A Gambler 500 CR-V and Whatever Else Shows Up

The Prius... As mentioned I had a guy near Tulsa refirb the battery for me. The cells were actually good he replaced the wiring harness and voltage module. Corrosion wasn't just on some of the connectors, but up the wires. It wasn't an 'original' battery, so it may have come from anywhere. All good now. Today while at work i brought it in the hangar and did the combo gauge. Second time I've had the dash off and it wasn't as bad as the first time. I replaced all the vent trim this time with a new set from eBay (China).

Merry Christmas.

Next up, xBox needs: Off-road lights installed. Heater/defrost reconfigured. Bumper hitch for a small trailer. Overall inspection and minor maintenance.

Currently I have plans to sell TowPig and Mrs AAZCD's white Boxster. Now I'm considering selling the Scirocco so I can add this to my project car collection.

All of the major parts that have been removed come with it. Floor and trunk rust included at no extra charge.

Other than being disassembled, it doesn't look much worse that the 1802 that I owned in Germany in the late 1980s. The goal would be a 'driver' and not a high value restoration.

Edit: Several days ago (Christmas) I told the seller that if they still had it available in the beginning of January, I'd come get it. The Mustang is currently on my trailer and I'm dropping it off on Dec 30th. Meanwhile I've been both hoping it sells and that it doesn't. Today I got a message that they have a very interested buyer looking at it tomorrow and expect it will sell. If it does sell, I'll be happy to keep casually looking  - like I have since I returned to the US in 1990.

Sold. It was an awesome deal on a car I've wanted for a long time. Maybe I'll see another when the timing is better. Meanwhile I already have plenty of cars I've always wanted and not enough time for them....

Sorry you missed that it looked like a great start for you.

BBC

In reply to Billy_Bottle_Caps :

It would have been a good project and fun driver. Someone got a good deal. If I wanted to push hard to get it, I could have had my son in law pick it up for me the day it was listed. Really it was a choice to go slow and see if it happened for me. Instead of adding it to my queue of projects and finding a place to put it along with all of the loose parts, I'm taking my spare time this week to clear and organize the garage again, sell my Audi TT parts car, and catch up on some maintenance. Happy New Year!

The Audi TT sold today. I kept it for a couple years with abstract plans to use it as an engine donor for the Scirocco or a TT with a bad engine. It sat on a trailer and sat. Recently I spent an afternoon trying to get it running with a new fuel pump. It had good fuel flow, but wouldn't start. It likely has electrical problem and by evening I didn't want to waste more time on it. My philosophy for FB Marketplace is to expect that all messages from buyers are from 13 year olds trolling me, but still provide courteous simple replies. One guy was supposed to show up today. He didn't reply when I sent a message asking to confirm. After an hour I told the next guy in line that it was his.

TowPig was telling me that it had a service due in 1400 miles or about two weeks, so I bought a kit from FCP Euro and did an oil change at work last night. Last time I tried shopping for the correct spec oil locally it wasn't available and the kit from FCP was reasonably priced complete with the drain plug and crush washer. I'm offering TowPig to my daughter as a temporary replacement to their high mile F150. If she doesn't want it, I may list it for sale in February. I wish they still made these TDI Touaregs new.

I get my oil change kits from FCP Euro.  Shows up with everything and I send back the old stuff for credit.  I also wish the TDI's were still made but VW really screwed that up.  Got 32mpg on the drive home from the base yesterday...

In reply to docwyte :

Interested in this "send back for credit" sentence. What are you sending back?

Im assuming this is part of their lifetime warranty. 

In reply to spandak :

https://www.fcpeuro.com/page/lifetime-guarantee

In reply to spandak :

I send back the oil and oil filter.  The kit comes with a drain plug, but I never use it since I suck the oil up through the dipstick.

I haven't compared priced to FCP lately but my go to with diesel oil or service kits for the past few years has been IDparts. No lifetime guarantee though.

TowPig. There was a vibration like on a rumble strip, then I was rolling to a stop. A slight grinding sound as I put it in Park.

No need for a tow. The prop shaft had popped off the rear differential. Mrs AAZCD picked me up and I returned with some tools. The bearing/support in the middle of the shaft is probably bad, but it drove home fine after 10 minutes of work. I had a shaft go bad on a Cayenne and replacement isn't too bad.

The rear shaft (prop shaft, Cardan shaft) on this generation doesn't seem to have nearly as much trouble as the earlier ones. At this point, it seems stupid to blindly buy and replace the shaft. I'm going to let it sit for a couple weeks while I do 12 hour day shifts, then some travel. By February I should have a few free days to get a good look at it. Meanwhile, it drives normally and doesn't seem to still have a problem ...other than it could randomly fail again any time, any place. Note: The shaft has paint pen marking on it as-if it was a used replacement part at one point. Maybe it was never fully seated..?

I'm working in Texas through the weekend. Flight simulator is a lot of fun. We go through all the emergencies and fly some scenarios where things can go badly wrong. Sometimes in the real aircraft I wish there was a 'Freeze Button' where we could stop everything and reconsider actions.

I drove the red '07 Prius and I'm going to deliver it to my grandson in Phoenix as his first car. At 290,xxx miles I don't expect it will last forever, but he should get a good year at least in a car that he doesn't have to worry about locking or getting a few scratches in.

We may or may not paint the fender while I'm there.

The back of the Prius is loaded with Boxster parts: A headlight, radiator,  and AC tubing for a friend in Ft Worth and a convertible top for a forum friend in Tucson. We shall have lunches.

I have a flight back to Oklahoma on Thursday. Hopefully I don't buy a car in Phoenix to drive home, but I wouldn't rule it out.

That Jurassic Park Baja Bug... probably a bad choice for the drive home.

Took me a whole to find the leak there's a split on the inner wall. I'm headed to El Paso about 90 miles on the spare.

I'm not going to make it to the planned lunch in Tucson on time.  I love adventures though.

The Walmart auto center in El Paso had 2 tires in stock the right size. Yay. Getting an oil change too while I'm here.

And still waiting, but finally getting serviced. At least I wasn't on the roadside waiting for a tow.

I should have called ahead for an appointment as soon as I got the flat.

After the flat was repaired, the rest of that trip went well. Prius delivered to my eldest grandson who currently has his driver's permit and should have his license soon.

Back home now, I'm getting the Xbox ready for the 2025 Texas Carnado. The Off-road lights are physically mounted now and just need to be connected the switch. Trailer hitch is installed on the rear bumper. Wiring needs to be finished for trailer lights. The aftermarket heater core is ready to be re-plumbed with some 5/8" hose that I picked up. I'm not satisfied with the exhaust/muffler, but it works for now.

Today I worked on the snorkel. With a fixed top I would have routed it up the center, but I want to keep the convertible top operational. After poking around the car for an hour or two considering possibilities, I decided to use the original intake and air filter and route the snorkel through the body and out above the left rear fender.

I don't feel that I've reached a 'final product' yet. It's sturdy and functional, but it looks awkward poking out the side of the car unsupported. I'm going to let my eyes and mind adjust to it for a few days before making any changes. Maybe shorten it. Maybe do the top of it differently. That white scrap metal over the old intake duct might be better not quite so white...

I added the chicken to counter balance the snorkel. Having a chicken for a snorkel head did cross my mind, but that would be a little too awesome [maybe].

Off-road lights are wired. Sitting in the driver's seat, I think that they will work great on the trails.

There's still a list of to-dos, but its coming together nicely.

The Texas Carnado '25 was awesome! Good people and fun on the trails. Several cars broke down and had to be towed, but they will all be repaired.

The snorkel did great. Xbox was eXcellent and only got a few scrapes and lost the lip off the front bumper.

The Event Video:

Picture Album Here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC25KA