Jsdirt

That's what I meant - almost 8" wider. Figured they'd rub in the wheel wells somewhere. Surprised they fit. That's great! The rain will eventually clean it up. Still running the same oil from 2016 in that one. I don't make much of an effort to take care of her. She's a beater in every sense.

Holy crap, those are huge! Didn't think they'd fit. My summers are 275/55-20 - just about the same circumference as the stock 265/65-18, plus 1%. Still got a couple weeks before I'll feel comfortable putting mine on. Weather happens quick around here. Can be 70° one day, and 20° the next. Had to use the ol' girl to yank out my s10 plow truck from a couple feet of mud the other day. She went sideways and slid right into the freshly filled culvert, so it bored a hole in the ground pretty easy. Was trying to push the snow I had plowed up against the pile of dirt there, so we can level it all out with the neighbor's tractor. I had to crawl out of the passenger side door - the driver's door was completely blocked. Yanked her out like nothing in 4-low - engine was just above idle. The Blizzaks bit in to the gravel nice - only spun about 1 turn in the beginning. Tore part of the rocker panel off, lol - was a patch panel that had rotted away anyway. Didn't feel like running into the house to get the good camera, so all I've got is crap cell phone pics. Plow truck left a trail of mud a 1/4 mile up the street, and is still dropping mud patties out of the wheel wells and undercarriage ... :

I'm contemplating selling mine. I don't ride much these days - so many idiots on the roads in MA, especially in and around the cities. Thinking of buying a paramotor this year, if funds allow. Aviation has been luring me away from the street lately, thanks to Youtube. I'll probably hold on to the RD, though. Thing is a blast to ride, I love it's political incorrectness.

Flurries here - seem to have stopped already. At least it's finally trending warmer. No more below zero, single digits, teens or twenties. We'll be seeing the 60's in about 4 weeks, hopefully sooner.

That sucks! I'm officially sick of winter. Hope that crap isn't headed my way ...

Well, be glad you have upper 40's!

Lucky you! We're still looking at this white crap over here ...

I see a face in the grille area there (nudge bar is mouth, bowtie nose, etc.). Would definitely take some getting used to - I've never seen a design like that before.

A thing of beauty right there! Sounds friggin sweet!

I've got a lift ... but no Camaro ... nor a floor to mount the lift to. Got a 10k lb. 2-post (top brace) for $2k on sale at Greg Smith Equipment. By picking it up in Hudson, NH plus the sale price, I saved $450. Couldn't pass it up. Only crappy thing is the lift has been sitting outside in it's crate for 5 months now. It's coming though, soon (the floor, not the Camaro). All my money is in this .... and I mean ALL ... Not a dime left for toys, unfortunately. Maybe a few years down the road.

I know how that is ... Yeah, Timken is a good brand too. Been building bearings since long before I was born.

Can't go wrong with SKF or Moog for bearings (if I had to choose, I'd go SKF), and Moog for front end components.

That was an EBC Yellow that I installed summer of 2013. Got 34,670 out of that set. Not to shabby for a 3-ton automatic that tows alot. NAPA is one of the only parts stores I trust these days. Advance, O'Reilley's, and Auto Zone are so bad with parts quality that I stopped going there. It was costing ME money trying to save my customers money. I'll only go to Advance if it's for a Moog, SKF, or other name brand part - everything else is utter garbage. NAPA isn't immune either, but their track record is 10x better than those other chains, so long as you stay with the premium parts, and don't get the cheap stuff.

Just GM being cheap - used crap, low-quality metal for the rotors. Things would shake your fillings out right off the showroom floor with 42 total miles on the clock. It was ridiculous. All through every repair, the pulsation would come back ... until I threw a set of EBC rotors (not slotted or drilled) on there with the Yellow pads. Been great ever since. The ball joints were another debacle. Lowers failed at 38k, uppers, along with the hub bearings & one strut failed at 50k miles. Replaced everything with Moog (and Bilstein struts), and that has been trouble free since.

Did the front brakes for the 8th time in 92k miles. The first 5 were done by GM under warranty in the first 36k ... Anyway, found both my sway bar end links had yanked right out of the lower control arms. Against my better judgement, I went to Advance Auto for a set of Moog urethane end links. Actually got a product that was still factory sealed ... in BOTH boxes! Miracles never cease. Wife dropped the rotors off at a machine shop, and a few hours later, I had my neighbor bring me down there to pick them, and the end links up at Advance. We broke down on the way back in his '03 Sable. Right front brake nearly caught fire! I smelled the burning brake when we got to Advance - figured we'd see how far we could get. Maybe 3 miles tops. We boiled alot of snow cooling the thing down. His brother came and picked us up, I threw the Silverado back together, then used it to retrieve the car after everything had cooled down. Used my Viair compressor to yank the wheel and force the pistons back in a bit with a big screwdriver, and hit the road. We made it 7 miles home - it was just starting to lock up as we pulled into the neighborhood. We had just installed those calipers this past July. Surprised to see they were NAPA calipers! Usually don't have a problem with their parts, but nobody is immune today. They warrantied the caliper, so we grabbed a new brake hose for good measure, and installed that when we got back. Finally sat down to eat lunch at 5:30pm. One of those days! Now, we prepare for ANOTHER blizzard ... I think I got my money's worth out of this set! 34,670 miles. Lots of towing & aggressive driving too. A new record for me (with an automatic). HEY GM - I FIXED IT FOR YA! Maybe you could use these little silver devices on your future models? I won't be holding my breath ...

Mine has been getting driven alot too. I went through 2 tanks of fuel this month! The past week it's become a mobile workbench. Got tired of trekking back and forth 1,000 times between this POS PT Cruiser I'm doing a timing belt on (outside, since I still don't have a floor in my new shop), and my toolbox. I loaded all my tools onto the tailgate, and backed the truck up right to the nose of the PT. When it started to get dark, I either push all the tools into the bed, close the gate and park in the garage, or back it in the garage, and unload the tools right at the toolbox. Much better than carrying all that stuff. Hate firing the truck up like that for such a brief period, so many times a day, but not like it matters - engine is still going to fail anyway! I know someone's gonna say it, so I'll preempt them. A tool cart won't cut it - dirt floor in the barn, with a steep exit to the driveway. Besides, having the truck outside makes it easier to retrieve my pullers, and other specialty tools from the back of the barn - normally I have to squeeze past the truck, and scratch the paint. I actually took it to the car wash tonight too. 1st time in a LONG time. Got sick of seeing salt crystals shining in the sun today. I'll actually be driving it tomorrow too - got to pick up a couch from my parents. Mom is in very rough shape due to cancer, so we're getting a lift chair delivered tomorrow. They don't have the space for that and the couch, so it was generously donated to me. I've been sitting on bare foam & springs for 10 years here, LOL. The cats get more use out of it than I do. I bet nobody would bat an eyelash if I put it on Craigslist: "slightly used couch" ...

In that second to last pic, the coolant reservoir looks filled to the brim. Wonder what they've changed this time? Where is the coolant supposed to go if it overheats? I highly doubt they designed it to just pee out like the old cars did, in this maniacal "environment trumps all" world ... Curious!

Yeah, brake fluid loves moisture, just like the ethanol they dump in our fuel. Unfortunately, the lowest point where that water settles out eventually is in the calipers. I did mine a couple years ago in the '07, along with the coolant (both 9 years old). My Grand Marquis it turns out I had completely forgotten to flush the brake fluid on! One the 1st world problems of owning multiple vehicles. It was in there when we bought it 12 years prior - could've been OE (like the 29 year old fuel filter was! ), which would put it at 28 years at the time. I had a front caliper dragging on my wife while she was out and about - she came back with it smoking. I flushed the fluid, and worked the piston back and forth several times, and it's been fine since. Try that on any 21st Century vehicle. My '00 Jimmy rears were hopelessly seized at 110k miles, and 8 years. The Marquis still has the OE calipers - 31 years, 250k miles.

I was paying $230 a month for insurance on a '88 GMC s15 in 1990 ... 16 years old, and already had an accident under my belt - totaled my neighbor's '78 Chevy Luv pickup. Folded it in half after I pulled out in front of a '85 Caprice doing 45 MPH.

Glad to see a good dealership experience. It's been YEARS since I've read of one!

I handle the finances, so, me too. We have ZERO desire to go into debt for something that will be a pile of scrap in 12 years. Only "new" vehicle you'll see in this garage from here on out will be built before 1973. This summer, I'm planning on buying a paramotor. Finances are a little tight after my shop construction (which still isn't done yet), so it might be next year. That'll be my "other" car. No registration, no license, no insurance - absolute freedom. The last vestige in this country today.

HAHAHA! Those little bastards get into everywhere. One time I poked a nest that was in an outboard boat motor - momma mouse comes flying out with 8 newborn babies hanging off her back! Was a riot - I'll try and post the vid - not sure if it'll work or not .. 0510171637.3g2 You might have to do the old school tape measure & string alignment ... Tire stores are why I own a tire machine and balancer - had so many screwups by those guys, I'd had enough. Best thing I ever did.

Lucky for me (and my finances ...), my wife loves older vehicles as much, if not more, than I do. If I bought her something new, she'd kill me. Whenever I want to get her going, I say I'm thinking of selling the '86 Grand Marquis.

I guess so! Ahh, but that's not a GMT-900 - that explains alot. Mine didn't survive a less than 5 MPH impact with a 3" sapling ...

Gotta love the beer-can-strong body metal they use today ... I actually filled my tank TWICE this month! A new record. Got a big improvement in fuel mileage after resetting the learned alcohol content a couple months back - was reading over 20%. After the reset it stays around 3%. Haven't checked it since I've fueled up a couple times. Went from 12 mpg, back up to around 14.5, which is normal for winter time, especially with how cold it was back in December. Used to get a solid 15 in winter, and 16.5 in summer - might be time for new o2's (or a new engine, lol) ... but at the prices they go for, I think I'll wait until they really fail.