QOTD: So, What's Happening This Weekend?
Hey all. Big plans this weekend? Lots of stuff going on?
Yours truly plans to finally swap his car’s cheap winter rubber for equally cheap, corner-carving summer slicks (55 series — OH YEAH) in order to drive…. nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. Then, if there’s time, maybe I’ll take a nighttime run in the only place where physical distancing isn’t likely to be an issue: the spooky graveyard on top of the hill. If there’s time, mind you.
Yes, with warmer weather upon us, the list of carefree pursuits knows no bounds! But tell us, what strictly automotive things are you doing this weekend to mentally distance yourself from, you know, issues?
Maybe self-isolation, coupled with a work furlough, has finally freed up enough time to get the ball rolling on that project languishing in the garage. That Lumina motor waiting to take up residence in your MGB. That marooned Malibu in the back shed crying for an LS swap you’ve never gotten around to.
Perhaps your iRacing setup is finally complete. Your meager living room/rec room/bedroom-slash-office is no longer a place for polite social gatherings, after all. Mingling on the virtual track is a safer option than white wine and politics or, if you’re a Millennial, Michelob, White Claw, and politics.
It’s possible your vehicle has a tank brimming with the cheapest gas you’ve seen in years and the itch to burn some of it is overwhelming. What near-empty roads will your tires hum along?
And if that’s not an option, maybe that flatscreen in your home will play host of a classic work of motoring cinema.
Let us know what the coming days hold.
[Image: Matthew Guy/TTAC]
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This weekend and since last Wednesday I have been upgrading all of the "miles" of engine vacuum hoses in my 1985 Toronado, ordered a new EGR valve, realigned every carburetor hose and connection and used Aircraft Spruce's EZ Turn (ex Jet Lube) on the fuel and vacuum inlets. The car failed the California Smog Check in September and has been listed as a "Gross Polluter". All because the EGR valve was not working as the vacuum line inlet was rusted shut and the unit did not work anyway!
As of 11:59pm Saturday all home improvement, hardware and auto supply stores in Ontario were closed to regular shopping and only allowed offer delivery or curbside pick-up for orders made on-line or over the phone. This is now truly a crisis. For those of you in the USA who do not understand, two things that Canadian consumers cannot do without are Canadian Tire and Tim Hortons. Line-ups to get into Canadian Tire yesterday were over one hour. Their website crashed due to activity. So everyone who planned on using the time for car repairs, or home improvement is now 'out of luck'. Thankfully Tim's is still open for drive through, and delivery. And their highway stores have now re-opened for use by truck drivers, including allowing the drivers to use their washrooms. Something that was becoming an issue for long distance drivers in Canada.
I did 2 engine mounts about 6 weeks ago, so I’m in good shape for awhile (knock on wood). Car does need a thorough exterior cleaning and wax, but that will likely wait a while. State inspection done last week, oil changed, tires rotated. This crappy Focus is serving me well.
I've got a clearance light out my C7 so I'm upgrading to a set of Oracle markers. Really shocked a clearance light failed because they are LEDs. I know its not a wiring issue since the light itself still works, however its at like 1/2 brightness, so something inside the LED is acting up. They are sealed units so no idea what happened. The factory lights have just two LEDs where the Oracles are a laser-like strip that looks 100X better. Basically the failing light gave me a good excuse to update the other lights.