This morning I took the car to the shop for my annual NYS Inspection. It passed. And yes those are aftermarket cats, don't look too closely, thank you.

While the car was on the lift, the technician and I went over everything visible and accessible for the underside. Typical weeping around the steering rack, and there's a barely perceptible weakness in the driver side sway bar end-link, but otherwise everything was A-OK. Occasionally I'd hear a rattle underneath, and I think we found it with the little cross member under the Fast Intentions pipes in the middle of the car. There was like 1mm clearance. So I had him remove the cross member and reinstall with a couple of washers, for a little bit of added space. No more rattle, knock on wood.

 

So their solution uses a wipe vs spray paint? Interesting. I have used the Maguaris (spray paint) on my kids cars and it looks amazing for about 8-9 months, then it starts to regress and you need to get all the old paint off before you can redo. Not easy to get that crap off.

If the lights aren't too bad, a little WD40 on a paper towel works wonders after a wash. I use this on my wife's car and occasionally on my G's driver's side light as it will start fading if it spends too much time outside.

 

I hate to think about how much time I would spend tinkering under the car if I had a lift. Hard on the body at our age working under there suspended on jack stands.

 

A personal lift would be amazing. I've never rested the car on jack stands. But I do have a pair of Race Ramps that I use. They're a must have for a lowered car.

While you're not wrong about getting old and getting under the car, I'm personally freaked out crawling much further under it than the oil pan. It's some kind of claustrophobia, I'm guessing, but a relatively mild one.

Off topic, but if you want to see some crazy claustrophobic space, google "lemon squeeze at Mohonk Mountain House". It's an old luxury resort in New Palz, NY. And the Lemon Squeeze is a crazy trail through the rocks. Emerging at the top outcropping is super rewarding. I honeymooned at Mohonk 27 years ago.

 

Before I came down to CHS for grad school I was a coop member for an SCCA garage that had a lift and all the bigger welders, tire changing/balancing machines, presses, etc. and it was glorious.

I do NOT gracefully lay on the concrete under a car on jackstands any more.

 

https://saxontours.com/blog/tisa-roc...gq0f5HdQaB5UQ-

or my personal limit, widebody commercial aircraft fuel tanks (the wings). Did this work for years.

 

I think I did my FX50 headlight restoration a few years ago and it’s still perfect to this day. Really amazing stuff.

 

I used the Griots garage restoration kit with the ceramic wipe at the end that magically makes the lenses hyper clear. Its still looking good 3 years later.

 

I am a vet, so I have access to the lift/tools on the base that's 15 miles away; you need to schedule the time, so that always makes me nervous because I am not into racing through things and like to "piddle" once I'm engaged.

As such, I still just prefer to do everything in my garage. Laying on the concrete, sore shoulders and neck in the morning :-)

 

Same, same distance away. And we have to get a new visitor pass every time we access the base, so add 1.5 hours to your trip for them to run NICS every darn time you show up.

I'd suck it up, with a combo of ramps, real garage jacks, and truck jackstands I could still get things done. However - I have no level spot in the driveway and the G won't fit through the garage door, so...

Always some excuse, it seems.

 

I have the utmost respect for you, Mike. I am now 42 years old but I have been fascinated by aircraft since I was a kid. Was not until I got older that someone told me the primary fuel tanks are in the wings. Did some research and found that a 747 can hold about 57,000 gallons of fuel. My jaw dropped. I said to myself "how, and where?" LOL. And then, of course, I asked myself "I wonder if there is a guy that has to go in there for maintenance. And now I have found that you were one of those guys. Thank you for your service.

 

You reek of jet fuel for days LOL, even through a bunny suit.

And the VA says I was never exposed to jet fuel as part of my job... sigh. Never mind the pictures of me soaked in it.

 

So my battery was completely dead the other day, I have a jump pack and cables in my trunk out of arms reach laughing at me. So with no way to open the trunk I was stuck at home till wife came home. Adding a long ziptie solves the issue with opening the trunk you can reach it from the pass through.

I got a new battery, and we are back in business but my dead battery plan failed but now I'm prepared for next time!

 

So you fished the zip tie with a small loop in it through the passthrough? Interesting. There was a guy on Reddit recently asking for something similar. I think I recommended one of those wooden or plastic back scratchers as the end is hooked and can be used to yank that lever down.

 

I added the ziptie after my debacle, it's really up in there I feel like even with that I probably wouldn't be able to open the trunk hah