Atlas

Yes, really. You too.

Sir, this is the internet. Are you new here? You will get a reply whether you want one or not, even if you didn't ask a question.

So far, on the nine-four 3-point-4 I've knocked out: Plug wires Fuel filter Oil/filter change Differential service and new gasket Power steering flush Brake master and ABS module flush Replaced coolant temp sending unit Reprogrammed keyless module and new fob batteries Cleaned throttle body I did a bunch of other little maintenance items; disassembled the t-top latches, cleaned and lubed them so they operate easily smoothly, lubed all the hinges and lock cylinders, vacuumed all the crud and pine needles out of the usual collection spots in the cowl and fenders. I took the car on a 50 mile drive on Saturday, first time it's seen that much driving at once in probably 20 years. The tires are old (2012) but are not visibly cracked. They WILL be replaced, but, let's get this thing back on the road first. It has 245/50/16's, same as Z28. It should have a 235/55 on it, and I've noticed the speedometer reads about 4-5mph fast. Problem is, I can find only one name brand (Hankook) who still makes that size. I don't like Hankook tries,'ve had a set from them. There are plenty of 245/50 options from various brands, which is probably why the car has that size. Do I ignore the speedometer or put the correct tire size on it? Hmm. I think correcting the speedometer is probably more involved. The little V6 runs fantastic. Starts right up, no smoke. Valve seals are good, rings are good, valves are nice and quiet, no oil leaks--yet. Idles smooth, pulls nicely, and the 4L60e performs and shifts like a low mile unit should. I'm tickled. After our victory lap, it got a basic service wash to knock the dirt and algae off. I have a few majors to address still, but am waiting on parts to arrive tomorrow and Wednesday. Upper/lower rad hoses and thermostat which will be accompanied by a nice big frothy cooling system flush. I drained some of the old juice out and put good coolant in so it had some good coolant in it, and hoped to knock anything loose with a little driving before I clean it out. The serpentine belt is original, but is still in decent shape (!). It's getting replaced as a matter of caution. Transmission filter, pan gasket and fluid are arriving too. Trans looks to be in really good shape, fluid nice and bright red, but who knows how old it might be. No leaks. Then, it's on to cosmetic, little bits, and fun stuff. Will need to do some junkyard diving. I've got a growing list of things that should be low-dollar parts and touches with high value results. The most expensive is the headliner at around $250 plus shipping. THe car had moisture inside of it at one point so I want to be doubly sure I've located and corrected any water leak before putting new upholstery up.

Everyone has bias, and that's a fact.

Let me know when you get there. Perhaps a more realistic goal is to recognize bias and how bias hardens opinions.

Yes, this is true. You understand the climate changes throughout time because scientists and researchers told you so. And you can find evidence that shows you how the landscape has changed over time where ice once was. But when the same scientists show you the alarming rate of change in the past couple hundred years, change that outpaces previous change and looks very different, you think it's a lie. Furthermore, people who don't believe in man-made climate change because of political and financial motivations simultaneously ignore the effort to bury, discredit, hide, and alter the findings. Take notice of large oil companies quietly diversifying and investing in cleaner energy. If you believe money ultimately leads to the truth, then, why are the deniers ignoring this? The gullible swallowed the 70's ice age theory hook, line, and sinker, pole. Nobody would have cared except the media reported it, and the gullible are still talking about it 40 years later because they assumed it was fact and now use it to discredit real data on warming models. It's ridiculous how people say they don't believe the media, and then use regurgitated fact (from the media) to refute new data. You are also correct about the huge impact just a few weeks of widespread habit changes cleaned the air. Lockdowns aren't the answer to pollution, but Covid offered a rare glimpse of what a cleaner energy future could look like for air quality. So we agree that man definitely has a controllable interest in our own air quality. Should we talk about water next?

We can fix pollution (and apparently already have?), but we can't slow the man-made contribution to warming? Hint: Pollution is one of the causes of climate change. I'll bet when Texas sees freezing temperatures there are a lot of guys walking around saying "gee, I guess global warming isn't real!"

Maybe farmers are more your speed. They're basically saying the same thing about climate change but focus more on the immediate effects, along with the financial companies that insure the crops. I can tell you're a headline reader and don't go much beyond that. The 70's "ice age" theory wasn't a consensus, but it was studied as a possible model at a time when data was still being collected on warming models.

This followed me home yesterday, aka "winter project". It smells musty, the carpet in the rear is soaked, and it barely runs, just enough to drag itself up onto a trailer. The electronics are finicky, and the oil filter is dated 2014 (!). It just rolled over to 27k miles...7 years ago. Purchased it from the original owner who looked after it a long time before he wasn't able to anymore. It's been parked ever since. It's got a long ways to go, but I got it running last night. Found two arcing plug wires, and once those were isolated, it idled perfectly smooth and revved nicely. It wants to get back on the road... the next order of business will be addressing the brakes and tires. And so begins many nights of tinkering.

Apple Maps, probably. I like Apple more than Google Maps. I've been using Google a lot more since the truck's infotainment has it built in, and it's just not as intuitive, seems to run slower than Maps on Carplay.

I haven't used Waze but having celebrity voices announce directions sounds fun. Do they have one for Samuel Jackson? That's the one I'd pick.

Good projects I don't have a fun project yet. There's plenty I could do, but what I want to do is find a car that needs some tinkering, have my fun with it, and then send it down the road when it feels right.

No, yours

What are your winter projects? Post up. Cars, travel, shops/garages, reading, home improvement, nothing is too big or small~

Jalopnik IMO has the nutritional value of popcorn for the mind, but I thought this was humorous. Based on a study done with ONE vehicle, by AAA (yes, that organization), Top Tier is "likely" worth it. https://www.jalopnik.com/2005572/does-top-tier-fuel-clean-your-engine/

Interesting that the FAA decided the day after the crash to reduce commercial flights by 10%, stating they are doing it to maintain air safety. Pray for our air traffic controllers in these difficult times. They need relief.

I was aware of the Tempest but not the Trophy 4-cylinder (195 cubic inches/almost 3.2 liters!) or rear transmission. Most of my experience with GM AC compressors are the R4's of the 80's and early 90's. WIth a good R12 charge they will freeze you out. Still very good with a proper 134a conversion (including the orifice tube). However, the newer compressors running 1234yf are no joke.. I've been considering adding a classic bordering antique to my collection. Collectors might consider my interest trite, but I think I'd like an earlier Advanced Design pickup 3100 or 3600. They're still fairly affordable if one intends to drive it occaisonally, say a few hundred to thousand miles per year, and parts are not yet impossible to find. I like the simplicity, 216 or 235 engine. Speaking of "reliable" I recently learned about the 2025-2026 LZ0 "crankshaft end play" issues. Great. What I (still) hope to be a reliable engine in my new pickup is apparently plagued by catastrophic failure in some instances, under 10k miles. I was planning on taking it to Thanksgiving this year (about 1,000 mile trip), but now I'm thinking twice and maybe we'll take something else - hard to believe an EV is the next logical choice but here we are!

That sound serious. Also terrifying to think AI could be responsible for flying a plane someday - or would it reduce errors? I don't know. I've heard nothing good about people trying to make their way up the chain being commercial pilots. It's a tough gig, all-consuming, and the pay isn't there like it used to be.

Holy smokes... UPS plane crashed in Kentucky. It looks like people were hurt. What the heck is going on - more planes have fallen out of the sky in the last year... Maybe the FAA shouldn't have been Doge'd, maybe pay shouldn't be withheld from ATC's. I'm not saying that's the cause but it sure as heck isn't helping bolster safety.

x2 Sins can be forgiven. The sin that guarantees a hot pointy rock in hell is doubling down disinformation and continuing to spread it. We're all wrong at some point. We must remain open and evolving when it comes to new learning, and new information which helps us discern fact from lie. Not opinions: Fact from lies.

He says "speak the truth with each other" and then quotes a book of falsehoods and fairytales. That, folks, is ironic. Ironic AF. Should we look up and quote the definition of irony, and then bloviate some more?

Agreed. And this isn't about stupidity or ageism, it's mostly about frame of reference. Different frames of reference influence learning, problem solving, and all sorts of things. Dare I used the D word, diversity... it's an asset. Dude above has a point, although he's driving it hard. What we read or hear about specific transmission issues may be real, but the impact may be much smaller. Even if 25 people on here all claim to have the same issue, that's still a very, very small percentage of the number of 10L1000's sold.

The challenge is helping them sort the truthful information from noise, misinformation, or just plain influence. Or scams.