Turbo Odyssey Part 28 -- Happily Ever After

October 30, 2005

Warm weather is just about done here in mid-Michigan.  This weekend I went to my mom's house in Harrison.  The peak has past for fall colors but the trees are still beautiful.  I helped mom get the docks out, changed the oil in the lower unit of the pontoon, and finished a few other tasks that needed to be done before the snow flies.

The Corvair season is just about over as well.  The last couple of weeks have been exciting but frustrating for me on the turbo project.  Exciting because the car is just about finished.  Last week I had it towed (another story) to DeWitt Service Center where my buddy Ty installed new wheel cylinders, new brake flex lines, new rear shoes, a couple new brake lines, and a set of KYB  shocks I purchased from Corvair Motorsports.

The following day I took the car back to Bob Reeve, my body guy, to have the doors and windows aligned.  Once that was done, I installed the rest of the interior, including sound deadening on the inside of the doors.  I worked into the evening on the interior project Thursday night, and it was nice to have the boys keep me company.

The last couple weeks have been frustrating because of the run problems I have been experiencing.  Three times now the car has stranded me.  Symptoms included an excessively high idle, rough running, run on after shut down, hard starting, and an annoying tendency to completely die shortly after start up once it has been driven for awhile.  Against better judgment I drove it to work on Friday and found myself stranded in Mason after a hearing in district court.  When I returned Friday evening with the trailer to pick up the car it of course started.  As soon as I got home, I pulled the car off the trailer, parked it in the garage, jumped into the Firebird and headed up north to mom's place.

After I returned home Sunday afternoon I showed Jake how the choke worked on the mower and thus destroyed an excuse that had worked all weekend.  I then went to work removing the rebuilt carb I had purchased and reinstalling the original unit.  With the old carb installed the car ran poorly until it warmed up--obviously some choke issues--and then settled into a smooth 850 rpm idle.  I drove it around the block and was thrilled at the way the car ran.

When I got home, I shut the motor down.  No dieseling noted.  Waaahooo!  My wife, who was just finishing blowing the leaves out of the yard, needed to cool down, so I dropped the top and took her for her first ride in the car since it was back on the road.  The motor ran smoothly and on a last day of Indian summer the air was comfortably cool but not cold.  It was a short drive, maybe two miles, but it felt great.  It just felt great.

The car isn't finished yet.  I have my Safeguard on order from Ray Sedman and I am also waiting on restored seatbelts; I may post on these items as well.  There are still a number of electrical gremlins that need to be sorted out, and I would like to post a gallery of pictures of the completed car if  I can find one more good day for taking pictures.  But I think that this story is complete.  It's been a fun year and a half, and as always, I owe a huge thank you to Virtual Vairs and even greater thanks to my wife, Joy.  I cannot count the number of times that she encouraged me to work on my car.  I am probably the luckiest man alive, and that has nothing to do with owning Corvairs. 

 I am looking forward to fixing the secondary on the red Corsa (I think it's a float adjustment on the right side) and taking both Corvairs to Buffalo next summer.  It'll be a fun family road trip.  Jake will have his learner's permit, so he is excited that he will get to do some of the driving.  I'm looking forward to spending some time with the family and my Virtual Vairs family as well.

See you there.

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