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So I flew from Ohio to Columbia, South Carolina today to pick up a 2005 Escalade. 95k miles, loaded with everything except rear seat entertainment. 7k miles on some high-mileage Michelins, new brakes, frequent oil changes, but other than that, it doesn't seem to have seen a lot of maintenance. It was a sight-unseen buy, seller sent some pictures, that was it. There was a long, involved, multi-week story to it, but that's neither here nor there. I flew down, landed in a tropical storm, "inspected" the truck in said tropical storm and drove back to Ohio. A very long day. It's got the LQ9 / 6.0l high-compression motor, which has been fed nothing but crap gas.  A couple tanks of premium and several key cycles and it's easy to feel the timing being added back into the map. And, for a 5k pound truck, this thing will MOVE. I have to decide how much I'm going to do to it, bit from what I've read, long tube headers really open these up.Several things wrong -- a) It is filthy, inside and out. I cannot understand how people live with such filth. Easy to take care of, though. b) Right front had a vehicle strike and it scratched/gouged the bumper and plastic. Detail fill/paint/recovery in order. c) No navigation disc. I'll look into unconventional replacement options there. d) Key fobs are inoperative. Seller said that they needed new batteries. New batteries did nothing. Going through the key fob reprogramming instructions did nothing. I may order some new fobs to try before digging further. e) TPMS inop. I don't really care, other than the nag screen startup. May look into it, may not. Then, it's like I started with the Envoy... full maintenance. All fluids, remove tires, rotate, clean, properly torque, polish headlights, poo poo... polish everything. Sunroof needs lube, interior needs nuked. All the stuff that I love doing. If I'm somewhat ambitious, I'll do some before/after stuffs.  Edit: Oh yeah, those fake vents on the side come off tomorrow. They don't look bad, but they're autozone crap.
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May 30, 2016 01:02
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EVERYWHERE 
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Maybe a cam down the road, I'll get the external bolt ons sorted first. This one probably isn't going up like the Envoy, it's probably going to stay as-is as far as height, but I can see sway bar upgrades in its future.
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May 30, 2016 01:44
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rdb posted:Are those the stock wheels? They look out of place for some reason. Stock. GM's Regular Production Option (RPO) Code of QS7, which included skid plates and, in this truck, is part of the Code WSD "Collector's Edition," which literally adds only a chrome grille and black upper dashboard to the QS7 code. GM is weird. I like the look, it's not the 17" seven spoke that's on most Escalades, but not ridiculously blingy like a lot of the aftermarket chromes. leica posted:So did you stay in your budget? If so looks like a drat good find. $11k, plus $227 for a one-way ticket. From looking for almost a month solid, it was by far the best buy I've seen. Cleaning it up and bringing it North adds value. Once I get it clean up here, it's a $14k truck. Seat Safety Switch posted:This is going to be one of those meatpimp threads that make me feel bad about not power-polishing every car I own huh? I sure hope so.
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May 30, 2016 11:19
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Fuelslt1 posted:And what are you going to do with it? I already said... sways and power. Certainly no lift. I was thinking of naming this thread "Re-Escaladed," btw.  (I'll give you my address. send me your stock wheels, I need them for Winter.) meatpimp fucked around with this message at 20:30 on May 30, 2016 |
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May 30, 2016 20:28
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We'll agree to disagree, but the irony is that I need to buy the Cadillac emblems that you removed because mine are faded.  Seriously, though, this motor stock is _just_ enough to make it hustle, and even handle a little bit. I'd have to think taller tires would sap too much of the snap without some serious bolt-ons to compensate. You wouldn't want to drag me. Edit: Your color hides the retarded lines of the windows. It's one thing that's really bugged me about these cars. If you look at the side of mine, the rear door window lines do not agree with ANYTHING that the rear side window is doing. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 21:12 on May 30, 2016 |
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May 30, 2016 21:04
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Previa_fun posted:I just noticed how Groverhouse the GM800 SUVs look from the side. It really is bad once you notice it. A lot of work on the truck yesterday. Wheels came off and got cleaned inside (barrels) and all. I'm glad I didn't have any problems on the road, because the lugs were absolutely tighter than reasonable. My JhnnyThndrs IR rattle gun with 120psi just sat on some of the lugs. No way in hell I would have been able to change those on the roadside. It is amazing what a couple minor changes make. With the tires aired up to 40psi all around (from 35/35/35/30), and the wheels properly centered and torqued to the 140ftlb spec, it is much more smooth, and it was pretty good to start. That makes me happy. I cannot find the issue with the keyless remote/TPMS systems, though. In googling, looks like '07+ has had issues with both components together, so I'm still thinking there may be a common failure (a control module maybe?), but I'm still digging to find the answer. Going through the standard reset procedures for both systems yields absolutely no result. The body is in really good shape. I got the obnoxious stick-on fender vents off, most of it clayed, Ultimate Compounded and sealed. I found that the side cladding on the driver's side front and rear door has been replaced, but no metal paintwork that I can find yet, so that's great. Zero corrosion, which is such a loving treat in Ohio. More cleaning today and getting a list of fluids for maintenance. The power steering fluid was low and there were a couple drops underneath it, so that's something I'll have to track down. Quick pic in the sun when I pulled it out yesterday: 
meatpimp fucked around with this message at 14:31 on May 31, 2016 |
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May 31, 2016 13:12
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bolind posted:meatpimp, what kind of mileage are you seeing on this? I'm assuming this is a lot more fun now than when gas was four bucks a gallon? I got almost 18mpg over 540 miles on Sunday. All freeway, but through the West Virginia mountains, fresh from a maintenance-neglecting owner. That's less than 2 mpg below the Envoy with its puny 4.2l 6 cylinder and full maintenance (Envoy did just under 18mpg on the freeway when I first got it.) On that front, I put in a $130 order from Amazon just for Differential, Transfer Case and Power Steering fluids. The monster rear end takes 5 quarts of gear oil itself. 
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May 31, 2016 19:08
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So I'm cleaning it, because that's what I do. I ordered some Dr. Colorchip to work on some of the scratches/nicks. But the inside... oh, the inside. I don't know how people can be such loving pigs. I have kids, I understand they make messes. I don't drink coffee, but I understand that it can spill, especially in a vehicle. But god drat, that poo poo cleans up... so why don't people clean it the gently caress up? The carpet was soaked in coffee and kid stuff. It cleaned up well, looks like it should now, but again, god drat. Then, the center console. It has a number of nooks and crevices. They were all filled with grunge. It took a cleaning with Simple Green just to find out what I then needed to clean with Simple Green. As I was doing that, I found that the door that covers the cupholders is apparently a portal to a black hole. This is what I found inside when I partially disassembled the console:  Let's see... there's some change, a hair band, some garbage, a page with Olive Garden coupons that expired in 2011, a Mercedes dealership business card with a bunch of numbers on it, probably payments (in the $650-750 range... drat people are stupid). There was also a business card to The Wicker Barn and a fast-food receipt. My favorite, though, was the un-cashed $1784 check from 2005. Oh yeah, there was also a razor blade. Good thing my tetanus shots are up to date, because I was digging blind in there. 
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May 31, 2016 21:11
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Magnus Praeda posted:I realize the check is old and you have no relation to the account holder, but you should probably censor the account and routing #s. My bank account information hasn't changed in 25 years and I know a lot of people in the same boat. Good point, edited.
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May 31, 2016 23:23
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Black88GTA posted:Grats on the purchase! Yours is quite a bit nicer than mine. Of course I paid like half of what you did, mine has closer to 190k on it, and quote:Does your cupholder cover latch? If not, it's probably because the clip fell off and went in the console somewhere because someone pulled it up without depressing it first. Most people are able to fish out the clip and reattach it to fix, although a few unlucky people found the clip broken. quote:That haze in the top of the headlights is just that - inside. There are ways to clean it out, but I haven't bothered yet. The park assist system... works? I haven't paid a lot of attention to it, but it did beep when I turned the car on and walked close to the bumper. I haven't heard it in normal use yet, but I don't know if I've been close enough to anything to trigger it. quote:The Stabilitrak / Ride Control system will drive you batshit. The front connectors are the most heinously designed pieces of poo poo I"ve ever seen. If you want to get rid of the stripe, there's a magic rubber disc that you can put on a drill/grinder and it'll take the stripe right off without killing the clearcoat underneath. For those of you that have Escalades (or any GM car or one of several other brands), run your VIN through compnine.com, it costs a couple bucks, but gives you an instant list of all the RPO codes your car/truck came with. It was invaluable in cutting through the bullshit of sellers as I was looking for this one. And this one was by far the most loaded one I looked at. go3 posted:now that yall mentioned that completely out of place rear window its all i see and there are like a million escalades on the road here It's really bad once you notice it.
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Jun 1, 2016 00:58
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There was also a rotten half of a chocolate bar, and a big blob of what looked like kids rubber glitter paint cemented into the rear carpet 
And the driver's door was (is) kind of falling off, the front fogs were broken, and, and, and
but I'll leave it at that.
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ssjonizuka posted:No recalls or anything on this? Subaru had one on the legacy (I owned an 08 GT) a few years ago about rusting lines. That's downright scary. I think GM went to court and successfully argued that the hard brake lines are a normal wear item. Another reason I was looking for a southern car. Edit: Yep - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-09/gm-avoids-recall-of-2-million-trucks-for-corroded-brake-lines meatpimp fucked around with this message at 10:37 on Jun 1, 2016 |
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Jun 1, 2016 10:24
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kastein posted:That brings up another thing... fluidfilm this boat before it rots to hell and back. Make sure to get the brake lines and all other known problem areas. Definitely on the list. This is the best time, too. Nice, dry weather. I'll get the undercarriage cleaned up and buy a 3-pack of fluid film spray, then go to town on it.
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Jun 1, 2016 14:56
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leica posted:What is this fluid film you speak of? From the sounds of it I probably wouldn't even need it down here. https://www.amazon.com/Fluid-Film-Spray-AEROSOL-CAN/dp/B001OKBFBS/191-9249014-2322130?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0 Yeah, saying hard brake lines are a wear item is bullshit. GM cost cutting... like just now, I went to take out the cabin air filters to change them... only to find out that GM stopped putting cabin air filters in Escalades after 2002. You guys had me paranoid about the brake lines, so I got under to check them. I'm pretty comfortable now. 
meatpimp fucked around with this message at 15:59 on Jun 1, 2016 |
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Jun 1, 2016 15:57
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Dropped the spare yesterday and it came down like new. The steel spare wheel wasn't even rusted, I've never seen that before, even on other cars from the South. I cleaned it, aired it up (was at 15psi) and put it back. One of the upcoming jobs is plugs, perhaps plug wires. I tried a couple of the easiest-to-get-to plugs (twisting/pulling) and those plug wires are fused on there. What's the best tool for boot pulling?
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Jun 2, 2016 12:21
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Black88GTA posted:That haze in the top of the headlights is just that - inside. There are ways to clean it out, but I haven't bothered yet. That haze bothered me. I gave the outsides a good polish, but the haze makes it look like poo poo. I saw that on most of the trucks I looked at, I didn't know that it was inside. Sometimes you can believe what you find on the internet. Side with just outside polish:  Side after washing the inside with a strong mix of isopropyl alcohol and water:  There's still a few drops inside, it's not fully dry yet. I had to re-do it with a stronger mixture of alcohol because my first mix of filtered water and alcohol was leaving spots. This seems to be better. The difference is much bigger than the pictures show, it's hard to capture the haze in a picture, but it's mainly in the top 25% of the lens. Edit: Easier to see here with the lights on... you should see nothing but reflector in the top HID low beam... this is all cloudy:  Whereas the finished side is dead clear (again with low and high beams on):  I just finished both sides. Now I need to let it sit open so the water/alcohol mixture evaporates. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Jun 2, 2016 |
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Jun 2, 2016 15:15
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MrOnBicycle posted:ChrisFix puts on clear coat: That's for a different problem. These particular headlights haze up on the INSIDE. I woudn't worry about that, leica, this is the first model of car I've seen that hazes up the inside, along with the standard outside hazing.
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Jun 2, 2016 16:59
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Holy poo poo, zerk fittings. I was under the front changing the front diff fluid and saw zerk fittings on the tie rods. I don't think I've seen those on a car of mine in 15 years. It looked like they hadn't been lubed in a while, so I put 4 pumps in each one and I'll see if that makes a difference in feel. What is conventional wisdom on this -- pump until it comes out from around the boot, or a few pumps on occasion?
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Jun 3, 2016 13:48
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rdb posted:Out of curiosity, what transmission and transfer case is in one of those? Does the case use the blue fluid or just ATF? I think the transmission is a 4L65E, not sure on that. I also don't know which transfer case it is, but I do know that it takes regular ATF. The Envoy went to salvage with a xfer case filled with fresh blue stuff.  Edit: Transfer case is a Borg Warner 4481 NR3. No low range on this one, permanent 60/40 torque split. Edit 2: Definitely not the blue stuff in the transfer case. Changed front diff fluid (magnet had a good bit of material, but nothing worrisome), transfer case fluid, and engine oil. PO said he never used synthetic, so I got the joy of feeling a dino-oil only small block changed to Mobil 1. I love those times. You can tell an immediate difference in smoothness with a fresh change to synthetic. Still to come: Rear diff fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid, probably brake pads and rotors -- basically, I'm going down the same road that I just did with the Envoy. Only this time, the damned thing jumps when you stomp on the gas. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Jun 3, 2016 |
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Jun 3, 2016 16:49
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Black88GTA posted:If you want a little more stopping power and a lot less fade (especially important if you want to tow stuff), front rotors / calipers from an '07 bolt right up. The 07 rotors are 1" bigger in diameter. If you're doing pads / rotors anyway, might be a good time to swap out calipers too and take advantage of the upgrade. The downside is, the bigger brakes will no longer clear the stock spare tire. I think just proper stock brakes with grippy pads will suffice. I've got a set of AC Delco Professional Ceramics on the counter, the same type I put on the Envoy and I was happy with them. I'll get a set of rotors ordered and give it a refresh. Wireless systems chat: Homelink works fine and is programmed. TPMS and Keyless entry still do not work. I've gone through the reset/reprogram list for both, multiple times. No repsonse from the car for any of the TPMS sensors as I let air out per procedure. No response from the car from pressing the lock-and-unlock buttons on the 2 existing or 1 new keyfob. Looks like both the TPMS and Keyless Entry goes though a PDM (Passenger Door Module), which is the module on the passenger door that has the lock/unlock and window control buttons. I've got a replacement coming and I hope that takes care of the problem. One weird thing, after reading a dozen Keyless Entry programming pages and watching half a dozen youtube videos, when I do the key on-off-on-off thing, the car responds with a honk and lock/unlock cycle. Everything I've seen and read shows that the car should just lock/unlock without the horn. Hopefully this is pointing to something with the PDM. We'll see.
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Jun 6, 2016 16:44
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some texas redneck posted:Do you need to program the new PDM to the car with a Tech2, or is it just plug and play? Should be plug and play. We'll see. So now we are in the part of the car acquisition process where I'm reasonably sure it's straight, never damaged, in reasonable condition. So, let's get to really cleaning this beast. From having GM vehicles before, I know that they like to pack poo poo behind the front wheels. Having cleaned out a huge amount of wet gunk from inside the passenger front wheewell, I took some pictures with the driver's side. Doesn't look too bad from here, a bit of crap at the bottom, but overall not too bad:  But... behind that black insulation is an open space that is packed. Pulling some fasteners from the wheelwell liner and pulling the liner back shows us:  That is dirt and silt and leaves and crap that initially plug the area for drainage, then builds up. If left to sit, especially in Ohio, that poo poo will start to rust everything it touches... from the inside. After pulling out the crap, we're left with:  I Simple Green'd the area afterwards and put the wheelwell back in place. Now it's good for a long time.
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Jun 7, 2016 19:27
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Fuelslt1 posted:18mpg!? I get 14mpg city & highway unless I'm cruising at 55mph. (6mpg if you can hear the aftermarket exhaust roaring) I just did 150 miles in it today, clocked in right at 17.5mpg. I think that a more open intake and exhaust should only help that.  how many miles on yours?In other news: driving 150 miles in it with the tires properly aired and wheels mounted at proper torques, with half the drivetrain switched to synthetic made it even more smooth. I'm really liking it so far. It's a straight truck, like the Envoy, but all comfortable-like. It's a good combo.
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Jun 8, 2016 19:22
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Black88GTA posted:These will change your life. Hands down the best tools for this I have ever used. Also works amazingly on heat fused vacuum / fuel / whatever lines in awkward places. I picked up a set of those tools. Christobevii3 posted:You grab the metal surround with needle noses and pull. A little heat and wd40 helps. Elmnt80 posted:Except the that engine should have a metal heat shield surrounding the bottom of the wire to protect it from the exhaust manifold. Gm says gently caress your fancy tool. Yep, I used those tools on the metal shields. I didn't know how they were on the wires until after I got one off. By the end, I was just saying "gently caress it" and pulling on the poo poo like a monkey. That resulted in some damage, but worth it.  some texas redneck posted:Do you need to program the new PDM to the car with a Tech2, or is it just plug and play? Motherfucker was just plug and play. I put the new PDM / window switch in and went through the same keyless entry programming I'd tried a dozen times before -- bingo, worked straight away. Then, on to TPMS... instead of getting no reading from any wheel, I got readings from all but the Left Rear. So again, the PDM / window switch does have a say in the TPMS system and it looks like it's working now.
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Jun 10, 2016 22:53
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iwentdoodie posted:Jesus loving Christ are you part chimp Yep. And covered with grease that makes me look even more furry. Eastern European descent, represent.  If I was gay, I'd be such an awesome bear. Edit: Or was that racist? meatpimp fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Jun 11, 2016 |
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Jun 11, 2016 00:09
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iwentdoodie posted:But you have chimp hands. Gotcha. Yeah, my hands are meat paws, got them from my grandpa. They're too big to fit in a lot of small places you find in cars, so I just shove them in. They're used to bleeding. The Escalade is getting more comfy. Just catching up on the maintenance so far, especially greasing the 11 zerks in the steering and suspension, has made it a ton more smooth, and it wasn't bad to start.
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Jun 11, 2016 00:55
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Alright, enough of the fur worship. At this point, I'm two weeks in. The truck is mostly clean (at least superficially... it's a big truck). It still needs a good detailing in the engine compartment, door openings and a general wash underneath. The list: Transmission Fluid Change Rear Diff fluid Change Coolant Change Get Nav Disc (22846887 - version 10.4 (2012) 86271-70V736) -- I cannot find this anywhere, either through legitimate or illegitimate means for any kind of reasonable price. It's an old system and I guess the discs are getting rare.Get some kind of Intake Brake Pads and Rotors -- Pads on hand, rotors ordered soon. Front and Rear Cadillac Emblems to replace faded ones Fog lights -- either upgraded or replaced.
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Jun 11, 2016 12:14
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Larrymer posted:Looks like a nice truck meatchimp. Oh, you.  The list: Transmission Fluid Change Coolant Change Get Nav Disc (22846887 - version 10.4 (2012) 86271-70V736) -- I cannot find this anywhere, either through legitimate or illegitimate means for any kind of reasonable price. It's an old system and I guess the discs are getting rare.Brake Pads and Rotors -- Pads on hand, rotors ordered soon. Front and Rear Cadillac Emblems to replace faded ones Fog lights -- either upgraded or replaced. Rear Diff fluid changed yesterday. Very little material on the magnet. Stupid case design where you fill it to "x" level below the fill hole. I put in just over 5 pints of Mobil 1 and called it good. K&N intake ordered, hopefully here and installed tomorrow. Time for the Cadillac to stop hiding the sweet V8 induction noise.
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Jun 14, 2016 14:47
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Larrymer posted:You don't really want nav that's that old anyway. Don't pay for that poo poo. I don't really want it, but... I have a nice, new Android / Bluetooth Double-Din Nav with the Steering Wheel Control / OnStar / Chimes boxes that I pulled out of the Envoy, but... The Escalade has nice integration with the rear seat controls and XM. I'm leaning towards getting an Aux adapter so I can then add a Bluetooth adapter and call it good. Need a Nav disc to do that, though. Black88GTA posted:I went through pretty much the exact same process as you are now when I got mine a few years ago - including this part. Send me a flash drive / SD card (say 10GB minimum) and I can load it up with stuff you might find useful. Give me an email I can use to contact you if interested. Username at the mail system provided by Google. Thanks! KennyLoggins posted:I might have a nav disc from one of my DTS's you could have but I don't know if the GMT800 trucks used the same nav system. I bet it's the same if you find one... ironically, the disc I'm looking for is the same one I had for the '05 STS that I had for a month or so last year. I just cannot find the damned thing anywhere and I may have thrown it away, thinking I'd never use it again. Previa_fun posted:Post a video once you get the intake installed. I've always thought these trucks sound great when revved out. I'd like to do a before-and-after, but I'm lazy and it's going to rain today. I'll at least take pictures.
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Jun 15, 2016 12:46
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KennyLoggins posted:
Thanks for looking, yep, that's the generation after mine. some texas redneck posted:How attached are you to Onstar? Too much $$$ for too little functionality. There's also a box for $130 that uses one of the XM feeds, I'd go that route, if I can get the loving nav to work. So I bought a thing today.   Edit: Although it was sold as an '02-06 Escalade grille, it isn't. It's an '07-14 Tahoe/Suburban/Avalanche. Lol. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Jun 22, 2016 |
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Jun 22, 2016 21:41
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everdave posted:Why? Because it was poorly listed on Craigslist and I'll make money on it. 
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Jun 23, 2016 15:38
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So I suck so far with no pics or video of the K&N FIPK2 install, but it's in there. The resonance chambers on the stock intake are unreasonably huge and make the engine bay much more open when they're gone. Very little difference in sound in normal driving, a cabin-filling resonance if you got just past part-throttle on takeoff, but nothing objectionable. Full throttle gives a nice induction howl. I can't attribute more power directly to the intake, but through the course of changing filters/fluids/plugs/gas/etc, it has gone from having a huge dead zone in the 1-2 shift to running the motor to a higher RPM before 1-2 shifting and it's overall noticeably quicker and stronger. I just got done changing the coolant... how a car can have 11 zerk fittings for the suspension and steering maintenance, yet no petcock for the radiator is loving beyond me.  I've got a set of Wagner coated rotors and Delco professional ceramic pads waiting to put on. I'm going to paint the calipers when it's disassembled, so since it'll already be on jack stands, I'm going to change the transmission fluid and filter, too. That'll be the end of fluid changes, since I'll have been through all of them at that point. Head unit has puked on every burned navigation disc I've tried, OEM one ordered, hopefully that works.
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Jun 28, 2016 18:53
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It's an old system and I guess the discs are getting rare. Fog lights -- either upgraded or replaced. Jesus hosed-up Christ. I want to inflict violences upon the GM engineer that mounted the shift cable bracket in a way such that the transmission pan is 99% free just from removing the 16 bolts that hold it on, yet the bracket blocks it. BUT, to get the pan to clear the bracket, you have to remove two T40 bolts that are damned-near inaccessible. So, you can remove the rearmost bolt and pivot the bracket out of the way... BUT there's still 1/4" if interference between the bracket and the pan. So, you can take the bolts off from the transmission mount and jack up the transfer case / transmission... BUT there's still a oval office's hair of interference. So, then you can drop the front loving driveshaft and FINALLY get the pan out. To replace, reverse the procedure. Picture of the cable, bracket doesn't really show here, but it's near the shiny part reflecting on the pan:  And a little further back, it looks like there should be enough clearance bending the bracket against the driveshaft, but there just isn't. : At least the pan and fluid looked good. Very little swarf for 97k miles:  A 1 hour job quickly turns into a 3 hour job from that bullshit. But, it's done. I took the brake pads and rotors off the list. I have nice new replacement parts, because when I got it the damned thing wouldn't stop without considerable force on the pedal. But, over time, it's gotten a lot grippier. I think the PO just had the pads completely glazed over and they are alright now. If anything changes, it's a quick and easy job. Front Emblem and factory Nav DVD should show up today, hopefully those are correct and work. Picture of the K&N FIPK2:  Edit: Got an original Nav DVD and it worked straight away. Strange, but I'm not going to argue. Now to get XM turned on on the head unit and sell the Android Double-Din with chime and onstar adapters. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Jul 1, 2016 |
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Jul 1, 2016 16:36
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Trip report: 300 miles, 18mpg, probably need a front suspension refresh. 90%+ of the bumps are well-dampened. 10% of then gently caress the truck's poo poo. Angled bumps seem to do it, feels like the front of the truck gets slammed into the side of the frame. I suspect control arm bushings. Big detailing news, though -- the truck has SERIOUS glass etching from hard water. I have thrown everything I know at it, from scrubbing bubbles to CLR to steel wool, you name it. Nothing has made even a little bit of a difference. It's tough to photograph, but here's a shot of the Left Rear window:  If you look at the area in the reflection at the bottom of the garage door you can see it -- look like normal water spots, except they are etched INTO the glass. I thought I was hosed and was prepared to live with it. Until I took a swing on McKee's 37 High Performance Glass Restorer http://www.autogeek.net/dp515.html I'll be damned if that stuff doesn't work. It absolutely removes the etching with a bit of elbow grease. Removes as in "it is no longer there and the glass looks pristine." I am surprised and happy. I've only gotten it to work with a hand pad and a lot of rubbing. I've tried a medium pad on a DA polisher and it really doesn't work. I know I could get it to work with more pressure/speed, but I don't want to get the glass too hot and crack it or any stupid poo poo like that, so I'll tackle the windows old school -- with my arm. Edit: I did two windows by hand and it was taking forever. I grabbed a firm pad from my dad and that worked straight away. Glass is fully clear, like new. No traces of the etching and I'm still surprised. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 20:40 on Jul 9, 2016 |
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Jul 8, 2016 13:11
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Small update -- front end definitely needs a refresh, but I'm thinking it's mostly control arm bushings. I may look into a temporary fix that I used on my '93 STS with hosed rear bushings, and that is to just inject some self-curing polyurethane into the bushings. I'll have to give that some more thought / research. I'm also on my way to getting a set of Winter wheels put together. Where I'm at, the new Michelins would be fine, but the chrome 20" wheels are just at the cusp of starting to corrode, just around the valve stems, but I know that once it starts, it's all downhill from there. So, I bought a like-new set of 18" wheels from an '11 Escalade:  I'm trying to buy a set of Toyo Open Country tires in a good Winter size off of cl, but we'll see how that goes. EDIT: Last on my "getting acquainted" list was fog lights. Stock replacement fog lights are $30/pair. I could stick some good bulbs in and be done. However, I'd like to put LEDs there. I tried a pair of 36W 7" light bars from Amazon, but they were in a flood pattern and really sucked in general. Are there any LED fog lights with a reasonable pattern and high light output at a reasonable price? I don't want to spend $250+ for PIAAs, but the sub-$50 seem to be crap, with little in between. meatpimp fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Jul 25, 2016 |
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Jul 25, 2016 18:14
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Fuelslt1 posted:I bought stock replacement fogs and they are worthless, literally as bright as a candle. Just ordered a couple of Made in China 6" LED light bars that I'm going to retrofit behind the factory fog lenses. Yeah, stock fogs are terrible. I had one lens fall out (thankfully in the driveway, so I could glue it back in), but I really don't want the stocks, since they are worthless. These are the lights I tried: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IZ9VAOI/ (and I know they weren't sold as fog pattern, I was going to have them tilted way down to get the ground close to the truck lit... the amount of light output itself just sucked) I have a nice CREE XM-L headlight that I use for biking. That one LED is almost as bright as some car's headlights. The light bars from Amazon use LEDs that are about 1/10th of the size of an XM-L and the light is super broad with absolutely no cutoff. That explains why so many dickheads running light bars stand out as glare factories -- the lights are pure crap and more for bro-looks than usable light output. sharkytm posted:Fog lights aren't supposed to be bright spots, they're supposed to be an even flood. They're for spotting the sides of the road and obstacles in fog. If you want bright spot-pattern DRIVING lights, then wire them to your high beams and have at it. Put a couple of massive light bars on, and look like a brotruck. I know what good fog lights are supposed to look like, as well as driving and flood lights. I've run many different PIAAs in the past, including 90 PRO XTs, and when I look at fog lights, I'm looking for a super-wide beam pattern with a razor-sharp cutoff. Once I get that sorted, I'd be open to some driving lights in place of the tow hooks in the front, but that's next-step stuff. In news today, I did make the deal on some 255-70-18 Toyo Open Country A/TII tires. Brand new, never mounted, mid-2015 manufacture date. These will be for Winter. I'm kinda anxious to see what a set of nice real A/T tires will do. I haven't had A/T tires since I had my CJ8... and those were crappy Generals. With AWD, a poo poo-ton of weight and these tires, this truck should be great in the snow. 
meatpimp fucked around with this message at 17:49 on Jul 26, 2016 |
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Jul 26, 2016 17:43
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meatpimp posted:I don't want to spend $250+ for PIAAs, but the sub-$50 seem to be crap, with little in between. sharkytm posted:Then buy Ridgid's DOT-legal fog pods. They'll have a razor sharp cutoff, and be a legit fog pattern. Yeah, I've seen the Rigids, but again $$$, nothing between $30 crap and $250+? I'll look at conventional projector fogs and call it good for $90 or less...
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Jul 27, 2016 00:11
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Back to brake chat with this thing. The pads that are on it did bed in, but it still takes way too much pedal pressure for way too little bite / stopping power. Fuelslt1 pointed out that the '07+ went with a larger front disc and dual piston calipers that bolt on, but require 18" wheels, so the stock spare won't fit. Well, I got 18" wheels and tires for Winter and the 20" set that's on there now. Even though I have a new set of pads and rotors for the front in the stock size, I'm not going to use them. Instead, I'll just put the upsized stuff on there to try to haul this hog down. If I need a spare on the front, I can just rotate a back wheel to the front and put the spare on back there.
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Sep 7, 2016 16:07
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Larrymer posted:Isn't that what you're supposed to do no matter what anyway? I didn't think you wanted donuts on the front wheels, ever. I don't want to rely on it to turn or brake with that lovely little contact patch. It's a full-sized spare, so no issues there.
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Sep 7, 2016 20:46
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Elmnt80 posted:Is it one of those 16" steelies off the base silverado? I know thats what the avalanche and suburbans had as a spare, but not sure about the escalades. Fuelslt1 posted:Escalades come with a 24" chrome spinner as a spare. drat, I got shafted. I've just got a 16" steel wheel with no spinner.
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Sep 8, 2016 17:44
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So I've had this thing since the Spring and, other than the FIPK intake, I really haven't done poo poo to it, other than cleaning and maintenance. The hunt is on for a Corsa #14220 exhaust. Used runs about $5-600 if you can find one. New is about $850. It's a lot for a stupid cat-back, but I like the look of the Corsa tips and I remember seeing a development STS in the '90s at Nelson Ledges when the Cadillac engineers were testing some stuff... they made it very clear that Corsa has the inside line with GM engineering, and from all reports I've seen, it's a good fit on this truck with no droning. I'd really like to do a head-back header/y-pipe/cat-back straight out, but I really don't have a broken-head-bolt fight in me. My AI only goes so far these days.
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Oct 6, 2016 22:44
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Hi, I'm Seminal Flu and I polish turds. Current subject: 2000 Toyota Avalon. 161k miles. Previous owner advised that he bought it 35k miles ago after previous previous owner bought it from previous previous previous owner who lunched the motor with a timing belt snap. Supposedly, the motor runs great. The only bad part is that it won't start. Hopefully it's starter contacts, I've got a repair kit coming tomorrow and we'll see. In other news, it is absolutely as filthy and disgusting as my other purchases -- the Buick Rendezvous, the GMC Envoy, the front of this is dirtier because the previous owner was a SERIOUS smoker. I've had the ozone generator going for a while and it'll take care of it, but god drat, people are dirty pigs. It's going to need some detailing, too. Right front corner was a frequent visitor to the garage door trim:  I looked at it and figured it was mostly paint transfer. I was right:  Time to pull the starter and get working on the interior.
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Oct 18, 2016 20:18
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