What was your most interesting recent non solar project?

[HowlerMonkey]

Much easier using the smaller thread wideband and without removal nightmares.

It's a 280zx turbo engine in an infiniti M30 that is running on a sequential V-6 engine management system that has the ability to trim fuel in stock form.

I was moving and it had to go so I gave it to someone who would appreciate it.

I'm actually working on the replacement of that downpipe using a smooth radius that is 45 degrees and another one after it to straight it out.

I'm finalizing the injector location using a diesel maxima intake for the new engine.

 

[Chispas]

It might be $15k to buy, but it is still a $120k car to maintain.. That is why I got rid of mine. I was offered $3k for a trade-in in 2015.

Thats what I keep saying when I try & talk folks out of buying old Bimmers, Mercs & Audis. Its the old saying, nothing as expensive as a cheap Mercedes.

 

[Chispas]

Still, with both, sometimes I want to tear my hair out with some of the "engineering" decisions these companies made...

I think every engineer should be forced to disassemble and reassemble everything they designed 20 times.

Its not the engineers, its the accountants. I had a mid 90s Audi & the whole car was galvanized before paint at the factory. The headlight was modular, you could buy the glass, reflector or casing as a separate spare part. The whole thing felt like it was built like a tank but weighed less than 1400kg.

 

[Crowz]

Don't you think engineers were not involved in the idea to remove the cab on a Ford truck to service the engine?

That was done to be able to swap engines out via their contract with navistar. Remember they didn't make the engine

Also that didn't start until the 6.0 and one look under the hood you know WHY it was needed !

 

[jimf909]

Its not the engineers, its the accountants.

That's exactly what I was going to say. Add to the mix the pure evil from the marketing department and bad decisions are made repeatedly.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

On the topic of cars, go outside to find my truck's battery is clapped out, I hadn't driven it in a while and I guess I have a parasitic drain or maybe the battery just had a cell fail. Won't charge above 10ish volts so I went ahead and thankfully got it warrantied. Apparently Advance Auto still does full replacement warranties and not pro-rated, so it didn't cost me anything other than a trip there.

Then I notice my car has a dead flat. The tires are pretty clapped on it anyways and it needs new TPMS on all four, so I guess it's finally time to replace them. I actually have an entire brake kit for the car, calipers, rotors, pads, stainless steel flexible lines to run from the hard lines to the calipers... Yeah that's all sitting on the shelf to-do... The fun car is the last in line.

Don't have enough hours in the day...

Edit: Guess I should mention the actual car since I haven't, it's a Nissan 350Z, so the fun car, not the work truck or the daily driver SUV.

 

[PreciseD]

On the topic of cars, go outside to find my truck's battery is clapped out, I hadn't driven it in a while and I guess I have a parasitic drain or maybe the battery just had a cell fail. Won't charge above 10ish volts so I went ahead and thankfully got it warrantied. Apparently Advance Auto still does full replacement warranties and not pro-rated, so it didn't cost me anything other than a trip there.

Then I notice my car has a dead flat. The tires are pretty clapped on it anyways and it needs new TPMS on all four, so I guess it's finally time to replace them. I actually have an entire brake kit for the car, calipers, rotors, pads, stainless steel flexible lines to run from the hard lines to the calipers... Yeah that's all sitting on the shelf to-do... The fun car is the last in line.

Don't have enough hours in the day...

Edit: Guess I should mention the actual car since I haven't, it's a Nissan 350Z, so the fun car, not the work truck or the daily driver SUV.

I had a '04 G35 sedan with a few performance upgrades (manifold spacer, intake, exhaust, and tune). It was a blast to drive, so I get the 350Z being your fun car. I used to canyon-carve on the Angeles Crest Highway with that thing to get the blood flowing...

 

[Chispas]

That's exactly what I was going to say. Add to the mix the pure evil from the marketing department and bad decisions are made repeatedly.

But they are good decisions for the shareholders

 

[PreppenWolf]

My other business is CNC/Waterjet service and repair. Customer in OH had a main busbar meltdown. It did damage to 7 pieces of equipment. On the waterjet it nuked two Yaskawa servo drives. Machine is back in service.

 

[fatjay]

New chicken coop/brooder for the incoming hatchlings.

6 holes done, posts in, concrete set, 2x4's topped and 3/4 PT plywood down.

front wall done, one of the side wall templates ready for cut.

 

[Dagoth Ur Does Solar]

Okay, well, I jinxed it.

I was outside doing a very small project, not even interesting, just installing an in-use weather rated receptacle cover on an outlet on the outside of my shop.

I had to run inside, grab something, come back out to finish the job. I finish, head back to the house, and see that the storm door I had left open has blown off the hinges (irony?) and has crashed into my 350Z and left some big dents and scratches in the rear hatch.



I guess maybe my next big project will be buying a paint tent and gear... I don't even want to know what somewhere will charge me to fix this.

When I had my truck's tailgate and bumper replaced by an insurance claim, they billed out something crazy like close to $5000 to the insurance company. No wonder these paint and body places only do insurance work.

 

[fatjay]

That really sucks. I called a couple shops about my peaking roof on my jaguar, and they said they only do insurance work. I assumed it was so they could bill top dollar. Everything's a scam these days.

I did a paint job myself on my tractor a few years back. It came out very well, but it did not last, after 5 years it started pealing. And that primer coat was supposed to stick to anything.

 

[Crowz]

That really sucks. I called a couple shops about my peaking roof on my jaguar, and they said they only do insurance work. I assumed it was so they could bill top dollar. Everything's a scam these days.

I did a paint job myself on my tractor a few years back. It came out very well, but it did not last, after 5 years it started pealing. And that primer coat was supposed to stick to anything.

Ive got the same excursion and same color too !

 

[Crowz]

Well I smoked hamburger steaks tonight. Was going to take pictures since they look soooo good. Problem was I was so hungry after making them I forgot to take the pics

Tasted good though !

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Okay, well, I jinxed it.

I was outside doing a very small project, not even interesting, just installing an in-use weather rated receptacle cover on an outlet on the outside of my shop.

I had to run inside, grab something, come back out to finish the job. I finish, head back to the house, and see that the storm door I had left open has blown off the hinges (irony?) and has crashed into my 350Z and left some big dents and scratches in the rear hatch.

View attachment 282728

I guess maybe my next big project will be buying a paint tent and gear... I don't even want to know what somewhere will charge me to fix this.

When I had my truck's tailgate and bumper replaced by an insurance claim, they billed out something crazy like close to $5000 to the insurance company. No wonder these paint and body places only do insurance work.

immediately go in from the backside and use dry ice on the outside and pressure from the inside. the longer you wiat the harder it is. sheetmetal has "memory" the longer it sits in that position the more resistant to returning to its original shape it will have.. do some research and move quickly... I hate seeing a car go down.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

OK so I am one of those people who have lived an interesting life... part of that was running a custom car shop in Hayama for 5 years prior to going to work on the base.... so I have done a lot of body work.

rattle can primer is generally not an etching primer, this means you need to sand every square mm or surface done to 600 grit level to get the correct profile for the rattle can primer to stick and not peal. while I think it is now illegal in California, two part polyurethane, or two part enamel will be your toughest coatings. (something new could have came out, I am 25 years out of that business... though i do paint all of my own cars and trucks.
its easy to make a good 20 footer, its hard to make a good 3 footer... so it depends upon your intended use... pebble beach... you have your work cut out for you, something for the son or daughter to cruise with on the weekends... make it a good 20 footer and call it a day.

surfacer primer: its is a combination of acid etchinig primer and a super thick coat (in comparison to paint) of surfacer. it allows for blocksanding my advice primer only on the bottom coat and reapply anytime you see steel by itself. then alternating coats of grey and red surfacer... it allows for contrast so its easy to see dips, then a final base coat of primer on top of that once all block sanding is done. this final coat of primer will be determined by the final color you are painting. then base coat(s), top coat, and finally clear.

 

[fatjay]

Incubator came.

Finished the walls. 4' in the front, and whatever that size of wood I had laying around in the back.

 

[PreciseD]

Okay, well, I jinxed it.

I was outside doing a very small project, not even interesting, just installing an in-use weather rated receptacle cover on an outlet on the outside of my shop.

I had to run inside, grab something, come back out to finish the job. I finish, head back to the house, and see that the storm door I had left open has blown off the hinges (irony?) and has crashed into my 350Z and left some big dents and scratches in the rear hatch.

View attachment 282728

I guess maybe my next big project will be buying a paint tent and gear... I don't even want to know what somewhere will charge me to fix this.

When I had my truck's tailgate and bumper replaced by an insurance claim, they billed out something crazy like close to $5000 to the insurance company. No wonder these paint and body places only do insurance work.

Get it PDR'd (paintless dent removal). Its Amazing how large of a dent they can fix. It looks like thats just paint trasfer from your white screen door, if so, it will come off with a little lacquer thinner on a rag. A little goes a long way.

 

[littleharbor2]

That really sucks. I called a couple shops about my peaking roof on my jaguar, and they said they only do insurance work. I assumed it was so they could bill top dollar. Everything's a scam these days.

I did a paint job myself on my tractor a few years back. It came out very well, but it did not last, after 5 years it started pealing. And that primer coat was supposed to stick to anything.

I used some trick self-etching primer on some aluminum diamond plate on my Jeep one time and it did not work at all I might as well have used flour and water as a primer for as poorly as that self-etching primer stuck

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I used some trick self-etching primer on some aluminum diamond plate on my Jeep one time and it did not work at all I might as well have used flour and water as a primer for as poorly as that self-etching primer stuck

Aluminum you do not etch you use an adhesive coat that is specifically designed for aluminum, they ahve the same thing specifically for stainless steel. not sure what they call it in the US but her it was called in japanese, "Michuku Binder". but to be honest it only holds for a period fo time depending upon the use of the item thats painted. I have seen it last decades, and seen it last months especially on mud trucks and buggies.

 

[PreciseD]

Profiling (sanding, keying, etc.) is the key to a good bond, but that is not the only step. Solvent wipe-downs are required, and the chemical will be different depending on the surface. After that, make sure the part is completely dry and free of dirt by using compressed air and a tack cloth. After that step comes the primer, and there are specific primers for the material you are working with. Don't buy cheap stuff from the box stores; look for brands like PAR and SEM, which are used at professional body shops.

When I worked for Honda painting cars we would do the following: Prep surface with 320 dry, use a self etch primer on bare metal and let flash, add a high build primer and let fully cure, block with 400 (flatness) and hand sand up to 600 (blending sand), clean area with solvent, wash the car and blow it dry. Put it in the paint booth tack cloth it and primer again with a valueshade primer (7 different shades of primer for different base colors) and let that flash, lay down base coat and let dry, spot block with 800 (sand), wipe with tack cloth, spray more base and let flash, wipe with tack cloth again and apply 2-3 coats of clear.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Profiling (sanding, keying, etc.) is the key to a good bond, but that is not the only step. Solvent wipe-downs are required, and the chemical will be different depending on the surface. After that, make sure the part is completely dry and free of dirt by using compressed air and a tack cloth. After that step comes the primer, and there are specific primers for the material you are working with. Don't buy cheap stuff from the box stores; look for brands like PAR and SEM, which are used at professional body shops.

When I worked for Honda painting cars we would do the following: Prep surface with 320 dry, use a self etch primer on bare metal and let flash, add a high build primer and let fully cure, block with 400 (flatness) and hand sand up to 600 (blending sand), clean area with solvent, wash the car and blow it dry. Put it in the paint booth tack cloth it and primer again with a valueshade primer (7 different shades of primer for different base colors) and let that flash, lay down base coat and let dry, spot block with 800 (sand), wipe with tack cloth, spray more base and let flash, wipe with tack cloth again and apply 2-3 coats of clear.

i agree with steel, and stainless all though with Stainless you also need to use a binder... otherwise nothing will adhere. with aluminum it immediately flash corrode if you sand it and you will be fighting corrosion from jump street, hence binder only.

 

[PreciseD]

i agree with steel, and stainless all though with Stainless you also need to use a binder... otherwise nothing will adhere. with aluminum it immediately flash corrode if you sand it and you will be fighting corrosion from jump street, hence binder only.

There are etch primers now for aluminum which are really good and used by automotive manufacturers. Usually stainless gets epoxy primers and top coats. I work in the piping field now and we have clients that want their 304 or 316 pipe primmed or tri-coated before it's insulated and we follow the ASTM D5894 standards.

Are you using or did you use Mil Spec before? I know thats a whole different animal..

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

There are etch primers now for aluminum which are really good and used by automotive manufacturers. Usually stainless gets epoxy primers and top coats. I work in the piping field now and we have clients that want their 304 or 316 pipe primmed or tri-coated before it's insulated and we follow the ASTM D5894 standards.

Are you using or did you use Mil Spec before? I know tgats a whole different animal..

no i was running a custom car shop out in hayama building show cars but this was in the early to mid 90's so everything has changed massively I know... so not being in that business anymore I am definitely "behind the times" on it.

so how do they deal with the flash corrosion on aluminum? just curious as I have some projects coming up in the near future which could benefit from any knowledge you have.

 

[PreciseD]

no i was running a custom car shop out in hayama building show cars but this was in the early to mid 90's so everything has changed massively I know... so not being in that business anymore I am definitely "behind the times" on it.

so how do they deal with the flash corrosion on aluminum? just curious as I have some projects coming up in the near future which could benefit from any knowledge you have.

Honestly, I've not heard that term before. I only know of flash rust when wet blasing CS. I've been out of the auto game for 23 years, just do my own shit now. That said, I do have a coating specialist at my engineering firm and I can ask him about the flash corrosion of aluminum.