What did you do to/with your vehicle today?

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by M_a_t_t

The trunk is pretty impressive for such a small car.

That trunk is also pretty rectangular for such a small car! Well, compared to modern ones anyway.

[MetroMPG]

Today I parked the Mirage until winter.

It's MPGiata time!



I'm just heading out on a long-ish drive that'll give me a better chance to see how the freshly (slightly) lowered suspension feels & handles.

[aardvarcus]

Are your tires low profile, or are your wheel covers extended onto the tire?

Speaking of non low profile tires, mounted my set of 255/85R16 All Terrains on the 4Runner. Also finished my GPS Ram mount. Put a APP connector on my new puma 12v air compressor to plug in my existing APP setup and made up a short air hose to accompany it.

[California98Civic]

MPGiata looks great. My own mods/repairs coming along, slowly. Electrical diagnosis done, I am indecisive about my repair plan: open the engine harness to replace wires, or cut faulty wires at each connector and run wire outside the harness bundle? I prefer the former. Car runs right now, so I have access when I need it.

Progress sounds great, aardvarcus. 16" wheels are kinda on the smaller side for a 4runner, no?

[aardvarcus]

Ironically when I went to find my 3rd gen 4 runner my requirements were it had to be shipped from the factory with 15 inch wheels, because those came with 4.10 gears not 4.30s. So the 15s and 16s were a factory option in this year model (1999). The new ones all come with 17s or larger. The fifteens were long gone before I got ahold of it, so I swapped some Tacoma sixteens on it. I did the Tundra brake upgrade, so the 15s wouldn't fit now. Its sitting on "34" tires right now, so no shortage of rubber.

[nemo]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

My own mods/repairs coming along, slowly. Electrical diagnosis done, I am indecisive about my repair plan: open the engine harness to replace wires, or cut faulty wires at each connector and run wire outside the harness bundle? I prefer the former. Car runs right now, so I have access when I need it.

As you may know all electrical testing assumes a good connection, check PJs carefully. In thirty plus year of electro/mechanical trouble shooting vary rarely was the problem in the harness per say but rather at points of movement and most times were the wire exits the harness or fastened in place. Old school was to pull a screwdriver using the blade along the insulation with tension on the wire and feel the break or just pull the wire and watch the insulation stretch. If your meter probes are needle type you can just stab them through the insulation and make tests at various points.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by aardvarcus

Are your tires low profile, or are your wheel covers extended onto the tire?

65 aspect ratio on the front, 60 on the rear.


The discs touch the tires, but I need to trim the fronts because the discs are trimming the tire! Amazing how sharp coroplast can be...

[aardvarcus]

Spent some time with my front bumper making a front belly pan/skid plate from the nose of the car back to the radiator where the main belly pan/ skid plates start. Bending 1/4 aluminum with a homemade press brake.

[M_a_t_t]

Is aluminum just as easy to work with in fetal forming as steel? I am having a hard time finding a local steel supplier that won't charge an arm and a leg for a sheet steel panel and as much as I'd like to get my panels from something else (recycle, scrap, etc.) I'm not sure it is going to be time effective. However, an ex- co worker keeps a supply of aluminum sheet for his race-car and has offered it to me before at a reasonable price. I have no sheet metal experience as of yet. I'm excited to start messing with it though.

[aardvarcus]

My first attempt at belly panning a car many years ago was with 0.060 aluminum from a racecar friend's contact. Long story short I had few tools to work with the material and ended up dissatisfied.

It worked ok to cover short areas that were well supported, but large panels would vibrate and required bracing. Probably about the same effort to form as steel, except it is much cheaper to get into steel welding.

My 1/4 (which are recycled pieces) is thick enough to self span between supports, but requires serious tools to manipulate. And relatively heavy (but I need the strength).

Whatever material you choose, you will probably need a way to accurately cut it, bend it, and attach it together. Cardboard templates can be your best friends on a project like this, and with an angle guage you could theoretically make your piece from cardboard, trace it on metal, mark the bends with angle measurements, and take it somewhere to be bent or welded if you lack those capabilities. Rivets work with thiner metals.

Julian has some nice photos in his book where he first built frames for the pieces, and then skinned the frames. Which isn't a bad option either.