Guitars won...

Original title of this monthly entry was planned to be like this. Something like "this is the end of this blog, blah blah blah". And it would be true. This summer guitars really won my time regarding cars. Instead of tweaking car suspension, gathering experience on the track, driving on twisty roads - garage becoming is full of new inhabitants like this:I'm spending time playing guitar (however I don't have any progress so far), crapping strange audio related things like stompboxes, preamps, amplifiers, burning them, crapping again... Whole corner is taken by audio stuff:When not playing guitar - I'm bothering with mysterious things like furniture, or electrolysis. Which is BTW nice rust remover. Some transformer from old UPS
In the bowl with plain steel electrode connected to +, item, which needs rust to be removed connected to -, we get pretty nice results (on the left). There is some 20g of washing soda (not baking!) dissolved in it. It bites nicely - turns your bare hands into soap in long period so it is suggested to wear rubber gloves, unless you like to wash your meat from the bones ;).

This is rear disc brake caliper carrier, which was produced in 1983, and was rusting all the time so far. Right carrier was soaking in vinegar for one day. Result is interesting, however smell of vinegar, surface activation and slow progress makes electrolysis. Electrolysis makes rust shear and loose contact with steel.

Back to title - guitars won only single battle so far. Some chap on S2 forum has read all this rubbish I write monthly, and said "you have a nice blog". That was the reason to visit my forgotten idol, angry getting dust in the garage. When I came, decided to warm thing a bit (it was sitting for few months non starter). After starting my car, feeling it's vibrations, hearing deep roar of straight exhaust - got me so exciting, that I rolled car to the yard and washed it. I know it's not the nicest one, rusty, tired, old. It's power is puny when compared with Scandinavian monsters. However it still makes my heart to beat much faster, looks exciting, and still has guts on power. Still can kick some buts ;). I still love this car, it may have only little of my time, however it surely has some corner inside me.
So I took the camera and made bunch of photos. Just to remember how nice car I happen to have (I sometimes forget). Here are some of them. Enjoy.

Bad carma :(

In short - rolled my other car out of garage, kicked the throttle, and it went dead. Cold 10w60 oil, heavy foot and tired dizzy gear gave up. After tearing half of the car apart:
Managed to take this thing out. Will need new dizzy gear. Meanwhile I have no human carrier, no free garage space to work and play with guitar. Dark moments in our history...

Sad, tired and exhausted...

Chain of failures (related and not with the car), killed that slight motivation I had to work with it. I don't want to do anything with it now. Don't want to drive it... I just want to disappear in the darkness...

OK, enough of my depression (some say, it is just lack of Lithium in my ration), so short review what was done in past 10 days (with PICS!).
So first thing was gearbox and rear diff mounts. I was running original (audi green) mounts all way round, except driver side gearbox one. Reason for that is my driving style with harsh throttle lift off. This puts lot of strain on poor mount, and because audi has designed nice two stage response mount with comfort zone - this leads to premature wear and destruction of it. So last season mount by kwlw was quite teared. Because it was beta version, some things were made not so good. All other mounts were replaced with 034efi track density rubber mount. I can recommend those things. They are exactly the same dimensions as stock, but much much more stiff. You can feel it with fingers when trying to push dents. China mount bends easily, orginal one - resists, and you can barely deform 034efi one. That is good. Very good. So pics:
New version of mount has additional alloy disks to make pressure to rubber more even. Bolts were made longer, whole thing is working with larger area, this leads to additional stiffness and reliability As you've migh seen sandblasted rear struts, front ones were not blasted to preserve bearings (they are not so cheap). Instead I have spent few hours with steel brush, and angle grinder with rotating steel brush. Actually they looked event better than in photos. After this procedure that they were painted with POR15 just like rears. No pictures, because they look almost exactly the same like rears - hanging on the rope. Good thing, that after few shiny days - paint has cured completelly and now is hard as it should be. Bad thing, that I lost my motivation and health somewhere. Maybe these puppies are to blame?
Don't make mistake. I'm not guitar player. Actually I am tonedeaf. And have no idea what to do with guitar. But it's nice toys to just to play with. Something new, unusual. However even they don't make me smile. Don't know why (Lithium problem?).

Life goes on :)

Monday:

Spent half of the day, trying to put more silicone into intake system (samco 3b intake hose, smashed BOV was replaced). After hour of unsuccessful trying - only this single piece was fitted, and old intake was put back. FAIL.

Tuesday:

Did test assembly to the strut:There was some nasty dirt and rust in the strut housing, was cleaned with this very sophisticated device (it was very funny when it get stuck inside strut housing - :D)Found in progress, that many necessary parts are missing. Spent some time hassling around the stores and gathering parts. Meanwhile sandblasting guy cleaned some rust. What a nice natural metal look:
Wednesday:

It was planed to be painting day. Nature was prepared, after I came to garage - it started to rain (first time in three weeks). Temperature dropped from +20 to +14. All the paint needs to cure is temperature above +15. FAIL again. However I am used to, so painted struts with POR15 rust preventive paint, and wishbones with Brunox epoxy primer (that's why they look not so nice).Instead of 2 hours, paint will cure for few days, and finally will become hard only after few months. BTDT - it was exactly the same scenario last year (roll cage painting). Oh well. At least now I know, that it WILL cure :). No bearing job tomorrow, no coilovers at trackday and slalom in weekend. Just another big FAIL. I need somehow not to get used to it.

Dust...

Just noticed how much dust was on the car, when I rolled outside.
As it warm enough outside (that's not a problem for me getting cold and stuffed nose even in such condition BTW) - some painting practice was done:I hope I will manage to start work with the car from Monday. Season is opened! Woohoo! :).

Struts...

Spring came to the garage. At last temperature is above +5C and I can work. First thing I need is to prepare struts for making coilovers out of them. Old shocks must be removed. Rust and stupid wrench monkeys made job "easy" with few strokes of the hammer when tightening nut. Ordinary tools failed to deal with this. Some bigger caliber was needed. China made tool (red one) failed immediatelly. However russian steel, some propane torch magic and lots of not so nice language made it. I was not suprised to find, that both shocks were different. One is from Opel, another is "import part". No idea what it is.
Here is final result:

Months passing

Still nothing new. I doubt that someone is reading this, however - I'm still sick (latent respiratory problems), have found new joy of trying to play with guitar. Was in excursion to garage yesterday, just to charge battery, warm up engine, etc. Did tiny ride. Oh, how I like this car :). I'm pretty sure, that sooner or latter air will warm up and I will be able to breathe in the garage. Then we will see. Funds are ready for suspension purchase and pile of various items are waiting to be installed into the car. I hope I still be able to drive it.

Project is not dead, but activity is ;)

No updates for two months. Sorry. I have no strength to do something in garage. Also have few new toys (non automotive), so no time to spend i damp, cold and dark places like garage is. When it will become warmer - then project will be resumed (suspension, air intake, etc.). Now just I'm just lurking in e-bay and forums...