Friday, December 29, 2006

944 died

well this morning as I went to leave to go snowboarding, I got into the 944 and the clutch was depressed to the floor. Not a good sign. there was also a large puddle under the car. I am hoping that I will not need to replace the entire clutch. I think it may be the master cylinder(since there were no signs of the clutch failing before), but have no idea what kind of cost or work is involved in fixing it. The porsche place I like is in San Rafael, and the car in in Orangevale. (about 150 miles away).

Thursday, December 28, 2006

christmas presents

For christmas I got a trickle charger for the 93 Cadillac (to keep the battery charged while it sits) and a carb adjuster tool which is a flexible driver that makes it easier to adjust the carb.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

paint class?

Since I have two cars that really need to be painted and two that could stand to be painted. I'm thinking about taking a auto painting class at my local community college. There is an evening class starting in Jan. It would be pretty much every night though. I wish there were shorter more intensive classes somewhere.

Monday, December 18, 2006

more steering column issues

OK So it IS possible to get the switch out without removing the entire column. you just have to go as far as the lockplate (just before the shifting mechanism). Dad came down to my house and helped take it apart. It was a tight squeeze, but we finally got the old switch out of the steering column.

I am concerned about a couple things though... the parts in my steering column do not exactly match the parts (or the order of the parts) in the diagrams from the Master parts book or the Service manual. I'm not sure if I should try to put it back how it's supposed to be, or how it came out.

I will probably try how it came out since it worked before. I do need to try to paint the gear indicator while it's all in pieces so I can clearly see what gear I'm in.

In the near future, I need to get the convertible up to the house. Dad brought a battery charger down and charged up the battery in the '93 Eldo so it starts now(which means I can move it out of the garage to put the convertible in). I need to remember to start it every week or so to keep it going. Or maybe I'll get a trickle charger for it. I'm not sure what to do with the cars when I have four at home, I don't really have space for them. I might just send the '93 off to a mechanic to rebuild the engine that should give me at least a couple months.

Monday, December 11, 2006

steering wheel pulled


The steering wheel is pulled, My dad went down to my house while I was away for the weekend and did it, so I don't know if there were any issues, but know I need to find out if I can replace the switch without pulling the steering column, it doesn't look like it...

Saturday, December 09, 2006

I'm a corvette

apparently, if I was a sportscar, I would be a corvette.

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!



You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.


Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

I'm so crabby...

I went to sears and bought a steering wheel puller/harmonic balancer puller and the older guy(maybe in his 50's or 60's) who rung up my purchase gave me a look and said "you're pulling a harmonic balancer!?" I said, "no, a steering wheel" then asked what kind of car, and I said "a Cadillac." Then he asked me if I knew how to get the nut off, and I just said "yes" even though the answer is really not specifically, because I was tired and I didn't want to listen to an explanation (that I wasn't going to remember any of) about how to do the whole procedure right there in the store with a line of people waiting behind me. I felt bad, because to that he said "oh, I didn't know you were such a consummate mechanic." then he tried to talk me out of buying the tool "ya know you don't really need a specialty tool to pull the steering wheel..." To which I said, "yes, but it makes it easier." afterwards I felt bad because people really like to feel like they can pass on their knowledge to others, but I also didn't, because he was a little chauvinistic.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

need a steering wheel puller...

I will swing by Sears and pick one up tonight. I hope they have made advances in the ability to access this kind of thing in newer cars...what a pain.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

The switch is here!


I'm so happy that I seem to have a good source for future parts. The parts arrive exactly when they said it would, and in perfect condition. I plugged it in without disassembling the steering wheel, and the brake lights now work! all I need to do know is take the steering wheel apart to replace the switch.

waiting...

Will my package be there when I get home? I hope so!

Sunday, December 03, 2006

so small


The 944 is so tiny...I often do not see it on parking lots until I'm right on top of it. you don't even know how many times I've had that "did my car get Stolen?!" jump of the heart before it appeared. I guess i'm just used to the giant boat cars that you can see from the end of the aisle (or further).