From: Charles Harrilal <charlesh@gate.net>
To: James A. Isbell <JISBELLJR@mail.utexas.edu>
Cc: Tony Esfeld <esfeld@netdoor.com>; bricklin@autox.team.net
<bricklin@autox.team.net>
Date: Monday, January 26, 1998 3:06 PM
Subject: Re: Somewhat found #394
> I guess this plea for help is sort of like a message in a bottle- I'm
not
>quite sure who'll get it if anyone does at all.
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As you can see, quite a few!
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The only thing that confuses me
>more than my 1975 Bricklin is this screwed up computer. My name is charles
and I
>purchased an orange 75 #2857 from the original owner, who lives about a
block
>and a half away from me in Hobe Sound Fl.
-----------------
Welcome aboard!
-----------------
>
>The car is rough with lots of water damage to the interior. The acrylic
panels
>needed to be bonded , which I have already done. I really do not care about
the
>fact that the car does not have the original motor. As a matter of fact, I
>figured if I got screwed on the car itself, and it was worth only $500
(like I
>was told by a Bricklin owner who mysteriously popped up at my front door
one
>day shortly after the purchase was made), at least I had a motor and
tranny I
>could get good bucks for! The car is powered by a 1970(?) 351 Cleveland,a
very
>beefy cam, with the big monster port heads and a 1050cfm holley.
---------------
Way too much carb for the street, even with a cam.
---------------
I don't Know if
>the Bricklins came with the FMX tranny, but that's what I was told and
thats
>what mine has,and I'm quite curious to know.
--------------
Yep.
--------------
The motor is fresh(.30 over) with
>less than 10k miles on it and the car, 72k.
>
> Now to sum up my major frustrations... the motor screams, leaves like a
sling
>shot (if the tires don't burn), then a healthy bark from the tires when I
shift
>second, sometimes breaking the tires a second time! Now here's the catch to
this
>picture... I'm guaranteed none of the prev. will take place if the vacuum
lines
>are hooked up to the headlight system.
--------------
The actuating canisters leak internally. This is the primary source of all
your problems.
-------------
The headlights work in their own sort of
>way. They come up immediately upon starting the car and go down after
driving a
>few miles. At this point, if I step into it, the car bogs, the passenger
>headlight comes up. If I really step into it, they both come up (always the
>passenger one first) and will not go down by means of the switch (which is
new).
>At this point I drive the car unhappily with the headlight lines
disconnected.
------------
Yes, you are effectively driving around with a big hole in the intake
manifold when the lights are connected.
------------.
>I am also having trouble with the door system which was converted to air,
with
>an air tank in the back bumper (original?)
------------
I think it was only standard on the few '76's built. Most of us have
converted though.
------------
. the vacuum air pump, under the hood
>is sending air to the back bumper, but still yet the doors will open by
>themselves maybe five times after putting air manually in the bumper. Get
the
>story?blah, blah, blah...all that stuff. I need help ironing out a few
wrinkles.
>I am also afraid to order out of the Brickline magazine. The guy who sold
me the
>car gave me a bunch of old mags. I ran into some canceled checks in one
book
>from parts that were ordered. These parts are still in the car and look
nothing
>like the original. The console which is not even close- two of the gauges,
same
>story.
-------------
There are a few good sources:
Bob's Brickyard 1-810-229-5302 (Mi.)
Monoco 1-616-459-9800 (NY)
BPS 1-540-586-9761 (Va.)
-------------
I've run into a few Bricklin guys, who have been a great help- none of
>them anywhere close to my area. apparently not enough help for my limited
>knowledge of these cars. I guess what I need is for someone who is willing
to go
>over the air system with me to contact me. Whether it be in the Russian
Tundra
>or in my locale, any help would be be appreciated.
------------
What specifically do you want to know?
GM
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