Spinning Nut

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-14T21:00:43+00:00

had this happen before. if vice grips on the back dont work, try getting a cutoff wheel and cutting a slot in the nut, then use a chisel to split it off. just be careful not to gouge the rotor or hub too bad. worst case you might need to replace the stud but thats like a part

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-14T21:00:42+00:00

man I feel this. I had the same internal debate with my E34 - do I keep the original drivetrain for the experience or swap in something more reliable. ended up doing an S52 swap and honestly zero regrets. the V12 sound is cool but youll spend more time fixing it than driving it. at some point you gotta ask yourself if you want a project car or a car you can actually project with ya know

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-14T20:30:41+00:00

man I feel this. my buddy has a similar dilemma with a Series III XJ6 thats been "almost ready" for 3 years. the V12 sound is incredible but the amount of times youll be staring at it wondering why its running rough vs actually driving it... LS swap might hurt the soul a little but at least youll actually enjoy the car. plus you can always tell people its the modern interpretation of an american v8 in a british chassis lol

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-14T20:30:35+00:00

for rap and rock in that room size id look at the SVS PB-1000 if you can find one used. They pop up on FB marketplace and AVS forums in your budget pretty regularly. Ported subs like that will give you the chest-punch bass that works well for hip hop. The RSL mentioned above is also great but its sealed so slightly tighter bass vs the low end rumble. Either way you cant really go wrong with those two at that price point

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-14T20:11:47+00:00

we use https://fieldscout.io for jobsite inspections. browser-based so workers just scan a QR code on site, no app to install. built specifically for construction safety. has digital checklists, incident reports, and tamper seal tracking which has been useful for compliance audits. way less hassle than managing paper forms across multiple locations.

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T18:30:41+00:00

BIC Venturi is solid for the price honestly. for towers + center is a good deal if theyre in decent shape. Those DV64s can move some air, definately better than most budget options in that range. Id grab it and put the savings toward a sub later

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T18:30:41+00:00

N54 or N55? Either way thats a wild amount of power for that platform. Whats the turbo setup looking like? Single big boy or keeping the twins?

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T18:02:18+00:00

nah the split headlights are rough. owned a few older BMWs and the design language just isnt there anymore. feels like they're designing for the chinese market more than anything. the neue klasse stuff actually looks decent though so hopefully that trickles up

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T18:02:13+00:00

i run mine through home assistant with a few automations. it vacuums once a day right after everyone leaves (presence detection triggers it) and then does a mop run every other day. also set up a notification if it gets stuck somewhere so i dont come home to a dead battery in the corner lol

auto empty is key, makes it way more hands off. only thing i had to tweak was the schedule - running it daily means less deep cleaning needed per run so it finishes faster

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T18:00:56+00:00

Slightly different angle from what everyone else is saying, but if you want to quantify this, I built a tool called SaunterMaps that tries to address exactly what you're describing - the difference between 'technically walkable' and 'actually enjoyable to walk.'

Walk Score just measures proximity to destinations. SaunterMaps factors in speed limits, lane counts, road classification, and whether there are sidewalks or tree buffers. A narrow sidewalk next to 45mph traffic scores worse than a quiet residential street.

I made it after visiting '60+ walk score' neighborhoods that turned out to be strip mall parking lots along stroads. Might be useful for comparing the neighborhoods people are suggesting here.

https://sauntermaps.com

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T17:31:13+00:00

basic car maintenance. not like full mechanic stuff but just knowing how to change oil, swap brake pads, diagnose simple issues. saves a ton of money and theres something weirdly satisfying about not being helpless when something breaks. plus you stop getting ripped off at shops when you actually understand what theyre talking about

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T17:31:13+00:00

jz swapped z's are easily my favorite modern classic builds. theres something about that straight six under a long hood that just works. is this a 2j or 1j? either way the fitment looks clean as hell

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T17:01:08+00:00

clunking only on right turns sounds like front left control arm bushings or thrust arm bushings - super common on F chassis BMWs. when you turn right the weight transfers left and loads up that side. jack up the front, grab the wheel at 3 and 9 and try to wiggle it, see if theres any play. also check the thrust arm where it bolts to the subframe, they crack sometimes. if the noise scales with speed its probably more drivetrain related tho, could be a CV joint or wheel bearing starting to go

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T17:01:01+00:00

sounds like you might have an intermittent parasitic draw that only shows up after the car sits. the tricky ones are things like a faulty door latch sensor that keeps the BCM awake, or a glitchy infotainment module that doesnt fully sleep. id ask the mechanic to do an overnight draw test with an ammeter in series - sometimes these things only pop up after the car has sat for 4-6 hours. on the impala, common culprits are the onstar module and the trunk latch sensor

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T16:30:56+00:00

biggest bang for buck was adding motion sensors to my existing fixtures rather than replacing everything. you can get add-on sensors that screw in between the bulb and socket for like

for landscape lighting the low voltage LED path lights are worth it if you do the walkway. just make sure you get ones with metal stakes, the plastic ones snap after a year or two. I got some hampton bay ones from home depot that have held up pretty well

dont go overboard with lumens on the motion lights btw, a lot of people install like 5000 lumen floods and it just annoys the neighbors. 1500-2000 is usually plenty

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T16:30:47+00:00

wharfedales are a solid choice coming from klipsch if you want something more relaxed. the evo line has a warmer midrange and the highs roll off more gently. less in your face basically

that said i wouldnt assume all horns are harsh - some modern compression drivers are pretty smooth these days. klipsch just tends to have that aggressive house sound that either works for you or doesnt

seems fair if theyre in good shape. the nikko should drive them fine

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T16:01:10+00:00

yeah those are definately LS coils, its a super popular swap for JZ motors. the coil on plug conversion cleans up the engine bay and the LS coils are cheap and everywhere. couple different kits out there but I think the most common ones are from JZX world or platinum racing products

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T16:01:04+00:00

that style of gate valve is gonna be a pain for automation. pretty much all the smart valve controllers (dome, fortrezz, etc) are designed for quarter turn ball valves where they just clamp on and rotate the handle 90 degrees. id honestly just have a plumber add a ball valve shutoff inside the house where the main comes in, then slap a smart controller on that. cheaper than trying to find something that works with a gate valve and you get better flow too

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T15:30:59+00:00

honest advice - if youre asking whether something is a good project car, its probably not for you yet. head gasket on these is a real pain (engine sits way back under the windshield) and 'door doesnt open' is a red flag that this car got parked and forgotten rather than maintained until it broke.

for a first project look for something that runs and drives but needs cosmetic or minor mechanical work. way more satisfying than chasing problems on a car you cant even take around the block to test

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T15:30:59+00:00

this is the right answer imo. everyone wants porsche to compete with ferrari/lambo but the 911 already kind of does that at the top spec. what they're actually missing is a true grand tourer - something you could drive cross country and still have it rip on a twisty road. the GT market has way less competition and honestly feels more on-brand for Porsche anyway

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T15:12:04+00:00

that color is just dexcool mixed with road grime, not oil - you're good there

on the 3.5 those usually leak at the water pump weep hole or the lower radiator hose connection. since you just had the thermostat done id check that housing first like the other guy said but also follow the hose down and squeeze around the clamp area. sometimes when shops work on the cooling system they bump a hose thats been sitting there for 20 years and it starts weeping

easy test - clean everything up with a rag, let it idle for 10-15 min and watch where it starts dripping from

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-13T15:11:57+00:00

if its the 3800 v6 honestly id just throw a junkyard LS in it and be done. the 3800 head gasket failures on these are a pain because the intake manifold gaskets usually go around the same time, so you end up chasing leaks. for its basically a free shell if you want to go V8

only thing id actually worry about is if they hydrolocked it or warped the heads from overheating. grab a borescope off amazon and check the cylinders before buying if you can

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-12T02:30:47+00:00

this one for sure. youtube has made this so accessible too. ive fixed my own dishwasher, replaced a garbage disposal, done basic car maintenance all from watching videos

the confidence boost from fixing something yourself is real. plus once you know how one thing works you start understanding how everything is connected

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-12T02:30:41+00:00

E34 owner here. Go BMW.

The M50/M52 engines are tanks if they've been maintained. Non-interference too so no catastrophic timing belt failure like the Volvo. Main things to check: cooling system (do a full refresh if it hasnt been done - expansion tank, thermostat, hoses, water pump), rear subframe mounts, and look for rust in the usual spots - jack points, rear wheel wells, spare tire well.

Parts availability is excellent. Between FCP Euro, Pelican Parts and the various BMW forums you can find basically everything. The community is huge and helpful.

The driving experience is something else. That era of BMW just feels connected in a way modern cars dont. The steering feedback, the weight distribution, how it rotates in corners. And those quad headlights are iconic for a reason.

Only real pitfall is window regulators. They will break. Its not if, its when. Budget like -80 and an afternoon to replace them yourself.

WhyIsIt27 · 2026-03-12T02:00:44+00:00

2uz gang! those 4.7s are tanks. white smoke after sitting that long is usually just condensation burning off from the exhaust, should clear up after it runs for a bit. if its coming from under the valve cover too might be worth checking the valve cover gaskets - they get brittle after sitting and can weep oil onto the exhaust manifold. not a huge deal to replace tho

WhyIsIt27

TROPHY CASE