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Justy Little Project Car: Shifter Tips for Everyone, Sweet New Wheels for Me
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Though my Subaru Justy’s cabin is surprisingly roomy and airy for such a small car and the pedals are well placed for podiatric gymnastics (I can make up words), the sloppy and vague shifter has always been something of a disappointment. The 4-wheel-drive system also wasn’t switching on. It might seem silly to work on these small…
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Project AMC Eagle wrap-up: "Universal" was an exact fit; I sold it anyway
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This AMC Eagle’s unobtainable clutch master cylinder has plagued me since I bought the project two years ago. After enough screwing around with rebuild kits and new hoses, I finally capitulated and followed the advice of a LeMons racer I met last year: It’s a simple hydraulic system. Just adapt a Tilton or a Wilwood…
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Cars You Should Know — Street-Legal Chevy Luv Drag Truck
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It’s not every day that I see a Chevrolet LUV. The badge-engineered Chevy “Light Utility Vehicle” was actually an Isuzu Faster, originally equipped with a wheezy but durable 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Zero-to-60 times were… probably not attainable within a quarter mile. I was surprised, then, when I spotted a LUV drag truck out in the wild.
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Tech Daze: 2000-'06 Audi TT, 8N Chassis
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The first-generation Audi TT was the modern analog to the Porsche 356. If you take it down to its essential mechanicals, it’s VW Beetle (and Golf) underpinnings with sportier styling on top. But while the Porsche has the right driven wheels and an engine at the wrong end of the car, the Audi has that problem in reverse. At least the Audi…
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How to replace batteries in an AMB Tranx 260 racing transponder
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Transponders are expensive. To me, inexplicably so, which is part of why I’ve never owned one. I pay the $50 rental fee whenever I run a LeMons race and grumble to myself about why a plastic box with some simple electronics and nothing-special NiCd rechargeable batteries would cost more than a GoPro. A transponder with a dead…
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Project Car SOTU: 1991 Subaru Justy
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In my last Justy post, I was prompted by the car’s horrifically uneven compression numbers to sideline the car until I made more progress on my AMC Eagle. This has mostly been accurate, though I have since confirmed a handful of possible issues and purchased some new parts to install, while mentally preparing for an engine teardown and…
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Project Car SOTU: 1984 AMC Eagle
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My AMC Eagle’s primer-gray hood has unceremoniously become a staging area for crap I need to shove into the attic. My access ladder is right above the Eagle’s engine bay, which means I usually sit on the top edge of the windshield as I pull the folding ladder down. Rusted fittings on its clutch master cylinder had…
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1981 AMC Spirit: A Real IMSA Race Car for Two Grand
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A piece of SCCA and IMSA racing history is ready for new ownership. Casual AMC fans know about the Javelins that Penske Racing raced in IMSA with that iconic red, white and blue livery, but 10 years later, AMC supported teams with AMC Spirits to compete in the series. This one can be yours, but be warned:…
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1981 AMC Eagle: A Mostly Complete Restoration is up for Auction
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Restoring cars is not often a money-making endeavor. This is especially true of unloved cars like the AMC Eagle. Though the concept was ahead of its time and the 4-wheel drive technology in it was pretty advanced for 1981, AMC’s best-selling car couldn’t keep the brand afloat. That’s why you, the AMC afficionado, can be…
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Project Subaru Justy: It Could Be Zero
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Old cars break. I keep forgetting this fact. I’ve been chasing a rough idle and rich running condition ever since I bought this Justy in… October. Alright, a few months isn’t forever, but I am a little disappointed to have bought a rolling restoration that gets 20 mpg instead of a finicky-but-economical daily driver. I had changed the…
