Following the #1 rule of a Lemons Rally: “Don’t die.” I did not die. But I am way behind on posting rallies and road trips here. I’m almost home from the 2023 Rocky Mountain Breakdown and will try to get these online soon as I can. It looks as though I may have at least… Continue reading Another rally. I still did not die.
Author: Rudy
Winters are slow. How about a road trip?
Once the weather turns in our part of the country, all work on cars shuts down, at least at The Hooptie Garage. There’s no actual “garage,” beyond that small 1-1/2 car structure in my backyard that has more to do with storage for everything outdoors (bikes, lawn equipment, etc.) along with automotive tools and other… Continue reading Winters are slow. How about a road trip?
LED vs. Incandescent
Why I’ve switched to LEDs… View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Hooptie Garage (@thehooptiegarage)
2022 Rust Belt Ramble series is LIVE!
I just wrapped up editing the Rust Belt Ramble series here on the site: 2022 Rust Belt Ramble
Success? The Civic lives…
Welp… View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Hooptie Garage (@thehooptiegarage)
The Civic weirdness continues…
Finally receiving a Heli-Coil kit for the Civic’s stripped threads, I set about to working on the aborted repair project. My first step was to dig right in and get those threads fixed. Only, I thought I would run the M10x1.25 tap into the hole to see what happened. Well, I encountered resistance almost immediately. … Continue reading The Civic weirdness continues…
Rally survivor’s guide for solo travelers
A road rally, such as the Lemons Rally, often involves elements of deciphering clues and being aware of and constantly searching the surrounding areas to find checkpoints, in addition to several hours of driving. It is a good idea to have a co-pilot who can assist with some of those tasks. Yet, many of us… Continue reading Rally survivor’s guide for solo travelers
Tip for valve cover Heli-Coils
In the past, I had to use Heli-Coils since a previous mechanic had gotten overzealous and overtightened the valve cover bolts, which stripped them out. When I installed a couple of Heli-Coils last time, I ended up ruining a couple of the coils since they did not go into the hole easily. This time, however,… Continue reading Tip for valve cover Heli-Coils
Hooptie evaluation–which car do I use for the Rust Belt Ramble?
I have 2½ weeks to get a car ready for the Rust Belt Ramble. I am taking a look at the older CR-V, as it is in decrepit enough condition to do a full-on theme and be enough of a hooptie to fit in. The alternator is frozen up, and the steering fluid leaked out,… Continue reading Hooptie evaluation–which car do I use for the Rust Belt Ramble?
More EVs near the Hooptie Garage
Ever since the local Meijer put in these Electrify America charging stations, it appears as though GM is driving over a lot of their prototypes, presumably to test the charging capabilities of their upcoming cars. (This charging station is only a few miles from the GM Technical Center.) For a while last year, I was… Continue reading More EVs near the Hooptie Garage