#you could DIY a car now if you're handy

[angryisokay]

“fuck paying insane rates for the UAW to build vehicles in huge factories, 3D printing and home CNC is gonna make kit cars the future in 10 years.”

Per vehicle labor costs for the Big 3 is like $3,500. That’s wages, pto, bonuses, profit sharing and health insurance. It wasn’t even hard to find that information.

Existing kits cars do get as low as 6k, but you also need the time, space, tools and know-how in order to assemble your kit car. Large format 3D printing is still expensive to set up, same for home CNC, and if you fucked up the set up before running the part well now you gotta redo the whole damned thing.

Yeah, 3D printing and small CNC should shift the automotive world [pro-tip it’s already being used in the industry] and it’ll make a world of difference in repair and modding circles. It’ll be cool to see what happens. Probably not some Mad Max rebel future tho.

[afrogulf]

How to Install and Maintain a Car Lift in Your Garage

Transforming your storage into an expert-grade car workshop is a dream for plenty of vehicle enthusiasts and mechanics. One key detail that could make this dream a reality is putting in a car lift. With an automobile lift, you could actually raise your automobile, making protection and maintenance easier, more secure, and greener.

However, the procedure of putting in and preserving a vehicle may additionally seem formidable to the uninitiated. From deciding on the right form of elevating to ensuring proper setup and ongoing care, there are several elements to remember. 

Whether you're a seasoned mechanic looking to improve your workspace or a DIY enthusiast keen to tackle more formidable tasks, installing a car lift can revolutionize the way you figure out your cars. So, let's dive in and explore the fine details of bringing this crucial piece of equipment into your storage.

Choosing the Right Car Lift

To begin, you need to pick out the suitable car lift for what you want. There are different sorts, like two-post, four-publish, and scissor lifts. Think about things like storage size, car weight, and the maintenance you plan to do. 

Installation Process

Installing a car lift might also look like a daunting mission, but with the proper tools and practice, it could be executed effectively. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you via the system:

Step 1: Prepare Your Garage

Clear out enough space in your garage to accommodate the carlift. Make certain the ground is smooth and level, as choppy surfaces can affect the stability of the raise.

Step 2: Gather Your Tools

To install your car lift, ensure you have tools like a drill, wrenches, and a stage handy. Also, check the producer's tips for any unique equipment you can want.

Step 3: Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Each car will come with its own set of installation commands. Follow these cautiously, paying close attention to weight limits, bolt torque specifications, and safety precautions.

Step 4: Install the Lift

Begin by assembling the lift in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. This can also include attaching the columns, fingers, and hydraulic devices. Once assembled, anchor the elevator to the ground securely.

Step 5: Test the Lift

Before using the lift with your car, take a look at it to make sure that it operates easily and competently. Check for any unusual noises or vibrations and make any important modifications.

Maintenance Tips

After putting in your vehicle raise, make certain to hold it nicely for toughness and secure operation. Here are a few suggestions to help you preserve your automobile in the best circumstances:

Regular Inspections

Inspect your car lift often for signs and symptoms of wear and tear, which include frayed cables or leaking hydraulic fluid. Address any issues right away to save you similar damage.

Lubrication

Keep all shifting elements of the car lift well lubricated to save you friction and make sure easy operation. Follow the producer's pointers for the type and frequency of lubrication.

Cleaning

Don't neglect to smooth your car lift regularly to take away dirt, grease, and debris that can increase. This will help it live in excellent shape and prevent any harm, like corrosion.

Professional Maintenance

Consider scheduling normal renovation checks with a qualified technician to make certain that your car is in top-rated condition. They can pick out any capacity troubles early and provide any essential upkeep.

Conclusion

In the end, putting in and preserving a car lift in your storage is a substantial investment that can substantially enhance your automobile repair and maintenance capabilities. By following the steps outlined in this blog, you can make certain of an easy installation technique and keep your automobile in pinnacle condition for future years.

With a car lift at your disposal, you may now not have to battle with cramped areas or awkward angles when working in your vehicles. Instead, you will experience the ease of having clean access to the underside of your automobile, permitting you to address repairs and enhancements with self-belief and efficiency.

So, whether you're a hobbyist seeking to elevate your DIY initiatives or an expert mechanic looking to improve your workflow, a car lift is a valuable addition to any storage. Take the plunge and raise your storage to new heights these days!

[leam1983]

Forza 5: Horizon - Quickie

Considering the shitstorm surrounding Polyphony and Gran Turismo as of late, Microsoft's own foray into DIY-Simulcade racing's picked up a ton of goodwill. Long story short, it's basically Riders Republic but good, far less obnoxious in its presentation even if it does occasionally veer into "Hey guys, look at me! I have a 'tude too!" territory. Case in point, your racer's default spoken name is either Brah or Girl. Playground Games pulled a bit of a Bethesda in having their announcers record the same emphatic announcements dozens of times, in order to fit as many bespoke first names and nicknames.

Imagine Fallout 4's Codsworth, only he's hopped up on Jägermeister-Red Bull shots and treats vehicular sociopathy like your average fun vacation outing.

What really caught my eye, however, are the extensive Accessibility settings. You can go as deep into the Simulation side of things as you want, or aggressively push for an Arcade feel, if you're coming into this from EA's Need for Speed titles. Better yet, if your reaction times are impaired or your ability to handle the specific neurokinetic needs of a racing game isn't quite spot on, you can set how aggressively your car auto-steers and auto-brakes. Add a slight tweak and you might feel like the game is helping you out in those rare instances where your reflexes vacate the premises. Push the Assists to the max and you effectively turn Forza 5 into a one-button game. Hold down the gas pedal and kick back, because the PC's going to do its best to stick you to an optimal path - even around sharp turns. If you're severely paralyzed and can't really do much with your fingers, this could be a fun way to get a shot at a bit of Power Fantasy-esque good times. Obviously, the usual screen-reader and color blindness options are present.

Otherwise, a fun aside is the addition of an ASL or BSL Picture-in-Picture mode, which you can set to either provide you signed interpretations of all dialog prompts, or as a descriptive aside to the regular subtitles - which might come in handy in those rare moments where the game's very light narrative tries to underscore moments of pathos. I was expecting a very slapdash PiP box appearing in a corner, but instead got treated to very clean fade-ins and outs of a chroma-keyed and Horizon tee-shirt-wearing IRL interpreter in the lower right corner of the screen - mostly during non-interactive segments. It's a rare addition, and it comes along with the customization options' inclusion of limb prosthetics as an unusually welcoming approach to technical adaptations.

Even better, even if some of these assists might feel slightly "cheaty" to able-bodied players, you're never gated out of online content and are never sanctioned out of online races. The game absolutely does not care if you're the pedal-pumping type or someone who's trusting the AI to mostly keep you on-track - and it especially doesn't care if you use assists while driving in Automatic. Everyone gets in the same boat, and once you're turned into someone else's distant opponent, there's no way they could possibly tell which assists you've got turned on. That puts a massive, massive smile on my face. It's rare that you find a racing game dev that's so dedicated to the Rule of Fun, to the point of working in special cosmetics to make you feel welcomed - or in recognition of certain recent trends.

As yes, your toon is entirely customizable, and you can wear one of a garden variety's worth of face masks. I went to town, slapping a prosthetic arm and leg on, as well as the blockiest glasses my in-game credits could afford, to go with my matte black face mask.

I'd elaborate on the game's presentation of Mexico as a setting, but you probably know the gist by now - it's an extrapolation of the real thing, one where you can go from Tulum to the upper Baja California in about two or three minutes if you floor it. It makes for a fun, varied and versatile sandbox - but I'd probably raise a finger or two in protest of the way most characters aggressively stick to Spanglish.

Oh, and all of it has entirely optional and avoidable microtransactions. None of them are ever shoved in your face, and you can entirely work through the game without bringing the cash shop up. There's a few cars on sale, but the bulk of it all is limited to timed boosts and XP point packs. You won't need them - Forza 5: Horizon hands out levels like candy.

So, yeah. I'd give it a thumbs-up, if tempered by a bit an eye-roll at the basic premise. I know Mexico has a bad history of corruption, but the amount of payola you'd need to basically quarantine your entire population and turn your entire country into an open-bar for speedsters probably reaches Elon Musk Shitpost Expense levels...

[karasunoloomer]

only shallow (haikyuu!! band au)

chapter 1: first impressions wc: 1.5k synopsis: yachi hitoka joins a band. envy and tinnitus ensues. masterlist an: literally just a passion project of mine i'm working on to pass the time. a lot of call outs to my favourite bands will come sooner or later. self indulgent? entirely so. do i care? yes but pretend i don't

read under the cut!

This was it. She could hear the band from the outside of the house; a consistent, yet disorganised stream of music thumping against her ears, growing louder as she steps closer to the front door.

"Yachi, you can do this!" The blonde girl tells herself. The cocoons of nervousness in her stomach kept at bay for the past week, had finally emerged as butterflies. She'd never met these people in real life, spare talking to the drummer on the phone, and a million possibilities swan through her mind.

Would they like her? Will she be good enough for them? Was this a ruse for a money laundering scheme, or worse a sight for a potential kidnapping? She had work in just under half an hour, and being kidnapped was not factored in to her schedule.

Trying to shake the intrusive thoughts off her mind she knocks on the door. The music continued. Okay. They just didn't hear her. She takes a deep breath, and knocks again, louder this time.

"Oh shit I think that's her!" a voice behind the wall exclaims and the music stops. Thirty seconds later and the door opens with a boy just taller than her popping his head through. "Yachi?"

She nods as he unlocks the screen door in front of her, "Come on through, we usuallly practice in Tsuki's garage. It's just down the hallway!"

His eagerness and enthusiasm prompts Yachi to recognise him as the one who had taken her call. To be honest, she still didn't know what had come over her when she decided to answer the ad. It was just so happened that one night, while she was on the closing shift, she spotted it. It was hand written, stuck on the community notice board snuggled in a spot beneath the lost pets and above the second hand cars.

Looking for a bandmate to jam with :) Musical experience is preferred. We're looking to make it big, so commitment is key. If you're interested call the number below:

Yachi did have musical experience, although it was more polished than the DIY vibes she got from the advertisement. Learning piano, at the request of her mother, for twelve years did come in handy on rare occasions. She hadn't played in front of an audience since her first year in high school, so she didn't have the performance skills for a live band. But on the other hand, she thought, the years of lessons and sore fingers had to account for something, even if it was just playing chords on a keyboard. This wasn't like the proper, school recitals. This was a band. Where she'd have creative freedom and make friends and jam out.

Her life was at a stalemate at this point in time, the hope of university was still there, although Yachi had to first endure the drudgery of work. Joining a band would bring some flavour to her routine, and encourage her to get out and talk to people; people who weren't her co workers or entitled customers. With this in mind, Yachi pulled one of the numbers off and placed it in the pocket of her apron.

Which led her here. In someone's garage, staring at a bunch of boys she'd never met in her life. The butterflies were going crazy by now, and she was trying her very best to stop the word vomit from coming up.

"Everyone, this is Yachi, she answered the ad," the ginger announces, the enthusiasm in his voice ever present. "I'll introduce you to the guys first! The one who looks really scary is Kageyama, he plays guitar and is a super genius."

Yachi spots a black haired boy with a stern look on his face and her knees nearly give way.

"...The tall guy is Tsukishima and he plays bass. Don't worry if he's mean, he's like that with everybody."

Tsukki nods at Yachi.

The ginger boy then points to the person checking cables, "That's Tadashi, he's our vocalist and sometimes plays tambourine."

Tadashi pauses his work to wave at Yachi. She meekly waves back.

"And the best for last," he gestures to himself. "I'm Hinata and I'm the drummer!"

Yachi gulps. They looked so sophisticated, and so scary, something she couldn't pull off in a million years. "Hi everyone," she murmurs softly, failing to meet anyone's eyes.

"What instrument do you play?" Kageyama asks, failing to recognise her nervous demeanour.

"Oh um, I used to play piano, and I know that piano players aren't really needed in bands a lot but I figured I could play keyboards or help out with musical composition." The word vomit had started, she knew it wouldn't help her case but she continued anyway, "You guys don't have to let me be in your band if you think I'm too bad at it or anything..."

Kageyama cuts her off, "You play piano?"

Yachi nods.

He looks at Hinata, a pissed off expression on his face. "Hinata, we needed another guitarist."

Guitarist???

"S-s-sorry Kageyama I forgot to put that on the ad."

"Shoegaze bands don't need pianists. The guitars are the most important part. Does she even know what shoegaze is?"

She didn't. Yachi's heart sinks, the nervousness replaced with the sting of disappointment. As Kageyama and Hinata bicker, the two trying to pin the blame on eachother. Yachi decides to make her way out of the house before the tears well up. Figuring there was no point sticking around if she wasn't wanted.

A voice perks up. "You know, Yachi was the only person who answered the ad. If we dismiss her abilities entirely we could be missing out on a chance to strengthen our instrumentation."

The two are silenced. Yachi stops, turning her head back in surprise, to see Tsukki with arms folded.

He continues, "Going the purist route like Kageyama here will only make us run of the mill copycats. If we don't somehow innovate the sound we'll be forgettable. I think someone classically trained could be an asset and could push our music in a different different."

"See Kageyama?" Hinata exclaims. "She'll be great! What do you think Tadashi?"

The brown haired boy- was that a tint of green?- shrugs. "I can fill in as a second guitarist if Kageyama really wants it. I don't see why Yachi shouldn't be in the band."

He turns to Kageyama, who has been quiet since Tsukki initially spoke up. He stares at Yachi directly, his unreadable gaze making her tremble. He breaks it and addresses Tsukki, "You're right." More silence. "We'll trial her, and if she fits she can join us permanently. We can't guarantee she'll mesh well with our sound just yet."

A sigh of relief escapes her. She was in! Well, not in just yet, but they were willing to give her a shot! "Thank you so very much you guys for letting me join. I'll try my best, I promise. Thank you thank you thank you!"

Hinata pats on her the back. "That's totally alright Yachi! It'll be awesome with you around, I'm sure you'll do great. Right guys?"

Tadashi gives a thumbs up, Kageyama's face remains unchanged and Tsuki shrugs.

"Once again thanks," Yachi smiles, her shoulders loosening up and breathing a small smile of relief. She turns to walk out the door, calling behind her, "Please text me when you guys are practicing next!"

"Are you leaving already?" Hinata pouts. "We can't hear you play."

"Oh I'm super sorry!" Yachi says, flustered once more. "I just have work. Next time I promise I'll bring my keyboard and jam out with you guys. I swear!....Ahhh!"

Kageyama's hand is on her shoulder. He hands her a torn piece of paper, covered with his handwritten scrawl. "I made a list of shoegaze albums. Listen to these. They're important."

"Uhh.. thank you." She pockets the piece of paper and then turns around to wave at her newly found band mates, "See you guys!"

Finally out of the garage, and making her way towards the store, she reads the list Kageyama has given her. Yachi could almost admire his passion for the genre; quite a few albums were listed with hasty notes detailing the important aspects she should look out for, but the stench of elitism he exuded kept her from fully acknowledging his prowess.

She had no idea how she'd find the time to listen to the extensive list of music he'd given her before their next rehearsal. She spent the majority of her time working and her manager barely let her play her own music in the store, instead subjecting her to repeated listens of Green Day. Regardless, Yachi thinks to herself, she needs to listen to this. It was essential to keeping her on Kageyama's good side, improving her chances to be included in the band as a worthy musician.

Her eyes glance at the album listed first. It is circled, and the title written over at least five times to give the impression it's bolded. Beside it: "MOST IMPORTANT- IF YOUR (Yachi cringes slightly) GOING TO LISTEN TO ONLY ONE, PICK THIS ONE!!!!"

"Loveless," she whispers the title to herself, grabbing her phone to look up the album. "Let's go."

[glitterslag]

Hi! If you're still doing the headcanons for Warren i would love to see either number 3. Lazy day, 13. Fights or 17. Little things they do for their S.O. Thank you for feeding me (and your followers) with more Warren content, I appreciate it ❤️❤️❤️

Hi thank you so much for these! And I am SO sorry for taking so long to get around to them but yay finally!

3. Lazy days 

You and Warren both work in hospitality. That’s how you met - at work.

(side note - these headcanons kind of follow on from the strip club HC I did a while back - where you and Warren met when he started bar tending at the bar you dance at. You can read them as all being in the same universe. But I could also see Warren as just a normal bartender, or a line cook in a restaurant. He would for sure end up dating waitress!Y/N in that case. Either way - you can decide for yourself. But I can’t see Warren in any other industry than hospitality - it just suits him too well imo!). 

Anyway, it’s actually kind of rare that you both have a day off together, due to the on-off nature of you guys’ jobs. If you’re at work and he’s off, he’ll probably swing by and see you at work. You guys have all the same friends anyway, so it’d be totally cool for him to just come through into the staff room and hang out. Or sit at the bar and talk to you on your break. Or just sit and talk to you guys’ coworkers. Warren really likes his job, and his coworkers are kind of found family for him, so it’s pretty natural for him to hang out there on days off, especially if you’re there too. 

Otherwise, he’ll catch up on sleep, take the dog for a walk, run errands, and just chill and watch TV. He’ll also wait up until your shift finishes and then come and give you a ride home. 

If both of you are off work, chances are you’re having the ultimate lazy day. You guys just lay on the sofa all day watching TV, and playing with Warren’s dog. Neither of you feel any need to go out and do anything productive. The most you guys will stretch to is running errands. You might order takeaway, but on days off Warren mostly likes to cook. 

13. Fights 

Warren’s really good at keeping his cool with you. That’s why the two of you barely ever argue - if you try to pick a fight, he simply will not rise to it. Once you’ve calmed down, he’s happy to talk things out rationally, but he won’t argue with you when you’re mad. Usually, when you’re in that mood (which can be often) he’ll take the dog out. Or go to the gym. Or go fly somewhere. He knows to get out of the house until you’ve calmed down. 

Usually all it takes is food or sex to placate you, and he’s fully aware of this even if you aren’t. He’ll take the dog out for an hour and come back with chocolate or ice cream. “You finished being a brat now?” He’ll ask once you’re done eating. (Spoiler: it normally does the trick.) 

Other times he’ll just sigh and grab you by the hips, up-end you and toss you onto the sofa/bed, muttering something about teaching you a lesson while he unbuckles his belt. 

Sometimes you pick fights on purpose just so he’ll go all dom and ‘punish’ you. Warren is also absolutely aware of this, and he tries to hold off as long as possible before indulging you. He hardly ever manages, though. 

When he’s angry, he tends to go the other way. He’ll go quiet, and start spending more and more time out of the house - picking up extra shifts at work or staying at the gym late until he knows you’ve gone to sleep. You always notice, but if you ask him if anything’s wrong he’ll deny it. His anger’s not exactly passive aggressive, but it’s definitely sulky. Usually it blows over without any actual confrontation, and he’s back to his old self again (which is moody anyway). 

On the very rare occasions when you fight for real, it’s absolutely unbearable for both of you. Warren’s got a problem with saying sorry, and so you sometimes think he doesn’t care, but he does. He hates it more than anything in the world. I’m gonna be honest, the things you’ll fight over are usually his fault, which only makes it more difficult for him to say sorry. He’ll typically make some gesture so he doesn’t have to verbally apologise, like buy you something or cook you something, or send flowers to work. 

Sometimes, when it’s making him particularly miserable, he’ll just come up behind you and hug you around the waist, burying his face into your hair. He doesn’t have to say anything, then. You know how sorry he is. You always end up crying when this happens, and you’ll just turn around in his arms until your face is all smushed in his chest, and you’ll just hug it out for ages. 

17. Little things they do for their S.O

So. Much. oh my god.

Warren literally fucking sucks at talking about anything, but he more than makes up for it in little gestures. So much of you guys’ communication is non-verbal.

He’s pretty handy, so he was doing a lot of fixing up your house in the early stages of the relationship. Just little DIY jobs the landlord had been neglecting, like fixing leaky taps and going over peeling paint jobs. 

One thing he does pretty early on in the relationship is change the locking system on your front door to a safer one. You live in a bit of a dodgy building, and even though he’d never say it, he worries about your safety when he isn’t there. Still, you never asked him to do that, or even mentioned it to him. He brushes it off like it’s nothing, but it really touches you. That’s probably when you start falling in love with him, to be honest. 

He likes to cook for you, run errands for you, and just do little things that make your life a bit easier. Like he’ll wake up early to scrape ice off your car. He’ll wait up to give you a lift home from anywhere, anytime. One of the cutest things he does is he’ll sit in front of the TV and untangle all the knots from your necklaces - it takes hours, sometimes, but he likes doing it. 

This is super cliche, but he likes being the one to reach things from high shelves, open jars and change lightbulbs. He loves it when you ask him to do something for you. He needs to feel masculine, and like the provider in the relationship. You tease him about it endlessly, but you love that he does that for you.