11/21/2012

I know I said I probably wouldn’t have anything to say until I got back to work from my “Staycation” but I'm so friggin’ bored right now!  Here’s what has been going on.  Saturday morning John and I met at the shop and messed with Lil' Wiggly.  Since the rear tires we had on the car were only 50% able to hold air, we were going to have to do something back there to make the car roll.  I asked what it would take to put the “matching” Gram Lites on.  I was told it would just require the use of, “Those adapters right over there.”  We grabbed said adapters and installed the wheels.  They.  Look.  Awesome.  Yes, the tires are too tall, at least to John, but the wheels looks great.  This car is going to be bad ass.  once we had the car where it would roll, we rolled it back and had a look at “dropping” the engine in place for a test fit.  Our first attempt was not a success because we left the engine stand head on thinking it would simulate the transmission bell housing.  We couldn’t get it in the bay like that.  We removed the head and tried again.  This time it fit.  We fiddled with it some more and had a look at our intermediary motor mount parts.  It was decided that we’d chop them down a bit and then they fit nicely.  Then John had the genius idea of how we’d attach them to each other.  We cut a kerf in each “standee upee” part and folded them out as “wings” which we could then bolt to the cross member’s “standee upee” things.  I drilled the holes for the bolts while John searched out nuts for the socket-head bolts I'd selected.  We test fit them and they look nice.  We marked where the bolt for the engine-side motor mount would bolt and drilled those holes.  We “bolted them together and hung the engine from our mounts.  They work!  John removed and painted the bits.  We then set the engine next to the door so I could come back Monday with Fifi and take it to a machine shop.  I'm sure other stuff was done, but I don’t remember what.  We went for sushi and then to Best Buy to get me an i-Pod.  Yeah, so I'm a hypocrite, deal with it.  Monday I took Fifi to the shop and loaded the engine in the back.  I tied it off and headed to the machine shop where the dude we got the transmission from said to go.  Oh, I also grabbed the 302 flywheel since he said it would need to be “adjusted” to work with the 289.  I told the dude at the machine shop what I wanted and was informed that it would need to be bored so new pistons will be necessary.  He’s going to tear it down and give me a quote next week.  From there I went to Speetek, a local speed shop which used to be a Super Shops but was bought when SS went under a bunch of years ago.  The dude behind the counter was of little help but it really wasn’t his fault.  I didn’t really know what questions to ask because I really didn’t know what all I need.  From there I went back to the shop to drop off the oil pan which rode with me because the strap for the hoist was under it when I loaded the engine and I didn’t feel like removing it.  I think I went to Maharaja for chicken Tikka Masala and those awesome little donut holes in rose water dessert thingies.  Then I went to Bloodbath & Beyond to buy 200 more rounds of 7.62x39 ammo to fill the two drum mags which should be on their way to me as we speak.  I'm not sure when I went to the sign store to buy vinyl, but I think it was after a nap.  I also went back to the shop to pick up Fiona's stock steering wheel and took it home.  I “installed” the vinyl covering on the wheel’s escutcheon and had a look.  Meh, it isn’t bad for a first attempt.  I decided to leave it for the time being and called it a day.  Tuesday I took the wheel to the shop for installation.  I removed the Hello Kitty wheel and found out why the horn quit.  The wire had pulled out of the connection in the main harness.  Now was the time to decide: “Do I fix the Hello Kitty horn to go back to a stock wheel and kill the air bag and traction control lights?”  I opted for the stock wheel.  When I had the wheel on the first time, I realized I'd left off the trim plastic behind said wheel.  “Damn it!”  I took the wheel off again and installed the plastic.  With the wheel on the second time I had a look at the air bag.  I cautiously hooked up the connections with the bag pointed away from me.  It didn’t go off.  I installed the bag and walked to the passenger side of the car.  I cautiously inserted the ignition key and turned it on.  The bag did not go off.  I declared the job… oh wait!  I tested the horn and when it worked I declared the job done.  I took off for a hoon.  Yeah, that car can really make me drive like an asshole.  I do miss not having the “Electronic Nanny” kicking in when it detects wheel spin, but I like the look of the idiot light area on the dash without the little vinyl tabs covering the lights.  I'll just have to learn when to turn off the traction control.  For instance, when going from my little hoon road onto 1187 I need it off so the car will accelerate into traffic.  Oh the thing goes nicely sideways when I do that too!  It is quite fun.  Also, that car is so neutral, much like The Seven, that it catches itself and just goes even with the wheels spinning.  I did notice that the nanny does allow a slight amount of rotation before kicking in on some turns so I'm not totally disgusted with it.  Aw, who am I kidding?  I hate the nanny!  I may put another piece of vinyl over the “Traction Control Off” light and try to remember to always turn it off.  I wonder if there is a secret code which turns it off “permanently.”  Hmm, an intergoogleweb search might be in order.  Well, mom wants to go to Ghengis Grill for lunch and I want to go back to Best Buy (the i-Pod is already full and I want to see if there is a “trade in” plan so I can get a bigger one) so I'd better sign off.  Have a tolerable Thanksgiving.