Author Archive
Nov
13
finally DONE!
Posted by: | CommentsI picked up a 99 Cirrus in great shape with 93k on it in July for $500. Loaded, leather, sunroof, great body and interior. The PO thought it had a miss in it and installed 3 computers [still have them], new distributor [thank you], new crank position sensor [thank you again!]. He then figured that it must have jumped time [started on timing belt change]. Found out he was over his head and threw too much money at it. He let it sit, so shit [leaves and twigs] got into the intake. I tore the heads off, lapped valves, re-sealed the valve guides, and re-assembled. Replaced timing belt and water pump. Still didnt start. The PO didn't set the CPS at the right depth to read the crank! Now a killer commuter car that I can get another 100k out of! Dont overlook these JA [Cloud-cars] as good commuter vehicles. I have 238K on my other one with no engine issues. The 2.5 V6 is a great motor.
Oct
29
Reprieve from the Governor!
Posted by: | CommentsHi guys! As some of you know, I work at the Chrysler Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. "SHAP" We've been the home of the P-cars, Cloud-cars [JA-bodies], JR [2001-2007]Sebrings and Stratus's, and now the JS's [Sebring-Avengers]. No lie, last year was bleak for all of us. Those in, and outside the industry. It was announced, last spring, our plant would be closed for good in the spring of 2010. The UAW locals and the local politicians staged rallies. We had UAW brothers and sisters come from Toledo and St. Louis on chartered buses to support us and our plant! [BTW, St. Louis was to be, and DID close] The result was a stay-of-execution till 2012.
Well, a year later, God has smiled upon us! We are now in the middle of an "update" for our Avengers and Sebrings. [cant say too much] Chrysler has announced this week they are investing around $850 million to update our plant and replace our out-dated paint shop! Also with the eye towards adding an additional body line. Our paint shop was built in the early 80's by Volkswagon to build their cars here, so the size and dimensions of certain components limited us to making vehicles of a certain size. The cost of a paint facility can easily be in the $500-650 million range.
This is great news to all of us, and our region! We have 1500 employees, and plan to add a second shift with 900 more in the next year.
Some of you may say "big deal", but if you saw the economic devastation that has gone on in the area over the last few years, you might even feel sympathy towards some of us "lazy auto workers". Whenever the economy catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia!
Anyways, I just wanted to share some good news that affects not just me and my brothers and sisters. But something that affects tens of thousands of families in my state that do business with us, and rely on our jobs for their jobs.
Well, a year later, God has smiled upon us! We are now in the middle of an "update" for our Avengers and Sebrings. [cant say too much] Chrysler has announced this week they are investing around $850 million to update our plant and replace our out-dated paint shop! Also with the eye towards adding an additional body line. Our paint shop was built in the early 80's by Volkswagon to build their cars here, so the size and dimensions of certain components limited us to making vehicles of a certain size. The cost of a paint facility can easily be in the $500-650 million range.
This is great news to all of us, and our region! We have 1500 employees, and plan to add a second shift with 900 more in the next year.
Some of you may say "big deal", but if you saw the economic devastation that has gone on in the area over the last few years, you might even feel sympathy towards some of us "lazy auto workers". Whenever the economy catches a cold, Detroit gets pneumonia!
Anyways, I just wanted to share some good news that affects not just me and my brothers and sisters. But something that affects tens of thousands of families in my state that do business with us, and rely on our jobs for their jobs.
Oct
02
W.I.W. 71 Hemi, long block
Posted by: | CommentsHi guys! Not my usual kind of post, but doing a favor for the step-daughters boyfriend. Good kid. His father passed a couple of years ago in a boating accident.
He has a what he thinks is a '71 "Hemi-Cuda" in the garage as a shell. He was recently contacted by a friend of his dads telling him that his dad left a motor in his storage in W.V. The friend said it was a 426 Hemi, and was generally honest with him about the details. The close friend of his dad told him that he would like to buy the motor for $15,000. We're not sure if this is the original motor or not. Of course, if it is the original motor, then we will re-mate them. 1+1=3!
First off, is that a fair price for a Hemi long block? Do years matter? We are just starting the research. We are kind of lost as where to start as far as to find the true source, and value of his find.
Vin tag numbers will be here soon.
He has a what he thinks is a '71 "Hemi-Cuda" in the garage as a shell. He was recently contacted by a friend of his dads telling him that his dad left a motor in his storage in W.V. The friend said it was a 426 Hemi, and was generally honest with him about the details. The close friend of his dad told him that he would like to buy the motor for $15,000. We're not sure if this is the original motor or not. Of course, if it is the original motor, then we will re-mate them. 1+1=3!
First off, is that a fair price for a Hemi long block? Do years matter? We are just starting the research. We are kind of lost as where to start as far as to find the true source, and value of his find.
Vin tag numbers will be here soon.
Jul
04
Fireworks
Posted by: | Comments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo48Y...eature=related
Nothing says Fourth of July like nuclear blasts!!
Jun
18
Bad dog joke
Posted by: | CommentsA dog walks into a telegraph office and says "I'd like to send a telegram".
The clerk says "Sure, what would you like it to say?"
The dog replies "I want it to say; Woof, woof woof woof, woof woof woof woof, woof".
The clerk writes it down and tells him, "Thats nine words. We charge a minimum for the first ten words. I can put one more "woof" in there for the same price. Is that ok?"
The dog thinks for a second, and says "But then it wouldnt make any sense!"
The clerk says "Sure, what would you like it to say?"
The dog replies "I want it to say; Woof, woof woof woof, woof woof woof woof, woof".
The clerk writes it down and tells him, "Thats nine words. We charge a minimum for the first ten words. I can put one more "woof" in there for the same price. Is that ok?"
The dog thinks for a second, and says "But then it wouldnt make any sense!"
Jun
11
Year One 10% discount, Frugalmechanic.com
Posted by: | CommentsFound this site while comparison shopping for other car parts. Good site. But this is the "coupons" section I have pasted here. It has good coupons from many retailers. But the kicker is the Year One 10% off. Its near the bottom, and the link takes you right to the Year one site. Hope it can save some of you a few $$$$$. http://frugalmechanic.com/coupons
Jun
05
Old joke from the days of "Our German masters"
Posted by: | CommentsNews from Strasbourg: Daimler-Chrysler World Headquarters
The new Daimler-Chrysler company has reached an agreement to adopt English as the preferred language for all corporate communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, former Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton conceded that English spelling has some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan to coincide with the merging of the companies.
In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard "c" will be replased with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replased by "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20 persent shorter.
In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Exekutives will enkorage the removal of double leters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e" s in the languaj is disgrasful, and they would go.
By the forth yer, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and "w" by "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be droped from words kontaining "ou", and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.
After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sesibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understant ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali av kum tru.
The new Daimler-Chrysler company has reached an agreement to adopt English as the preferred language for all corporate communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, former Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton conceded that English spelling has some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan to coincide with the merging of the companies.
In the first year, "s" will be used instead of the soft "c". Sertainly, sivil servants will resieve this news with joy. Also, the hard "c" will be replased with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one less letter.
There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replased by "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20 persent shorter.
In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Exekutives will enkorage the removal of double leters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of silent "e" s in the languaj is disgrasful, and they would go.
By the forth yer, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" by "z" and "w" by "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be droped from words kontaining "ou", and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.
After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sesibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understant ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali av kum tru.
