Part Two

Token Shot at the GCN
Originally uploaded by The Put-Man.

(Saturday Evening - 11pm-ish)

...things are re-installed on the car...

...feel ready to try it out...

...the hell with sleepy neighbors...

So, with the turn of the key, the car burps, coughs, spits, and dies.

On the second try, a spume of air/gas mixture pops straight up out of carb.

My assistant holding the fire extinguisher becomes visibly more nervous.

"Is it...supposed...to do that", she asks in a tone of voice clearly conveying SHE DOESN'T THINK SO.

The only thing I can think of to adjust is the mixture screw. I'd set it where I'd "heard" you should try it - 2.5 turns backed out after fully seating.

I turned it one more full turn in.

No change.

Another full turn.

Pop...stutter...chugga, chugga...

She runs!

At idle she's a bit rough...which at first concerned me, until I remembered the Previous Owner talking about the "radical cam" in the car.

Apply just a tad of gas...VROOOOM!

The car sounds GREAT. Of course, it has an exhaust leak and sounds WIDE OPEN, making it sound like an old 60's rally racer...but it makes me smile.

Immature? Yes!

Must...

Drive...

Car...

It's dark outside, overcast, nearly midnight, and the car is still largely unknown to me. I toss a few tools in the car, and attempt to figure out the lights.

There are two light switches: one three position switch on the dash, and a three position lever on the steering column. Apparently, the older models "should" have had a two position switch on the dash - "on" and "off" - using the "stalk" lever on the column to switch between "parking" (up), "driving" (middle), and "brights" (lower).

Now, first of all, who would think to LOWER a switch for HIGH beams?

After fiddling, I realize that dash switch is from a "later" model designed to be up "off", middle "parking", lower "driving".

The two switches would contradict each other - if the stalk is in the "up" position, the dash switch all the way down will NOT engage the lights!

So, with the lights figured out, we tear off down the road...and I mean TEAR! This car SOUNDS like it's ripping the road - the tuned exhaust is LOUD, and the "note" changes dramatically with the higher RPM's. This car is MUCH happier in the higher RPM's than my blue Spider. Blue Spider coughs above 4k...Red Spider SCREAMS with happiness!

SCREAMS....!

With the rain chasing us, we return home about an hour later. I can't wipe the smile off my face. This car...Man, it's...GREAT!

Sure, the interior is a bit rough, and the brakes rub, and the tires are bit questionable...but for a paltry 2k...this car is a RUNNER!

Sure it's 38 years old...BUT IT'S AWESOME!

Wheeeee!