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Selasa, 27 Desember 2011

engine identification


I have an extra engine that came with my 1951 super wagon it has a serial # of 115003, does any one know what is out of. the engine in the car which runs good has a serial # of onl 5 digits, (first two are 39---) I have been told that it is out of a 47. I am just starting to restore it all and want to find what is correct and what is not.

It started life as a CoBra sheet metal block engine. I assume it has been upgraded to cast iron block, most have. Most of the difference between the 48 engine and the 51 is internal, assuming it has not been at least been partially updated. The 51 had a better crankcase, crank, seals, bigger clutch, etc.

The info I gave was for the installed engine # 39XXX. 115003 is probably the origina engine for your 51 wagon.
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Minggu, 18 Desember 2011

As soon as possible register your car for the Crosleys

I screwed up big time. With switching jobs, and trying to relearn everything about the trucking business( I have been away from it for 25 years). I completely forgot that we were supposed to have most of our applications for the Awkscht Fescht in by Dec 31st . 


Shirley called me yesterday from the Ontelaunee Region who organizes the show, and told me they only have one registered car for the Crosleys. They were seriously thinking about pulling the Crosleys out, and bringing in another make. They do not want to look like idiots and have only 3 cars show up for the featured class. Plus, they need to get an idea of how big an area we are going to need, to help with the preplanning. I told her it was my fault, that I did not tell anybody about the early deadline.

If you are planning on coming, I need you to email, phone, or write me as soon as possible. I will need to know how many cars you are bringing, and what year make, and model they are. Dave, and I will fill out the application, and send it in with the money. Then you can just send us a check for the amount. By registering early they give us a $3.00 per car per day discount. The dates are August 3rd, 4th, and 5th in Macungie, Pa. We can still register cars up till July 1st.but after Jan 1st it is $13.00 per car per day.Barry Seel 484-358-5785 after 5:30 pm. or crosley19 @ aol.com

Welcome to my world! After my failing to show up the last two years I'm going to make it this year even if I have to drag the car to Macungie. Put me down for one '52 Super Hotshot Saturday and Sunday. $20. in the mail Monday.
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Jumat, 09 Desember 2011

Petra D, how about you ?

I find one Petra D 2004 model 109345 kms on odo. Single owner on papers and the head of engine is with oil leaks and hoses and clamps seems to worn out. But the body and other electricals seem good and all power windows and mirrors working. Head lamps with water vapors and even right side with algae. Mech say these are all small and can be rectified within 5k. He suggest to go ahead since diesel engines are rare and condition can be improved. As the deficiencies are cosmetic only, can it be corrected or will it be a bit deeper since worn out parts show negligence by previous owner(s)?

2L for 1L kms done car in this condition is too ambitious. Since its negotiable, to get at a decent price. Ensure, you know the real costs involved in getting her back to 100% trouble free running condition. The car is registered at Chennai, run in Salem and now with a dealer in Chennai. The dealer say 1.20 Lakh quote by someone was not acceded to by the owner. I suspect it as a bait. I have pics of the engine oil leaks. May be 1.25 Lakhs do clinch the deal. Mech say all can be rectified, even without seeing the car.

A friend started the car and after looking under bonnet, say it is just head gasket leak and may not cost much. As the car tyres are bald and with low air, TD was not possible. Also this adds up more suspicion. I am at dark as to this is ok? or wait for another Petra or Siena? My travel would be on highways to my native, 100 kms away from Chennai, on weekends. For within Chennai drive, i have a small petrol car-Matiz.

I changed my small darling Matiz for a Petra (albeit a 1.6). 1.9's are great engines, but have their share of issues, check if any PUG can also inspect the car with you. Just 1 more thing, Petra is an excellent highway cruiser and the best part is its massive ( 500 ltrs) boot. So long drives is really comfy with all your luggage in the boot. If what your mech says is true, go for it. Its a wonderful and safe car.

Power windows, Central Locking, Electrically operated ORVMs, Alloy wheels, Imported velvet upholstery, etc, etc. Anything between 1.5 and 2 lakhs, just grab it. Just to get an idea,If you don't mind pl share me details viz. How much did you pay to get the Petra (1.6)? Odo and the year? How much it cost on regular maintenance? I am aware that urs is petrol. Though i am eager to clinch the deal, i did not show my enthu to dealer, fearing more cost. Your suggestions give confidence.

Inputs are quite encouraging. All upholstery and paint show age and faded. Tyres are all bald.Audio set is swapped for a cheaper one. But i do not mind these. I am concerned about oil leak on engine. Friend say either it is rocker or head gasket. 

I got it for 1.40 lacs with 70k,2005 model, with all accessories including Stanley leather seats and brand new Michelin shoes. Gave it for service last week, costed me 6791/- exact, with oil change, oil and air filters changed, break pad set changed and a 3M engine flush. This is at Concorde motors, Mysore rd , Bangalore. The average, without any major repairs, service cost will be 4k every 6 months or 7500 kms.

The only downside being the mileage it 8.5 ~ 9.5 only 50% ac, in city at best, but in highway have got 14kmpl with speeds of 100kms, but have been told that if we maintain 2000~2500 rpms in the HW we can expect to better it by at least 1kmpl.

This car is for HW cruising, amazing comfort and stability, you can actually whiz past modern day "Fast" cars with ease. Just look at any parts to be replaced at the rear of the car, like petrol filling door or brake lamps, as these parts are difficult to get, as this where the car differs from Palio, rest is same as Palio, so relatively easier to get parts.

Tail lamp is broken and fixed with some red tape. I think here M/s Mahavir of GP rd may source these parts.Moreover i am not much worried about looks. More cared for functional parts.
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Minggu, 04 Desember 2011

Solenoid swith and a lesson

Today I got my advy's solenoid switch of the starter motor changed. I have a learnt a lesson today. Never go by the hype created by any 'famous fiat mechanic'. I took my car to a local mechanic today next to my house. He removed the checked the starter system and found out that the solenoid switch has conked off. The same thing was told to me by Somu of concorde motors mysore road without checking the system. The mechanic removed the switch from the motor and gave it to me. I called our 'fiat mechanics' mr. venkatesh and mr. hariprasad to check if they have stoks, both of them said it is very difficult to get the same and if need be they can alter the conked off switch and make it work.

I took a chance with local motor spare shops in Bangalore (JC Road). The fifth shop i inquired had the same switch, albeit a different tiwanese brand one and not the genuine valio brand. I paid rs. 900/- for the switch and rs.350/- for installation. 

Lesson learnt - what ever the 'famed fiat mechanics' say is not very true. Many such parts are available with local vendors. 

This is really interesting. If I went through a similar problem, I had to replace the entire starter unit (valeo). I had to shell out 9k to get it running. I got this juggad done by Mr. Venkatesh for 1.8K few months ago, I was told the same thing that it can be fixed. Learnt my lesson the hard way...... beware folks with the trusted mechanics as well.

Sriram details please on the store you picked up from will be helpful. I am planning on sourcing most of these parts from either local or outside agencies and pay labor to get it fitted. I too almost fell for this jugaad by venkatesh and hariprasad. I went back to the mechanic to retrieve the complete starter set and he adviced me that the part is surely available if u look for it and asked me not to get the refurbish done. I gave it a shot. I picked up the switch from chitresh automotive spares. If u are coming on jc road from Minerva signal, Take a left at the next signal. A little further on that road, the next corner I guess is the shop.
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Senin, 28 November 2011

assume the Lotus position

Anyone who thinks modern automobiles are better than vintage Lotus in regard to serviceability might want to read this:

"GM seemed to get a lot of things right when it introduced the new Generation 7 Chevy Malibu in 2008. I got one of the higher-end models with a six-cylinder engine and a very smooth shifting six-speed automatic transmission. I was generally happy with the car until a headlamp bulb burned out.

I went to the local auto parts store and bought a replacement bulb for about $12. Then I popped the hood and found that I couldn't get to the back of the headlight assembly. The owner's manual was no help at all -- its advice was to consult the dealer for bulb replacements.

A quick Internet search revealed the awful truth: To replace the headlight bulb, you needed to remove the front bumper (among other parts). The dealer confirmed this and quoted $150 labor to replace one bulb.

The steps needed to replace the headlight bulb are as follows:

Open the hood and remove the plastic cover above the radiator (14 screws).
Jack up the car and remove the wheel (five lug nuts).
Remove the wheel-well liner (15 screws and pop-rivets).
This exposes two bolts that hold the bumper in place; remove these bolts and slide off the end of the bumper.

Now, you can reach the three bolts that hold in the headlight assembly; remove the headlight assembly and replace the bulb. Replace everything (29 screws, nuts, bolts, and pop-rivets).

If you think you might as well replace both lamps while you're at it, you'll still have to remove the other front wheel, wheel-well liner, the other side of the bumper, and the other headlight assembly (25 additional fasteners). In my Toyota Camry, I could replace both headlight bulbs in less time than it takes to read this paragraph -- without needing a single tool. Just open the hood, twist the bulb socket a quarter turn to remove it, and plug in the new bulb."

(published in the on-line edition of Design News, "Made by Monkeys" column - always a fun read)
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Jumat, 25 November 2011

'77 Pathfinder Ford Quadravan - CHEAP -

Looking on craigslist I found a '77 E250 Pathfinder Quadravan for sale in San Diego that is sooooo cheap I had to share.



More info, click here : http://adf.ly/3t6dB

So I went in-person to see if there was some parts that would help me out. The seller reduced the price to $500 while I was looking at it!!

It is rough, but complete with only 2 captains chairs in the interior. The owner said it runs great. It wouldn't pass a CA Smog check at this point (cold start air cleaner is gone) and there's 2 holes in the roof about 3" diameter that were used for antennea poles that are now open, but for $500, it might be useful to someone here.

There are no Pathfinder emblems, labels, or logos, but it's a for sure a Q-van with the radius arm/dual track bar front end and NP205 directly connected to the C6. 

I wish I had a storehouse to save this stuff when I see it!
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Rabu, 16 November 2011

the sump broke

My1.9D, got hit by a stone and the engine oil sump got broken. The engine oil drained and engine stopped. Not Sure what should I do now. Should I get it repaired or Sell car.

I dont know how would this cost me for the repair. Could not sleep properly yesterday night.

I have to spend around 10k for that. I changed 4 months back in Prerena Bangalore. As soon as the sump broke, the car stopped immediately and did not attempt to use it further? If thats the case, there should be no engine damage. Can simply get that fixed and continue using the car. Why sell ?? :)

I had a damage (Dented Scratch) to my Oil Sump, service guy advised to replace else might damage the engine. I got it replaced and it costed my around 6.5 K (MultiJet SDX). And if you have not used it after the damage you could get it reapired, there should not have been any damage to the engine.

I need to check if there is engine damage if not do as Karthik suggested. The 1.9 engine is very robust, except for the FIP, if possible do rebuild the engine it serves well. Do miss mine at times even though upgraded to MJD. 

The drivability of 1.9 as well as the effortless cruising ability is a pleasure. Drive with caution on the ground clearance limitation and you won't regret.
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Selasa, 15 November 2011

Hotshot carpeting?

All my Hotshots ether have or show signs of carpet being glued to the floorpan. I also have pics from Wauseon showing black carpets used. Is this right? What about the goofy cover over the trans-shifter assemblies? 

I don't know of any Crosley that came from the factory with carpet. Black rubber mats are what I have seen. The drive shaft hump was just paint.

I have some of that left over from building my sedan.
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Kamis, 10 November 2011

NEED AN INDEPENDANT VALUE JUDGEMENT

I have a small problem and I am trying to decide what to do. During the great October snowstorm on Saturday, I lost a large branch off my maple tree and it fell on 2 of my parts cars. One was a 52 wagon and the other a 49 wagon. It has crushed the roofs of both of them and broken most of the glass. The cars were not restoration projects, just parts but both had good straight roofs and glass that was good for patterns. I am trying to decide if I should make an insurance claim on them or just forget about it. What kind of value would you place on these? 

Even a parts car, especially if it was complete as yours mostly are, or were should be worth at least $500.00 ea I would think. I guess it sort of depends what your insurance deductible is...

I had a rusty parts car that was hit while parked at my place of business. It caved the drivers side door in and broke the already ruined glass in the door and the stainless was bent at the window line. It had roll up windows and the bottoms of the doors were rusted off. The engine and trans and many other pieces were already stripped. Of course the other guys insurance came out and didn't want to give me anything for the claim as he said it was a rust piece of junk. I told him it was my lawn art and I wanted it repaired to the pre-accident condition. After a few phone calls and several pictures to his boss it was desided that $200. would be a fair claim. I was more than happy with the amount as I was actually selling the car and wanted $250.00 for the car.

My suggestion would be to turn it in and see what they will give you. Remember, they don't make Crosleys any more so you can't go to the dealer and get new roofs or windows. What would it cost labor wise to repair the items damaged to pre-accident condition???
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Minggu, 30 Oktober 2011

how to Build 3WD

I am building my second 1F2R three wheeler and I want it to be all things to all people. But I live on a very steep hill with a 1/4 mi driveway. In the winter you need a good 4x4. So 3 wheel drive on a 3-wheeler may work. I have come up with 2 plans :

1- hub motor
2- starter motor rubbing on the outside of the tire or geared like on the brake rotor outside

So either way the HP and duration would be very low. Mostly for snow and only when you cant go in 2wd ,like 2 mi max. 5 min? All "I" need is to run it the 1/4 mi up my driveway. So any Ideas on the electric front? 12V? Or like KERS on F-1 race cars

I didn`t love the friction drive in the snow idea, but it was simple. If made tight enough to the tire it might work. If I used a car starter motor I think I would try to use the Bendix of the starter to some how engage the drive,so it would only turn when you need it. Although, with the one way clutch it solves the problem of engagement of the gears at speed. 10 MPH. A good thought. 

I was afraid the hub motors wouldn`t work well because of the slow speed heat build-up.

The price of the components are a tad high too. What would it take to make a controller for a 12V starter using a 12V battery? I have lots of used starters around here and winter is coming. My trike weighs 1200lbs with With me in it there is 400lbs on the front wheel (1F2R). It is powered by a 72 hp Subaru 3 cyl with 5 speed transmission driving the rear wheels.

See this pic :

The trike works well. I don`t want to redesign it. I want something that, like snow tires, you put on in the winter take off in the summer. Or more likely something you put on when you need it. It could be 20+ lbs of unsprung weight bouncing along. Oh and under $100 would be nice.

I would think that there won't be much weight on the front wheel, and wouldn't provide much traction anyway.



Can you have a limited slip or locking differential? Depending on how often it snows, it may be better to just use tire chains or aggessive tires.
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Jumat, 14 Oktober 2011

Sell ​​old car to buy a new one

I own a 2004 Palio 1.2 Nv sports in Bangalore. Recently I headed to KHT motors (Tata Fiat Dealership) to look at the Punto 90 hp. I was very impressed by the car. Rock solid and a lot of fun post 2000 Rev mark. As there is some exchange bonus being offered at Fiat to the tune of 15 k. I asked the old car evaluator to take a look at my Palio. 
The number he quoted horrified me. 80 k including the exchange bonus!
This is for a car that is running 5 new tires, a brand new Battery and in pretty much top shape. 
This got me thinking is buying another Fiat really worth it? Pity considering that the 90 hp really is a good car.

You will always get pathetic resale value from the dealer if you try to sale it to them .What they will do is sale it at open market at a higher price -hence they make 2 fold profit one on your old car and also on the new car. Try selling the car outside of the Dealer you will get a better price .

Guess what, this is the fate of almost all who approached dealers for an exchange. 

I am sure that your valuation was actually done by a third party dealer and not actually KHT. The dealers usually outsource this part of the business especially dealing with seconds, etc.. I feel it's because of these dealers, that valuation, in general, drops down. 

You should try posting it on Carwale, m sure it'll fetch a good price:-) I too had visited concorde mtrs @ dairy circle to enquire abt the exchange offer. Dealer quotes - 1,80,000 for 2007dec, 23Km run car. The car is out n out serviced by concorde motors only. So decided not to part with my car. Just thought I would add that this phenomenon is not unique to Fiat. Look at the resale value of old cars of similar vintage from other marquees. Look at what Zens & Esteems are fetching. See what the old Accents command in the market. 

The resale value for a fiat is bad, but definately not that bad. I bought the same 2004 Palio 1.2 NV Sports (60k) last year for 1.70 lakhs. You should be able to get around 1.5 lakhs atleast depending on the condition of your car.

This is because of the lack of service stations and spare availability as not every road side mechanic is capable enough to tackle the fault aroused.

Actually used cars in Bangalore (read KA regn cars) command a higher value than the rest of the country. Mainly due to the higher road tax and also due to the lower humidity leading to minimal rust formation. Again for Palios  service options are one of the best compared to other cities, be it TASS or others.
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Selasa, 11 Oktober 2011

Mazda to stop making rotary-engine vehicles

Mazda will stop making cars with its signature rotary engines after a 45-year production run that included powering the first and only Japanese car to win the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race.

Poor sales and the high costs of meeting modern emissions standards have made rotary engines uneconomical to produce. Mazda Motor Corp. said Friday that the latest edition of the Mazda RX-8 will go on sale Nov. 24, targeting sales of 1,000 vehicles, but will end production in June 2012.

The Japanese automaker, based in Hiroshima, introduced its first rotary engine car in 1967 and is the only automaker in the world that makes rotary engine vehicles. Such engines have fewer moving parts and are quieter than comparable piston engines but are more expensive to manufacture and consume more fuel.

The RX-8 is the only model in Mazda's lineup with the rotary engine. Mazda's decision underlines how consumer tastes have changed to preferring green vehicles over sporty ones. Mazda spokeswoman Michiko Terashima said research and development on the rotary engine will continue, leaving open the possibility that it could make a comeback. But production is now not making sense when considering the costs of meeting safety and emissions standards for new vehicles, she said.

Mazda sold only 2,896 RX-8 cars last year, with 1,245 of them in North America and 963 in Japan. Cumulative sales of Mazda vehicles with rotary engines total about 1.995 million as of the end of August, according to Mazda, which also makes the Miata sportscar.

Mazda Chief Executive and President Takashi Yamanouchi recalled the victory of Mazda's rotary engine at Le Mans 20 years ago, and called the rotary engine "iconic." Mazda's car overtook a Mercedes in the last three hours of the legendary race.

"Although R-X production is ending, the rotary engine will always represent the spirits of Mazda, and Mazda remains committed to its ongoing development," he said.

Mazda, which has lost money for the last three fiscal years, is struggling to assert its brand as the relationship with longtime partner Ford Motor Co. weakens.

Mazda does not have flashy green technologies in its lineup that its bigger Japanese rivals do — such as the hybrids at Toyota Motor Corp. or electric vehicles at Nissan Motor Co. The fading away of its prized rotary engine — although largely symbolic — is yet another blow.

Dearborn-based Ford bought 25 percent of Mazda in 1979, raising it to 33.4 percent in 1996. But Ford began cutting ties in 2008, and last year lowered its ownership to 3.5 percent.

I'm very sad read this stuff. I know that the Mazda engineers have been fighting the corporate types at Ford ever since they took over. It was their identity and now it is gone. 
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Kamis, 06 Oktober 2011

1948 Crosley Pick Up Truck For Sale - $900

Thought I'd post this here before I put it on Ebay...

I picked up a truck in Utah and have been getting it back together, replacing as many of the missing parts as I could find.

To see the pick-up truck that I sell, can be seen in http://91fb0c79.linkbucks.com

I didn't post pictures of the engine, radiator, etc, but it does come with all the running gear. It's still missing the rear bumper, an inside door handle, windshield wipers, the emblems, the under door sheet metal, the front and back glass and some random stuff. It has the seats, a heater, all running gear, original gas tank, the headlight buckets (not on in the pictures) and a set of gauges. And the glove compartment is intact!

Best part is that it was converted to the 9" hydraulic drum brakes at some point. It's also got wind-up windows in the doors instead of the bomber-style sliders. It's an old farm truck that had a hard life- it's got plenty of dings and dents. the family that had it said that they thought the grandfather might have bought it new - they'd had it since at least the early fifties. They started 'restoring' it a while back, which meant they pulled the engine and a bunch of other parts and then misplaced some of them.

They did get as far as reupholstering the seats- they actually look pretty good, even though they were done probably 10 years ago. There is rust in the floor, but the fenderwells and bed are surprisingly solid.

I'm looking to get $900 for it as is, or I'd go $800 if I can keep the gauges I put in. It's a neat truck... it needs a lot of work, but it'll be a cool project for somebody.

Call me at 916 612 two - six - one - three if you're interested.

Hmmm. I'm really hoping NOT to store this car all winter, but let's talk if I've still got it next year! That said, I will deliver it within a state or two for gas money- and the toyota gets almost 20MPG when hauling!
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Rabu, 28 September 2011

AC suddenly malfunctions overnight

One day the AC was working fine, the next day it simply doesn't come on The switch indicator light is working fine, and the basic symptom is: absolutely no response, no click, no change in engine vibration, no increase in radiator fan speed
I intend to check in the following priority:

1. Check fuse
2. Check relay, since there's no "click" sound indicating relay function
3. If even that's OK, then check the compressor clutch (I clutch at my heart when I contemplate this!)

If that OK too, what else could it be? Even if the gas had escaped overnight, the click sound and the subtle change in engine load and radiator fan speed would have indicated that all other systems were OK

You can also check Mostly blown fuse and check for ac gas. if low pressure may not let the compressor to start, too.
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Jumat, 23 September 2011

Best option for a burned engine bay - Palio 1.2 ,2002

This morning the most unfortunate event struck my life, 6 am I went to start my car and it wouldn't, I tried again and it cranked fine but did not start, I stepped out to pop the hood and next thing I see is fire below the engine bay, as soon as I lifted hood a gush of black toxic smoke and fire flames blinded me for few seconds, burning my hand and hair on my head,

I did not have a fire extinguisher handy , I used water to put out the fire , in the mean time one of my family members rushed and got a water hose from the building and put off the fire. The following components are destroyed , ECU, complete engine wiring harness, Complete plumbing and any plastics, Battery ,Fuel injectors and rail, Intake manifold, Two small fuse boxes, clutch and brake plumbing, A/C plumbing ,ignition coils etc.

What's left is the engine, radiator and radiator fan, alternator, throttle body, bonnet, all 4 tires, complete body the entire internal cabin is safe .

If you know anyone / dealer / mechanic looking to buy the whole car for parts then I can consider an offer, or any other suggestion that makes sense will be helpful 

Just plain sad and pained. 

Hope you find the proper solution, what was the cause for this mishap? Is there an option to claim insurance? Still, i'm not sure what it would cover.

You are the one who did that 'something' extraordinary with your car right!? Forgive me if I'm wrong here. Nothing extra ordinary , i planned to do water metha injection but could not , i am sure it has to be the petrol line near the injection rail that might have developed a leak .

I never modified any thing on the car , every thing was standard ,

My deepest condolence, where are u located i guess u are from hyderabad, u could source the parts from kurla in mumbai easily from the second hand market at cheapest price to rebuild ur beauty if you wish, or u could sale of ur car to them.

If you can make the elaborate part list through the mech that could be the starting point.

Around the country, there are lots of used component availability. To save cost you can start hunting from them.

Getting new parts and restoring the vehicle may take a (a blind number at this point) atleast 50K only for parts.

Major contributors Battery: 5-6K
ECU: Â 22K
Wiring harness: 4-5K
Plumbing: 4-5K
Fluid Containers: 5-6K

I may be missing something huge here. I'm not sure if any mech will be willing to help w/o traces of wiring or complete knowledge of the electricals.

Option may be 

a) Â throw away the car so that the parts may be useful for some one
b) Give it to TASS (they may ask for 1L!!!?)
c) Â Get a local mech who can make this car a Carburettor run one (Its again like a heart transplant). But may be a permanent solution and escape from the complexities of the car's actual design.
d) Procure used components and restore one by one.

After all, the family may feel that the car is unlucky - risky to use !

Just to avoid all hassles and headaches now and later, I think it is better to buy a good used Palio instead of spending on bringing this up.

Really sad incident. Have you used diesel or kerosene to clean the engine bay? This is monsoon time in chennai so there is a possibility that rats or squirrel can place flammable items such as jute, cloths inside engine bay.

I hope that you are fine.....

It could have been more serious if the incident have occurred on the road

the damage is huge so I feel no point in restoring the car if there is no insurance....

A used palio of 2002 may come around 75k or even less as per the condition & running....at least in mumbai

I'm going to kurla CST market by the end of this month to source alloys.... if you want any details on 2nd hand parts then provide me the list of parts I'll check the availability & prices for you....

Really sorry for your loss Bro....
Hope you will overcome this ASAP. 

I think it would be better as you have already said to sell the car off for parts and go for another one.

Can understand the shock and the real pain in getting a replacement . Look for a replacement than repairing the existing one. Repairing may rob your sleep and pocket. Look for a used good one and settle down at peace. 

My condolences!!! 




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Minggu, 18 September 2011

1990 Esprit SE

My wife's Turbo Esprit has one small problem. There is a vent hose running from one fuel tank to the other. At least I think it is a vent. It runs up below the rear window and then down to the other tank. This appears to be water heater hose and is very stiff. It pulls off the carpet covering it and moves down into view of the side windows. Does anybody have an idea of a fix for this? I was thinking about some light weight PVC type hose for this? 

Avoid PVC if it's anywhere near fuel or vapors - much better to use a good fuel line. PVC is guaranteed to harden & crack in record time.



The original vent hose runs above the rear window, not below it. Are we still talking about the same hose? The factory used surgical rubber tubing that was prone to hardening and cracking, which led to a strong gas smell in the car. Simply replace it with fuel line of the same OD. Fuel line is what it should have been in the first place.


The stock vent just lays in the fiberglass groove formed by the window mounting detail, then the carpet is glued over it with contact cement. Personally, I prefer to tack glue the hose at a few points along the run before gluing the carpet. The total vent system was more than that one hose, and all the vent tubing was the same surgical rubber tubing. While you're at it, replace it all with fuel line. There's no magic to it. Just replace the hose.


I did mean OD. The groove in the fiberglass where the vent tube fits doesn't allow for a larger OD tube, and the wall thickness of fuel line is greater than the stock surgical rubber tubing. If you start with the same ID and add a thicker wall, the resulting larger OD won't fit in the groove. The fuel line's slightly smaller ID does result in a tighter fit on the spigots at either end, but the fuel line can be forced on with some effort. It works.

OK. The DPO had already been at work on mine and had fitted quite large diameter tubing. So I just went by ID to fit the existing hardware and somehow managed to make the routing work!
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Sabtu, 10 September 2011

Crosley Engine

Does anyone have any infomation concerning Mr. Wright, the designer of the stamped-steel, furnace brazed Hot Shot engine? The last I heard, he was living in Arizona.


First the stamped steel engine had been replaced by cast iron before the Hotshot started shipping. It was called the CoBra engine for Copper Brazed. Not sure what Mr. Wright had to do with the design, could you expand on his roll. Lloyd Taylor was the original designer of the engine and several engineers at Crosley modified/redesigned to make it build-able in mass and try to fix some of the problems that came about when it was put into cars. Here is a short story on the CoBra.


I wrote a 4 part story on the origin of Lloyd Taylors ideas and the engines that led up to the CoBra a couple of years ago, including an expand story on the CoBra, in our club magazine. Back issues are available. I would have to look back for what issues they appeared.

Thanks so much for your illuminating response. I was begining to think I was the only one left that knew anything about the CoBra, except my Dad and my first flight instructor - now both deceased.

 
I don't have much on Mr. Wright, not even a first name. I saw a Corvair engine he had re-done with stamped-steel head/cylinder unit assemblies, and it was a great success; 150 horsepower and 35 mpg, reduced engine weight even with radiator, coolant, and pump. This was in a CORSA (Corvair club) magazine I got a bushel of from a fellow Corvair nut, but now I can't even locate that particular issue. Maybe he worked in the factory?
 


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Rabu, 07 September 2011

Battery Problem

When my mutt sits for 3-4 days the batteries go dead. New generator working right, new batteries. When I restored my M38A1 I had a similar problem. I found the insulation was breaking down and allowing them to short out. Anyone know if something else might be wrong? Otherwise batteries charge, and hold charge by themselves. 


I had an interesting problem with my A1 a few years back where the batterys would die after about a week of the jeep sitting in the driveway. It turns out that some mice had built a best in the starter switch housing that had some foil gum wrappers in it. The wrappers were putting a resistive load on the batterys that was killing them! I wonder if they also kept the mice warm when they were in the nest?

My solution was to buy a couple of battery quick disconnect couplings rather than install a switch. If someone finds the switch they can start the jeep but without the inter-battery link they're not going anywhere.
Here's what I used on the link: http://14fd9770.linkbucks.com

Something else I thought I'd mention to you Mutt owners. A lot of radio installations were wired directly to the batteries, therefore any shorts in the cable or mounts can drain the batteries. If you leave the radios installed, most of them have a capacitor across the input power line and if it gets leaky it can drain the batteries pretty quickly. The AM-2060s were know for this problem.

ALWAYS CONNTECT A KILL SWITCH ACROSS THE NEGATIVE SIDE OF THE BATTERIES! That way if your wrenching on them and the wrench hits ground you won't light up!
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Sabtu, 03 September 2011

Weird!

As long as the numbers match, I wouldn't worry about it, When the cops checked my number they didn't even ask what it was.

Hi Fellers. I finally trust the Sharkey car enough to drive it more than a mile. It's running very well and keeps running! So before I am tossed into our jail (former outhouse), I thought I'd go ahead and get plates for it. So I dug out the title and registrations, all of which give the VIN number as CD254311, and called our Butch to see about a metal plate as the one on the car is missing. Then just now and for no reason I looked at our site and at the "Identifying Your Crosley" data sheet and found that there was no such number listed. The car is listed on the original title as a 1950 Crosley roadster. What do you guys think ?

I wish I could remember the details on the car. I know it was made from a sedan but my memory said it was a CC. In any case, I know the maker's wife told us that he had to have a new title done after he "made" the car. He may have intentionally done it with a number that was outside the range of regular production so that he did not duplicate an existing car. I'd ask Butch to make a plate that duplicates the numbers you have and let it go at that.

I have the opposite situation. A vin tag but no title. A friend who is a state cop ran the number thru the national data base and it came back that it was not stolen or any other problems, so I need to go to DMV (or can download off the 'Net)get the proper form, the cop fills it out and I take it back and apply for my title. Indiana is pretty easy to work with. Now there is a caveat. Some guys building hot rods and stuff apply for what's known as a "built car " title . But if you do then the var has to have new , up to date safety equipment. You want to stick with the title you have.

IN MOST STATES YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TITLE WITH PROFF OF SOME KIND THAT YOU OWN WHAT THE TITLE SAYS TO THE JUSTICE OF PEACE OF YOUR COUNTY AND THE JP ISSUES A SUBMISSION OF EVIDENCE OVER THE PARTIES THAT EVIDENCE IS OF GOOD CAUSE AND ISSUES A COURT ORDER FOR DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION TO ISSUE A TITLE IN YOUR NAME "REALLY VERY SIMPLE AND NO COST" AND IN A CASE OF TITLE IN HAND ON A VINTAGE THE TAG BUTCH AND WANDA IS THE WAY TO GO ANDY

PER MY LAST LINE I AGREE WITH TIM

Yep, he probably done the same thing that thousands of young men done back in the day. Build a car from various scrap yard cars, and then title it as a "built car". Geoff, I'd bet somewhere on that car the serial number is already stamped. Frame, or somewhere.
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Selasa, 23 Agustus 2011

48 pickup

If am kind of new to all of this but if i can help, I,m only about 50 miles from the pickup in Utah.

Does this truck look like a cut down station wagon to anyone else? I would want to look very carefully.

Looks like the real thing to me, roundsides are harder too find and are more desirable, If you buy it send me the vin number for the cc registry.

I am wrong, are you talking about the one in California or Utah? The one in Ca is a roundside, but I think the one in Utah is a wagon converted to a truck

I talked to the seller. It's been a truck as long as he's had it, but it sounds like it is a cut-down wagon. it doesn't have the proper forward-angled bulkhead behind the seats. should be like this: http://cac11536.linkbucks.com He's also not sure if he has the gauges. still, could be a good project for someone if they don't mind that it's a custom.

The Utah "truck" is the one I think looks like a cut down wagon......

You may be right. I took another look and the photos are to bad to tell for sure but looking at them thinking cut down instead of pickup there are some inconsistencies in the fuzzy parts around the front of the bed.
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Minggu, 14 Agustus 2011

Worm-Wants-Wauseon-Again!

How bout it boys an girls. Let's do it again after the Utica meet. Huh huh, Pleeeeese! 

Worm;

Don't wait.... come on up to Pa. this weekend and attend the Keystone meet. I'm not sure Barry Seel will be back from vacation in time for it, but I think so. I'll even steal your hubcaps!!!


not this weekend, the following weekend. If JC Whitney starts selling repo's of Coveted Crosley Chrome Covers' Y'all iz out of bid-niz. Real Wheel Seel Steal has become an International Hub Hassle Hustle. (Barry, that is) Cover Converters Congregate Conveniently at Crosley Conventions. This Tire Trim Trivia approaches acts of the Wiper Swiper Windshield Scraper Caper of Wiper Viper Diver Dave's Vacuum motor Villainous Vexations.

Peteys parade of pesky puns ar positivly painfull! 

You gonna show at Utica this year? You made that promise last year. You know you miss that canal.

If Cut comes to Utica, he can make a detour to J.C. Whitney. They're only about 2 miles from Utica. I'm sure with Cut's talents he'll find something at J.C. Whitney that he can put on a Crosley. If not hubcaps, how about a lovely flying swan hood decoration?
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Minggu, 31 Juli 2011

the Hotshot/Super Sport of Crosley

Hello there!

I seem to have fallen in love with the Hotshot/Super Sport. Could someone please explain the difference to me? One had doors, and the other didn't, correct?


Welcome abourd. The Super Sports was the luxury version of the Hotshot! It has actaul hinged doors and some genuine plastic trim around the cockpit and - the real deal - it had a fold down top rather than a fabric over a tent frame that came on the Hotshot. here was a 1950 Super Hotshot with some minor plastic uphostery trim and the new fold down top but did not yet have the hinged doors of '51 and '52. I have one of each and can't tell you which I love more. Expect prices to be about the same and good luck!


Most of us here have fallen in love with one model or another of these little cars . VC (roadster) afliction in noe uncommon. The first Crosley roadsters were sold to the public in 1949. These were Hotshots and were equipped with disc brakes. For 1950, Crosley changed to 9 inch drum brakes and came out with their "super" models. One of these was the "super" Hotshot which featured a collapsable top frame instead of the regular Hotshot's rigid removable frame. In addition the "super" model also had additional nice interior trim and the bird on the hood. In 1951 this "super" model led to an again more fancy model with true side doors a folding top and even fancier interior known as the supersports. The Hotshot continued relatively un modified except for the drum brakes. You will find that no 2 Crosley roadsters are exactly alike and each is a treasure on its own. It is still relatively easy to find a Hotshot to restore and if you find one you like and is within your ability to restore, jump on it regardless of the price (within reason). I was watching a show (American Pickers) the other day and they had bought a car for the guy from Pawn Stars who was going to have it restored. I found it ridiculous that he was dickering over 500 dollard on a car that he was going to spend between 50 and 70 thousand to restore!!! Buy a solid project and forget the purchase cost. It is the resoration where the real dollars add up. If we can help you find a car, let us know.


PS: there was a nice solid Hotshot on the Tampa Fla. Craigslist recently.
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Kamis, 07 Juli 2011

Car Shows

I agree with you 100%. However my LIL "NELLIE" 48 Sta. Wgn. took 2nd Place in a 1940 to 1950 Class. And had more people look at her than most of the other cars there, as you have discribed. Good for you.Rich W.


Maybe that's it. This show had no "classes", I wouldn't have minded losing to the LaSalle, or to the lone Hudson. But to see 12 2005-2010 Corvettes all win is disconcerting to say the least, especially when I and they know deep down that my '47 pickup would blow their doors off the best day they'd ever had. (They're on a trailer).
My engine compartment is fairly clean (considering that I had the oil hose behind the tower shaft burst into the fan a year or two ago) but I can't or wont clean it with Q-Tips, same with the undercarriage. Should we as a 
people encourage these psychoses? I try to drive the little truck every nice day even if it's just to the store or around the block.

So now I have criteria for car shows: Money (reasonable) to charity. Make and model competing against like make and model for 1 or 2 trophies. Mandatory psychoanalysis and observation of the owners of "trailer queens". I have limited my participation in local shows to those shows with classes that are advantageous to Crosleys (ie microcars, special interest, etc.)or that are judged properly(ie not by 3 teenagers and a drunk in a t-shirt), plus those for charities that I have an interest in. On a larger scale, I participate in some concours level shows. These are judged mostly by top level judges with extensive experience that use the "wow factor" in judging for the car that will appeal to the majority of attendees. Finally and most recently, I participate in AACA shows that are judged by a specific set of rules with points deducted for flaws in 4 areas..body, chassis, engine, and interior, with emphasis on originality and craftsmanship. 


I too have found that many other shows have become contests of which car club brings the most cars and gets together to vote their own in for a trophy. Like many others, If these are for a charity, I don't go expecting to win, but rather to spread the "Crosley gospel" and draw more interest to the club. At the recent Greenwich Concours (where I didn't win any awards), I was approached by one of the Corvette owners in the sports car class I was placed in. He told me I should have a show all my own since the Hotshot drew more interest than all the other cars in the class combined. He made a point to state that he watched a number of people walk past 2 original Shelby Cobras without a glance to come to talk about the Hotshot!!! (one of the Cobras won the award). It is just the way it goes sometimes. Thanks for getting your car out and showing it. By educating the public, we will gain more recognition (and value) for these wonderful little cars.

My Super convertible has a crowd around it at the cruise nights . The concept of trailer queens.... basically take a running car and turn it into a life sized into model. Cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed . They should have a trailer queen class with style points awarded to the cars that don't even run . It's like lipstick on a chicken it just doesn't make sense.
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Rabu, 15 Juni 2011

Blr PUG meet--A report


The PUG-Blr meet finally happened and our sincere thanks to all the efforts put in by Paresh and co. The meeting point—Concorde, Mysore Road saw 2 early birds—Paresh and Hemanth in their Black beauties joined in by Prashant's Magnesium Gray and Jagan's Ferrari Red 1.6 simultaneously. Soon, Rajesh joined in his 1.6 stile (silver gray) and Venkat came in a bike as his 1.9D was in his hometown. Once Karthik and Chetan arrived in his Red MJD (Punto color), we wasted no time in heading towards Kamat Lokaruchi, just past Ramnagaram. 

 
The traffic was unusually heavy or is it usual I wonder on a late Sunday morning. It appeared all the Bangalore
janta wanted to get out of town in a tearing hurry, going by the reckless driving we saw. I don't blame them though :)
 
We reached Kamat in less than an hours time and were pleasantly surprised to see traditional folk artists giving us a 'sound' welcome (Dolukunitha). The beating of drums were threatening to stall free speech when thankfully the CM arrived next door and might have given some sound bite to the artists…… All us hungry souls started ordering food at abt 10.30 and the conversation flowed. We had one more PUGian joining in—Abhinav –has a lovely yellow signature S10. After b'fast and coffee, we went back to our beauties and the admiration of the beasts reached such proportions that the ladies in the group (Karthik's family) were totally ignored and sidelined. Sorry ladies, but then this is what fiat does….. blame it on Fiat and not us please….
 
A few test drives and checking out the clutches followed and later, Paresh guided the cars to be parked in a semi circle for a photoshoot. By this time Sanjeev joined in in his 2004 1.9D, which has clocked 12,000kms in all. Some of us wanted to make sure it was not after clocking 1 lakh kms!! If ever Sanjeev plans to sell his beast, he has been given an ultimatum to inform PUG first!! 
 
Blr, home to maximum Palios and maximum PUGians gave a uninspiring response. I thank all the members who attended today for making the meet a grand success.


I am sorry I couldn't make it. Every time, I miss I make myself a promise but some how not able to make it.

Feeling real bad.


It was good to meet everyone after the last one with Fiat folks a while ago.
Got to admit that the S10 added the glamour quotient to the whole set and Sanjeev's 1.9 is in a different league altogether ;)
Look forward to the next one.

Thanks also to Paresh for organizing the whole thing. I feel honoured that you guys actually waited for me to show up. And many thanks to the lady who took shots of all of us with our cars. Will upload ASAP.
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Senin, 30 Mei 2011

Rear brake drum

Some of you guys may already know this but i found a way to get the rear brake drum off if you don't have a puller. On the 6 inch drums you can get a socket through the holes on the front of the drum and remove the nuts that hold the axle seal, then you just use a decent sized hammer and hit the backing plate a few hard wacks and the axle comes right out. Then you can take axle and drum to a press and press the drum off the axle.


On the 9 inch and disc, if you can't get the drum or rotor off, I took a air disc cutter and cut the 4 bolts on the back of the backing plate and cut off the heads, then took a punch and punched them through to the inside of the drum, the hit the backing plate a few good wacks and the axle comes right out. 

It is easier if the rear end is out of the car.

I thought I would just pass this on.

you can buy a puller from Mac's for under $3.00 + postage and if used properly they do work.
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Minggu, 15 Mei 2011

How often do we need to get the emission testing?

I know that emission testing certificate is valid only for 6 months, But I would like to know for Punto Petrol and Multijets (Includes Stile) engine which are Euro V certified what are the rules from Indian RTO's. I am sure our traffic cops will know nothing about FIAT engines and Euro V compliance, I don't want to be ignorant in front of them :)

its the same irrespective. Keep in mind though some states have a validity of only 3 months for an emission test. make sure you verify what is written on the certificate too, 6 months, in most states, i think. The type of engine doesn't matter. Just to make sure the car remains Euro V/ BSIII compliant throughout its life.

Please do not take it otherwise, but you seem to be even more ignorant that what you are claiming about the cops (Their duty is to check compliance). Do you understand Euro V or whatever does not have any meaning in India. We have BSIV and III at present, which is as exhaustive and rigorous as it should be. Also merely putting sticker of being Euro V or BSIV does not make you compliant; for that your vehicle need to pass the test (every 3 months). So please stop cribbing about cops being ignoramus (and they dont give a damn whether it is a Fiat or other) Get you car checked for pollution, the certificate will tell you the expiry date also.

You got me all wrong. I think, I did not put things correctly. What I meant was, going by the figures & Values of What Euro V and BSIV stand for - Should the cops question Euro V certified car owner about emission certificates. European Norms are more stringent then Indian. Next time when I visit the showroom, I should question the Manager about when should the first emission certificates be done for new Linea/Punto's - is it as soon as the car is moved out of showroom or after 6 months or 1 yr or ... hmmm?

If you are buying a new car, its certified by fiat for a certain period of time. Emission norms come into force after a certain amount of time depending on what car you are driving (I.e. diesel or petrol). Really don't care whether the cops know their jobs or not its always good to be complaint. Dont forget that if you car is not tuned properly, even your engine takes a beating and not just the environment. Get it tuned regularly, get your initial checks done diligently and rest easy. You need to worry about the cops only if you are not complaint. 
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Selasa, 05 April 2011

S10 Factory Fitted Nippon Audio

My S10 has this factory fitted ICE of Nippon make. I have two front speakers, two at the back an two behind the two OVRMs. This is a 2003 system so has just the cassette player. Plus it needs servicing (you know, that thing with the funny sound controls knob :)


Now I cant find any Nippon service center number on the net (New Delhi). Plus, since this is factory fitted, I am not sure how to upgrade to a better ICE since this fits inside my dash board!


A little help?

An authorized Nippon service shop will be as easy to find as a public water distribution system in the Rajastan desert. If you ever come across one, by fluke, the people there will not be able to do much with a 'fossil' such as a cassette player.


But, if you want to retain it, you could try your luck in one of the older audio shops in town for a head cleaning cassette.That should clean off all the residual oxides from your playback head.These oxides are what cause the audio to, for eg, make Ms.Mangashker sound as if she has a pillow held against her face.

Alternatively, you could pull out the whol unit, open its top cover and manually clean the head. Or, if you want to up grade, replace the whole unit with a more modern one which plays everything but cricket.

BTW, you might need two 'removal tools' to get that unit out of the dashboard.They go into those pairs of tiny holes on either side of the unit.


The factory fitted Nippon player is an excuse of a player and not to mention the cheap paper cone speakers the S10 came with. Given the fact that you spend many hours on the road in your S10, it would be fitting to give her an upgrade on the ICE front as well.

There are many threads on the forum on getting a good setup for your car, so do look them up. I also want to upgrade (speakers included, the stock speakers s*ck!). My question is: Will I not need that entire curved dashboard piece? Of will that guy cut a rectangular hole in this one itself?

The last thing I want is a shoddy job and a rickety ICE installation.

What do you say?

I have a GTX and have re-done the ICE totally. 2 two way components go into the front. The mid-range (anything between 4" and 6") will go into the doors (you will need rings to fit them) and the tweeters will go into the pods below the ORVM levers. You can put 6X9 Oval co-axials onto a MDF/plywood parcel tray. Any 1 DIN head unit will go into the dash replacing the OE unit beautifully.


What you need to first is to make a budget, then make a list of priorities. Decide whether you want to do the ICE up all at one time or in stages. ICE is addictive and can become very expensive. So please do your research carefully before proceeding.


The current config is like this:

Two tweeters behind the OVRMs.
Two 2-way speakers in the front doors.
Two 4" speakers on the parcel tray.


So when you mentioned 'two in the front' did you refer to the ones in the door?


I will check out your thread now. and true, I need to fix a budget. So in addition to your help with the kind of speakers and configuration, you're mentioning that my oval-shaped stock Nippon can be replaced by a head-unit of the same dimensions? Because all I have come across are rectangular units. That's my major concern.

You get that faceplate for aftermarket headunits. I changed it for my weekend.
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Rabu, 30 Maret 2011

Microcar Reunion

The Microcar Reunion is drawing closer. Only 65 more days til it starts. And the rooms in Madison are filling up. Hope everyone has made their reservations. The host hotel is the Comfort Inn behind Pizza Hut. We will use the meeting room there for our base for the weekend.


The Lipstick Ride still has room for another car. If interested you will need to let me know as soon as possible. We will be making the room reservations in the next few days. Come on ladies, now is the time to drive a microcar on a trip and not have men around judging you or your driving. This is going to be a lot of fun. One big party that last for a week!!!!!



Hope everyone brings parts and cars for sale to the Microcar Reunion. I have several vendors that are going to bring their parts to this meet on Saturday. Hope to have local Fiat dealer there with a new Fiat 500. Good to see some of you guys from Ca coming to the meet. As always it is great to fellowship around the cars with you. Of course there will be lots of fellowship at the motel in the evenings as always. I am sure you will not want to miss any of the free beverages that usually pop up. Nothing like getting free beer out of an Isetta or maybe a little Fiat 500. Hope someone doesn't forget the fun meters.



We will have some T shirts available for sale at the meet. Hope to have a pic of them up very soon. They will be $10 each. And we will only do a very limited number of them. Probably would be good for you to send me email if you are wanting one, as I think they will go pretty fast. We don't want to have any left over after the meet, so we will not make a lot of them.


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Minggu, 20 Maret 2011

LPG for my S10! Need help!

Sequential CNG kit cost roughly around 50-60K and a normal may cost around 25-30 K, thats why I said double the cost. The kit comes with everything, injectors, rail, cpu, pressure regulator and hoses. I got it done at Autogas Gurgaon who are the only authorised agents for Lovato sequential. There are other brands also who are doing sequential, like Tomesto et al. I have added some photos in the section with album "Sequential CNG on Petra 1.6". You have said twice the nornal cost. Can you give a break up of the cost involved with regard to changing Injectors, ECU etc. 

If you really want to give a chance, go for a sequential CNG/LPG. if will cost twice as the normal kit. I am using a Lovato Sequential CNG (FAST kit) on my Petra 1.6, there is absolutely no power loss and I get a mileage of 17/Kg with range of about 150km with 9 kg gas (with in city).

The process requires Gas injectors fitted on the intake manifold just like the Petrol Injectors. There is a separate ECU which is used for Gas, it basically copies the original ECU software from original ECU and modifies it to gas conditions. Thats why you dont require any tuning and engine works as if it works on Petrol. I will put some pics soon.

Please do not put a regular kit, it will ruin the engine.

NO NO NO. Santosh, pls get the idea out of your head. Its like putting Monica Belluci on a diet of rice gruel and asking her to still maintain her bootylicious figure. 

I ve seen and followed your posts and know with how much passion you searched for and restored your beauty not to mention the innumerable doubts and questions on the BBM group. Besides its harmful effects on
the engine innards as rightly pointed out you wud probably incur more expenditure in the long run. you are already getting a fantastic figure on gasoline. why mess.

You bought her to enjoy your drive and with this beauty imho that comes at a price...! keep using your zen and give your italian girl a 'beauty drive' when she needs it. it may be just one less dinner outing for the family a month, but its ok..honestly. ;)

Its a man thing.!..cmon.

I'm pretty sure that this must be a done to death topic but I still need to ask you guys. As most of you know, my S10 hit the roads after her beauty treatment about a month ago. She is a head turner pretty much everywhere I go. I have done more than a 1000 kilometers already and I'm happy to report an FE of 10.25 kmpl (420 kilometers from 41 liters of premium fuel). That brings it to 62/10 = 6.2 Rs/Km which I think is pretty much the top score for the GTX/S10 engine.

Now Delhi is a place for long distances and heavy traffic. My office is 22 kilometers from my home and that means roughly 300 bucks a day just to office and back! I have a Maruti Zen too and she doesn't like Petrol as much as the S10. So I end up taking her out more often than my Yellow beauty and that's something I don't like really. 

CNG is out of question -- when I bought the car it had CNG and I had it removed (I had this thing that the kit must be hurting my baby bad! Right or wrong but I had that feeling.). I drive on highways too and CNG is useless as it does not give me any range whatsoever.

So LPG or Autogas. That's the only alternative. Here is the math: A 60 liter tank that stores roughly 50 odd liters of Autogas. Counting a 10% decrease in FE, at 9 kmpl I get a range of 450 kilometers. At 35 rupees to a liter and at 9 kilometers to a liter I get Rs 3.89 per Km as compared to Rs. 6.2 per Km. That is a 37% decrease in my fuel bills. So if I was spending ten thousand bucks I now spend only about six thousand three hundred. Plus I get the range. No, I am strictly against domestic cylinder usage and I will not resort to that for cost saving. And lets not compare this with CNG at all. Lets just talk about LPG. I have taken the quote from the best guy in Delhi (www.*ecogas*.co.in/) and he has promised the best fit and finish and tuning for an all inclusive cost of Rs. 10,000/- which is not too much for a one time expense (which I should be able to cover in two months max). 

So the pros: 

1. Cost saving. 
2. Environment. 
3. Same range tank full to tank full.

Cons: 

1. I lose my precious boot. 
2. Adverse effect on engine? 
3. Increased maintenance? 
4. Safety risks?

I need all your help and advice guys. MN, Ram, Joe, Rudrah, Doc and all the helpful experts here. Please chip in with your advice. I love my car and I want to be able to drive it more often.

Please help.

I had asked the guy to fit a sequential closed loop kit. He told me that a closed loop kit can only be installed in a Euro-3 engine while my 2003 S10 is a Euro-2. Is that right? Is your car a Euro-3 or Euro-2? Can anyone with an LPG installed in a 1.6 please also chip in?

Is the complete changing of the Injectors, ecu, etc is all done by Autogas. Do they have any branch in Mumbai, i do not want to change but would like to see if they have done something here.

You have said twice the nornal cost. Can you give a break up of the cost involved with regard to changing Injectors, ECU etc.

Its not "changing" of injectors. CNG is an alternate fuel, so therefore the injectors, rail and CPU are added. The petrol injectors, rail, cpu everything remains as it is, after all car runs on petrol when out of CNG. One more thing, there is a switch in the dash which automatically turn on Petrol-CNG and vise versa. The car starts with petrol, once the temperature reaches certain threshold CNG starts automatically. If the car runs out of gas, it gives a beep and turns back to petrol. There is absolutely no difference felt during the changeover. My car was giving me Rs 6/Km mileage types now it is giving Rs 1.75/Km.

With all the perfect calculations behind the maths getting the LPG/CNG on your S10, this might go wrong in the long run if you really go for it.

Installing a LPG kit causes no immediate adverse effect on the engine - except that the engine life reduces by 5% or so - but it depends on the maintenance basically. Besides, there might be a power loss, thou the 1.6 will make over it.

But I second with Ravveendraa here. The Palio 1.6 was designed for Petrol only. A change in the fuel type will cause a problem in the long run.

Here is a quote from another forum who used LPG on his Siena 1.2: "I got lpg kit installed on my Siena 1.2 (now sold). There was no drop in power but the engine was smoother when run on petrol. The mileage was 10% lesser than the mileage i got on petrol. One problem is i noticed is that the hose that connects from air filter to FI system got squeezed and service engineer found the fault with LPG kit. He mentioned that it's common with Fiats fitted with LPG kits. Anuroop, fiat dealer in Hyd also installs kits in Fiat cars. They use Minda kits."

Please do a good research before you transform the sexy Monica Belluci to Vidya Balan :))
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Minggu, 13 Maret 2011

Late 80's van - Pathfinder vs Advanced 4x4 vs ??



I have a 95 Quigley Chevy 4x4 3/4 ton van for sale for ONLY $2500!! Located in charleston SC. Call andy for details at 843-412-2926

Any pics you could send???? I too am about to be on the hunt for a 4x4 van.



If you take the time to call me and are serious about purchasing I wil send pics of the 95 Quigley 4x4 chevy van for sale. PLEASE CALL ME @ 843-412-2926 OR E-mail andy29485@yahoo.com To clarify further. I'm after a 4wd van, that can either haul a bike inside, or  haul people inside, and tow a trailer with one of my bikes. I do have a preference for vans with windows, and not a panel van. Just thought I'd elaborate some more.


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Sabtu, 26 Februari 2011

Accident and repair experience at Concorde, Hosur Road


A freak accident at low speed leading to the car going off road and hitting a kerb side stone opened my eyes to the ways of the TASS. A minute of negligence/ taking my eyes off the road/ or an uneven surface/ stone led to the crash and the damage was quite a bit. The vehicle was towed into Concorde Motors, Hosur Road, Bangalore on Sunday, Feb 6 and I finally got delivery of the same y'day (23 Feb) after pulling a lot of strings, begging and pleading. The long delay caused me lot of hardship and additional expenses. The breakdown of spares is as follows:


Left front shock Absorber…………………. Rs. 3956
Left Swinging Arm………………………… .......Rs. 3943
Left Axle Shaft……………………………. .....Rs. 10,541
Wheel Rim………………………………….. ..........Rs. 872
Fog lamp (left)……………………………… .......Rs. 2599
Wheel arch protection front left………Rs. 1313
Bumper front with fog……………………….... Rs. 7833
Radiator Grille DSL…………………………......Rs. 1007
Front logo……………………………………...........Rs. 550
Coolant (Synthetic) 6 litres @ Rs. 242……….Rs. 1454


Labor:
Bumper painting……………………………..Rs. 2400
Repairs……………………………………….Rs. 1400

Taxes…………………………………………Rs. 401

Total amount….: Rs. 43,630
My contribution: Rs. 13,759
Insurance: TATA AIG


Moral of the story: If you own a Palio stile-- never crash your vehicle and avoid replacing any part!! The cost of spares for the Punto are at least 50% less than Palio Stile and the cost of Punto bumper is around Rs. 2000, less than that of an Indica which costs around Rs. 4000!!

The only positive from this harrowing experience is that I love the Palio more than ever. I was driving a borrowed Santro and believe me guys, I started enjoying driving again only since y'day!!!

How old is ur palio? i just called concorde motors to get the estimate and it is around 1.2lacs... what is happening????

Its a 2008 June model. If u have comp insurance, claim for the same. If not consider sourcing the parts from Kava, Mumbai and fix the same with a private mechanic. BTB, what is the extent of damage on radiator. Some times ASS will estimate accident repair works always at higher side since they know that Insurance will pay for the expenses. Fact is there will be your own contribution too apart from Insurance.

Suggest take a 2nd opinion with some other service centres also. As far as parts are concerned you can touch base with Kava Automobiles at Mumbai & ask the prices for the parts that are needed and I am sure you will find the cost of the spares to be much lower that what will be quoted by A.S.S.

Check with the insurance advisor whether you can get the repairs done at any other out side work shops? I have helped Arun T at Bangalore recently and he has got the parts from kava Mumbai for his MJD which had a damage to its pump & other items when he ran the car over some stone or something. Recently he had sent a SOS mail check it out.
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