My Black Brick

Burning a Hole in my Wallet

DoctorJay — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:06:05 +0000

My check engine light has been on in my brick ever since I drove through flood waters and stalled out. I’ve changed oil and flushed the transmission but ever since I’ve been getting awful gas mileage. Like 10 mpg city and 15 highway. I haven’t had the funds to get it looked at and am just not going on any long trips. The car runs fine on the highway but lags around town. Stepping on the accelerator just causes the car to pause for a moment, then revs normally. I’m guessing the engine is flooding with an overload of fuel, because if I’m steady on the pedal I don’t have too much of a problem.

I figure the problem is with the O2 sensor, even though I think it’s pretty new, like less than a couple years.

UPDATE: Now that I look at pictures of my catalytic converter install, I realize I have another O2 sensor I can test with. My old cat had cracked but I still have it in my basement, with O2 sensor attached. Looks like I need a new wrench and should start troubleshooting.

Looking at my iPhoto set I see I have tons of pics that I never got around to posting, of things like my overdrive install, flame trap, cat converter, etc. One of these days I should just dump it all onto this site.

Boots Across America

DoctorJay — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:22:03 +0000

I walked out of my studio yesterday to find 3 cars booted in a row. Welcome to Hoboken, out-of-towner! Thought it’d make a decent motivational poster. Click to enlarge.

How About a V8 for Your Commute?

DoctorJay — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:39:10 +0000

Jalopnik’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe? today features a Volvo 240 Chevy V8 conversion listed on Craigs List, WA. Consensus is that it’s a “Nice Price” but I’ll pass. Love the powder coated Virgo’s though.

Buy a Volvo Wagon for Your Wife

DoctorJay — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:45:21 +0000

Pity the poor 70′s Stepford wives. Their husbands run off in cute little MGBs while they’re stuck lugging the kids and groceries in gigantic Detroit wagons. Where’s Fresh Direct when we need it?

Drive Your Brick Off a Cliff

DoctorJay — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:31:04 +0000

Ye olde Volvo commercial. That’s quite a slide.

Can’t Kill It

DoctorJay — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:28:55 +0000

A brick lover has to be careful when searching YouTube with the term “Volvo 240″. It seems like half the videos involve groups of teenage boys hooning their car into the ground… or off the ground, flying through the air to the music of Rammstein.

The rollover at 5:35 is pretty bad ass. None of the glass broke. Keep watching to see in slo-mo.

Is that a Wagon… or a Hatchback?

DoctorJay — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:09:58 +0000

I sat behind one of these Honda Crossturds this weekend and was just mystified at the design decisions made in the construction of this abomination. How can you see out of a rear window that is practically parallel to the ground? How are you supposed to be able to get a stack of boxes from Ikea under that sloped roof?

Jalopnik has a couple posts exploring the etymology behind the term “station wagon” (hint: what would you need to take a stack of boxy luggage to the local train depot?) and clarify the difference between “wagon” and “hatchback”.

LINK: Why is it called a “Station Wagon”?
LINK: What makes a Wagon a Wagon?

Bowtie Speedos

DoctorJay — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:06:43 +0000

Designer Christian Annyas has a cool collection of Chevrolet speedometer designs spanning 1943-2011. Above is the 1970 Chevy Nova. Most are analogue, or analogue looking. I can’t stand digital readouts and digital clocks.

Sketchy Sedans

DoctorJay — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:34:21 +0000

Flaf has a sweet set of sketches of sedans, sport coupes and subcompacts in his Flickr stream. Can you find the Volvo?

Here’s a previous post of a 245, and a new image of a p1800.

Vintage Soviet Automobiles

DoctorJay — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:05:55 +0000

A slew of pics of these lil’ boxes.