Adventures of the Og Mobile
I know you guys haven't heard much from her and for those of you who are ignorant as to who Og is... She is my 1970 Volkswagen beetle. I bought her last thanksgiving, and have been rebuilding her ever since. I've rebuilt the engine, floor pans, electrical and part of the interior... she is doing wonderful. Last thursday i went down to the department of transportation, and obtained a license plate for. Yess!!!! Og is now legal, and can be driven on the road with pride. And I have done so!
However... There are still some bugs and fine tuning to be done to her. For example...
Last night I was coming home, waiting to cross a 4 lane intersection. Fortunately there are stop lights. So i do not have to brave the oncoming traffic in a rather slow bug... Unfortunately, as I'm sitting there idling... I hear a sudden change in the tune of my engine... Its running lean.. Something has plugged up my carb!! quickly thinking, I pull up the emergancy brake, and begin to feather the throttle heavily. hoping that the burly guy in the truck next to me, will not mistake my engine revving is a sign of me wanting to drag race. I keep feathering the gas, but she doesn't want to comply, she's filing for divorce!
and gets it. I stall and cannot start the engine, in 5 o'clock traffic, a line of cars behind me!! I coast down the small embankment and attempt to revive her, but to no evail, she just doesn't want to. meanwhile, horns are blowing and people are Driving around me, I cannot just exit the car, prop the rear hood and inspect the engine. (believe it or not, i've had to do that before on the side of the road.)
Feeling immensly embarrassed, but refusing to show it, and putting on an act like everything is normal. that it isn't extremely bizarre for my car to stop working in the middle of traffic... I wait for the light to turn green. There is only 1 thing left to do...
The light is green, and I begin to push my beloved and cantakerous Og across the intersection!! like a funeral procession, the people slowly follow behind me in their cars. Remember, this is 4 lanes of traffic!!
now, across the intersection, in a deserted gas station... A dear black gentleman is selling some "greens" Bless the dear man, but he comes running across the intersection and helps me push my car across the intersection and into the deserted Gas station.
He then proceeds to tell me that he once had a Vw bug waaaaaaay back in his youth. (believe me it was way back) that it was probally my valves that was the problem, that I should get home and adjust my valves. Lord bless him, If I could only get home! I've not yet compiled a toolbox to carry with me, of the most common and needed tools to carry in a VW. But believe me, I am working on that! meanwhile, the dear helpful man keeps rattling on about his youth, and how its the valves... I keep nodding and aggreeing. Being the respectful young man that I am. Honor the elder's experience. All the while thinking... "I know its not the valves, I just adjusted them last night!!!"
So I prop the lid... fiddle with the carb... check my coil... Yup, carb's delivering fuel... YOowCH! the coil has electricty... I should be good to go. So I get back into the car, and begin to crank it ovoer, feathering the gas. slowly, the rpms catch on, and I realize she will start. she coughs, sputters, and like behemoth awakening, she backfires and roars to life. I keep the throttle down tuning to 5000rpm, to create a huge vaccuum and suck whatever dirt is in my carb out. It works. Another backfire and she is purring like her old sweet self.
I make it home, install a 2nd fuel filter, say nice sweet things to her, and retire for the day...
Moral of the story? always carry a charged up cell phone!
However... There are still some bugs and fine tuning to be done to her. For example...
Last night I was coming home, waiting to cross a 4 lane intersection. Fortunately there are stop lights. So i do not have to brave the oncoming traffic in a rather slow bug... Unfortunately, as I'm sitting there idling... I hear a sudden change in the tune of my engine... Its running lean.. Something has plugged up my carb!! quickly thinking, I pull up the emergancy brake, and begin to feather the throttle heavily. hoping that the burly guy in the truck next to me, will not mistake my engine revving is a sign of me wanting to drag race. I keep feathering the gas, but she doesn't want to comply, she's filing for divorce!
and gets it. I stall and cannot start the engine, in 5 o'clock traffic, a line of cars behind me!! I coast down the small embankment and attempt to revive her, but to no evail, she just doesn't want to. meanwhile, horns are blowing and people are Driving around me, I cannot just exit the car, prop the rear hood and inspect the engine. (believe it or not, i've had to do that before on the side of the road.)
Feeling immensly embarrassed, but refusing to show it, and putting on an act like everything is normal. that it isn't extremely bizarre for my car to stop working in the middle of traffic... I wait for the light to turn green. There is only 1 thing left to do...
The light is green, and I begin to push my beloved and cantakerous Og across the intersection!! like a funeral procession, the people slowly follow behind me in their cars. Remember, this is 4 lanes of traffic!!
now, across the intersection, in a deserted gas station... A dear black gentleman is selling some "greens" Bless the dear man, but he comes running across the intersection and helps me push my car across the intersection and into the deserted Gas station.
He then proceeds to tell me that he once had a Vw bug waaaaaaay back in his youth. (believe me it was way back) that it was probally my valves that was the problem, that I should get home and adjust my valves. Lord bless him, If I could only get home! I've not yet compiled a toolbox to carry with me, of the most common and needed tools to carry in a VW. But believe me, I am working on that! meanwhile, the dear helpful man keeps rattling on about his youth, and how its the valves... I keep nodding and aggreeing. Being the respectful young man that I am. Honor the elder's experience. All the while thinking... "I know its not the valves, I just adjusted them last night!!!"
So I prop the lid... fiddle with the carb... check my coil... Yup, carb's delivering fuel... YOowCH! the coil has electricty... I should be good to go. So I get back into the car, and begin to crank it ovoer, feathering the gas. slowly, the rpms catch on, and I realize she will start. she coughs, sputters, and like behemoth awakening, she backfires and roars to life. I keep the throttle down tuning to 5000rpm, to create a huge vaccuum and suck whatever dirt is in my carb out. It works. Another backfire and she is purring like her old sweet self.
I make it home, install a 2nd fuel filter, say nice sweet things to her, and retire for the day...
Moral of the story? always carry a charged up cell phone!