DTMAce's Z26 project - DD usage for the time being - 6-8-12

[DTMAce]

Like I say, one of these days..... lol

Time for a bit of Nostalgic moments of the Z during my visit with the board....

Month after I bought it...



Wasn't pretty, but its the oldest pic of the car. It got hit the 19th. I bought it... Lets see. On the 1st of April the Cav was totaled, I think I bought this car on like the 7th of April. So yeah, about 2 weeks old and it gets hit by an old lady in the ass. Had just over 1k on the clock too. I was pissed.

Lets zoom forward to.... Hmmm

1999




2000. I went to Winnipeg with the Z... Here I was going through Duluth MN....



Then.. Hmm I moved to IL in late 2000... But here are some shots from 2001! LOL



Yeah the Grand AM in that pic was the Ex's... I traded in the old 88 Astro to help her get it. I dumped her in the first of the year in 2002. Thank god.



In front of my house I was renting. Lived here for 2 years, before moving to MI... heheh

Then for Thanksgiving in 02, I took the car on to MI to visit the family... This was fun.



Yep the SES light was on. This was due to the EGR being plugged, though I had no clue then. 177k on the clock in 02! 8 years, over 175k miles. Ouch. That reminds me, I had also just got finished having a radiator installed the day before I left... LMAO You see the trend starting here??



Zooming along on I-75 during a flurry of snow at nearly 80. That was cool.

Lets zoom to 2003 and a new GF. LOL Yeah this one came with a vert. Sadly it was a mustang plain jane, but it was ok. And my Z was behind it.



This was right after I put in new front ball joints, and that was at 197k or so, but it was about this time. lol



Then 2004. I started to plan to move to MI. This was the later part of summer before...



Then that same winter, the last time I used the car before it went into storage for over 3 years.....

This was right after it snowed the first time on the car, we had a big snow that day.



This was later in the month.



Anyways, that was up until I got it out of storage, drove it for like 2 months then totaled it with a deer... Sickening, but I will do an overview of the past few as a sum up on the next post for here.... Consider it a recap. lol

[DTMAce]

Well, after all that, being used heavily and I do mean a LOT, it got no lovin' at all hardly. Actually it sat for over a year while between OH and IL for that matter. Through the winter at my grandmothers outside (ouch) and that really took a toll on the battery as it was drained completely dead, then the next 8 months in IL.. Have to keep in mind, between her and I, we had like 4 damn cars. I owned 3! ALL of them ran, but I was using the other two mostly.

Anyways. 2008.

Got the car out of storage. Basically went to the storage barn that it sat in for 2.5 years, dropped a new battery in the holder, aired up 2 tires and cranked it over. Damn thing fired up as if it had been parked there a week ago. Couldn't believe that. Wheel bearings were noisy from sitting, car was covered when I parked it, but something got in a put seeds ALL over the damn place. It wasn't mice, cause there was no evidence of them. I was more likely to think chipmunk actually, but didn't due a lot of harm. Moved it back home that spring, and it sat for another 5 months or so. I had to buy new tires for it and an alternator before it could hit the road, but I had to move it as the building owner needed the space back. Meh.

So... finally got it titled, insured and then drove it to the tire place for new rubber. THAT was fun. Tires were junk, thing literally shook and vibrated, so I took it easy of course. Wow it was nice to have new tires. Again, this was 2008, around August I believe. Drove it a month, took it tent camping in Mackinaw in Sept. Then 2 weeks later, I was on my way back home. Interstate doing 70... WHAM!



Anyways, we fixed it as this thread already shows.....

Fast forward to my first mini meet:

The day before I was to leave for Mackinaw and meet other fellow Michigan Beretta peeps on April 25 of 09'...



Yeah, that was the last day of the LIMG rebuild on my engine! LOL The 24th! And I had started tearing it down the 19th... Just part of this trend...

Lets see, we zoom ahead to July....

Getting ready to go to Ohio, stay with Grandma a couple days, do a mini meet there in Greenville... Sure.

What's this just 5 days before I have to leave??



Yeah, I replaced NOT only the gas tank, but a radiator as well, and finished THAT the day before I left!! LOL


Ok, so I must be a bit nuts, maybe its just a thing I do.. Who knows right?

No no no no....

Last Spring. What was it I was working on? Oh yeah:

May 5th. PLENTY of time.



May 23rd. Still have a month, no hurry.



May 26th.



Ok June 7th.



(remember Bfest starts when? Yeah the 25th)

The 16th... 9 DAYS REMAINING.



17th...




Now the 19th. 6 MORE DAYS.



20th.



... 21st..



At this point, I had the interior as done as it was going to get, but still had the steering wheel to change. BUT I WASN'T DONE. I still had ALL the brakes, bearings and ball joints to do!!!!

The 23rd... 2 DAYS BEFORE CHICAGO!!




Now, do I know how to procrastinate or what? LMAO

Just what in the hell will I do this year????????????

[90GTZHO]

Damn dude, this thread is full of all kinds of win I know about procrastinating, thats why im starting all my stuff to do before bfest now and getting all the bugs worked out in time to be fresh for everything! I just hope i'll be completely ready.

You do good work man! I hope to see this car at Indy this year

[snowblindburd]

Indy FTW! Wood center console cover also FTW =P.

[DTMAce]

Sadly that wood arm rest cover probably cost me a stock interior award for this year of car last bfest... LMAO

Ah well. Guess I will have to step it up.

[snowblindburd]

Bummer. Full wood interior?! =).

[Money pit Beretta]

Well done Ace.

[Robert 89gt]

I really like the carpet,looks like it hides dirt well.Good work!!!

[DTMAce]

Yeah, that is why I chose that color, I NEVER liked the original "titanium" gray they had. It was too light, showed every little piece of dirt.

[Money pit Beretta]

I know that's true. One can of carpet cleaner and mine still looks kind of dirty. Well there was some mud that look as if it was sitting there for years(and deep down). Hell you would thing all those water leaks would keep it clean!

[DTMAce]

God I can't wait for winter to be over. But I think I need to start shopping for a 3400 and a 4T60E to rebuild..... *sigh

That or get this thing sold, let someone else upgrade it. LMAO Make me an offer!

[jackattack193]

I really enjoyed reading this - thanks for sharing...and I thought my car and I have been through alot!

[DTMAce]

Thanks! Hopefully the tale will never end, but even I know it can't last forever...

[MY91GT(Z)]

the hell with 3400 go 3500 i know i would if my motor goes which i doubt with only 17k mile on it so i t loooks like i have to hybrid this motor

[DTMAce]

Naw.... If I do anything, it will be 3400. Less of a pain in the ass.