Fifty150

I never need an excuse to go to Harbor Freight. Nor do I have an excuse for drinking intoxicants and associating with vixens with low moral standards. But it won't be a Harbor Freight trip. Harbor Freight sells sets of sockets. Sears has open stock. I will not buy 180 pieces, for the 1 size I want. Already own hex bit kits that I only bought for 1 size. Problem is that they are too small. Now I have a bunch of small bits without purpose.

I think you should get spikes!

Does anyone know the size of the hex bit I will need to insert into the guide hole? Just in case I lose the OEM lug wrench. And just in case anyone needs to know, the OEM torque spec is 100 lb-ft. With an 18" breaker bar, and a 3/4" socket, the lug nuts came off with ease.

https://images.etrailer.com/static/images/video/Demo-Timbren-Vehicle-Suspension-TFRTCA.webm https://youtu.be/_ycugQVlwq4

Is the diesel an option for Long Wheel Base? I just don't think I would ever buy a short bed pickup either. Same way I know that you need a full size bed on a pickup truck in case you need to carry plywood, futons, beds, whatever......I don't want to buy a smaller van that will leave me kicking rocks & crying, because of whatever it is that I can't get in my van. And it's always by inches. Not too bad in a truck with a shorter bed, because you can still try to drive with the tailgate down, and your load strapped. But I don't want to drive with the van doors open.

3.5 months. Unbelievable.

The wheelchair ramp conversions are already on the road. I see them out there in use. I still wonder about passenger safety, when a wheel chair is rolled into a van, then strapped down. Okay, the chair is safe. What about the person in the chair? Is that wheelchair position in a correct position to work with the vehicle's airbags? I still think that if possible, it is better to assist the person into a vehicle, strapped in with the vehicle's seat belt, and in the correct passenger position for the airbags. At least that is how I've been doing it. But I'm not in the business of transporting the disabled. Just driving around family members.

Same goes for cars.

Milk crates would work just fine......only problem is that you have to steal them.

Now we are way off topic.

You may have better luck converting your Transit Connect to electric. R&D has already been done for the first generation Transit Connect. You may be able to locate parts still on the market, and apply your own tweaks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure_Transit_Connect_Electric

Looks like only a half dozen people reported the issue, nobody has a solution, and it is only with the first generation sold in U.S.

A shop teacher used to say about engines, "suck, bang, and blow".

Funny how you don't see guys wearing MC colors riding on the back of a girl's Grom.

You are correct. Body work can often cost more than mechanical work. $10,000 thrown in the right direction, with proper windage, can almost replace everything you need under the hood. You can probably get a whole new engine, transmission, and everything to go along with it. That is a lot less expensive than $30,000 for a new car. But do you spend $10,000, on a car that is only worth $2,000?

Try calling this guy. He may be able to help. https://www.vmpperformance.com/aboutus.asp

I am jealous. That is such a cool Grom. Can you take me for a ride? 5150 Yes and no. You would need proprietary software, in most cases, to tune the engine. Companies like SCT make handheld tuners for more popular Ford Mustang, F-150, et cetera. But I don't think anything is over the counter for Transit Connect. Custom tune writers are not in the business of adding HP & torque to a minivan.

My dad taught me the same thing about cars. Value depreciates daily. Interest adds debt daily. If I only have $2,000, then it's a $2,000 car that I will buy. If all that buys is a 14 year old Hyundai, then I will drive it for a year, save what I would have spent on payments. My next car will be a $4,000 car that might last 3 years. The math can work that way. $500 monthly car payments adds up to $30,000 in 5 years. The real problem is when you have that money in your hand, you might not want to spend it all at once on a new car. You may decide that you could live with driving another used car, and do something else with that money. My ex wanted to spend it on a wedding. She is now my ex. There are options. Insurance auctions for salvage title cars. Little old ladies that are not allowed to drive anymore. Maybe someone else with a stroke of bad luck, and you can take over payments. As a kid, I rode a motorcycle because it was cheaper. In today's world, $2,000 will buy a very good used 2 wheeler. Leaps and bounds beyond a $2,000 car.

You didn't consider a little more luxury, like a Honda or Toyota van, for driving kids around?

Just win a lottery jackpot. People do it all the time. Just nobody I know. Not me, because I can't afford to buy a ticket. But it could be you. We have all been there. You have a car that you don't want to lose, but you are throwing more money at it than it is actually worth. Now you're in the hole. You will never get out of it, what you're putting into it. It's like a bad relationship. You don't want to let it go, but can't afford to hold onto it. Your car can be fixed. Today's modern vehicles, almost everything can be diagnosed and corrected. The right technician, with proper diagnostic equipment, could pinpoint all of the car's issues. And as you already know, most of the time, it's just changing parts. Every part on the car can be changed for a new one. But at what cost? You just put a over a thousand into this car. I don't even want to think about how many thousands you have put into it over the years. I've done the same myself. I put over $10,000 (little by little, over many years) into an old rust bucket Jeep, until I figured out that I could have spent that money on a new car. Like you, a thousand here, five hundred there, and 10 years later, it added up. Your car's KBB value may only be in the $2,000 - $4,000 range. It may be time to figure out what your budget allows for car payments, and to talk to a lender about financing. The math is not in favor of putting more money into the car.

Let's say that you bought that GM about 10 years ago, and you bought that Ranger 10 years before that........technology has changed a lot in 20 years. The last time that I owned anything 4 cylinders was back when little 4 cylinder engines had no power......70's, 80's, 90's vintage 4 cylinder cars were terribly underpowered in comparison to today's technology. Think bac to that 1st Mustang, with a 2.8L inline 6, and 105 HP. All depends on what your fatties weigh, and how fat your soccer mom is. I've had different sized people in the van, and haven't had any problems yet. But none of my passengers weighed over 250 lbs. If you have a load of 7, 300 pounders, then that adds up to 2,100 pounds.

Window tint laws are different in every state. And all tint laws are in the interest of officer safety, or operator safety. The only thing that is illegal in every state would be 100% tint of the entire windshield. I have "limo tint", which is legal in California. My rearview mirror does not see anything on the road. It's only useful for checking to see what the kids are doing in the back. I'm used to driving trucks, so using the side mirrors correctly is essential......problem being that the Transit Connect does not have truck mirrors. A backup camera made all the difference in the world. I didn't install the camera until I tinted the windows and realized that I couldn't see a thing. Not a real issue anymore, since all new cars will come with backup cameras. Cargo shifting and breaking auto glass is common. So common, that a lot of commercial vehicles have some sort of screen or cage to protect the glass & keep your cargo from flying onto the freeway. So common that there are vehicle specific screens that you can buy. https://www.americanvan.com/ford-transit-connect-g2-wire-window-screens.html Home/ Shop By Vehicle/ Ford Transit Connect/ 2014 & Newer Ford Transit Connect Window Screens MORE VIEWS 2014 & Newer Ford Transit Connect Window Screens Write a review These custom fit window screens are available for the rear hinged and side sliding door windows on the 2014 Ford Transit Connect. Passenger and Driver side screens can be purchased individually or as a set of 2. Constructed of a heavy-duty 7 gauge wire frame and a 9 gauge welded wire screen grid with an attractive gray powder coat finish. The Window Screens for the side sliding doors (WGR-3120) are for the Long Wheelbase Van only See Full Description Below Model Description Shipping Weight Price Qty WGR-1818-G2 2014 & Newer Transit Connect, Rear Swing Doors - SET OF 2 7 lbs $69.90 WGR-3120-G2 2014 & Newer Transit Connect, Long Wheelbase, Side Sliding Doors - SET OF 2 10 lbs $89.90 WGR-1818TPN-G2 Window Screen, 2014 Transit Connect - Rear Passenger Side Swing 4 lbs $34.95 WGR-1818TDN-G2 Window Screen, 2014 Transit Connect - Rear Driver Side Swing 4 lbs $34.95 WGR-3120TPN-G2 Window Screen, 2014 Transit Connect - Passenger Side Sliding - Long Wheelbase Only 7 lbs $44.95 WGR-3120TDN-G2 Window Screen, 2014 Transit Connect - Driver's Side Sliding - Long Wheelbase Only 7 lbs $44.95 WGR-4518TRL-G2 Window Screen, 2014 & Newer Transit Connect - Rear Lift-Up Door 8 lbs $59.90

If you know what you are doing when you crash it.