Bwwwack bwaack - chicken ;-)
I have ridden in Bill's car and I would say his concern was a bit
unfounded. On the other hand I salute him for his honesty!! On the other
other hand the non starting problem would seem to justify his concern
(prob a bad ground Bill - check the battery ground and the engine
ground).
As to the sunburn - commonly known as truckers arm. I would surmise that
for the vast majority of the trip you were resting your arm on the door
and the other was at your side or not parallel to the ground. With a BIG
SH#T EATING GRIN on your face the whole ride.
Larry
At this exact moment in time 6/5/00 11:07 AM, saidel@crab.rutgers.edu
made the profound statement:
>Alright, let's sing together....
>
>No....I finked out on a 2 hour trip to the Red Mill Car Show here in NJ
>yesterday because, after 2 years of ownership and huge amounts of garage
>learning, I realized i) the longest I had driven the car was only 40 miles
>or so and ii) being able to do mechanics like replacing peripherals, ie.,
>water pump, alternator,etc., is not auto mechanics per se (took 2 years to
>learn that). I just didn't trust my 76. I didn't have papers from prior
>owners...don't know what happened to this car in the past. I had done a
>bunch to it without knowing if it was ok or not and the Car Show was close
>to being in the boonies(at least NJ boonies).
>
>So my rational mind said, go on a trip where I have the possibility of
>contacting people if I break down. (Don't say it...coward...rational in the
>same sentence as driving a 25 year old car??? Seems like a non-sequitor -
>and being a bit of an antiquarian, I had no cell phone.)
>
>Anyways, my SO and I decided on a long, civilized drive to her sister's,
>about 85 miles away...a good test of the car ('76B, 52K miles). Great day,
>great ride...no problems, happy as a submerged clam. Hit 75mph at 4100 rpm
>(4-speed, no OD). Engine purred, SU's pumping away, sun shining, no
>problems. Why??? I'd say luck of the Irish if I were, but I'm not and
>neither was Morris Garages.
>
>We arrived in a rather fine frame of mind, at least I did. Even my wife's
>brother-in-law was impressed and he has owned at least 20 cars since I've
>known him (his Porsch was fun to drive). We continued from there to the
>shore and to their beach house. To make a long story short, when we left
>it, I turned the key and
>
>nothing...nothingnothing nothing. No buzzer, no door light, no radio, no
>nothing.
>
>I didn't let on the panic I felt because I'm supposed to know something
>about this vehicle, but no...I really felt panic. And then, I took a deep
>breath and opened the boot for my new tool kit (based on very recent
>discussions on the list) and said, start at the beginning. Is the battery
>good...the problem will probably be in the battery or in the starting
>switch. I futilely wiggled the cables on the battery and then decided to
>check the battery itself...no voltmeter in my kit but a long screwdriver so
>I shorted it...nice spark.
>
>Tried the key again and it started right up...voila...as Billy Crystal
>would have said, "you looked marvelous." I actually looked to my SO and the
>other couple (and a few spectators) like I knew something, but I knew the
>truth. Try anything in order.
>
>******Anyway, it led me to think, is there a document anywhere that has
>been written in one of the clubs for roadside repairs:
> IF THIS PROBLEM....try this in sequence.
>******
>
>I realized after the panic receeded that the lack of door light was a clear
>signal as was the lack of a buzzer when I turned the key.
>
>The ride home was uneventful, a total of 170 miles with only one more
>mystery: why is that my left arm is sun-burned and my SO's right arm is
>sunburned even though the top was down? Could it be the extra sunlight
>reflecting from a highly polished surface?
>
>Hmmm....
>
>And certainly, next year for Red Mill
>
>Regards,
>
>Bill, now looking for the appropriate name to name MY '76B
>(My 14' sailboat was named Ishmael, but I can't use that now.)
Larry B. Macy, Ph.D.
macy@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu
System Administrator/Manager
Neuropsychiatry Section
Department of Psychiatry
University of Pennsylvania
3400 Spruce St. - 1015 Gates
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Ask a question and you're a fool for three minutes; do not ask a
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