Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

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Amskeptic
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Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Sun May 22, 2011 8:40 am

Let us review:

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If you look closely, you will see that I am exactly under the darkest blob of the greatest excess of unwanted precipitation in the history of the northeast. That precipitation has drenched my shoes, invaded the BobD, overwhelmed the roof of the barn where the Mercedes was parked causing rust and mold damage as the water saturated the cloth car cover and washed the bird excrement all into the seams and drip-splashed birdpiss roof water under the car where it found the brake lines, and it sogged the ground in an undulating wave of grass-coated mud with its grand attempt to take the 5,300 lb Lincoln Continental down into the muck, but most importantly, the days and days and days and days of rain and rain and rain with wind and initially cold temperatures were trying to break my spirit, to punish me for cavorting about in the desert in the winter, to remind me that Mother Nature is boss, ya punk-ass tanktop jean shorts tanned little baldy whine-baby.

Here's what's coming, RandyInMaine'sRain:
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Some friends stopped by while I was awakening these cars from under their bird shit. All eyes were on the Squareback. "I bet it don't start." Six compression pulses and it lights up. Then the Mercedes, "OK, it will crank, but I bet it don't start." That was a bit longer, about ten seconds, and it fires up with the Mercedes big fan sound. "No way that Lincoln is going to start, that's a big engine and a little battery!" Well, the Lincoln has a specific hokus pocus you have to go through, involving exactly six hits on the accelerator pedal, then five seconds cranking, three more hits on the accelerator pedal, then it fires up to a huge diesel locomotive idle of banging loose pistons and a humungous crankshaft lobbing about in its bearings, but yes, it started right up with a whistling rush of the vacuum system holding open ventilation doors and the booster, and a groaning pressurization of the hydraulic windshield wiper circuit. Yesterday's unexpected and welcome sunny day:
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And since it was the Mercedes that was asked to knock out the 1,000 mile east coast banzai last year, I asked this car to do this year's quicky:
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And do you know what that little Squareback has decided to do? It has decided to play "problem child". Not two minutes into the warm-up, the engine went all 3 cylinder on me with the famous vibrating driver's door. Found the #2 spark plug connector breached with strange little short-circuit holes blown through the sides. Installed old BobD connector. OK, good! Nice drive to Cindy's house and I MUST not be late and the Squareback starts to buck and porpoise under load. Then it died. Started it and made it to the Birdshit Bathworks aka carwash. Car would not start. I am on top of the deadline for being at Cindy's. Called her. I will walk to your house and leave this thing here if I don't get it running. Found the temp sensor wire spade crimp loose. Made it to her house. Died again as I drove to the Thruway. Oh my, now it is #4 connector that has blown itself to bits. What is with these No Moving Parts connectors having such a synchronized service life? Got the LAST spare BobD connector onto the #4 plug and got another few miles when the engine just died dead cold gone away. This time, it was the manifold sensor plug/wires/harness that wants to be in a very specific preloaded position before it will deign to allow the engine to run.

I am here:
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"Where?" you say. "Exactly!" I say. Here's hoping that this was not as foolish a decision as it may turn out to be. RandyInMaine, a toast to your tarp garage with real weather-proof lighting and coffee too.
ColinPleaseSquarebackBehave
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by steve74baywin » Sun May 22, 2011 8:48 am

I was starting to think, ah, glad to hear all is well, but I kept reading.
Oh my friend, how interesting would life be without trials.

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Randy in Maine
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Randy in Maine » Sun May 22, 2011 9:05 am

What could possibly go wrong?

Let me know when you get close.

And pathetically, the only "fine Columbian" I have anymore is just "coffee". I have become boring.
79 VW Bus

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Sylvester » Sun May 22, 2011 1:56 pm

Amskeptic wrote:Image
And we were just discussing the potential sale of this vehicle last month here in Atlanta. I sure hope you get to Randy and back, this month at least.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Sun May 22, 2011 5:37 pm

Sylvester wrote:And we were just discussing the potential sale of this vehicle last month here in Atlanta. I sure hope you get to Randy and back, this month at least.
Ask Vdubtech how nicely it drove for him this afternoon with a "new" original Rustybus spark plug connector no less . . .
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Sylvester » Sun May 22, 2011 6:11 pm

Ah, I had faith in it and you, that car has spunk. Are you going to post some pictures of New York?
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Sun May 22, 2011 6:17 pm

Sylvester wrote:Ah, I had faith in it and you, that car has spunk. Are you going to post some pictures of New York?
What do you want to see?
Rain dripping off the rest area roof?
Rain dripping off the front bumper?
Rain kicking up from an invisible semi?
Grey sky with rain falling out of it?
Rain puddles reflecting the grey sky?
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Sylvester » Sun May 22, 2011 6:24 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
Sylvester wrote:Ah, I had faith in it and you, that car has spunk. Are you going to post some pictures of New York?
What do you want to see?
Rain dripping off the rest area roof?
Rain dripping off the front bumper?
Rain kicking up from an invisible semi?
Grey sky with rain falling out of it?
Rain puddles reflecting the grey sky?
Colin

Pictures of New York, you are a decent photographer. How about some pictures of the Mercedes and Lincoln buried in crap and the inside of that barn now?
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue, I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace. Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod, The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Sun May 22, 2011 6:42 pm

Sylvester wrote:How about some pictures of the Mercedes and Lincoln buried in crap and the inside of that barn now?
I am on the Thruway in the rain and the dark and the cold, heading for colder-still rainy grey Maine.
ColinAtLeastTheSquareback'sHeatIsProdigious
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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zabo
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by zabo » Mon May 23, 2011 6:01 am

the square is beautiful colin- you selling it?
60 beetle
78 bus

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Mon May 23, 2011 9:35 am

zabo wrote:the square is beautiful colin- you selling it?
To the right person .................... :cyclopsani:
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Lanval » Mon May 23, 2011 9:49 am

Amskeptic wrote:
zabo wrote:the square is beautiful colin- you selling it?
To the right person .................... :cyclopsani:
That'd be me. And I'm going to strip it down, set up a twin turbo output, lower it, run lights along the runners that flash in time to the massive base box going in back. Oh, and a wicked good paint job.

Heh.

Mike

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by hambone » Mon May 23, 2011 12:21 pm

Quit yer bitchin about rain. We are 42" above normal in th PNW. 4 feet of extra rain makes people go crazy. And YOU, YOUUUUUUUU basking like a lizard all winter. "No, this will not do" says Zeus or somebody.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Vdubtech » Mon May 23, 2011 4:54 pm

Amskeptic wrote:
Sylvester wrote:And we were just discussing the potential sale of this vehicle last month here in Atlanta. I sure hope you get to Randy and back, this month at least.
Ask Vdubtech how nicely it drove for him this afternoon with a "new" original Rustybus spark plug connector no less . . .
Colin
It is an incredible little car. I have a Squareback also (2 of em actually) and driving my Square and driving this one are 2 totally different experiences. It has great power, it's very tight and quiet. It's a pleasure to drive. Colin I hope those spark plug connectors we polished in the driveway yesterday get you to Maine and back with no problems....if you need anything else don't hesitate to drop me a line. Here are a couple of shots from Colin's brief visit yesterday.....let's see those ones you took of the RustyBus Colin!!

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Image
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Re: Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From New York

Post by Amskeptic » Tue May 24, 2011 8:48 am

Vdubtech wrote: It is an incredible little car. Colin I hope those spark plug connectors we polished in the driveway yesterday get you to Maine and back with no problems....
Incredible comes in different flavors:

This is the famous Rustybus. You can see how carefully the rust has styled this warrior, with a little kick-up at the rear wheel well to show off the tire:
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Note how light on its feet the car looks with that tidy tinworm sill line:
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But especially, be cognizant of the industrial design elements, like high-fashion German buildings of the late 80's, where you can see the floor structure (and the front lawn on the other side of the car :pale: )
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Thanks for the connectors, Brian, the car is delivering a smooth 28.5mpg at 70 mph . . . in the rain.
Colin

Image
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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