Part 2......
I realize all this sounds like I probably hate the car, but I don't.
I'm just a tad miffed with her. She's beautiful, but she has shown
me who's boss. Strangely enough, I love her already. She got plenty
of compliments on fuel and food stops, and ran wonderfully, when she
wasn't going up hill. The oil pressure was perfect, engine sounds
great, and she was cool as a cucumber. She got better mileage than
the rented Suzuki we drove down there. The steering is solid,
suspension felt great, and even the flatbed driver commented on how
solid and rust-free she is. Said the steel was heavier than that on
his girlfriend's new Toyota.
The car runs great around town, but I haven't put any high fuel
demands on her, like on the highway, since we got home. I took her
in for NYS Inspection, and she didn't pass, but it's mostly little
stuff that it needs: a tie rod kit, and a new right rear wheel
cylinder (it's leaking). The rear axle seals need replacing, and the
rotors have a little rust, so I'll replace them too. They're cheap
enough. I already have a new top that I bought for my '74 a while
ago (I assume the same top fits the '69), and I'll slap a new fan
belt on too. I should be done with all that by the end of the
weekend, and then I'll test her on the highway to see if I can solve
that fuel delivery issue. Then she'll be ready for trouble-free fall
motoring.
So, that's how the trip was. As I told Darlene --- "You'll be
telling people about this for weeks, and you'll remember this weekend
for the rest of your life." Hey, a weekend near the Jersey shore,
AND in the Poconos! The scenery was nice--- or, at least, what we
could see of it through the rain and fog. All in all, it was a great
adventure, and it could have been a LOT worse. We're laughing about
it now.
It was great meeting you guys, putting faces to names I've known over
the years, and being in the presence of the esteemed Holy Sprite.
Darlene is now calling the Midget the "Holy Shit" --- I hope the name
doesn't stick, because it really is a nice car. I'm leaning towards
naming her the "Red Devil" myself (:
-Nory
(hope all this makes the list this time!)
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