gerry wrote on 2023-03-17, 17:15:

looks in great shape, very clean. bet its fun when you do take it out

Thanks, yes it is fun. But I also like the garage stuff and although it is in great shape, something seems to need work all the time. Last year I did the dreaded heater core replacement and changed rear axle bearing, for example. Not everything is completely necessary though, some are just mods and some just preventive maintenance.

Car has interesting history. Now, Ford didn't import Mustang in those days to my country (FInland), but car has almost fully domestic history still. It was bought in USA by a Finnish dude who was working somewhere in Florida for a few years, had it there around half a year after which he came home and brought the car with him and its been here since then. When it came to Finland, he had full corrosion prevention work done to it and after one full year of use, it was given a summer car status, so that's the reason why original paint is still in great shape. I'm just the third owner, the gentleman I bought this from 5 years ago had the car from around 2005 and he did suspension work, 5 lug stuff and discs and some minor stuff to exahaust and air intake. Engine wise it is close to stock and I'd like to get some more out of the good old 302. Unfortunately, that car was registered here just at the time when emissions regulations came stricter and that limits a lot what I can do to it. Or, I can of course do anything I want with it, it's just that I can't get it pass the yearly inspection. It's not impossible to get more oomph out of it, but it can get relatively expensive compared to what power increase I can get from it.

But it is still quick enough with 3.73 rear and it spins both rear tires nicely when needed! And I mostly just like to cruise around with it in any case.

2014 E250 Bluetec 4Matic
1999 E55 AMG (Not shown) (Guess what color?)
1998 Jaguar XJR
1997 Volvo 850R

CharlieFoxtrot wrote on 2023-03-17, 18:16:

gerry wrote on 2023-03-17, 17:15:

looks in great shape, very clean. bet its fun when you do take it out

Thanks, yes it is fun. But I also like the garage stuff and although it is in great shape, something seems to need work all the time. Last year I did the dreaded heater core replacement and changed rear axle bearing, for example. Not everything is completely necessary though, some are just mods and some just preventive maintenance.

that's the thing with older cars like this - it takes work to keep them going but should still last a long time. the low end torque in bigger engines like this is satisfying. I remember at the time there were lots of japanese and european cars with often very small engines that could easily outpace most american cars but the engine would need to be revved hard to get into the power band, gears changed often and better not tow anything! two different appraoches. interesting histpry on that one, coming to Finland like that!

XPS-Master wrote on 2023-03-17, 23:06:

2014 E250 Bluetec 4Matic 1999 E55 AMG (Not shown) (Guess what color?) 1998 Jaguar XJR 1997 Volvo 850R […]
Show full quote

2014 E250 Bluetec 4Matic
1999 E55 AMG (Not shown) (Guess what color?)
1998 Jaguar XJR
1997 Volvo 850R

I like those 90'd boxy volvos, solid and distinct from other cars of the time

In Poland you can easily tell you see an EV by its light green number plate. What about other countries? I guess easily distinguishable EVs would help popularize them if you could easily see how many of them are around.

robertmo wrote on 2023-06-04, 13:46:

In Poland you can easily tell you see an EV by its light green number plate. What about other countries? I guess easily distinguishable EVs would help popularize them if you could easily see how many of them are around.

In the USA you can usually tell by the smug emanating from them.

Shagittarius wrote on 2023-06-04, 14:19:

robertmo wrote on 2023-06-04, 13:46:

In Poland you can easily tell you see an EV by its light green number plate. What about other countries? I guess easily distinguishable EVs would help popularize them if you could easily see how many of them are around.

In the USA you can usually tell by the smug emanating from them.

Sounds like someone is jealous, seeing all those EVs with CAV decals happily zooming past on the carpool lane. 😁

Better to emanate smug than smog, by the way. 😉

robertmo wrote on 2023-06-04, 13:46:

In Poland you can easily tell you see an EV by its light green number plate.

And it's a shade of green that looks very intrusive unless the car is literally green or color neutral (white/gray/black). Have a red colored EV? here, an ugly green plate that looks like shit.

UK replaces the blue bar on the side of the licence plate with a green one. I don't mind it as its a subtle change.

Recent trip back to NSW Australia and really didn't like the fact that must be over 100 different styles you can choose.
https://www.myplates.com.au/browse-styles

Guess I'm boring, seeing a standard format number plate on all cars just looks "neater" if you ask me

The one in use here, uses green lettering instead of blue (on white plate) , but I think owners of those electric Jeeps would like something a bit extra obvious, because they keep finding snotty notes on their windshields whenever they park at chargers or electric vehicle reserved spots.

digger wrote on 2023-06-04, 15:18:

Shagittarius wrote on 2023-06-04, 14:19:

robertmo wrote on 2023-06-04, 13:46:

In Poland you can easily tell you see an EV by its light green number plate. What about other countries? I guess easily distinguishable EVs would help popularize them if you could easily see how many of them are around.

In the USA you can usually tell by the smug emanating from them.

Sounds like someone is jealous, seeing all those EVs with CAV decals happily zooming past on the carpool lane. 😁

Better to emanate smug than smog, by the way. 😉

They are more than welcome to purchase us gearheads brand new shiny EVs then.
Until then they can deal with the roar of my V8.

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-06-12, 13:42:

The one in use here, uses green lettering instead of blue (on white plate) , but I think owners of those electric Jeeps would like something a bit extra obvious, because they keep finding snotty notes on their windshields whenever they park at chargers or electric vehicle reserved spots.

EV drivers are not entitled to a park on a charging spot when they don't intend to actually charge there.

All too often, I've been ICEd by EVs that took up a charging spot while not even being plugged in to the charger. Thankfully, in Amsterdam, EVs are treated just like ICE vehicles when parking enforcement catches them occupying a charging spot without being plugged into the charger. They get towed and fined, as they rightly should be. (Although idling once full while still plugged in is not penalized at the moment, at least in Amsterdam.)

So random passersby will not harass an electric jeep for ICEing when they can obviously see that it's plugged in and charging.

Since search finds no instances of "WRX", now I'm the first one.

Great drivers car, good in the snow, fuel economy can be good if driven nicely, enough power to not want more. And no it's not modified like almost every other one.

“I Feel the Need for Speed”

In Silicon valley we "Ride to WIN"
"Malibu Grand Prix" was a Family Arcade fun center with Baseball Batting cages, Basket ball hoops, Arcade games, Food, Drinks, Formula-1 cars and Ferrari F-40's
It was a Fun place to go and hang out on the weekends back in 1990's.
Its Closed now do to operating costs.

digger wrote on 2023-06-13, 20:21:

EV drivers are not entitled to a park on a charging spot when they don't intend to actually charge there. […]
Show full quote

BitWrangler wrote on 2023-06-12, 13:42:

The one in use here, uses green lettering instead of blue (on white plate) , but I think owners of those electric Jeeps would like something a bit extra obvious, because they keep finding snotty notes on their windshields whenever they park at chargers or electric vehicle reserved spots.

EV drivers are not entitled to a park on a charging spot when they don't intend to actually charge there.

All too often, I've been ICEd by EVs that took up a charging spot while not even being plugged in to the charger. Thankfully, in Amsterdam, EVs are treated just like ICE vehicles when parking enforcement catches them occupying a charging spot without being plugged into the charger. They get towed and fined, as they rightly should be. (Although idling once full while still plugged in is not penalized at the moment, at least in Amsterdam.)

So random passersby will not harass an electric jeep for ICEing when they can obviously see that it's plugged in and charging.

Right, I meant park to charge rather than implying they were hogging the spot.

Yeah if you aren’t charging, move out of the spot.

Speaking of EVs doing some cross country towing with mine again

This is a pic of the first load from a couple months back. I have a smaller load this time.

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2023-06-13, 23:18:

“I Feel the Need for Speed” […]
Show full quote

“I Feel the Need for Speed”

In Silicon valley we "Ride to WIN"
"Malibu Grand Prix" was a Family Arcade fun center with Baseball Batting cages, Basket ball hoops, Arcade games, Food, Drinks, Formula-1 cars and Ferrari F-40's
It was a Fun place to go and hang out on the weekends back in 1990's.
Its Closed now do to operating costs.

must say the Yahoo one looks cool! 😀

Sphere478 wrote on 2023-06-15, 09:03:

Yeah if you aren’t charging, move out of the spot.

Speaking of EVs doing some cross country towing with mine again

This is a pic of the first load from a couple months back. I have a smaller load this time.

i wonder what towing a solar panel would do (say one on roof and one on tow - todays tech not imaginary future tech), well - an idle thought really 😀

how's the smallish EV towing? that EV torque helps?

Probably get 400W on the roof and 1200W on a trailer, while moving down the road at 50mph you'd need a minimum of about 7kW on the flat, so it's gonna work out somewhere around a 20% range extension at best.

gerry wrote on 2023-06-15, 20:41:

must say the Yahoo one looks cool! :) […]
Show full quote

Intel486dx33 wrote on 2023-06-13, 23:18:

“I Feel the Need for Speed” […]
Show full quote

“I Feel the Need for Speed”

In Silicon valley we "Ride to WIN"
"Malibu Grand Prix" was a Family Arcade fun center with Baseball Batting cages, Basket ball hoops, Arcade games, Food, Drinks, Formula-1 cars and Ferrari F-40's
It was a Fun place to go and hang out on the weekends back in 1990's.
Its Closed now do to operating costs.

must say the Yahoo one looks cool! 😀

Sphere478 wrote on 2023-06-15, 09:03:

Yeah if you aren’t charging, move out of the spot.

Speaking of EVs doing some cross country towing with mine again

This is a pic of the first load from a couple months back. I have a smaller load this time.

i wonder what towing a solar panel would do (say one on roof and one on tow - todays tech not imaginary future tech), well - an idle thought really 😀

how's the smallish EV towing? that EV torque helps?

You can charge off a towable solar setup but it is more practical to just use chargers that are around. Integrated panels make sense, free power. but not anything that adds wind drag. Just an efficiency adder though really.

Bolt tows awesomely !

So car still works and well enough. Tranny started thumping about a year ago. I don't go far, once every 5 - 6 weeks I take a ~50 mile round trip spin. Hit stores I used to frequent every 2 weeks.or so.

It's weird. It used ro have trouble shiftimg from 2nd to 3rd. Someone told me to drive it in "3" a bit. And the problem then became a delay from 3rd to 4th!!. I can't pretend know what's.going on, but if I had to venture a guess, fluid isn't circulating the way it should. It always has that weird burnt fluid smell. And whines. But not dines. Some symptoms are alleviated, at least temporarily if you pull over and turn the motor off for a while.

It doesn't actually thump much. Sometimes a little. At this.point it's more about prolonged shiftimg into 4th especially. 1998 Grand Prix GT, 4T65E tranny. Almost 191k. I had changed the fluid once, castrol transmax. I was goimg to change it a 2nd time with delco type iii-h, the closest you can get.to dexron iii. Iv is not a good idea I've heard as the viscosity is much lower. I came to the conclusion a fluid change is just a waste. I haven't tried the lucas fix yet. I couldn't figure out how to make my hyper tough fluid syphon work.

I may try the lucas yet. But I'm planning on pulling the tranny out of a 2001 Venture I have in the garage, bad motor. Also want to rebuild it''s 3.4 L. V6. First I need to build a hoist from scrap metal 🤣 🤣. It only has to lift 600lbs. I could drop the cradle, but it's.much more of a pain in the atse. If homemade hoist proves to be inadequate, I guess I'll buy one.

chris2021 wrote on 2023-06-27, 23:13:

So car still works and well enough. Tranny started thumping about a year ago. I don't go far, once every 5 - 6 weeks I take a ~5 […]
Show full quote

So car still works and well enough. Tranny started thumping about a year ago. I don't go far, once every 5 - 6 weeks I take a ~50 mile round trip spin. Hit stores I used to frequent every 2 weeks.or so.

It's weird. It used ro have trouble shiftimg from 2nd to 3rd. Someone told me to drive it in "3" a bit. And the problem then became a delay from 3rd to 4th!!. I can't pretend know what's.going on, but if I had to venture a guess, fluid isn't circulating the way it should. It always has that weird burnt fluid smell. And whines. But not dines. Some symptoms are alleviated, at least temporarily if you pull over and turn the motor off for a while.

It doesn't actually thump much. Sometimes a little. At this.point it's more about prolonged shiftimg into 4th especially. 1998 Grand Prix GT, 4T65E tranny. Almost 191k. I had changed the fluid once, castrol transmax. I was goimg to change it a 2nd time with delco type iii-h, the closest you can get.to dexron iii. Iv is not a good idea I've heard as the viscosity is much lower. I came to the conclusion a fluid change is just a waste. I haven't tried the lucas fix yet. I couldn't figure out how to make my hyper tough fluid syphon work.

I may try the lucas yet. But I'm planning on pulling the tranny out of a 2001 Venture I have in the garage, bad motor. Also want to rebuild it''s 3.4 L. V6. First I need to build a hoist from scrap metal 🤣 🤣. It only has to lift 600lbs. I could drop the cradle, but it's.much more of a pain in the atse. If homemade hoist proves to be inadequate, I guess I'll buy one.

No band aid fluids or different one please. Get correct transmission fluid for that transmission and transmission needs to have pan dropped to get filter replaced too and see. Clutch linings particles plugs the filter up as trans ages, starving the transmission of fluid and pressure loss that transmission needs most to apply proper clutches pistons pressure prevents clutch discs from slipping. The filter is first thing fluid is suctioned through from the transmission's pan fluid pickup. After filter goes into a gear pump which creates pressure that trasmission then uses for the valves and to apply force on clutches pistons.

Delco fluid you mentioned is not correct for that 4T65E tranmission, it is Dexron-VI. Full change is about 10 to 13 quarts, in the pan if dropped is about 8 quarts for your particular car.

Cheers,