The Intrepid Project

[Intrepidation]

That's a plastic intake?!? Looked like alloy in the photo... but I didn't look too hard. Some of those high-temp enamels require high temps to cure properly... and no intake is going to get hot enough. If the plastic is able to be scuffed, I would prime it and hit it with regular enamel. Not sure I'd DIY powder coat plastic.

Yesterday during reassembly I accidentally sheared one of the bolts that hold the steering column to the dash. I was pretty pissed. Ran to the store and got a screw extractor. drill bit that came with it snapped as soon as I turned the drill on. I even more pretty pissed. When I got another drill bit to try again the I notice the bolt turn. To my great relief it wasn't stuck, the head just snapped off, so I used the drill bit to back the bolt out.

Ugh. This is where you need the Harbor Freight $99 MIG (sometimes on sale for $89)... that's about 6~7 extractor kits. I don't use the extractor kits anymore, as they almost ALWAYS break and make the problem worse. Using the MIG to build up bolts has been great... plus the high heat shrinks the threaded part, so many times they come out finger loose.

Yeah, its plastic. First gens had a metal plenum but second gens have a plastic one. I'm thinking of using Krylon Fusion next time I paint it.

That's a good idea, although in that case It would probably be difficult to get a MIG in there in a tight space that's surrounded my plastic and carpet though.

That's the bolt I sheared. Thankfully it wasn't stuck in there or I would have had a real hell of a job getting it out.

[G. David Felt]

Looks great inside after the reassembly. Cold A/C is a great thing to have...I got one of those recharge cans to try and get mine a bit colder..not as cold as new anymore.

The problem with the recharge cans is that they contain oils and sealer... the R134A (or R12) will escape the system and leave the rest behind... and there is not a lot of volume in modern systems, anyway, so you can only top off a system a couple times before you really need to evacuate the whole system and start new.

Thought I'd give it a try before going to the shop..never had any service on the A/C before, this is it's 13th summer..still cold, but not new-car cold..

Cubical I have used from O'Riely's their Nasa Space recharge can with adapter and it got both my 98 Dakota and Durango Ice Cold again. I am impressed and it saved me lots of money.

A complete evac is the best way, but in todays economy, the can makes Financial Sense.

[G. David Felt]

That's a plastic intake?!? Looked like alloy in the photo... but I didn't look too hard. Some of those high-temp enamels require high temps to cure properly... and no intake is going to get hot enough. If the plastic is able to be scuffed, I would prime it and hit it with regular enamel. Not sure I'd DIY powder coat plastic.

Yesterday during reassembly I accidentally sheared one of the bolts that hold the steering column to the dash. I was pretty pissed. Ran to the store and got a screw extractor. drill bit that came with it snapped as soon as I turned the drill on. I even more pretty pissed. When I got another drill bit to try again the I notice the bolt turn. To my great relief it wasn't stuck, the head just snapped off, so I used the drill bit to back the bolt out.

Ugh. This is where you need the Harbor Freight $99 MIG (sometimes on sale for $89)... that's about 6~7 extractor kits. I don't use the extractor kits anymore, as they almost ALWAYS break and make the problem worse. Using the MIG to build up bolts has been great... plus the high heat shrinks the threaded part, so many times they come out finger loose.

Yeah, its plastic. First gens had a metal plenum but second gens have a plastic one. I'm thinking of using Krylon Fusion next time I paint it.

That's a good idea, although in that case It would probably be difficult to get a MIG in there in a tight space that's surrounded my plastic and carpet though.

That's the bolt I sheared. Thankfully it wasn't stuck in there or I would have had a real hell of a job getting it out.

I hear Shearing and HELL go hand in hand!

[Intrepidation]

There were a few colorful words when that happened...

[SAmadei]

That's a good idea, although in that case It would probably be difficult to get a MIG in there in a tight space that's surrounded my plastic and carpet though.

That's the bolt I sheared. Thankfully it wasn't stuck in there or I would have had a real hell of a job getting it out.

Ah, I thought it was a bolt on the other side of the firewall. You would be surprised the tight areas you can get into once you get used to it... but you would need to use a shielding gas to reduce splatter (Cheapo MIG isn't gas ready). I'm not sure I'd MIG in the interior yet without a lot of precautions.

[Intrepidation]

Ever since I bought the car it has had a small rust spot where some nimrod used a slim jim to get the door open

Over time that area has seen the clear coat separate and peel off the base coat.

Usually clear coat fades and the base coat underneath gets damaged (like what is happening to the Prizm's roof unfortunately). The only way to fix that is to repaint it. However, in the case of my car the base coat isn't damaged. Last Year I used touch up paint and cleaned and painted over the bear spot.

So a few days ago I bought a bottle of touchup clear coat. After cleaning the surface I applied 2 thick coats of clear coat.

This already made a big difference, as the liquid clear quote is actually quite nice and shiny. However, being brushed on it was very uneven. After letting it dry for 24+ hours I masked off the area and wet sanded it with 2000 grit sandpaper as best I could without going through the clear coat. After that I buffed the surface with a high-speed radial buffer and Meguiar's Ultimate compound.

I''m very pleased with the results. It's not perfect, but far better than it was, and from a few feet away you can't even see where it was done.

[Intrepidation]

Prevailing weather conditions have prevented me from getting much more done, but I did managed to get the driver's side doors buffed. For this I used Meguiar's Ultimate compound and Ultimate polish, which is the only one I've seen in stores that is fine enough to use with a radial buffer.

For comparison's sake here is the passenger side (I forgot to take before photos of the driver's side).

And here is the driver's side. It's worth noting that the driver's door in particular had lots of scratches in it (being from a junkyard). This is also my first time using aradial buffer, luckily I had a friend explain to me how to use it without burning the paint. This is also only using a wool pad not the different foam pads (need to get some, or maybe not).

Like a mirror.

Last night I couldn't see any swirls reflecting from the porch light on the areas I did either. When the sun comes out again I'll see how it looks, but certainly an incredible improvement.

I can't wait to do the rest of the car!

[A Horse With No Name]

Very impressive, I've done some similar path rescues on the Miata, and it is inspiring to see you get the results your getting. Keep on rockin on this project, I'm lovin it.

[Intrepidation]

Onto the rest of the car. I still need to get a finishing pad so I can remove the micro swirls left behind by the rubbing compound, but even so the results are profound.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

And some other after shots:

Today I finally got around to doing a quick photo shoot.

Like a mirror, and I haven't even used the polishing compound yet (waiting on the finishing pad from amazon). Not bad for 12 year old paint!

[Intrepidation]

Also changed the compressor idler pulley, old one was pretty worn out.

[ocnblu]

You've got 'er shined up good, Andrew.

[daves87rs]

Looking good!

[Intrepidation]

Thanks!

[Intrepidation]

The car left me stuck at work last week. At night. In the rain. After the store had closed and my coworker left. I was none too thrilled. After being unable to jump start it I had it towed home.

Turns out the negative terminal was corroded, so I replaced it with an entire new-ish OEM negative cable. Good as new. I'm going to replace the positive one with a better quality terminal, I'm thinking one of these:

http://www.amazon.co...=A385A0XNQBW8HY

Should be getting brand new tires for it by the beginning of November. I think this will be the first time I've ever bought a complete set of brand new tires. Looking forward to it.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Sumitomo&tireModel=HTR+A%2FS+P01+%28W-Speed+Rated%29&partnum=445WR8HTRAS&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

Then I'd also like to do the front brakes around the same time.

Barring any unforeseen issues I'll have the rear struts, sway bar links and bushings to do, and the car will be all caught up on everything it needs.

[Blake Noble]

It'll be more than ready for another 200,000 miles after that.

[Intrepidation]

It's all about sticking with it.

[A Horse With No Name]

You've made me decide to stick with my Miata as well, which is nice since it's paid off....

[Intrepidation]

[Drew Dowdell]

just had to do 2 of those on the CR-V 2 weeks ago.

[Intrepidation]

For anyone who wonder the difference between economy brand parts and Moog parts, here's a case study.

On the right is the cheapy part, on the left is the Moog part.

Notice how much larger the diameter is of the bar on the link. It uses thermoplastic bushings rather than plain rubber for where the link connects to the sway bar. The bolt that connects the link to the bar has a hex head so you can hold it in place while tightening the nut (neither the cheap one nor the OEM part has this). It's also forged as opposed to cast.

Compared to the OEM part, the cheapy actually looks pretty close, but the Moog part has design improvements (forged, thicker metal) to prevent failure like that again.

Since the bugger was snapped in two I used a jack stand to support the sway bar and vise grips to hold the other side of the bolt in place, since it has no hex head.

And the the vise grips to hold the rest of the link in place to remove the top nut.

Much better.

Might as well do the other side soon. Just look at those rusty (original) struts, those are being replaced come spring. Interesting that the sway bar bushing, on that side at least, look fine.

[Drew Dowdell]

I used Moog ball joints on my Toronado. Reading reviews about them ahead of time, it was quite clear that there is "OEM Replacement" and then there is Moog. For the sway bar linkage, I would probably have done them both at the same time.

[G. David Felt]

Very Nice, MOOG parts are very good, I love the fact that they are so superior to OEM parts.

Thanks for the update as it is really cool to see what others are doing. Amazing what that road salt does to a car back there.. WOW

[Intrepidation]

Very Nice, MOOG parts are very good, I love the fact that they are so superior to OEM parts.

Thanks for the update as it is really cool to see what others are doing. Amazing what that road salt does to a car back there.. WOW

Yeah road salt's not fun, but the rust is pretty much all limited to suspension parts not the body itself. Those struts are most likely 12 years old with 210k on them, so I'm not surprised they look the way they do.

I used Moog ball joints on my Toronado. Reading reviews about them ahead of time, it was quite clear that there is "OEM Replacement" and then there is Moog. For the sway bar linkage, I would probably have done them both at the same time.

I'll be doing the other side next day I have off, I only had the time yesterday to get the broken one replaced. Gone are the days when the sun was still up at 8pm.

As an aside, for anyone who uses Haynes/Chliton manuals as a guide, take their torque specs with an enormous grain of salt. They call for the small link to strut nut to be torqued to 75 ft-lbs! That's more than the torque spec for the much larger link to bar nut. A check with the FSM confirms that it should only be 17 ft-lb!

[G. David Felt]

Very Nice, MOOG parts are very good, I love the fact that they are so superior to OEM parts.

Thanks for the update as it is really cool to see what others are doing. Amazing what that road salt does to a car back there.. WOW

Yeah road salt's not fun, but the rust is pretty much all limited to suspension parts not the body itself. Those struts are most likely 12 years old with 210k on them, so I'm not surprised they look the way they do.

I used Moog ball joints on my Toronado. Reading reviews about them ahead of time, it was quite clear that there is "OEM Replacement" and then there is Moog. For the sway bar linkage, I would probably have done them both at the same time.

I'll be doing the other side next day I have off, I only had the time yesterday to get the broken one replaced. Gone are the days when the sun was still up at 8pm.

As an aside, for anyone who uses Haynes/Chliton manuals as a guide, take their torque specs with an enormous grain of salt. They call for the small link to strut nut to be torqued to 75 ft-lbs! That's more than the torque spec for the much larger link to bar nut. A check with the FSM confirms that it should only be 17 ft-lb!

Maybe they are trying to drive part sales so it keeps people employed.

[Intrepidation]

New lift supports for the trunk. First set were crap, they didn't slow the lid down as it opened and fit poorly. Second set (middle) fit and function perfectly. The lift supports have been not very good since I got the car 9 years ago, but they got to the point where they couldn't keep the trunk open anymore. No longer a problem. Next up will be the hood supports.

 

[Drew Dowdell]

What brand did you get? Do they make ones for Toronado trunks?

[Intrepidation]

What brand did you get? Do they make ones for Toronado trunks?

 

AMS Automotive. Rock Auto only shows hood lift supports for your car though...

[Drew Dowdell]

Boo. My hood lifts are fine. The trunk are recent, but failing only 3 years in.

[Intrepidation]

What year is it? I looked up `85

[Drew Dowdell]

81, but that year should be the same

[Intrepidation]

Well yesterday was crap day, that's for sure.

 

Car wouldn't start, lights went out when the key was turned. Tried jumping it so I could move it and get the Prizm out. Fired right up but died a moment after the jump pack was removed. Took the battery out...good battery. Cleaned up the terminals and replaced the positive one...problem solved.

 

However, something must have went wrong when the car died after being jump, possibly voltage leak, I dunno, but it may have damaged the BCM as I can't adjust any of the climate controls beside the fan speed, and its stuck on heat...in 90 degree weather...

 

After troubleshooting it myself, and brought it to a shop whose owner is an ex Chrysler tech. He did some tests and his scan tool came up with "Communication Failure with ATC", a curious error since my car has MTC (Manual Temperature Controls), but regardless the BCM and MTC module aren't communicating. If it is the BCM that's going to be poopy, since mileage is stored in it. I've heard mixed things about dealerships being willing and/or able to reprogram the mileage. I'll stop by tomorrow and see.

 

On a separate, slightly better note, the new hood lift supports arrived, so for the first time in ever the trunk and hood lift themselves up. No more channel lock pliers to keep the hood up at least.

[Intrepidation]

Rollback

 

[G. David Felt]

Interesting update, so fixing it caused the mileage to roll back?

[Intrepidation]

On these cars the mileage is stored in the Body Control Module (BCM), which controls all of the interior functions of the car. Through process of elimination, I narrowed it down to the BCM being faulty. The upshot is that everything works again, but the mileage now reflects the mileage of the car the replacement BCM came out of. Apparently the mileage can't be change, or if it can only Chrysler can do it and the dealer won't, claiming only a new, $600 unit can be programmed. I paid $10 for this. I'll live.

 

So this is the last accurate reading I have before the swap.

 

[G. David Felt]

Interesting, I wonder how the state feels about this, here in Washington if you change the mileage unit, you have to file with the state or the repair shop has to so that it is recorded documenting the change and keeping track of the actual mileage.

[Intrepidation]

I've been wanting to do this for nine years now, ever since I got the car: replace the carpet. The hole by the dead pedal has always been a thorn in my side. I came close to getting a carpet some time ago, but after stripping most of the interior out I found it to be sopping wet and gave up.

While in the yard getting parts for the `01, I came across a 300M with several interior pieces already removed. That and the fact the its been dry lately and the doors were closed led me to take the plunge and finally get myself a carpet. Took about 2 hours to move in 95  degree weather but I got it. Luckily I brought my jump pack with me and the car still has its engine and harness intact so I could move the seat forward to access the bolts!

It was a bit wet but didn't smell despite being quite dirty and it wasn't moldy or anything. I gave it a good cleaning and let it dry in the sun for a couple days until it was totally dry.

Upon arrival.



After vacuuming:



After cleaning:



The last photo of the interior with its original carpet...notice the hole.

Carpet removed:



"New" carpet in and most of the trim pieces put back in:



Took some time to repaint the seat mounting brackets as well as the bolts.





All back together!





I have the `01 my new, generic front floor mats for its OEM ones. I pressure washed and dried them. They are solid but kind of faded, I'm going to dry VHT vinyl/carpet dye on them soon.

[Intrepidation]

Interesting, I wonder how the state feels about this, here in Washington if you change the mileage unit, you have to file with the state or the repair shop has to so that it is recorded documenting the change and keeping track of the actual mileage.

 

Supposedly its non issue, I've talked to a couple inspection stations already. I'll know for sure come the end of the month.

[Intrepidation]

Can't wait for Spring. So many plans. But for now here's a few things I have done.

 

 

 

 

First up, my last project before winter. These are OEM floor mats that came out of the `01. hey were filthy (the photos are after cleaning) and faded but in good shape. So I cleaned them up and used VHT carpet dye. Really pleased with the results as they look so much better and they've held up well over the last 4 months. Used the dye to touch up some areas on the carpet too.

 

 

 

For Christmas I received custom fabricated HVAC knobs. I've been wanting these for a long time as the chrome ringed knobs look more modern and compliment the chrome rings gauges, switches, and shifter. They're made using GMC Acadia knobs and framing them around trimmed Intrepid knobs.

 

 

 

My next little mod requires a Chevy Sonic. Specifically the volume knob from this radio:

 

 

Because it just so happens it fits Chrysler stereos.

 

 

 

Just need to acquire one for myself. (that was a test fit).

[Intrepidation]

Up next is an AUX adapter..

[G. David Felt]

Very cool, Glad you are customizing it the way you love your auto. Hope it stays that way for ever.

[Suaviloquent]

Pretty cool thread.

[daves87rs]

Still looking good! Might consider the dye idea for my Cobalt...mats are starting to fade a bit after ten years....

[Intrepidation]

Since last Spring, the trunk lid has come down with a case of Chrysler clear coat peel. Started out with just a couple small spots, but quickly got worse to the point where it became very unsightly. Even was enough, so over my vacation I took a couple days to correct this.

Here's the problem:

 

 

Here's the solution:

I used SEM high build primer, sealer, Diamont base coat, mixed to the paint code, and cleared it with 2k Glamour clear coat.

SEM primer is superior to Duplicolor primer.

Likewise, Diamont is a high quality base, like Chroma-base, which are better quality than Nason base.

The clear coat is special. Unlike any other clear coat product in a spray can, this contains hardener. This stuff is more on par with what a body shop would actually use. Once you activate it (pressing the plunger at the bottom of the can in), you get 48 hours to use it. This stuff means business, so I got a respirator for applying the chemicals.

I removed the trunk lid to make it easier to work on and not have to mask off surrounding areas. This worked out, because it got cool that night, so I brought the lid inside to cure overnight.

Sanded down. Really wish I had a DA sander (and a compressor). Had to make do with a drill and 3M Stikit attachment. Better then hand sanding, because even this method took a couple hours, but I couldn't it perfectly smooth because of the radial action and difficulty keeping it stable on a drill.

Primed.

In the garage for paint.

Finally, clear.

One thing I learned while experimenting with the left ever clear I had, is that this, unlike most paints, like to go on heavy. I did medium coats and got noticeable orange peel. Being that I really only had one shot at this, I didn't want to make runs and hadn't used the product before. However, I used it on an old Matchbox (1988) I had test painted, and applied it heavily. very glossy.

Learning experience for when I do the Prizm's roof. Also not doing that project without a DA sander.

The lid needed to dry overnight, so the Intrepid slept with no trunk. Luckily the rain held off.

That was Friday. Today was the perfect day to wet sand and buff. Cool, cloudy, but dry.

I wet sanded starting at 1000 grit, then moving to 1500 > 2000 > 2500 and finally 3000 before buffing it with 3M rubbing compound and 3M polishing compound with my radial buffer.

Like a mirror. Until I get to buff the rest of the car, its currently a better finish than the factory paint (its due for a good detailing).

As you can see, there is a hue difference up close, no doubt due to the 16 year difference in paints. However, from a few feet away its hardly noticeable, which is impressive considering I didn't blend any panels.

So from start to finish:

While not perfect, I'm very happy with the results. Its a damn sight better than it was, and it keeps the car presentable until such time as I can have the whole thing repainted.

 

 

 

 

[Intrepidation]

Also replaced the tie rod and seized adjusting sleeve recently.

[G. David Felt]

Awesome job on the paint and the tie rods.  

[A Horse With No Name]

27 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Awesome job on the paint and the tie rods.  

The whole car looks fantastic.  This is the inspiration I need to take better care of my own cars.

[Intrepidation]

Been a while since I posted anything in here, or much in general, so here's a tally of this years projects:

In June on my way home the car got very warm near my house. I nursed it back by running the heat. Come to find out it was low on coolant. What followed was an extensive maintenance project the involved the replacement of the lower intake manifold gaskets, manifold tuning valve o-ring. coolant recovery tank, several hoses, and what columinated into the replacement of the water pump, timing belt, and tensioner.

 

 

 

While I had things apart I also cleaned and painted some components that typically don't get any TLC.

 

 

[Intrepidation]

Shortly after getting that project done, my friend convinced me to drive out Carlisle for my first All Chrysler Nationals. I had less than a week to prepare, but little engine bay detailing was in order.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Before:

After:

Next year I'll get even more done for Carlisle.

At the same time I did this, I also painted the wiper cowl.

[A Horse With No Name]

Looking good!

[daves87rs]

Just caught up to this looking great!!!