tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36278590338623791072024-03-12T21:17:33.274-04:00sevencardansevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-80990132355182638452022-01-01T19:24:00.001-05:002022-01-02T13:49:36.475-05:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Happy New Year, good bye 2021.</h1><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMy7FrLCC-5YqiThff9saskY5cgU6QHC7gFqhnuRQmwwQNkoge1wqNHOw8PcFgltqwSMz97iRKnQzzFUC1Qo9gjXoWw4WgdwseOTKOfPgqQH5bjlacGgT2tW5n3eyqkUmVszCTmd8VcsA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMy7FrLCC-5YqiThff9saskY5cgU6QHC7gFqhnuRQmwwQNkoge1wqNHOw8PcFgltqwSMz97iRKnQzzFUC1Qo9gjXoWw4WgdwseOTKOfPgqQH5bjlacGgT2tW5n3eyqkUmVszCTmd8VcsA/" width="260" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So...it's 2022 but where is my flying car!!??</div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-56639597707858661932021-12-26T16:42:00.004-05:002022-01-02T13:51:19.942-05:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! </h1><h1 style="text-align: left;">(a day late...oh well)</h1><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-9739649156894630952021-12-18T21:39:00.011-05:002021-12-19T11:34:16.008-05:00<p>I was at a friend's house the other day when it started to rain - not a light rain but that sort of side-ways, wind-blown tsunami-from-the-sky kind of rain that can beat the paint off a Ford. (Rain in December? - Ayup, welcome to a global-warming Xmas.)</p><p>"I hate this kind of rain, I can just hear it pelting the house and seeping behind the siding rotting out everything," Will complained.</p><p>Everything rots. </p><p>From the minute we're born we begin to die, so to the things we build, weather (wrong spelling intentionally used for a change) they be our homes, our vehicles or - as we have seen oh-so-much lately - our democracy. </p><p>All this decay just underscores the very transient nature of our lives and our world.</p><p>I guess I ought (there's that stubborn normative catchword) to embrace the way of it all. And, I suppose I would if I didn't have a few more lessons to learn during the remainder of my years aboard the SS Earth.</p><p>So, that said, when I noticed that my right exhaust pipe was sagging low (listen, this will eventually happen to us all) I decided I was NOT going to age gracefully.</p><p>You'll notice the issue in the picture below. The exhaust hanger that in earlier years held that tailpipe pertly to the under-rear of the old Passat wagon rusted off. </p><p>This left the length of the exhaust from midship to tailpipe just hanging-ten and bobbing over every divot, pothole or rut in such a way that it was only a matter of miles before the metal fatigued and split, spewing un-muffled exhaust gasses- with my luck - back into the cabin. (Point of information: In Vermont there are about ten iterations of the aforementioned road irregularities in any given yard of paved roadway - double for the dirt carriageways.) </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA4UfEI4CfRLs9P1UGVTAx3atUx2PRY9oPjLz77VDHbx3M99v2IJjeLswTNAijDxSqGct7Cu-gA-aLfpLIIqOYBztVSDYeuVH44IXa8zB6wJYrEfcKCMMBj_U-SU07IebgpB34LaWtzlj/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsA4UfEI4CfRLs9P1UGVTAx3atUx2PRY9oPjLz77VDHbx3M99v2IJjeLswTNAijDxSqGct7Cu-gA-aLfpLIIqOYBztVSDYeuVH44IXa8zB6wJYrEfcKCMMBj_U-SU07IebgpB34LaWtzlj/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>So, what to do? </p><p>Well, I could replace the whole cat-back, dual-pipe system (and after a quick inspection it was determined that would be the RIGHT way to deal with the issue - read as there's SO much rust everywhere!) but given that a new stainless set-up would put me back EIGHT HUNDRED bucks and that it's SEVEN days 'till Xmas it becomes readily obvious that another option is needed. </p><p>No problem. I'll just head down to the local part's place and see what I can find to "fix" things.</p><p>Enter the universal exhaust hanger...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTjYKXI2cnE-G2dHL8e56WBhkqIW_cTi4Aznsydz1VgskX7Q6Q6MEFlBUCpTFx8VYUC0AZWjnBfLoDtAzLK2UCDczA8xqLNtiy41U1K4GYYlAygE0QvYNiAN01eaGXKOLLdTqLYhniZDL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTjYKXI2cnE-G2dHL8e56WBhkqIW_cTi4Aznsydz1VgskX7Q6Q6MEFlBUCpTFx8VYUC0AZWjnBfLoDtAzLK2UCDczA8xqLNtiy41U1K4GYYlAygE0QvYNiAN01eaGXKOLLdTqLYhniZDL/" width="320" /></a></div><br />(Good eye reader! Why yes, that is a vintage Walden Worcester tee-handle wrench for half-inch sockets.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRSIQQqfnRfnmF_nWvQ_n8I2QqSTJzldRDgrhXahmoaZOQcQ4SB-qZwvTy3a-iQEnwnGYyqy0D97BbRUoMdvMsjb3oMo32LhRueQVU3Jfk6CNqKhBi2K2roQ3KGAw9dDgk_-rjeCkS8gf/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRSIQQqfnRfnmF_nWvQ_n8I2QqSTJzldRDgrhXahmoaZOQcQ4SB-qZwvTy3a-iQEnwnGYyqy0D97BbRUoMdvMsjb3oMo32LhRueQVU3Jfk6CNqKhBi2K2roQ3KGAw9dDgk_-rjeCkS8gf/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p>This will get things back into place. As for the incipient exhaust leak from that disitegrating weld in front of the resonator. Well, we'll just pack it with JB Weld and hope to make it 'till better weather. Wait, do I hear banjo music?</p><p></p><p>But, isn't that always the way. String it back together and hope to make it to Spring.</p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-72014381552068391502021-12-14T20:57:00.002-05:002021-12-14T21:02:56.085-05:00<p>Christmas Bike</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvGDXVfTDk7B_ylAC67k_ywTkv8YDMRAXSofb-XpKVj0bVhS2WP5EmWpClG-ZBI9Nh6G26q9t_IBXX3zXqlceK6mPVI9NfIQ7zdhoz2a1L5ph3TARJ5HIftWrvlvJS2N-zuw8bsABU4IO/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvGDXVfTDk7B_ylAC67k_ywTkv8YDMRAXSofb-XpKVj0bVhS2WP5EmWpClG-ZBI9Nh6G26q9t_IBXX3zXqlceK6mPVI9NfIQ7zdhoz2a1L5ph3TARJ5HIftWrvlvJS2N-zuw8bsABU4IO/" width="320" /></a></div><br />A while back, I was awaiting my turn at the dump...and minding my own business....sort of...when the guy ahead of me unloaded a sharp looking bicycle. He was heading toward the scrap metal dumpster when I intercepted him.<p></p><p>Now, my kids are long past this stage, so I have no need for a youth's 24-inch moutain bike but I just couldn't stand by and let it be thrown on the scrap pile to rust away along side a pile of old filing cabinets and discared roofing tin.</p><p>Once I got it home I looked it over. The only thing wrong was that the brakes weren't working. It took all of twenty minutes of tinkering to remedy the situation. </p><p>Great! Now to find a home for it. I guess I could have sold it and made a quick buck but that didn't really appeal to me. I wanted this bike to make its way to someone who really needed it.</p><p>Last weekend, I heard through an old friend about a family that was having a rough time of it. Their son wanted a bike but there wasn't money for it in their budget.</p><p>So arraigments were made.</p><p><br /></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-52397838422148479602021-11-29T17:55:00.000-05:002021-11-29T17:55:18.982-05:00<p> Winter is here!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MmeAs9Y5nfEwo_EBiYfoMbSAzdPKY1sM88wf7sjAVAqVzwCEhY_azBgykbeRu_o7P7BI58osBQghWVB7jp-_sMbWSEocjE21UPLg6Mz0ShdTIGExja_ZzonVof26Q1LPgwrYLhpKQDO2/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MmeAs9Y5nfEwo_EBiYfoMbSAzdPKY1sM88wf7sjAVAqVzwCEhY_azBgykbeRu_o7P7BI58osBQghWVB7jp-_sMbWSEocjE21UPLg6Mz0ShdTIGExja_ZzonVof26Q1LPgwrYLhpKQDO2/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-41233417974138107932021-11-25T22:49:00.002-05:002021-11-25T22:49:38.511-05:00<p> HAPPY THANKSGIVING</p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-43458002191753489492021-11-21T20:28:00.007-05:002021-11-21T20:57:22.367-05:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> No Heat!</h1><p>We have an old 2002 Passat GLX 4-Motion wagon. It has a lot of miles on it. But, it has been a super dependable car - for years I used it to commute to work (thirty-five minutes one way, forty-five minutes the other - traffic!) </p><p>When I bought a newer commuter car the Passat took on a second life as a light-duty pickup. In that role, it has pulled cars out of ditches, pulled shrubs out of gardens, hauled fuel-oil, furniture, concrete and made weekly runs to the dump packed with only the sort of refuse that a family with kids can produce. It's gone camping as the carry-all for the family's gear and even been camped in. It's carried kayaks, fishing gear, skis and children all over New England. I can remember one time, because my wife won't let me forget it, when she drove the Passat down to Sharon to rescue me when the '89 Golf I was driving back from Concord decided to suffer sudden oil pressure loss. It's been a hard life but that old Passat just keeps chugging along.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMfTCv247T5LuBOm_wNuMFFvr6vgaD2a9tuvAEbEoI33n8lWzVVpzEORr2UFhez0rnLgGT7VTVWYO2o6et6B9G-vjN6ptO9AtSK5_HATOt8haw0s-0ciqFzjsIM5kwn0DOuFp6x03fw6D/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMfTCv247T5LuBOm_wNuMFFvr6vgaD2a9tuvAEbEoI33n8lWzVVpzEORr2UFhez0rnLgGT7VTVWYO2o6et6B9G-vjN6ptO9AtSK5_HATOt8haw0s-0ciqFzjsIM5kwn0DOuFp6x03fw6D/" width="320" /></a></div><br />(I told you it has a lot of miles. Yes, and the obligaotry check engine light. We'll work on that later.)<p></p><p>Along the way, the heater core became clogged and, as no surprise, the car no longer blows hot air when called upon during the colder parts of the year in Vermont. There's an old joke about the seasons in Vermont. See, Vermont has four seasons: Winter, winter, winter and, for two weeks in August, not winter.</p><p>So...YOU NEED HEAT.</p><p>The heater core is essentially a second small radiator that sits behind the dashboard. Hot coolant from the vehicle's water-jacket flows through the heater core and heats the air that's pulled through it before entering the cabin via the HVAC vent system. Very basic really. </p><p>In fact, a replacement costs less than a hundred bucks. No big deal, right? WRONG! Ripping the dash apart to replace it will cost you either a day of labor or around a grand if you have someone else do the labor.</p><p>Given the Passat's milage I just can't justify the investment. There is, however, another way. </p><p>Let's call it better living through chemicals. </p><p>See, what's clogging the heater core is all the same sorta sediments that gunk up all plumbing systems. Heater cores get blocked by crud and corrosion (mineral accretions from using tap water) or sometimes by the sludge created when improper coolant is used during top-off. The passages in the core are just a millimeter wide so it doesn't take much.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN40FUNbnN_lDWbMSzNnd8xBWrnb8uzZVAlwwClfbgBIjWZuM_CBVnK5OWnZ5ptqKmI5qcvN8lfC-GITzDCl4GOfMCK7WNjL-1MfUixGpqNFzVyCaGbmvKgOD0ApnKbgvC0LkjkLx-GNKv/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN40FUNbnN_lDWbMSzNnd8xBWrnb8uzZVAlwwClfbgBIjWZuM_CBVnK5OWnZ5ptqKmI5qcvN8lfC-GITzDCl4GOfMCK7WNjL-1MfUixGpqNFzVyCaGbmvKgOD0ApnKbgvC0LkjkLx-GNKv/" width="320" /></a></div>(Remove the plastic cowl over the rain tray and you'll find the heater core pipes next to the battery. The pipe to the right is the inlet and the left one is the outlet. A compressed airhose can be seen above ready to reverse blow-out the heater core. Don't be shy about using compressed air and hose water to flush the core. In fact, I ended up flushing it with both and flushed it out from each direction just to be sure.)<br /><br /><p></p><p>Sometimes, the core can be flushed with compressed air followed by water from a garden hose. If that doesn't work it's time to reach for the CLR - this is the same CLR that homeowners use for clogged drains. </p><p>After flushing the core and blowing as much of the water out as possible with compressed air, I filled the core up with CLR and let it set for twenty minutes and then flushed it again with water for another twenty minutes before blowing it out a final time and refilling with coolant. When refilling, you have to remember to bleed the air out of the system. </p><p>On the Passat, the highest point in the cooling system is the heater core and there is a bleeder hole on the outlet hose. You can use this hole to bleed the air out of the water jacket.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw04xjI9adzqgiK2mgjOAs3lD1ASjlchKtzOi7ScTFwrYRZvUgp6kaUUs_-vtWzcy6DtEv_cRMOFP2VgrWGNDMM2UlQMcLGC9vxjNFbow97LqyTj2aXZWNYMiXalCHYV22OI5Pt2sX9kTJ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw04xjI9adzqgiK2mgjOAs3lD1ASjlchKtzOi7ScTFwrYRZvUgp6kaUUs_-vtWzcy6DtEv_cRMOFP2VgrWGNDMM2UlQMcLGC9vxjNFbow97LqyTj2aXZWNYMiXalCHYV22OI5Pt2sX9kTJ/" width="180" /></a></div><br />(The homemade set-up pictured above was utilized to great effect. Note the CLR ready for action. I used the whole bottle. Child labor provided by my 13-year-old son. Pay no attention to the derelict Jetta in the background. If you've followed this blog then you know that this old hot rod is all rotted out. Fear not, its parts are being salvaged for other projects. In this way the old white Jetta lives on.) <p></p><p>Long story short, after all that work, it worked. The heat is back. And, best of all, the dash did not need to be ripped out. </p><p><br /></p><p>P.S. - While I was at it, I changed out the old, cabin air filter for the first time...ever.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkZL3URBYU9yAslv3JgCJ2VEsXubqPN1KKZ5hpiyHmCYpG_S1x0xhwTOiYBBRbjsrQwdDS7asF1PhuB-6eQYxvUjEmrCwqQTIDcXrnPI9phylHKr3w7zcrC3KVhNPyUzGoDh9NRtVD_XL/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkZL3URBYU9yAslv3JgCJ2VEsXubqPN1KKZ5hpiyHmCYpG_S1x0xhwTOiYBBRbjsrQwdDS7asF1PhuB-6eQYxvUjEmrCwqQTIDcXrnPI9phylHKr3w7zcrC3KVhNPyUzGoDh9NRtVD_XL/" width="320" /></a></div><br />(I don't think I need to tell you which one is the new one. Yay! All set for another six-hundred-thousand miles.)<p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-86373420018421812452021-11-18T23:04:00.009-05:002021-11-21T21:14:23.932-05:00<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">A
long time ago on an old Vermont road...or so the story begins...I was
stretching the legs of an Alpine White 1990 Jetta. Under the hood howled a
loved-up 8-valve; its joyous melody betraying the very pedestrian aesthetic of
the rest of the car. Now this engine was, for the time, a potent assemblage of
performance parts scratched together during late-night sessions in a dingy, fly-infested
shopbay at an all-night full-service gas station. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Those
were the days – work for the man while the sun was up and spend the night
turning wrenches under the light of the moon...well really, I was under flickering,
bug-encrusted florescent shop lamps...but you get the point. I wish I still had
that kinda spunk. Now I need a nap by midafternoon. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">A nod to Ron’s Gulf – those
who remember know why.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Anyway,
about those parts. The water-cooled 8-valve four-cylinder 1.8 liter engine – of
which VW made millions - was by the early 2000s not known for its off-the-shelf
power. But, like today’s VW engines, it was known for its tunability. Bore it 80-over, install a shaved, big-valve head with a hydro g-grind cam and what
started life as an anemic 90-horse-power wonder transforms into a rev-happy,
high-compression four-pot thumper. Put that into an understated four-door Jetta
with its body-by-Frigidaire styling and you can surprise a lot of would-be boy-racers.
Remember, this was back in the day of gold rims, cloud-stroking erector-set spoilers
and gawdy Fast-and-Furious inspired vinal decaling. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Oh,
what malicious joy it brought me every time I spanked one of those scrawny,
zit-faced punks with a sleeper Jetta that cost less than the body-kit tarting
up their fourth-hand ’95 Civic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Those
of you born too late to live this era – well – thank your lucky stars. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">But,
back to the road. This stretch of windy blacktop weaved its way through the pleasant
valley of Underhill’s hinter land. I was hauling you know what – and it was a
thrill to bend those corners – testing the limits of those Bilstein HDs wrapped
in Shine Racing springs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Behind
me, in a Ginster Yellow Mark III GTi, was a friend and fellow VW hooligan attempting
to prove that her 2-litter could stack up. Not so – as I was demonstrating.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">And
then, as I was accelerating out of a beautiful apex, I got the uncanniest
feeling of dread. It was a split second of terrible lucidity – a flash of impending
doom wrapped in acute mortal awareness. In short – the hairs on the back of my
neck stood up and a shiver went down my spine. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Reflexively,
I took my foot off the gas and as the car slowed a moose stepped into the
road. I stood on that brake pedal so hard I though my foot
was going to go straight through the floor and into the pavement. The car skittered
to a crooked halt just a couple feet shy of the blundering monster. I checked
my rearview mirror just in time to see a second moose step out behind me, eclipsing
my view of the GTi. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I
was surrounded...yeah...I know...there was only two of them...but with moose that’s all it takes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">With
no place to go, I turned off the engine and resigned myself to wait them out. I’d
heard enough stories about what happens when you blow your horn at a moose.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Later,
the driver of the GTi would comment, I bet you puckered up so hard you don’t
know where your under-pants are.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">To
which I responded with performative umbrage, “I almost died back there and that’s
all you can say to me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">“Actually,”
She corrected, “I was just thinking, you only locked up three wheels, you might
want to check that left, rear brake cylinder.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 18px;">Some twenty years later, surely that moose has died, that old Jetta has rusted away and that friendship faded as we all grew up and went our seperate ways.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 18px;">So it goes...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 18px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 18px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ME6BUDCuNMgc1NZxDnZNItDSwIau1pVaWMxPRh_-THUMhNmC2hrxkh9bbVhi8wESCo2HlBKX-infBdYDI3gw09r_4hfQ1W7Y4lWvnDD_kRMd1PrkOeAdxup4Q1Y-3zKs47MfCJs7-6Yk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1164" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ME6BUDCuNMgc1NZxDnZNItDSwIau1pVaWMxPRh_-THUMhNmC2hrxkh9bbVhi8wESCo2HlBKX-infBdYDI3gw09r_4hfQ1W7Y4lWvnDD_kRMd1PrkOeAdxup4Q1Y-3zKs47MfCJs7-6Yk/" width="175" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial; font-size: 18px;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-8906710197109152892021-11-14T11:38:00.004-05:002021-11-14T11:38:58.916-05:00<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Ever
get that feeling like you forgot something...it's a sorta nagging kinda
dread....like an existential string around your finger reminding not about what you forgot but that the
forgetting is a memento of the frailty that one day will be your undoing…<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbY-qo-xLRgz5hJy0tnBogUAdDfig5dgVdwNKcazs95hDenwK4EwD4Xj3WjKYGrNKgkg5rEypbyyXjz5nZIISb5v4UKy4he-w8TDHuClVwYfkWIH_HRjEa1n5Aq40SXt95i1bUutC9M-T/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbY-qo-xLRgz5hJy0tnBogUAdDfig5dgVdwNKcazs95hDenwK4EwD4Xj3WjKYGrNKgkg5rEypbyyXjz5nZIISb5v4UKy4he-w8TDHuClVwYfkWIH_HRjEa1n5Aq40SXt95i1bUutC9M-T/" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Good
times, right? Ah, the human experience is a sordid affair. Can anyone see what I forgot in this picture above.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">NOPE. </span>It’s
not the alternator/water pump belt. I’ll put that on later. It’s this little yet
crucial element below…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lsnaikyzrrifo-V4z_YA0KaTjEUAwtg-7le0mKLtbQHc0jbxpoxSwEViXj3RSzxj-ufFD09aN5NVfNDdTChtQ09ji3o8QG-9b2-TRul0bH7rNKOUSBGisg8LSXrsjsFUI0iKeQ8rMqmu/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lsnaikyzrrifo-V4z_YA0KaTjEUAwtg-7le0mKLtbQHc0jbxpoxSwEViXj3RSzxj-ufFD09aN5NVfNDdTChtQ09ji3o8QG-9b2-TRul0bH7rNKOUSBGisg8LSXrsjsFUI0iKeQ8rMqmu/" width="180" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Yup. I forgot the motor mount...nice. I'll have to take the pullies and the timing-belt guard off to slide the mount into where it goes. Typically, you'd need a special tool...hmm...didn't see that coming...it looks like the item below and helps you hold the pullies still while you loosen or tighten the bolts holding them down.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaIi2L4PoVuiRDOb4uGY1ppiJ39plq_ZodWNwJbYzwsOEG0Wi-VW_haqFf_Qea5RebkN-7p-WEBBJhx1COvYQxOApkmI-Et5UqJpYlmjvrVT7LmjUKeHM0L2olebDgceRDDCuVQry346u/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaIi2L4PoVuiRDOb4uGY1ppiJ39plq_ZodWNwJbYzwsOEG0Wi-VW_haqFf_Qea5RebkN-7p-WEBBJhx1COvYQxOApkmI-Et5UqJpYlmjvrVT7LmjUKeHM0L2olebDgceRDDCuVQry346u/" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />This is a handy tool that fits most Mark II and Mark I VW Golfs, Rabbits and Jettas....but not this one. This '80 Jetta is one of the earliest Jetta's, as its Beetle style VIN attests, and has a pully set-up with a different bolt pattern...no worries...thats what these are for... </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iTW7U-BuuEhM9bVVAR8efQU1akLDtb9oMyzKOSITwlHEvTzN9TuDw060Q_Nr7SoPyNVhOF6ZdXccmivlv8-uTq6AxSqP5c367jPbZ6RooaXHOwJnkEAXk2jYF6srzAZF-XF7TrUg_56S/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iTW7U-BuuEhM9bVVAR8efQU1akLDtb9oMyzKOSITwlHEvTzN9TuDw060Q_Nr7SoPyNVhOF6ZdXccmivlv8-uTq6AxSqP5c367jPbZ6RooaXHOwJnkEAXk2jYF6srzAZF-XF7TrUg_56S/" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />Tada! There we go....that looks better. Next, I need to source a fresh starter...that'll be a whole 'nother story...why...cause this Jetta is a three-speed automatic...</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdxb8IHv8Rh5UnZ0Hz817yo5S1-MjC4X2gGEQkUyFcXj3adGv0qfm_LE0gxNl_-_m71ve8j-Jo3uYmYekF2_hSPo_0rIGDHwQ17r04CRb0HUKuZM994YJxMNxI_Ql8lUK_2tvVBbgYux3/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdxb8IHv8Rh5UnZ0Hz817yo5S1-MjC4X2gGEQkUyFcXj3adGv0qfm_LE0gxNl_-_m71ve8j-Jo3uYmYekF2_hSPo_0rIGDHwQ17r04CRb0HUKuZM994YJxMNxI_Ql8lUK_2tvVBbgYux3/" width="180" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><br /><p></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-88770251098906928752021-11-08T20:43:00.003-05:002021-11-08T21:54:00.370-05:00<p> Just got some new toys...er...tools. EBAY is a dangerous place.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYN0YFOFllXgECTffES6BUq-ZuWo02i0WhNQbwsk1b_ld2HMn6-elEZa6QoPmNoP3IObi2c4M8vPFSd9EKFDTgTotnG-rh2QFBoaMtBZdrnECfO32H1rEoPbt5TwXur2vGNJ6ZyehgoU5/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYN0YFOFllXgECTffES6BUq-ZuWo02i0WhNQbwsk1b_ld2HMn6-elEZa6QoPmNoP3IObi2c4M8vPFSd9EKFDTgTotnG-rh2QFBoaMtBZdrnECfO32H1rEoPbt5TwXur2vGNJ6ZyehgoU5/" width="320" /></a></div><br />Here's the metal box they arrived in. (Note how its "beautiful" patena pairs well with the "seasoned" feel of my workbench.) Let's open the box and see what's inside!<p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeJYb7H7C5tfbDqhhFmdqUH2MlSObNN4sdcp9Qpu2a4JViA7Q6odLJHNiwUNl0IoQCfaZ37rWdrvq4gUzqI0U7SmW6wD5rcmA5ZRsgsv1R_oDRpMDwGPMuLIFXmoVRpnMLR5c6bIsYu_6/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaeJYb7H7C5tfbDqhhFmdqUH2MlSObNN4sdcp9Qpu2a4JViA7Q6odLJHNiwUNl0IoQCfaZ37rWdrvq4gUzqI0U7SmW6wD5rcmA5ZRsgsv1R_oDRpMDwGPMuLIFXmoVRpnMLR5c6bIsYu_6/" width="320" /></a></div><br />Jeeeeezum! Look at all those shiny sockets (functional art - the best kind) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You know, there are times when nothing works and every 20-minute job turns into a three-day ordeal. In times like that, the best thing to do is take a deep breath, crack a beer, have a seat and pick up one of these gorgeous old peices and ponder the intrinsic beauty of a fine crafted tool.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26x-9YAZjHLKcVzj6OXmL9eeqqJt9CeswaFJ6nZq95IwRCmQHqmryl44UM3IpW93c8LNedGcZXOa-hmLfhFRTz7bZONPOwfM8p5anyvEFK4piU4a68lj8LFegz-mWmTPwIl2wq_0L_Ace/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26x-9YAZjHLKcVzj6OXmL9eeqqJt9CeswaFJ6nZq95IwRCmQHqmryl44UM3IpW93c8LNedGcZXOa-hmLfhFRTz7bZONPOwfM8p5anyvEFK4piU4a68lj8LFegz-mWmTPwIl2wq_0L_Ace/" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><br />Ah...31/32nds...I'm sure I'll use this one every day.<p></p><div><br /></div><div>In all seriousness, these sockets date from the early 20th century and were made in Worcester, Ma by Walden Worcester, now a forgetten name but, in its day, a pioneer of specialty autmotive tools. </div><div><br /></div><div>As a VW nerd, I always cringe when I hear that oft said phrase... "Oh, you're gonna need a special tool for that job..." Turns out the special tool hardships are as old as automotive history itself - maybe older - as Worcester Walden made a whole set of "special tools" for working on the Ford Model T, which I guess is kinda like America's Beetle. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, illustrated in the photo below is a Walden Worcester socket atop a a bow-tie wrench of the same manufactor. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgdGW20U6jzawFYX660PSh1sSuoL0c7ydkA_1N6Ns6qbbVIBZVx3mifRCW52NKeEkXNvrOUqtJRsNlHY6FiZ5UwEMYnuTI4G9ag2nAmH6Wb0vEUSsMu0hFqxx-XjCXTPKXJFVRx9aP37T/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBgdGW20U6jzawFYX660PSh1sSuoL0c7ydkA_1N6Ns6qbbVIBZVx3mifRCW52NKeEkXNvrOUqtJRsNlHY6FiZ5UwEMYnuTI4G9ag2nAmH6Wb0vEUSsMu0hFqxx-XjCXTPKXJFVRx9aP37T/" width="180" /></a></div><br />Have fun and keep tinkering!</div>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-85865280236740574722021-10-25T17:23:00.004-04:002021-10-25T17:38:50.504-04:00<p>The right, front turn signal failed on the old Race Rabbit. </p><p><br /></p><p>So, I checked the bulb. It looked good but I replaced it anyway - you never can tell. </p><p><br /></p><p>Well, the blinker was still not working. Time to grab the mutli-meter. After a couple of tests the source of the problem was revealed. The bulb holder was kaput!</p><p><br /></p><p>Off to ebay! Ah, here's one outa a '82 Cabriolet. That'll do. Two weeks later it arrives. Looks good. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbjflVd6YRijdEUmnzPGkkp91MPeBsa6zaogFi4M57GXCOEMrN7EP8nO1gUR-2JljqpQV3MphyphenhyphenvT9RvhVb2YT8PhRYgX5ir5sCYa8DftBvB9aTuBMQtE2kANF_lRJ_E2wwwwKYUzq87Jp/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbjflVd6YRijdEUmnzPGkkp91MPeBsa6zaogFi4M57GXCOEMrN7EP8nO1gUR-2JljqpQV3MphyphenhyphenvT9RvhVb2YT8PhRYgX5ir5sCYa8DftBvB9aTuBMQtE2kANF_lRJ_E2wwwwKYUzq87Jp/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Let's put it in.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dywWEDZByFZHW9j2-bYjKe_7NyrcnNNMAvZwrCZRavV98dI87AZJ6B6ZcNqVhPkWGwUnhy8vEHJScgW9_N8nw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>Yay, problem solved!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-67163052856166793482021-10-16T13:17:00.003-04:002021-10-16T13:25:29.942-04:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFMzEAhuBux0TTvFF7cc6ip0x5lWS3NUK3WOgS_MdGKI30xUDyd6WTWLOEGl_zFUMOzccY34NSlRS8s1GrE2smae136gvVtdOPzwX9e4NE9c04ZtD7H8g7n7unTPffp8DSkwmKZ9GklST/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFMzEAhuBux0TTvFF7cc6ip0x5lWS3NUK3WOgS_MdGKI30xUDyd6WTWLOEGl_zFUMOzccY34NSlRS8s1GrE2smae136gvVtdOPzwX9e4NE9c04ZtD7H8g7n7unTPffp8DSkwmKZ9GklST/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div><span><span style="background-color: black;">As seen at the </span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px;">27th Annual NSRA Northeast </span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">Street Rod</span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="background-color: black;"> Nationals at the at Essex Fairgroun</span><span style="background-color: black;">ds</span></span></span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: black; font-size: 14px;"> (09/17 - 09/18/21).</span></div>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-82070183641303873412021-10-12T21:44:00.002-04:002021-10-16T13:12:35.165-04:00<p> Ah...a simple brake job...what could go wrong, right? Well, in a hinterland like Saint Albans, Vermont getting Volkswagen parts can sometimes be...tricky. Let's explore this concept with a short one act play I like to call: "No parts for you!"</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGx1_6JcvPhxOGlG1RMTWVee-tkvphecIiinoG6LFFKvZq3EWSO69ScArzlqB8bHWL3_X0sqdnpiaLpktS5bi1egtNi9nU4Z_xf30puPsejVnfY9wR4R11S7x0h7yI8cZ_rnCkg-MS6SA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGx1_6JcvPhxOGlG1RMTWVee-tkvphecIiinoG6LFFKvZq3EWSO69ScArzlqB8bHWL3_X0sqdnpiaLpktS5bi1egtNi9nU4Z_xf30puPsejVnfY9wR4R11S7x0h7yI8cZ_rnCkg-MS6SA/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><div aria-hidden="true"><div class="aSI"><div class="aSJ" id=":qw" style="border-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div></div></div><p>Part's man (brandishing a cheesey I'd-like-to-help-you-but-I-doubt-I-can smile): "You're back again!?"</p><p>Me (brandishing that oh-so-long-suffering-exaspirated-expression that VW owners the world around wear) : "Ayup."</p><p>Part's man: "How can I help you?"</p><p>Me: "Well, you sold me the brake rotor here to the right and the one to the left is what I need. So, I'm wondering if you have the other type."</p><p>Part's man: "The one to the right looks aweful, you sure I sold you that?"</p><p>Me: "Um, my right."</p><p>Part's man: "Oh, ok. So, what do you need again?"</p><p>Me: "One like that dirty one but shiny."</p><p>Part's man: "Let me look, what kind of car did you say it was for?"</p><p>Me: "VW"</p><p>Part's man: "Vee-double-U? Okay, remind me, is that a Chevy or a Ford?"</p><p><br /></p><p>Alas, so it goes...or better put...and...as the German say..."So ist das leben." </p><p><br /></p><p>In the end, it all worked out and now my old '02 Passat GLX is stopping with aplomb.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75yEFTZYpdd0AL7Q_YetB7PQ0UqbmgBwA0ia8N2Gc3ti8Tu50O8GifiFcP8zzg1QZkTo-BHZxLWUj8NF3RQrfrKiWemDQ9981WGACj8khlV9GP_At8T0rBIxf7fTVQxJCdjRRg1OvK1uU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75yEFTZYpdd0AL7Q_YetB7PQ0UqbmgBwA0ia8N2Gc3ti8Tu50O8GifiFcP8zzg1QZkTo-BHZxLWUj8NF3RQrfrKiWemDQ9981WGACj8khlV9GP_At8T0rBIxf7fTVQxJCdjRRg1OvK1uU/" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-23724496292416091482021-10-11T18:50:00.034-04:002021-10-11T19:10:11.248-04:00<p>Well...it's been a while. About twelve years. What can I say. Life got busy. Children had to be raised, bills paid, jobs woked. That's how time passes, one day at a time until it's all gone. I still have all my hair, but the salt-to-pepper ratio these days is favoring salt and I now wear reading glasses. Oh well. That said, the children are raised or very nearly raised. It's time...time to get back to it. It's all still out there in the garage, every project, right where I left it, albeit under a nice think coat of dust. I just hope my only reader . . . Hi mom! ... stays tuned to see what's next. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S2EeZKjTiH6KzrzxFEm96j_ueYUotJHnXkX5uoObSTbQUnTs8rNrKWHn0ipzP0kNmzFgbPNVxzbAL3BS_5sbkWK3Zxv96T-6cKBZe9zoODGFpF9YldM2jCfWERMT6LoYp9udnep5hyphenhyphensL/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S2EeZKjTiH6KzrzxFEm96j_ueYUotJHnXkX5uoObSTbQUnTs8rNrKWHn0ipzP0kNmzFgbPNVxzbAL3BS_5sbkWK3Zxv96T-6cKBZe9zoODGFpF9YldM2jCfWERMT6LoYp9udnep5hyphenhyphensL/" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4xMByLgLNh8emOdBQyaAvMRGIC0bISwFZFLSLcGZ5p_SNrkmcdaF0-Ck0LKPT4KtqPtz-3Nfy3qUwAOTq5M2vqYR3jorAujH3jiO8newiuVdA3r5UCD1H7OwHnqwbwUtUVgcUxnQiDoH/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4xMByLgLNh8emOdBQyaAvMRGIC0bISwFZFLSLcGZ5p_SNrkmcdaF0-Ck0LKPT4KtqPtz-3Nfy3qUwAOTq5M2vqYR3jorAujH3jiO8newiuVdA3r5UCD1H7OwHnqwbwUtUVgcUxnQiDoH/w257-h194/IMG_1996.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><br /><br />I think for the first project I'll put this rebuilt 1.6 into this ancient '80 Jetta. There will be other side projects along the way on other old jalopies but getting this old Inari Silver Jetta back together will be the prime directive. Wish this old man luck. It's been twelve years since I touched it. There's a pile of parts and I'm not sure where they all go. Ha!<p></p><p><br /></p><p>Let the long paused adveture begin...again!</p>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-19943594671520230032009-10-25T21:21:00.010-04:002009-10-25T21:46:52.451-04:00Covered Bridges of Franklin County: Part 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrk8h89hXS8lNQr_WbbChN8P-SODqy-4jJ0L9BExIhEW4ntRojUVtoTmZZL3zBX2ao6gfTUClhPVmyK3z4IQqsImOF6SSjV334vMm9DKpcC3-p_2mxW60cvnFR3iQkSi4pg5FWCCpJOIiL/s1600-h/fairfieldbridge1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrk8h89hXS8lNQr_WbbChN8P-SODqy-4jJ0L9BExIhEW4ntRojUVtoTmZZL3zBX2ao6gfTUClhPVmyK3z4IQqsImOF6SSjV334vMm9DKpcC3-p_2mxW60cvnFR3iQkSi4pg5FWCCpJOIiL/s400/fairfieldbridge1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396712935059853186" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" align="CENTER"><b>Untitled<br /> author Unknown</b></p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" align="CENTER"><b>"What stories could these bridges tell<br /> If they could only talk?<br /> They'd tell us of the ones who rode<br /> And those who had to walk,<br /> The rich, the poor....those in-between<br /> Who used their planks to cross,<br /> The soldiers, farmers, businessmen<br /> In buggies, sleighs, by "hoss",<br /> Like sentinels these bridges stand<br /> In spite of flood and fire,<br /> Their rugged, stalwart strength remains<br /> Our future to inspire."</b> </p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2eLQ6tkBRsks13aA2_uWOzkHaCNUPIW3IAWeFl6SUogVOIdvxW99W-r9arfieRaUtatBVqu6Vi2Xz-UfJ9Rn5dRnXryCeoytrDmgJsF_0GVY2gsFOIq1zcJ5NnZx4NOoFrwxByTydFee/s1600-h/fairfieldbridge2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2eLQ6tkBRsks13aA2_uWOzkHaCNUPIW3IAWeFl6SUogVOIdvxW99W-r9arfieRaUtatBVqu6Vi2Xz-UfJ9Rn5dRnXryCeoytrDmgJsF_0GVY2gsFOIq1zcJ5NnZx4NOoFrwxByTydFee/s400/fairfieldbridge2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396713117989714178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc10Xd_lxgKF0oTLogcBD1fmGtcnwKKTpHHK53Xw0C9w4K3u6N5mLwxOykJT7CMe4ZSgGZrowNc-HAIY-q3-qvAGSt4n8VHvRW-hRqFqGiOdHL-DMuMMKdn7DrwVxbwinOIqP0kEOxVJvO/s1600-h/fairfieldbridge1.5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc10Xd_lxgKF0oTLogcBD1fmGtcnwKKTpHHK53Xw0C9w4K3u6N5mLwxOykJT7CMe4ZSgGZrowNc-HAIY-q3-qvAGSt4n8VHvRW-hRqFqGiOdHL-DMuMMKdn7DrwVxbwinOIqP0kEOxVJvO/s400/fairfieldbridge1.5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396713029628818002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMxu1Ylym1olaOb5vHks1cEoqKe7Sh-aVXLkVNHRZovq2OugrC3yMtm5Ltf6_rMxebqoRrNIYU3Ks7l5iH0h9maF_8pJ22GX1voBQIKNHlo8USbddfUGdiIodjL5B0TlbeSHIqCn4Izhz/s1600-h/fairfieldbridge3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMxu1Ylym1olaOb5vHks1cEoqKe7Sh-aVXLkVNHRZovq2OugrC3yMtm5Ltf6_rMxebqoRrNIYU3Ks7l5iH0h9maF_8pJ22GX1voBQIKNHlo8USbddfUGdiIodjL5B0TlbeSHIqCn4Izhz/s400/fairfieldbridge3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396713188545306866" border="0" /></a><br />This is the Black Creek Bridge in East Fairfield, Vermont. Located off of Route 36, this Queen-Post bridge, with a span of 68 ft, was renovated over the last three years. Some of the original timbers from 1865 were re-used , but most of the material is new. Previous to the renovation, this bridge had fallen into disrepair and, subsequently, was closed to traffic for some twenty plus years.sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-51162626046912470622009-10-18T20:54:00.033-04:002009-10-19T09:56:11.678-04:00The Covered Bridges Of Franklin County: Part 1Covered bridges, with their wooden beams and lattice frameworks, are an anachronism of a more pastoral era. Once, these dusky tunnels spanned nearly every stream, brook and river of the North East. An integral component of yesteryear's infrastructure and economy, they not only provided passage for travelers but allowed for the transportation of crops and produce from farm to market. And because of this, the construction of these covered bridges were as likely commissioned by farm owners as they were by townships. Today, these bridges are a dwindling institute of a dying agricultural era. Replaced throughout the last century by steel and concrete spans, the diminishing numbers of covered, wooden bridges in the North East serve as yet another indicator of a region in cultural transition.<br /><br />What is truly marvelous about these bridges is their aesthetic. The rustic, weathered beams, the hand hewed mortise and tenon joints and the smell of tar-coated century-old wood harken back to an age of hard-muscled, self-reliance. An age, if you can believe it, where the sins of the last decade can not be cashed-in for a $4500 down payment toward shiny fuel-sipping redemption. So, I have taken it upon myself to make record of the existing covered bridges in Franklin county. Lest we forget our history, when the last of these bridges fall.<br /><br />Below, is the first installment of photos. There will be more to come in the future. In fact, I've only recorded four of the seven covered bridges in Montgomery, VT.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span><b><br /></b><br />Maple Street Covered Bridge over the Millbrook in Fairfax, VT<br />Built 1865 by Kingsbury and Stone<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU4pnokNVtfojgpZfoPX3ewz4V5kC3BMI2re-PTqcm_GBJ9ZRj0Fo9MH_4v1AD_EH63F4LM5YqdjhZ4TPgBsB6V6tnbjy2J-8MkcQwIkJvbExChPWCX0GkjS0uKd-feEHXIlaK1iiuFkg/s1600-h/millbrook2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394149319939753842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSU4pnokNVtfojgpZfoPX3ewz4V5kC3BMI2re-PTqcm_GBJ9ZRj0Fo9MH_4v1AD_EH63F4LM5YqdjhZ4TPgBsB6V6tnbjy2J-8MkcQwIkJvbExChPWCX0GkjS0uKd-feEHXIlaK1iiuFkg/s400/millbrook2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNZ7eZUHnec8f2mf7t78XRt074__AYPbgoYqFAu2MvpFyoYKiBWSEWJ70vKUXf4PAzk11r1AnI-HVIna6wLV1W4XiRyqayTVrUNajtlMd_ijG1DEPO1LsGOn6CTEmmFgf-KY45p8SCAx4/s1600-h/millbrook1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148867918867986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNZ7eZUHnec8f2mf7t78XRt074__AYPbgoYqFAu2MvpFyoYKiBWSEWJ70vKUXf4PAzk11r1AnI-HVIna6wLV1W4XiRyqayTVrUNajtlMd_ijG1DEPO1LsGOn6CTEmmFgf-KY45p8SCAx4/s400/millbrook1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hutchins Bridge over the South Branch of the Trout River in Montgomery, VT<br />Built 1883 by the Jewett brothers<br />(seen here under renovation)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXOwg9XLmDsK4mRjxDkq5sfMlhoFP7lWQZcJhcTT6aWjRfhMwpG3yH8YfHIfC-WBptWKlm01lybVjcN6PBQe20qQJNwo9vNxA9zlm7sZvFMilA6P1I71byW1tKC8L7Epk5qzOdFVnA0dp/s1600-h/hutchins3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148763887400242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeXOwg9XLmDsK4mRjxDkq5sfMlhoFP7lWQZcJhcTT6aWjRfhMwpG3yH8YfHIfC-WBptWKlm01lybVjcN6PBQe20qQJNwo9vNxA9zlm7sZvFMilA6P1I71byW1tKC8L7Epk5qzOdFVnA0dp/s400/hutchins3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqprqJAX6FkVu5tZ8nse8TZ19jS64dsuYmgTGQZcDepsEbEbdBmZlA9WFoCAO1nyAT7rLS4OhCuZsZlO2anhZxKDGN8oDvqKCfFK8njaPCMG5ZTQVxKH0BWViLdXzARV1GSdQkH_6oAYfK/s1600-h/hutchins3.1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148679085738578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqprqJAX6FkVu5tZ8nse8TZ19jS64dsuYmgTGQZcDepsEbEbdBmZlA9WFoCAO1nyAT7rLS4OhCuZsZlO2anhZxKDGN8oDvqKCfFK8njaPCMG5ZTQVxKH0BWViLdXzARV1GSdQkH_6oAYfK/s400/hutchins3.1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfycz4uH2nZNyJJIXkSmfza6bGekJmT5IdIJ7KR_I1qQ6o95wL3tpQ-b_ehHtc2DiMHyDRRaFrHbX-FFyabTpa2cVIw0153NIrOTkShJK6Eh4y7Ljrbf_IV0meN3Li2XO82c5fu3oMhfe/s1600-h/hutchins2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148588048025138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfycz4uH2nZNyJJIXkSmfza6bGekJmT5IdIJ7KR_I1qQ6o95wL3tpQ-b_ehHtc2DiMHyDRRaFrHbX-FFyabTpa2cVIw0153NIrOTkShJK6Eh4y7Ljrbf_IV0meN3Li2XO82c5fu3oMhfe/s400/hutchins2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85OoLu9FB4czWLosbgvSPymi_SGFoPP9eQtPN17IY46HnESVHKJJbS_QbVE3G476_B4fiTI4OY0qkCL3zlobZZo1C1WDMqro-8kUGDfyDPbwW8IF_Rtekr2RwOpfPuGnCwXp1AihhK5Z5/s1600-h/hutchins4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148467076654210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85OoLu9FB4czWLosbgvSPymi_SGFoPP9eQtPN17IY46HnESVHKJJbS_QbVE3G476_B4fiTI4OY0qkCL3zlobZZo1C1WDMqro-8kUGDfyDPbwW8IF_Rtekr2RwOpfPuGnCwXp1AihhK5Z5/s400/hutchins4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgJ5jCYcn2g0ajkHVbO9LXTcjLBy88fscff-HVb5n88ySgOlju2p_90QVlm_o8WtFTj4Jz3EQ6z0BIes3HQwKvrZSLQoeZ8AM9ZV_BNe7yI-DNzqYDAVR5KcCvUtA8SUS4R1OQhE2xmyE/s1600-h/hutchinsinside1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148377725563810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzgJ5jCYcn2g0ajkHVbO9LXTcjLBy88fscff-HVb5n88ySgOlju2p_90QVlm_o8WtFTj4Jz3EQ6z0BIes3HQwKvrZSLQoeZ8AM9ZV_BNe7yI-DNzqYDAVR5KcCvUtA8SUS4R1OQhE2xmyE/s400/hutchinsinside1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Above: note the numerous new timbers in the rafters and along the lattice work (wow, look at that nice Saturn, soon to be a collectors item now that the brand is slated for oblivion)<br /><br />Below: fresh tree nails, some of which are yet to be driven in.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWHVttoweeHb1UO82d61L_SfYhjenSWy6lhX5mBoM-eh-ToB9iLeP6VCXxILv4R527oLP8fQB36C_pdy1SNuWMNw-UOs8M-9GDGizVQNNZx8N5nLTfPEVXBkZHDxRTYCIJ0gmkP5iQcSg/s1600-h/hutchinsinside2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148278295143874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWHVttoweeHb1UO82d61L_SfYhjenSWy6lhX5mBoM-eh-ToB9iLeP6VCXxILv4R527oLP8fQB36C_pdy1SNuWMNw-UOs8M-9GDGizVQNNZx8N5nLTfPEVXBkZHDxRTYCIJ0gmkP5iQcSg/s400/hutchinsinside2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Longley bridge over the Trout River in Montgomery Village, VT<br />Built 1863 by the Jewett Brothers<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvPRxC2xmXAFpAm_ej4faBlfs8qdZiYgc0tGNTwmLqEYhyphenhyphenKBy2Gn2nArtJs1Vn1VpnRUOo3XBkK2hxGJwa_lG2zavryOjh-NUABv0weYYdN5eW7UVc6n42nUtM-uSdHAVxnNAv03nH1iM/s1600-h/longleybridge1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394148110527475474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvPRxC2xmXAFpAm_ej4faBlfs8qdZiYgc0tGNTwmLqEYhyphenhyphenKBy2Gn2nArtJs1Vn1VpnRUOo3XBkK2hxGJwa_lG2zavryOjh-NUABv0weYYdN5eW7UVc6n42nUtM-uSdHAVxnNAv03nH1iM/s400/longleybridge1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOa2DlCiCY_W2agRHTzhi2fxB9X8n8WPt9v0VBXLgEZdVVNXzjrv_l12UdrW_5SSlz2dkNWZXzpT5NCLSddOjCiYMrxtJuDrhiZCpoxO5Fo0NSNVZGvJdXjks6ue-a_TuZMUA3w4qbYm_/s1600-h/longleybridge2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394147991137285682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOa2DlCiCY_W2agRHTzhi2fxB9X8n8WPt9v0VBXLgEZdVVNXzjrv_l12UdrW_5SSlz2dkNWZXzpT5NCLSddOjCiYMrxtJuDrhiZCpoxO5Fo0NSNVZGvJdXjks6ue-a_TuZMUA3w4qbYm_/s400/longleybridge2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Below: plaque citing excellence for preservation is offset to either side by an inspector's comments regarding deficiencies in the lattice work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nkR5Ql0BcM1XdbrOox9dYD5pSE296ARFYH2oX0vNmh0Jlyq_otB1MfNtFI6UfqBwNsKhVDbkimvDcux_YuISt91cCnSveJQBKTp3a9mi_dP9UaHCrnGXzmmfsNIVz51-X73PUvvRZpQ9/s1600-h/longleybridgedetail1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394147881630639058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nkR5Ql0BcM1XdbrOox9dYD5pSE296ARFYH2oX0vNmh0Jlyq_otB1MfNtFI6UfqBwNsKhVDbkimvDcux_YuISt91cCnSveJQBKTp3a9mi_dP9UaHCrnGXzmmfsNIVz51-X73PUvvRZpQ9/s400/longleybridgedetail1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hopkins Bridge over the Trout River in Montgomery Village, VT<br />Built 1875 by the Jewett brothers.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNE7g9FwrC0zb7-Ewp9SW6AIgy49wsqYtBcuwq465VK326rKvSj04zVMhezFsVCWpokCzjVo4c4VlxywCjsexjttfbyFyRA2fZPSRseyoI2sEbzPFVw-n9GsrNdQsKOmvXpDG66uI-UmS/s1600-h/hopkins1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394147636214550882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNE7g9FwrC0zb7-Ewp9SW6AIgy49wsqYtBcuwq465VK326rKvSj04zVMhezFsVCWpokCzjVo4c4VlxywCjsexjttfbyFyRA2fZPSRseyoI2sEbzPFVw-n9GsrNdQsKOmvXpDG66uI-UmS/s400/hopkins1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwYBdhLOPmy6mytk3puwchmTLmDiZDKS3fn8Gd4GRB1ZPI_3XshShZd4rAjxjInV3GejchyR_ELQbLTakjWPS3HXbg6McD7k6_BeE44suuum1IHS-M2J07jNZzPK5Vc1aBlYvICEj4E7y/s1600-h/hopkins.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394147514425165442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwYBdhLOPmy6mytk3puwchmTLmDiZDKS3fn8Gd4GRB1ZPI_3XshShZd4rAjxjInV3GejchyR_ELQbLTakjWPS3HXbg6McD7k6_BeE44suuum1IHS-M2J07jNZzPK5Vc1aBlYvICEj4E7y/s400/hopkins.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrECAgZZsePzaBS52SiF8EANKhoCHIyJHJKVk50r_tRf0QpBFQuAu8P2V8sUFVxhre7Igj5UEiwr77pgh0hSBYF-8jeFul9p_gYhHE7wRzN-EF4g6mvVjOljtCVZeFFS54Bn6Ia5D8dgW/s1600-h/hopkins2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394147373830039074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVrECAgZZsePzaBS52SiF8EANKhoCHIyJHJKVk50r_tRf0QpBFQuAu8P2V8sUFVxhre7Igj5UEiwr77pgh0hSBYF-8jeFul9p_gYhHE7wRzN-EF4g6mvVjOljtCVZeFFS54Bn6Ia5D8dgW/s400/hopkins2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Fuller Bridge over the Black Falls Brook in Montgomery, VT<br />Built 1890 by the Jewett brothers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZvtPS2qPjmiH5B3phLzZ81a2L4DfZtVDEJskFrOrszf9O0CMGnIhQljoXTTgPMXpJzg8-NJFekQUF8sYdbnNDza-vc-FHe0ijB5EJvM2ZeEijhwWUIqEAyiYyEliwkr0rcqz1FG3Nk38/s1600-h/fullerbridge1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394147201606449010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZvtPS2qPjmiH5B3phLzZ81a2L4DfZtVDEJskFrOrszf9O0CMGnIhQljoXTTgPMXpJzg8-NJFekQUF8sYdbnNDza-vc-FHe0ijB5EJvM2ZeEijhwWUIqEAyiYyEliwkr0rcqz1FG3Nk38/s400/fullerbridge1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pqAPCWuY-B4Xtu0a24FCoG1CNL3cyyTMZLCqm9lpJnZ5wy6v8ewfvYnneeo1djrScgo4z5IDTmBm2nOi8K95SyqZb55i0xPxGMmg81EvIkO-Tyj4JhJ7S0d-iqEql1pVF_9ZlD7CnuzX/s1600-h/fullerbridge1.5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394147099416698354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2pqAPCWuY-B4Xtu0a24FCoG1CNL3cyyTMZLCqm9lpJnZ5wy6v8ewfvYnneeo1djrScgo4z5IDTmBm2nOi8K95SyqZb55i0xPxGMmg81EvIkO-Tyj4JhJ7S0d-iqEql1pVF_9ZlD7CnuzX/s400/fullerbridge1.5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F4YZt02zLAXtZqxkhlhH8MO6IrWVSqeP9N07PC65W27-Le8lZogQHJ9_WkM0c0R5h7z1mMNJqCvN38ENdYa4nNq7xnPZL3fFnI8jGHlsx-P39PtQ7_mXyRYC5n-lxnmVW7AquawFhwCB/s1600-h/fullerbridge2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5394146976854745554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9F4YZt02zLAXtZqxkhlhH8MO6IrWVSqeP9N07PC65W27-Le8lZogQHJ9_WkM0c0R5h7z1mMNJqCvN38ENdYa4nNq7xnPZL3fFnI8jGHlsx-P39PtQ7_mXyRYC5n-lxnmVW7AquawFhwCB/s400/fullerbridge2.jpg" border="0" /></a>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-68823848455246453592009-07-06T21:30:00.006-04:002009-07-06T21:37:44.731-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsixABeKZWPJofnLO7ZGN4EP7xoSCoBaCBFlBHM_EDBS7-zcClp6EcuRFs9EKBQH0e7yHlRpfA5QdTWtK-YTJ03mdF8B9V5ys473PhOIgChTh9X18DJTrKGng8umHLWGPWPPSx2LAECSXZ/s1600-h/top.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsixABeKZWPJofnLO7ZGN4EP7xoSCoBaCBFlBHM_EDBS7-zcClp6EcuRFs9EKBQH0e7yHlRpfA5QdTWtK-YTJ03mdF8B9V5ys473PhOIgChTh9X18DJTrKGng8umHLWGPWPPSx2LAECSXZ/s400/top.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355525442167989266" border="0" /></a>Hello all. I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've posted to this auto blog. I have excuses, some of which are plausible, but I'm too tire to get into that now. You see, I just got back from the annual Summer Nationals in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was, of course, a life altering experience! I'll have more pictures later, but here are a few teaser shots to tide you over. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_2ghK51dzos7HAdo9HVRG1gG2D6fzNVp7dOj3VkpF1ldOqcV9nCLjRfohxP5LpVOlBDChNXmybyOiSrIOtwG6Pn9FHFPkMl0-UXN4A4-xnQZ7SgfAknHlru8pmUlW-tcKRdI2K4doEt1/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij_2ghK51dzos7HAdo9HVRG1gG2D6fzNVp7dOj3VkpF1ldOqcV9nCLjRfohxP5LpVOlBDChNXmybyOiSrIOtwG6Pn9FHFPkMl0-UXN4A4-xnQZ7SgfAknHlru8pmUlW-tcKRdI2K4doEt1/s400/1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355525353206316274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjj8MYdTvAQlWa4GesZJmzv-ahFPjwnhfe8ii-S34a7u1JPGURYkLBxGT7_yjmc2L_Vi8FM4_c9_wmaEbY-9Mlmrlu87fX5vkrnEq6WufaP1ORKI7rcD-1GxDW-vbsThwTWidWpjYwBIp/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjj8MYdTvAQlWa4GesZJmzv-ahFPjwnhfe8ii-S34a7u1JPGURYkLBxGT7_yjmc2L_Vi8FM4_c9_wmaEbY-9Mlmrlu87fX5vkrnEq6WufaP1ORKI7rcD-1GxDW-vbsThwTWidWpjYwBIp/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355525266337371922" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeHNzqCYTeZl-PoVCSp7oCI3ZZI0spmTrkuloaU_wTwY-SKUREpOIqlDRwq9pP7qwRXL17woOt5VcrEST6HfHyyenZ0nIaPVjai3RgwxrisG5wgg3WSXUUCvAJ4Z1hsq_c5vJY9MAZD6i/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeHNzqCYTeZl-PoVCSp7oCI3ZZI0spmTrkuloaU_wTwY-SKUREpOIqlDRwq9pP7qwRXL17woOt5VcrEST6HfHyyenZ0nIaPVjai3RgwxrisG5wgg3WSXUUCvAJ4Z1hsq_c5vJY9MAZD6i/s400/3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355525173968781730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGydq11_wP6LTJfOpGHk6nZKzcGuP-LirTCMbWrESfKvEJmtjihYofmELIRx6Rh_CC8L6xQ0O-5pFIgk34nFxzYZ7RNRpQQWJxwSIi1Ub-NvxBQQQ7zp_r_H2AWDOfhVrZgvZ-UexxwhV/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGydq11_wP6LTJfOpGHk6nZKzcGuP-LirTCMbWrESfKvEJmtjihYofmELIRx6Rh_CC8L6xQ0O-5pFIgk34nFxzYZ7RNRpQQWJxwSIi1Ub-NvxBQQQ7zp_r_H2AWDOfhVrZgvZ-UexxwhV/s400/4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355525066945326210" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PBDzIRYnq_QV0j2sYECfc5Pm7og8PflpGyRYWHrmHKGFoCP8Mling4E67EOFAUM1hyd1eYKbnK0B-sloX8u1Jno3tKGjbowGon8NfipAW1Yyk3aJ7BB-fXvaNNZtjp-p0Gwo0a0FNDMw/s1600-h/5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PBDzIRYnq_QV0j2sYECfc5Pm7og8PflpGyRYWHrmHKGFoCP8Mling4E67EOFAUM1hyd1eYKbnK0B-sloX8u1Jno3tKGjbowGon8NfipAW1Yyk3aJ7BB-fXvaNNZtjp-p0Gwo0a0FNDMw/s400/5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355524981534453426" border="0" /></a>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-46827563771289853502009-06-10T14:37:00.000-04:002009-06-10T14:38:25.214-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVAYYgtPU4Zwc1VeU-C69wLyiXumYNiZJ23T7-jn_HvxxsZEAimyAeH4X1RE-3d84PSAxEe6fdE7BJbiN6Zjt6b9Aqg-99_Dera4HvXZVUgPNNN_xTVsma3uDA65CTia4EklCuh89UoHj/s1600-h/explodedmarkiigolf.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345770130263410946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVAYYgtPU4Zwc1VeU-C69wLyiXumYNiZJ23T7-jn_HvxxsZEAimyAeH4X1RE-3d84PSAxEe6fdE7BJbiN6Zjt6b9Aqg-99_Dera4HvXZVUgPNNN_xTVsma3uDA65CTia4EklCuh89UoHj/s400/explodedmarkiigolf.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-54050838364347984692009-05-17T21:45:00.003-04:002009-05-17T21:50:31.693-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs7XwbAKqEasdjtTaOF9O2z1rWDIpMKmzPOLUCqmnj7azDtzT8YXOwv4xg379vccC28of3rTjz6UY6mq_z7qyS7umqCZkGWT_XfhtZIj0u8EYr6DHUu8I-ExvMS0sBhTHGNa3awq3mPad/s1600-h/natejetta.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs7XwbAKqEasdjtTaOF9O2z1rWDIpMKmzPOLUCqmnj7azDtzT8YXOwv4xg379vccC28of3rTjz6UY6mq_z7qyS7umqCZkGWT_XfhtZIj0u8EYr6DHUu8I-ExvMS0sBhTHGNa3awq3mPad/s400/natejetta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336974468493484946" border="0" /></a>This is my brother. His name is Nate and he's the only certified ADTRAN tech in the state. His company just went belly-up. Please, someone give him a job. He's very employable, really.sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-34304555622013227142009-05-17T21:20:00.005-04:002009-05-17T21:41:02.045-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXzvKajqmWXuXQ9bkgY0L3WiHYWFHOhphYnRBXq9NlK8anUQVcUUG48JdEoYnrdaAbCqbK7lpcmcHv8tYhos389a9jCIBFJH1Vb4P1yVSyL0YnaOjUwqYyudFogvf0TLAFrTdaPQC3E4m/s1600-h/cliff1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXzvKajqmWXuXQ9bkgY0L3WiHYWFHOhphYnRBXq9NlK8anUQVcUUG48JdEoYnrdaAbCqbK7lpcmcHv8tYhos389a9jCIBFJH1Vb4P1yVSyL0YnaOjUwqYyudFogvf0TLAFrTdaPQC3E4m/s400/cliff1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336971826648786658" border="0" /></a><br />I know it's been a while since I last posted here. Sorry, seems I've been carried away with my new camera and the corresponding photo blog. So, here's some pics from the local airport. My pal, Cliff (the guy on the right), runs the place and spend his days wrenching on float planes and old Yugoslavian fighters. Not a bad life, eh?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgDT1Yfz1ZTv1JQU7sD7WBKpNSmaeTygVTmk55el_I398EpxwxsC6xRt3Kf9bemJeMfwl9-GgygKLnVC2ck5UFLIPAZZ0BqYUgp6Wzkcl6Yd4F3UiEr2mgnm7slYmpGKFrgPk-Mszq_z6/s1600-h/cliff2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgDT1Yfz1ZTv1JQU7sD7WBKpNSmaeTygVTmk55el_I398EpxwxsC6xRt3Kf9bemJeMfwl9-GgygKLnVC2ck5UFLIPAZZ0BqYUgp6Wzkcl6Yd4F3UiEr2mgnm7slYmpGKFrgPk-Mszq_z6/s400/cliff2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336971764560290162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUGykULI5r2vDQgz3SPsFdRdnJQp3te3fV4JX3_UtP6DpHOH-lbQqnFv4bOpm95qeKFRjczIBBgEVQBPmDBkxpT0R4n7RB1jGPXitJgb6Dg3kbmJCzDmbRrvXmgYu5ahYsrw5CjciqgP_/s1600-h/cliff3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUGykULI5r2vDQgz3SPsFdRdnJQp3te3fV4JX3_UtP6DpHOH-lbQqnFv4bOpm95qeKFRjczIBBgEVQBPmDBkxpT0R4n7RB1jGPXitJgb6Dg3kbmJCzDmbRrvXmgYu5ahYsrw5CjciqgP_/s400/cliff3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336971708309047554" border="0" /></a>sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-29002541256891717892009-04-12T20:44:00.020-04:002009-04-13T03:19:49.160-04:00Easter AnticsToday, I installed a steering column in the race rabbit. Do not be alarmed, the race rabbit has always had a steering column. It's just that the bushings in the original column - after more than 168,xxx miles - are, well, shot.<br /><br />As fortune would have it, I happen to have a parts-car standing by for just such an occasion. By-the-way, my wife cringes every time I say the words "parts-car." Sometimes, when I'm feeling malevolent, I whisper the phrase into her ear while she's sleeping. Invariably, she awakes with a jerk, her protuberant eyes searching the bedroom as if the pariah, derelict-of-a-vehicle might actually be present in the house, stocking her.<br /><br />Aside from inducing psycho-motor agitation, parts-cars are a veritable treasure trove capable of yielding rare or expensive components that might be otherwise unobtainable. It's like finding a little Spanish gold in your backyard - well, sort of. Please, check your local zoning regulations before acquiring your own parts-car.<br /><br />Now, let me quickly tell you the story of how I acquired my parts-car. It was about seven-years-ago when I happened to be driving along the main road in North Springfield, Vt when I glanced to my left and beheld a mystifying vision. There, parked on a grassy side-lot, was a heavily oxidized, dun-colored '83 Volkswagen Jetta. On its windshield, tucked under a wiper blade was a scrap of cardboard emblazoned in black Sharpy with the words "4 Sale." If I recall correctly the "S" was written backwards. With great aplomb I halted my vehicle. In fact, the only thing I might have stopped faster for would be a bungee cord lying in the middle of the road. I love free bungee cords and it distresses me to see them so carelessly abandoned. Ask me someday, and I'll show you my collection.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the story. Upon inquiring with the property owner I discovered that this gem-of-a-Volkswagen could be had on the cheap.<br /><br />"50 bucks and it's yours, heck, if you can get it started I'll let it go for free," was the owner's offer. It seemed I would not need to barter.<br /><br />"What's wrong with it?" I inquired.<br /><br />"It doesn't have a battery and the mechanic says it needs a fuel pump," was the reply.<br /><br />It just so happened that I had such a battery stowed in the trunk of my trusty Saturn. As for the fuel pump, turns out that the mechanic was mistaken. After installing the battery, I slipped behind the steering wheel and discovered that the fuel-pump relay had slid out of the fuse block. This malady was easily remedied and after two tries that little Jetta fired up. Did I mention it was free.<br /><br />Back to the present. After installing the steering column from the parts-car into the race Rabbit, I decided that I would switch over all the lock cylinders from the parts-car so that I would only need one key for the Rabbit. See, due to a repair by the previous owner, the Rabbit has always had separate keys for each door.<br /><br />Considering that I had swapped over the ignition block with key cylinder intact, I figured the rest would be easy. In fact, it was with little trouble that I was able to swap the door handles from the parts-car to the race Rabbit, however - and this is where things get a little, well, miraculous - the Rabbit is a hatch-back and the Jetta a notch-back. The locking mechanism for the hatch on the Rabbit is, of course, different from the Jetta's arrangements. Sure, I figured, I could swap the actual lock cylinders, but I was getting tired and the cold was starting to seep into my internal organs.<br /><br />What the heck, I thought, let's see if the Jetta key will work in the Rabbit's hatch lock. After all, we've all heard those urban legends about people leaving the grocery store in a stranger's Chevy because the car was an exact match to there own-right down to the key. It's not until later, when they discover a kilo of cocaine or a dead Jimmy Hoffa in the trunk that they realize their blunder. But, that was the 70s. Still, you never know. So, with this in mind, I slipped the Jetta key into the Rabbit's hatch lock and, behold, it turned.<br /><br />Of course, I proclaimed this a miracle. The fact that it was Easter, only lent credence to my claim. My wife, upon hearing my inspiring re-telling of the divinely-touched tale of Volkswagen repair, was nonplussed. She smiled broadly but said nothing.<br /><br />"Are you smiling because you're happy that I've had such good fortune?" I asked.<br /><br />"Oh no, " she explained, "I'm smiling because a few more parts have left the junk Jetta(what she calls the parts-car) and this is a sign that it may be going away someday."sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-57565247253801334842009-04-01T09:47:00.002-04:002009-04-01T09:53:58.686-04:00I've launch a new blog. Check out my street photos at: <a href="http://sevencardanvtscenes.blogspot.com">http://sevencardanvtscenes.blogspot.com</a> . Feed back is always welcome and, in fact, I even have one documented blog "follower." Woohoo. That proves it, I'm not just talking to myself.sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-56326704914280852972009-03-21T22:05:00.030-04:002009-03-23T07:43:04.338-04:00Street Legal Airplane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzmyRODey2a4R90B4tZJxvJKlo0Wu-fqL4_iaxkQYwrehU_a393vBf_-rIh94QPjK9rVy-ti6SkKLVgCyJBKLBA8knzT77QXivcbALO9z7j4o3JsYK6E1Kc8wWbKyyQFd8xzvrrVKHGPN/s1600-h/TransitionRoad.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316190543922073218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzmyRODey2a4R90B4tZJxvJKlo0Wu-fqL4_iaxkQYwrehU_a393vBf_-rIh94QPjK9rVy-ti6SkKLVgCyJBKLBA8knzT77QXivcbALO9z7j4o3JsYK6E1Kc8wWbKyyQFd8xzvrrVKHGPN/s400/TransitionRoad.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfxXad5dE2XviJL5lSv9a2ybIv6rgEMxwXoWIfWJewVGHwrk70J1F7Se0mSACfUM7bmAE0B5SSn9L6340XWW2yTjuTr9F3SkgQmzyrhEHqzPRzJ-JylqyUFLxHp-PHWbWUO30QFNVTjTh/s1600-h/Terrafugia_Formation.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316190445966292738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfxXad5dE2XviJL5lSv9a2ybIv6rgEMxwXoWIfWJewVGHwrk70J1F7Se0mSACfUM7bmAE0B5SSn9L6340XWW2yTjuTr9F3SkgQmzyrhEHqzPRzJ-JylqyUFLxHp-PHWbWUO30QFNVTjTh/s400/Terrafugia_Formation.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />What's this, you say, another dreadful entry about my flying car fantasy?! Ahh, say I, It's closer to being a reality than you think.<br /><br />Earlier this month, Terrafugia of Woburn, Ma, conducted the first test flights of their "roadable aircraft" at the Plattsburgh, Ny airport (that's just across the lake from my humble hovel in ole St. A - which, I should add, is less humble now that we've ditched the old beige '70s stove for a new, state-of-the-art, duel-oven, glass top jobby with a digital read-out. Wow, who'd of thought a full set of working burners could make cooking so easy. I think we'll get one of those microwaves next.) Video of Terrafugia's first flight can be readily found on Youtube or at the company's website (www.terrafougia.com).<br /><br />The best thing about the "Transition," that's what the folks at Terrafugia have dubbed their aero-car, is that it has been set up with the same controls that are found in a regular car. Just like the Chevy in your driveway, the driver sits on the left with the passenger to right. Naturally, the steering wheel, brake and throttle pedals are to be found in the usual places. I wonder if Terrafugia plans to make a right-seated-driver for the Brits.<br /><br />Motivated by a 100 hp Rotax 912S engine that delivers power to the front wheels, the "Transition" runs on super unleaded(which, of course, can be sourced from any corner gas station) and is good for top speeds of about 65 mph. According to the company's website, this "roadable airplane" is capable of obtaining 30 miles-per-gallon at highway speed. Equiped with standard seatbelts, airbags and auto safety glass, the transition has been designed to meet the same safety standards as every other modern automobile. As for usable storage space, the "Transition" is not ideal for a jaunt to the grocery. The company states that it has trunk space large enough for skis, a set of golf clubs or a fishing pole - but not all these items at once.<br /><br />On paper, these specs, modern safety standards aside, are about what I'd expect from my '74 Super Beetle.<br /><br />That is, until the "Transition's" 27.5 ft bi-folding wings are deployed - via controls located in the cockpit - transforming this auto to aero in seconds. With the wings deployed, power is automatically re-routed from the front wheels to a rear mounted propeller. According to Terrafugia, the "Transition" can take off and land at any runway of at least 2500 ft. Thanks to Eisenhower, I can think of several Interstate stretches that meet this requirement - though the authorities might take issue with a stunt like that. In the air, Terrafugia's strange, little bird can sustain cruising speeds of 115 mph and has a range of 460 miles. This is it, this is the future.<br /><br />Now, if I only had the $10 large to put down as deposit on the $194,000 final purchase price.sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-80965512663713390942009-02-18T23:09:00.013-05:002009-02-22T22:06:26.581-05:00Every morning, at about a quarter to six, my daughter and I have breakfast together. It’s a ritual. I stand at the counter, chug bitter black coffee and watch the clock on the stove- don’t want to miss the car pool - while she slurps down a bowl of sugar cereal and tells me about her exploits at school. All the while, in the background, the radio bleats out an invariably despairing account of the world’s condition. This is our unhealthy way of kicking off the new day.<br /><br />This morning the news was dominated by the woeful tale of the so-called Big Three. If you recall, GM, Chrysler and Ford have their figurative backs to the wall. And so, the CEOs of America’s auto manufacturers have returned to Washington for some more corporate panhandling. It seems the first $17.4 billion of tax-payer’s money loaned to GM and Chrysler was not enough. Boy, I didn't see that coming. Surprisingly though, Ford has not needed to take advantage of its $9 billion life line. The night, however, is young.<br /><br />It now appears that GM and Chrysler need another $21.6 billion. Congress has imposed conditions, or else the American public might think that this is all a great big handout. One of Washington’s stipulations is that the automakers present restructuring plans to congress that navigate the Big Three back to the land of viability. The deadline for these plans was yesterday.<br /><br />The plans are broad, vague and light on details, but they do outline changes, some of which are predictable, some of which are drastic. There will be lay-offs and factory closings. Lots of people will be out of work. Those who retain their positions will lose benefits. Product lines will be altered, certain models will be dropped and - in the case of GM - weaker brands will be phased out. This bothers my daughter because the radio correspondent lists Saturn as a brand slated for oblivion.<br /><br />Recently, she has re-discovered her love for my ‘94 Saturn SL. See, a few weeks back I implanted a “wild-berry” air-freshener under my little car's passenger seat to cover up it’s otherwise pungent odor. This particular freshener can be bought at any Advanced Auto Parts store. Just look for these urinal-cake-shaped air-fresheners at the counter. They'll be next to the Snickers bars and below the row of dollar tools. They come in a variety of scents including vanilla and “new car.” You won’t be disappointed.<br /><br />Previously, due to environmental conditions beyond my control, my beloved Saturn had taken on an compound odor comprised of a cocktail of smells with ingredients including - but not limited to - bilge water, rock salt, mold, animal dander and sweat socks - think low tide crossed with wet dog. Hey, carpooling is a nasty business. This, of course, soured my daughter’s opinion of an otherwise fine automobile. Now, that the car smells like a fresh stick of juicy fruit bubble gum, she’s willing to forget the past and forge ahead into the endless future with a newly instilled fondness for all things Saturn. That was, until that jerk Rick Wagoner - who, by-the-way, earned a base salary of $2.2 million in 2008 - gave Saturn the ax.<br /><br />“Julia,” I comforted, “ No one’s going to come take our Saturn. Besides, the junkyards are full of them, we’ll always be able to find used parts, even if GM and all the third-party suppliers stop manufacturing new parts.”<br /><br />This seemed to sooth her. I, however, could not stop a certain feeling of dread from creeping deep into my bones. These restructuring plans detailed the closing of an additional five manufacturing facilities and the destruction of more than 50,000 jobs worldwide.<br /><br />I’m a child of the Cold War. My grade school was a fall-out shelter. I grew up watching movies like Red Dawn and reading books like Red Storm Rising(for the record, Jack Ryan was kicking pinko ass while Jack Bauer was still slurping grape juice from a sippy cup.)<br /><br />Throughout my childhood the fear of nuclear war was pervasive. The unimaginable consequences of a nuclear holocaust was on everyone's mind. They called it the Nuclear Winter. It is a scenario where the mass discharge of nuclear weapons kicks up enough dust into the sky to choke out all sunlight. This in turn sparks a rapid cooling of the Earth that makes the entire world uninhabitable. Those that survived the initial holocaust and the radioactive fall-out would die due to drastic, world-wide climate changes.<br /><br />The Nuclear Winter, of course, never happened. But, it seems to me that we now face an Economic Winter that is every bit as real as the Nuclear Winter was abstract. The initial collapse of the financial services industry did not immediately destroy the economy. This collapse, which certainly imploded with a ferocity akin to multiple nuclear detonations, instead set off a cascade of financial events - including the constricting of credit, the mass loss of personal retirement investments, a reduction in consumerism and manufacturing and a massive weakening of confidence - that is not dissimilar, in terms of process, to the devastating chain of events that might follow a nuclear holocaust.<br /><br />Presently, the economic atmosphere is burthened by a noxious miasma that is one part dread and one part fear. If the air isn't cleared of this financial stink, the economic world, as we know it, may be rendered uninhabitable. What we need now, for the short term, is an economic air freshener to, at least, mask the stench of fear and loathing. What, you ask, could freshen this foul economy? The truth.<br /><br />Americans are justifiably angry with Wall Street and the financial tycoons who lived lavishly while gutting the economy and leaving the bill for the working class. Further infuriating the masses, is the realization that the only way out is to pump more money into the very institutions that caused the economic meltdown. This is the truth, and hesitating to do what is, oh so aberrant, but obviously necessary could bring on, as it did some seventy-years-ago, a great depression. If we accept this truth, and get on with it, then, we can clear the air of dread and fear and, eventually, make ready for the day when optimism returns.<br /><br />Oh well, at least my old Saturn smells fruity fresh.sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3627859033862379107.post-49259547438216620222009-02-17T02:40:00.001-05:002009-02-17T02:40:56.531-05:00Ebooks are no fun at book burnings. I bet Ray didn't forsee that one.sevencardanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13163764085513083789noreply@blogger.com0