# Completed something that was put off for a while?



## Master slacker (Jan 17, 2011)

So I've had my '96 Impala SS for almost 9 years now. It was, and still is, my dream car. When I got it, I was washing and waxing it just about every weekend. The car looked awesome. Working in construction, though, I was a victim of paint overspray several times. Each time it happened, I used a clay bar to remove the pesky spots and all was well. Enter the reduction in force dilemma...

Laid off and returned to school for my graduate degree. Being in school didn't leave much money on the table for the "look good" side of my car. Wash / wax schedules were extended and rarely done. It had seen better days.

Back to work in 2007, before I got my sweet daily-driver '92 Mercury Tracer, the Impala served as my work horse. Every day I park next to a five-cell cooling tower and its mist covers everything in the area (included chemicals come at no extra charge). By the time the Tracer came about, I had all but lost hope in the Impala. Its paint was faded and oxidized, the driver's seat is worn, and the usual 15+ year old car attributes have surfaced. And while the Tracer was down due to head issues last year, I got MORE paint overspray on the Imp. Looked like ass. I was so behind in its well-being that I almost felt like just selling the thing so I wouldn't have to look at it in the driveway anymore. 

Two weeks ago I decided to do something about it. I ordered all necessary goods to make it look like it should on the outside. Over the course of two whole weekends I worked on the car. I spent about 10 hours alone clay-barring it. hmy: Finally, after using a compound on the entire car (three times on the hood), polishing it, and waxing it, I am finally no longer embarassed to be driving it. It's hard to believe I let it get to as bad as it was. Even though I still know the car needs a repaint, it can go without for a little while longer. 

Who else has neglected to do something for so long that needed to get done? Surely I'm not the only one who has thought at one point or another that "it's just not worth it".


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## CbusPaul (Jan 17, 2011)

Got pics? Before and after, p90x style.


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## Supe (Jan 17, 2011)

Speaking of which, for me, it's P90x. I've finally gotten so disgusted about the way I look and feel, I finally finished burning all 12 DVD's last night and went out and bought the resistance bands and padded exercise mat after putting it off for months.

I'm at 224 right now, and I'm not stopping until my old jeans fit, which should be somewhere in the 170# range. To give me something to really shoot for, I've given me a time frame to work with: 257 days from today - October 1st, one of my best friend's wedding day back in Texas.

The house has been purged of junk food, my work desk doesn't have a regular soda in sight, the chicken is defrosted, and the living room is ready for day 1 of the program to bring back the "old" new me. I've even got Junior on board for "getting healthy," as she replied "no way!" to an ice cream dessert, and instead had oranges.


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## Master slacker (Jan 17, 2011)

CbusPaul said:


> Got pics? Before and after, p90x style.


Nope. Sorry. However, I do have B&amp;A pics from P90X, but I don't think you'd want to see those.



Supe said:


> Speaking of which, for me, it's P90x. I've finally gotten so disgusted about the way I look and feel...


I did the same thing for myself personally. I lost 25 pounds in the program and am continuing (well, trying) to keep the diet down and exercising. Haven't exercised as often since the program's completion as I intended, but I am doing it when I can.


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## Supe (Jan 17, 2011)

Master slacker said:


> CbusPaul said:
> 
> 
> > Got pics? Before and after, p90x style.
> ...



25 pounds is pretty good. I'm fairly sure the weight will fall off pretty easily for me, but the doctor has also had me on sleeping pills lately, so I'm hoping that working out until exhaustion will help the sleep difficulties as well.


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## Master slacker (Jan 17, 2011)

25 was more than I was bargaining for. Overall, that 25 pounds was 12% of my starting weight. That's a chunk right there.


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## NCcarguy (Jan 17, 2011)

Heck....I wanted to see an after picture at least. You do that much clay barring, and waxing, you would think something to remember it by would be in order.


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## cableguy (Jan 17, 2011)

What color is your Impy? Black? If so, get a Porter Cable DA polisher and some buffing pads. My 94 Z28 is black (here's an old pic, pre-Porter Cable), and the PC does a fantastic job at removing swirls.

This kit here (which is what I have):

http://www.showroomfx.com/Porter_Cable_742..._p/sfxpc-10.htm

Along with some 3M polishing compound, some swirl cutter, and some wax... makes a black car really really clean.


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## navyasw02 (Jan 17, 2011)

Supe said:


> Speaking of which, for me, it's P90x. I've finally gotten so disgusted about the way I look and feel, I finally finished burning all 12 DVD's last night and went out and bought the resistance bands and padded exercise mat after putting it off for months.
> I'm at 224 right now, and I'm not stopping until my old jeans fit, which should be somewhere in the 170# range. To give me something to really shoot for, I've given me a time frame to work with: 257 days from today - October 1st, one of my best friend's wedding day back in Texas.
> 
> The house has been purged of junk food, my work desk doesn't have a regular soda in sight, the chicken is defrosted, and the living room is ready for day 1 of the program to bring back the "old" new me. I've even got Junior on board for "getting healthy," as she replied "no way!" to an ice cream dessert, and instead had oranges.


Good luck, losing weight is a great goal. After I got off my first ship I was over 200 lbs, I think I was closer to 210. About 2 months later I was down in the 180s with a lot of better eating and working out. Now I'm down in the 170s. A lot of weight came off by just not eating processed foods, including those so called "healthy" lean cuisines and healthy choice brand frozen meals. They're the devil.


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## Supe (Jan 18, 2011)

navyasw02 said:


> Supe said:
> 
> 
> > Speaking of which, for me, it's P90x. I've finally gotten so disgusted about the way I look and feel, I finally finished burning all 12 DVD's last night and went out and bought the resistance bands and padded exercise mat after putting it off for months.
> ...


Agreed. When you actually look at the nutrition information on those things, they're horrendous, especially the carbohydrates. MIAF was loading up on them the other week to bring them to work for lunch, when I pointed out that the BEST one of the bunch still had 26 grams of carbs!


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## Master slacker (Jan 18, 2011)

cableguy said:


> What color is your Impy? Black? If so, get a Porter Cable DA polisher and some buffing pads. My 94 Z28 is black (here's an old pic, pre-Porter Cable), and the PC does a fantastic job at removing swirls.
> This kit here (which is what I have):
> 
> http://www.showroomfx.com/Porter_Cable_742..._p/sfxpc-10.htm
> ...


It's as black as 15 year old GM black gets. I used a 6-inch Black and Decker orbital with microfiber bonnets with applications of Mother's clay bar kit, Meguiar's Ultimate Compound, Meguiar's Ultimate Polish, and an old bottle of Meguiar's NXT wax. I am sold on Meguiar's. When I started my "project", my reflection in the hood was blurry, hazy, and just gray looking. When I was done, my green shirt was reflected nearly perfectly as well as the sky and clouds. Unfortunately, the 1/4-inch long cracks in the paint became just as clear...



Supe said:


> Agreed. When you actually look at the nutrition information on those things, they're horrendous, especially the carbohydrates. MIAF was loading up on them the other week to bring them to work for lunch, when I pointed out that the BEST one of the bunch still had 26 grams of carbs!


That's why most of what I ate to get the weight off (and still eat to keep it off) is not in a box. Yogurt, chicken, fruits, etc... My calorie / carb count now is less than half of what it was not too long ago.


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## willsee (Jan 18, 2011)

Master slacker said:


> cableguy said:
> 
> 
> > What color is your Impy? Black? If so, get a Porter Cable DA polisher and some buffing pads. My 94 Z28 is black (here's an old pic, pre-Porter Cable), and the PC does a fantastic job at removing swirls.
> ...


Look up the the M twins then (M105/M205) if you ever need to get swirls out.


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## Master slacker (Jan 18, 2011)

The Ultimate Compound got the swirls out. And the Ultimate Polish (new for 2011) gave it the mirror-like finish. I need to get the Gold Class wax since the old NXT doesn't last all that long, but DAMN does it look good while it's there!

I may even tackle the wifey-wife's ride this weekend since she saw the outcome from the land yacht. It's a MUCH smaller Rav4 so, from start to finish, it should take about 37 minutes.


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## Wolverine (Jan 18, 2011)

I'm working on buying a house and boldly declared that my '69 VW bug resto project will arrive at it's new home under it's own power or else it will not go.

So I wheeled it out of the garage yesterday to repair the broken fuel line for starters. It promptly started raining.

I did get the battery out and stick it on the charger though, so it wasn't a compleat waste.


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## Master slacker (Jan 18, 2011)

Got details on the VW project? My dad's '70 has its 1641 out for another rebuild and is an evergoing, neverending project.


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## NCcarguy (Jan 18, 2011)

I love those old VW bugs....I would actually have one if I had room for it.


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## FLBuff PE (Jan 18, 2011)

Come spring, I have a project that I am going to try to get going. That project is getting my '66 230SL in running order. Someone remind me that I posted this, so that it actually happens. I also have some cork flooring tiles that I need to put down in our master bathroom that have been in my master bedroom in boxes for about 3 years.


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## humner (Jan 18, 2011)

'69 Plymouth. I don't have a garage yet. Just before it got too cold, found one of my electric problems with the car. Park switch on wiper motor. I really have to get back to this car.


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## Master slacker (Jan 18, 2011)

Since we're still on the topic of cars, mine seems never ending. Now that I got the exterior to not be an embarrassment anymore, it's time to kick the interior around a bit. The heater hasn't worked in about 6 years. The last time I flushed the heater core, about a heaping handful of rust bits came out. Clogged? Yes. I think it got clogged again. Time to backflush once more to find out.

The HVAC controls are also stuck on "A/C" (cold, too, with no heat as mentioned above). The selector knob broke and just spins. However, I can't seem to pull the bastard off to fix it. I'd hate to ruin the HVAC control panel in the attempt of removing a stupid plastic knob.


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## Wolverine (Jan 18, 2011)

Master slacker said:


> Got details on the VW project? My dad's '70 has its 1641 out for another rebuild and is an evergoing, neverending project.


My '69 is nothing but a labor of love since long ago the value-to-salvage ratio went Square Root Club on me (the actaul value is less than the scrap metal value).

My dad bought it for my brother in '85 - funny to think it was only 16 yrs old then. It got passed to me, then to sisters, then back to parents, then to me, then to my garage, then outside, then yada yada, ... it's in pretty rough shape now both mechanically and cosmetically.

I got fired up a few years ago and pulled the engine after I identified a bad #3 cylinder - found a C-shaped O-ring and put the whole thing back togther, patting myself on the back with pride, only to find I STILL had a bad #3. Then life intervened and there she sits.

Engine is a rebuilt brazilian. Probably just needs a new head. Then front ball joint, master cylinder, brakes, transmission, L/R floor pan, window seal kit, and wipers. Then body-off-resto, POR15 undercarriage, rims, tires, interior, headliner, seatbelts, rear bumber assembly, and trim package.

On second thought, I'm just going to buy a Porsche 356 convertible kit and throw the top half away (after my patent for Mr. Fusion Home Reactor comes through)


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## Wolverine (Jan 18, 2011)

[No message]


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## MA_PE (Jan 18, 2011)

heck. that doesn't look bad at all. Up here that car would have at least half of the doors completely eaten away from corrosion.


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## Supe (Jan 18, 2011)

MA_PE said:


> heck. that doesn't look bad at all. Up here that car would have at least half of the doors completely eaten away from corrosion.



It's amazing how different the interpretation of "solid" can be between people that live(d) in New England, and those that live down south.


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## Master slacker (Jan 18, 2011)

Sounds like a fun project... as all old VW's are considered projects. I don't know what year your block was made, but my dad was foolin' with his a few months ago and discovered that one of the original 8 mm studs was pulling out of the block. Need to pull it apart again to install case savers. ugh


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## Master slacker (Jan 23, 2011)

So I decided to flush the coolant system in the Imp since the heater core has been clogged for a few years. The last time I did this was about... ohhhhhh... 6 years ago and it was green. Drained everything I easily could and it was all brown with rust. Rust flakes were abundant. Refilled everything, bled the system and, voila! HEAT! Knowing this wasn't going to last long, I went for a ride to loosen up any other crud in the system. After 10 minutes, the heat died. F'ing heater core got plugged too quickly.

So now, it looks like I'll do a repeat of this a few more times. Eventually, everything will get cleaned. Eventually...


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## envirotex (May 3, 2011)

Looking forward to restarting this project this summer...the kid in the photo is 15 now.

View attachment 4342


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## MA_PE (May 3, 2011)

envirotex said:


> Looking forward to restarting this project this summer...the kid in the photo is 15 now.


nice. I hope it's still nice and rust-free like it is in the picture.


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## wilheldp_PE (May 3, 2011)

MA_PE said:


> envirotex said:
> 
> 
> > Looking forward to restarting this project this summer...the kid in the photo is 15 now.
> ...


Kids usually don't rust, unless you leave them out in the rain.


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## envirotex (May 3, 2011)

wilheldp_PE said:


> MA_PE said:
> 
> 
> > envirotex said:
> ...


left the kid outside, the car's been in storage


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## MA_PE (May 3, 2011)

and cars don't drain your wallet nearly as much as kids do.


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## Dexman PE PMP (May 3, 2011)

But I havent seen any decent Tax deductions for cars, though...


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## envirotex (May 3, 2011)

MA_PE said:


> and cars don't drain your wallet nearly as much as kids do.


Indeed. Have to get 15-yo's car tuned up, too...'85 Toyota Land Cruiser. Paid for, and a tank.


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## Capt Worley PE (May 4, 2011)

Master slacker said:


> So I decided to flush the coolant system in the Imp since the heater core has been clogged for a few years. The last time I did this was about... ohhhhhh... 6 years ago and it was green. Drained everything I easily could and it was all brown with rust. Rust flakes were abundant. Refilled everything, bled the system and, voila! HEAT! Knowing this wasn't going to last long, I went for a ride to loosen up any other crud in the system. After 10 minutes, the heat died. F'ing heater core got plugged too quickly.
> So now, it looks like I'll do a repeat of this a few more times. Eventually, everything will get cleaned. Eventually...


You have an Imp??? Now I KNOW there's something wrong with you!


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## MA_PE (May 4, 2011)

Dexman PE said:


> But I havent seen any decent Tax deductions for cars, though...


just a drop in the bucket.


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## Master slacker (May 4, 2011)

Capt Worley PE said:


> You have an Imp??? Now I KNOW there's something wrong with you!


Y'aint lived until you change the coolant on a small creature with horns and claws.


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## wilheldp_PE (May 4, 2011)

Master slacker said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > You have an Imp??? Now I KNOW there's something wrong with you!
> ...


I don't think I want to know where that coolant drains from...much less where you fill it.


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## envirotex (Jun 17, 2011)

So instead of the Boss, this is what I found in my garage instead...out of the frying pan, into the fire.

View attachment 4472


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## MA_PE (Jun 17, 2011)

looks like it's changed a little in 15 years.


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## envirotex (Jun 17, 2011)

damn mice.

but really, we have had both cars, i just thought the boss was a little closer to completion...my better half says no, so this is THE PROJECT now instead

it's getting resto-mod treatment, replacing the aftermarket 302 it had in it with a 5.0L.


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