Bob

So how did that work out?

ddsrph

Still working on Jeep project. Doing all new wiring and will paint this summer. Have taken it for a 1/4 mile test drive using a cement block and cushion for seat.

ddsrph

Have led lights installed.

Steerpike

Screw the car, I want the garage!

ddsrph

I hired a guy to help me frame it and then did the rest myself. Super insulated and put metal roof panels on walls. Bought one of those they walk motel type heat pump which will warm it up in a few minutes. Still finishing a storage add on.

ddsrph

Decided to paint using duplicolor engine paint spray cans. Half done with not bad result.

ddsrph

We have a local steel supply company and they sell me scrap pieces of Steel and the aluminum diamond plate for a few dollars. I made the spare tire rack with my small argon mig welder for less than $10.

Steerpike

I bought the Toyota Venza 2021 Hybrid car mentioned upthread. I now drive it back and forth between the Bay Area and Scottsdale (750 miles a pop). I've done it about 5 times so for since Feb. After the first long drive, I noticed a few 'divets' or 'dings' in the paint on the front plastic 'bumper' and also on the metal hood. The plastic bumper material appears to be black plastic under the (silver) paint, so these dings are annoyingly visible. The dings on the hood are less noticeable, as the metal below is also silver. Anyway, this paint seems to be way more delicate that previous cars I've owned. I was given a tin of 'touch up paint' by the dealership, Toyota original, exact color code, but it is a terrible match on these dings (the paint is a metallic silver) so touching them up isn't the obvious solution you'd think.

I'm not one to really give a sh*t about how my car looks (I tend to wash it once a year ...) but paint dings do bother me so I researched different products. 'clear bras' (a permanent clear film that is professionally applied) are expensive to apply, and the various 'wrap' / 'tape' alternatives are hokey (and can fly off at high speed!). Then I found this: Road Warrior Paint Protection' - https://www.amazon.com/Road-Warrior-...NGZ/ref=sr_1_5 . It paints on with a simple roller, and peels off easily (with some practice ). I've found I can leave it on for weeks at a time. Rain is not too friendly towards it, but I've only driven once in rain in 3 months, and light rain is actually ok for it.
Here's how it looks as you apply it:

It dries clear (eggshell finish). And this is how it peels off:

So I'm quite happy with it - it seems to stop stone chips, and also has the big plus of making bug splatter easy to deal with (driving through the desert at 85mph wreaks havoc on your front end when the fruit files are in season!). But - it's PRICEY ! if you buy the 2-pack, that's $20 a small bottle and you need one bottle per 'application'.

So first of all, has anyone else tried this product? And has anyone tried this much cheaper alternative? Instead of $40 for 16oz, it's $35 for a gallon!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._ewc_img_huc_1
The description sounds like the same product. I've ordered a tin from Amazon but it's not 'Prime' so I'll have to wait a while before I can try it!

Giantaxe

Time for a short update on my Honda CRV hybrid. It's now passed 11k miles. Over that period, we've averaged 36.9mpg. EPA says 35 city, 39 highway and given our mix of driving that is likely exactly what we are getting. There's been one recall (DC to DC converter) and one thing not functioning (handle inside hatchback to flip down rear seats). The oil monitor says oil life is now less than 5%, so the (synthetic) oil lasts about 12k miles according to that. Getting all these things dealt with in a few weeks. All in all we're delighted with the vehicle.

Steerpike

Regarding "EPA says 35 city, 39 highway" ... that's unusual for a small hybrid, is it not? My Venza (which is in very much the same category) has this EPA Spec: "EPA-estimated 40 city/37 hwy/39 combined mpg for 2021 Venza". That is, city is better than highway.
I just looked up the 2021 CRV Hybrid - https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/43476.shtml - and it says "40 mpg city, 35mpg highway, 37 combined" ... so did you get your numbers crossed?

Giantaxe

Ha yes you’re correct. I’m so used to thinking the other way around. At least I got the combined average right!

OldJuddian

My Toyota Highlander Hybrid (Limited AWD) says 35MPG Fuel Economy of the 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid AWD LTD/PLAT
In reality I'm about 32MPG, but then I live on a hill. I can also say that on highways I don't see 34MPG, but then their chart only goes up to 80MPH

civilservant

Hell our Honda Civic gets that, and it's got a gas engine. Pays to be low to the ground and 'slippery' I guess. On the other hand my 3.5L V6 F150 only gets about 21.4 on average.

excpomea

I like the idea,
I have a few trips planned for my 98 M Roadster, this would be a great idea.

Steerpike

The trick for success is to apply it thickly so that the removal stage is just a matter of peeling off a sheet of material. If you apply it too thinly, the attempt to pull it off fails and you are left with straggly bits that have to be picked off painstakingly. This is especially true at the edges; you don't want a tapered edge; you need a nice 'ridge' which you can get with practice. Also, make sure you don't apply to cracks / blind joints. If the paint gets into a crevice, it will be hard to peel out. I stop ~1mm from any crevice. I tried applying masking tape beforehand, but that's not a good idea for various reasons.
Here's an example of how I painted my rearview mirror; great place to practice -

Note how the paint is thicker at the edges - that aids in removal. And this is an example of a problem area -

The paint has gone into the recess where the black rubber gasket sits. Getting the material off that rubber gasket (when removing the entire piece) was a bit of work. I now avoid painting the rubber gasket by stopping ~1mm from it. It's not super-hard to remove from the rubber, just a bit time consuming.