It's been lovely so far! Man, I needed a vacation ( Read more... )

Drove the hot-rod Newport to physical therapy today, on request of my therapist, self-diagnosed gearhead. I gave it a little rev or two in the lot right outside his window, and he loved it! When I left, he lifted his blinds to watch me drive away. Driving that machine always makes me smile, and it pleases me that it also entertains others. Speaking ( Read more... )

1) Generation X tells the Boomers and kids today to stop their whining. A great article that would be funnier if it weren't so uncomfortably honest.

2) KU tops the International Quidditch Association standings. No, seriously. KU has a Quidditch team, and it's #1 in the world ( Read more... )

Aw, yeah. On the street across from my house:


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Everything worked great last night for the 10 or so miles the Newport roared around town. So today I re-torqued the exhaust headers, drained and examined the oil (looks better than expected for a new rebuild!), installed a new K&N oil filter, poured in new synthetic oil, topped off the other fluids, and then fired 'er up to listen through a ( Read more... )

I take a surprising amount of pleasure from just driving around in the machine I designed and built myself, all pretty and rumbly and roar-ey, fast and smooth, vintage and comfy, chrome and black and bronze, elegant and antisocial ( Read more... )

JUST TOOK THE NEWPORT OUT FOR A SPIN! Woohoo! I flushed and bled the brakes, so now she stops, too (that didn't happen last night during an aborted attempt...).

You need proof? Here you go, parked under the carport after a quick run downtown:


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Troubleshooting inch-by-inch revealed a very simple issue: The prior owner had installed a Crane Cams XR700 (opens .pdf instruction manual) electronic ignition module BACKWARDS in the distributor. Which explains why the wires (upon closer inspection of a pre-teardown photo) were installed 180° off. I swung it around 180° to where it's supposed to ( Read more... )

For those of you waiting with bated breath for news that the car is up and running - alas, no. Here she sits in the garage right now, all put together but not quite ready to go:


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No new photos tonight, but made more progress since my pre-class post:

• Cleaned and painted driver's-side rear brake drum, then installed that wheel.
• Cleaned and painted driver's-side front brake drum; it's drying now.
• Cleaned and painted A/C unit.
• Cut and installed heater hoses.
• Cut and installed and primed fuel line from fuel pump to carburetor ( ( Read more... )