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What’s your news for the week?

Greg Kachadurian

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With the 2024 Toyota Tacoma dominating the headlines this week, there hasn’t been much else happening in the industry. So as I do occasionally, I’m opening the comments to you, the hoons that make this website what it is. There’s no use in digging up boring business news that will put everyone (myself included) to sleep. Nor is it worth covering some “special edition” that will be completely forgotten by the next quarter.

You all know the drill by now… not least because I’ve had to do this more and more often lately. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.

Have a good weekend.

About

Greg Kachadurian

Greg Kachadurian

I’m the guy that spoiled the site with all the new car stuff. Hooniverse News Editor since 2011, amateur motorsport photographer, sim racer, and mountain road enthusiast.

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19 responses to “What’s your news for the week?”

  1. Greg Kachadurian Avatar
    Greg Kachadurian

    Changed oil in the Mustang last weekend and am experimenting with some Liqui Moly CeraTec. The gen-3 Coyote motors are very noisy with all sorts of various ticks and clattering which is considered normal. This is supposed to help quiet them down a bit while also providing extra wear protection. So far it seems to be working but it hasn’t gotten rid of everything yet. I guess this thing is just gonna make weird noises forever.

    Also flying out to California tomorrow for 2 weeks to visit a bunch of family that I haven’t seen in over a year. For a two week rental a full-size pickup was by far and away the cheapest option. I can’t imagine why lol. And next weekend I get to go harass Jeff at a Lemons race.

    Reply
  2. Jeff Glucker Avatar
    Jeff Glucker

    Lemons is coming up next weekend, which will be fun since we may actually be a two-car team for this race. So IN THEORY there’s an insane amount of potential track time.

    Montero is getting a few fixes before I make the the drive way up north, to camp at the track all weekend. Idler arm was loose so steering felt like shit. Clutch line and slave are getting a fix. Having a shop sort the CEL that I can’t figure out. And getting fresh front rotors and pads.

    Reply
    1. Sjalemons Avatar
      Sjalemons

      “Potential track time” in Lemons could be minutes or hours. No one knows?

      Reply
      1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
        Jeff Glucker

        100%

        Reply
  3. wunno sev Avatar
    wunno sev

    a few weeks ago i got the seat belt repaired on my impulse buy 89 Civic wagon, which makes me much more comfortable driving it. it’s really a fantastic car, and if the friend i’ve promised it to decides not to buy it, i fantasize about B18 swapping it and adding a ton of dynamat.

    my crusty 84 diesel Mercedes is having clutch hydraulics hiccups, which is how it repays me for changing the oil and replacing all the speakers over the last few weeks. this after basically a year of neglecting it. classic. and of course no shop will even return my calls to tell me they don’t touch old disasters like mine. so it looks like i’ve got a slave cylinder replacement in my near future. i hate brake fluid. also, the oil change is 7 quarts, but only 1.5 came out. maybe i need to check that level more often.

    i’ve been neglecting my miata, but it’s doing ok. i have too many cars.

    i’m changing jobs next week, to one that pays me more and will hopefully leave me more time and mental energy to mess around with old cars. before i got the civic i was hoping to just get a simple modern honda that wouldn’t give me any trouble, but that old wagon really got me in the feelings. what a fun car.

    Reply
    1. Sjalabais Avatar
      Sjalabais

      I get the feelings for the Civic. Our new Optima is very nice and all, but I miss direct touch with my environment, a clutch, servoless steering, stuff like that.

      Also, it doesn’t seem to me you neglect your cars too much. My Centennial remains untouched. Whenever I plan to work on it, something else comes along. Something else could be just about anything. 😛

      Reply
      1. wunno sev Avatar
        wunno sev

        haha! yeah. i know that feeling too, when projects sit for years. i think i just have to get good at being ok with that.

        update – i have located a Del Sol VTEC motor and am pretty damn likely to buy it this weekend. kicking off what i’m sure will be a nightmare project. but there’s plenty of videos on youtube of people swapping honda engines in half a day. here we go again…

        Reply
        1. Sjalalfaday Avatar
          Sjalalfaday

          Well, half a day doesn’t sound that bad.

          …and you made me laugh. Fingers crossed!

          Reply
    2. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      oh man, I should do the belts in my Montero

      Reply
    3. Salguod Avatar
      Salguod

      So the dealer did fix it under warranty? That’s fantastic.

      Reply
  4. Batshitbox Avatar
    Batshitbox

    The 1987 Blue Bird Wanderlodge returned from the Detroit Diesel wizard with a clean bill of health. Oil analysis says nice engine. Belts, hoses, filters. Most important of all, the little actuator that shuts off the fuel to the engine (and thus, the engine) works now. I think that was a significant portion of the $2,250 dollars I spent, as it’s an unobtanium part and he had to rebuild it three times.
    Not content to spend $2,250 on the beast in one day, I parked it and went down the street and ordered $3,250 worth of tires for it.

    The ’23 Ford Ranger has a tick over 1000 miles on it now. I hate the suspension, but I guess that’s a thing on those. How a 2023 mid size pickup can ride worse than a ’91 GMC ‘heavy half’ or a ’91 Econoline 250 I don’t know. Good sound system. Clocked 33 mpg on a 150 mile freeway trip. Not 100% on the 10 speed transmission, the first 1/2 mile is always a bit spastic, but not sure if engine or trans. Smooths out okay. I’ve started winding it up to 4 – 5K rpm with the ‘sport’ mode on the transmission ’cause otherwise the engine won’t go over 3K, and it clearly says in the owner’s manual to run the engine up and down the rev range. Gets good & frisky when the big scroll on the turbo kicks in.

    Regarding the 2024 Rangers… Jaloopnik mentioned they’re all going to be crew cabs? Is that true? Super Cab is kind of in the Ranger’s DNA. With the longer wheelbase and wider track I’m thinking I dodged the Model Bloat years. My payload is spec’d at 1900 lb, and the ’24s are under that. I’m happier with the flip-phone sized displays in mine, too, but that’s just me being a luddite.

    Reply
    1. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Let’s see if picture posting is in effect.

      This should be a comparo of the 2023 mid-size Ford Ranger (there’s no ‘compact’ so what’s it in the middle of ?!?) and the full size F-150

      Reply
    2. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Okay, now a 2023 Ranger and a 2000 Ranger

      Reply
    3. Batshitbox Avatar
      Batshitbox

      Ad here’s the radio from a 1994 Ford Probe, in all of its monochromatic, 8-bit glory. How it ended up in the middle of the dashboard of my 2023 Ranger I’ll never know.

      Reply
    4. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      I think Tacoma and Froniter are the only ones with a 2-door option moving forward

      Reply
  5. Maymar Avatar
    Maymar

    I’m now several weeks in to replacing a bunch of the front suspension stuff on my (new) old Jeep Liberty, through both just not having that much spare time between work and an active kid, fighting two decades of corrosion, and scope creep (stuff that looked okay on first inspection didn’t quite stay that way). Hopefully I’ll finally have full disassembly done this weekend, and reassembly should go quicker. Once done, I’ll have new upper control arms (with ball joints), lower ball joints, tie rod ends, stabilizer links, and shocks/springs. Still need to finish getting the transmission lines out as well, as those are leaking, but the upper line is buried above the y-pipe which still needs a little more persuasion to separate. After that is the rust repair, when I can get it back on the road and scheduled in at a body shop.

    Reply
  6. Scoutdude Avatar
    Scoutdude

    Catching up on some long over due repairs.

    Back in Nov I stood on the driver’s side step for the F-250 and the step/nerf bar collapsed. I ordered some on Amazon and for whatever reason they decided to drop it off at the post office rather than deliver them on their trucks. The post office wouldn’t deliver it and sent them back. I was a big PITA to finally get refunded but eventually I did. But by then my busy season had started so I just dealt with it. Finally ordered a different set, which are actually cheaper. The funny thing is on the reviews of different models many mentioned that they were replacing rusted out Westins. The problem is that even though the brackets have slots to adjust the angle to level the step. Unfortunately even fully angled down the step plate is still slanted to the truck. I’m thinking about sticking some shims under the bracket to adjust the angle. But for now they work. Up next on it is a new steering box as it is getting a little loose and it still needs an alarm.

    Shortly after that incident the heater core started to weap in the F-150, but again I didn’t have time, I put some stop leak and dealt with it. Today I got that job most of the way done, but since I’m at it I’m fixing some even longer (several years) standing problems, the odo is intermittent and the lights on the HVAC panel were out. The odo issue is a know bad solder joint, so that is pulled and sitting on the table to get re-soldered tonight. Unfortunately while doing that part I broke the headlight switch. It is just burnt out bulbs for the HVAC. I also checked the last oil change, just over a year and right about 4k miles, so I’m going to do that too so hopefully it will be good to go for another year or so.

    Reply
  7. geometry dash Avatar
    geometry dash

    My 1989 Civic wagon, which I bought on a whim, now has a mended seat belt, and I’m much more at ease behind the wheel. It’s an absolutely amazing car. In my wildest dreams, I could swap it out for a B18 and add a ton of dynamat if the guy I’ve given it to backs out.

    Reply
  8. jeffreestar Avatar
    jeffreestar

    While the all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma has captured the industry’s Spend Elon Musk Money attention this week, Greg Kachadurian throws it over to the readers for their automotive insights and experiences.

    Reply