Bill,
Welcome to the world of Spritgets! I guess it's just your turn. You
forgot to mention that somewhere along the way your handbrake job
required a parts car!
I really like the part about your new friend - the UPS guy.
Congratulations,
Paul
> To: spridgets@autox.team.net
> From: Bill & Cindy <fatboy@mail.metro.net>
> Subject: Connections
> Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1998 17:07:40 -0800
> Reply-to: Bill & Cindy <fatboy@mail.metro.net>
> To whomever might be interested,
>
> I think I shall call this litte epistle "Connections"...with apologies to
> Mr. James Burke.
>
> Well...it all began innocently enough last August. The handbrake on the
> recently purchased rust-bucket, euphamistically known as "her" 69 Sprite,
> never worked. Ratcheted, sorta, but would not hold the car.
>
> No problem, take apart the handle, see what's goin' on, adjust the brakes,
> and down the road...Right? Ha-ha-ha!
>
> Seems the drums would not come off. PO had installed EVERYTHING either
> backwards, upside down or any which way he could...except the right way. OK!
> We'll do a brake job while we are here. Hmmmm....axles are leaking and the
> bearings sound pretty nasty...and Wow...I would not have believed you could
> get that much rust into those teeny little wheel cylinders. Wonder what the
> master cylinder looks like? Gee... if I'm gonna go through all this work to
> take the brake master cylinder down for a rebuild, might as well do the
> clutch master at the same time. Can't just do the master and not the
> slave...right? Damn! What demented engineer designed this clutch slave
> cylinder placement? Get him on the phone. He designed it...he should damn
> well have to bleed it! While waiting for my new friend, the UPS guy, to
> deliver the latest round of parts, let's pull the battery and see what's
> goin' on with all that rust beneath it. Oops! Same engineer responsible for
> the clutch slave musta designed this too...off comes the hood just to remove
> a battery!
>
> Remove heater, in the way and the core is obviously leaking...holy s----!!!
> Where did the the battery tray go? Looks like the bottom of the mighty
> Mississippi in my heater channels. Clean out all the gook, drag the Mig
> over, get a good friend at work to form a new tray, grind, sand, weld and
> paint...new tray. Not exactly concours, but functional.
>
> Let's see now. Hood is already off...she's always had a misfire that bugged
> me...why not do a shotgun tune-up? Set valve clearances and check dwell.
> Timing? Bah...humbug? That enginner was here again. My arms ain't long
> enough to reach from down under the front of the car to the dizzy while
> hangin' on to the timing light. We'll just do the old advance it 'til it
> pings trip.
>
> Oh Honey! Remember when I started to fix your handbrake? Well...it is now
> November, I'm broke but the handbrake does work fine now. I'm going for a
> test drive.
>
> Now people...please...picture this...it's raining, I've got the wiper motor
> out and on the bench for a quick peek and clean-up, the heater is right next
> to it awaiting funds for a core transplant, there are no seats in the car,
> I'm waiting for the UPS guy to deliver a set purchased from a new friend met
> on the list...but damn-it...I'm going for a ride!
>
> Drive to the gas station, about two miles from the house, and BOY!!!! It's
> like I'm sixteen again, and toolin' in my first car. Big smile on my face as
> I check out how she runs after spending the last three months on jack-stands.
>
> I feel sorry for all those people in their Hondas and such, so isolated from
> the pure joy of driving a car that is so much fun fun fun!
>
> Thanks for listening to my rant. Stay tuned...this car will never be done,
> and I'm sure at some point in time in the near future it will once again
> cause me to vent at your expense.
>
> Later,
>
> Bill
>
>
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Paul A. Dolloff, Ph.D.
Lexington, KY
606/744-4812 ext. 389
'59 A/H Sprite MK I: HAN5L-8073
'66 A/H Sprite MK III: HAN8l-59017
'69 A/H Sprite MK IV: Parts car
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