2004 Honda Element

Why ignore that offer Brian? Are you worried that there is too much room in that Element for explosives?:D
 
Oh that might be bad .Have someone jump the title , steal a set of plates then use it for some destructive means or a robbery . Not good at all .
 
Locallly here a guy let someone test drive his vehicle for sale privately. Didn't get no ID or nothing from the person. Stolen, bye bye. No insurance, because he let them take it. Just a heads up, but methinks Brian's a little quicker then that.
 
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  • #55
I picked up the replacement speedometer and the AC controller from the junk yard today. They had to order the parts in from Tampa. The speedometer and gauges all work properly and I now have 87,601 miles on the car. ;)
The bad news is that the $75 AC controller didn't do a thing. So I either have two bad ones or two good ones. :|: I'm hoping I can return it and get most of my money back out of it. The mechanic said that the blower motor resistor was also indicating as bad, so I ordered one of those from the auto parts store. $50 and it will be here tomorrow.

My costs are really beginning to add up on the car. I've got most everything fixed but if I keep handing out hundred dollar bills every day then pretty soon I'll be lucky to break even on the deal. Right now I'm hoping to clear $1200-$1400, but it's looking like it will be closer to $1000.

A lady from GT Covers called me today in response to my inquiry. Less than 12 hours after I placed my order I got two separate emails from GT Covers advertising free shipping between now and Labor Day. They hadn't even processed my order yet, so I called and asked for the free shipping and for my credit card charge to be adjusted. The lady was super nice and said that of course they would do that.

Another ignored email on the Craigslist ad today. Sorry, but I'm not responding to emails from people who can't write in complete sentences and offer me a lowball price without even seeing the car.
 
I buy a lot of stuff off CraigsList. I almost always give them what they're asking. Unless it's not what they said it was.
 
It's just that it's too easy to e-mail through craigslist. So people make offers in times of boredom, change there mind. If you are serious about buying something, I'll call, look, then make an offer. I usually just reply call me, the number is below. If they are serious they'll call and quit the e-mails.
 
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  • #60
Some more progress today and another major problem discovered.
AC is fixed, the blower motor condenser was the culprit and it's blowing lots of cold air now.
My seat covers came in unexpectedly today. They said 10-14 days but either they are super slow or else they had this particular size and color ready to go. I have the driver's seat installed and half the passenger seat installed and they look great. I'm very pleased with the fit and finish.

Bad news is the transmission driveshafts are both making noise and flinging grease. I think the joints where the driveshaft connects to the hub are called CV joints, but what are they called on the other end of the driveshafts where they come out of the transmission? That's where the problem is. Looks like I'm playing Mr Mechanic next week because I simply cannot sell the car knowing they are bad.
 
I'm not 100% on the Element, but usually you replace the whole axle from the diff to the hub with both joints.. Sometimes/normally the hub's bearing (unit bearing) is held together with the wheel's stub shaft.
 
Yup. Getting the axle nut loose on the hub can be hard. I think usually when it has been changed once and overtorqued. You have to seperate the ball joint so you can swing the hub out to clear the axle. The axle just pulls out of the differential.
 
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  • #64
I can get two complete new axles for less than $150 from Discount Auto. Those are all completely new and include new boots. The mechanic who diagnosed the AC said labor to replace them would be about $150 if I didn't want to do them myself. The last one I did was on my 1984 Prelude about 15 years ago and my tools are no longer organized. Half of them are on the bucket truck, which would mean multiple trips to storage to get stuff. I'm debating whether or not to attempt replacing them myself.
 
Do it yourself. It'll end up costing twice as much, take four times as long, but you'll learn so much.:D
 
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  • #66
I wouldn't do it on somebody else's car for twice the money, so I think I'll let the mechanic do it. I can go trim a dozen palm trees in an hour for that much money, or I could spend all day busting my knuckles and turning wrenches flat on my back under a hot, greasy car.
 
It is a PIA ob. I changed 2 and my son did one also where the spring wire clip didn't keep the axle in the differential. One I had pop out messed up the spines a little bit. Some tedious filing straightened them out. The book says push the axle in until it clicks in. I rap on them with a hammer now to make sure the wire clip is fully seated.
 
For $150 i take it in. I have replace then a civci with little to no problems. It is just not worth my time to do it at $150. Shop hrs is around $65-80 here So it looks like a 2 hr job for him.
 
Well I've said before that I've never made a dime on a car and pretty much gave up the idea of buying them cheap and making a profit .Too many tire kickers ,things gone wrong you didn't know about along with ten thousand other things .

I might be a tad like B. in the fact I'm way too honest about them . I'd never make a used car salesman for sure .
 
Yes Brian, if you can make more $ in the time it takes the mechanic to do the job, you are money ahead to pay him. Just pay him and tell all of us you did the work yourself and it was a piece of cake. :)
 
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  • #71
Seat covers are on, all the dash trim is repainted, floors are 90% clean.

IMG_1568.jpg

IMG_1569.jpg
 
Looks shiny nice. Hope you turn enough on it to make it worthwhile.
 
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  • #74
Got a bite this morning. He actually emailed me last night and I replied, telling him to call me any time after 7am. Well, he called at 7:01 and was here at 7:15 to look at it. His name is Leon Orange and the orange thing is a big deal for him. He said he would definitely get back with me after Tuesday when my mechanic replaces the CV axles.
 
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