So the day after I run around like a madman trying to negate the efforts of
the asbestos removal team, I'm ready for a vacation, even if it is way too
short. Why doesn't everyone in the world realize that those boxes with the
blinking lights and mess of cables might actually be important?
Anyway, my wife and I head for California, Orange County, for a few days of
holiday celebration. I won't go into the whole story about the daughter who's
headed for college, feeling she's outgrown the family hand-me-down transport
of years past, yearning for something a bit more sporty. [Me? I got "stuck"
with a 440 cubic inch V-8 in a massive, 9 passenger wagon from one of the
Chrysler divisions, Dodge, I think. Nothing like many thousand pounds of
steel hurtling down the freeway at 100+, threatening to peel the fake woodgrain
right off the side, but I digress.]
We show up at the family gathering spot, and there in the drive is a black
Izusu Impulse RS, 91 or 92. To refresh your memories of this car that never
did quite make it, it is, to be blunt, a Geo Storm on steriods. An effort
that came out of some General Motors world car effort that got waylaid by a
band of enthusiasts. A small coupe, 4 cylinder Izusu motor, much like the
one that powered the recent shoe-horn style Lotus Elan. All wheel drive, ABS,
intercooled turbo, 50 series rubber standard, and those way cool little badges
on the side that say, in shades of green and yellow, "Handling by Lotus."
So why am *I* talking about this particular little black coupe? The thing has
been nothing but trouble to the family, needing repair after repair after
repair. So much for the hot deal at the auction. But then, they aren't car
people. For a guy like me, it might be different. Yes, there are some
details that need sorting, like the sticky locks, the dead fuel gauge, that
sort of thing. A fair bit of it is just from the fact the car hasn't moved
in, oh, maybe four months or so. Then there are some other trouble spots,
like the turbo that is not under the hood, but in a box in the back, after a
local shop kloodged in a standard carb from some run of the mill econobox.
Maybe I should note the fact that, in my 10 or so miles of puttering around
town [trip odometer works!] with 4 adults wedged into the rather small
interior, I got the gearbox into second exactly once. And it wasn't due to
the shift knob being a far cry from actually fitting the threads on the
lever. I need to see the synchros.
My brother-in-law is probably tired of dumping more money into this thing,
and would likely rejoice to see it gone. He might even make some sort of
deal, given the family connections.
Save me, Jesus!
mjb.
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