Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Bob Heine's Auto Emporium

[G20-Budo]

Bob,

I'm not sure how I missed this WONDERFUL thread of yours? Probably because I kind of took a break from GJ for a while and am just now kind of getting back to it more. I have really enjoyed your thread. Lots of cool content of all sorts. I really like your storage comments (I really need more of that).

The pics have been great.. from the house, older family pics, the cars, and the detailing.. cool stuff! I really like your detailing cart btw.

Good stuff, keep it coming!

 

[oldironfarmer]

It must be the light

 

[dlcwent]

It must be the light

Sure Andy. That's it. Sure, yep, yep, that's it. It must be the light.

Bob, I couldn't agree with you more. Why go through life being miserable. It's a lot more enjoyable to laugh and find the good in things around you.

 

[shortykorte]

Robert, I ****** if you don't like your name you can always change it.

Thanks Bob, you always know how to brighten one's day, be it your wit or shiny bling. I realize years ago, it's the good times that are worth millions and memories can't be taken from you.

 

[wasfast]

Okay, I'm ready for more stories from the master.

 

[Grumblebum]

Oh dear, away for a few days and come back to catch up on some more humour. Lucky my second coffee of the morning was empty

Until I joined GJ and read through Rick's (55Cadillacking's) thread, I didn't know of the existence of wheel flossers. All these years I'd been using a dustpan brush.

So now I have a Kmart $5 cheapie, but it's too flexible so need to find one more rigid and with firmer bristles.

For the 2 or 3 times I tried golf I concluded that the 7 iron was best as I could normally see where my ball landed and sip on an ale whilst strolling to it where others would be off in the brush looking for theirs

I don't know why but very regularly I get called Rob instead of Rod. Bugs the hell out of me. Always figured it was because I mumbled or something. Then there are those that reply to email addressing me as Rob when quite clearly in my signature of my sent message it says otherwise.

Cheers GB.

 

[oldironfarmer]

Rob: My son's nickname is Rob, or Robby. When he was young he would get sloppy and write Robly, Rolby, or Rolly. So I would refer to him as to the name he ahd written. He was not a happy camper. Now he's 49 and I still call him one of those occasionally. He handles it well, just considers the source.

 

[Lyndon]

Rob/Rod

I always repeat what my grandfather used to say :

"You can call me whatever you want - so long as you don't call me late for dinner". . . . .

So I've gotten used to "Brandan", "Brendan", "Lyndsay", "Lyndell" and "Hey you" (Irene's favourite).

Lyndon
Just sayin'

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob,

I'm not sure how I missed this WONDERFUL thread of yours? Probably because I kind of took a break from GJ for a while and am just now kind of getting back to it more. I have really enjoyed your thread. Lots of cool content of all sorts. I really like your storage comments (I really need more of that).

The pics have been great.. from the house, older family pics, the cars, and the detailing.. cool stuff! I really like your detailing cart btw.

Good stuff, keep it coming!

Kyle, great to have you stop by. I understand completely how life can fill your days. We harvested a couple of dozen dragon fruit a month or two back. I think our yard is getting out of control. When a tree gets to a certain point all you can do is watch (or hire a fearless tree trimmer).

It must be the light

Yeah Andy, dirt always shines in the right light!

Sure Andy. That's it. Sure, yep, yep, that's it. It must be the light.

Bob, I couldn't agree with you more. Why go through life being miserable. It's a lot more enjoyable to laugh and find the good in things around you.

Dan, I think it's the way you're wired. Ground can be connected to the Plus or Minus side (or maybe it's just some circuits being shorted).

Robert, I ****** if you don't like your name you can always change it.

Thanks Bob, you always know how to brighten one's day, be it your wit or shiny bling. I realize years ago, it's the good times that are worth millions and memories can't be taken from you.

Stewart, my CB handle was Lefty but not everyone thought it was funny. Thanks for the kind words and I'm writing this stuff down before I forget....

Okay, I'm ready for more stories from the master.

Wasfast, I'm going to get back to Mexico one of these days. Thanks for hanging out with me. I know you haven't posted on your own thread for a while but you have a nice little piece of heaven to build your instruments.

Oh dear, away for a few days and come back to catch up on some more humour. Lucky my second coffee of the morning was empty

Until I joined GJ and read through Rick's (55Cadillacking's) thread, I didn't know of the existence of wheel flossers. All these years I'd been using a dustpan brush.

So now I have a Kmart $5 cheapie, but it's too flexible so need to find one more rigid and with firmer bristles.

For the 2 or 3 times I tried golf I concluded that the 7 iron was best as I could normally see where my ball landed and sip on an ale whilst strolling to it where others would be off in the brush looking for theirs

I don't know why but very regularly I get called Rob instead of Rod. Bugs the hell out of me. Always figured it was because I mumbled or something. Then there are those that reply to email addressing me as Rob when quite clearly in my signature of my sent message it says otherwise.

Cheers GB.

Rod, I actually have a cheat sheet in my Geezer book. It has GJ Name, Real Name, Spouse Name and Location information. I found I needed it because signatures and other information disappears when you quote someone's post. I also have a horrible memory for names. I call my wife "Dear" just so I don't stumble over her actual name.

Rob: My son's nickname is Rob, or Robby. When he was young he would get sloppy and write Robly, Rolby, or Rolly. So I would refer to him as to the name he ahd written. He was not a happy camper. Now he's 49 and I still call him one of those occasionally. He handles it well, just considers the source.

Andy, I tortured my children in innumerable ways. I think it prepares them for the real world. I worry about children raised with love and respect who expect to be treated that way by teachers and students at school and later at work.

Rob/Rod

I always repeat what my grandfather used to say :

"You can call me whatever you want - so long as you don't call me late for dinner". . . . .

So I've gotten used to "Brandan", "Brendan", "Lyndsay", "Lyndell" and "Hey you" (Irene's favourite).

Lyndon
Just sayin'

Landon, Irene is so respectful of you.

Liane frequently speaks in kind and loving tones. When I reply it turns out she was talking to the dog. It's confusing because she doesn't use a name when she asks "Is there more coffee?" or "What's for dinner?" I've learned when she says "Do you want to go out?" -- you don't shower, shave, brush your teeth and put on fresh clothes.

 

[Bob Heine]

Last Wednesday (10/26/16) I decided it was time to replace the brake pads on the PT Cruiser (45.000 miles). Two years ago the mechanic at a tire store told me they were down to the metal. The wear indicators weren't making noise so I decided to postpone the job. I did order new rotors and pads online so I would be ready when the brakes started making noise.

Because the car is equipped with a factory turbo, I ordered "Turbo" rotors. I did a quick comparison when the new rotors arrived and they are thicker than the ones I'm replacing -- a lot thicker. Turns out the rotors are for calipers marked TURBO. Well, as long as I'm ordering calipers (with larger mounting brackets) I may as well order braided lines as well.

About the same time I bought the new calipers, I broke one of the wheel studs. I decided to order 10 new studs just to be safe. I carefully put them away in a safe place -- a place that escapes me now. I checked all the boxes, cabinets, tables and parts drawers I could find and no luck. I'm sure they'll turn up ten minutes after I finish the brakes but I broke down and ordered one stud from the local auto supply store.

I'm ready to go! I have my new super low profile 100-pound 2-ton floor jack and a pair of jackstands. Note the black hole in the wheel -- missing lug nut.

After removing the lug nuts and wheel, I removed the flexible line and caliper bracket. After removing a clip from one of the studs, a few hammer taps had the rotor off and the broken stud ready to come out.

Even though I've lived in Florida for more than 40 years, the 32 I spent in New York still haunt me. I expect everything to rust. I've owned this car for 12 years so I expected to need a 20 ton press and an oxy-acetylene cutting torch to remove the stud. I decided to try my air hammer first. And it may not be obvious but the shiny new caliper has a much wider opening than the dirty old one.

I had a moment of clarity and got my modest-size ball peen hammer, gave the stud three taps and it came out! That's when I notice there isn't enough clearance to get the old one out, let alone the new one in. I start unbolting the front axle and brought out the gear puller when I had another moment of clarity. I have the damn shop manual. A manual -- isn't that what I used to write for a living?

I had to access the shop manual on the computer -- it's not a printed book. Turns out the engineers actually made allowance for the easy removal of the studs. There's a notch on one side of the bearing retainer...

I'm a roll -- for about 5 minutes. I put the stud from the auto supply store in the hole and it slips in with no effort at all. I can spin it in the hole. I went back in the garage, got out the (digital) calipers and sure enough the knurled part of the stud is much smaller than the broken one I pulled out.

The parts store had asked me if my car was a Turbo when I ordered the stud so I asked if they had a different one listed -- yes, but it's the same part number. I'm pretty sure I have ten of those smaller studs hidden in my garage (or shop, or attic). I have the Dorman part number and check with other online parts suppliers -- looks like I have to go to Chrysler.

Well, all I can do is clean up the brake dust and dirt in the wheel well. It's too late to go to the Chrysler dealer so I put my tools away and put the cover back on the car so it isn't such an eyesore.

As I'm putting all my air tools back in the drawer, it occurs to me one or two of them could be stored elsewhere. I have 1/4" and 3/8" air ratchets that I would use if they weren't at the bottom of the drawer with the air hammer, drills, saws and file.

I finished my evening mounting a 2" PVC pipe at the top of my impact wrench stack. Easy to reach so I'll actually use the 3/8" air ratchet. I'll have to move the box cutter blade dispenser to fit another pipe for the 1/4" ratchet...

 

[1/2 Cup]

Bob, good one.

Some cars you would have had to remove the hub to get the stud out.

The new caliper and lines look the goods..

How were the old pads??

Regards

 

[Toolfool]

Were you expecting company, Bob ? I see a shoe in one picture.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, good one.

Some cars you would have had to remove the hub to get the stud out.

The new caliper and lines look the goods..

How were the old pads??

Regards

Steve, I was well into removing the hub when the "Why are you guessing when you have the manual?" voice in my head got loud enough to hear.

The pads were well-worn. It's hard to see but the ridge on the outside edge of the rotor was cutting into the rivet and washer that holds the spring.

The new pad in the back of this picture shows how much of the pad was used up.

 

[Bob Heine]

Were you expecting company, Bob ? I see a shoe in one picture.

John, company would have done it but it was my wife. She wanted me to go across the street to move a garbage can from the abandoned house to the newly rented house next to it. She doesn't like me crossing the street barefoot. Hey, at least I wasn't wearing socks!

 

[cbacres]

Bob, I glad to know I'm not the only one who puts things in a safe place, so safe no one can find.
I'm still looking for the rest of the handles from my Vidmar cabinet that I put away so they wouldn't get damaged. Well at least there not damaged.

We're meeting up at Flywheers Nov12, your welcome to join us then.

 

[Bob Heine]

I told my wife I needed to go to the Chrysler dealer to get the wheel stud so she told me she'd like to come along. Well, come along while I make a side trip to a mammogram lab to pick up her records. We set off Thursday morning at around 11:00. I had already contacted the dealer's parts department and they had ONE stud in stock.

No problem getting the health records. We'll be home by Noon. When we get to the parts department at the dealer, surprise surprise -- they don't have the stud. He checks the inventory at another dealer 15 miles to the south.

It's almost Noon and everyone who works and owns a car is driving around, running errands and finding the perfect fast food trough for lunch. We get to the dealership and it's one of those Mega Dealers. They sell Lincoln, Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, Kia and I think Yugo automobiles.

I park at the service center and ask where the parts department is. He points to the sky and says "All the way on the other side and at the back" so I set off walking. He says "You should drive" so I get back in the car and drive in the direction he indicated. I see a sign "Parts Management" and park again. A young lady in a pants suit says "No, this is Parts Management -- you want the actual Parts Department" so I get back in the car (she also pointed to the sky so I'm starting to worry).

Well before sunset I get to the parts department and THEY HAVE ONE wheel stud left, according to the computer. My heart sinks but he comes back with a little bag. It's a $3 stud that I've spent $12 in gas to get. Now I just need to find my way out of the maze. The lunch crowd has gone back to work and we get home by 3:00 PM. I put the Caddy back in the garage and start pulling the cover off the PT Cruiser.

It starts raining and I say screw it. A few moments later my wife comes out and tells me to quit and start fresh tomorrow. I begin to whine and stamp my feet but she pats me on the head and says "Tomorrow is another day." I put on my Rhett Butler pants and go in the house.

 

[G20-Budo]

The pads were well-worn. It's hard to see but the ridge on the outside edge of the rotor was cutting into the rivet and washer that holds the spring.

The new pad in the back of this picture shows how much of the pad was used up.

Yup, those pads were wasted.. Looks like you caught them just in time! Good job. This reminds me, I need to do pads on the front of my car, my son's car and the rear of the wife's van in November.

 

[krcoomer]

Rob/Rod

I always repeat what my grandfather used to say :

"You can call me whatever you want - so long as you don't call me late for dinner". . . . .

So I've gotten used to "Brandan", "Brendan", "Lyndsay", "Lyndell" and "Hey you" (Irene's favourite).

Lyndon
Just sayin'

I worked in insurance claims with a guy named Lyndon. His last name rhymed with "Todd" which was President Lincoln's wife's maiden name. I cannot count how many times he was referred to as "Lincoln Todd".

 

[Terrick down Under]

You might find this hard to believe, but you were lucky!
When DW had the last set of front tires fitted a fella fitted the lug nuts with a impact wrench and stripped all 5. So, it took me 2 hours to pull the front assembly stripped enough to drill out the nuts and studs ( starting with 1/8" bit to centre and working up to stud size) to get the wheel off. Then to get the studs out and replace all 5. The whole job took me 3 days. Oh and BTW the tire shop paid for the 5 studs...................

 

[oldironfarmer]

many years ago I bought a new headlight switch for my '52 F-5. Got home too late to install it so I stored it. A few weeks late I had my chance to install it Saturday morning. Spent until 11:00 looking for it. Ran to town and bought another one. Got back to the shop too late to install and thought, where can I put it where I will I find it? Opened a drawer and there was the other one...

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob, I glad to know I'm not the only one who puts things in a safe place, so safe no one can find.
I'm still looking for the rest of the handles from my Vidmar cabinet that I put away so they wouldn't get damaged. Well at least there not damaged.

We're meeting up at Flywheers Nov12, your welcome to join us then.

Craig, on the good side I have a Snap-On SSD 2 screwdriver and a PPC816A chisel that I didn't buy -- they were left in the engine compartments of cars I bought. I also have a 9744 Plomb screwdriver I found by the side of the road when I was 8 or 9 years old.

I sure hope the kid who finds my wheel studs puts them to good use. I still haven't found a use for my 29" screwdriver.

I'll see about driver availability for the Flywheelers trip

 

[Bob Heine]

Yup, those pads were wasted.. Looks like you caught them just in time! Good job. This reminds me, I need to do pads on the front of my car, my son's car and the rear of the wife's van in November.

Kyle, the Caddy is 6 years old and I don't think the brake fluid has been changed. I don't worry about brake fluid on my other cars because the components are relatively cheap. If I have to replace the front calipers it's going to be almost $800 on the Caddy so I want to keep their insides as clean as possible. This brake job is practice as well as maintenance.

I had to show my wife how worn the pads were. She's convinced I replace tires and other consumables long before they are worn out.

In a way she's right because I had a tire on the '87 Corvette go flat and damaged the sidewall. I took it to the tire dealer and he said it couldn't be repaired. The tread on these tires was like new but BF Goodrich no longer makes that tire so I had to buy 4 new Sumitomo tires. A 255/50-16 tire is now an uncommon size.

 

[Bob Heine]

I worked in insurance claims with a guy named Lyndon. His last name rhymed with "Todd" which was President Lincoln's wife's maiden name. I cannot count how many times he was referred to as "Lincoln Todd".

Kenny, because my last name is close to Heinz, I was called "57" back in 1957. I was also called Heinie, Heiney Kaplotz and too many variants to recall. Thank goodness they were my friends. I got beat up a lot in second grade but learned that if you could take the first hit, grab the other kid and knock him down, size didn't matter as much. In third grade I worked my way trough every bully right up through the sixth graders. Never had to fight again but they still called me Heinie.

 

[Bob Heine]

You might find this hard to believe, but you were lucky!
When DW had the last set of front tires fitted a fella fitted the lug nuts with a impact wrench and stripped all 5. So, it took me 2 hours to pull the front assembly stripped enough to drill out the nuts and studs ( starting with 1/8" bit to centre and working up to stud size) to get the wheel off. Then to get the studs out and replace all 5. The whole job took me 3 days. Oh and BTW the tire shop paid for the 5 studs...................

Terrick, a tire shop did the exact same thing to me. I actually watched the guy do it and didn't know better. Luckily that car had drum brakes so I could remove the wheel, hub and drum after removing one nut. Drilled, chiseled, hammered and cursed all five studs out.

It isn't very intelligent revenge but since then I buy my tires, go home and take the wheels off the car and bring them to the shop to dismount the old and mount the new tires. Then I stand outside the shop and watch while they balance the tires. When they think they are done I ask if they installed the new valve-stems I just paid for. Trust is earned but screw me once and ....

many years ago I bought a new headlight switch for my '52 F-5. Got home too late to install it so I stored it. A few weeks late I had my chance to install it Saturday morning. Spent until 11:00 looking for it. Ran to town and bought another one. Got back to the shop too late to install and thought, where can I put it where I will I find it? Opened a drawer and there was the other one...

Andy, do you by any chance need a 1956 Chevrolet headlight switch? I'm pretty sure I know where I put it -- wait, am I thinking of this house or the one in West Babylon NY? That was 54 years ago but I clearly remember where I put it.

 

[G20-Budo]

In a way she's right because I had a tire on the '87 Corvette go flat and damaged the sidewall. I took it to the tire dealer and he said it couldn't be repaired. The tread on these tires was like new but BF Goodrich no longer makes that tire so I had to buy 4 new Sumitomo tires. A 255/50-16 tire is now an uncommon size.

Bob,

I understand.. I truly do.. OCD, the struggle is real!!

But what were you supposed to do? Have 2 tires of one kind and 2 of another on your vette? I think NOT.! And you could tell your wife they gave you some return value on the 3 you left there.

 

[Jeepster04]

It isn't very intelligent revenge but since then I buy my tires, go home and take the wheels off the car and bring them to the shop to dismount the old and mount the new tires. Then I stand outside the shop and watch while they balance the tires. When they think they are done I ask if they installed the new valve-stems I just paid for. Trust is earned but screw me once and ....

Awesome thread Mr. Heine! I've really enjoyed reading everything up to this point! Its a nice surprise when I see a post from you, I always hate getting to the end of fun threads.

I also, unfortunately, remove my wheels and take them in. Its a hassle, more so with larger wheels. I still hate it since they often times leave some sort of scratch on the rims. Its the ONLY thing that I cant do myself and I dream of buying a balancer and dismount machine... Maybe someday....

Just the other day I took two rear wheels in for balancing. The Jeep was shaking around ~65mph and it appeared only the rear of the Jeep was shaking. I cleaned the rims but evidently I missed a grease spot behind one of the spokes... He stuck the sticky weight right to the grease (I do not let them use the older hammer on lead weights).. Which fell off when I got home.... I cleaned it and used some double sided take to place it back on best I could... No change in the vibration. waste of 2 hours of my life and $25...

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, do you by any chance need a 1956 Chevrolet headlight switch? I'm pretty sure I know where I put it -- wait, am I thinking of this house or the one in West Babylon NY? That was 54 years ago but I clearly remember where I put it.

No, but I need a '52 F5 one, both mine burned up in the fire about ten years after I bought them. BUT I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE!

 

[krcoomer]

Kenny, because my last name is close to Heinz, I was called "57" back in 1957. I was also called Heinie, Heiney Kaplotz and too many variants to recall. Thank goodness they were my friends. I got beat up a lot in second grade but learned that if you could take the first hit, grab the other kid and knock him down, size didn't matter as much. In third grade I worked my way trough every bully right up through the sixth graders. Never had to fight again but they still called me Heinie.

Bob: There is a local chain of coffee shops here named "Heine Brothers" I will have to see if I can get some swag to send your way. I have also had my fair share of mispronunciations of my name over the years. Also, I bet nobody named Smith or Jones has been asked if they know a guy by the name of Joe...

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob,

I understand.. I truly do.. OCD, the struggle is real!!

But what were you supposed to do? Have 2 tires of one kind and 2 of another on your vette? I think NOT.! And you could tell your wife they gave you some return value on the 3 you left there.

Kyle, when we were first married I couldn't afford to pay for new tires (I couldn't afford to pay attention). When a tire went bald (every few weeks with the worn out and misaligned front end) I replaced it with a used tire in as close a size as I could find.

I'm not swimming in money now but I can afford to buy matched sets of tires. Besides, I get a lot of leeway on the Corvette from my wife. She saw it first and encouraged me to buy the car.

I haven't mentioned to her that the Cadillac has different size tires on the front and rear (255/40-ZR-19 front and 285/35-ZR-19 rear) and either pair of Michelin tires costs more than 4 BF Goodrich tires for the Vette.

 

[G20-Budo]

I haven't mentioned to her that the Cadillac has different size tires on the front and rear (255/40-ZR-19 front and 285/35-ZR-19 rear) and either pair of Michelin tires costs more than 4 BF Goodrich tires for the Vette.

Bob,

The first question that comes to mind after reading your reply is "Who drives the Caddy, you or her?

The issue I run into with my wife and spending $ on cars is, she ALWAYS assumes when I spend $ on my car (or her van), I'm modding the vehicle. Ok, so in the past that WAS usually true. But these days, not so much. She just doesn't like to spend $ on cars, she wants to spend the $ in other places. She doesn't completely understand the concept that maintenance of cars costs $$.

BTW, nice Caddy!

 

[Bob Heine]

Awesome thread Mr. Heine! I've really enjoyed reading everything up to this point! Its a nice surprise when I see a post from you, I always hate getting to the end of fun threads.

I also, unfortunately, remove my wheels and take them in. Its a hassle, more so with larger wheels. I still hate it since they often times leave some sort of scratch on the rims. Its the ONLY thing that I cant do myself and I dream of buying a balancer and dismount machine... Maybe someday....

Just the other day I took two rear wheels in for balancing. The Jeep was shaking around ~65mph and it appeared only the rear of the Jeep was shaking. I cleaned the rims but evidently I missed a grease spot behind one of the spokes... He stuck the sticky weight right to the grease (I do not let them use the older hammer on lead weights).. Which fell off when I got home.... I cleaned it and used some double sided take to place it back on best I could... No change in the vibration. waste of 2 hours of my life and $25...

Jeepster04, thank you so much for the compliment. I'm glad you enjoy the thread.

I've actually gotten better. I used to mount my own tires. It involved a bumper jack for breaking the bead, a tire iron and a couple of large screwdrivers to peel the tire off the rim and a rubber mallet to put the new tire on. It also involved rolling the newly mounted tire to the gas station (we were a one-car household back then) to get a free air fill. Those tires didn't get balanced and the valve stems only got replaced when they leaked.

At one point my parts chaser was a Fiat X1/9 and it would only hold one Corvette tire so I chose tire shops that were close. Four trips was a pain but at least I knew the lug nuts would be properly torqued.

The reason the one tire on the Corvette went flat was a poorly installed clip-on weight for a steel rim on being installed on the alloy rim. Because I didn't drive the car every day, I would do a visual check for low tires before I drove off. One time I found the left rear tire almost flat so I took it in to be checked for a leak. They couldn't find a leak but they did replace the valve core. The tire didn't go flat again for two years. This time I re-inflated the tire and heard hissing. Only when I parked the car with the balance weight on the bottom of the rim, the clip would press on the bead just enough to cause a leak. The weight of the car pressing the weight clip into the sidewall at the bead for a couple of weeks (months?) ruined that 12-year old tire.

All my cars get tape-on weights now and the rim gets scrubbed clean, followed by a thorough de-greasing before I drive it to the tire store. They always comment on how clean it is.

I recently had an almost new tire on the PT Cruiser go flat. I took the tire back to the shop I bought it from, expecting the usual $20 fix. Nope, the screw was within an inch of the tire's shoulder and therefore couldn't be repaired. Until recently I plugged my own tires but my wife suggested we were well-off enough to have a "professional" fix our tires. To add insult to the $150 injury, the guy who installed the tire gouged the painted finish on the aluminum rim in about four places.

I didn't think to take a picture of the rim before I dropped it off so I had no recourse. I now have a freshly cleaned and polished set of tire plug tools and some new plugs (mine were pretty old). I also have a grubby old digital camera in the garage so I have evidence next time.

 

[Bob Heine]

No, but I need a '52 F5 one, both mine burned up in the fire about ten years after I bought them. BUT I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE!

Andy, I have never owned a pickup or truck of any kind. "You already have a 2-seater" is the first response to my 'out-loud thought,' followed by "rent one" when I think "extended" or "crew-cab" (she reads my mind better than I do).

The things I remember with the greatest clarity are the things I have thrown out (not that you would know anything about that). Less than a week after I throw out anything that is not a bio-hazard I find the perfect use for it. One of the saddest sights is a grown man rooting around in this week's garbage, thinking the thing that went into last week's trash is still there.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob: There is a local chain of coffee shops here named "Heine Brothers" I will have to see if I can get some swag to send your way. I have also had my fair share of mispronunciations of my name over the years. Also, I bet nobody named Smith or Jones has been asked if they know a guy by the name of Joe...

Kenny, that's great! Yeah, it's tempting to ask. We made friends with a couple in Australia that got into off-road competition. Every time I see an Australian post a picture of their 4-wheel drive, I want to ask "Do you know...." like there are six 4 by 4 owners down under.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob,

The first question that comes to mind after reading your reply is "Who drives the Caddy, you or her?

The issue I run into with my wife and spending $ on cars is, she ALWAYS assumes when I spend $ on my car (or her van), I'm modding the vehicle. Ok, so in the past that WAS usually true. But these days, not so much. She just doesn't like to spend $ on cars, she wants to spend the $ in other places. She doesn't completely understand the concept that maintenance of cars costs $$.

BTW, nice Caddy!

Kyle, my wife hates to drive anything, anywhere. Except for the USS Lincoln Town Car we owned a few decades back and a '93 Buick Regal I sold when we bought the PT Cruiser. She loved those cars and still thinks we should buy another of either or both of them (she drooled all over a triple black '77 or '78 Town Car at the dealer that didn't have our wheel stud). I think the real wire wheels caught her eye.

We have owned the '87 Corvette for 25 years and she has never driven (or wanted to drive) it. I told her the Caddy is just a car. Yes, it's the most expensive car we have ever bought but it's still just a thing that can be replaced. We spent more for this car than for our first and second house combined (I didn't mention that). With some nudging, I took her out to a very large church parking lot for a test drive. She seemed OK with the car but wanted a second test drive on some back streets near our home. She may actually take it out by herself one of these days.

I should mention that I don't drive much anymore either. We've owned the Caddy for almost 6 months and put less than 900 miles on it.

I had to promise not to put performance springs on the Caddy (like I did on the PT Cruiser). She made me swear not to change the intake or exhaust so I did. I may have failed to mention the Caddy already had an AirRaid cold air intake and cat-back Corsa exhaust but I did swear I'd leave it alone.

My wife is very insecure about money. She wants to know exactly how we'll pay for something before considering the purchase. Then she wants to know if we can find scratched and dented, used or some other stupidly low priced alternative. 95% of our clothes come from the thrift stores in and around our city. Her frugality and unwillingness to buy "nice" things meant we could pay cash for the house we're in without relying on the sale of the old home.

As far as cars go, we would probably still be driving the '47 Ford we bought 53 years ago but she knows what a car nut she married and has allowed me to indulge my illness within reason. She knows from her friends that taking a car in to be repaired is a form of financial suicide -- me being able to fix most problems reduces the damage.

 

[G20-Budo]

Bob,

Good stuff! (and I liked the fact that you purchased the Caddy WITH the CAI and exhaust already on it... smart man!)

I too do most of the work on our cars, but there are times when there is a trade off in the amount of spare time I have (hell, I barely have enough time for the projects I WANT to work on). I'm pretty behind in most of my projects, except maybe planting more fruit trees/plants. Say, how is your garden at the new place?

I look forward to more of your posts. And I'm glad you're driving something other than the '47 Ford these days.

 

[Jeepster04]

I recently had an almost new tire on the PT Cruiser go flat. I took the tire back to the shop I bought it from, expecting the usual $20 fix. Nope, the screw was within an inch of the tire's shoulder and therefore couldn't be repaired. Until recently I plugged my own tires but my wife suggested we were well-off enough to have a "professional" fix our tires. To add insult to the $150 injury, the guy who installed the tire gouged the painted finish on the aluminum rim in about four places.

I didn't think to take a picture of the rim before I dropped it off so I had no recourse. I now have a freshly cleaned and polished set of tire plug tools and some new plugs (mine were pretty old). I also have a grubby old digital camera in the garage so I have evidence next time.

This brings up a very sore subject... about three years ago I bought a 98 Grand Cherokee 5.9. They only made ~10,000 of them and only made them for 1 year. It was the only grand cherokee to get the 5.9 and was the fastest suv in the world in 98.

Anyway, I was 12 in 1998 and I wanted one when they came out. I remember VERY vividly my dad and I test driving one in 2004. Jeep had 48,000mi on it and they only wanted $15,000 for it ($40,000+ new). My dad being the dad he was wanted me to get something newer so it would last. I kinda always wish I wouldve talked him into getting that 5.9.

Fast forward to 3 years ago. One popped up in arizona (im in ky) with only 62,000mi in it. Thing is 100% showroom quality. Seriously. So naturally I bought it. Flew out there and drove it home with my brother. Was actually a very fun trip, Id like to do it again.

For whatever reason it had factory 5.9 chrome rims on it. I had never seen one of these jeeps with 5.9 chrome rims on it. Ive only seen a couple other than mine after realizing such a thing existed.

The Jeep needed new tires to say the least. They had cracks that were 1/8" wide around the bead on the back side. And yes we did 100mph a few times through the desert on the way back. Ordered tires from sears for pickup. Got the tires and took off work to take them to a local shop for install. Shop was too busy and couldnt install the tires. So I went to another shop I have never been to before. They damaged one of the rims..... denied it to the n'th degree so I filed a case with the bbb. Which went no where. The case, to this day, says 'retailer tried to resolve the issue.' Right...

So..... Ive considered the pry bar method....

 

[oldironfarmer]

This brings up a very sore subject... about three years ago I bought a 98 Grand Cherokee 5.9. They only made ~10,000 of them and only made them for 1 year. It was the only grand cherokee to get the 5.9 and was the fastest suv in the world in 98.

Anyway, I was 12 in 1998 and I wanted one when they came out. I remember VERY vividly my dad and I test driving one in 2004. Jeep had 48,000mi on it and they only wanted $15,000 for it ($40,000+ new). My dad being the dad he was wanted me to get something newer so it would last. I kinda always wish I wouldve talked him into getting that 5.9.

Fast forward to 3 years ago. One popped up in arizona (im in ky) with only 62,000mi in it. Thing is 100% showroom quality. Seriously. So naturally I bought it. Flew out there and drove it home with my brother. Was actually a very fun trip, Id like to do it again.

For whatever reason it had factory 5.9 chrome rims on it. I had never seen one of these jeeps with 5.9 chrome rims on it. Ive only seen a couple other than mine after realizing such a thing existed.

The Jeep needed new tires to say the least. They had cracks that were 1/8" wide around the bead on the back side. And yes we did 100mph a few times through the desert on the way back. Ordered tires from sears for pickup. Got the tires and took off work to take them to a local shop for install. Shop was too busy and couldnt install the tires. So I went to another shop I have never been to before. They damaged one of the rims..... denied it to the n'th degree so I filed a case with the bbb. Which went no where. The case, to this day, says 'retailer tried to resolve the issue.' Right...

So..... Ive considered the pry bar method....

Interesting. In 2004 you were 17 or 18 and your dad didn't want to buy you a six year old car. In 1966 I was 17 and my dad wanted to buy me an eight year old car, a 1958 Thunderbird for $800. I insisted on a $100 1950 Chevrolet (16 years old) with a caved in left rear fender. I never regretted my decision and did not think to ask for some of the $700 he saved. Dang, he's gone now and it's too late to go ask.

(if the tires survived 100 mph they could have gone the distance until they were bald)

 

[oldironfarmer]

Andy, I have never owned a pickup or truck of any kind. "You already have a 2-seater" is the first response to my 'out-loud thought,' followed by "rent one" when I think "extended" or "crew-cab" (she reads my mind better than I do).

The things I remember with the greatest clarity are the things I have thrown out (not that you would know anything about that). Less than a week after I throw out anything that is not a bio-hazard I find the perfect use for it. One of the saddest sights is a grown man rooting around in this week's garbage, thinking the thing that went into last week's trash is still there.

I down to only five pickups and trucks, so it's a little iffy around here sometimes, as to whether I'll survive.

I'll have you know I throw away lots of stuff. I used to keep all the styrofoam peanuts in case I ever had to ship something, but I throw some of them away now, and I no longer keep all the boxes. Poor country folks use sheets of cardboard as creepers. They actually work very well, a little padding, clean (for a while) and they are low to the ground.

 

[Bob Heine]

Bob,

Good stuff! (and I liked the fact that you purchased the Caddy WITH the CAI and exhaust already on it... smart man!)

I too do most of the work on our cars, but there are times when there is a trade off in the amount of spare time I have (hell, I barely have enough time for the projects I WANT to work on). I'm pretty behind in most of my projects, except maybe planting more fruit trees/plants. Say, how is your garden at the new place?

I look forward to more of your posts. And I'm glad you're driving something other than the '47 Ford these days.

Kyle, it was just dumb luck. I wanted a low-mileage CTS-V because it's hard to drive the car gently. 556 horsepower can do a fair amount of damage if you're an immature driver.

Our garden is growing at an amazing rate. Trees that used to stand alone are now intertwined with their neighbor 30 feet away. The dragon fruit plants exploded in fruit -- some of it 20 feet off the ground (one plant attached itself to an arica palm). I know it was 22 feet because my pole saw/pruner reaches 17 feet and I was using it at full extension above my shoulder.

My wife thinks of the '47 Ford with great fondness but forgets it had no power steering or brakes, lacked air conditioning and your view from the only rear view mirror (inside) was through a small oval window. Talk about blind spots!

Ride height with transverse leaf springs front and rear, dampened by friction shocks, made it a rollover waiting to happen. That's how she totaled it, drag racing a '64 GTO. Was thrilled she wasn't hurt but she thinks I loved that car more than her.

Oh, and before anyone points out that both my '72 Corvette and my '87 Corvette have transverse leaf springs, I am working to correct that on the '72. The transverse rear leaf spring has been replaced with coilovers.

Leaf Spring:

Rear Coilover:

Not to leave out the front end, the shock/coil spring has been replaced with a coilover as well (actually a semi-coilover because it uses the stock lower control arm):

Front Coilover:

 

[Bob Heine]

This brings up a very sore subject... about three years ago I bought a 98 Grand Cherokee 5.9. They only made ~10,000 of them and only made them for 1 year. It was the only grand cherokee to get the 5.9 and was the fastest suv in the world in 98.

Anyway, I was 12 in 1998 and I wanted one when they came out. I remember VERY vividly my dad and I test driving one in 2004. Jeep had 48,000mi on it and they only wanted $15,000 for it ($40,000+ new). My dad being the dad he was wanted me to get something newer so it would last. I kinda always wish I wouldve talked him into getting that 5.9.

Fast forward to 3 years ago. One popped up in arizona (im in ky) with only 62,000mi in it. Thing is 100% showroom quality. Seriously. So naturally I bought it. Flew out there and drove it home with my brother. Was actually a very fun trip, Id like to do it again.

For whatever reason it had factory 5.9 chrome rims on it. I had never seen one of these jeeps with 5.9 chrome rims on it. Ive only seen a couple other than mine after realizing such a thing existed.

The Jeep needed new tires to say the least. They had cracks that were 1/8" wide around the bead on the back side. And yes we did 100mph a few times through the desert on the way back. Ordered tires from sears for pickup. Got the tires and took off work to take them to a local shop for install. Shop was too busy and couldnt install the tires. So I went to another shop I have never been to before. They damaged one of the rims..... denied it to the n'th degree so I filed a case with the bbb. Which went no where. The case, to this day, says 'retailer tried to resolve the issue.' Right...

So..... Ive considered the pry bar method....

Jeepster04, I feel for you. I just did a quick search and those chrome plated alloy rims are unicorns. I also looked up the 1998 Grand Cherokee 5.9. My cousin has two Grand Cherokees but neither is a 5.9, in fact I think they are 4.0 inline 6 equipped.

We seem to have similar taste in cars although yours seems much more practical:

I turned 12 in the fall of 1956, when the 1957 models arrived. It was the first year Chevrolet offered fuel injection in their cars, including the Corvette. It meant you could buy a car from the dealer that had a 1 horsepower per cubic inch power output. The 283ci fuelie with a Duntov solid lifter cam put out 283 horsepower.

My father made sure I never owned or operated a car while I lived under his roof. I got a marriage license before I got a driver's license (after I moved out).