I rushed home a bit early last night to get on with the installation of
the wheels. Forgot that it was the night I was suppose to go for
allergy shots. Screw the shots. If I got things together in time I'd
drive the snake to the clinic. While I was greasing and hammering my
kids started clambering for a ride. Okay, Daughter gets to go for the
short ride to get gas; Son gets the longer ride to the allergy clinic
since he goes back to Davis Saturday and won't get many ride
opportunities for a while. I knocked the wheels on with my new lead
knock-off hammer from British Wire Wheels. Nary a scratch on the new
chrome knock-offs but the hammer looks pretty bad. Good for one or two
more rounds I'd say. Oh well, hopefully I won't be doing this very
often.
The new tires give the car a very different feel. Everything just seems
solider. After gassing up I decide to go for a little ride so my
daughter wouldn't feel short changed. Down Homestead, down Pomeroy and
a short run on Lawrence back to Homestead. By now it's getting
noticeably warm inside the car. I fiddled with the vent control. Ah
yes, it works just the oppose as on my other car. A little better but a
might warm at stop lights.
As I pulled into the clinic parking lot it dawned on me that I had left
the radiator cap off. I'd been doing some flushing over the weekend and
planned on continuing once I had the wheel on and could back the car out
of the garage. I had forgotten about the cap in my enthusiasm to get on
the road. I popped the hood after parking and took a peak. The header
tank was right up to normal and only a small amount of coolant had
sloshed out. Everything was okay.
Coming home I was a bit more cautious and managed the trip without
incident. I pulled right on to the lawn and lifted hood for another
check. No problem. Just to make sure I put on the cap and went for
another ride to shake things down.
I promised my daughter another ride so this morning I took her to
school. As I was went on to work I must have been driving a little to
enthusiastically because one of Santa Clara's finest tailed me nearly
all the way into the HP parking lot. Guess I better stay alert in
future.
This morning I was kinda wishing that I hadn't taken the heater out but
by this afternoon lack of cockpit heat was not a problem. In fact, it
was a downright toasty and I was thinking more in terms of how to get
additional cool air into the car, especially the footwells.
Roland
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