spridgets
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Re: Grounded!

To: Mike Maclean <macleans@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: Grounded!
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 23:41:09 -0800
Cc: spridgets@autox.team.net
Organization: WFO Racing
References: <3A23623C.C0A7D9AE@earthlink.net> <3A23EE3A.68606281@cdsnet.net> <3A248857.4F149EBE@earthlink.net>
Mike,

Owning/restoring a Spridget is parallel to "how do you eat an elephant... one 
bite
at a time."

...chew well, enjoy the flavor.  Stand back, view what you've accomplished, take
another bite.

herb



Mike Maclean wrote:

> The first test drive keeps getting further and further away.  The list of 
>small
> jobs to finish to make the car roadworthy is still kinda long.  Funny though, 
>I
> remember when I used to drive a Bugeye as my only transportation.  Back then I
> would drive it with all kinds of things NOT working on the car.  As long as it
> would go when I stepped on the gas and stop when I stepped on the brake.  Ah,
> the good old days.
> Mike MacLean-60 Sprite
>
> WFO Herb wrote:
>
> > Mike,
> >
> > Congratulations!  You only have a few things to change/replace/repair before
> > you and the car are road worthy.  Not bad.  Keep in mind all that you have
> > done to get this far.  Amazing isn't it.  First test drive is very close.
> >
> > Way to go!
> >
> > Herb
> >
> > Mike Maclean wrote:
> >
> > >    Of the few days I get to work on my car to try to finish the
> > > restoration, today was a good one and it was a bad one.  It seems that
> > > the more I try to get the car finished, the longer the list of things to
> > > do to finish it becomes.  Today I spent the afternoon trying to finish
> > > up the wiring under the dash.  I finally got the turn signal indicator
> > > light to work and now all the instruments are illuminated when the dash
> > > lights are turned on.  Still can't figure out why the high beam
> > > indicator light won't work.  I'll get it though.
> > >      More perplexing is my starter pull cable.  I went to start the car
> > > by truning the key and pulling the starter knob and it broke off right
> > > where it goes into the connector on the starter
> > > spring loaded switch under the bonnet.  When I went to look at it under
> > > the hood, it was discolored and very hot to the touch!  I guess I was
> > > grounding through it.  I don't see how.  The engine is grounded to the
> > > body with a strap connected to a bolt on the bell housing and
> > > frame of the car.  The car would run fine after the cable was removed.
> > > I had been float gharging the car from the negative terminal to a head
> > > stud to keep the battery charged.  Could this have completed a circuit
> > > through the starter wiring somehow?
> > >      I also tried to make the doors close properly by shimming the catch
> > > on the "B" pillar and got the passenger door to operate perfectly.  Not
> > > so lucky with the driver's side.  Shimmed properly and couldn't get the
> > > door to stay closed.  The mechanism mounted on the door would not engage
> > > the catch on the "B" pillar.  When I inspected both sides for a
> > > comparison, the pin that snaps over the door jamb catch, in the driver's
> > > door did not protrude far enough into the hole to "catch" the door jamb
> > > catch.  Now I have to get a new door mechanism with the chrome knob to
> > > get the driver's door to stay closed before I try to test drive this
> > > car.
> > >      The more work I do on this car the more work I make for myself.
> > > Looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, being a railroad
> > > engineer, I'm afraid it's a traim.
> > > Mike MacLean-60 Sprite

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