KrayzieFox

So ... what did I do to my 3rd gen today you ask? Well I dunno where to start!!

First I went to change my spark plugs. Turns out that the boot on the bottom of the plug wires wouldn't come out, and I had no long pliers to take it out with either. They were both just stuck down there, so I had to remove the whole valve cover just to get my old plugs out. So I guess that's where I'll start.

1) Removed valve cover
2) Changed plugs
3) Reinstalled valve cover
4) Changed plug wires
5) Replaced coil packs
6) Removed, cleaned, reinstalled EGR valve
7) Figured I would change the oil while the valve was soaking
8) Hell I even flushed my coolant to prep up for winter time

Got all done with everything and took it for a spin, only to find out my stock HU CD player wasn't working. It would get power and radio stations, but no CD or iPod recognition.

So .. what did I do next? Attempt to remove the HU. Needless to say that turned out taking way longer than it should also. The clips were bent or somethin so I couldn't get the removal tool into the clips. Had to do extra work just to get that damn thing out

9) Removed radio surround bezel to give me better access to HU clips.
10) Finally removed stock HU
11) Disassembled the damn thing and found out the CD changer came unplugged somehow
12) Reassembled, reinstalled, and plugged in the HU again
13) Clipped in the bezel and left the damn thing alone!!!


Total time spent in/working on P5 today. Approximately 7 hours. Good times

Jackelope

time well spent haha

aMaff

hahahaha it almost took that long the first time I did my suspension. *sigh* I was such a newb

macklum

I put the new grill in with a gold mazda emblem

chiefmg

Replaced the wiper blades today. Was going to wash the outside and clean the inside, but the gf was late getting home and I was ready to veg by then. Did get the Speed clean though, as well as some more work done on the house.

_Kansei_

I was dying to wash my car today but it was too cold. I'm going to have to make sure my propane tank is full and wash the car tomorrow, then take it in the garage to clay it, then back out to wash it again, then back inside to wax

J-Protege

Bring your car to a wash bay. Should be warm enough in there, plus the hot water pressure washers.

Just keep it on 'rinse', and you your own soap and waxes.

_Kansei_

or I can just use hot water at my house.. I'll do it tomorrow

I wash my car at my house in the middle of winter.. it was just surprisingly cold today (peaked at 50F.. it was 85F earlier in the week bah) so I wasn't in the mood.

J-Protege

I'm too weaksauce to mix wet with cold, haha.

Wash bays or auto-washers for me in the winter

_Kansei_

waterproof gloves plus a waterproof suit plus warm water (not too hot.. don't want to shock the car lol) = keepin clean all winter long for the cost of soap, sponges, and a massive ice slick at the bottom of the driveway

Sometimes I use the rinseless wash so I can do it inside the garage.. but that's only when it's below 0F (-18ish C) and or really windy.

The more I can use the hose the better though.. better for getting the salt out of the rear fenders :P

wow I'm getting miserable just thinking about what is to come in as little as a few weeks. It was just summer, I'm not ready for winter yet!

that's it, ordering snow tires TONIGHT.

ugh just checked on prices for local tirerack installers.. prices went up a lot!

Total prices for mounting/balancing (not road force balancing) 4 tires (195/55-16 (i.e. not low profile)), disposing of the old tires, and new valve stems:

Shop A (from people I've talked to, bar none the best alignment shop in Rochester. I've never dealt with them personally):
$176 --price for alignment: $150 - $326 before tax out the door.

Shop B (was recommended by locals, a BMW performance shop. I got my current tires mounted and balanced plus an alignment
$94 --price for alignment: $195 (as of when I got an alignment done there almost a year and a half ago. -- $289

Shop C (way farther away (7 miles lol), roommate got his snows mounted there last winter, they gave him road force balancing (really important with his car by all accounts) for no extra charge.. shop A charges $14.80 per tire for road force balancing)):
$106 --alignment for $100 Total: $206

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go to Shop C even though they won't appreciate my car (more of a big truck, hot rod, and harley kind of place). I'm still not exactly sure why Shop A thinks that $176 dollars is a reasonable price to pay to get 4 new snow tires on my winter wheels. They're friggin 55-series, not difficult to mount..

I think the american express gift card deal Tirerack had on all bridgestone snow tires is gone now. oh well, was only $50. $445 dollars for 4 Blizzak WS-50s, shipping to the installer included.

winter is such an investment >_<

J-Protege

Yeh, winter is teh suck. Luckily, I'm such a spender I have a set of 4 Sirocco Rims, already mounted with my winter tires

Makes the swap oh so easy!

These are they:

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Bolt cover ftw, lets me use crap bolts and save my tuner lugs for summer!
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The Offset is real low however (35), so I don't know if these will still be useable once I lower...

_Kansei_

I already have my stock 16s with Blizzak WS-50s, but at the end of last winter I could tell the tires are past their prime. It's funny, because they have twice as much tread depth as my Potenzas ever did, but Blizzaks have a dual stage tread and when you get halfway through the tread the siping stops and they basically function as beefy-looking all seasons.

They lasted me.. two winters.. so yeah, every two winters you gotta drop $700+ dollars

this year I'll have to do the same thing in the spring.. but it's kinda nice, as I have a few months to get my wheels repaired. I'm going to get the 5 tires unmounted, then I'll be able to find a shop to fix the slightly bent wheel, which will probably take a little bit of repainting. One of the other wheels has a little bit of curb damage, so I'll get that fixed up too. then another $800 or so for summer tires, mounting, balancing --probably going with Falken Azenis RT-615 unless something amazing comes out --no alignment needed, but mounting prices are way higher on 40-series.

tires blow! lol I'm sure I pay more in petrol costs each year, but tire purchases sting a lot more.

Tires ordered. I went with Shop B, just because I'm absolutely certain I can trust them.

J-Protege

Ah, right on, lots of thought into your tires!

I have a shop here that will sell me 4 tires with new rims, mounted and balanced; installed onto the car, for $800-900

When my tires are done, I buy a new set of tires with rims, and sell my old rims.

I spend far too much money on new rims, haha.

_Kansei_

haha yeah I can't go through rims that quickly. It took a LOT of time and thought before I bought my current summer wheels. I am just now thinking about different wheels.. looking at work emotions and of course rota replica wheels..

Depending on how much it'll cost to make my 5 wheels like new I might be able to rationalize getting new wheels :P

J-Protege

I actually planned out my current summer RTX rims, and then destroyed them...