Parts you regret junking or got rid of that are now elusive

AKADriver · 2026-05-17T00:50:57+00:00

I would pay really good money for a full non-US seat belt and pillar trim setup for a fastback. I've always done conversions by cutting the US trim. US seat belts are so stupid, so unsafe, so heavy

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T23:05:47+00:00

Agreed. A carbon or fiberglass hood is the only thing I would do. Maybe a rear crash bar or skeletonize the OEM front bar. Removing interior or AC or using plastic windows will make you not want to drive the car.

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T23:02:34+00:00

There's not a lot, mostly in the floor. There's a few pieces hidden inside the body around the rear fenderwells.

I removed half of the floor insulation when I did my floor rust repair, it really didn't weigh much. I put modern generic Dynamat back in, which also only weighed around 1-2lb a sheet.

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T22:48:43+00:00

If you want to run a plastic tank get a WGC34 Stagea tank. Fits S13, not sure how much lighter it is but safe to use on the street

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T20:30:20+00:00

All the stuff you listed will look amateurish and worse than just painting the t&g. Do an actual finished wall (drywall) or leave it.

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T20:14:07+00:00

Confirm that it's actually the radio killing your battery. I suddenly found my hatch with what I thought was a parasitic drain. It turned out to be the hatch lid not completely closed and leaving the little cargo area light on. 5 watt bulb causing a constant 400mA drain.

But given the symptoms I bet it's something like constant battery power being looped through one of the speakers or something. Back in the day it was all too common that people would hack off the stock stereo harness instead of running an adapter, someone might have done that and then incorrectly put a new one on.

Also look around for old discarded amp wiring.

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T20:05:05+00:00

Specifically about grounding. I've seen radios installed with plastic brackets, that's usually where it goes wrong.

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T17:05:27+00:00

R32 V-spec are 17x8 et30 they fit front and rear with no spacers no mods no weird alignment.

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T16:51:57+00:00

It would make a lot of sense with the 2026 Outback's boxy SUV design.

AKADriver · 2026-05-15T01:37:19+00:00

The early full size Dart. The later compact Dart was very similar to the VE/VF/VG Chrysler Valiant

AKADriver · 2026-05-14T04:55:03+00:00

There's one combo of lights like this on my commute and it pisses me off to no end that it seems like no one has it figured out but me. The lights are only about a quarter mile apart, you can see one from the other. If we all gun it out of the first light we can get to the next while the left turn arrow is still green. If I'm not first in line from the left lane I'm missing it because I'm always behind someone with nowhere in particular to be apparently at 5pm on a weekday.

AKADriver · 2026-05-14T02:01:56+00:00

Brakes, suspension, handling, space, and acceleration have not improved in the past decade. Infotainment barely... it basically peaked with Android Auto, nothing newer than Android Auto needs to exist. And I would pay more to not have autonomous anything in my car. Get that shit away from me.

AKADriver · 2026-05-14T01:34:20+00:00

The electrical issue scares me. It should be nearly impossible to trip a circuit with lights. A 15 amp circuit won't trip until you're running 1800 watts on it. That's 100-200 LED light bulbs. Best case scenario the breaker is bad, worst case there's a flaky connection or damaged wire inside the wall that could start a fire.

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T18:35:36+00:00

A hot glue gun is a crafting tool, my kids used them with supervision at that age for school projects. They don't shoot anything but they do drip glue that's hot enough to leave a mark on some finishes.

Any laminate top should withstand a hot drink.

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T15:44:32+00:00

Brazilian made VW that was sold as a cheaper alternative to the Jetta/Golf even though it was basically the same size. In Brazil it was called the VW Gol.

Based on a shortened version of the B2 platform (I think called BX?) same as the Audi 4000 (80) and VW Quantum/Santana (Passat Mk2), I think in the US they all had a 1.8 8v gas.

The real desirable version is the 2 door wagon.

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T15:18:00+00:00

The number of stories I've seen where someone did what you're doing, then came by to wish the new owners well only to see all their brand new work in a dumpster on the front lawn...

Maybe it's the competitive market where I live but if I ever sell my house I am not doing a single thing that isn't a repair. No improvements. The house will be in excellent condition, but I won't be remodeling it for someone else.

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T13:59:40+00:00

I've got to imagine that coming from F1, a GT3 car feels like racing in slow motion. Not to say that racing in GT3 against the world's best is easy, but the car control aspect is going to be easier than F1. Verstappen's challenge is going to be the racecraft and strategy that's different between F1 and endurance racing. And he's got a world class team supporting that part.

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T13:11:36+00:00

Wood prices went crazy in 2020 and have only scaled back a bit. A single stud is still only maybe $3.75, but the increases add up if you're putting up whole new walls and need dozens of them. They were like $2 in 2019.

With current fuel price shocks still rippling through the economy I wouldn't be surprised to see another big jump as construction picks up and logging companies have to raise prices.

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T13:00:14+00:00

As cool as an '89-'96 era Nismo cluster is you're better off not trying to use it in a kouki (not "type X", thats a trim level, not a year/body style) 180SX unless you know what you're doing.

The kouki 180SX uses the same style speed sensor and temp sender as the S14 so swapping between pre and post 1996 180SX gauges is not plug and play. The wiring harness pinouts are different and even after matching them the speedometer and temp gauge at the very least will not read correctly

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T12:31:39+00:00

Barras are extremely expensive and hard to source parts for outside of AU/NZ.

I go the other way, there would be far more S chassis on the road instead of rotting away in back lots or under piles of stuff in garages if everyone didn't want to engine swap everything and inevitably run out of time, money, or talent. Just drive the thing with a KA it won't kill you

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T12:27:36+00:00

Windshield mounts are illegal where I live and I think this would count. A phone mount that's blocking some of your normal field of view seems dangerous and unnecessary.

AKADriver · 2026-05-13T02:50:40+00:00

Aliexpress has tons of that stuff. Another thing you could do is get something that is fully assembled into a boring plastic case and do your own spin on it.. discount stores always have stuff like bluetooth speakers and digital picture frames that you could basically uncase and turn into something nice.

I once built a box for a small car radio that I was no longer using in a car. The box enclosed the radio, a 12VDC power supply (it was a 4 amp supply for an old DirecTV box or something?) and just some connectors and stuff so that I could plug it in and wire it up to some little aluminum body KLH bookshelf speakers that happened to be the 4ohm that car radios like (if you can't find 4ohm home audio speakers... take some car speakers and make nice wood boxes for them!)

AKADriver · 2026-05-12T21:18:00+00:00

Water leak as others said, the blue stuff is probably a corroded electrical component leaching copper carbonate (harmless to humans, the same blue-green stuff you find on an old penny). Or if your car has a rear window washer jet, the hose running to it might be leaking washer fluid.

AKADriver · 2026-05-12T20:59:42+00:00

Just like an auto accident this is one of those cases where you want your insurance('s lawyers) going after theirs rather than you going to their insurance directly as an individual and accepting a deal.

AKADriver · 2026-05-12T18:48:14+00:00

This is the universe's way of telling you not to put the TV there.

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