No, please put in an aftermarket, poorly aimed HID system so that you melt the retinas of everyone else on the road ...
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The Car Mod Thread...
- Thread starter MatthewLTL
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No, please put in an aftermarket, poorly aimed HID system so that you melt the retinas of everyone else on the road ...
I know, what was I thinking! After all, I'd love to blind everyone AND blow fuses daily all at the same time.
Do correct me if i am wrong but LED and HID headlight kits actually draw LESS current than the halogens do, do they not?
Electronic fuel gauge? I didn't think electric gauges existed in the 80s (excluding all digital gauges)
even factory HIDs "Melt the retinas" of everyone on the road... Halogens are blinding enough.
Factory Bi-Xenons and full-LED headlights do not blind everyone on the road... Especially the systems with auto leveling. They're designed with sharp cut offs on purpose. Something that drop-in HID kits don't do
The hell they don't! When you have sensitive eyes like I do, not only can you not focus at night due to little light and mediocre headlights, but oncoming headlights blind you, and when you have a HID in there, might as well stare into the effing sun in broad daylight! expecially when you have fog lights in the mix making things worse.
The VW isn't nearly as bad as some GM vehicles. The Solstice requires a quarter panel removal. The Equinox or something requires the bumper be removed.
I'd suggest Bunn stick with Halogen bulbs. The LED look doesn't really seem appropriate for a classic car. There's one of those mods that will devalue your antique car. Not to mention if you want to play by the rules and have legal lights, you'd end up spending a lot of money. Cars lights are specifically designed to meet certain standards. Legal LED bulbs meets these standards (yet basically are no better or brighter than incandescent aside from slightly faster activation time). They *may* last longer but the extra cost is probably not worth it.
LEDs without proper cooling can overhead and burn out at temperatures conventional bulbs can easily withstand. So keep that in mind too. I remember seeing you're having burn out issues.
There's nothing "electronic" about the gauge that I know of, and conceptually a mechanical fuel gauge would add a lot of complexity that's really not necessary. Cars have had some sort of electric system since the beginning of time and I can think of a couple of pretty simple "back of the envelope" ways to make an electric gauge work.
All fuel sender units(the part that goes down into the gas tank) have a float of some sort to sense the gas level. Again, conceptually the simplest way to do it would be to attach the float to a wire wound variable resistor(of course properly insulated from the fuel). The gas gauge then just needs to be a voltmeter with a scale calibrated for amount of fuel rather than volts. Run 12V through the resistor, and the gauge changes according to the position of the float.
That's just one "back of the envelope" mechanism I can think up to make a gas gauge work, and as I said it's a whole heck of a lot simpler than running cables or levers from one end of the car to the other. Faraday probably could have come up with the same mechanism if he'd had a car. I don't know how exactly the gauge on the MGB works, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's some variation of what I described.
And, it would also stand to reason that when the power is off, the gauge would not read correctly. Some might hold their last position, but it's equally likely that they would return to zero.
Friendly FYI - With CR reports
Here's an excerpt from the Review of the Lexus 200 NX
Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/01/infotainmnent-system-fails-on-consumer-reports-2015-lexus-nx/index.htm
"Most Lexus models for which we have data offer superb reliability. (Our reliability Ratings are based strictly on subscriber data.) But we’ve also seen high numbers of complaints about infotainment systems from several automakers. In particular, more than one in five Infiniti Q50 sedan owners reported a problem with their InTouch system."
But here's the first review of the Lexus 200 NX, which was positive review.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/03/2015-lexus-nx-200t-first-drive-review/index.htm
Here's an excerpt from the Review of the Lexus 200 NX
Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/01/infotainmnent-system-fails-on-consumer-reports-2015-lexus-nx/index.htm
"Most Lexus models for which we have data offer superb reliability. (Our reliability Ratings are based strictly on subscriber data.) But we’ve also seen high numbers of complaints about infotainment systems from several automakers. In particular, more than one in five Infiniti Q50 sedan owners reported a problem with their InTouch system."
But here's the first review of the Lexus 200 NX, which was positive review.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/03/2015-lexus-nx-200t-first-drive-review/index.htm
the fuel gauge in my Daewoo maintains it position through the ECU the only time it will drop is when the ECU loses power and you try cranking the car with the ECU Power lost. It will also drop when you unplug the Cluster's Wiring connections.
Most have been connection issues the only LEDs that have actually "Burned out" was the CREE LED on one of my rear taillights. The 50 cent per LED License Plate LEDs still work perfectly (which one of you on here said they wouldnt even last a month). My $1/LED batch of 10 LEDs also have been working flawlessly as Reverse lights since June. The rear side marker LEDs, and reverse light LEDs have no heatsinks at allThe VW isn't nearly as bad as some GM vehicles. The Solstice requires a quarter panel removal. The Equinox or something requires the bumper be removed.
I'd suggest Bunn stick with Halogen bulbs. The LED look doesn't really seem appropriate for a classic car. There's one of those mods that will devalue your antique car. Not to mention if you want to play by the rules and have legal lights, you'd end up spending a lot of money. Cars lights are specifically designed to meet certain standards. Legal LED bulbs meets these standards (yet basically are no better or brighter than incandescent aside from slightly faster activation time). They *may* last longer but the extra cost is probably not worth it.
LEDs without proper cooling can overhead and burn out at temperatures conventional bulbs can easily withstand. So keep that in mind too. I remember seeing you're having burn out issues.
I know the Tahoe and the GMC Envoy require removing the bumper (although not completely) The Impala requires removing the headlights from the car in order to replace bulbs (part of the delay to do the LED Switchback upgrades)
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And you're telling my MG is faulty based on the fact that your ECU maintains position...
I have a big revelation-a car from 1970 doesn't have an ECU! The "ECU" consists of an ignition coil, a distributor, the spark plugs, a fuel pump, two carburetors, a throttle cable, and a choke cable.
why 2 carbs? is it a stick too?
I never intended to imply your car was "Faulty" you stated not all cars' fuel gauges go to E when ignition off, I was stating that was true with my car.
This is the standard set-up for British Skinner's Union(SU) carburetors. It was preferred to the typical American approach of combining two or more barrels into a single unit(which are effectively multiple carburetors operated by a single throttle valve). Some higher performance engines had three(i.e. some Jaguar straight sixes) or even six(Jaguar V12). There are pluses and minuses to both approaches. Multiple SUs can be a pain to synchonize and tune(two is bad enough-I can't imagine 6) but theoretically are able to give more accurate metering of gasoline than a one big, multi-barrel carburetor. I recall reading somewhere or another in automotive press(although I don't recall the source or how true it is, as the article was somewhat biased) that a properly tuned SU can meter fuel more accurately than a typical fuel injector. Of course, "properly tuned" is the key, and there aren't that many people who even know how to tune them anymore. I haven't tackled that as the spark plugs on my car tell me that it's running just about right-all have off-white colored deposits when pulled after driving around with the engine up to operating temperature.
Virtually all 50s-80s British sports cars have a 4-speed manual transmission, sometimes with electric overdrive(4 1/2 gears) and sometimes without. Interestingly enough, MG actually made an automatic MGB but sold only a handful of them and never exported them to the US.
Question is, is there any mechanics in your area that can ever work on that car? Is there anywhere to even get parts for it?
Autozone carries some. Moss Motors carries everything imaginable.
There are British mechanics in Louisville but they are $$$. The best thing is to learn to do this type of stuff yourself-the car is simple enough that most can be done without a mechanic if you know what you're doing and have the right tools.
(which reminds me that I need to invest in a set of Whitworth sockets and wrenches)
Basically, to tune the carbs you need a pair of "Colortune" glass spark plugs along with a piece of hose. The glass plug lets you see the color of the flame inside the cylinder, and the hose lets you listen to the "whoosh" of the intake so you can balance the two. An exhaust gas analyzer can help, but isn't strictly necessary. Or, without the Colortunes, you can do what I've been doing which is pull the plugs and look at them.
BTW, on an unrelated note I bought this to put on the MG once I finally get it tagged
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331499196228?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/331499196228?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
I need to invest in a TiteReach tool so I can do my Cam Sensor. I should also invest in screwdriver, allen, and Torx bit sockets.
So you are registering it with antique status?
Only out of curiosity, how much would it cost to swap almost all parts from car A to car B?
For example, say you just bought a classic honda civic with no rust but missing engine and transmission and many parts. You bought it because you really really love how it looks. And, you own a used civic with damaged body but in a good running condition. So, your plan is to swap all the possible parts from the newer civic to the classic civic to make it a beautifully running classic car.
For example, say you just bought a classic honda civic with no rust but missing engine and transmission and many parts. You bought it because you really really love how it looks. And, you own a used civic with damaged body but in a good running condition. So, your plan is to swap all the possible parts from the newer civic to the classic civic to make it a beautifully running classic car.
In theory it would be possible. But I think it depends on how new the newer civic would be. If it has the same body style everything should just drop in, however if the civic in question is say a 2007, than i doubt anything would be drop in, most likely a lot of fabrication would be needed.
For example, You cannot just drop in a 2004-2008 Chevy Aveo engine into a Daewoo Lanos, spite the fact the cars are mechanically the same thing and the engines are the exact same, The computers (ECUs) are 100% different and it would either require modifying the Daewoo's Computer to run with the Aveo engine or modifying the GM ECU to work with the wiring system of the Lanos.
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I talked to the DMV and even though "Historic" is vaguely defined they consider less than ~3K a year to be driven little enough. The guy I talked to was a British car guy, and he made the comment that I'll probably be tweaking something everything I take it out, every trip would qualify as a "test drive".
Since that's the route I'm taking, I like using a YOM plate much more than I do a proper historic plate. KY allows this as long as you keep the historic plate in the car. For that matter, there's no specific requirement for a YOM plate-the plate just has to be 25+ years old. I do like the idea of running the YOM plate, though.
You didn't know? There are NO OTHER people in the world! We're not real! Matt is the only person.
1.The medicine you're probably taking probably causes mydrasis (pupil dilation) making it difficult for your eyes to adjust to light creating difficulty seeing while driving at night.
2. The way you describe your situation, it sounds like you should NOT be driving at night. I've never experienced such problems or heard anyone have such extensive problems.
3. You should probably get your eyes examined and tell your eye doctor about your difficulties.
4. Blinding other drivers with your illegal headlights does not solve the problem of other drivers blinding you with their legal headlights. Or should we refer back to the first part of my post?
If the parts are compatible then it's entirely doable. It would be very expensive and probably not practical depending on the year and age of the car if you're paying someone to do the work. Since I see the word "classic" I'm guessing this is older, add in "Honda Civic" and I'd say no...
(Then again I've never seen the phrase "Classic Honda Civic")
I would expect at least a thousand just for the engine and transmission. You'd more than likely be better off just buying using the money for the two cars + labor on a single car in good condition. Also, if the car is missing the drivetrain, it will be difficult to determine what else might be wrong with it.
Sounds like a bigger hassle than it's worth for a Honda Civic. If you did the work yourself, that might be a different story.
That's not to mention that while stuff like the transaxle and the like is out, its a REALLY GOOD idea to go ahead and replace any potential wear parts-and there will likely be enough that are close or over due if you're talking a 15+ year old car. Even though it's a big initial cost, stuff like engine mounts, front end bushings/joints, CV joints, belts, hoses, and the other things I'm sure I'm forgetting are a LOT easier to change at this point, and you could be looking at $1K+ in parts. If the car is a manual, it's a good time to change the clutch-again unless it's brand new(20K miles or so) it's a whole heck of a lot easier to get to at this point than it is down the road. Even so, it's a lot cheaper to do it upfront than have to do it with the engine in the car.
It's sort of like when my dad had the head changed on his truck, I virtually forced him to buy a new timing belt and water pump on the philosophy that if the old one has to be removed anyway, it should be replaced with a new one.
It's simular here in MN. However here is how it varies:I talked to the DMV and even though "Historic" is vaguely defined they consider less than ~3K a year to be driven little enough. The guy I talked to was a British car guy, and he made the comment that I'll probably be tweaking something everything I take it out, every trip would qualify as a "test drive".
Since that's the route I'm taking, I like using a YOM plate much more than I do a proper historic plate. KY allows this as long as you keep the historic plate in the car. For that matter, there's no specific requirement for a YOM plate-the plate just has to be 25+ years old. I do like the idea of running the YOM plate, though.
You are restricted to 1k a year maximum (However I was told by a owner of a 60s ChevyVan that the state NEVER checks).
You CAN use a YOM Plate. That plate can only be used if its is readable, and if that plate # is not currently used and registered in the state. (Since the state replates every 7 years) You can use YOM plates INSTEAD of, collector class plates. A vehicle hits collector class once it is 21 MYs old.
MN is a 2-plate state except under the following conditions:
Car has a Dealer Plater
Vehicle is a register farm vehilce (i.e pickup) used for duties related to a farm (single plate in front)
Vehicle is a Big Rig which only 1 plate is issued and is put on the front
Vehicle is a Motocycle or moped
Plate is issued to a trailer
Vehicle is registered in the Collector Class which can be issued 1 or 2 PERMINATE plates
Registered vehicle is 1972 or older
The latter two can have 1 or 2 plates, the decision is to the discression of the registered owner
The latter one can have standard or specialty issued plates and you simply fill out a form at the DVS to get 1 plate only.
1. not on any
2. I don't drive at night unless i have to.
3. Eye doctors can't do anything for night-blindness. It runs in the family, My grandpa has it, my mom has it and I have it.
4. If you aim them right, you wont blind anyone. I would rather get Halogens that "look like HIDs" so they are white rather than getting LEDs. I have LED Switchbacks in the front (with HyperFlash turn signals and Hazards) inside stock Incandescent reflector housings (a cop drove by me head on with my LEDs on and my turn signal HyperFlashing) and they did nothing. They were not on a call either.