Pictures of the Week

[other dog]

It was pretty nice yesterday so we drove the yellow Zinamobile around the loop. We found a guy right here in Appomattox who said he could put power steering on it and I'm going to take it by his shop this week so he can take a look and see what he needs. 

These car guys- most are just great people. I had asked a couple of people long before Christmas about doing it and they both said they would get back to me after the first of the year. I called one of them back a couple of weeks ago and he said he was still really busy, but "I'll get back to you in a few days". Next thing you know, it's the middle of February and nobody has gotten back to me about anything. So I messaged a local person who goes to a lot of car shows locally and is big into the cars and coffee thing and asked her if she knew of anybody. And she absolutely did. So I called the guy she recommended, the only one she lets work on her Mustang or her parent's '69 Camaro. Turns out he was too busy too, but he called me back about it- the same day. And he told me about this other guy, and said if he couldn't do it to call him back, and he'd find somebody that could.

I think she could drive it anyway, it drives great on the road but when you get in a tight spot or try to turn around it's a little hard to turn. I'm sure she'll enjoy it more with power steering anyway.

Lots of melting going on here this week. The igloo went from a 3 bedroom split level 

to a 1 bedroom, one bathroom apartment.

I predicted that it would be here on the first of March, but I don't know now, it's not looking too good for it. 🤣 

[other dog]

I saw some memory pictures today of when Zina was still Zina from Florida. She went to the truck show in Leesburg by herself and took some pictures. Here's a couple of dignitaries that she happened to run across there. This was in 2019.

[other dog]

I took the yellow Zinamobile down to the guy's shop yesterday so he could take a look. Seems very doable, he's going to start tracking down the parts he needs now. He has quite a collection of vehicles there himself that he's working on. He had a 50-something Chevrolet pickup, a 70 Nova, 70 Chevelle, 87 Buick Grand National, 53 Ford pickup, 48 Ford pickup, and probably something I forgot. I got the impression that he knows what he's doing anyway.

He also spotted an oil leak at the back of the intake manifold. He thought it was the intake gasket but the the sending unit for the oil pressure gauge was right there too, so I said maybe the oil line is leaking. We wiped it off with a rag and sure enough, the fitting was leaking where the plastic line went in. That's way better than having the manifold gasket leaking.

He offered to try to tighten it but I said "no, I'll do it at home so when I break it it'll be at home". So when I got home I took the line loose, and it was crimped and crushed where the ferrule goes over it. I just cut the end off with my Old Timer and went to NAPA. Told them I just needed the ferrule but to "give me 3 or 4 because we know I'm going to drop 2 or 3 of them and lose them".

Turns out I only dropped 1 and lost it, it's either in the driveway or on the truck somewhere. But I re-attached the oil line and it appears to be ok now. 

[other dog]

I kicked a little spot on the ground yesterday by the front tire on the yellow Zinamobile, just to use as a reference point. Then when I fixed the oil line and pulled it under the carport I knew the general area that I needed to look for the ferrule that I dropped. Even though I knew I'd never find it anyway in the gravel driveway, I'd know where to look. And I looked for a minute or two but didn't see it. I went out this morning for something and walked by and looked, you know, different lighting in the morning, so maybe I'd see the brass shining. Nope, didn't see anything. 

And a few minutes ago I went out to put this insurance payment in the mail box, and walked over and looked again and what do you know, there it was.

Then I dropped it in the grass and lost it again, but I did find it- just kidding 😂 I put a little zip tie through it and put it in the tool box in the shed.

[mowerman]

I remember about 1978. I lost a valve keeper on a 307 Chevrolet Sunday night about 6 o’clock back on those days . Everything was closed at five and closed on Sunday . I just had to keep looking through the floor dry and the oil finally found it. I borrowed a friend‘s garage BP  service station and I had to get it out of there before 8 o’clock Monday morning. 

[Vladislav]

Tom, it sounds like you just didn't tell that ferrule was made of gold. By its look it could really be. Otherwise I have no idea on the amount of efforts you put into location of it.

[other dog]

It was just a situation where when I walked by where I was working on it i'd stop and look on the ground. and the third time I did that I just happened to see it laying there. Never really expected to find it and I had already fixed the oil line.