[Roadsters] 10 Year anniversary of Roadster-dom (in my case Roadster-dumb?)

O'Farrell, Fergus P (AS) Fergus.OFarrell at ngc.com
Wed Mar 17 14:53:52 MST 2010


So today is my 10 year anniversary of roadster ownership.
Yep, you should have seen the face of the Z-car restorer (it was his
shop "truck") when he went to fill out the paperwork and had to put
"Fergus O'Farrell bought a car from me on St Paddy's Day".

Haired out interior to start with, (some would stay "still is" !) but
mechanically much better than I knew how to check out.  Only been off
the road for 2 lengthy spells: the first (9 months) for an alternator
conversion that turned into a engine compartment wiring harness
replacement as well, and this one I am in at the moment, (3 months, with
Xmas in the middle) which is the front suspension rebuild.

Thanks much to all contributors, whose patience I have tested, and
long-distance diagnostic skills I have relied heavily upon for quite
some time.  Too numerous to mention, and lists are only good for
excluding those that my mind has forgotten.
But put it this way, if you have ever read list-advice on anything
electrical, take my word for it that that person fielded probing
questions and lists of seemingly interlinked symptoms on my car, most to
the point of exhaustion.  (the usual suspects:  Pat Horne, John
Sandhoff, ad infinitum electron escapere, or however you'd say that in
Latin)

Of special note is Alvin for keeping up the motivation with great
pictures, and more recently Michael Spreadbury / Spriso with motivating
all of us to "clean up the clutter" with his amazing work.  And a
special thanks to Victor Laury, for his assistance not only under the
hood but at a certain point along the road when better judgement in
terrain mapping vs speed control was temporarily in short supply.

I stay within my roadster "budget" (self imposed) by stocking up on
parts I'll need and storing them away.  My recent downtime to rebuild
the front suspension included boxed parts that were over 4-1/2 years
old.  (a set of stainless brake flex lines and end fittings, with parts
list provided by Mark Sedlack)
On my most recent backroads rally, a thought came to mind, "I wonder how
good she'd handle if all the parts that are in the toolbox were actually
on the car?"

thanks to all.  The ride is wonderful but the folks met along the way
are the best.

Still on the PO -installed clutch, so the stories and queries will
continue.
And, of course, the delusions of grandeur concerning project time,
including
-1/2 roadster trailers, foam lined, filled with beer,
-what kinda mpg would you get from an SD-22 motored roadster, and why
not supercharge it?
-that hard tonneau cover that I have made so many sketches

C'ya on the road,
Fergus O
69 2000
Los Alamitos, CA


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