the stopgap GMT400: a drivabeater thread

In reply to bobzilla :

If it makes you feel better, i got it all put back together today. Except for the mode door not operating now. Nothing. So either it's a coincidental failure, or i missed a berkeleying wiring connection. Either way, i get to pull it all back apart now.

And the miata is causing migraines any time i drive it.

And its berkeleying HOT outside and im doing the dash work in the gravel driveway due to shop space abd an immobilized duster. And....

Im going to bed now. My attitude will be better in the morning. 

Broke the mode door actuator somehow.  40 bucks  and the flaps and done!

Now to put the dash back in. Again. 

At first you don't succeed, try, try, again.

As a sufferer for many years with Cluster Headaches, ( a severe form of headaches) I truly feel your pain.  Although seating position does not cause the actual migraine, tensing the muscles etc. causes a tension headache, which triggers the migraine.   Also, there may may be smells in the Miata, that may also trigger them.  Have yourself checked out. There are Meds out there that will help.  I know, have been on them for about 30 years, and they work.

In reply to Dirtydog :

Im on as many meds as im comfortable with taking.  My doctors and i have figured out that there some spunal damage that causes tension headaches, which can go to full blown migraines. I am working with a chiropractor now, and we have gotten it under control. Except for driving the miata. After discussing it with them and my wife, and empirical testing, the miata has to go.

Its either that, or more meds/surgery. So.....

Goodbye Miata, hello road sofa?  

I'm glad you have them under control. People that don't have this condition, don't quite understand what a REAL headache is.   I can't go to a chiropractor, due to the plates in my spine, so I understand spinal conditions too.  Sounds like we're wrecks, don't it?  Keep doing what you do, and you should be fine.

Meanwhile.  Those stepper motors stink big time.  There is a way to reset them, by pulling the AC relay out.  Never did have much success with it though.

Just put the new one in. Works great!

And road sofa here i come. Im thinking 5 series bmw. But the truck don't cause the migraines. So, as soon as i can, it'll be my daily.....

I wondered why the MX-5 was for sale.  Unfortunate.

What about an SC400?  

ac working great.  Radio not working, and need to work on panel fitment yet.

But, back on the road!

Lexus could be fun!

Girl that manages ghetto gas around the corner asked about the miata this morning.....

Love how the steering wheel looks.  Seems like you're getting things done left and right on this thing.

There's some shift improvement kits out there for the trans in the SC400.  That, an exhaust (maybe cat-back, maybe full), some other basic stuff should make one of these quite nice to spend time in and still enjoyable to drive.  Kind of the antitheses of my Suzuki SX4...

I can also attest to the comfort of the Lexus SC. That interior is at least a decade ahead of its time. Yes, the newest one is 18 years old, but the inside looks like it's from 2004. The Rice Rod's donor car had 295k miles on it, but it was a joy to strip down and part out. One of the very best examples of Toyota quality, because they tried so incredibly hard to get it right when launching the Lexus brand. I am always shopping for another 5-speed, but they are rare. The autos hold up well and are plenty fun with the V8 power.

"fun" winter project doing a 5-speed or 6-speed SC400 swap, right?  

MPG's dropping from high-20's to about 20 tops seems not like something I want to do, though.   

Trying to schedule an appointment to see an 01 540 m edition....

Drove truck to vbs. Ac is at least consistent now, and the radio is back to working. 

Still not really cold though.

Need to check freon level and clean the condenser. 

Budget first

previously was 2840.99

new money:

blower motor and resistor and epoxy: 69.99

4 cans SEM medium grey: 59.97

mode door actuator: 40

new total: 3110.95

so, the AC took a dump. Blower motor quit being reliable. And it barely blew through the vents.

Step one was remove broken dash.

20180618_192335 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

step 2 was remove blower motor and resistor, vacuum box out, spray coil cleaner a few times and flush with water hose.

20180620_081228 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180620_081223 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

I swapped to a 99 escalade blower motor in the process, as well as pulled part of a wal-mart bag out of the HVAC box.

I then took a while cleaneing, prepping, and epoxying the seperate pieces of dash into one structure again.

20180619_082309 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

I then prepped, fit, tweaked, refit, tweaked, refit, reprepped, glued, and clamped the accu form dash cap down.

20180619_163329 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180619_163339 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

without every clamp I own (after adhesive cured)

20180620_071913 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180620_071924 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

a few light coats of sem medium grey later

20180620_145040 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180620_145030 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

I recolored the rest of the dash pieces prior to re installation. Also, this picture doesn't show the rest of the interior out. The greys don't match, and I needed to redo the headliner and add sound deadening and insulation. It also doesn't show the mode door actuator that died in the making of this post.

20180620_211052 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

20180624_173546 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr

still need to figure out why the bottom piece doesn't fit anymore, and why the ashtray wont stay closed.

Remember: we are privileged to have our problems today.

Dash looks great, I have to ask though, where is the sticker that is  casting "Grassroot.." on the carpet, it (the shadow) should be backwards if it was still on the windshield. In your presto-change photos it was missing, now it has a ghost shadow?

I'm guessing its on the rear window looking at the past pictures again, never mind.

Yes I get distracted by the oddest things...

I'm officially a wheel whore. Now have 3 sets for this truck.

These are foose Monterey in 18x9. I THINK theyre the polished billet version undrr the black paint 

Oooooh, Foooose.   "Overhaulin" the look I gather.

My billet centerline wheels were taken too soon. Damn hondas.

This is the stopgap measure. 

Hondas seem to be a bit of a scourge around here, it would seem.

I never thought about it until now, however the one that took out the El Camino was a silver Accord

 Your perseverance in whatever aspect of the 'beater' is truly inspiring (note to self '91 extcab). I'm curious about

the head pain onset when in the 'answer'....do you even feel a need to clarify these circumstances.... or do we just

chalk it up chuck and carry on?????     Sorry M the dash..... she is bootifull!!!!

What we figured out with the Miata is that the way I sit in there to reach all the controls and pedals properly causes me to lean my head forward putting a lot of strain on my neck which in turn starts a tention headache which then flopped over the full grown migraine

Are you going to rock the beater, or did the BMW pan out?    I know how you feel with the headaches.   Sometimes you have to backtrack or log what you do to find the cause. 

The bmw is in process right now. Should work out.

However, this is the daily now. 

Not a bad choice of rides, for sure.    Now, to diving into the pool of German engineering.