David Hingtgen Posted November 11, 2008 Posted November 11, 2008 This is basically a US-only question: Any suggestions on a jack/jackstands to buy? I don't intend to jack the car up more than once or twice a year but I also don't want it falling on me. Want to spend less than a hundred for jack and stands. Car is a Grand Prix GXP, and they are just a bit lower than other Grand Prixs, so clearance is a minor issue. (it's not a Vette or anything, but one inch can make all the difference in the world). My car is also reported as requiring a surprisingly high lift height to actually get it off the wheels. (ramps are not an option at all---I'm buying a jack so I can take the wheels off) Sears Craftsman seems to be VERY hit-or-miss lately, yet a surprising number of people seem to like the cheapest one out there--the GM Goodwrench stuff from Wal-Mart. I have the following stores locally: Wal-Mart Sears (which do not have any jacks on sale at the moment) NAPA Autozone Advance Auto O'Reilly
xsjado Posted November 11, 2008 Posted November 11, 2008 northern tool and equipment sells quality jacks and jack stands. not sure how much you work on cars, but always use a double locking jack stand. never get under your car with just a jack...they can fail at any time. make sure to use wheel chocks too.
yellowlightman Posted November 11, 2008 Posted November 11, 2008 This is basically a US-only question: Any suggestions on a jack/jackstands to buy? Dude, they're jackstands... Just go to a store and buy some. As long as they can handle the weight of your car it doesn't really matter.
David Hingtgen Posted November 11, 2008 Posted November 11, 2008 I'm paranoid enough that I plan to NEVER get under my car unless it's on a professional hydraulic lift. (heck, I feel weird crawling under it when it's sitting on all 4 tires) But I still don't want it to fall while sitting beside it with my arm in the fenderwell... (Honestly, my main fear is damaging the car via improper jacking/jack). Aluminum subframe.
myk Posted November 11, 2008 Posted November 11, 2008 (edited) Dave, getting underneath your car with nothing but cheap Craftsman stands holding certain death above you is quite a thrill, I assure you. I do most of the work on my cars and every time I make it out from under I appreciate life that much more! Once, I was underneath my Camaro and it "fell" onto the jack stands. I guess I had forgotten to lower the car off of the jack onto the stands, and eventually the car just dropped. Scary moment I tell ya. BTW, what sort of work are you planning to do on your car? Edited November 11, 2008 by myk
David Hingtgen Posted November 11, 2008 Posted November 11, 2008 Just changing the brake pads. (and if I get more money/confidence---magnaflow catback next spring--maybe---I have no desire for it to be louder, I just want to open up the exhaust---mufflers alone may give what I want, apparently the mufflers are actually the main restriction in my car)
emajnthis Posted November 12, 2008 Posted November 12, 2008 (edited) If you're just changing your brake pads, you're not even going to be under the car; any cheap pair of jack stands that supports your vehicles weight will do just fine. Realistically, just about any jack stand will work fine as long as you place the stand in the right spot; i've seen people place them on a soft point of the car and have them nearly put a hole through the chassis (along with the car almost falling on top of them). Changing an exhaust out sucks, i'm lucky enough to be able to use my buddy's shop lift for any major under carriage work, but i've had to change one out before using regular jack stands and it's no fun. Edited November 12, 2008 by emajnthis
myk Posted November 13, 2008 Posted November 13, 2008 Man, what I wouldn't give for access to a lift, or even a "pit" for that matter...
Gaijin Posted November 13, 2008 Posted November 13, 2008 (edited) I've decided on the G8 GT. Going to pass on the upcoming GXP or SS Camaro. Must be getting old since I no longer need every last bit of HP. For once I'll change the stock wheels though. I just don't care for the 5 spokers on the G8's. Going multi spoke mesh style..either Beyern Mesh: or the Breyton Race CS: It'll be black with Red/Onyx interior. If for some reason I can't find one when I'm looking I'll settle for white. Looking at End of December or Early February. Hopefully Bluetooth will be in the 09's by then (The early ones still don't have it). Local dealer has a white one now but without the red inserts in the leather. Edited November 13, 2008 by Gaijin
myk Posted November 13, 2008 Posted November 13, 2008 Are you still driving your GTO? If you are, will you keep it along with the G8?
Gaijin Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 Are you still driving your GTO? If you are, will you keep it along with the G8? Still have my GTO...I think I may sell it when I get the G8. I can't see having 2 similar cars, regardless of the 2/4 door. I'll miss it dearly, but I need a larger trunk. I can barely fit all my police gear in my trunk now.
David Hingtgen Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 My brother debated between a G8 GT and Charger R/T for a while, he went with the Charger. (I'm hoping my next car will be a Challenger or Camaro, unless they make a new Firebird/GTO from the Camaro) PS---seen the Camaro's trunk? Tiny little thing, was very surprised when I saw it the first time. PPS--yes, all G8 wheels seem to suck, except for the show car's ones from Australia--did they ever become available? (IMHO, most wheels suck lately--very bland, flat 5-spokes for EVERYTHING--or even "bland chrome", even the Challenger doesn't have anything good---though I saw the official Mopar accessories catalog has a nice IMHO set of 18's for the 09 model available---machined aluminum with black-painted spoke edges--nothing spectacular, but nice enough)
Gaijin Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 (edited) My brother debated between a G8 GT and Charger R/T for a while, he went with the Charger. (I'm hoping my next car will be a Challenger or Camaro, unless they make a new Firebird/GTO from the Camaro) PS---seen the Camaro's trunk? Tiny little thing, was very surprised when I saw it the first time. Tried the Charger...didn't like it. Really hated the interior. Plus there are so many Chargers here they are almost as common as V6 Mustangs. Wheels: The GTS show car rims never made it over. The GXP will have a chromed version that people say is the same wheel but it looks different to me. I'm going mesh style this time around anyways...seems to match better with the G8's BMW like styling. Trunk: The new Camaro or the old one? Believe it or not, if it's the old one, I could fit more stuff in my old Firehawk (same trunk as old camaro) because besides the "well", you had the whole hatch "shelf". Most of my stuff fit perfectly in there in a long wide plastic container. With the GTO, I have less than half the total space. The new Camaro's trunk is actually pretty big (but has a small opening). And GM won't be making any new Firebird/GTO from the Camaro. All future product development was halted. Anything in the pipeline like the Camaro and Volt is still a go, but nothing new development wise for awhile until they get bailed out from the Government. GM is in serious trouble cash wise. They may not have enough to continue operations by the end of the year. Ford is right behind them, and Chrysler is...well, let's say the other 2 are better off than Chrysler. Auto sales are down for all manufacturers including Japanese brands. But GM and Chrysler are operating on fumes. Edited November 14, 2008 by Gaijin
myk Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 Still have my GTO...I think I may sell it when I get the G8. I can't see having 2 similar cars, regardless of the 2/4 door. I'll miss it dearly, but I need a larger trunk. I can barely fit all my police gear in my trunk now. Heh, I remember when you were selling your Firehawk-I wanted to buy it from you so badly and I hated you for selling it, lol. I swore from that moment on to get one of my own. I....like the G8's rims, but I drive F body's, my taste standards are pretty low anyway...
David Hingtgen Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 I meant the new Camaro trunk---so it's a lot bigger than the opening? (a lot, lot bigger?) IMHO, trunk opening can be more important than actual trunk size--my current car has a larger trunk than my old one by a tiny bit, but it feels half as useful/convenient, due to the shape of the opening itself---have to lean in/over a lot more, I'm always pushing or pulling stuff to or from the front, etc. On the old one, I could always "plop stuff straight down from above" due to the lid covering most of the trunk space, vs merely being "like a mailbox door". PS---just got done waxing my car in preparation for winter. Pretty proud of myself, hard to get a decent reflection with metallic grey (it's nigh-impossible on silver): (pic would be better if I didn't have to use ISO 800 in a dark garage--might be able to get better pics tomorrow outside) (splashguards will be installed tomorrow, along with my other new taillight)
Gaijin Posted November 14, 2008 Posted November 14, 2008 I meant the new Camaro trunk---so it's a lot bigger than the opening? (a lot, lot bigger?) IMHO, trunk opening can be more important than actual trunk size--my current car has a larger trunk than my old one by a tiny bit, but it feels half as useful/convenient, due to the shape of the opening itself---have to lean in/over a lot more, I'm always pushing or pulling stuff to or from the front, etc. On the old one, I could always "plop stuff straight down from above" due to the lid covering most of the trunk space, vs merely being "like a mailbox door". PS---just got done waxing my car in preparation for winter. Pretty proud of myself, hard to get a decent reflection with metallic grey (it's nigh-impossible on silver): (pic would be better if I didn't have to use ISO 800 in a dark garage--might be able to get better pics tomorrow outside) (splashguards will be installed tomorrow, along with my other new taillight) Yeah, the new Camaro's trunk is actually pretty big for Sport Coupe standards: 11.3 cu ft. Plus it has a pass through to the back or fold down rear seats. But the trunk opening looks...weirdly small. Kinda makes the larger space moot IMO.
reddsun1 Posted November 15, 2008 Posted November 15, 2008 Let the corporate pissing match continue! 2009 Viper ACR beats Corvette ZR-1 unofficial record time of 7:26.4 at the Nurburgring. According to a blurb in Motor Trend magazine, Nissan is rumored to be prepping a Skyline for yet another assault on the Green Hell... http://jalopnik.com/5042855/2009-dodge-vip...zr1-laps-in-722
areaseven Posted November 17, 2008 Author Posted November 17, 2008 Top drift racer Rhys Millen has teamed up with Hyundai to make a racing version of the upcoming Genesis coupe, which made its debut at this year's SEMA auto show. 2010 Hyundai Rhys Millen Racing Genesis Coupe
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted November 17, 2008 Posted November 17, 2008 Let the corporate pissing match continue! 2009 Viper ACR beats Corvette ZR-1 unofficial record time of 7:26.4 at the Nurburgring. According to a blurb in Motor Trend magazine, Nissan is rumored to be prepping a Skyline for yet another assault on the Green Hell... http://jalopnik.com/5042855/2009-dodge-vip...zr1-laps-in-722 This is getting fun. BTW, did anyone ever bring the Mclaren F1 to the Nurburgring?
emajnthis Posted November 17, 2008 Posted November 17, 2008 the F1 ran it a long time ago but it did well for its time, i think it got somewhere in the 7:40's. I'm waiting on the GT-R Spec-V, latest press states that it should shave around 200lbs and gain nearly a hundred HP (which sounds like a lot but there are performance comp. already passed that mark), plus some other noted refinements all around. This is all starting to get a bit ridiculous if you ask me, while i respect the idea of proving the worth of your vehicle, i don't know a single person who will actually push their car anywhere near its actual limits, but it sure makes for some fun bragging rights at the stop light. As far as the Genesis coupe, i think it's a slick car; unfortunately, it weighs a bit more than i was hoping it would, but it kind of stands alone in its market at the moment so Hyundai will probably sell a crap load of them. Nissan is supposed to come out with a Silvia/240SX successor so hopefully the Genesis is met with some competition in the next couple of years.
emajnthis Posted November 17, 2008 Posted November 17, 2008 (edited) Man, what I wouldn't give for access to a lift, or even a "pit" for that matter... I know what you mean! I grew up working on cars with my dad in the garage with a couple of jack stands (or cinder blocks) and your typical mechanics set of ratchets and what nots. But since meeting my good friend who works at a Good Year (and my other friend at a Nissan dealer) i'm completely spoiled by high grade shop tools. A job that would normally take my dad and I several hours now takes about 20 minutes with shop tools. Of course, the male bonding and strong sense of accomplishment isn't there, but when you have two (soon to be three) rugrats pulling at your sleeve for your attention, you realize that free time is a bit more important (at least for now). I can't wait until my kids are old enough to change oil and swap out brake rotors Edited November 17, 2008 by emajnthis
David Hingtgen Posted November 17, 2008 Posted November 17, 2008 I'm curious as to what the most time-saving "high-grade shop tools" are. Is there an electrical connector disconnector? I swear I spend more time trying to get those things apart than anything else. "Remove sensor A"---well, that's supposed to be easy, it's only got 1 bolt holding it on---and 1 connector---but it takes 20 mins to make the connector halves let go of their death grip on each other without breaking anything. (one of the main reasons I do my own work when possible---every mechanic/dealership always ends up breaking an electrical connector or two, because they don't spend the time/effort to get them apart cleanly--they just pull until they snap, then zip-tie the parts back together)
David Hingtgen Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 No posts about the 2010 Mustang unveiling? Rant/comment: One of my main complaints about ALL cars the past few years has been lack of color, inside and out. Lots of neutrals, very few actually colors, and rarely bright. And the interior--you can choose between dark grey and medium grey. I found a copy of the 69 Charger brochure that my dad must have ordered from, and the color options are amazing. (his was bright blue with a matching interior) Now, the new Mustang has a red interior option (like many cars lately)---but still, it's JUST red, no blue for the blue cars, no white for the white cars, etc. And it's only the seats with small accents elsewhere, no big swatches of color that I can see. The 04-06 GTO was the best car in 20 years I think for interior color options, but it still sucked that you couldn't order any "obviously cool and complementary" combinations like blue seats in a black or silver car. I mean, why offer RED seats for a black or red car, yet the "blue" equivalent is 99% grey with a small blue pinstripe? Why not make the blue seats just as blue, as the red ones are red? The "my color" gauges is one of the coolest things I've ever seen/wanted in a car, but the far more important paint and interior color options are severely lacking in 99% of cars made today.
myk Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) I found a copy of the 69 Charger brochure that my dad must have ordered from, and the color options are amazing. (his was bright blue with a matching interior) SCAN IT! SEND IT! j/k What a cool find. Are we talking a full sales brochure with all options, or just a basic pamphlet? About the new Mustang, all I can find on google are the concept pictures. Got any real ones? In regards to fancy shop tools, I'm sure 'Emaj is just refering to a greater variety of tools to fill the complete spectrum of automotive repair needs, while backyard monkeys like me are having to scratch heads, cobble things together, "wing it," etc. Not to mention that having a lift makes all the difference. Addendum: I just saw the new 2010 Mustang and...what the heck is new about it? Looks 'bout the same to me as the current one. And is that 315bhp rating truly "it?" My decade-old Z28 and T/A can't stop giggling and pointing... Edited November 18, 2008 by myk
areaseven Posted November 18, 2008 Author Posted November 18, 2008 I will admit that the new interior looks better than mine, but exterior-wise, I'm a bit disappointed. It still looks like the '05, except the front end's been compressed a bit and they gave the hood a big hump. The rear end has those angled corners that somehow clash with the rest of the design. The fake fuel cap on the trunk looks solid; hopefully, it doesn't collect water like mine does.
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 the F1 ran it a long time ago but it did well for its time, i think it got somewhere in the 7:40's. As far as the Genesis coupe, i think it's a slick car; unfortunately, it weighs a bit more than i was hoping it would, but it kind of stands alone in its market at the moment so Hyundai will probably sell a crap load of them. Nissan is supposed to come out with a Silvia/240SX successor so hopefully the Genesis is met with some competition in the next couple of years. Hmm, only 7:40s? Expected it to be much faster. Got a link? Nissan has been making me wait too long for an S16!
emajnthis Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) Streetfire has it at 7:45, but i don't think there's been an "official" run performed by the F1, I would really like to see it take its best go with a world class driver and fair weather conditions. Link I used to have a link that had their list more updated, the wiki list is kind of jacked up since anyone can update it. Edited November 18, 2008 by emajnthis
David Hingtgen Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 SCAN IT! SEND IT! j/k What a cool find. Are we talking a full sales brochure with all options, or just a basic pamphlet? All the Charger stuff you could ever want is here: (I'd be surprised if you didn't know of this site) http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/ Brochure: http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/gallery/facts Interior colors: http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/gallery/interioroptions More interior: http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/interior.html Paint: http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/picture...e69paint_01.jpg http://www.1969chargerregistry.com/picture...paint_001_l.jpg
emajnthis Posted November 18, 2008 Posted November 18, 2008 (edited) by shop tools, i mean literally just that, shop tools. My buddy hooks a power flusher machine up to just about anything and can flush it out in a matter of seconds and then refill fluid with no air bubbles in another couple of seconds (this was great for doing my brakes, literally took him 10 minutes, most of that time was just getting the wheels off). Pneumatic wrenches, I know you can pick these up at home depot but they're really expensive, it's nice not having to front the bill for such tools. Three piece lift, he has a main lift, which doubles up as an engine and transmission lift, that in and of itself is time saved. Alignment Tool, he has an alignment machine (disks and computer)... i don't have an alignment machine Tire mounter and infrared balancer; don't have one of those either. I could go on; some of the less specific things like pneumatic wrenches, and a tig welder i have access to at my dad's airplane hangar (he's an airplane mechanic), but the other stuff is way too expensive for the commoner to afford so i'm quite grateful for these things being available to me. Edited November 18, 2008 by emajnthis
David Hingtgen Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 Just curious---anyone here considering a new Camaro/Mustang/Challenger anytime soon?
emajnthis Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 Out of all of the new domestic cars, the only one that really interests me at all is the G8 GXP. I think as far as build quality, style, engineering, power and practicality is concerned, it trumps the rest hands down. The new Camaro has been overly advertised, for a car that has gotten so much press, GM is just dragging their feet releasing it. By the time it hits show rooms nobody will care and will move on to better things to spend their money on. The new Mustang isn't really "new" either, the interior still has crappy seats and the center console still uninspiring. At first i didn't like the tail lights, but after further inspection of all of the photos, i think that's the only part i like since they gave it a separate turn signal, the rest of the car is just a face lift, and the entire side of the car remained exactly the same. Challenger is a very cool car but can't carry itself on looks alone and loses big time in the value category. Most people who want a Challenger are willing to hold out for the Camaro... but then will get bored waiting for the Camaro and buy something else.
David Hingtgen Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 LOL, I was going to include the G8 as the 4th car, but thought people might say it's not muscle-y enough to be in that group. PS--it is just plain pathetic how long it's taking the Camaro to come out. It seemed to me that the Challenger was out right after they showed the concept...
emajnthis Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 the GXP is plenty muscle-y with that 400+HP LS3, even the current 360HP G8 GT is plenty muscle-y for my taste, and still trumps the other three cars overall IMO. Even though GM is going down the toilet, it brings a smile to my face knowing that they learned to manage at least one of their brands correctly, unfortunately, they might not live long enough to actually see it succeed. I'd love to see them re-release a GTO under pontiac, except instead of naming it the GTO (since that pissed off all the fanboys) they could just call it a G8 coupe (similar to the G6 sedan/coupe); "I'd buy that for a dollar".
areaseven Posted November 19, 2008 Author Posted November 19, 2008 And now, here's the 2010 Ford Mustang. And no, I'll stick to my '05, thank you very much. 2010 Ford Mustang
yellowlightman Posted November 19, 2008 Posted November 19, 2008 Boring in 2005... Still boring five years later. Kudos Ford.
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