Driller's New Jersey Nightmare (DUW)

I now have 12 second hubs thanks to Doug. :D

The Blue Flame was being a royal PITA, but we persevered. Doug does impeccable work and his garage has inspired me. :)

The trip back wasn't that bad. The rain had nearly stopped and the biggest issue was road spray from the other vehicles. So it was either drive faster or slower than the other drivers to stay out of traffic until the roads started to dry out a bit. Even then the roadway was never quite dry so it was difficult to really exercise the car to it's potential.

The 255/45-18 Nitto Extreme Performance NT555s handled extremely well and the brakes are a major improvement. Even though the tires handled well, the Nittos would not hold traction under WOT in 1st anywhere I tried and the 1-2 shift was just out of control. We'll reserve final judgement on the tires when we can catch a nice sunny day.

Meanwhile, the experience with the suspension package was very nice and the Koni shocks in the rear seemed to be perfectly adjusted. You could feel the car was more 'firm' with the new bushings in the rear without considering the ride being harsh. When the suspension lowered at speed, I would get occasional tire rub in the rear on rough roads until I pulled over and turned off the suspension switch. (I need to get the ASHAM8 module working again.)

I did use caution through the mountains hoping to not encounter any black ice or 4-legged furry creatures in the dark. :eek: But the HIR bulbs in the high beams inspired confidence illuminating the dark mountain highway for what seemed like a mile and the outside temperature sensor never quite got to the freezing mark.

All in all, driving the car made me forgive all the trials and tribulations of the past two days.

Also, I learned Doug does not like 2 things.

Rust. :eek:

Brake fluid. :p
 
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I'm glad to hear that your trip was OK, I was a little worried.

Also that you like the suspension and brakes so far.

Thanks for the compliment and good luck with the wipers and rear brake lines.

Don't forget the lug nuts! ;)
 
Nice work there guys, and my hat's off to your great garage!!

Thanks, I built it myself. :D

It's not too bad a place to hang out in. :cool:
 

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garages are the best arent they! better than a woman. you have a nice set up there and you guys did some nice work. i have to say though, after working on my southern cars i do not miss what you guys encountered with jp's car. screws nuts and bolts come out like butter down here, after working on cars in new england i am spoiled now!!!
 
garages are the best arent they! better than a woman. you have a nice set up there and you guys did some nice work. i have to say though, after working on my southern cars i do not miss what you guys encountered with jp's car. screws nuts and bolts come out like butter down here, after working on cars in new england i am spoiled now!!!
Ha! Sissy. ;) In New England, there's ALWAYS a way. :D
 
Mine is a Pro Park 7 and I wouldn't be without it. Other than 1 loose hydraulic fitting that took a while to find, I haven't had any issues, and I'd buy it again.

I also have 2 Pro Jack 3500 sliding jacks that are an absolute necessity.

I plan on getting at least one center jack to start with, but ultimately plan on two. I was thinking the air operated 4500 seriesones looked nice for only a few hundred bucks more. My only issue is the pro park 9 plus is just a little wider than my garage door which means I wouldn't be able to wheel the thing out of the garage if I wanted to. So I may get the 8 instead, not sure yet. I'd like to be able to wheel it out because its a single door and the garage is about 75 feet deep so if I ever want to put my boat in there I could without dealing with backing it over a lift.
 
Wow. Great job you two! Blue Flame looks (can this be possible?) more gorgeous than ever. And Doug, your garage is an inspiration!
 
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9700/5.0.0.296 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.1.17.0)

There's a list of things to tackle in the coming weeks including the lugnuts. I will likely not be doing anything until after the holidays.

I have a few pics of the results of our work that I'll post up later. I really love the look of the 18 inch FR500's with the Lincoln centercaps. :)
 
I plan on getting at least one center jack to start with, but ultimately plan on two. I was thinking the air operated 4500 seriesones looked nice for only a few hundred bucks more. My only issue is the pro park 9 plus is just a little wider than my garage door which means I wouldn't be able to wheel the thing out of the garage if I wanted to. So I may get the 8 instead, not sure yet. I'd like to be able to wheel it out because its a single door and the garage is about 75 feet deep so if I ever want to put my boat in there I could without dealing with backing it over a lift.

I've bolted mine to the floor, it was just weird having it move around when I used it. Why don't you put the lift towards the back of your long-ass garage?
 
nice garage, I am jealous and inspired and I too will be making an appointment to meet and do some work to my car, unfortunately Jamie is too far. But it looks like you may be the Jamie of the north, lol
 
nice garage, I am jealous and inspired and I too will be making an appointment to meet and do some work to my car, unfortunately Jamie is too far. But it looks like you may be the Jamie of the north, lol

Well, thanks, I don't know about that....Jamie is one of a kind. ;)

But I do know my way around the MN-12/FN-10 platform, and I have a bunch of tools that I even know how to use. :D
 
A few of my pics...
 

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I've bolted mine to the floor, it was just weird having it move around when I used it. Why don't you put the lift towards the back of your long-ass garage?

I could, I just have less height back there. Also, if there is a boat, car, etc in front of it, it makes access a problem. That is why having a nice big garage with only one door can be a problem!
 
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