DeTomaso Mailing List: October 99, Message #55

Congratulations....I'm jealous!

On Fri, 1 Oct 1999 17:20:09 -0400 steve.liebenow@divatv.com (Steve
Liebenow) writes:
> Youse all!
> 
> I sure did look good cruisin' to the meeting last nite IN MY 
> GOOSE!!!!!!
> (not that anyone noticed.... it was already dark.....)
> 
> 
> Yes folks! #878 is on the road....  like a young sewer rat rising 
> from the
> street drain, it is finally on the road and officially a moving 
> target!
> (OK, not legally for another two weeks, but it's just a little DMV
> thing.... pay this years fees or wait 2 weeks..... it's been this 
> long... I
> can wait... and fix a few more problems in the mean time!)
> 
> Took a half day off yesterday to finish up the car before the 
> monthly
> meeting. Reinstalled the oil pan after I got the crack brazed up 
> finally!
> Slammed the last tire on, dusted off the spider webs, and dropped it 
> off
> the stands... torqued the lugs, dumped in the motor oil, filled the 
> carb
> via the vents, stuffed a gallon of gas in the tank, checked the air
> pressure in the tires, and then blew all the dust off with 
> compressed air!
> (Big Sun MicroSys construction project nearby generating TONS of
> dust...aack!)  Rolled it out onto the driveway!  E-brake actually 
> almost
> works!!!  Spent the balance of the time dusting, cleaning leather,
> polishing chrome, and then dinked with the missing cylinder a bit. 
> Doesn't
> do much at idle when you pull the plug wire off, and it should...  
> checked
> the plug, fires about the same, wire resistance seems consistant 
> with other
> wires... swapped the plug with a different cylinder, but no dif!  
> Will have
> to get more tools out to get this one nailed down!  Adjusting the 
> valves
> may do it too!  I just hope that the PO didn't scorch any valves if 
> one was
> adjusted too tight!!
> 
> Couple of pumps on the carb, shifter in neutral, turn the key all 
> the way
> to the right!!!! Oh what a lovely sound! Hadn't heard it for a long 
> time!
> Grabbed my shorty screwdriver and proceeded to retighten all the 
> carb bowl
> screws and needle locks! (Gas everywhere...)  No 'splosions!!!  
> Spent the
> balance of the time dusting, cleaning leather, polishing chrome, and 
> then
> dinked with the missing cylinder a bit. Plus reinstalled the center 
> console
> and actually found long lost parts in my glove box! Imagine who the 
> turd
> was that put them in a nice neat little plastic bag...... and then 
> forgot
> about them! Doh!
> 
> Time came to put it on the street! Had already called the insurance
> people.... so was covered, 1982 tag is yellow like the 2000 one, so 
> chance
> of getting stopped for the "wrong color" is lower.... (paid fees 
> today...)
> Manuevered gingerly out of the drive, big slope at the curb! ...had 
> my son
> with me.... and off we motored to the gas station to complement what 
> was
> left of the gallon I dumped in earlier!  Kevin was having a gas 
> checking
> out the looks on other peoples' faces! He asks, "dad, did you see 
> the two
> guys in the 99 Mustang checking us out??? They both had their mouths 
> open,
> staring!"  I sez, "Nope!" I was too too busy trying to "speed learn" 
> the
> shifter, clutch, brake, and gas pedal operation and location, rear 
> view
> mirror location, back to the shifter.... where's the temp 
> guage?.....oil
> pressure??? did I mention it was getting dark, and I couldn't see 
> the
> guages for anything!..... needless to say, I was BIIIZZZZZZY! Then 
> there
> was the HOST of new sounds to take in and analyze.... engine idling 
> funky,
> clunk here, groan there... ignore this one, remember that one....
> 
> Made it into the gas station without rearranging any sheetmetal....  
> sea of
> minivans filling up after work.... they're no fun....! No DeTomaso 
> tours
> today!  Cruised home and ran in to clean up and change for the 
> meeting!
> Cruised over to the meeting and parked between a 66ish Mercury 
> Monterrey
> and a 75ish Ford club cab 4wd pickup....  boy, did I feel small!!!!
> 
> Had a blast showing my car to the membership... of whom some 
> probably
> doubted the existance of a real car....  Last time I remember a 
> Goose at a
> meeting had to be over 4 years ago!  Got lots of compliments... good 
> thing
> it was dark....!
> 
> 
> So, now my list-o-shit to do to the car has grown exponentially!!!!
> 
> - adjust valves (one hole not firing at full pop!) Hmmmmm! Cross my
> fingers...comp test!
> - replace headliner- drooping cloth is not what I'd prefer to have 
> messing
> with my hair!
> - adjust steering- steering wheel crooked, not aligned since PO 
> replaced a
> unibal joint.
> - add "posi" goop to ZF- clank rattle every once in a while
> - replace input seal on ZF- worse than my worst Harley! Coco's has 
> been
> "marked!"
> - adjust shifter linkage- pops out of 4th, other shifts not precise 
> as they
> should be.
> - replace dim guage lamps.... can't see squat at nite! Almost have 
> to turn
> on interior lamp!
> - lube window tracks... no uppy or downy! Guage moves...
> - find out how to turn off the damned heater!
> - find some seatbelts...
> 
> So, now I just need to learn how to drive the darn thing and keep 
> out of
> other peoples blind spots!!!!  I guess it will be like riding the 
> Harley...
> make like you are invisible and no one can see you.... OR, make like 
> a
> target and assume everyone is aiming for ya! Paranoid is good....
> 
> 
> Happier than a pig in cool mud on a hot day!
> Steve
> 
> 

Sharon "Gooselady" May
8MA730
"Go Fast, Look Good"

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