What did you do on your 510 today?

[Byron510]

I'm headed out this morning to help local member Mandeep install the Datsport DIY rear Cross member Kit. I saw Jason's kit years ago, just after I made a completely different version myself seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6946&hilit
I’ll post later today. We’re taking Mandeeps X member down to sand blast it first – I hate working with dirty stuff if it can be avoided – I’ll post results at the end of the day.

Byron

Well, I spent a whole 2 hours installing Mandeeps Datsport kit on his rear X-member, looks pretty good. (almost as good as mine!! )
Then I worked on my brother old car - got the heater valve to open - he's been driving around with no heat at all, and man it's been cold for the past couple weeks!

Then I spent 8 hours doing a spring cleaning of sorts - man do I accumulate a lot of stuff when I'm not looking! Anyways, erected another 8' of 4' deep shelving. Got everything off the floor again - ready for the cage jobs to start next weekend!

Byron

[S15DET]

I drove my 510 about 550 miles to Deals Gap (aka Tail of the Dragon) today. Great ride with my Father-in-law in his Miata. Great, except for the part where he slides over a bank and hits a tree. But we drove it home so it was still a great day.

Maybe I should update my project thread?

http://www.dealsgap.com/
http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

[Byron510]

except for the part where he slides over a bank and hits a tree

Trying to keep up to the mighty 510, eh!... should have known better; guess next time he'll think twice about following you deep into that late braking corner!!

Byron

[S15DET]

A hard lesson to learn I guess. He he.

CHECK THIS OUT, there are always photographers there, today there were three different groups. One already has today's shots up!!
http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/thumbpa ... ?e=5599072
This should load up to page three, this is our first pass, I'm leading, he's coming afterwards. Go to page 4 and then 5 to see the return trip with him leading, and the 510 chewing some Miata bumper.

That's awesome, I'll have to buy a print after I see the other guys shots.

[spoolinitup33]

And the dragons tail claims another car!!! Lord that road is crazy, I drove the mini cooper up there one day, but I took it real easy

[spoolinitup33]

Dang I wish I could of had my car ready and taken it up there with you guys.

[amwalker]

To recap the past few weeks, I came home from a 2 year tour in the Azores, Portugal to teach at the Vehicle Maintenance School in Port Hueneme. I jumped in car the first night I got back and drive it around the block to make sure it was still good. And it was. My dad started it up a few times since I bought it back in December on leave so it started on the first try when I got in it. I made one trip from West Hills to Port Hueneme and back to check in with my unit and the damn thing was overheating on PCH, so I had to drive it up there and back at 45-50mph to keep the temp safe.

So new hoses and a thermostat were ordered and I swapped everything out last week. In the middle of the repair I noticed the radiator was full of crap, so I look through the phone book and called a shop called "The Radiator Works" in Northridge (818-701-0504) I'm including their number because they did a rush job for me and just overall did a very good job flushing/rodding/hot tanking it for $40. Anyway, once I got it back and installed the radiator the gauge hasn't gone past the "E" on the temp gauge. I also changed the oil...oh ya.

Just this week I put over 400 miles on the car between a round trip and then a drive to Vandenberg AFB and the car has working pretty much perfectly. I pulled the glove box, radio console, and gauge cover off today and wiped it all down and vacuumed the beast. I'll put a tach on it this weekend and change the trans and diff fluid and investigate a slight howling noise from the rear end. If anyone has a 5-speed gear box or a lead on one and they want to sell it, please send me a PM or just post up, I just feel bad driving this thing on the freeway with the 4-speed box. If anyone wants a stocker AM radio, I pulled it out and will not be using it. Also, I'll post this up on the Bluebird list as well, but I'll be up at Vandenberg AFB for 5 weeks, so if you live in the area PM me and we'll try to meet up somewhere.

Adam

[amwalker]

Fluid change on the diff and transmission and replaced both ball joints, damn it makes a difference. It's so much nicer to drive now.

[hang_510]

POP

after a day of canyon travel, 200+ miles, to visit with a friend from TX w/a long layover @ LAX the rings finally let go in #2

didnt help that i had been trying to lose a blacked out BMW??? w/Dubai plates on the way home from the airport, to topanga cyn, where i did lose him got back on the 101 @ malibu cyn.
then passed him 20 min later going down the conejo grade
i wish i coulda saw their face (could not see who or how many inside)
they easily caught back up.

made it to oxnard before something popped ( found it was the dipstick!) then LOTSA smoke!
then in a thick cloud of smooke, i limped home...
oil was everywhere

time for the rebuild ive been putting off

[okayfine]

That car has been living on how much borrowed time?

'Tis okay, I've got a KA short block for you.

[Yellowcar]

Spent the entire weekend working on the heater for the 69. This is the kinda seemingly small stuff that takes forever to get done. Making new ducting from the cowl to the heater box, replacing everything that is replaceable and reconditioning everything that isn’t, etc…

[five&dime]

Tis probably the last nice day of the year for us. So I detailed her and drove the ole girl to work today

This week I plan on having the fan shroud and bottom engine pan/cover blasted and then re-paint. In preperation for the long drive to the Mitty next year. Also need to re-jet the 44's.

[hang_510]

That car has been living on how much borrowed time?

WAY more than 510 days
i think they started failing leaving JCCS... in 07

its gonna be rebuilt.

i think a VG (or VQ ) is in the future though!

[amwalker]

What a night. So coming home from buying a pair of soccer cleats my "your alternator isn't doing anything" light comes on. Luckily I was on-base so it was a short stop at the commissary to grab more bread and pb&j and I was good. Then came the usual symptoms of battery struggling to support the functions of a vehicle without an alternator to keep it topped off. The slow turn signal, dimming headlights and stutter at high rpm were all there.

So I pulled into my spot in lodging and took everything inside, then threw the trusty $7 HF multimeter on the battery to see what kind of shape I was in, luckily I was still in the clear with 12.6 volts. Pulled the cap off of the voltage regulator and sure enough, after referencing http://www.the510realm.com/viewtopic.ph ... or#p134887 <--- this post I figured my alternator was giving me the big f-u.

I had responded to David's (qwik510) post about free parts and had his alternator sitting in my MiL's garage...about 140 miles away. Great. Armed with my new stash of HF tools, I decided to rip the damn thing out and see what was up. It came out pretty easy, with a thud cause I didn't quite grab it. Pulled the dust cover off of the diode block and nothing was looking bad there. Then I pulled the brushes out and almost got them out when I was interrupted by a family of 4 raccoons. Ballsy little craps too. Not wanting to risk a trip to the ER I stood up and politely asked them to leave. I really did, I even tried to reason with them till one of them decided he liked my stubby phillips screwdriver. No more Mr. Nice, cold mechanic in the parking lot. After making a bunch of noise they left and I was back to dissecting my alternator. The brushes are pretty much toast, so I cleaned them off the best I could and reassembled the alternator. After a quick install the charge light is gone and the multimeter confirms that it's charging again. Hopefully it lasts the rest of this week and the drive back to Calabasas. If anyone happens to see a white 2-door headed south on the 101 on Friday night...it'll probably be me. If it's on the side of the road, it's definitely me. Thanks for listening.

Adam

[rnorrish]

sand, sand, sand.
hammer, hammer, hammer.
bondo, bondo, bondo.

wash, rinse, and repeat tomorrow night.