[X] My Assistant

One has a rusty fuel tank that I can smell petrol out of when it's full. So I've not been driving that one even though it technically 'runs and drives.'

Reminds me once when I rolled up and parked with one car to pick a friend up. The road had a bit of slope. They noticed something was pouring out into the gutter.

I thought it was water from rain? but he said he could smell petrol. I said my car always smelled like petrol...


Got it checked out, yeah leaky tank. Had to get tank fixed. Explained why the car was so bad on fuel.

Reminds me once when I rolled up and parked with one car to pick a friend up. The road had a bit of slope. They noticed something was pouring out into the gutter.

I thought it was water from rain? but he said he could smell petrol. I said my car always smelled like petrol...
Got it checked out, yeah leaky tank. Had to get tank fixed. Explained why the car was so bad on fuel.

That is pretty much exactly what happens with mine.

The worst waste of money was that cheap 90s sports car that everyone seemed to know was a POS except me.

I think they had cracked a cylinder and did a cheapo wield job. Car pos'd out on me after about 5000 km.

Also a headgasket leak that they just used a sealer...

Would have required sleaving two of the cylinders and building the engine. Not worth it back then, maybe worth it now by today's prices for the car.

Spotted my car in an issue of a Volvo magazine.

Like, not my model.

The specific instance of the car that I own.

That tickled me.

Spotted my car in an issue of a Volvo magazine.

Like, not my model.

The specific instance of the car that I own.

That tickled me.

Thats pretty funny. All my friends that got their tuned or riced out cars in magazines ended up with their cars getting stolen and parted out.

Thats pretty funny. All my friends that got their tuned or riced out cars in magazines ended up with their cars getting stolen and parted out.

It's in the background of a shot (two rows behind the "best in show" car), and the license plate is not visible. I only noticed it because I knew I was at that car meet and I saw the car I parked next to in the shot as well.

You can see most of its front end with the hood popped open. I know it's mine because there were only two cars that looked like mine (mine included) at the event, and the other one did not have the hood open and was a beat-to-shit wagon.

Mine is neither tuned nor riced out; it's just ~45 years old instead.

Actually, I guess it does have swaybars. That's it though. Previous owner put them on. It doesn't have power steering (it was an option this car did not get equipped with) nor air conditioning. No window tint. Original paint.

Also it's a manual, so that reduces its chances of getting stolen stateside. Although someone who went after my car probably would know what they were getting into anyway.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Oct 18 2022, 05:16

Also it's a manual, so that reduces its chances of getting stolen stateside. Although someone who went after my car probably would know what they were getting into anyway.

I often wonder about if manual is actually a theft deterrent or not. I figure professional thieves would know how to drive manual but it would stop most junkies.

I bought an alarm for my car but im still not sure if I want to install it or not. Dont really want to hack into my wiring loom to install it. Thinking about getting a GPS tracker and/or a killswitch to the fuel pump or something similar.

I often wonder about if manual is actually a theft deterrent or not. I figure professional thieves would know how to drive manual but it would stop most junkies.

I bought an alarm for my car but im still not sure if I want to install it or not. Dont really want to hack into my wiring loom to install it. Thinking about getting a GPS tracker and/or a killswitch to the fuel pump or something similar.

The biggest risk for my car is junkies smashing the window to steal the radio/head unit. The immobilizer makes it hard to steal unless you have a tow truck.

The biggest risk for my car is junkies smashing the window to steal the radio/head unit. The immobilizer makes it hard to steal unless you have a tow truck.

Most hock shops won't accept car audio stuff these days because it's all stolen.

Junkies these days are more likely to pop your window for the 3 bucks worth of change rattling around your console.

Most hock shops won't accept car audio stuff these days because it's all stolen.

Junkies these days are more likely to pop your window for the 3 bucks worth of change rattling around your console.

Its compatible with older toyotas so they hock it on gum tree. They were getting $400 dollars for each one. People that parked near housing commission would come back to an expensive repair bill.

Most hock shops won't accept car audio stuff these days because it's all stolen.

Junkies these days are more likely to pop your window for the 3 bucks worth of change rattling around your console.

Has happened to me, can confirm.

They missed the smallish antique handwoven persian carpet in the back.

I often wonder about if manual is actually a theft deterrent or not. I figure professional thieves would know how to drive manual but it would stop most junkies.

I bought an alarm for my car but im still not sure if I want to install it or not. Dont really want to hack into my wiring loom to install it. Thinking about getting a GPS tracker and/or a killswitch to the fuel pump or something similar.

Most people who try to steal things aren't pros. They just think "I can sell this for meth money" or something.

Although I guess needing a title does make stolen cars a little bit harder to resell.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Oct 20 2022, 17:53

Tank fixed, brakes fixed.

Now, a week after all of that, my ('93) car makes a "brrrrr" noise (about the pitch of a running push lawnmower); not a grindy noise, more of a rumble. "Rowr." Or a purr that changes with rpm's). Sounds like it's coming from the front. Unsure if it's a belt or if it's the fan or the alternator or a pump or the transmission or something else.

But I THINK it could be belts or the fan clutch. Never had to do a fan clutch before so I don't know for certain.

The fan turns pretty easily with the car off, but I don't remember if it's supposed to do that or not.

Car shifts fine, seems to drive okay, but I just am quite hesitant to do so and will be using the other car until/unless I can figure it out.

I might just sell it soon, anyway, but I really would like to figure this one out and fix it on my own if possible.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Nov 2 2022, 23:20

Am I the only person that thinks that electronic parking breaks are retarded? Lose power, lose the e-brake. Also only useful when stopped. Also easy to forget that its on or forget to turn it on. I hate them.

Traditional hand brakes seem to have so many advantages.


Their advantages supposedly
- Can be used in conjunction with ABS for emergency braking... but this seems to depend highly on your cars implementation
- If people are too dumb to use the handbrake on a hill, then the electronic break can be better.
- can't push car without a battery... though that is also a disadvantage.

Most innovations in cars are.

Japanese cars with proper servicing 300-400k km

Volvo: 1-3m km with proper servicing.

I don't need a car at the moment, i live in the city to study and public transport is good. My last car was a Volvo with 460k km, bought it for $1. Basically you get a free car (that hopefully still works until the equivalent of the MOT in my cunt runs out) and then pay to scrap it, the reason the owner lets it go for free is to not pay the scraping fee. It lasted 2 months, all i needed it for so it was worth it i guess. Obviously a death machine although it did have ABS so not as bad as one might think.

I don't need a car at the moment, i live in the city to study and public transport is good. My last car was a Volvo with 460k km, bought it for $1. Basically you get a free car (that hopefully still works until the equivalent of the MOT in my cunt runs out) and then pay to scrap it, the reason the owner lets it go for free is to not pay the scraping fee. It lasted 2 months, all i needed it for so it was worth it i guess. Obviously a death machine although it did have ABS so not as bad as one might think.

In my car I turn ABS, traction and stability control down to 10%. Its too aggressive otherwise.


Do you have to pay a scrapping fee?


I got paid $50 last car I scrapped.

Yea there are some fees (and a legal requirement) to dispose of them in "an environmentally friendly manner" here which is why you can get old shitboxes for 'free' basically.

Volvo: 1-3m km with proper servicing.

Is that still true for the more recent models?

Sadly, certified Volvo service centers are extremely few and far between where I live.