Oh Yes I got to drive this morning! | FerrariChat

Oh Yes I got to drive this morning!

Discussion in 'New England' started by dan360, Dec 19, 2003.

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  1. dan360

    dan360 F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2003
    2,669
    Boston
    Rode into work after negotiating the glacier in my driveway that resulted in being away for a week when there was snow here.

    Car sneaked over the ice and hit the dry roads for a nice blast into the office this morning.

    Brought a big smile to the face on such a sunny morning. Here's to no more snow till after Xmas and a few more sneaky drives!
     
  2. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,687
    North shore, MA
    Full Name:
    THE Birdman
    Hey Dan,
    Keep driving it!!! It looks like I'm done for a while...the rear suspension is coming apart tomorrow!

    Birdman
     
  3. ChrisfromRI

    ChrisfromRI Karting

    Jan 28, 2003
    230
    Foster, RI
    Full Name:
    Chris F
    I'm going to go for a short ride tomorrow. The snow and salt is clear from the roads here in RI after the rain and warm wx. I only have a few remnant snowpiles leftover here and there, from snow-plowing with my 4wd quad...

    Kind Regards, Chris
     
  4. ChrisfromRI

    ChrisfromRI Karting

    Jan 28, 2003
    230
    Foster, RI
    Full Name:
    Chris F
    I had a great drive today. It was nice and sunny here in RI!

    Kind Regards, Chris
     
  5. Prova85

    Prova85 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2003
    1,993
    So. Shore MA.
    Full Name:
    Kenny K
    I too had visions of a drive this past weekend as it was beautiful here on the so. shore except I was knocked totally(and literally) on my ass by the worst flu I've had in years.

    Kenny K.
     
  6. ChrisfromRI

    ChrisfromRI Karting

    Jan 28, 2003
    230
    Foster, RI
    Full Name:
    Chris F
    Kenny,

    Hope you feel better soon. I hear the flu that's going around is a bad one -- and it's unaffected by the available flu shots.

    I try to avoid such ailments by living out in the country, and generally staying away from people as much as possible. It makes me feel a little like a hermit though...

    Kind Regards, Chris
     
  7. spider348

    spider348 Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,264
    MA
    Full Name:
    John
    Jonathan, are you removing the suspension yourself? Let me know if you need a hand. John
     
  8. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 6, 2003
    24,957
    Las Vegas, NV
    Full Name:
    Ryan Alexander
    I also came down with that flu Saturday night. Feel like my body was beat with a baseball bat (yesterday I was literally writhing in joint pain). Slightly better today, thanks to excessive quantities of Nyquil and Dayquil.
     
  9. Nabbs

    Nabbs Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2003
    909
    Manhattan, NY
    Full Name:
    Naveed
    Yes the weather cleared up a bit, I drove mine in from Boston - Cambridge (gotta love that crazy 6 mile roundtrip commute...garage-to-garage to boot) yesterday.

    Only prob (besides the snow and salt of course): crazy potholes!

    To protect the paint and body from errant stones and salt rocks, I had the 3M film installed on the car. Pix here: http://nabbs.fbody.com/autobahnd/

    -N
     
  10. TCM

    TCM Formula Junior

    Nov 10, 2003
    552
    Tyngsborough, MA
    Nabbs:

    You are everywhere on the internet forums:)! All the rain that is expected to this weekend will hopefully wash away all that salt. My car is literaly white.
     
  11. Nabbs

    Nabbs Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2003
    909
    Manhattan, NY
    Full Name:
    Naveed
    Yes I am worldwide (TM - pending) :)

    Tomorrow is mod day, should have fun :)

    -N
     
  12. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
    Consultant Owner

    May 5, 2001
    7,017
    Groton, MA
    Full Name:
    Verell Boaen
    BirdMan seems to be being stubborn about doing it himself, at least the dis-assembly. Maybe we ought to insist on dropping in & helping out, or at least give him a hard time. - ;-P
     
  13. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,687
    North shore, MA
    Full Name:
    THE Birdman
    Are you kidding me?? Man, I'm open to all kinds of help! I'm just trying to spare you guys the frustration of working in my mom's garage (beautifully heated, no jacket required, but smells like dog big time).

    John, c'mon over and bring that LOW aluminum racing jack of yours! I haven't figured out how I'm going to get the other side of the car jacked up yet! (The car is so low that my shop jack can only get under there when I have jacked up the car a few inches with my Honda jack...and I BENT the Honda jack!

    Once I get all the stuff apart, I'll be heading to Verell's house for some help pressing the old bushings out and the new ones in, then tack welding them. I ordered the bushings on Tuesday. Now I have to decide if I'm rebuilding the old shocks or just replacing.

    The hardest part is getting a time to work on it when I don't have honeydos and baby duty.

    BTW, I got a great new cd player for the car for Xmas! Next thing on the list to install after I get the suspension done!

    Birdman
     
  14. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
    Consultant Owner

    May 5, 2001
    7,017
    Groton, MA
    Full Name:
    Verell Boaen
    Jonathan,
    This is going to be a continual problem, unless you can get your lift arms down low enough to go under the car. Even then it may be a problem as your car is so low that even with the lift arms on the floor you may not be able to get them under it.

    Bite the bullet & make some riser blocks like mine, only better. The following is what I've been planning to replace my blocks with:

    Go to a lumber yard & get a 16' 2x12, & a 8' 2x3 stud.
    Cut the 2x12 into 2 3' lengths, 2 4' lengths, & angle cut 1 end of each.
    (2 of the pieces are the rear pieces and are ~12" longer than the other 2 so the car isn't going to be trying to lift all 4 wheels at the same time.)

    Cut 4 pieces the width of the 2x12 off of the stud. Prepare 2 of the 2x12 pieces as follows: Screw 1 of the 2x3s so it's flush against the end of the 2x12, Then screw a 2nd piece back about 12". The 2nd piece wants to be just far enough back so that a tire sits on the flat area between the two pieces of stud.

    The two 2x12s with the stud pieces go in front, or the rear. You'll feel the wheel drop into placewhen you've driven over the 1st piece, & the 2nd piece will keep it from rolling fwd off the end of the block.

    These will lift the car high enough so that just about any floor jack or lift post can get under it.
     
  15. Nabbs

    Nabbs Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2003
    909
    Manhattan, NY
    Full Name:
    Naveed
    Here is an example of how I raise my car --
    http://www.z06vette.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14603&highlight=jacking

    This is essentially the same protocol as Verrel was describing. You can also purchase low-profile alum jacks (which, no doubt, come in handy if you swap tires, pads etc @ the track), however if you're a poor Chebby owner like myself, the $20 Home Depot wood method works just fine :) I actually use a slightly less agressive (and time consuming) method that just raises the car enough for me to slide a conventional jack under it and then raise it to rest on some jackstands.

    hth,

    -N

    PS - If anyone ever needs a hand wrenching, I'd be happy to help, although I'm not a pro, I can find my way around a car and can always bench race with the best of them ;)
     
  16. ChrisfromRI

    ChrisfromRI Karting

    Jan 28, 2003
    230
    Foster, RI
    Full Name:
    Chris F
    FWIW, my $160 ~ $180 low profile aluminum floor jack from Harbor Freight works great on my 308. It has also held up well to many bouncy rides in my S2000's race tire trailer, and being used many times outside in the rain to swap tires at the track.

    This season's song always seemed to sound like: It's gonna be clear, quick put on the slicks -- nope the rain is starting again, quick change back to streets -- looks like it's clearing again, quick back to slicks -- uh oh the rain is really coming down heavy now, what a bad time to have to change tires and get soaked...

    Kind Regards, Chris
     
  17. BigHead

    BigHead Formula Junior

    Oct 31, 2003
    995
    Outside of Boston
    Full Name:
    Dennis
    Hmmm.... this talk of jacking and building ramps and such....

    My method is much simpler. :)

    I use a standard hydraulic jack from Sears. Does your jack not fit under your car? Don't have the nifty low-rise aluminum jack? Using ramps to get the car high enough to use your jack?

    Simple solution - I just grab my 355, and LIFT the sucker. It'll rise on the suspension by an inch or so, just enough for me to slide the jack underneath.

    No fuss, no muss.... :)

    vty,

    --Dennis
     
  18. Prova85

    Prova85 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2003
    1,993
    So. Shore MA.
    Full Name:
    Kenny K
    Here's another plug for the Harbor Freight aluminum jack. It's low, light and fast and I got mine for $140 2mos ago w/free shipping. It looks and feels like it should cost twice what it does. Definate bargain.

    Kenny K.
     
  19. Nabbs

    Nabbs Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2003
    909
    Manhattan, NY
    Full Name:
    Naveed
    You could always do it the redneck way :)

    -N
     
  20. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
    Consultant Owner

    May 5, 2001
    7,017
    Groton, MA
    Full Name:
    Verell Boaen
    Dennis,
    Here's the context you're missing:
    Jonathan's 308 seems to be almost 1" lower than usual. I think he's only got 2-3/4" clearance between the bottom of the pinch welds & the floor. He doesn't have a low-rise jack, & he just bent his Honda 154's jack lifting the car high enough to get a std Sears jack under it.

    Also, He is contemplating installing a lift when he builds his garage.
    I'm not at all sure that he's going to find a lift with 2-1/2" arms. Std arms seem to be 3-1/2" square stock. Hence the riser blocks.

    I've got a lift, but can't lift my car while I'm trying to position the lift arms under it. (I've also got one of those nifty low-rise jacks, but it's stopped working & I can't find where I put the manual that tells me how to bleed the hydraulics.) Anyway, the blocks are the quickest way I've come up with to get the car up high enough to slide the lift arms under it.
     
  21. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,687
    North shore, MA
    Full Name:
    THE Birdman
    I think my car is actually 2" lower than stock. Seriously, I could kill a squirrel without even hitting him with the wheels. I cannot go anywhere NEAR a speed bump!

    Hey, a good way to determine this would be to compare the roof height of my 308 with another GTB. I'll measure it and get back to you.

    But it looks cool!

    Thanks again Verell and Spider348 for your help yesterday. (For you fellow FChatters, Spider348 and Verell came over and helped me get the rear suspension apart for my rebuild.) It was a beautiful day and we worked with the garage open. I couldn't help but think it would be a nice day for a drive. Alas, my car had no wheels! I'm shooting pics of this suspension rebuild and will write it up for the TechQ&A section when finished.

    Nabbs, where did you get that pic? That is too funny.

    Birdman
     
  22. Nabbs

    Nabbs Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2003
    909
    Manhattan, NY
    Full Name:
    Naveed
    Yes, I know how that is -- I bottom out on leaves ;)

    The problem I have is not really that the car is so low. Rather its that the Xmember is so far under the nose that a conventional jack does not have enough vertical room to pump the lever. Yesterday I installed new shocks (gotta love modding a 3K mile car) and a host of other goodies. We used a friends low profile 3-ton racing jack. The thing rocked and did not require any fancy raising.

    I'd purchase one, but I live in a 900sf 1BR apt in Boston. Already my new headers (waiting to go on) and assorted parts share space with my suits and clothes (gotta love having your clothes have a faint smell of 5W30 Mobil One).

    Hang around the Camaro/Firebird community and you'll see everything, twice :) Here are some more pictures: http://www.fototime.com/39D7B593D1C569A/orig.jpg

    -N
     
  23. ChrisfromRI

    ChrisfromRI Karting

    Jan 28, 2003
    230
    Foster, RI
    Full Name:
    Chris F
    Currently considering a 4-Post Lift for this reason -- see www.backyardbuddy.com

    With the optional drip pans, you also gain a garage bay...

    Kind Regards, Chris
     
  24. TonyM

    TonyM Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    20
    Pomfret Center, CT
    Full Name:
    Tony Mongillo
    Chris,

    I've had a four post lift for a few years now. It has been great for working on the cars.

    The next time you're out this way, stop by and I can show you my set up.

    Tony
     
  25. Doody

    Doody F1 Veteran

    Nov 16, 2001
    6,099
    MA USA
    Full Name:
    Mr. Doody
    hope you guys enjoyed the last couple days! i took the 550 to work yesterday - had a great drive. i keep putting off her storage date - woo hoo!

    ROTFL!

    make sure you check out the eagle SS7000 unit too. my understanding, though i can't corroborate it right this second, is that the backyard buddy unit isn't the best one out there.

    doody.
     

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