944 towed to garage

The 944 is towed! I'm sure Jim's parents are happy to have it out of their driveway! Luckily, the 944 car is small and light, and four of us pushed it up the hill of the driveway pretty easily.

Up until about 20 minutes before the tow truck driver showed up, I was still debating where to bring the car to be fixed. I really wanted to bring it back to the place in San Rafael, but it's so far from where I live and there's no public transportation to get there. It would be very difficult to pick the car up when it was done, and it was just a bit over the maximum mileage (100 miles) on my tow service with AAA. So, I chose a place at the end of the street I live on (only 89 miles).

strut supplier?

I found these today:
http://www.arnottindustries.com/parts_Cadillac_Eldorado_yid29.html

I wonder if it would be worth it to get these instead of the OEM parts for the '93 touring coupe. They do not have the electronic adjustment like the OEM parts, but they are soooo much cheaper...

it's tempting, but I think I want to keep all the cool features of the car intact. Now I just have to build up enough courage to spend the $$$.

quotes

I called a couple of repair shop in Walnut creek, for the issue with the 944 ( i think it's the slave cylinder).

The first one I called ( ) was annoying because the guy who answered the phone did not want to give me a quote. he called back and gave it to me anyway.

The second (European Auto Repair) was annoying because although he was nice on the phone, he never called back with the quote.

What is with these shops? they never seem like they actually WANT your business.

updated registration and neat link

Yesterday, I went to the DMV and got the registration straighted out for my 944. They claim they never recieved a check. So they had me re-pay (luckily they had me re-pay the original amount, not the overdue amount). I also changed the address of the registration to my current address, and got a new drivers licence with my new address.

I also was going to try to put the steering wheel back on the Cadillac, but I am missing one of the springs that goes behind the lock plate. I want to try to find one before I put it back together.

also, check out this link for cool automotive news: http://jalopnik.com/

can't tow it...

ARGGH! The registration is expired on my 944 (apparently I haven't noticed for two months!). And the tow truck driver won't tow it unless it is currently registered. I swear I paid it, but I apparently never got the new tags. I'm sure this has something to do with the fact that it is registed at my old address where my sister now lives.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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!

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).

Turn Signal Switch Found!

One of the guys in my Cadillac group totally saved me...He suggested these guys: Shee Mar they also have an 800 number that does not seem to be listed on their site. 1-800-627-8876.

I got the switch for $104 + $6 shipping, Part #SM229 for a non tilt and telescope steering column (I never thought I'd be happy I didn't have one, but they didn't even have the switches for the tilt and telescope). It should be here Tuesday.

Yay! I've been getting way to used to the little car, I need a big boat to drive around.

-c

more hard to find parts

Aparently the turn signal switch is not being manufactured any more. there do not seem to be any obvious suppliers. I was pointed in the direction of ebay, and to places that might hand-make them. Again, I ask...WHY are these parts so diffucult to find? We are talking about GM parts they should be plentiful and cheap and new.

It's Alive!!!

The convertible starts!! I put a new ground strap and a new positive battery cable on and now it starts! That's what I get for not changing out the easy stuff first...I moved it from the spot it was occupying (which will become a pit of mud as soon as it rains) so it would be easy to access it when I can get a trailer to tow it to my house (could not find one this weekend).

I went to go change the brake pads on the 944, but the pads are not worn (at all) this seems weird to me, I usually go through brakes so quickly, and they have been squeaking so much, I'm worried that they are wearing unevenly and the insides are worn but the outsides are not. Also, I discovered that the locking lug nut on the rear drivers wheel is not letting me unlock it with the key I have. It's like there is something stuck in the lock. I will poke around with a toothpick or something to see if there is something in there.

also, My dad came to my house today and helped me track down the reason for the non-operational brake lights on the 67 Eldo. He suspects the signal switch in the steering column. I'll hunt down a place to order one this week.

so lazy...

I haven't ordered parts for the cadillac yet. I'm supposed to work on some cars the weekend of thanksgiving. But if I have no parts, that's not going to happen...