Fixin up the Focus

[billybob linux]

@glennzo, you could take some inspiration from this chinese farmer who built a Lamborghini, from spare parts.


http://dsc.discovery.com/cars-bikes/...are-parts.html

Way to go ! Will anybody even notice that it's not the real deal

[glennzo]

Well, I finally got the car fixed to the point where at least I could, and did, get a legit inspection sticker. Got the sticker last Friday. This morning the power steering started leaking as I was pulling out of the driveway

Stopped for gas and bought a bottle of power steering fluid. Overfilled the reservoir on purpose. Arriving at work the reservoir is low, if not empty. Needless to say, the car will be back on the lift today to at least see where the leak is coming from. Rack? Pump? Just a hose?

More $$$$

[bob]

Or...just build up the biceps a bit and ignore the problem!

[Dan]

I feel for you, Glenn. When I started the Corn-Binder back in early August for it's first twice-monthly start and warm-up ... I got a nifty little puddle of expensive dripping off of the high-pressure/pump end of the power steering hose. <....>

Nothing under that big orange tip-lid is cheap! So, I don't even want to think about what that's gonna cost to replace.

Still, when I do the spreadsheet of expenses vs. defrayed or avoided costs ... that ol' 26' diesel-powered storage shed has got a loooong way to go before it cracks the "break-even" mark.

[glennzo]

The leak was the power steering pressure line. That cost me another $100. Now I need front pads and rotors, estimated by me at a final cost of $175, unless the right front caliper ($75.00) is bad, as I suspect it may be. After that, rear suspension work (maybe). About $300-$350 in parts alone. Once these two issues are resolved, unless something outright breaks, the bleeding will stop, hopefully.

Oh, one more thing. Will the body rot eventually fix itself?

[Dan]

Uhm ... Yeah. That's not a problem ... it's a feature. If you keep it long enough, it will progress through all the stages of its life-cycle. Nice passenger car to open-top roadster to fully open body dune buggy. And as a benefit, it gradually loses weight, so the mileage stays just about the same as the motor wears out. <....>

[jpollard]

What is worse is that salt is also used in places...

When that gets into metal (especially aluminum) then the metal seems to disintegrate.

BTW, without a splash shield that alternator could also get hit with rocks, which can also get caught in the belt causing the cracks that broke on one side (I'll almost bet that was on the upside from turning belt).

[glennzo]

Hello jpollard. I've been tossing around the idea of buying a new splash shield. Why not? I've spent hundreds on this car in the last few months. What's another hundred bucks, especially when it is actually an investment in protecting, um, my investment? For the record, yesterday was new front rotors and pads day. Another buck and a half including labor. Now on to that rear suspension. I could easily spend $500 on that. Where does one stop? At what point do you decide that it's time to cut your losses and run?


At least the car is less of a ****box now. Maybe I should pop open Quicken on my wife's computer and run a report on what I've spent on the car so far. Might be interesting

[Dan]

Or saddening. My rough tool is to figure out when the expected repair cost are approaching 2/3 of the average price of a comparable replacement that is 2~3 years newer. Once I hit that point, I start actively scanning the paper and glancing at car lots.

The exception to that was my old Power Wagon. It just finally got to the point I couldn't find parts for it any more. <....>