. Then you can just cut out the old stem and slide in a new one. Wire brush the hole, dab a bit of sealer around the hole, and pull it home with a stem tool. Then when you re-seat the bead with compressed air, it is just as it was because you did not disturb the balance. This takes less time than it does to drag it to a shop and only costs the price of a new stem.

 

[Texas82GP]

We did new rotors and pads all the way around my niece's 2013 Impalla today. It has 101k miles on the clock. It might have had a few thousand miles left on the pads but they were pretty thin. The parts were on the bench and today was the right day. We went with Powerstop all the way around. I've had a lot of good luck with their kits. We went with drilled and slotted rotors and a bit more aggressive pad for an upgrade for her. We already recently flushed the brakes so we just pushed the pistons back in. It was a very straight forward project. We recently changed the spark plugs and had the intake valves and ports walnut shell blasted. The hoses, belt, tensioner and idler are new. I think we'll flush the power steering and outsource the transmission flush and we'll call the 100k mile service done.

 

[joesregalproject]

Dad's Mazda CX-5 has been making a clunk noise (again) so I got underneath and found the front left ball joint and the inner tie rod were both loose. Got a new control arm with ball joint and replaced it. I won't have the inner tie rod till Monday.

I feel like I've done an excessive amount of suspension work on this car. I've replaced 4 shocks, rear coils, all of the sway bar links, two front wheel bearings and now this. I think I'm forgetting something else too. It only has 90k miles on it. I'm not sure if it is the car, the way he drives it, or a combination of both.

 

[ck80]

More yesterday than today, but, drove home late after the squall line passed through the route home and played catch-up today...

Did a little bit of shopping at the end of the swap meet. Bought a few cheapo transmission tailshaft plugs for $1 for moving things around. Picked up some GMC 15" rally rims, 5 lug, very nice caps but no bands. For $20 each easy choice after selling 3 sets of chevy ones for $300 each set at the same meet. Got some spare chrome potmetal centercaps for $5 each emwithout pitting. Bought some gmc and chevy dealer repair manuals for trucks, varied from 1947-1978, got about 2 dozen of them, $10 for the pile. Those will fill out the library and be spares. Also got some holiday presents out of the way early, bought some brass wall fixtures to put tapers in with hurricane shields, some sets of various used chisels and no-name rachets for 20 cents each, a price where when they break you dont care.

Probably the best deal of the meet was spending some time talking to a guy at a kirker tent. Got fixed up with 2 gallon cans of single stage green metallic that were surplus of eastwood's color, plus the fixings - reducer, activator, etc, etc. All in there's 10 canisters of goodies in the box, cost me $60 for all of it.

So, one of these days, I'll play with it on the redneck trailers. If I like how the color comes out, maybe I'll paint one of the C10s in it down the road since I've got a whole green interior in mint condition without a home. If nothing else it's ridiculously cheap paint, and, it's not worth spending a lot on paint for a truck that's used as a truck.

 

[86LK]

More yesterday than today, but, drove home late after the squall line passed through the route home and played catch-up today...

Did a little bit of shopping at the end of the swap meet. Bought a few cheapo transmission tailshaft plugs for $1 for moving things around. Picked up some GMC 15" rally rims, 5 lug, very nice caps but no bands. For $20 each easy choice after selling 3 sets of chevy ones for $300 each set at the same meet. Got some spare chrome potmetal centercaps for $5 each emwithout pitting. Bought some gmc and chevy dealer repair manuals for trucks, varied from 1947-1978, got about 2 dozen of them, $10 for the pile. Those will fill out the library and be spares. Also got some holiday presents out of the way early, bought some brass wall fixtures to put tapers in with hurricane shields, some sets of various used chisels and no-name rachets for 20 cents each, a price where when they break you dont care.

Probably the best deal of the meet was spending some time talking to a guy at a kirker tent. Got fixed up with 2 gallon cans of single stage green metallic that were surplus of eastwood's color, plus the fixings - reducer, activator, etc, etc. All in there's 10 canisters of goodies in the box, cost me $60 for all of it.

View attachment 218727

So, one of these days, I'll play with it on the redneck trailers. If I like how the color comes out, maybe I'll paint one of the C10s in it down the road since I've got a whole green interior in mint condition without a home. If nothing else it's ridiculously cheap paint, and, it's not worth spending a lot on paint for a truck that's used as a truck.

yeah, I'll be heading to Pate Swap Meet in 3-1/2 weeks, gonna be looking for all kinds of goodies 👍

 

[ck80]

yeah, I'll be heading to Pate Swap Meet in 3-1/2 weeks, gonna be looking for all kinds of goodies 👍

It was a strange mix this spring out here, much different than last year.

Traffic was up, good as a seller.

Prices were WAY up, good as a seller (I kept mine where I wanted em before and blew out lots of junk.) Except for a handful of guys and places.

You either had guys whose goal was to make money - they didn't sell much - or you had guys who did things the way they always used to - they sold a ton.

I've even got people swinging by the house this week who gave deposits and are picking up parts/paying balances.

Theres a lot of profit to be made at shows this year if you go in reasonable. I've got no idea why there were guys thinking used c10 5-lugs were worth $500 with used rings, pitted caps, and 15 year old tires. I buy em for $100, hit em with 1/3 can of $9 spray paint, and flip em for $300 as fast as I put em together. Meanwhile, same guys are listing the same sets slashing the prices $50/day and taking theirs home?

Had lots of disappointed people try to lowball me, come back a half hour later, and their chosen part was gone though. So, if there's something you want at a decent price, buy it. This year stuff that's priced fair isn't hanging around like usual.

And this was the SLOW meet of the season.