RockAuto.com March Newsletter :: Early Edition

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Another Happy Customer!

For the past couple of years I've been driving a 2003 VW Passat that's been missing a bumper insert. The part was too expensive at the local dealer, so I just figured I'd be saddled with a snaggle-toothed VW until I got rid of it. When I saw the RockAuto commercial, I went on line, found the part (apparently it's a VERY popular part), ordered it, got it two days later, popped it in, and my car's front looks like new!

Thanks for being so responsive and reasonable to deal with.

John in Virginia

 

Upcoming Events
If you would like your event featured here, e-mail us with details.

Memorial Festival & Car Show
3/9/2013
San Antonio, TX
e-mail

Tobacco Road Cruisers 2013
3/9/2013
Richlands, NC
e-mail

Carolina Motor Madness
3/9/2013
Fort Mill, SC
e-mail

Quail Run RV Resort Cruise In
3/9/2013
Delray Beach, FL
e-mail

Mid Florida Tech Auto & Truck Show 5th Annual
3/9/2013
Orlando, FL
e-mail

Camp Amigo Car Show
3/9/2013
Jacksonville, FL
e-mail

Panther City Vintage Gathering Swap Meet
3/10/2013
Arlington, TX
e-mail

Lions Club of Seattle Beach 2nd Annual Car/Truck & Motorcycle Show
3/10/2013
Satellite Beach, FL
e-mail

Ultimate Dubs
3/10/2013
Cerrigydrudion, UK
e-mail

Making A Difference Benefit Car Show Swap Meet
3/16/2013
Hogansville, GA
e-mail

The Classics at the Classic 6th Annual Pre-1980
3/16/2013
Lampasas, TX
e-mail

25th Annual Habitat for Humanity Strawberry Festival Car & Bike Show
3/16/2013
Palm Bay, FL
e-mail

Thunder in the Desert
3/16/2013
Buckeye, AZ
e-mail

Redmons Rockin Rides - Culvers Cruise In
3/16/2013
Pflugerville, TX
e-mail

4th Annual Lake Dora Classic
3/16/2013
Eustis, FL
e-mail

Third Annual West Jasper Tiger Pride Car-Bike Show
3/16/2013
Jasper, AL
e-mail

Arizona Classic Bronco Stampede 2013
3/16/2013
Phoenix, AZ
e-mail

Citrus Mopar Club Annual All Mopar Show
3/16/2013
Iverness, FL
e-mail

1st Annual Shine Show Car Show MAMM Against MS
3/16/2013
Middletown, DE
e-mail

Citrus Moparts All Mopar Show
3/16/2013
Hernando, FL
e-mail

SunFest Motor Show
3/17/2013
Victoria, AU
website

Blue Mountains Hot Rod Club
3/17/2013
New South Wales, AU
e-mail

Cruz In Car Show
3/17/2013
Citra, FL
e-mail

2013 Gulf Coast Regional Mustang Show
3/22/2013
Pensacola, FL
e-mail

Space Coast Fiero Club Annual Car Show
3/22/2013
Sharpes, FL
website

2013 Dickey's Barbeque Pit
3/23/2013
Taylors, SC
e-mail

26th Annual All Oldsmobile Show
3/23/2013
Gilbert, AZ
e-mail

Cajun Classic Chevy Club Car Show benefitting "Dreams Come True"
3/23/2013
Baton Rouge, LA
e-mail

4th Annual American Business Woman's Relay for Life Car Show
3/23/2013
Thibodaux, LA
e-mail

Cruisn' for Christ Car Show 4th Annual Classic Car Show
3/23/2013
Wichita Falls, TX
e-mail

Tractor Supply Car Truck Bike Tractor Show
3/23/2013
Harrisburg, NC
e-mail

Vietnam Veterans of America 10th Annual Car Show
3/24/2013
Tampa ,FL
e-mail

Rugged Ridge Jeep Parts

See what we have from Rugged Ridge

Are you a Jeep enthusiast? Rugged Ridge parts are now available in the RockAuto catalog. Rugged Ridge is a division of OMIX-ADA, the leader in replacement and accessory parts for Jeep vehicles. Rugged Ridge offers over 500 parts to repair, restore, and improve both late model and antique Jeeps. The parts are custom designed to fit specific Jeeps and include accessory items like interior trim kits and cowl vent hood scoops, replacement items from rear view mirrors to carpets, and maintenance parts from air filters to shocks.

Rugged Ridge Parts

As an added bonus, in 2013 Omix-ADA is celebrating its 20th Anniversary with a year-long consumer rebate program. Buy Rugged Ridge or Omix-ADA products and get a cash rebate of up to $200! So stock up on fun parts for your Jeep and save!

To see the details for this rebate and the other rebates currently being offered, go to the Promotions and Rebates page. While shopping, don’t forget to watch for the yellow "Rebate/Promotion" stars Rebate/Promotion star next to the part names to help you save even more on RockAuto’s reliably low prices!

 

 

Forum of the Month

Truck Mod Central

Truck Mod Central is a site for everything trucks. Discuss vehicle maintenance, technical questions, how-tos and much more. With thousands of discussion topics and knowledgeable members you are sure to get the answer you are looking for. If you like to talk trucks, register today and become a part of the conversation!

 

If you are the administrator or member of a forum and you would like to see your website featured in an upcoming newsletter and receive a discount code to share with your members, contact cynthia@rockauto.com.

 

 

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

Ouch!

In 1984, a friend and I each had Volkswagen Super Beetles. Hers was a 1973; mine, a 1971. Neither was anything to write home about as both were our first cars and reflected what we were able to afford (not much). Among the rust issues that each car had developed in the salty, snowy Northeast were the heat exchangers and rocker panel duct work. No surprises there. My friend came up with an ingenious idea to solve her no-heat problem: she wanted to install an outlet/lighter under the dash to power an electric heater blower for the front seat passengers. Brilliant!

I volunteered to help with the installation. We selected a nice spot under the dash out of the way of people's feet, drilled a hole and mounted the outlet with a sheet metal screw. We did a little routing of the wires and, lo and behold, she had a heated Volkswagen bug. A couple of years later (yes, her car continued to run), she had a fuel system problem. This time, she took her car to a real repair shop, and they started replacing fuel lines and inspecting other parts of the fuel system. When it came time to take the gas tank out (remember that the engine was in the back of the car and the trunk in the front), they opened the hood but just could not get the tank out.

It turned out that the hole we had drilled went right into the gas tank, and the lowly screw that we used to mount the electrical outlet was keeping its grip on the tank! Oh, and this screw also served as the ground for the circuit, running the power right through the tank. Whoops! Guess we got lucky!

Dave in Connecticut

 

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

 

 

Automotive Trivia

Automotive Trivia

How much of Ford's current earnings come from pickup truck sales?

A. 30%
B. 60%
C. 90%

Answer below

 

 

$0.82 Bushing Saves $1340 Ford Transmission

RockAuto

If you or a friend drives one of the millions of rear wheel drive Ford cars or pickups built in the 1980s and early 1990s with the four speed (AOD) automatic transmission, then drop everything and inspect the throttle valve bushing on that Ford!

The AOD transmission in my son’s 5.0L ’90 Lincoln Mark VII shifted a little slowly and slipped (unusual increase in engine rpm) a couple of times on the way home from the grocery store. We searched an excellent Mark VII forum (thelincolnmarkviiclub.org) and found urgent warnings about failed throttle valve bushings causing severe damage to AOD transmissions.

This little plastic bushing (original Ford part number, E0AZ7F330A) was part of almost every Ford rear wheel drive and front wheel drive automatic transmission shift linkage. Usually if a shift linkage bushing disintegrates from too much heat and/or age, then the transmission linkage might feel loose or bind up.

Unfortunately, on the AOD rear wheel drive transmission, this bushing was used to physically connect the throttle cable to the throttle valve rod that moves a cable regulating fluid pressure in the transmission. As seen in the photo, a pin on the throttle valve rod fits through a hole in a metal bracket attached to the throttle cable. The bushing holds the pin in place. Pressing the gas pedal moves the throttle cable that moves the cable running to the transmission.

A pin on the throttle valve rod fits through a hole in a metal bracket attached to the throttle cable

When the bushing falls apart, gravity pulls the pin out of the bracket on the throttle cable. The transmission no longer gets feedback from the throttle and does not maintain the appropriate transmission fluid pressure. The transmission slips and can burn up and fail in a short time.

The transmission in my son’s Lincoln seems to be working fine after I inserted a new bushing, but the slipping probably shortened its remaining life. Do not assume that everybody with old Fords must already know about this. I drove a 20+ year old Ford Crown Victoria 5.0L for eight years and never had any problem with its plastic bushing. I was just lucky. Check the bushing on any ‘80s and early ‘90s F-150s, Mustangs, Town Cars, etc., with the AOD transmission. Find new Shift Linkage Bushings in the RockAuto catalog under "Transmission-Automatic". This bushing (ATP LO28 or Dorman 74043) currently starts at $0.82 at RockAuto. A remanufactured Ford AOD transmission (Marshall 118113) currently costs about $1340. A new throttle valve bushing is definitely worthwhile preventative maintenance!

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

 

 

Cris's 1966 Buick Skylark
Cris's 1966 Buick Skylark

I acquired my 1966 Buick Skylark back in 1981 with approximately 56,000 miles as a trade-in at the dealership I was working at. Early on I rebuilt the engine and driveline as well as the interior upholstery and the convertible top. Back then I also did some minor body work and repainted the interior and exterior using the original GM colors. I only drive the Buick on summer weekends (less than 500 miles a year) as I live up in the mountains in Northern California.

Recently I upgraded the front brakes to power discs and replaced the brake lines, power steering lines, shocks, and suspension bushings using RockAuto as my main source of replacement parts. The fit was great and it looks as though they will perform like the original parts.

Thanks for the help!

Cris in California

 

Share Your Hard Work

Do you purchase parts from RockAuto? If so, RockAuto would like to feature you & your car or truck in our monthly newsletter. New, old, import, domestic, daily driver, trailer queen, classic, antique, we want to see them all! Please e-mail flamur@rockauto.com with your vehicle's history, interesting details, your favorite images, and what parts from RockAuto you have used.

 

 

Let RockAuto Help

Let RockAuto Help

Are you organizing a car show or other auto related event? From goody bag stuffers to gift certificates...we can help. We can even publicize your event in our newsletter.

Just send us an e-mail with information about your show.

 

 

Automotive Trivia Answer

Automotive Trivia

How much of Ford's current earnings come from pickup truck sales?

A. 30%
B. 60%

Answer: C. 90% (source Bloomberg News)

 

Back up to trivia question

 

 

 

 

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