Spitfires and Hurricanes - together again!
Depending on what you're used to, the remnants of Hurricane Floyd either
slammed into or sashayed into the greater Philadelphia area today, flooding
streets (and basements, d'oh!), knocking out power and closing schools and
businesses. Although my spit spends it's nights in a nice dry garage, I was
concerned about parking it all day in the open at work, knowing how the
top leaks. I mean, we already have one "pool car" at work.
So, last night I went to the hardware store and bought a couple of feet of
velcro
and velcro-ed the top to the frame and to the side windows in several places.
I
also placed a high tech water barrier on the seat, e.g. a plastic trash
bag. It worked! After seven hours parked in driving rain, the inside was
reasonably dry.
The drive home through the heavy wind, rain and flooding was not so
successful.
For some reason, my idle speed dropped to 400-500 RPMs, on the constant
edge of a stall. So I had to clutch AND brake with my left foot and stay on
the gas with my right through the frequent traffic backups and fitful
start/stops.
And the low idle speed meant that the alternator couldn't handle the
defroster,
(AND the headlights AND the brake lights AND the wipers) unless I was moving
at speed, so the windows kept fogging up. And when I did run the defroster,
it turned the interior into a sauna.
For the last 20 minutes of the drive, the engine began missing and sputtering
for no apparent reason - not that I was going to get out and look. It did
get me
eventually home though, bless it's little 1500cc heart!
So I gotta ask about the wet performance - what's up with that? Don't they
ever have rain in England? :)
Greg Rowe
78 Misfire, I mean Spitfire
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