Battery problems

I have been having a lot of problems starting the car. I borrowed a battery charger from Smitty, which does work, but the battery is apparently not charged up enough to get the car started. But I'm learning about all the different ways to charge a battery. I've also learned that a car battery is not very high voltage, similar to what goes into a flash light. The reason it's big is so it lasts.


I wrote to Smitty:


I figured I'd wait for the holidays to pass before I told you the slightly bad news. The car still won't start.
    I tried the battery charger that I had bought, with more juice, but it didn't work (just a single slow crank).
    I tried an "in the cigarette lighter" device, but that didn't work; apparently the cigarette lighter isn't really attached, maybe.
    Then I tried your charger. At first there was no response, but then I tried attaching the clamps directly to the pins, not just around the clamps holding the pin. Then I got some results. I tried the 10 amp and 50 amp. The 10 amp, on for about 30 minutes did charge the battery. When I put in the key, the battery had power enough to light the light and the glowplug light. I could crank several times in a row, maybe 5 or 6 times, but the car wouldn't start. I repeated this a few times. After a while the battery waned again. I recharged it several times, but the cranking never started the car. Is it worth it to try a longer charge?
    I had mentioned that the installed pull knob isn't going back in. I wonder if it's disconnected, or has disconnected something else that may involved. I just mention it as a possible factor.

What do you recommend?
thanks
Max

Viton hoses, speaker system

I emailed Greaseworks again and called. Then after no response I requested that they let me know if they are out of business or not. They responded by email, and mentioned that because the car had been converted from a gas to diesel, that they couldn't guarantee the hose kit would fit. They requested some measurements of the hoses and images. I couldn't measure the hoses (I don't know which hoses are the fuel lines), but sent some good images of the engine. In the evening a representative called and he accommodated me by sending the hoses uncut and a little longer than needed, so that the mechanic could use exactly what is required.

Smitty also recommended I call Sound Depot here in Gainesville regarding improving the radio/speaker system. I asked them about an HD radio (which would give me a few more public radio stations -  the local one plays only classical, and bad classical, and it would interface with the iphone). But they quoted me a figure between 700 and 3000. An HD radio is about 200, or less. Speakers run between 15 and 70 dollars, so I'm not sure what they're talking about. Maybe I'll skip the whole thing.

Right now the radio has only a tape deck and a crappy radio interface, and an on/off button which is somewhat loose and barely works. The sound is very funny: it sounds like a radio in a 70's movie, like it's deliberately squelched to signify "mediated sound source", reminding me of when a radio or TV turns on by itself in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But during driving, I can barely hear anything because it's so high frequency. I am wondering if the lower speakers are missing altogether. If I trick out this pickup, I'll probably regret loosing that retro atmosphere of the smelly car and the tinny radio, but maybe not for long. Maybe a slick radio with good speakers will make up for that rough driving feel of the car, giving some comfort.

Biofuel lines, cleaning the inside, and the woodgrain dash

I emailed Greaseworks, a place that sells Viton fuel lines. These are the lines that don't corrode with biofuel. Normal diesel fuel lines will corrode gradually with biodiesel -  I suppose because biodiesel is more oily, and the lines are made of some rubber. Biodiesel can be used as a paint remover, it turns out. Anyway I emailed them but haven't heard back. My mechanic also wrote back saying it's best that I buy the hoses and have them sent to him.

Smitty recommended a guy, Emmit, to do detailing, i.e. cleaning the inside of the car thoroughly. He did a great job. The car really needed a good washing on the inside. Now it smells less of that old car smell, but the aroma is still a little bit there, just for atmosphere. He explained that the dash had been stained with a special paint just for plastic and that if I wanted to, I could buy that stuff and do the same, but I'm not sure I want to go down that road. Right now the dash matches everything else.

The woodgrain for the dashboard came in — it looks really nice. It'll make the dash panel look a little less taped together, and a lot more early 80's. I had to pick up one of my sons (while the Honda was being detailed) with the pickup. The radio came on by itself and played Smoke on the Water in perfect bad speaker pitch.

The first "mod"

I finally reached Hilltop Motors. This is another place that Smitty has recommended. They sell VW parts and are located in nearby Jacksonville. I want to get a fake wood dash panel, which I've seen on many other caddies. My current panel is black with painted-over crud on it. This could be my first and simplest modification. I had emailed back and forth with them, but it was dragging out too much. As usual, calling did the trick. I ordered a fake wood dash, original part for rabbit.

original dash:

wood panel found on Ebay superimposed in Photoshop

Looking for local biodiesel

Smitty, the mechanic, had given me the name Eudes De Crecy, who had been using biodiesel on many cars, someone who's really knowledgeable about the subject. I called him and asked a few question and got some advice, such as, yes I definitely need to replace the fuel lines with Viton hoses; that in the cold weather I should mix the biodiesel with regular diesel 70/30 or similar, because biodiesel actually thickens. He also mentioned that the fuel filter will have to be changed quite often in the beginning because the biodiesel will clean out the soot from the regular diesel and deposit it in the filter. I hadn't heard that one before. I asked him where to get biofuel locally and he said to call him back in a few days. I'm still not sure why he said that, but I'll call him back on Friday. He said there's one in town, but wouldn't say who. That seemed like a strange way of relaying information. 

I also emailed a local place called Freedomfuels.Inc here in Gainesville again. They had mentioned that soon they'd be able to sell biofuel. Haven't heard back. I am getting a very strange impression that many of the biodiesel resellers in the area actually don't exist, or have stopped production, for various reasons.

I went by a local chinese restaurant and asked them how they get rid of their grease. They said they sell it to someone. If true, it seems the market has already turned from "free" to "pay"; soon people will start stealing the stuff, like in California. Earlier I had asked a different chinese restaurant, but they said they just dump it because they're on the second floor and have no way to put into barrels. I was a little shocked they admitted that. Even though I am nowhere near making biodiesel from grease, I am starting to ask around for it. I am considering just hoarding it, since I predict companies will be snatching up all the local restaurants with contracts. Online people are selling filtered grease for $2.50, very close to the current price of diesel, around $300. One would still have to convert that (or use a converted truck).

Finding a purpose

I brought away the dirty recycling to the end of the road. A pickup must have a purpose, after all. Usually we use the Civic for this, and it has made the car somewhat smelly and in constant need of a cleaning. Glad to have another option now.

I don't trust the pickup enough yet for longer trips; just getting it across town to the mechanic was harrowing enough. Soon, I will be using it to get feed for the animals, move around farm related materials (we're building a barn and refurbishing a shed). Right now the truck still has its white coat on it, and it doesn't look very professional. It has a few chips missing and parts where some gunk was sprayed over. I'm discovering more and more what a third rate restoration the seller had done on the car. I'd call it an "Ebay-level" restoration: looks good on Ebay, but not in person. 

I'm looking into getting a spray-in liner for the truck, so I don't need to worry about damaging the coat. The downside of a spray-in is that it doesn't come off, so the "original" surface of the car is permanently altered. But, I'm beyond trying make the car an exact reproduction; instead making it functional and reasonably pleasant.

Second car fix

I had brought the car back to Smitty since some more things needed to be fixed. On the 15th, I couldn't get a ride to the shop, so Smitty was kind enough the pick me up with his car to the garage. I paid another bill, around 1100 dollars, which hurt, but I trust him. I noticed that some things I had put on the list of things to fix hadn't been done, like the way neutral sometimes feels like 2nd, the door jamming, the lack of ac, the lack of wiper fluid system. For Smitty these were superficial  problems, so he didn't focus on those first. He's right of course, and the car runs much better now, and the glowplug system finally works. But going home with the car having only the glowplugs and the motor working better felt a little disappointing because I had wanted to come away with more noticeable results also. The notion of "just fix whatever needs fixing" doesn't really exist apparently. Every time one thing is fixed, other problems come to the surface.

Missing the car

I am really missing the car. Interesting how I've gotten attached to it already. I need a reason to take it back from the mechanic. I finally found one: I need to reassess what has been repaired so far and what still needs to be done. Sounds good. I'll call Smitty.