SAmadei

What is going on with the hood and the headlights? Is that how they were from the factory or did someone put the wrong headlights (or hood) on the car? They just don't look right. Congrats on the new purchase.

I'm not staring at the cars with HIDs... I am watching the car with the rear fog lights. And most rear fog lights are not particularly low-mounted. I can flash the guy with his high beam HIDs to get him to dim them... my SilverStars are pretty bright... but I can't really do that to the rear fog light guy. I don't have any night vision "problem"... I can see VERY well in the dark... in almost pitch black. However, it can be very glaring when you are on a very dark road for miles and the guy in front of you has a permanent bright red light on his rear. The US has regulated rear light bulb brightness since the '66 Chargers came out and people felt "blinded" by them... and yet there are a few cars that have VERY bright lights back there. Its one thing to sit behind a glaringly bright car at a red light, its another thing to be in the pitch black with the rear fog lamp in your face. Totally agreed.

Oh, I didn't think that was the adhesive you were referring to... yeah, that is likely just general weathership adhesive. I thought you were referring to the adhesive holding the vinyl to the 'cap' that is actually attached to the door. So, the window track doesn't go all the way to the top of the window pillar? Most pillared windows I have seen have a full frame on three sides of the window to seat, which would not allow the window coming out the top. Perhaps you need to remove the rear quarter window, loosen the rear-ward track and that would give you the room to rotate the window and pull it out through the gap. Again, I'm not there, or very familiar with taking apart Mercs, so I'm purely speculating. I will say that I really like the vinyl roof... again, a dying breed, so like fake woodgrain, I have a soft spot for vinyl. I really like the clean, tucked in look. My '70 Tempest has a replacement top which they tucked, and it looked so clean in its prime.

In my experience, you need to get the window out of the bottom of the track, sometimes by removing the metal part at the bottom... turn it sideways and crooked and take it out of the window gap. I haven't seen too many cars which have the window glass held in by trim. Once you get the vinyl peeled back and the trim off, I fear you will find more sheetmetal. Granted, I don't know Ford Panthers, so take with a grain of salt. BTW, adhesive used is likely 3M 77.

That would be a Pontiac G2... and if they made a coupe version, I'd buy one for parking purposes in NYC. Instead, I have to consider the Smart, Mini, Fiesta coupe, Toyota IQ, etc.

From Wiki: The respective purposes of front fog lamps and driving lamps are often confused, due in part to the misconception that fog lamps are necessarily selective yellow, while any auxiliary lamp that makes white light is a driving lamp. Automakers and aftermarket parts and accessories suppliers frequently refer interchangeably to "fog lamps" and "driving lamps" (or "fog/driving lamps"). In most countries, weather conditions rarely necessitate the use of fog lamps, and there is no legal requirement for them, so their primary purpose is frequently cosmetic. They are often available as optional extras or only on higher trim levels of many cars. Studies have shown that in North America more people inappropriately use their fog lamps in dry weather than use them properly in poor weather.[14] I can't vouch for the aiming of the Grand Prix's auxillary lights, but it seems that even the manufacturers don't seem to know what to do and most are aimed too high... bottom line... its a brightness war. It takes up to 30 minutes for your night vision to return after being exposed to bright light... you wouldn't need so much light if everyone else wasn't blinding you every few seconds. Then there are people who have tints on the windshield or headlights and have to use the fog/driving lights just to see anything. And the aging of the public (and its effect on night vision) isn't helping, either. I swear, I used to be able to see alot better at night when I was 21 and using 1970's technology. If we're going to have rear fog lights... we need a teeth to the law so that people don't use them when not needed.

It appears that the driver's side backup light is red. It may be the photo or a trick of light, though. Only backup lights and rear fog lights can be asymetrical.

I'm not talking specific HP, but power in the general sense, i.e., over the rpm range... coupled with torque or "area under the curve" . Indy cars make ridiculous HP in a small package, but at 10000 rpms... its not going to work in an passenger car. A powerful passenger car engine requires displacement. Displacement alone isn't what causes inefficient fuel economy... reducing it my produce great results on paper, but not in reality. Those turbocharged 301s looked like a good idea at the time, as well. 4.8L is what... 290 ci or so. That's fine. I'm only saying that 5.7 is a nice sweet spot between economy and performance, and it has been for 40ish years. 4.0L is getting too small, and starts overlapping with the V6s.

I hope that GM doesn't waste too much money on creating a reduced displacement/output V8, as I'm not sure its going to fly. First, a low output V8 has the V6 nipping at its heels, which is cheaper due to its higher production. Next, customers have unrealistic expectations... it won't have the torque or response people expect. This will be a replay of the Poncho 301/265, Olds 307, Chevy 305/267 days... not what GM needs to bolster the image. Sure, in 2010, GM could use the magic of DI and computers to make a 265 a workable engine, but its going to be compared to the LS2/LS3/L76. I feel displacements are currently 'right-sized' at about 350 inches, for weight, power, efficiency, and customer expections. And further technology will make them even more efficient. Since many here are banking on future technological improvements to make the Volt workable, I'm going to bank on metallurgy, carbon fiber, ceramics and technology to continue to make the V8 incredibly light and efficient... perhaps nanotechnology using carbon fiber in ultrathin steel or aluminum castings or a true displacement on demand that actually decouples the rear half of the engine for a super efficient mode. Just dreaming...

I really hope the rear fog light doesn't come to America on Buicks... its bad enough that a handful of cars that already have them here. Since stupid drivers don't know that they shouldn't use their fog lights when there is no fog, they leave them on... partially blinding drivers to the rear, or in the case of cars with two rear fog lights, they look like the driver is riding the brake.

Maybe GM comes up with something akin to the VW W8... or a 1/2 W8 4 cylinder. I want to call this a 'U' engine, but that would be something different. Edit: I guess it would be a very narrow angle V4.

DF, I normally feel the same way, but I've been reading and hearing a lot through the grapevine of young people in top health going to intensive care in a few days, so I'm giving it some respect. Of course, I'm still not interested in getting a flu shot... I'm more likely to get even more antisocial for a while. ;-) ZL1, hope you kick H1N1 in the nuts and feel better soon.

Today is also Corduroy day... 11/11 looks like corduroy.

Congrads. Well, of course, since you have the X and the Y, its actually your decision, not hers. I hope you concentrated. Even with a busload of children, I would rather have a secondhand limo than a minivan. ;-) Or a hearse. Actually, the GF might be into driving a hearse... I'll have to ask her. ;-)

I think I have the same thing on the '99 Bonneville. Squeek! Squeek! Squeek! Hopefully, it only requires changing the little wheel, and the body of the tensioner has coolant lines going though it.

Are the seat inserts faux woodgrain or real wood? ;-) It would be like driving while sitting on a desk.

Dylan in only O.K. in small batches. His best stuff is the Travelling Wilburys. I'm a big Led Zep fan and I don't like Stairway to Heaven... especially after the first 34000 times I heard it.

That's what trunks are for. Take 'em to a night spot in the woods. ;-)

Basically, that's how it always is... a series of 'WTF' moments until it hits you want happened. My GF's car got broken into last year... they broke the little rear window to steal the big box in the backseat. But since she has a small place, she stores stuff in the car for space... literally, she has a pantry of soda and cat litter in the trunk... crazy. But the box they wanted they opened... expecting a suitcase full of cash, I expect... and it was full of glass thanksgiving turkeys! I would have loved to see the look on thier face. They stole a little can with a few bucks in change... losers. About a decade ago, someone broke into my '70 Tempest in Atlantic City. This is a car that NOBODY would want to break into. It was five different colors, rusted and nearly every corner was dented. The back seat was full of trash. They tried to see if the door was unlocked... fortunately, my lock was screwed up so that once you pushed the door button in with the door locked, it would permanently jam (only I knew how to unjam it). They broke the vent window gear and reached in to roll the window down... but the door was apart, and the handle fell off. They fought with it until the window was halfway down... then it jammed. They must have used something to reach across the car and unlock the passenger side door and got in. Well, the stereo was super useless, but they rolled up my CD adapter, as they must have thought I had a CD player in the car... well, I didn't. But they searched the car and took my insurance card folder and an expired registration card. Since I parked in a crap lot and worked late, I used to bring my CD player, computers, current registration card and insurance card with me. Inside the insurance folder they must've been surprised to find a small collection of photos... OF MY CAR! In its rusty, totalled, multicolored glory! I had taken them in preporation to enter it in Car And Driver's Ten Best Rolling Wrecks! I laughed my ass off in the parking lot... who would be so STUPID to break into the most hideous car in South Jersey?!? I know how hard it was to get into the car... and the door was full of sharp metal, so they likely got cut up. I closed the vent window and used the aftermarket vent window lock already installed, reached into the inner door and unjammed the door lock and drove home. Yeah, got the same thing when people broken into my father's house. Generally, they are just glued in... remove the trim from the inside and you can get to it. Probably have to buy one new, as getting one out of the junkyard would be a PITA... but you might be able to get it out with some piano wire. You might luck out (by the sound of the thread, you won't) and it'll be just held in place by the rubber gasket, but looking at your photo, I doubt it.

Oil pumps spin fast enough that I don't think you would be able to see the pressure move that much... in general, oil pumps slowly wear and lose pressure or suck in something big and self destruct spectacularly. Yeah, I would change the oil using a flush, as well... I was going to suggest a flush, but wanted to see what the he thought of the oil's condition. Plus by changing the oil, he can ensure it has the proper weight in it.

Hmmm... that's wierd. Makes me think number two is the working one... Its been a long time since I've needed to pull valve covers... but I own two sets of oil deflectors for a reason. Wonder if something is clogging a passageway to the top of the engine periodically... borderline oil starvation going from one valve to another might help explain why the noise moves. What does the oil look like? Did you change it yet or was it recently changed by the past owner? Sometimes a past owner will change the oil to hide problems.

With the covers moved and the engine running, valves squirt oil EVERYWHERE. I always hated adjusting rockers and the resulting mess. 20-30 PSI isn't too bad for an older car. Keep in mind that most oil idiot lights don't come on until they hit 4 PSI.

Alas, all the work gets done by me. Except mounting and balancing tires (but that may change). Oh, and pumping gas. Collecting parts can be a crap shoot, however... usually its Autozone or Advanced Auto... but higher ticket items occasionally are bought online. Lots of stuff is Pick-a-Part for some cars, other cars get everything new. Stealership is rarely used.

Do you have a mechanic's stethoscope? Even a length of tube might help isolate the noise.

Crap like this really kinda annoying me more and more. I get it that a lot of people make bad choices and have to live a crap lifestyle, which is entirely their fault, but a lot of people are poor and can't do anything about it... and making fun of what they suffer to drive is getting to the point where its like making fun of the mentally handicapped. Sometimes I think this stuff is endorsed by government or the big companies to shame people into buying new cars, clothes, high-end coffee, etc. to keep the economy sputtering along.