Happy New Year 2024!

image source: dreamstime.com

Thoughts as the old year of my automotive hobby winds to a close. 

Next April I will celebrate the tenth year of producing my blog. That is a considerable milestone. I have kept at it seriously, posting a new entry every week. My stable of old cars has provided me with a good source of content. I know that there are some people out there that read my blog, but there have been times when page views rocket it to a couple of hundred a day! I don't know if the site has been discovered by bots or what. A couple of months back page views were the highest ever. I wonder if an AI program was searching for language data, draining my posts of phrases, looking for speech patterns, colloquialisms or what. 

I find it hard to believe that so many visitors only read it for a month. Maybe they didn't find it that engaging.

I enjoy producing this blog, it is one of the best parts of my automotive hobby. It doesn't take up any room in my garage or driveway, doesn't leak any oil, and I never get my hands greasy! It's also a bit like jogging, it's regular exercise for my writing skills. Just as you'd have to train steadily to run a marathon, I think that you have to write steadily if you want to write a book someday. Or at least a few short stories. 

The state of my hobby is good.

I have four hobby cars and they all run. I'm glad to report that I don't have any non running projects taking up space. Except for the lit CEL in my '96 Mustang. everything else is doing fine. Not that I have the opportunity to drive all the cars. They often sit for a month or more as I don't drive all that much. It would make more sense to have fewer cars which I would drive more, but it's the selling that's the hard part. 

I had told my Wife that when I turned 70, I'd give most of my tools to my Son. One of the reasons for having a newer, lower mileage fleet was to hopefully cut down on the need to wrench.  However, I still need to do some fixing, and I do use my collection of tools. I don't think that I'm ready to give them up next year, it just seems to be too soon, but the idea of a mostly wrench free existence gets more and more appealing. 70 will be here next year! It's hard for me to believe that I'm that old, I still feel good enough most of the time. Besides my Son currently only has a one car garage, and doesn't have anywhere to put my tools ... yet. I'm operating on the assumption that he'll even want them! 

As always, I've devised an escape plan if things don't work out with my Riviera. The Riviera has proven to me that I prefer a quieter, smoother, more comfortable vehicle to a raspier sporty car. I still like a car with a nice interior, my Navigator reminds me quite a bit of my Jaguar XJ6. Leather and wood with nice colors. I'm thinking that a compact CUV like a Lincoln MKC might fill the bill. Either that or a Cadillac XTS or maybe a CTS. 

Today I pointed out a late model Lincoln Continental to my Wife as it stopped next to us at a traffic light. Her reaction was quite positive. That may be another direction. An MKZ might even fill the bill.

One of the reasons for buying the Riv was so that I could become active in the ROA. I should reach out to the former regional coordinator and see if he can hook me up with an email list of local guys that would be interested in getting together. Anyway, it's not going to happen before the end of the year.

Sometimes I'm feeling kind of bored with the whole car thing. I just need to pick out a few events, like swap meets, cars and coffees, or shows and just go. I went to a Datsun swap meet in Manteca as a vendor this year. I sold everything cheap, especially to buyers that were interested in buying a large quantity of parts. My goal was to get rid of the inventory that I've been sitting on for years. I was pretty successful and even made a couple of bucks. 

Just go... that's good advice, no need to sit around and complain. I'm lucky that I'm able to get out. I've got the cars, the money for gas, and the time. Not to mention the health, can't take that for granted.

I've still got a list of projects that I haven't finished around the house. I had planned to get them done within a few years after my retirement. I find it's best if I have the supplies on hand, then I can work at my own pace. I told my Wife that now that I'm retired, she would never get another eight hour shift out of me! Painting the exterior of the house is a big job that I put off last year. I'd like to get that done, it will be the last time that I ever do that.

All in all I feel that I've been very fortunate this year. The world is going through a very rough time. Being thankful for what we have is a good way to close out the old year, as well to begin the new.

Thanks to everyone that takes ten minutes a week to follow my blog, I hope that you are entertained. 

Happy New Year to all!

 Glue-O-Rama! 

Take your choice!

If you're talking about plastic, the subject of glue can't be too far away. You know that those plastic bits are eventually going to break!

So many types of plastics, so many adhesives that just won't stick. The hope is to find something that will.

There are the old standbys:

Super Glue from a whole different bunch of manufacturers.

JB Weld.

E6000 (or any clear silicone )

There are quite a few two part epoxies, glues, and fillers. They are strong, but will they stick to the base material?

There are spray adhesives for fabrics and vinyls.

Oftentimes a splint can be made to help hold the two broken parts together, I like to use aluminum flashing, it can be easily cut and formed, with basic hand tools. Then it can be attached by small screws or pop rivets. 

I'm not a big believer in duct tape, but there are times when it can be suitable to the job. 

3M double sided tape can be a quick and effective fix. 

There are special plastic bumper adhesives.

All of these repairs call for a lot of ingenuity. It helps to have several of these adhesives on hand. Usually you've disassembled something, find broken mounting tabs or pegs, and you need to fix it right away so that you can reassemble the components. 

A typical piece of plastic,

I decided to do a test of some of the commonly used adhesives to see if they would work on an automotive plastic panel. I chose the damaged front license plate mount that I replaced on my Navigator. This is a tough plastic part, somewhat flexible but quite strong. I think that it is made of PVC and it seems typical of plastic parts found  in the cars interior. 

The waiting test subjects.

I used a hacksaw to cut several bits of plastic from the edge of the piece. The test will be to see which adhesive will hold it to the parent piece. 

There are four candidates. 

I had this sitting around.

#1 is a glue used to join PVC lawn irrigation pipes. It's a two part process, first a primer is applied. After that dries, the glue is applied to both parts. I thought that the pipe material would be similar to the plate mount.

The best super glue that I've found.

#2 is Loctite Super Glue. I have found this to be one of the best of this type. It also comes in an easy to  control  squeeze bottle. My first impression was that this probably wouldn't stick very well.

 

#3 is JB Quick Weld. JB Weld is a known quantity and is quite versatile for repairs. Usually to rigid surfaces.

This one surprised me.

#4 is E 6000. This is a flexible silicon caulk-like adhesive used by many crafters. Both my Wife and Daughter use it when making jewelry and other assemblages. 

May the best glue win!

Surface prep consisted of wiping down all surfaces with rubbing alcohol. I did not roughen up the surface to provide a better bite. This might have affected one of the adhesives more than the others. (Looking back, roughing up the surface should have been a part of the prep for any adhesive.) 

The PVC pipe glue had been sitting in my garage cabinet for a very long time, possibly twenty years! The primer seemed fine, the glue was a bit gelatinous and might have been past it's prime. It was still very aromatic. The primer seemed to melt the surface of the plastic a bit. After I applied the glue, it didn't seem to set up at all.

The Super Glue was easy to apply, I may have applied a bit too much and it took longer to set than I expected. 

I mixed up the JB Weld right on the test surface, I also probably applied too much material as it took longer to set. 

Finally I applied the E6000. I didn't have a very high expectation for it's success. The application area was pretty big so I thought that it would probably hold, but maybe not as strong as I would like. 

The Super Glue set up the quickest. It felt quite secure. The PVC pipe glue didn't set up or hold at all. The JB Weld began to set after about ten minutes, the E 6000 after about 20 minutes. I decided to let the JB Weld set for another half hour. The bond seemed pretty strong.

I tested the bond by twisting the glued piece back and forth. I didn't go crazy, as this wasn't a destruction test.

The E6000 stated that it would need 24 hours to cure fully. I left all of the samples sit over night.

The Super Glue was very impressive. I've had experiences where Super Glue won't even dry on certain plastics. It felt as tight as it had felt the night before.

The J B Weld stuck to the test piece pretty well.

The JB Weld seemed pretty tight, but as I twisted it harder it broke loose. It might have held better if the surfaces had been roughed up before application. However it did stick to the little piece as it broke free. The E6000 really surprised me, it seemed to be holding as well as the Super Glue. It finally broke free after more vigorous twisting.

It appears that Super Glue could bond broken edges, this wouldn't be a very big surface area and it might fail under stress. The joint could be built up by sprinkling baking soda on the joined area. That could be repeated until the desired thickness was achieved. It seems that JB Weld might be used in the same way to reinforce the broken edges. JB Weld is a liquid epoxy that is very hard and strong when it dries. 

I don't know if the E6000 would be as effective in joining two broken edges, however if the break could be backed up by some type of material, say, fiberglass cloth, it might form a strong flexible repair. My test was joining a flat piece of plastic to another flat surface, this provided a very large area for adhesion. 

If fiberglass cloth was used as a backing material, POR 15 paint might also be an effective adhesive. Especially as the cloth could be saturated with the POR 15, and that stuff sticks to everything! The entire repair would be tough and flexible. This could be a real plus when repairing a somewhat flexible panel. This is the type of repair that is recommended by the manufacturers of POR 15. Weathered plastic panels, or old hard board panels can be given several coats of the paint. It will form a tough plastic skin. Voids in rusted metal are bridged by the saturated fiberglass cloth. Several successive coats increase the strength. 

I've used the POR paint and the epoxy for repairs. That stuff is very tough.

I'm going to do further experimenting with POR 15 in a future post; Glue- A- Rama Part Two.

 Plastics. 

"Remember one word. Plastics."

It was the wave of the future recommended enthusiastically to Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate."

I remember back when household items were touted for their construction of "high impact plastic!"

Back then we lived in a dent filled world. Items like waste baskets, buckets, small appliances, and especially garbage cans would get banged around and end up with numerous dents. That would make them look pretty beat up. I was reminded of this when I was emptying the waste baskets in my Wife's studio. They are wire mesh units that were purchased at IKEA. I've accidentally put a dent in the sides, then I pounded them out by hitting them on the inside to straighten them out. Plastic items resist being dented, until a really serious impact causes them to crack!

Plastic also has another benefit, especially for outdoor household items, it doesn't rust. One piece resin patio chairs have been popular for decades. They do have their advantages. Folding aluminum  chairs with steel hardware would have the hardware get rusty, sometimes leaving unsightly rusty streaks. The major problem with resin and other plastics is it's susceptibility to UV damage. Exposure to UV light weakens the plastic, but sometimes you are not aware of this until the item suddenly fails. Lots of people, myself included, have experienced a collapsing patio chair. 

Metal items can be repaired easily, dents can be straightened, cracks can be welded, or broken areas can be bridged with mending plates. Replacement parts can be cobbled together by the home repair person, restoring a broken item back to a usable state. Plastic is a different matter, sometimes it can be repaired through mechanical means like mending plates, and reinforcing brackets. Although the most common repair is by using adhesives. 

So plastic has it's place and it's usefulness.

But it's the bane of the old car guy.

At one time, the trim pieces on cars were made from steel, cast zinc, glass, stainless steel, and minimally... plastic. Now almost every panel inside is made from some combination of plastics.

Is there anything worse than 25 year old plastic?  How about 15, 10, or even 5 years old? 

It was bad even when the car was new, and parts broke during warranty related dealership servicing. They even broke frequently during the cars assembly process! But they had the option of grabbing a new OEM part out of a bin.

I was there in '77-'81, screwing together Chevy Monte Carlos in Fremont. I thought that there was an awful lot of plastic in the dashboards, door panels, even the header and tail lamp panels. It didn't look like it would last a long time, but I wasn't  thinking about them making it past the New Millennium. It just had to last long enough for me to finish my installation. Miraculously, the lifespan of these parts has exceeded my meager expectations. 

Realistically, a manufacturer has to build an item to last through the warranty period and to provide it's purchaser with a reasonable period of reliable use. I'm sure that automobile manufacturers didn't conceive that examples of their products would become collectors items and be kept in use for 25, 35, or even 55 plus years. 

But they have.

One of the most worrisome events is the initial disassembly of a section of an old car's interior to gain access for diagnosis or repair. Removing dash or door panels is fraught with the potential for damage.

It can be almost impossible to do this without causing even more damage. It's like doing CPR on a 90 year old person. The intent is to save their life, but how many ribs are likely to be broken in the process?

Sometimes you can find how to videos that can give you a good heads up on how to proceed. Other times you have already gone to the wrecking yard and disassembled parts of a donor car to get the parts you needed. But you may have broken some mounting tabs or pins in the process. But now at least you know how the panels were attached and fit together.

There are various types of plastic used in the construction of a car's interior and bodywork. 

Polypropylene is one of the most widely used materials in construction of a car's interior. It is also used for bumpers, carpet and other floor coverings. 

Polyvinyl chloride,  PVC, is commonly used in dash board and body parts.

Polycarbonate is highly impact resistant, and used in bumpers and headlight lenses.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene  Styrene, ABS, is used in steering wheel covers and dashboards. It is well suited to heavy duty applications like body parts.

Polyethylene is used in glass fiber reinforced car bodies as well as electrical insulation.

Nylon 6/6 can be fabricated through molding or extrusion techniques and is often used in weatherproof coatings.

I wish that I could tell you exactly where these plastics are used in your particular car. Just being able to properly pronounce the names of these types of plastics will lend you an air of authority! But I'm no chemist, my only interest and concern is how to repair broken items made from these materials. 

The important question is: Can I find a commonly available adhesive that can bond the broken part? 

How do you repair the damage, and reattach the part in a workmanlike manner?

How can you fix broken plastic pieces like mounting tabs or molded posts? 

Adhesives are a first attempt. Usually superglue or JB Weld. But the glue has to stick to the original plastic. This is the biggest issue because the somewhat flexible PVC plastics will often not bond with super glues. Sometimes good old plastic model cement will do the job. 

Epoxies like POR 15 are another route, but again will they stick? 

Silicon calks and sealers can sometimes work. Especially if there is a large area for adhesion.

Plastic welding works for some plastic panels.

A hot glue gun? 

It's easy to test the efficacy of the glue on the back of a panel, if after drying, it can't be easily scraped off, then it might be a good candidate. 

It also depends on the job that you are asking the glue to do. Is it holding something like a badge, lens or small panel in place, not much strength is called for. Or is it to repair a broken part like a cover panel or lens?.

Is it going to be used to fix a broken mounting bracket, locating pin, or other piece that completely snapped off during disassembly?

How much surface area is there for adhesion at the break?  A wide jagged shoulder or a narrow knife edge? 

Sometimes the fracture can be splinted with a supporting piece, using another layer of plastic, or what I've favored, something made from aluminum flashing. The flashing is easy to cut and shape. In many spots I used a combination of small screws or pop rivets and an epoxy glue. If there is enough room to accommodate the splint it works fine. 

The repair pictured above was one of my more ambitious splinting projects. The curved section is attached to part of the steel tube framework. Then the metal was bent to a ninety degree angle and screwed into the plastic leg. The front leg of my Wife's rolling cart was broken when it was dropped off a stair step. The part was cracked, but still attached by a section of intact plastic. My splint holds the leg in place as well as bracing it from moving back and forth. There was no way that glue applied to the edges would be strong enough to hold. Since the repair is underneath and out of view, aesthetics aren't a primary concern.

I formed this splint by hammering on a piece of aluminum sheet clamped in a vise, after it was roughly cut to size. Sometimes a simple mending plate can be used to bridge the broken area. 

If the broken part is part of a plastic door card you have to be careful that any screws or rivets aren't visible through the upholstery, or protrude through to the other side. 

I'm not a great fan of duct tape, but it is quite sticky and it can cover a large surface area for maximum adhesion. 

The biggest challenge is if the plastic part needs to have some strength, for example the door pull cup or strap, molded into the door panel. In my Rivieras case, the middle of the door panel is held on by three curved plastic prongs that hook into the doors steel panel. The door pull strap has screws that are attached to metal, but the middle of the panel can get floppy if the hooks break off of the door card. 

At one time, up to the 1950's and '60's, door panels were held on by a combination of hidden clips and visible external screws. Now visible exterior screws are avoided. Although it will be visible, and look like an amateur repair, sometimes a screw drilled through a panel into the metal underneath is the best option. It is certainly the easiest option! 

The end result of this discussion of plastics used in automotive construction boils down to one reality: I've got some broken parts that I need to fix.

 Progress is measured in small steps.

My mascot approves of my efforts.

More little fixes to the Riviera. 

I don't know what those stains are from. I do know that the former owners
 transported their Grand kids in the backseat.

Some fixes are easy and don't require any parts, just gluing down a loose area of head liner. It's best to glue loose spots as soon as possible. Loose headliners in cars of this age are pretty common. Best to try and halt the process as best you can. I used some fabric spray adhesive for this job. Kids, and some adults,  like to pick at loose trim.

These lifts are reasonably priced at RockAuto.

Others are simple parts replacements. The trunk lid struts have lost their strength and needed replacement. The trunk lid would stay up in some situations. Other times it would fall on my head. There was the mandatory long stick in the trunk that served as a prop rod in the trunk when I bought the car. 

A section of broomstick was commonly used 
in the past.

All you have to do is pry off this spring retainer.

It works, but don't expect miracles.

There is matte dark gray textured trim on the bottoms of the bumpers and along the rocker panels of the car. This plastic is not painted and it will start to look dirty and oxidized over time. Mother's Back to Black is more aggressive than car wash soap, but won't damage the adjoining paint.  

These are the after photos. It's hard to tell, but the trim is much darker and richer looking than when I started. As you can see, the quarter panel really curves under behind the rear wheel. This does accentuate the width of the tire, giving the car a more aggressive appearance, but a lot of road dirt and debris gets thrown up onto the body. I plan to add a small flare/mudflap to cut down on the dirt.

Fixing the radio and HVAC control panel meant removing the dash board fascia. I found a very good video on YouTube that details the process. I wonder why GM didn't make a removable center section to access the radio and HVAC control units. It would have saved a lot of time and reduced the possibility of damaging all the plastic attaching hardware. 

Under neath the taupe plastic fascia is a black bunch of components.

Stereo AM/FM radio, cassette tape player, and a single disc CD. 
New cars only come with a radio and a Bluetooth hook up. 

If the dash had a removable section, removal of the radio unit would only take a few minutes. There are a lot questions that Riviera fans have had about the decisions that Buick made when designing the interior. It appears that cost cutting was the primary factor behind these decisions. I had a '94 Cadillac Seville which had a beautiful, high quality interior. Of course the Seville cost quite a bit more, but I wish that GM had spent another hundred bucks on the interior. I liked it less when the car was introduced, I've recently come to accept it as part of the car's personality.

I'm waiting until I have the a/c system checked and repaired before reassembling the dash. I don't want to have to take it apart again. I'm still having some issues with the heater functions. 

The fuel level sender is not accurate or reliable, I ran the car completely out of gas once and the car conked out. Luckily it was on a level surface street and there was a place to pull over out of traffic. It was my good luck to run out directly across from a gas station. I did have to buy a gas can but the episode only cost me twenty minutes or so. I have AAA road assistance but that can take up to an hour.

 Replacing the sending unit will be a bit more complicated repair, however I ordered a special tool at the same time I ordered the combo sending unit/fuel pump from Rock Auto. I can't say that I will enjoy working on a tank that still  contains some fuel in it,  At least the Riviera has an access panel in the trunk so that I won't have to drop the gas tank. 

I've been driving the Riviera as much as I can, even in the rain. I learned that when it's raining fairly heavy and the wipers are in use, it's best not to open the driver's window. A cascade of water pours in! There aren't any drip rails on this Riv, and newer cars don't have them either. I used to wonder what those aftermarket plastic window guards were for. Now I know.

 Still another trip to the wrecking yard!

This is the blower motor resistor module.

This time I was looking for a fan blower motor resistor module. This is the device that allows for the variable fan speeds. It consists of a series of resistors and a heat sink. It gets pretty hot when it's on. It's located inside the ventilation duct where it will be cooled as air from the blower flows over it. I forgot that this was an essential component. I've checked the blower motor for proper function with direct electrical current, it spun without any problems. But it still wasn't working under the control of the HVAC panel. I had reached out to the ROA's technical director for the eighth Gen Riviera and he reminded me that the resistor module was something to check. He also reminded me that the A/C compressor will not engage if the level of "Freon" is low. There is a low pressure sensor that prevents the compressor from engaging. Yes, I know that the system doesn't actually use old fashioned freon, but I'm comfortable with that term.

I checked on RockAuto and this resistor pack retailed for almost 40.00. I figured a wrecking yard unit might work, and it was only 7.99. Certainly worth a chance.

I found that my passenger seat was stuck in a raised and tilted back position and didn't respond to the switch. I tried to jump the seat motors with direct current without success. 

 

I pulled the seat motors, wiring harness and control switch from the donor car. It was an involved process, The seat is designed to be removed and installed when it's in the most forward position, exposing the rear mounting bolts. How could I do this without electricity to power up the seat? I found that the seat itself is bolted to the tracks with four bolts. After I unbolted the seat, I had enough access to remove the seat motors and wiring leaving the seat tracks in place. I was lucky that the seats final resting position allowed this access. I don't think that Pick and Pull will allow you to hook up a battery to power up the seats.

Note the plastic hooks on the panel.
I'll have more to say about those in a future post.

The window motor is located behind the 
door lever.

This is the motor that was mistakenly sent to me.

The first thing that I wanted to fix was the passenger window as it was very hot in the car, with limited ventilation. I carefully removed the door panel to gain access to the mechanical bits. I could see that the regulator looked okay. I unbolted the motor and checked the operation of the window. I found that I could easily pull the window up and down by hand. It moved smoothly and without any binding. I had a window motor that was previously sent to me by mistake, I had checked it for function and it was working fine. So I bolted that in. Now the window was moving as it should. I lubed all the linkage points that I could reach. 

Replacing the passenger power seat motor was a more involved process, though I was able to move the seat completely forward. The mounting bolts were rusty and the torx bolt heads had been previously damaged. I was able to hammer in a larger size bit that allowed me to loosen them. I completely removed the seat from the car and flipped it over to gain access to the tracks. I removed and replaced the tilting motor and attached the replacement harness and switch.  Then anxiously reinstalled the seat. I was quite relieved to find the seat motors responding to the new switch.

I had to remove the right front wheel to install the inner fender liner. I jacked it up enough to pull the wheel. The liner is a very large piece of surprisingly thin plastic that takes a lot of push in fasteners. I found that the stainless steel wheel opening trim that I got at the wrecking yard was sprung quite a bit. I straightened it out as best as I could, but it wouldn't rest close enough to the wheel opening. The mounting clips are unusual in that they don't securely grip the inner part of the trim. It looks as though the tension of the curved trim, when in place, exerts outward tension that helps secure it. It's kind of like an internal expanding snap ring.

Since my replacement trim is mangled and twisted a bit, it can't exert the proper tension, I tried mocking it up in place by clamping it with spring clamps, but it doesn't want to work with the trim clips. I have a couple of ideas, how to remedy this, but they're not something the Concours crowd would agree with.

The left side trim is still in place, though it was slightly creased by scraping against something in the past. The trim would spring out if I manipulated it. I don't want it popping off. So I decided to glue it in place with clear silicon caulking. 

You can see daylight in the trim gap.

This caulk will dry clear.

I taped it up securely.

Now it won't be going anywhere.

I flexed the trim away from the fender opening, then squeezed the caulk into the void. Then I flexed the trim as close as possible to the sheet metal, and taped it down until it dried overnight. In the morning I removed the tape and filled any voids that I found. That trim won't be coming loose any time soon. 

I have a couple of options for the right side.

My first option is to use a combination of double sided tape and clear caulk to attempt to glue it down, using the spring clamps to secure it while it dries. I might have to use a few small stainless screws to hold it in place. Using visible screws on trim is a big no no, it looks totally amateurish and crude. However, I have found a couple of spots where this was done on my car.  

I could substitute the right rear wheel trim up front, and use a cut piece of the "sprung" trim at the ends. This a better idea than it sounds, as it mounts to a plastic lip that slips inside the fender opening.

If I couldn't find any replacement trim I might have used some of that flexible, self adhesive, "chrome" trim instead. It might not be authentic, but it would be better than nothing. 

I plan on documenting this wheel trim procedure in a future post. I'll try to take plenty of pictures.

It's not my intention to butcher my car, or to bodge it up. But it also isn't my intention to freak myself out over every little failing. I'm going to handle repairs in the most reasonable, appropriate, and cost efficient manner that I see fit.

The Casa de Fruta was freshened up not too long ago.
It used to be the home of the "cup flipper."

I recently took the Riviera on a hundred mile drive through the country, out to the Casa de Fruta for breakfast. This restaurant is located on the Pacheco Pass Highway, SR 152. Before the highway was widened, it sat directly off the highway right of way.  This is kind of like a Route 66 type of establishment with shops and rides for the kids. It's also a big compound with a couple of smaller restaurants, a wine/gift  shop, produce stand, motel and RV park. It's worth a stop if you're passing through, and most importantly it serves up good food!

On the drive back home I stopped at a bookstore and heard an unfamiliar sound. It turned out that the fan motor was running! That was a pleasant surprise. 

 This is why we can't have nice things!

Photo from the internet,
not my table. 

This is a refrain that we might have heard from our Mothers as we were growing up. Or we just might have heard it from our Wives or Significant Others in the present. 

I recall it being a lament, when as a youngster I would be careless with something that my Mother valued. Something that was special, meaning sentimental, fancy, somewhat expensive, and easily broken. Especially by a ham handed young boy or careless grown man. This was before she would snatch it out of my hands. 

I will admit that I just didn't get it when I was a kid. I was probably no more careless than any other boy my age, and I didn't see the value in that particular object. 

It takes some time and life experience to develop the feeling around something that is "special."

It could be a family heirloom. It doesn't have to be expensive like fine china, crystal, or precious metals. It just needs to be something that the owners value and care about. An object that has either acquired a strong personal or familial connection, or is something that a person has wanted for a long time. Something that took some sacrifice and effort to obtain.

I was reminded of this during the After Thanksgiving ritual and chore of washing the dishes. In my house, my wife does all the cooking, I don't enjoy it aside from an occasional barbecue. I do the dishes. All the time. My Wife was feverishly preparing the food for cooking, then getting everything in the oven and on the stove to have it all ready for the family feast. Of course, that takes a lot of pots and pans and measuring cups and spoons, and ladles. All of the hardware that is needed to prepare a large multi item dinner. During this process I would dutifully wash dirty pots and pans as they were generated. 

Thanksgiving dinner is the only real "formal" dinner that we celebrate. Formal in the sense that we all sit at the same table with table cloths and cloth napkins, and eat at the same time using the good china, crystal stemware, and silverware that my Mom gave to my Wife. In the past we would combine a couple of tables in the dining room to accommodate the number of family members and guests. We liked making the meal into something "special" that takes a little effort, but it's important to us. The kids seem to appreciate it.

We don't exactly present a Norman Rockwell image at dinnertime, but we do try to make some pleasant family moments. 

Washing the china, glassware, and silverware requires care on my part. I have to be very careful as I wash these by hand. I can't wave things around and bang things into the sink, faucet, or counter top. This does cause me quite a bit of anxiety, but I take things slow and easy. This year, like most others, no dishware was sacrificed, and it was all clean and put away by this morning. There were years that did result in a broken item, much to the dismay of my Wife, and even a bit to me.

It's easy to be dismissive of the feelings that other people have for their prized possessions. Come on, it's only a plate, or a wine glass! It is the feelings that we attach to our possessions that give them sentimental value, if not monetary value.

Of course many family heirlooms are not particularly valuable in a monetary sense. Like most people of modest means, my family never accumulated  things like fine china. crystal stemware, or sterling silver tea sets. But old family photos, mementos, a few pieces of vintage furniture, and such, as well as miscellaneous "what nots" that did survive to be passed on the following generations. I have managed to hold onto a few things that I received from my parents that I want to hold onto and preserve. 

On my own I've got a collection of old magazines and books that I value, and would not like to see destroyed by abuse. Not to mention my collection of vintage items.

Of course there are some bigger things that I do value and that I'm pretty fussy about. Those are my hobby cars! Like most car guys, it doesn't matter what shape our cars are in, we don't like anyone to be casual about abusing them. I told my Wife that the cardinal rule is: Never set anything on the unprotected surface of the car. Not the hood, roof, or top of the trunk! That goes along with: never sit on the cars outside panels.

Another rule is, don't slam the door any harder than necessary to close it. Also, don't play with the push buttons or controls! Just use them to open the window, adjust the seat, or set the radio, no need to play with them! Kids are the worst for this, they love to tilt the power seats as far back as they will go, or roll the power windows up and down, up and down! With an old car you never know when these power assists are going to break down.

Oh how I hate having trash in the car, empty bottles, coffee cups, fast food wrappers, or worst of all, used tissues and napkins! I warn my Wife about being careful not to scratch the paint while walking next to it carrying something. This is even if the car sports faded paint and a couple of noticeable dents or dings, that were there when I bought it! 

If I find a new parking lot ding or scratch, my Wife is sensitive enough to not say, "What's the big deal, it's just a car!" She might just shake her head as she walks away, while I go to find the rubbing compound. 

So I do have a lot of empathy when it comes to her things! 

I was at a home decor/gift store where I saw the following message engraved on a serving platter, "Appreciation of what I have, leads to gratitude." Or something like that. 

At this point of my Life, I have internalized that sentiment.

I hope that everyone enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving Day.

Make a run for the Border! 
photo source: the web

 I haven't forgotten about my truck.

It's hard to discern what this picture illustrates, it's the end panel of the windshield cowl grille. This screens the air intake for the ventilation system. The grille is made of black plastic and the ends have deteriorated from UV light exposure and crumbled into pieces. Modern cars have lots of plastic panels that not only are used as trim, they sometimes make up significant portions of the exterior bodywork. It behooves current owners to keep these parts well protected by applying preservative coatings. Unfortunately, large trucks usually don't have the luxury of living in a garage or being parked in a carport. The remainder of this grille is still in pretty good shape so I plan to step up my maintenance process.

Due to the popularity of these F150 models I had expected to find an aftermarket billet grille to replace the plastic piece. I didn't find any online, and the cost to replace it with a new OEM unit was more expensive than I wanted to pay. I previously used duct tape to fab up an end piece. A year or so later I covered the duct tape with black electrical tape. A much more professional looking repair! This has held up pretty well for at least a year. 

Surprisingly, these replacement plastic end pieces showed up as an internet notification in an E mail from American Trucks. The price was under twenty bucks, so I decided to order them. When they arrived I was surprised that it was a packaged Dorman product. These are often for sale in local auto parts stores.

First off, I had to remove the earlier tape repair, then clean off the area. I would use Meguiar's Cleaner Wax to remove glue residue then scrubbed it down with rubbing alcohol. I would use clear silicon caulking to help attach the replacement pieces to the plastic and metal panels. 

I used these three products.

After I cleaned off the residue I test fit the replacement piece. It wouldn't sit as tight as I would have liked. So it appeared that using the caulk would certainly be a good idea. 

The duct tape stuck quite well.

All cleaned up. 

The end piece is only attached to the edge with some snap in pegs. Even if I used an adhesive I was concerned that it might not hold for very long.

I applied two beads of silicon, and don't be concerned, the caulk will turn to clear as it dries. 

This is what the finished project looks like. I'm pleased with the results. As I mentioned earlier I plan to treat the plastic grille with preservative every couple of months. I thought that the plastic should have held up better, but it has been 16 years of the truck sitting outside exposed to the elements. 

What's that 2x3 board doing lying across the threshold? I had decided to wax the hood and top after finishing the cowl repair. I could reach most of the roof by standing in the bed of the truck, I couldn't reach the area at the front near the windshield. I have used stepladders to reach that portion. I could stand in the open doorway, but it was really difficult to balance there and actually wax the top. My truck doesn't have running boards, so I came up with an idea. I laid the 2x3 across the threshold and I could plant one foot behind me to brace myself as I leaned back. It worked like a charm. 

I still have a few projects to do with the truck. The tail gate cap, the steering wheel cover, and maybe even the driver's seat upholstery. It's also probably time for an ignition tune up. New plugs wires and coils should perk it up a bit. It's been a good truck and I still enjoy driving it. At this point, preservation is the name of the game. 

 Chuck Berry memorably sang;

Ridin' along in my automobile

My Baby beside me at the wheel

I stole a kiss at the turn of a mile

My curiosity runnin' wild

Cruisin' and playin' the radio

With no particular place to go...

No particular place to go...

Just getting in the car and driving, I can't say that it particularly appeals to me anymore. 

I remember the last time that I took my Honda Shadow 1100 out for a spin. I was riding around and I started asking myself, "Why am I doing this?" I wasn't going anywhere, I was just "taking a spin." I found that I just didn't enjoy it anymore, there didn't seem to be any point. I sold the bike shortly after this.

Not that I need a really good reason.  But I kind of need some kind of reason.

The same thing happened with my '66 Riviera, ( the second one that I bought, not the one I daily drove for years). I took it out for a spin down to Morgan Hill and stopped at a McDonalds for a burger. I sat in the car and asked myself, "Why am I doing this? Do I actually enjoy driving this car? It's not fun to drive like a sporty car, is it because I think that it's a cool car? Do I feel special driving it?"

I had trouble coming up with an answer. The car was sold shortly after that.

Those two episodes occurred about fifteen years ago before I started espousing the "drive it like you love it" mantra. The emphasis is on enjoying the car that you currently own. 

This was what I began to experience when I was dropping off my Daughter at her workplace. I'd drive directly there, but would take my time coming home, windows down, listening to my CDs. I found myself enjoying the drive even if it was just for a prosaic reason.

So now I need some kind of reason, even if it's a made up one!

Even something less important, like going somewhere to look for a bookstore or to an antique store with my Wife. 

I just need some kind of reason.

Compounding the problem is that I'm now pretty familiar with most of the less traveled, and back roads of the Bay Area, and even of my portion of Northern California. 

Back when I was a youngster just going out to see the sights was enough. I hadn't been to a lot of places, really most places. So I set out for the Pacific Coast Highway, Lake Tahoe, Mendocino, or Yosemite. At this point I wasn't even going to spend the night, I would just drive back. That was extent of the outing.

But it was still fun for me, because it was all new at the time. Of course that was over fifty years ago.

Oh to be young again, getting out in the car to spend some private time with your girl. As an old married guy I don't need to do that any more.

However, even running errands is okay. 

I still enjoy driving, especially putting down some serious miles. I just returned from a trip to Oregon. The drive up and back was two days up, two days back. Well over 1,300 miles. We stayed for a bit over a week and didn't travel around once we got there, except to pick up things from the store. 

Vacations and weekend getaways are always a good reason. A while back My Wife and I spent a few days in Pismo beach. I usually enjoy the drive down US101 and this time was no exception. The weather was really beautiful this time of year. 

Car shows, swap meets, even antique and craft fairs. I combined both with a British Car show in Clovis combined with an antique faire. I enjoyed driving my '97 Jaguar to that event.

Sometimes as a young adult, especially if you are still living with your folks, you need to get out of the house to have some time to be alone, to think. The car has always been a means of independence and freedom for young people. 

I shouldn't really complain too much, or too loudly. This is kind of a First World problem. I've got the time, the car, and the money for gas. 

I should choose an event, plan the route and just ...go.

This is especially important as next year I will be entering the decade of my '70's. I was discussing this with my one year older brother, who arrived there this year. I told him that I think of the Seventies as the, "Do it Now decade." Don't put things off, and don't waste your time in pointless endeavors that aren't making you happy. Do the things that you want to do, while you still can. There isn't going to be a lot of opportunities for "do overs." 

I think that I had better take my own advice.

 I've been reading Hot Rod magazine for over fifty years.

I would guess that I've been a subscriber for at least 40 of those years. And no, I've never owned an actual Hot  Rod. 

I would admit that renewing my subscription in the last couple of decades has been somewhat sketchy due to inertia.

I go back a long way. I was there for the muscle car era, but I completely missed the late 1950's early 60's hot rod scene. I was born in '54, but the first car that I really noticed was when my Dad bought a new '59 Impala. Besides being too young at the time, the hot rod thing was kind of losing steam as the muscle cars took over. Classic hot rods weren't even a consideration for me as I became a car guy. 

Except for the die hards, most contemporary car guys embraced the newer models as they arrived. Lots of Mustangs Camaros, and other muscle cars. I can't say that I ever saw a pre War hot rod being used on the street while I was growing up. 

Hot Rod magazine is currently focusing a lot more attention on these old cars, featuring all kinds of survivors and current builds. 

I think that these type cars have really limited appeal for most enthusiasts.

For most guys, even muscle cars seem too basic and lacking in the expected comfort, safety, and convenience features.

These types of cars don't fit into Today's lifestyles, they can't, and aren't going to be used as a Daily Driver. They exist primarily as expensive artifacts. 

Almost any modern sedan or SUV has better performance than most of the classic muscle cars of the past. 

If you can swing the payments, a new Camaro, Mustang, or Charger can give you more performance than you'd ever need, right off the dealer's lot.  Besides all the creature comforts combined with pretty fair fuel economy. Why would you feel the need to modify it? Maybe some new wheels or body mods, but why touch the engine? 

My recent post, "Go around me, I'm retired!" also reveals where my head is currently at when it comes to cars. I like a capable car, one that has enough performance to satisfy me. But I also want something with comfort, practicality, the prospects of long term reliability, and even livable fuel economy numbers.

I also don't want to invest too much in building or maintaining a car. I might clarify that as not very much, money or effort, I know that this makes me an old man, and I completely own that. 

I might even say that I've earned that!

Being an old guy also means that certain types of cars aren't appropriate for me any more. Obviously, "Boy Racer" types don't match my demographic. A wildly modified custom, or crudely souped up muscle car, also doesn't fit.

I don't really want to project the image of a guy that has never grown up.

I frequent the AACA forum and many of the members are quite a bit older than me. They often have cars that were popular or aspired to, from the period of their youth. 

So where does all this leave me? 

My interests have changed, I don't want a pre War car, a 60's -'70's muscle car, or even a Fifties cruiser or customized car. I have also opted out of the Euro car thing after my disappointing run with Jaguars. 

I still want to be in the old car hobby, but in a manner that works for me. I don't need or want to wrestle with a real beater or project car.

I bought my '97 Riviera primarily because I want to participate in the Rivera Owner's Association activities. I find that it fulfills my desire for a special car, but it is a thoroughly modern vehicle. The eighth gen Riviera was kind of polarizing when it debuted, because it was a new car that could be used for club activities. Just like a new Mustang can belong to a club with classic models.

I got to thinking about all this because I received an e mail from Hot Rod magazine asking to renew my subscription. I'd done it in the past primarily because the cost of multi year subscriptions has been so minimal. This time I thought, no, it was time to cut the cord. The magazine just doesn't provide me with what I was looking for anymore, if  it ever did. 

In my opinion, the best Petersen mag was Car Craft of the '90's. I think that had the best balance of repair with some performance content of course. It also concentrated on cars from the '60's through early 1980's, which was the period where my interest was focused. 

Currently I receive a bi monthly club magazine from the AACA as well as the Riview from the ROA. These are both better focused on where my present interests are aligned.

I recently picked up this latest copy of Motor Trend while at Barnes and Nobles.

I made a trip to Barnes and Nobles to see if I could find anything of interest. The current copy of Motor Trend magazine featured Cars of the Future! as well as some production cars that will be here in a couple of years. Mostly electric or hybrid. Many of those future cars are super expensive, well over 100K! 

I don't think that EVs will be adopted in a widespread manner, until there are more low priced models on the market. 

I used to subscribe to Motor Trend magazine back in the years of my high school and Junior college experience. Besides old cars, I wanted to be informed about the new technologies and cars that were coming on the market.

Motor Trend is one of the "last men standing" of the old Petersen line up. They are offering a bargain one year subscription price of 15.00. That's only a bit more than a buck a copy, the newsstand price was 7.99 at Barnes and Noble!  That's a pretty attractive offer. and after looking through the latest issue I decided to sign up for a subscription. 

This is the same deal they are offering me on Hot Rod.

Things are rapidly changing in the automotive world. Cars have improved incredibly in my lifetime. The rate of change has accelerated immensely. They are also now incredibly expensive. They are also so incredibly complex, I find it hard to believe that over the very long term that these vehicles will remain reliable and most of all, repairable. Whether or not that will be true is something that will reveal itself to us over time. 

I suppose it only makes sense to keep up with what's new, so I can partake in contemporary discussions in an intelligent manner.

I've been pretty much out of touch with the automotive market place for the last couple of decades. I think that it's time to drop in and see what's up. 

At one time I had several magzine subscriptions active at the same time. I subscribed to Car and Driver, as well as several custom and hot rod titles such as Car Craft and Street Rodder. Not to mention motorcycle oriented magazines. In recent years, during my Jaguar phase, I received Octane as well as Jaguar World. These last two titles were pretty expensive, so once I disengaged from the Jaguar experience, it made sense to cut those off. 

While I enjoy reading physical magazines, I must admit that I'm quite active on a few websites. These have taken the place of traditional magazines. Forums also allow for direct communication with other members on the forum in a much more direct manner than the old "Letters To the Editor" ever did! 

I am aware that FaceBook groups have taken over a lot of the territory once occupied by the websites. I'm not ready to embrace that aspect of social communication.

I have previously written that magazines were important at one time to maintain and increase the car guy's enthusiasm for the hobby. All kinds of automotive enthusiast media is now available to stoke the interest and passion of the car owner. Blogs, forums, Facebook groups, YouTube is filled with free videos, some even worth watching. In some ways this is really the Golden Age of Automotive Media. I'll give Motor Trend a chance for a couple of years.