Category Archives: Cars

My DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, DIY, Do It Yourself, Halo Snout Lights

I want to share My DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project. I saved over $500 with this DIY project compared to the kit seen with various corvette parts suppliers. I wanted to add some lights to my 1999 C5 Corvette and update it a bit with Halo lights for my daytime driving. I always loved the look of rally race cars and the C5R 24 hour of Le Mans or Daytona race cars with their auxiliary racing light setups.

The available ready-made kits that I found offered don’t include a Halo light option so even if my frugality didn’t stop me from buying the kit the non-halo limitation would. The lights in the offered kits also seem to be smaller 3 inch lights and I wanted to maximize the space I had and instead use 4 inch lights.

My Inspiration for the DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project

A big part of my early retirement is my automotive hobby. I am a car enthusiast and after a while I just start feeling an itch to do something to customize my rides. An itch to just do a little something to set it apart from the other cars like it. Even if it’s a subtle change that many won’t even notice. It’s all about my enjoyment. Most car-freaks and nuts suffer from this same affliction.

C5R racingI loved the look of the C5R (C5 Corvette Racing) Auxiliary Racing Lights when in the 24 hour setup. I liked the look of the performance Mustangs (GT, etc.) with their grill mounted fog/driving lights. I was also inspired by all the new cars coming out with halo headlights and driving lights.

As much as I love that Auxiliary-Light look, paying over $650 for the C5 Auxiliary Racing Light kits that are offered is too much for my budgetary taste. Even when considering their easy out of the box installation and finished looking product results. So I set out to create my version.

My DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project Parameters

1-   First off it had to look finished and decent. I didn’t want to drive a Corvette with a half-assed looking setup.

2-   The project cost to be under $150

C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights3-   I wanted any cutting to the front bumper to be easily hidden by a license plate and keep the ability of replacing the license bumper plug. More or less totally reversing this project and returning to stock if I or someone else later didn’t want to keep this Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights setup.

 

4-   Install the largest Halo lights I could fit within the above parameters. That worked out to be 4 inch lights.

DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights Project Steps

Parts list and Cost:

Old License Plate. Preferably painted numbers (flat) instead of raised stamped numbers. $0.00

Strap or Metal to make “L” brackets. I had some 1” wide by ¼’ thick aluminum that I cut, bent and drilled. $0.00

Blinglights Corvette Project Blinglights kit- BL5000K. Kit includes two 4” halo fog/driving lights, wiring harness, switch, relay, and straight forward wiring diagram.  You will find them advertised for many different auto applications and prices but the BL5000K kit is the same. I found them associated to late-model Firebird/Trans Am for $89.99 (Amazon)

 

Stainless Steel 304 #4 Mesh. 6” X 24”. Project requires 6” X 13.5”.  $15.00 (eBay)

Unpainted Plastic aftermarket C5 Corvette front plate cover/filler license plate. I didn’t want to cut my stock color match painted license plate filler/plug. $29.99 (eBay)

Black Door Edge Guard. This can be found in any automotive section or parts store. $10.00 (Autozone)

Total cost $144.98

Steps:

BL TemplateLicense Plate for Mounting Lights

I used an old License plate to make my template. I then used some card-stock printer paper to make a paper template including the plate’s mounting holes. I then marked the center and drew 4” circles where there is a 1” gap between them and centered between the mounting holes. This way I can remove the snout lights and run a license plate later if I decide to return to stock.

 

Plate BracketUsing the template I traced out the two 4 inch holes on the license plate and cut it with tin snips. I made some “L” shaped brackets based on the light’s mounting hardware and attached them to the plate. I then painted it all satin black. The License plate is what I used to attach the lights to the car by using the stock license plate bolts.  Basically it’s all about Lights to plate, plate to car.

Note: So I could keep the bumper’s stock plate bolt mounts and the upper plate nubs I slotted the bottom template mounting holes to slightly slide it higher. Otherwise the 4″ holes cut away the stock bolt mounting holes on the bumper.

cut bumperUsing the template I traced out the two 4 inch holes on the bumper. I cut the holes using a sharp sheet-rock style knife. I used this method based on CF Forum recommendations from people who have cut their snout open to increase air flow to the radiator. I eventually had to cut a small notch to allow for passing through the “L” shaped light brackets I had attached to the plate.

Warning: Be careful cutting bumper holes as there are wires that may run behind this area. See photo.

Cut C5 Lic Filler PlateLight Cover

I cut the center out of the License Filler Plate/Plug to size. I used masking tape to create my lines and the shape I wanted. After trying the sharp sheet-rock knife, a hacksaw blade, and a dremel tool I found that the tin snips worked very well for cutting the plastic. I also cut the Stainless Steel 304 #4 mesh to length. This would be the time to paint the cut License Filler Plate/Plug if the satin black unpainted finish is not desired. I wanted to stay with the black.

Door Edge Guard finshes cut edgeI applied the door edge guard to the cut License Filler Plate/Plug opening to give it a finished look.

 

 

C5 Lic Filler GrillI then attached the Stainless Steel 304 mesh. I ended up using 3M two-way automotive tape. I first laid down some into the back of the cut filler plate/plug and pressed the mesh into it but it didn’t stick well to the mesh. I then pressed more tape from on top of the mesh (sandwiching the mesh) into the lower applied tape and pressed it in.

 

DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights - Halos onWiring

I followed the wiring instructions for the lights and mounted the license plate bracket with lights. I attached it to the car using the stock license plate mounting bolts. I also added 2 small screws to the upper part of the plate into the bumper for added support. I then attached the new mesh plate filler cover.

 

DIY C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout Lights-Drive lights on Note:  Pay attention to how you mount the lights to the plate. The plate will sit at a back angled slope so the light placement will be mounted where the top of your lights will protrude a good ¼ to ½ inch beyond the license plate and the bottom of the lights will be flush with the license plate. This is so they aim at “level” and not upward to avoid blinding oncoming traffic when the drive lights are in use.  

Additional Wiring/Switch Details

The light kit came with a wiring harness, relay and switch. I did have to modify the end of the harness to accommodate the two lights being so close together rather than split far apart like most driving light configurations.

I also elected to cut the provided switch from the harness and went with wireless off/on control switches. I did this instead of pushing the wires through the firewall to mount the cabin switch provided.

I used Logisys RM 01 1 wireless switch boxes. One for the halos and one for the drive/fog lights. $14.99 each. $29.88 (Amazon)

That did put the project over my initial $150 limit by $25. $144.98 + $29.88 = $174.98. It was still far less than the $650+ kits found and I also got the halo effect that I wanted and they did not offer.

In Closing

It was a fun project. I don’t run a front license plate in the designated area of the bumper so the license plug seemed like wasted space. Sure it says CORVETTE on it but everyone recognizes the car as a Corvette.

FRC with C5 Auxiliary Halo Snout LightsI do run the Stow and Show front license plate setup when necessary which sits off to the passenger side of the front bumper. Even when the plate is up and visible the Snout Lights are still in full sight.

Before deciding to do this or a similar project it is important to understand your local laws. If this is a violation it will draw unwanted attention.

I am happy with the results and I am confident that I am more visible on those two lane twisty roads that are so fun to drive. I also think it adds a kind of updating to my 17-year-old car.

I am aware that this project isn’t for everyone and may be a “like it” or “hate it” modification. I did not do it to offend any Corvette purist. It’s just a little subtle DIY modification to my car that I happen to enjoy driving.

My Winter Driven Beater Car Saves Money

Cars, Cars In Retirement, Saving Money,

I have a couple of nice cars in the garage. Sitting outside year round in the driveway exposed to the elements is my beater car. Why would I have and keep an old unattractive beater car? Because My Winter Driven Beater Car Saves Money. It is not just limited to winter driving although that is its primary job.

I toy with the thought of selling it. But when I do the math it doesn’t cost me much to have. It saves me a bunch in work and cash by having it as my strategic beater. It saves my nicer cars from the abuse of winter driving, stop and go commuting traffic, and the occasional trip into the city.

My beater car is a 1990 Honda Civic Hatchback.

I just got the emission test done ($25) and renewed the license plates ($73) for another year.

My Winter Driven Beater Car Saves MoneyI bought the little eye-sore in 1998. At that time it was sitting at my mechanic’s parking lot with 270,000 miles on it and a blown motor. I was looking for a reliable car for my kids to drive. The car had been towed there and when they found out the motor was gone they signed over the title for the cost of the tow and just walked away from it. I struck a deal with my mechanic to get the car for free (no sales tax when titling and registering it in my name) and then paid him for needed repairs.

I had everything under the hood replaced. A used 30,000 mile or less motor, new radiator, water pump, alternator, hoses, belts, battery, clutch, etc. When you popped the hood open on this Quasimodo of a car it was new. I spent $2,000 and we have driven it ever since. You can say I am big into recycling cars. It ended up as my son’s primary car for a few years and after he left I just kept it as my beater car.

How My Winter Driven Beater Car Saves Money

Having a beater car is a choice.

I could have chosen to have a nicer car for this duty but then it would have cost more money to buy. Beater cars can be bought for a lower amount and no loans or big savings hits are necessary.

Beater cars need less insurance.

There is no need for a comprehensive insurance policy. Just the mandatory coverage and liability coverage. I also have a towing rider which costs very little. My clunker’s monthly insurance rate is $23. Because I have other cars they also have reduced rates under a multi-car policy discount.

My beater car gets 35 to 37 MPG.

Talk about sipping gas on a budget. This recycled car gets better gas mileage than new cars costing thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars. I saved a lot of money when I was still working and commuting into the city 20 miles every day.

Repairs and parts are inexpensive.

General maintenance is limited to oil changes and rotating the tires which I can do myself. Over the years I have had to get one tune-up, the timing belt replaced, replaced brakes, and two new axles when the CV joints went. All very low-cost repairs.

It saves wear and tear on my better cars.

Which means they will last longer and with less repair or maintenance cost. Especially when I was working and endured stop and go traffic as I commuted into the big city 20 miles each day. I have a set of snow tires for this winter driven beater car. It’s light weight and does very well in snow storms when under 8 inches of depth. It saves my nice cars from the corrosion of road salt and magnesium-chloride (de-icer) that is thrown down on all the roads during wet and cold winter days. I can also save my nicer cars from having to go through the sloppy after storm periods saving me time and money for all the car washes I can skip.

It saves me worry when I have to park and leave it in large non-secure parking lots.

I don’t worry about this car when parked at a park-and-ride light-rail or bus lot, the airport, or in the big city. Or when attending a concert, baseball, basketball or baseball game. It has a standard transmission and most bandits never learned to drive a stick so it’s not desirable. The car looks so bad that it is passed by as belonging to someone with nothing to steal.

It saves me money at the highway off-ramps.

Those asking for help with their cardboard signs see this car and keep walking by as I obviously must be broke to drive a beater car like this.

The Bottom Line

Owning a beater car still takes keeping up with all necessary maintenance and most of all purchasing the right beater car. I prefer something that runs reliably over looking good. A shabby paint job or hail damage may mean a good car cheap. If you find a beater car you want to buy then first negotiate allowing you to have it inspected by a trusted mechanic before taking ownership.

Another thing to remember is if your beater car does break down you do have your nicer car(s) as back-up. That said, when your nice car is in the shop for service or a repair you have the beater car to drive while it is in the shop. I have never had to rent a car for my day-to-day lifestyle use.

My yearly cost without considering any unknown future repair is under $430 a year which to some may sound like too much. Especially to people who live in the city where bus, train, and taxi services are nearby. But for me living in a town where there is no mass transit and 20 miles to the nearest city make having a car necessary and having a beater car I believe saves me money overall.

I actually enjoy driving this little clunker now and then. It’s like driving a go-cart and I admit to enjoying winter driving in it. I have driven it many years and know how it handles making it a breeze to maneuver through the snow.

Do you see yourself ever owning and driving a beater car?

Do you believe since I am now retired and not commuting daily that I should sell it and just stay home when it snows and still spare my nicer cars bad weather roads and wear?

Does Frugal Living Allow for Sports Cars?

Cars, Cars In Retirement, Frugal Living,

Does frugal living allow for sports cars? Sounds like a crazy question when taken out of context. When you wrap your mind around everything that frugal living means and is defined as. I consider myself part of Frugal Living movement and yes, I do own a sports car.

I seem to evoke some negative feelings from some in the frugal living and financial independence world when I mention this little fact about myself. Who wrote the Frugal Living rules? I guess I really don’t care too much for that answer. Since my freakish ways make me tend to challenge rules anyway. I challenge the definition of traditional retirement so why not put myself out there with frugal living’s definition too.

I am not writing this post in defense of frugal living sports car ownership as much as I like to present another way to look at things. You see, rigid and strict rules don’t work for everyone in the world of financial independence through frugality. You have to agree that there is no ONE WAY to get and stay there. Life is short. We all have different frugality thresholds before the deprivation pain starts up. We all have different financial means to work with.

Does frugal living allow for sports cars? There’s that thing about lavishness and extravagance

Frugal Living means avoiding lavishness and extravagance

does frugal living allow for sports carsAside from the cost of things the Frugal Living Rule that gets thrown around is Frugal Living means avoiding lavishness and extravagance, being all fancy instead of simple but who gets to gauge what that is. It seems to be a personal value system that decides what is lavish or extravagant.

My sports car is a 1999 Hard Top (FRC) Corvette I bought in 2009 for $15,000 just before I retired early for the first time. It is part of my early retirement automotive hobby and it is also super economical getting over 30 mpg highway at 75 mph all day long. More importantly it is part of what I retired to.

I don’t see it as lavish or extravagant unless of course it’s parked next to a minivan (I kid). Yet most people spent more to buy their minivan.

does frugal living allow for sports cars- this is too far

It is nowhere as wasteful as owning a lavish and overly extravagant Ferrari for crying out loud. Oops, I applied my personal value system to that comment. Just the same judgment that I and many who believe they are part of the frugal living movement would for European vacations, any kind of boat, RV, etc.

Who Defines What is Wasteful?

You can probably see where I am going with this. That is a problem with any movement or lifestyle, people want defined boundaries of who is in and who is out to feel like they are part of something special. Where everyone else on the outside is wasteful and stupid if not just financially misguided. Boundaries that are set by them and their closest like-minded which leads to clusters of people claiming they are the true representation of frugal living or whatever movement they care to be associated with.

Frugal Living – Live well below your means, be a super saver, become financially independent.

I believe there are as many unique flavors of frugal living as there are reasons that motivate people to enter into it. For myself and many others that reason is all about financial independence and yes, early retirement. It absolutely takes living well below your means, saving a high percentage of your income, and becoming and staying debt free.

There is a lot of wiggle room there too because some can handle extreme frugality where others set the bar far less than extreme. It’s all about creating our sustainable long-term lifestyle to reach and stay in the winner’s circle with the financially independent rat-race escapees.

There is no Frugal Movement Referee Calling Fouls

Once you get there and can afford to fund your hobbies or other high-happy-value things of importance in your life, who is to say you are outside of the frugal living movement guidelines. Obviously someone who’s targeted a happy frugal living lifestyle that requires it to be very low dollar may not consider a sports car or worldwide travels. While others may have the funds and the desire to include them.

I suppose that is the crux of what I am writing about. People are all different, different lifetime incomes, savings rate, lifestyle desires, etc. so let’s cut folks some slack. If not, where does it end? Does it come to saying everyone who lives in expensive cities can’t be part of the frugal living movement? They may be more frugal than most people just so they can stay where they want to live.

Part of this life of ours is creating a lifestyle that we can be content living, not wanting and desiring things. I have friends who have bought the new C7 Corvette Stingray and they are awesome cars. Even though I could afford to buy one without debt, I choose to stay with my 1999. I am perfectly content with it and it fits within my frugal living. The same way I choose to stay with my flip-phone and $100 a year pay as you go plan instead of going with a smart phone.

Closing Thoughts

It is always a good recommendation to cut back on automobile costs whether it’s having fewer cars to care and pay for or picking a utilitarian everyday reliable vehicle. If you aren’t into cars then that will be accepted but to a car freak like me I need my retirement toys and hobbies. At least until I am too old to do my maintenance or costly repairs begin to occur. Even though I love my automotive related hobbies I still have to set financial limits. I live off of my portfolio so I have a budget to consider.

What do you think, does frugal living allow for sports cars?

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90: The steps to an affordably good paint job

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, DIY, Do It Yourself, Frugal Living, Rustoleum Paint, Saving Money

Being an early retired Leisure Freak means I always look for ways to save money. Or at least spend it sensibly. Car repairs are something that can strain the budget. I try to do what I believe I can do or handle myself. One of my money-saving efforts was Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90. In this case my truck. I painted it at home without special painting equipment or skills.

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90
Mini-Truck Rustoleum Paint Results

This paint job is now in its third year and is holding up great. It is doing far better than I expected or was warned about. I thought I would share what I did and where I got the details on how to pull it off. Anyone with some time and a little space can do this if you have an older auto that looks like crap and you would like to have it look more presentable while offering surface protection. The bonus- Not having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars.

                                                              My Situation.
Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90
Busted Frame- Ready to Resurrect

My 1981 SR5 Toyota custom pickup that I have driven almost daily since 1993 finally had a life ending catastrophe. The frame had rusted through and cracked over its then 31 years on the road. There is a reason you see few old import cars/trucks on the road, RUST. This truck has huge sentimental value as it was my son’s and my first automotive project together. He was just short of 13 when we turned the truck into a hardtop convertible. We had many father and son adventures with it spanning 5 western States.

 

Frame and Bed swap
Frame and Bed Replaced

It took some months for me to find a suitable donor truck where I could harvest a good frame to resurrect my long-time truck. I also kept the bed from the donor truck as mine had far more rust in it. Even this new bed had some rust bubbling on the side where the inner wheel well is. That rust is another reason I elected to go the frugal paint job route.

Please note that buying the donor truck and paying someone to complete all the work for the frame/bed swap cost me all I could logically spend regardless of sentiment. That was another reason for a frugal paint solution. The lowest painting bid I got was $1400 and there is no stopping rust. After a few years it will return. I could have waited for the local MAACO Discount paint shops to run a sale but that would still cost hundreds. My truck was a light Yellow and the new truck bed was Red. I was ready to roll in it so I needed to do something about the yellow and red Ronald McDonald color scheme.

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90 – The Rustoleum Auto Paint Job

Primered the red swapped bed
Sanding, Primer, Decal removal begins

I decided I would look into painting the truck myself. I kept coming across all these posts and You Tube videos where people had done a fair paint job using non-automotive Rustoleum Paint and a high density foam roller. That’s right, Rustoleum. The same oil based enamel stuff you get at Lowes or Home Depot to paint your patio furniture that comes in the little quart cans.

I then came across another site where they just used high density foam brushes.  The roller method can leave a lot of bubbles and require a lot of sanding to smooth out. I decided to follow this one guy’s brush technique and I have to say it went real well. The point was to reduce the amount of sanding to do. I will admit there was still sanding needed but I have to believe far less than I would have trying to remove bubbles.

Frugal Car Painting Supplies Needed
  • Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90Rustoleum high gloss paint – 4 Quarts. For me to get a light Yellow I needed a 3 Gloss White to 1 Sunburst Yellow mixed. Most cars will take only 2 or 3 quarts depending on size, SUV or full-sized PU more. I had over half of my mixed paint left.
  • Odorless mineral spirits – 3 quarts to a gallon. (Used for surface cleaning, prep, and paint thinning which allows paint to dry faster and for it to flatten out after brushing on).
  • Rustoleum Primer spray paint – 1 Can (I needed 3 to cover the truck bed, always best to use the same brand of primer as the paint)
  • 3″ High density foam brushes – 10 ea.
  • 2″ High density foam brushes – 10 ea.
  • Paint trays – 3 ea.
  • Wet Sandpaper – 3 packs (600, 800, 1500 grit)
  • Painter’s tape – 1 Roll
  • Old Newspaper or plastic for masking work
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Spray Bottle
ready to paint
Sanded and ready for first Rustoleum Paint coat

The Frugal DYI Rustoleum Auto Paint Job Process

At a high level the job goes like this:

Getting the Car Ready
  • Wash the car and if there is any dents or body blemishes you need to fix get some auto body filler and make repairs. For small blemishes just use auto body finishing glaze/putty that is easily sanded. I had old peeling decals I needed to remove so I ordered from eBay a decal remover eraser that you run in your drill to get all the old and nasty decal stripes off.
  • Wipe car down with mineral spirits to clean any oils from the surface. (Read and follow all safety and warnings posted on the product can while handling product).
  • Remove anything from the car you can that you don’t want painted.
  • masked and ready to paint
    Taped/Masked and ready to paint

    Mask around everything on the car that you don’t want painted.

  • Sand all surfaces to be painted with 600 grit sandpaper. If there are areas like rust that need to be smoothed get lower grit paper to smooth it out. You are sanding to rough the paint and level the surface not remove all the existing paint.
  • Primer any areas where sanding went to bare metal. In my case I also primered the Red truck bed to Grey to help with Yellow paint coverage.
Paint Time
  • Mix your paint with the mineral spirits using a 50%/50% ratio. (Read and follow all safety and warnings posted on the product can while handling product).
  • Prep the paint surfaces by wiping your car down again with mineral spirits.
  • Apply the paint and allow to dry. The 50%/50% is very thin and should dry in a few hours. I did this while still working (Career #2) so I waited until the next evening.
  • 3 coats
    First 3 coats down & questioning my sanity

    Repeat – Prep the paint surfaces with mineral spirits and apply the paint and allow to dry.

  • Repeat – Prep the paint surfaces with mineral spirits and apply the paint and allow to dry.
  • Once the third coat is dry, Wet Sand lightly with 600 grit to smooth out the paint and scuff for more paint to be added. I used a trigger pump water spray bottle to wet the surface and the paper instead of running a hose. You will question whether this is going to work due to a lack of coverage but the paint builds upon itself in all the layers. Just don’t sand off all your work.
  • Repeat painting process 3 more times. The process is paint 3 coats and sand, then repeat as necessary.
  • 6 coats
    6 coats down & starting to see results

    Sand and inspect. Repeat painting process as necessary until you get the right paint coverage.

  • Once satisfied with the paint coverage use 800 grit and higher grit to polish out any imperfections out of the paint including any brush marks easily seen at your discretion.

 

I know this is very high level.

If you are interested in trying this I recommend you get the more deep details from the source I used – Poor Man’s Paint Job  ( http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Poor-Mans-Paint-Job-or…-How-to-paint-your-c/?ALLSTEPS ) Note: If the details end with the disclaimer, scroll down a little farther until you see the Download/View all steps/Next buttons and select View all steps

7 coats
7th coat coverage

Another good source of information about the use of Rustoleum paint to paint a car using a foam roller and foam brushes was the article put out by Hot Rod Magazine    (http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/paint-body/hrdp-0707-1962-ford-falcon-budget-paint-job/ ) Note: Just click on “view all 36 photos” or bottom of the first photo where it shows “1/36” to get a photo and step by step.

My Frugal DYI Rustoleum Auto Paint Job Results

painted convertible mini truck-top on
Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90- Mini Truck project complete

I am sure everyone’s results are different depending on the car and color of paint being applied to and used. Your masking will also make a difference on your final results. Yellow is a color that does not cover well so I had up to 10 coats on flat surfaces like the hood and roof (I had some primer spots) and 14 on the truck bed sides to cover the grey primer. I also spent time sanding with high grit sandpaper to remove as many brush marks as I could. They are only visible in certain light but I wanted as close to a sprayed paint job as I could get. There are still a few spots that I can see brush marks but nobody else has unless I point them out and they look very carefully.

The Results That Really Matters
  • I ended up with a great 5-footer paint job and maybe better than that.
  • The Truck is protected from the elements and all one shiny color.
  • I will be able to inexpensively do touch-up paint myself.
  • It cost me 14 days and less than $100. The first day was a few hours but the repaint and light sanding was only 1 to 2 hours each day.
  • my 1981 Toy SR5 Convertible Mini Pickup
    Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90- Mini Truck project complete

    I wax it once a year and the paint has held up as new. However this truck is parked in a garage when not in use. Over time UV exposure will fade and oxidize Rustoleum paint so washing and waxing will help it look good.

  • The Paint is hard and doesn’t easily chip or scratch as some have warned. Because it is built up from multiple light layers it holds up far better than spray can paint. I used Satin Black rattle cans for inside the truck bed and spray paint is a thinner coat of paint and does scratch way easier than the brushed on Yellow.
  • After 3 years I am just starting to see signs of that rust on the bed. It is starting to bubble again so in a year or so I will grind, sand, finish putty, and repaint that area soon with the left over paint.
  • Update June 2018: It’s now 6 years into this paint job. It still looks like the day I painted it. The rust area is still very small and barely noticeable. There are 5 small 1/16 inch raised circular blemishes but no discoloration. I haven’t felt the need yet to make paint repairs.
Final Comments

I can’t guaranty this is the best choice for everyone or that by doing it you will be completely satisfied. A perfectionist or traditionalist will probably not agree with this method, product used, or results. I get that and to each their own. No need for hateful comments.

Know that by using a paint like this if later you or someone else decides to take the car in for a traditional shop paint job that all the Rustoleum must be sanded off first. However it does sand off and you can do that or I am sure they will probably just charge extra to do it. I have no intentions of doing that given the probability of rust’s return and my satisfaction with the results. It looks great and I can repair it myself when needed at little or no cost.

Frugally DIY Painting a Car for $90 using Rustoleum was a fun experience and I would do it again on the right vehicle under the right circumstances. I may even try the roller method.

Do you have a car that isn’t worth the cost of a traditional paint job that you might maybe try this method on as a frugal DIY project?

Do you think it is just stupid to use a non-automotive paint on any car to save money?

Financially Dropping the Soap While Driving

Cars, Vacationing in Retirement

We took to the road this Memorial Weekend heading west over interstate highways in the Inter-mountain West. Where there are as you would expect some mountains to climb and also descend. There was an overabundance of highway patrol on the job that I saw either slightly hiding with their radar on, in active pursuit, or had pulled some unfortunate traveler over for a financial hit.

I get it. It’s a safety issue and some folks take things too far. But for the most part the highway patrol just ends up taking advantage of someone for financially dropping the soap while driving. If it was only about safety then we would hear more stories from people saying they got a warning instead of a ticket.

I always set my cruise control for the speed limit or no more than four miles over. But that is no guaranty of not getting the patrol’s attention. What always gets a verbal “cuss-word” comment from me is when they radar on a steep decline just out of sight. Unseen until too late just off of a slight curve somewhere. Even having cruise control set we still have to monitor our speed as it can drift-up on descents.

I can imagine just for a moment at the wrong time and place not realizing this and get chased down for a financial hit. I didn’t get a ticket but I saw plenty who did. It mostly looked like families getting the pinch. Yet the people who passed me 100 mph never seem to get pulled over. That’s because they fly with radar detectors and had probably planned their highway unlawfulness. Nope, it is easier pickings to lurk in the shadows of the shower room and just wait for the poor schlep who drops the soap. Oh yes, financial gratification.

Got ya- financially dropping the soap while drivingAll right, maybe I am taking this a little too far. But there are some little infractions that we need to be aware of that gets the attention of traffic enforcement. They happily hand out some citation with triple digit fines and possibly some points for your insurance agent to use against you to ask for more for your car insurance premium.

Financially dropping the soap while driving is about small mistakes

These little slips can easily cost big bucks and take up some of your priceless time.

Rolling Stop.

We get in a hurry and we think we are coming to a complete stop at a stop sign or even a red light to make a right turn. But the wheels are still slightly rolling (aka a California Stop). It is an easy habit to get into and a tough one to break. In my town this is one of the most common tickets written.

Stopping Long at a Red Light or Stop Sign.

We have all intentions to stop but the front of the car crosses the painted (stop here) white line.The one that goes with the stop sign or signal light. If your car is across that line in a red light or at a stop sign it is considered running the stop sign or red light. Red Light Enforcement Cameras auto-ticket and bill millions for this. Also if entering an intersection and the traffic stops leaving you hanging. Hanging and part of your car out in the intersection. Even ever so slightly when the light turns red. Guess what? It is also considered running the light. My buddy learned this on the Las Vegas Strip and it cost him $250.

Left Turn Into the Wrong Lane.

We see it all the time and have been guilty of it too. We make a left turn and don’t turn tight enough or we go too fast to stay in the far left lane while making the turn. This is another huge citation count in my town.

Burned Out Tail Light, Break Light, and / or License Plate Light.

Unless someone alerts us to this we probably never know about it until we are pulled over. Or the car goes into some kind of service where they take the time to do a quick inspection for us. Take the time to have someone occasionally stand behind your car while you run through your lights and signals. This is another lovely police attention getter in my town.

Short Signal Time.

We need to quickly change lanes or maybe we just don’t think about it but we only signal a second or two before making the move. I was once pulled over on the Interstate after coming up on a slow-moving motorcycle in the right lane. I signaled, went to the left lane and then signaled to return to the right lane. It was a Highway Patrolman and he said I didn’t signal long enough. He did a full signal and break light inspection. He then said that I should signal at least 5 seconds next time. He then just gave me a warning. It was 106 degrees, neither of us in air conditioning, and even though I know I signaled longer than his claim I was lucky he wasn’t in a bad mood.

To Conclude:

We all have brain-fart moments when we slip up on something while behind the wheel. Any of which could be considered financially dropping the soap while driving. I am sure that there are many more examples than the few common ones I have listed above.

If you are someone who is purposely speeding and running stop signs or red lights. Knowingly driving with burned out lights. Choosing to make improper lane changes and/or not signaling or short signaling. Then you deserve a citation and financial hit. Not to mention those distracted by their cell phone and texting. Please don’t get me started.

For the rest of us it is important to constantly pay attention to what we are doing behind the wheel and avoid being surprised from behind. Red/Blue lights and siren that is.

Do you have a story about slipping up and being chased down to be told about it?

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving: The Easy DIY Steps I Take

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, DIY, Do It Yourself, Saving Money

I am Embracing Fall and Preparing for Cold Weather Driving. Every year the first cold day with ice or snow catches everyone off guard causing crashes and traffic jams. So come on people, it is no secret that there will eventually be that first crappy driving day.

I do all of our cold weather auto-readiness myself to save money and hassle. I spent a considerable amount of time yesterday on two of our cars and other than needing a couple of new tires for my Honda Civic things went without a hitch.

Most people just take their cars to what they hope is their trusted mechanic, tire, or muffler shop. As long as they are truly a trustworthy shop it comes down to hassle for me. Making appointments and dropping off a car requiring I get ride out of there by someone or having to sit in a waiting room for hours isn’t enjoyable to me.

Many tire shops will do what I just did (rotate, tire pressure) for free for any tires you bought from them. The thing here is they do that to find something else to get you to spend money on. Another hassle is my having to review, evaluate, and scrutinize what they claim and judge as a necessity. That and the hassle of dealing with them if I say no thanks. They can be very insistent. The biggest thing is I have a garage, the necessary tools and I kind of enjoy a lot of this.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving – My List

This is a list of what I did yesterday and you should consider doing or have it done.

Change the Oil.

If it has been a while since you last oil change its time to see when that was. Today’s cars will tell you on your display the calculated oil life remaining. If you don’t have that then you have to stick to traditional methods like the number of miles driven since the change. All city stop and go driving the experts recommend change every 3000 miles or 3 months. Mostly highway and it is more like 5000 miles but they still stick to the 3 months.

That is because oil decays in your engine and loses its lubricating quality. Today’s oil is of a lot better quality than the past and I have my theory of oil changes that I use. If your car is under warranty then check your car’s handbook to stay within the factory recommendations.

My unscientific experience is once the car’s display gets anywhere near 25% oil life left it’s time to change the oil. Waiting for the warning to come is too late if you want to have a car that lasts a long time. My non-car calculated rule is 5000 miles or 5 months.

That is just me but I have a truck with 320K miles on it now that I have driven 22 years. Also a Civic with 310K miles on it that I have driven for 16 years. Maybe I am just lucky. The real point here is make sure you get the correct weight and type (Standard organic or Synthetic) for winter driving based on your manufacture recommendation. If the car is old like some of mine then I run 5w30. Cold weather driving is hard on the engine so you want to make sure you have the correct oil weight and highest lubrication standards met.

Check your Tires.

Inspect the tires for any side wall blemishes.

Hitting a few curbs can cause weakness and a slight bulge. This is a recipe for blowout. Same with any bent rim lips where your tire touches the rim.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving- Quarter Tire Tread TestInspect your tread depth by using the Quarter coin test.

Place the edge of the coin head first into your tire tread and If you can see the top of Washington’s head, your tires are worn and should be replaced. In the old days this test was done with a penny and looking at the top of Lincoln’s head was used. It has been proven that using the penny actually was a little too worn for stopping and traction purposes. In any case you get the idea to check the tread depth. Tires can look perfectly fine but have worn past their safe use.

Check your tire pressure.

As the air gets colder the pressure drops. Fill under inflated tires to the recommended tire pressure. This can sometimes be found on the car’s driver side door pillar decal. Open the door and look below the latch. Correct tire pressure will save gas and avoid blowout on cold days. If you have no decal info check the tire sidewall for pressure recommendation. When all else fails I stick to 32 to 35 lbs. pressure. I have seen under pressure tires blow out the tire seal on cars and it’s no fun having a flat tire on a snowy day. Check your tire pressure monthly if you can.

Rotate your tires.

This is usually recommended every 3000 to 5000 miles for prolonged tire life and even-wear but people seldom do that. Tire shops that you bought the tires from will sometimes do this for free. If you haven’t been doing this at least at this time make sure you have your best traction (deepest tread) tires on your drive wheels. For most cars today that is the front wheels. If you are driving a truck or muscle car it’s the rear wheels. I rotate my own tires and use the opportunity to check the breaks when the tire is off. If they need replacing now or soon, better do it before it’s a snowy hell and cold time of year.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving – Open the hood and inspect:

Hoses and Belts.

Look at the various hoses for bulges, cracks or leaking. Look at the hose connection for signs of leaking. Cold weather is tough on hoses. Look at the belts while the car is not running of course. Look for any signs of wear like cracks or missing chunks. Any defects that you find need to be replaced because when they go you are stuck.

Windshield Washer Fluid Tank.

Make sure your washer fluid tank is full and only use the winter-rated cleaner to avoid freezing in the tank and lines.

Radiator Overflow Tank.

While the car is cold look to see the correct amount of Radiator Fluid is there. You can see a line that says full when cold and another for when it is hot. If your car is more than a few years old and you don’t know when the last time the fluid was changed, you need to consider having it tested for its strength. This can usually be done anywhere that does oil changes.

Look at your Brake and Clutch reservoirs.

Cars with auto transmissions won’t have a Clutch reservoir. These are usually plastic and round with a black lid on them mounted on the firewall which is under the hood and below your windshield. You can see the fluid level through them and lines indicating correct fill height. Low level brake reservoir can indicate worn out brakes and you should have it checked out. If the Clutch reservoir is down it may also be worn or have a leak. Hitting the fill mark means there is probably something more needed than just filling them up with the correct hydraulic fluid.

Auto Transmission fluid.

If your car has an automatic transmission as most do check the fluid levels and color. The fluid should be deep red. If it is brown or very dark and has a strong smell you may have burnt fluid. It is recommended the fluid is changed every 60,000 miles or so. Look at your manufacturers guidelines. In any case if it has a lot of miles since the last change consider getting this done at a shop. I don’t do this maintenance myself anymore because they have machines that can pump out and change all the fluid. Winter driving is very hard on transmissions with all the slipping the wheels do.

Battery – Check for Corrosion

Inspect your battery terminals. This is where your cables attach. There will be a Power (Red) and Ground (Black) cable attaching either to posts on the top of the battery or threaded into the side of the battery. They should be tight and not move on the battery if you gently tug on the cable.

Look for and corrosion around these connections. It is highly corrosive so don’t get it on your clothing or touch it and get it in your eyes. It will appear as a white and somewhat powdery. The best thing to do if you see evidence of corrosion is to grab a wrench and disconnect the cable so can clean it all away using a wire brush and a mixture of baking soda and water. Left unattended this could cause your battery power to be interrupted and your car won’t start.

If you haven’t the tools or time to completely clean the terminals then you can flush some of the corrosion away with your baking soda/water mixture or by gently and strategically pouring a Diet Coke on the corroded posts. The potassium in the Coke will react chemically with the corrosion to flush it away. I use Diet Coke because it doesn’t leave the sticky mess that a sugar laden drink will. Also check to see how old your battery is. There could be a punch label. indicating month and year of purchase or a 2 digit year sticker on one of the sides. If it is 5 years old or older you might want to consider replacing your battery if you live in a cold area of the world.

Preparing for Cold Weather Driving -Check your batteryBattery -Make Sure it is Not Moving- Fill Cells If Needed

The battery should also be tightened down with a bracket so it isn’t rocking around on the battery tray where it sits. Some batteries are sealed but others will have what looks like two rectangular plastic caps. This is where you can use a small screw driver to carefully lift the cap up and inspect the cells for water. If you can see water in all the cells then replace the cap. If you look in the cell and the water level is below the lead plates then you need to add some distilled water to the low cell.

Replace your windshield wipers.

I replace these every fall. Even if they are still functional now the ozone has hardened the rubber and they will most likely fail you when you need them most. This is cheap insurance of good wipers through the cold weather months.

You can see how busy I was yesterday as I went through these things and finished them up for two cars. My embracing fall and preparing for cold weather driving will save a lot of money by avoiding problems later.

Do you live in a cold weather area and routinely prepare for the upcoming driving conditions?

Is there anything I missed in this post?

Car Fever in my Early Retirement

Automotive Hobby, Cars, Cars In Retirement, Passion, Retire Early,

I have a sickness. More like Car Fever in my Early Retirement. No, not the kind of car fever where I am dying to buy a new car. This is a car fever for the love of cars. Actually I am crazy for anything with wheels as long as it is cool. Vintage bicycles, motorcycles, cars, trucks, you name it. Hot Rods, Rat Rods, Sleds, Cruisers, LowRiders, Sports Cars, Muscle Cars, Imports and Customs. Even some of the new cars if they aren’t the run of the mill look like everything else. If you aren’t into cars then you probably could care less about anything I have listed here. But if you are into cars then you know exactly what I mean. I am also open to admire all kinds of cars. Unlike some automotive snobs out there. You know who you are.

So why the article about Leisure Freak Tommy’s car fever?

I guess I am just stoked because I just got a list of all the close-by local car shows for this month. One even includes a concert. It is going to be a busy month for me. I don’t usually take part by entering my ride except for a couple earlier in the summer. But I love to attend car shows and they are almost always free. If there is a fee it is usually modest and associated to a charity which is fine with me. My automotive obsession is one of my retirement hobbies. I meet a lot of like minded car lovers every time I attend one of these shows.

There is another point to this post.

Most early retirement articles or blogs you read will mention getting rid of cars. They preach going to a single car to attain early retirement. Even after you retire to save money. I do have to admit something to the early retirement world. I have a couple of non-utilitarian all-purpose cars and guess what? I still retired early. OK, before you start screaming out that Leisure Freak Tommy isn’t just a Freak but he is a full-blown idiot let me explain.

My Automotive Hobby is part of my Early Retirement Budget.

I buy and keep the cars that I enjoy and like forever. These don’t sit around as a museum piece. They are purpose driven. I am also trying to show that retiring early doesn’t have to mean you give up everything you love or are passionate about. It is about trade-offs. It’s about understanding what they are. How and if our actions or wants will negatively or positively impact our early retirement. These were over 10-year-old used cars when I bought them with cash. I never just look for a car and then buy one within a few days.

I actually hate buying used cars because of all that could be wrong and hidden. These things take much more time to get a good car cheap. Since I seem to already have a car when I am on the car-hunt I don’t have to be in any hurry.

Part of my Car Fever fun is always being on the lookout for something special.

At least one of my cars and for some people they might say both of my cars aren’t exactly frugally smart retiree utilitarian all-purpose vehicles. But they represent my hobby and car fever enthusiasm. A Leisure Freak has to have some fun.

Car Fever in my Early Retirement -Leisure Freak Tommy's primary rideMy primary daily driver car for the last 21 plus years is a 1981 Toyota SR5 mini-truck that I bought in March 1993. It had 140K miles on it and I paid $1300. My son and I had looked for the right truck for over a year and a half to customize and turn into a hardtop convertible. My son was just about 13 at the time which was our first car project together. We successfully made our economical fishing truck much more fun to drive. I have driven this truck through 6 western states and it now has over 320K miles on the odometer. There has been normal maintenance and some rebuilding through the years.

It’s actually very practical

Besides being my daily driver it doubles as a small hauler. A necessity for a homeowner. So far I have over 21 years of dependable fun. It has been worth every penny I have spent on it.

My son passed away 8 years after we did this custom work together. I will never part with this little pickup. I have many memories of our travels and adventures in it. It was a start to what would be his automotive career as an auto body repair tech and painter.

If I had to go to a single car in retirement, it would be this truck. My wife totally believes me when I say that and is not amused (no air conditioning other than going topless). She jokes that I will probably be buried in it.

Even though the mini-truck scene has long passed, there are so few of them left on the road that it sparks interest. I meet and talk to a lot of people who used to own or knew someone who owned a custom mini truck back in the day. It’s a driver and a decent 5 footer (looks great from 5 feet away).

My Early Retirement Ride

Car Fever in my Early Retirement - Leisure Freak Tommy's FRCI had looked 2 years for a 1999 Fixed Roof Coupe (FRC) Corvette. They only made about 4400 of them and I had an amount I was only willing to pay. Of which didn’t match what the market was asking. But in March 2009 when the Stock Market’s Dow dropped into the 6000s everyone panicked. Including the owner of what was to become my dream retirement ride. I paid $15k which was a huge discount of thousands of dollars. After all these years I could still easily sell it for what I paid or more. It had 40K miles on the odometer and like most of these FRCs had some work done to make it a race car.

We take this baby and travel across a few States yearly to the (BHCC) Black Hills Corvette Classic. Its LS1 V8 350 horsepower engine and 6 speed manual transmission will deliver over 30 MPG doing 79 MPH all day long. I have cruised with up to 36 MPG over 400 miles across Interstate 80 heading to Utah. It now has 62K miles and we do plan on cruising the Pacific Coast Highway soon with it.

In Closing

Both of these cars are totally worthless in snow so we have our regular cars for that kind of thing. I have budgeted for the yearly cost and without the daily commute adding hard miles to either of these two cars they should be repair-free for a while. I have to admit that it’s a good thing I only have a 3 car garage because I am tempted now and then to buy a classic car. This Car Fever in my Early Retirement is a sickness. But I am not ready for a cure. I am having way too much fun.

It is good to budget for your hobbies before you retire and have the funds set aside to do them. It is all part of planning ahead to what we are retiring to.

Am I a car crazy freak or just an idiot? Let me know what you think and whether you have some cool cars you hang on to or are looking to buy.