Sue,
I've failed you (not permanently, but might not help much for the next week
or so). See story below. I didn't bring the gear stick with me, so it may
be a week and a half before I can mail your gear stick (3 Jan). Is that too
long? Do you have something else to drive in the mean time? I'm sorry.
Ryan
List,
I was going to tow my Bugeye home with me for Christmas (not too far, from
NC to SC). I wanted to check the brakes, timing, etc. while I was sitting
around doing nothing. I can never seem to get to all of the little things
(like soldering the crimp-ons) during the week. I hooked up my Bugeye to
the wife's Pathfinder (I know, it's Japanese) with a tow bar hooked to the
bumper. I checked everything out and all seemed to be a go for launch. I
pulled out of the neighborhood and the bumper gave out. The supports
buckled, the bumper wrapped around the new tires, twisted the tires opposite
the direction of travel, skinned up one of the steel wheels, and scratched
the hood (bonnet). I stopped, slightly blocking one lane of traffic (but
mostly in the median), but what could I do? I wasn't going to drag her any
further with the tires squealing like that. I had to disconnect the tow bar
from the bumper, then from the car, and disconnect the safety chain. Then,
I had to remove the bumper from the car so that I could steer. I
disconnected the trailer harness and lights and then, with help from my
neighbor, pushed the car back into the neighborhood. (That was a fun 1/4
mile, uphill, through the snow, barefoot, etc....) I was so upset,
frustrated, disgusted, brokenhearted, that I pushed her all the way into the
garage and left her. I also left behind a certain gear stick I had promised
Sue. I'll still send it to you, but it may be a day late and a dollar
short. I briefly contemplated driving her to SC (250 miles--no big deal),
but the wife had been up until 0230 cleaning house the night before and
really wasn't in any shape to drive the Pathfinder(unbeknownst to me, she
said she'd come to bed, "In a little while," when I had gone to bed the
night before). Why do you need a clean house when you aren't going to be
there for a week and a half? Anyway, now I'm stuck here with no LBC. And I
have it on good authority that my uninformed, but well-meaning parents
bought me a M*SS gift certificate for Christmas. I seem to have unusually
bad luck with this car.
Ryan
_________________________________________________________________
|