Well it's about time.

Car was out of commission for over a week. A week!

Started off by dying on my way to work, then after 3 distributors from Autozone later, it died in Haverhill. I bit the bullet and installed an external ignitor module and coil, and started her up. Something happened and she wouldn't start again, so I replaced the ignitor module again, and grounded it better...then she would start and sound terrible.

After checking spark, timing and compression, we realized it was the MAF that was dead. My mom drove up from CT and brought me my spare MAF, and she ran! Then the disty went again (camshaft position sensor). Replaced that...she's been good since.

Oi.

It's time to start prepping for the New England Rally. As Director of Media I'm in charge of organizing the filming and photography of the rally. My car will be carrying myself and the roomie, and another car will be carry two more film crew peeps.

We'll be running two D-SLR's, as well as in-car video, and a handheld video camera, plus whatever else we scrounge up.

I need to do a few things before the rally...mostly install my wink mirror, and do an oil change. I'd also like to rework the wiring of some accessories, and install the police scanner and CB radio. Also need to make a list of everything to bring, and really clean out, and reorganize the car. If I get motivated I'm going to replace my rear shocks with the shocks I took off the car, but keep the lowering springs, so it'll ride a bit better. If I have the money (doubt it) I'll buy new shocks for the front as well.

Well that's all for now. Stay tuned for pics/info on prepping for the rally.

Alleyway Macy.

pics from this morning...

tie rods, oh my!

The last few days have been nothing but blood, sweat, tears and tie rods. Went to swap tires and take a look at my brakes at a friend's house, and come to find out the outer tie rods were shot already. I replaced them a year ago or so...

Well try taking one off and nope, no dice...hard to work without air tools or a torch. So yesterday we ended up doing all four...inners and outers. The inners were SHOT and most likely the cause of the outers going so much, and the reason why my car can never hold an alignment.

Using some ingenuity and a huge wrench we were able to get them off the PS rack, and at the same time apparently flushed my PS fluid (yay power steering fluid EVERYWHERE).

dead outer:


dead inner and outer:


yay big ass wrench:


Went for a test drive around some back roads of Marblehead and man does she TURN! Feels so much better, safer and more solid. Next up, sway bar links that have prevented me from having a sway bar...oh yeah and shocks.