[realroadrage]

Greetings Dorkis,

At a recent tech, I had the pleasure of having Marc, Jim, George, and Kurt (Dorki fab four?) inspect my car and suggest a few fixes before I attend DE. 3 of the things they recommended warrant an alignment afterwards, so I thought I'd do those together. I'm taking the car in for safety inspection at a place that can do an alignment in June, so my objective is to do those 3 things before the end of June.

The 3 items in question are:

1) replace front wheel bearings
2) upgrade to turbo tie rods
3) lower to Euro ride height

I have all the parts but not the cajones to install them (see warning below).

WARNING: I am a newbie. Evidence of my level of newbieness includes asking Jim to point out the catalytic converter at the tech and being overly impressed with myself for replacing my hood crest without causing serious damage to my car. So, while I am in this thing for the long haul, this is definitely the beginning of the road for me. The value for me to do this work with a Dorki versus taking it to a shop is simply to learn how to do it myself. That said, I am not averse to bribery in exchange for your help (I have those cigars that Dan likes and a decent collection of scotch).

I am in the Sterling/Cascades/Potomac Falls area of Virginia (20165), which may not matter since I will likely not be hosting (newbie=lack of basics, including tools).

[87turbolook911]

Welcome Michael!

No worries ....we all start somewhere. You'll learn a lot and quickly by simply reading this board and attending some DIY events.

As long as you're willing to get your hands dirty and have the "wiser" ones lead you, you'll get plenty of help.

Though this is my 885 post, I'm still learning. That's the whole idea.

[brianr]

Same here Michael! See item titled rear half shaft in this forum. I still haven'y gotten the correct idenitification numbers off the bottom of the transmission to order my parts. Round two of crawling under it with a flashlight this weekend! Is yours the Black Cabrio with the custom heat shield over the exhaust that was at ASG?

[realroadrage]

No, that wasn't me. I was actually at the previous tech for the Mid-Ohio DE at IMA in Fairfax. Nice to meet another '85 coupe owner.

[Richard Curtis]

As Dorkis (I'm a newbie to this group myself), we need to get this fellow some TOOLS!! Then we can figure out an excuse to drop his engine. Seriously, we're all here to help and we all were beginners once. Except for Kurt. And Jim. And Dave ...

[Vicegrip]

Originally Posted by Richard Curtis

and we all were beginners once. Except for Kurt. And Jim. And Dave ...

No exceptions for me, I am still a beginner and hope to be for the rest of my life. I do something wrong or at least find that I could have done it better and learn something new every day.

Yesterday I learned that my 19 month old likes to stick kernels of corn up her nose and they fit just right.

[realroadrage]

Gee, Kurt, what kind of tool do you need to extract the corn kernels from your daughter's nose?

[little b]

EARS are for popcorn kernel storage!
The nose is storage for small beads, jewels, and non edible items.
digress digress digress.
soon, your car will be in pieces strewn accross the garage. showing your true dedication to the cause, as Novice.
To meet the level of Master, you will need to convince Others, to tear down there car, and leave it strewn accross the galaxy.....i mean garage.

[jbailey930]

Hi Michael,
we are neighbors! Also there is Jim Richards, Alex Rivera Phil Hartmann and Mark Francis nearby in Cascades. Glad to help out anytime. I boast a full complement of tools and some key manuals as well. Welcome aboard the Dorki bus.

Best

[realroadrage]

Hey, it's great to be so close to other Dorkis. I was looking at Saturday, June 11 as a possible day to do this as I'll be in California the next few weekends. If that works for any willing "Master" Dorkis, I'll be happy to provide the necessary offerings in exchange for your expertise (and patience). You may have to clue me in on how this ritual works.