cliff notes....(long post about odometer rollback on new car I bought) 2003 focus svt eap 3door. Screamin Yellow. Have been wanting an svt focus or a tacoma. Being the cheap bastard that I am I decided I'd look for a focus. These cars are hard to find and I found one on Craigslist today that is really solid but needs a few small things. The guy I bought it from has had it for a few years. He just installed new suspension and tires and axles. Listed it at 97 thousand miles but I wasn't so sure about that...drives so good I didn't care. Anyway he was asking 1600 bucks and the car is worth more than that if I parted it out so the mileage issue wasn't even a big deal. It is mileage exempt at this age in Nevada anyway so whatever. Ran a carfax when I got home and it is more like 170,000 (thanks Trump) but the car is really clean other than having a dent in the door and fender....hmmmm, think I can fix that. Car was sold new in California, has some service records and then it came to Nevada at about 90,000 miles and looks to have been traded in to a local dodge dealer at 151,000. I have a feeling whoever bought it new drove it back and forth to California because the miles piled up fast during that time. Dodge dealer listed it for sale, didn't sell it and sent it to auction. Some asshole bought it, changed the cluster and sold it to the guy I bought it from because he put 20,000 miles on it since he bought it. Anyway, I don't put a ton of miles on my cars because I live close to work so it should work out perfect for me.
No fucking way, I used to hate yellow for years. It is a very rare car in it's original color. I'm going to peel the plasti dip off the wheels tomorrow and drive it to work and leave it there until I get my timing belt tool kit I ordered tonight. The belts are important and have to be changed often on these and done right. Haven't done one before but I should be able to if I take my time. Plus my next door neighbor has an ugly yellow 2000 something Thunderbird in his garage so we kinda match. If I want to change the color I'll have it wrapped. The guy we use at work does cool stuff, he has a Scion Xb he wrapped 2 tone blue and silver and it looks great.
...may as well add purple accents throughout to pimp out that piss colored Lakers-mobile! @bodyman5000 and 1 something like this perhaps?
I bought my son that same car when he was in college...same year and model...only his was black and red...was a great little car...great suspension...had to replace one of the axles and a few things but great gas mileage....after school he sold it for pretty much what I paid for it
New axles. Didn't even see the new stereo behind the seat, needs an adapter for the antenna. Started removing the godawful Plasti dip, now I hate plasti dip even more.
Update, FUCK PLASTI DIP. Tried Wd40, takes it off slowly. Tried brake cleaner, works a little better. Tried paint thinner, doesn't work that much better either. Going to try my heat gun next weekend. Pretty much finished going through everything the guy had done to the car. Everything he bolted on is tight but he couldn't seem to remember to plug anything in. Airbag and Check Engine light were on. Airbag sensor wasn't plugged in and scanner says O2 sensor heater fault. Changed O2 sensor and the light came back on. Checked the wiring and above the alternator he'd recently put in he'd left the wiring harness unplugged. FIXED. Those two lights probably explain the low price. Going to go register it next weekend and decide what to do with my old one. I think there are veterans that you can donate cars to who fix them up....if anyone knows a reputable charity let me know.
They make some product that takes the finish off guitars...I used it once and was amazed how easy it removed all the goo...can't remember the name....luthiermercantile in Northern Cal carried the stuff
If you want an indestructible guitar that looks flat black, use this Plasti dip crap. I think wd40 and my pressure washer will work but I am going to try my heat gun. I should have done that first, I have one of these bad boys...melt your face off.
stuff I used just brushes on and wipes right off...no heat needed..if it's what I think .those guns work great for removing old wallpaper
I use the gun to heat plastic bumpers that have deformed. That red gun makes me tons of money. The cheap ones will barely heat enough to do the job. This gun will turn plastic into a liquid.
Update, car runs amazing. Passed emissions after I fixed the CEL. It had new plugs and wires and O2 sensors already in it. Changed the autolite platinums to motorcraft copper that the car calls for and added Taylor spark plug wires and it purrs like a kitten. The first time I took the wife to the gym in it it died and wouldn't start. NICE, changed fuel pump relay and fuse and it started. It only had a quarter tank of gas when I bought it and had been sitting for a long time per the owner. After changing the relay I changed the fuel filter and filled it with Chevron 91 and added some fuel injector cleaner. Seems perfectly fine now. The starter is tired and it looks to be a real pain to do so I am going to collect a few more things to do and do them all at once.
