Midnight_Rider's progress log

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:52 pm

Midnight_Rider wrote:
FAC3L3SS wrote:Does Mopar make a heat gun?
Huh?

Random comments FTW!

And if I had $70 to spare, I would be interested just to see what you would come up with, Chuck.

But Adam, yes, the neon exhaust makes an excellent heat gun, though may be hazardous to your health.

theColonel · Post by **theColonel** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:00 pm

Maddog wrote:David, we've never had any dealings before, business or otherwise, but, after being curious and reading your project log, I thought I'd like to help you with a particular mod that you mentioned, the "Hurst" shifter.
If you send me $70 and your stock shifter, I'll send you back something I think you'll like, which will also satisfy your desire for that old-muscle-car-look

Shoot me a PM if it sounds like something you might be interested in...

edited for clarity

Can you post a picture of the "modified shifter" ?

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:13 pm

Maddog wrote:Shoot me a PM if it sounds like something you might be interested in...

PM sent.

Maddog · Post by **Maddog** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 11:56 am

theColonel wrote:
Maddog wrote:David, we've never had any dealings before, business or otherwise, but, after being curious and reading your project log, I thought I'd like to help you with a particular mod that you mentioned, the "Hurst" shifter.
If you send me $70 and your stock shifter, I'll send you back something I think you'll like, which will also satisfy your desire for that old-muscle-car-look

Shoot me a PM if it sounds like something you might be interested in...

edited for clarity
Can you post a picture of the "modified shifter" ?

I'd rather Gramps do that after he gets his new STS

The STS that I'd make would be a style I've done before, BUT, it would be more along the line of a part/service donated to a good "cause". The $70 goes toward some materials that would have to be purchased to make it happen - I wouldn't make a single red cent from this endeavor.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:44 pm

I'm still

(closest emoticon I could find for "blushing") after that last post. Thanks again Chuck!

With the April 7th WI meet rapidly approaching, a service appointment has been set for getting my battery charged, new outer tie rods and 60K service (early on the 60K but I figured that an oil change wouldn't hurt since the car has basically sat since Halloween). Can't wait to get back on the road!

BlackRoseRacing · Post by **BlackRoseRacing** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:51 pm

Don't let the dealer get you on the 60K service, do it your self!
1 - LOF
2 - PCV replacement
3 - Plug replacement
4 - Trani fluid replacement (does not apply to you)
5 - Air filter replacement

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:53 am

BlackRoseRacing wrote:Don't let the dealer get you on the 60K service, do it your self!
1 - LOF
2 - PCV replacement
3 - Plug replacement
4 - Trani fluid replacement (does not apply to you)
5 - Air filter replacement

I wish that I could make this a DIY but have no place to do the work and no tools. Before my father passed away, I could use the garage at my parent's house and y'all would be surprised at what I used to do by myself (LOF, air filters, plugs, etc.) but all of that changed almost a decade ago when the house and almost everything in the garage was auctioned off after his death.

1- I buy my own Mobil 1 5-quart jugs at Walmart and take them to the dealership so this saves me a little money;
2- have to see what the mechanic says about this;
3- got new plugs and wires two years ago so they should still be good;
4- have always flushed/filled MTX regularly before- last time was two years ago so it should be good for now;
5- new filter came with the CAI last year so no need at this interval.

I appreciate your having my back though!

Post by **Canada** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 7:51 am

I'm excited to see what Chuck makes for you David.... His shifters are top notch quality!

LilSparkPlug · Post by **LilSparkPlug** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 9:31 am

I love the custom shifter he made for me, you're in good hands David!

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:18 pm

Canada wrote:I'm excited to see what Chuck makes for you David.... His shifters are top notch quality!

LilSparkPlug wrote:I love the custom shifter he made for me, you're in good hands David!

Whoa- haven't ordered one from him yet as no dough (especially after visiting the dealership in two weeks!). I don't doubt his handiwork.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:18 am

Tow truck should be here in about 6 hours to give my battery a jump. Then it's off to the dealership for 60K service and new outer tie rods. Alignment will probably be Monday morning. Next up- the WI meet on April 7th!

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:05 am

Well, I'm $523 poorer and have a new battery. The new battery was no-charge courtesy of my warranty; the majority of the cost (almost $350

) was for labor. Went ahead and had the dealership do the alignment- I had an internet coupon that brought their price down to within a few dollars of what the alignment shop I usually use charges. That just leaves rotation and balancing at Discount Tire on Tuesday. Sure was good to tool around town a little- I had missed my little beast!

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:32 am

What all did they do for $523? Outer tie rods, alignment, battery and new plugs? Anything else?

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:40 am

No plugs. I forgot to mention a coolant flush with thermostat and an LOF. As I said, the majority of the bill was for labor.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:00 am

Boy, do I have rotten luck. Discount Tire managed to strip the key for my locking lug nuts so now a new one has to be ordered and I'll have to make another trip back for rotation before the WI meet April 7th.

r/tguy02 · Post by **r/tguy02** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:40 pm

me thinks the shop (whichever one) overtorqued the lugnuts on you. i've had issues like that before on a friends car.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:34 pm

The Assistant Manager at Discount Tire tried to make it out that the manufacturer of the Mopar locking nuts makes a cheap product. Along with my mechanic (a former Dodge dealership mechanic) and my Dodge dealership, Discount Tire is the only shop that has removed/reinstalled the lug nuts and lock.

stdlystdmufn · Post by **stdlystdmufn** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:50 pm

Did you tell him that they weren't meant to be impacted on? That happens to some houly guys at work when they start b/c they impact them on there like a regular lugnut.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 12:56 am

^^Oh yeah, I've learned the hard way that you have to repeatedly point that out to the Discount Tire techs. Even if the manager checks "No impact tools- locking nuts" on the invoice, some techs will still try to impact. I've made it a habit to stand by my car when they have it in the bay.

Don't get me wrong- Discount Tire has done a pretty good job for me over the years (especially the fantastic deal I got from them for my Michelins) but there has always been this one problem...

UPDATE: I ended up having the buy the new key that Discount Tire ordered- the Mopar/McGuard warranty was only for one year. Had I checked on that prior, I would have just ordered a new set (key and locks) from my Dodge dealership.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sat Sep 29, 2012 4:17 pm

An end to the continuing saga of the tie rods- stdlystdmufn checked both inners and outers today while I had the car in for the 65K service and found nothing wrong with the OEM ones other than surface rust. He did suggest replacing the rear control arm bushings and the rear sway bar isolator bushings as they are starting to dry rot. No noises coming from the rear of the car though which, for once, is a bad thing.

If there were noises, Chrysler would have to pay for parts and labor under my extended warranty. Otherwise, I'll have to eat the costs come replacement time. It does look like I'll have to get this part replaced sometime soon:

HOSE, Charge Air CoolerInlet 05290252AE.

Now if I could just find a place that would let me use a lift so that I could wire brush/rattlecan the surface rust on the tie rods.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 5:07 pm

My extended warranty came to the rescue again! I was on my way to the car wash for one last cleanup before winter storage and got a CEL P0340.

The car had been garaged since 10-14 (after the drive home from chipdogg's WI meet) and I had stopped twice today on my way to the car wash (Speedway for lottery tickets and Wallyworld). Walmart parking lot startup and bing!, on came the instrument cluster CEL. Needless to say, you can't get up much speed when you have a bad camshaft position sensor.

1 5092508AA SENSORPKG-CAMSHAFT

No charge.

C1DoG · Post by **C1DoG** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 5:37 pm

Awesome!!

sidepipe87 · Post by **sidepipe87** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:55 pm

It must be karma getting you back for shopping at Wal Mart!

Glad you got it replaced under warranty and it's a simple fix.

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:05 pm

Usually a good idea to replace the magnet too which is separate. Hopefully it doesn't come back on because of that. Glad it fixed it though!

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:14 pm

sidepipe87 wrote:It must be karma getting you back for shopping at Wal Mart!

With the exception of an electrical power strip (they're all made in China so it's not like I had a choice

), everything that I bought was made in the US so I don't feel too bad.

at your comment though.

MyNeonSaysHi wrote:Usually a good idea to replace the magnet too which is separate. Hopefully it doesn't come back on because of that. Glad it fixed it though!

Oh great, I wish that I had known that. I imagine that I would have had to pay for the magnet since what the dealership did was only what the warranty covered. No more driving this year though- the only thing I have left to do is to disconnect the battery and then the SRT will sleep until spring.

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Sat Oct 27, 2012 10:35 pm

Whats your daily driver? It might be fine though with the same magnet.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 1:26 pm

MyNeonSaysHi wrote:Whats your daily driver?

Company car- Jeep Liberty (although I hit a deer with it a few hours ago).

Post by **occasional demons** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 7:38 pm

Deer hunting for my birthday? Sweet. We'll expect some venison jerky at the next meet!

Better it was "Liberated" than seeing the neon Light.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:20 pm

Yeah, better the Liberty than my SRT as the Neon wouldn't have survived, I'm afraid. Plus I probably wouldn't be physically able to type this right now as I imagine that I would have suffered injuries had it been the Neon. Not putting the Neon down- hitting a large doe at 70 MPH that low to the pavement would have been hard on any passenger vehicle.

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:13 pm

Question- if I decide to order a new K-frame, what else (if anything) would I need to order along with it? I'm starting to make a mental list of things to do come spring and had this stored in the back of my mind. The original one might be okay though (I'm going to wire brush and paint it at chipdogg's meet in April).

One more thing- would it be possible (or practical) to powdercoat a K-frame? I was thinking that PC might help to keep a new one from rusting.