Oreily Auto: WTF

    I'm not a fan of mechanic in a bottle solutions, but I'm in a situation where I need a quick fix to get a car through the next couple of weeks with a blown head gasket, until it can be properly repaired. Apparently, according to the masses of YouTube testimonials, I  need a product called Blue Devil Head gasket sealant.

      The guy in the above video is not me, and that's not the Gas Donkey Garage, but his video and results sold me on the temporary solution, so I wen't online to search for the best price. I stopped by the manufacturers website first, to see how much it was in the company store, and then to read up on the warranty. In order for the warranty to be valid, you must purchase the product from an authorized retailer, which means my favorite parts house (eBay motors) was probably out of the question. So next I searched the major parts houses near the GD Garage. First Napa:

    I original y looked at Napa, because they sell the block tester in the above video. I rarely shop there, because back in the day they seemed to want to cater to commercial customers only. I went there once when I was 17 to get a head gasket for my B2200. I stood at the counter, staring at the parts guy 4 feet away eating a sandwich for 20 minutes without so much as a "Hi", "Hello", or "someone will be with you in a few". I haven't stepped foot in one since. Next I looked at Advanced.

Hmm...$16 more and terrible customer service? Nope. Next up, Auto Zone.

Really Auto Zone? It's 2014, you can do better. Apparently, so can I. I'll try Oreily's next.

    Umm ?WTF Oriely? You've always been the most helpful, and cheaper on things that bolt to engines. I've rewarded you for your great service and cheap parts with my unwavering loyalty. Had I blindly walked in and purchased this off the shelf, I would have left walking funny, because you would have raped me.

    

    Oreily's is $26 dollars more. That's somewhere in the range of 75% more than Napa. How is this even possible? Thank god we live in a day and age where prices are at arms length. I guess today I'll be giving Napa a 2nd chance.

Flip My Ride: I Bought a Car Online, Sight Unseen. Part One

      Sometimes I get dumb ideas. This blog is one of them. Other times I get really bad ideas, like buying a car online without having seen it in person, and with no other information other than "it starts". Meet the newest addition to the Gas Donkey Garage, a 24 year old 1990 Toyota Corolla Deluxe, which I stole for the bargain sum of $250. Or so I thought.

     The above picture is from the online auction site where I purchased the car. First impressions imply a relatively straight body with some clear coat issues. I wasn't really concerned about the clear coat, because the age of this econo-box means I'm relegated to the land of the sub $1k flip. Also, the car's listing said it "runs" and "drives" which made me cross my fingers for luck and dive into the bidding process. I mean, can you really loose money on a $250 car? It has to be worth that much in scrap, right?

    Bidding on the Corolla started at $200, and someone had beaten me to the first bid. I had predetermined that I  would pay no more than $250 for this car, and since bidding raised in $50 increments, I had one shot. I clicked "bid" just before the timer ended and (as it turns out) I was the new owner. Well, not really. After bidding (and winning) I was informed that the vehicle had a $400 dollar reserve, and that I could up my bid to $400 and buy the vehicle, or wait for the seller to approve/disapprove the transaction. A few moments later I got an email saying the seller approved the sale, and I got an email saying I had to have it off the consignment lot in 5 days or I start racking up storage fee's. It was this moment that I realized my first costly mistake, My normal tow vehicle was out of commission with transmission issues, and none of my other vehicles were heavy duty enough to tow the Corolla strapped to my 16' car hauler.

    How does a guy, with a full time job and no tow vehicle, retrieve a car 50 miles away, on a lot that's only open bankers hours? Tune in next week and find out.

Flip My Ride: The 10 Year Flip

     I bought my CJ5 about 10 years ago for $800. It was road legal (with a title) and since we had just recently moved to a farm, I thought it would be more useful than the Kawasaki 4wheeler I had my eye on for quite some time.

     The Jeep was stock height and had stock wheels ( for the golden eagle/daisy duke edition) when I got it. I traded around and got a 4" leaf spring lift, dropped pitman arm and 35" tires from craigslist. My wife and I tore up the countryside in this thing. We took it through creeks, rock crawling and up a 70 degree 300 ft hill affectionately known as "Cow Run". Over the first few years of ownership we did other modifications. I rebuilt the carb, rewired the starter and ditched the ford dura spark ignition, in favor of a GM HEI setup. These mods made the Ford 304 motor way more dependable and more enjoyable to drive.... Only "we" were no longer able to drive it.

     5 years ago we got preggers with our first child, which means our rough riding jeep was no longer something the pregnant wife and I could share as a hobby, and unfortunately the small tub of the CJ5 meant that our now 4 year old daughter didn't have a safe seat in the back of the jeep. The Jeep has lived in the barn (with my other barn cars) for the past 4 years and nine months. We now have 2 daughters and I felt as though I needed to bite the bullet and buy a bigger jeep that the whole family can enjoy, but first I needed to let my old one go. 

  

       A quick scan of Craigslist revealed a shortage of running Jeeps in my area, and a glutton of overpriced half finished projects. So I listed my jeep for $1k over book and the calls came rolling in. I clearly explained my jeeps strengths (solid frame, 304 v8, dependability upgrades) and weeknesses (leaky main, water pump and rusty front fenders) and buyers were inquiring nonstop. The first guy that came to see it paid me in cash, $1k over book and more than $400 over what I had in the whole project. Below is a rally of my total jeep investment:

Jeep - $800

Lift kit and Pitman arm -$275

35" wheels and tires - $175

Moded GM HEI - $90

Carb rebuild Kit $35

So, I had a total investment of less than $1400 and sold it for $1800, and I never even washed it. Sure I didn't get paid for my time for installing the upgrades, but flipping is about trading your time to make cash on the sale. In the end I made $400 and a bunch of memories as the temporary owner of one badass Jeep CJ5.

The Jesus Hummer

     I see this down at the local home center quite often. Apparently Christians love Hummers.

Curbside Car Show: 94' Slammed Toyota Beater

      Some beaters have an ethereal quality that exudes cool. It's like an automotive machismo. I found this lowered mini behind the court house while I was at the DMV to transfer my Jeep's title to its new owner. When I saw this slammed 'Yota on supra wheels, with the yella' lights I gave pause, and noticed how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Well done Mr. 'Yota owner, if I ever meet you, I'm buying you a beer.

Best Ebay Car Listing Ever.

     What do you get when you combine a burned out Ferrari "348 Midengine Supercar", a quart of latex paint and global warming? You get the worlds most expensive cattle trough. This guy says he's not on drugs. I think he's lying.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1990-Ferrari-348-Midengine-super-car-New-Gloss-Red-Latex-paint-job-Nonsmoker-/111267191627?roken=cUgayN

On the Lot: Bradley GT II

   
      The Bradley GTII is an odd duck. It's the successor the the Bradley GT, which is arguably the worlds most recognizable VW based kit car. The GTII had a lot going for it when compared to its older brother. The lines of the car body flowed better, it had actual doors (gasp!) and door glass. When I saw this one at a car lot in my home town I had to stop to take a few photos. The part that caught my attention was the round "33" sticker and copper "rape van" wheels with chrome spinners. I highly doubt this car has had any track time, but I really do hope those spinners are hooked to a James Bond-ish mechanism the will grind the tires of my opponents in a illegal Tiajuana street race. I really like the front and back of this car, but the mid section kind of kills the sex appeal of the whole. I am kinda strangely in love with the early 80's vinyl interior and black faced gauges.